Q. I was reading an article about foliar feeding plants,. It was saying to spray tomato plants with phosphorous. I read an organic article in which they use fish-seaweed extract. In your opinion which is better to use? I see that Viragrow sells these products.
Viragrow’s Kelp Meal |
A. We want you to decide your options, not us. Yes, we carry Kelp Meal. It is a good product but we are not here to sell you an agenda. We sell both conventional and organic fertilizers – your choice.
Viragrow’s conventional preplant fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus. |
Having the nitrogen disappear in 4 to 6 weeks is a big asset in the promotion of flowering. If this nitrogen is present in high concentrations, it delays flowering and promotes stem and leaf growth. In our climate, we want the tomatoes to get large enough to support fruit and then we want the plant to shift to flowering and fruit production. This is typically in a few weeks.
Viragrow’s Organic high nitrogen fertilizer |
This is particularly true when you start harvesting fruits in June or July. This contradicts the idea to never fertilize vegetables during the heat of summer. I disagree 100%. This is the time that they need small amounts of fertilizer continuously. This fertilizer should be focused on the type of growth you desire. With leafy vegetables that are not expected to flower and produce fruits, high nitrogen fertilizers should be used.
Viragrow’s organic high phosphorus fertilizer. |
Regarding foliar feeding, you should have two types of fertilizers for foliar feeding. One should be a high nitrogen and low phosphorus fertilizer and the other should be a high phosphorus and low nitrogen fertilizer. If at all possible, these two fertilizers should both be at least moderate in the amount of potassium it contains. Potassium will not stimulate growth or flower production unless for some reason it is missing. In most gardens soils, it is not.
- improve your garden soil each time you plant.
- Use a high phosphorus fertilizer mixed with the soil at the time of planting
- apply foliar fertilizers one month after planting
- use high nitrogen fertilizers for leafy green crops monthly
- use high phosphorus fertilizers for flowering and fruiting crops monthly
- never, never forget about potassium and either get it into the soil or apply it with the foliar sprays
- during the heat of the summer, reduce the amount of foliar fertilizer that you apply by half but still apply it monthly
- apply foliar fertilizers during early morning hours during the summer
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