Foliar Feed

[rary]

How many Grapes use foliar feeding for their plants, and do you think it gives better results than feeding the roots,
Or do you try to avoid any feed going onto the foliage, and if so why?

[nickdub]

I use dilute seaweed fertilizer sprayed on occasionally, mostly if I think the plant roots aren't coping very well, particularly if there is some indication of a mineral deficiency. I reckon its a good way of producing healthy growth as long as you do it when the risk of mildew is low - I'd probably do more, if I wasn't a member of the lazy club.

[muck lover]

I also use seaweed as a foliar feed. Its pretty expensive and goes further as a spray. I keep meaning to spray all fruit bushes and plants regularly but didn't manage that this year as I was hauling water due to hosepipe ban. I have just used it on some polytunnel plants that had spidermite as the moisture on its own discourages them and if I am spraying anyway it may as well have some seaweed in it.
I have made my own seaweed feed but have not used it to spray as I am fairly sure it would clog the sprayer nozzle. I cant filter it as it smells APPALLING and I cant hold my breath that long.

[Snoop Puss]

I spent quite a lot of money on a calcium foliar feed but can't bring myself to use it. Fungal problems if I do it late in the evening, leaf burn if I do it in the morning...

Mind you, for some reason this year, some of my tomato plants have such severe blossom end rot that I might as well use it because they're not producing toms worth picking. However, I half wonder if it's just too hot for them and they can't transport water up fast enough. (I just made that up - maybe it isn't a thing...)

[nickdub]

I spent quite a lot of money on a calcium foliar feed but can't bring myself to use it. Fungal problems if I do it late in the evening, leaf burn if I do it in the morning...

Mind you, for some reason this year, some of my tomato plants have such severe blossom end rot that I might as well use it because they're not producing toms worth picking. However, I half wonder if it's just too hot for them and they can't transport water up fast enough. (I just made that up - maybe it isn't a thing...)

The blossom end rot is almost certainly due to drying out at times - I'm watering 3 or 4 times a day in the poly-tunnel. Depending on how you are situated a capillary matting set-up, with a water trough at one end, is a possible low-tech way of getting more water to the plants when they need it

[Jungle Jane]

I’ve had lots of BER on my plum shaped tomatoes planted in the ground,round tomatoes are ok,first time this has happened for ground tomatoes (orange banana,black icicle & cream sausage varieties) it’s too dry this year for them so I’ve upped the watering to every day but I think a mulch would help here too.
Ive only ever foliar fed onions,with a seaweed feed.

[Snoop Puss]

For info, Nick, all my toms are outdoors. It's the first time in ages that they've had BER, probably because I forgot to work ash into the soil when I was preparing the bed. The other bed of toms is fine, and I did remember to add ash to that one.

[Thelma Sanders]

I don't really like to use anything that wets the foliage, apart from rain! Yes please

It seems to either make things mildewy in overcast conditions or cause burnt spots on the foliage if it is sunny. Perhaps I just never get it right