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Foliar Feed Vs Root Feed Outdoors, 2014.


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summary:  foliar fed vs root fed.  all 22 were fed every 4th day (and rain water whenever).  this resulted in the foliar fed plants yielding 1.72 x root fed.

method:  22 blue dream clones planted in-ground may 21 were root fed only during veg.  

for flowering the plants were divided randomly into 2 sets of 11 that received either foliar or root feeding from day 22 of flower through harvest.

 

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Are you spraying that fish emulsion? Pretty good info, thanks. Also, do you use epsom salt?

Zap:  Veg was indeed fish via SF Organics 2-2-0 @ $7.50 for a quart (next I bought a 5-gallon bucket for $90 plus shipping).

 

From the 22nd day of flowering to harvest, both the foliar and the root feed was the 'weightlifter's food shelf mix':

1 teaspoon of weightlifter's whey

1 teaspoon of powdered milk

1 teaspoon of pineapple juice concentrate

1 teaspoon of molasses

1 teaspoon of ensure

1 teaspoon of farina dry cereal

These were combined with water in the mix tank of a miracle grow, green and yellow $17 sprayer, which was then hooked to a garden hose.

I didn't use epsom salts.

 

Gm:  Actually i lost the bet, cause i picked root fed to win.  I accepted a challenge from a grower who foliars and I lost 2 ways.  My 11 root fed plants yielded less meds.  And i had to pay with some of that weed to settle the bet.  

Altho, you know, I will win every year i outdoor foliar in flower in place of my former practice.

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After 5 days of cure the Blue Dream buds smell not of fish guts, nor of farina or of dry milk or of whey....but of dank.

And there's no chunks or ferts (or bird poop) stuck to these buds grown outdoors.

(Bird poop was a patient's objection to getting buds grown outdoors).

And by the way, outdoor buds are naturally all wet and dripping water most fall mornings----there's heavy dew on the plants at sun-up, caused by some weather science I don't understand( but knew in 4th grade).  By the second hour after sun-up the plants have dried out.

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i have smoked the blue dream from this run.  it is powerful and smooth at just a few days past dry.  the blue dream foliar is not as smooth as the root fed, prolly cause i flushed the root fed with water for 4 days whereas the foliar didn't get any flush.  

This statement is why your results are inconclusive at best, the controls were not controlled.

 

It is good to know that foliar feeding doesn't mess up the finished product though.

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Iwood: at the absolute worst, how much diff did 4 days of water make?

I do not know, but that is not the point.

If the test subjects were not treated exactly the same, except the variable being tested, the results can't be attributed to one or the other specifically. 

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Won't a foliar feed with fish emulsion seriously up the chance of mold growth? I mean if you control humidity that's one thing but I'd be concerned dumping all of that unsterilized stuff on plants. When it gets really hot in the summer my shower will mildew super fast and that's just from water and shampoo and stuff. It doesn't dry fast enough to prevent the growth.

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My understanding is that most molds grow best in 3-7 ph. Fish emulsion solutions run about 3-5 ph. Soooooo, yeah. Same question as above. Anyone experience mold when using fish emulsion as a foliar feed? Seems it makes conditions ripe for mold growth. I mean especially if you are using it during flower. Some people get mold even if they don't coat their plants with stinky fish.

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foliar feeding in flower is a nono. better outside than inside I suppose. fish emulsion has a lot of nitrogen and that's not what we want during a flowering cycle typically.

I've seen mildew issues outdoors because a deer sneezed, but indoors, only without a dehumidifier in the room, or over feeding, and foliar feeding during both.

 

Plain rain water or spring, or some well water makes an awesome foliar feed indoors, with noteworthy results. adding a bubbled handful of quality potting soil will increase positive results. fish emulsion best used in the dirt. I'm happy pic book did this though, I was curious about the taste results outdoors if nothing else, solved! thanks picbook!

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foliar feeding is useful regardless of nutrient delivery technique used. The nutrients are absorbed while they evaporate through their leaves and stalks, just like in nature. some plants can fix their own nitrogen and other fertilizer needs without roots, right from the atmosphere amazingly. I agree that NO fertilizers should be used in late flowering, especially stinky ones, for fear of imparting off flavors to the flowers, but if they were nasty tasting I think pic book would say so. I hope he never does that again though, for the love of Shiva  :P

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