Will foliar feeding with an organic nutrient cause root problems?

arrozkongandulez

Active Member
ive read that using organics might lead to algae issues....

i have a surplus of technaflora's root 66 and id like to use it for my week old seedlings in dwc buckets but i was thinking about foliar feeding them...

i did read in technaflora's website that root 66 is organic so i didnt want to add it to the nutrient solution... any thoughts?
 

mike91sr

Well-Known Member
I think you're missing the big picture with organics and bacteria issues. The reason organics and hydroponics are messy to mix is because the sugars in organic ferts typically act as a food source for the bad bacteria, leading to more outbreaks. Having organic substances present to the plant via foliar feeding, unless it drips down into your res, won't provide food to anything but the plant itself, so its safe from causing bacteria outbreaks.

That said, I don't see any reason to foliar feed a plant that young. What exactly are you trying to accomplish by incorporating the product, aside from just using it because you have it?

Personally, I only use a foliar spray with kelp extract, and that's because the caspian strip makes it near impossible for the plant to utilize it through the roots. Same goes for any sugar product, though I don't use any. So yes, I would recommend you use that as a foliar feed if you're set on using that specifically, but not for another 2-3 weeks or so. The hormones the plant uses from the kelp are relatively useless before that as they increase overall stem elongation and not exclusively root production.

Not too sure specifically about root 66 compared to similar products, as its ingredients are kelp, sugars, and trace elements including boric acid(which has been shown to be toxic to plants in high enough concentrations). IMO seems like a redundant and relatively wasteful product aside from the kelp extract in it, and based on how much is in it, likely not a very good source of it if you're set on using some type of kelp.
 

arrozkongandulez

Active Member
I think you're missing the big picture with organics and bacteria issues. The reason organics and hydroponics are messy to mix is because the sugars in organic ferts typically act as a food source for the bad bacteria, leading to more outbreaks. Having organic substances present to the plant via foliar feeding, unless it drips down into your res, won't provide food to anything but the plant itself, so its safe from causing bacteria outbreaks.

That said, I don't see any reason to foliar feed a plant that young. What exactly are you trying to accomplish by incorporating the product, aside from just using it because you have it?

Personally, I only use a foliar spray with kelp extract, and that's because the caspian strip makes it near impossible for the plant to utilize it through the roots. Same goes for any sugar product, though I don't use any. So yes, I would recommend you use that as a foliar feed if you're set on using that specifically, but not for another 2-3 weeks or so. The hormones the plant uses from the kelp are relatively useless before that as they increase overall stem elongation and not exclusively root production.

Not too sure specifically about root 66 compared to similar products, as its ingredients are kelp, sugars, and trace elements including boric acid(which has been shown to be toxic to plants in high enough concentrations). IMO seems like a redundant and relatively wasteful product aside from the kelp extract in it, and based on how much is in it, likely not a very good source of it if you're set on using some type of kelp.
i wanted to use it because i have a lot of it and because technaflora recommended to use it on seedlings for root development, i then read that it was an organic product. And the people at my hydro store said not to use any organics in the nutrient solution so i didnt want to use.

i really just want my seedlings to be as healthy, grow good and root fast. and since i have that product and if it helps then i'd like to use it.

otherwise if it wont do anything for me then i dont care.

thanks for your help man it really helped!
 

mike91sr

Well-Known Member
I dont see it hurting anything given a very conservative application starting a couple weeks into veg. I just wouldnt be runnin out to buy a replacement when its out or anything. Kelp extract can be had SUPER cheap as long as it doesn't have a hydro label.

http://www.kelp4less.com

As far as the sugars in it, I just think they're useless and only make products more marketable(expensive), but if thats no concern I dont see them causing problems. Its just that everything I've come to understand is that providing carbs to the plant does little/nothing since the plant is able to easily create enough of its own given proper nutrition and lighting.
 
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