Organic foliar gardening has many benefits and it all begins with the leaves. By way of definition, anytime you hear the word foliar, and it’s related to plants or gardening you should know that the plant’s leaves are being discussed. Foliar feeding is beneficial to organic gardening methods because plants usually are able to take in their needed nutrients much more efficiently through foliar feeding rather than via their root system.

It’s the pores (called the stomata) on the leaves that make them so efficient for feeding. When the leaves are sprayed with the liquid or liquid suspension, the pores absorb the nutrients and trace minerals that they may be having difficulty obtaining from the soil. Organic gardeners often use foliar plant foods or fertilizers to take advantage of this fact. And, if you have plants that are stressed from excessive heat, drought, or even some disease, the use of foliar feeding can be an excellent way to quickly revive them.

While root feeding is actually the most common method of providing water and nutrients to a plant, foliar feeding has numerous benefits. In fact, foliar feeding has been found to be an effective way to correct soil nutrient and mineral deficiencies, thus solving issues with tired or dead soil’s inability to transfer nutrients to a plant. Studies have proven foliar feeding be up to ten times more effective than feeding at the soil level, also known as root feeding. In addition, controlled tests have shown that as much as 90 percent of a foliar-fed fertilizer can be found within the plant’s smallest roots in as little as one hour after application.

In fact, organic foliar gardening experts cite several advantages to foliar feeding, including:
• You see results quickly because when you apply nutrients on the leaves the plant is able to absorb and use them much more quickly.
• Certain elements, like iron, are not available to plants via the soil, but they can be provided via foliar feeding.
• Foliar feeding helps reduce nutritional stress problems with your plants and garden.

Clearly, there’s something to this type of feeding which goes against the rules that many gardeners live by—to not get a plant’s leaves wet in order to prevent the onset or spread of foliar disease. While the same risk of spreading disease exists, there’s no reason that gardeners should not be able to enjoy the benefits that foliar feeding can provide to their plants and gardens. The best way to avoid complications is to do the feeding in the early morning hours before it gets too hot; and then stay out of the garden until the plants have had a chance to absorb the beneficial nutrients and trace minerals and the moisture on the leaves has evaporated or dried.

In addition, implementing foliar methods has never been easier for organic gardeners. Organic foliar fertilizer products with all of their beneficial nutrients are readily available in a pre-blended liquid or in an easy to mix powder form. With products like these, applying a foliar feeding is as easy as spraying the leaves and will only take as long as your garden is big.