Do You Feed Through The Leaves?

By Thomas J.

Even if your a beginner in bonsai, surely by now you've gotten to the point where you know that if your going to have a bonsai that not only is alive, but you also want it to look alive, that is healthy and happy, then your going to have to feed it, and not just water it.

Of course the normal regimen for feeding any plant is through its root system, be it with chemical liquid, or organic which comes in both dry and liquid form, depending on which organic you prefer to use.

Another method which many people swear by, but which also has many naysayers, is a method called "foliar feeding". Those that do the foliar feeding, myself included, don't use this as an alternative to root feeding, but as an added benefit to our all around feeding program. I must also add that the naysayers say they see no added benefit to this method,
and is the reason why they don't use it. You will have to determine for yourself if after trying this method, it was worth your time or not.

I've been foliar feeding for a number of years now, and do it primarily in the heat of summer when it's too hot for both me and my trees. Here in Texas, the summers are murder on our bonsai trees. Everything just shuts down with the 100+ deg. heat day after day for months on end. But I go by the belief that even though the trees are in some what of a dormant state
for a while because of the heat, they still need something to keep their resistance up to keep them going, and to me a light feeding at this time with a foliar spray, not to mention the cooling effect of the liquid itself on the foliage, can and should be beneficial.
 
Most people that foliar feed, use an organic type feed, although I've heard of those that even use a chemical fertilizer for this.

The most widely used organic foliar feed, and the one that usually gets the most credit for being acceptable as a foliar feed, is a product called Liquid Kelp, or Liquid Seaweed.

Many people will also make compost or manure teas, and use this for their foliar feed.

The liquid seaweeds are known to be very rich in trace elements, and are supposed to even be good for both heat and cold protection to some extent.

For the most part, foliar feeding will be done by using a simple sprayer applicator. They come in all different sizes and types. Below are three different spray applicators. Anyone of them will do a good job of applying a foliar spray solution, usually by mixing a Tbs. of solution, to
one gallon of water.

Pumping the sprayer up good and hard and your on your way.

The trouble is, if you have quite an assortment of trees, this may be a little time consuming,with all the stopping and pumping that will be necessary.

Here's a little something I came across while purchasing an item for car washing.

The bottle is a premixer for soap when washing your vehicle, but can also be used the same way for foliar feeding. The picture below shows a small amount of liquid kelp added to the bottle to begin
the feeding process.

Notice how it automatically begins to mix with the water. Since this is an organic mixture, a perfect amount of mixture isn't that critical. A little more or less won't hurt either way. In fact the only drawback to using this device, is that you will find yourself going through more solution than if you were using the pump up type sprayer.  But for those of us who must be out in the heat for any amount of time, the quicker the better, and this is by far the quicker method.

This next picture shows the different dial settings on the spray head.

There are two settings that  would probably be best for use for foliar feeding, the "mist" and the "cone" setting.The first picture shows the mist setting, and its light spray pattern.

And the second one shows the "cone" setting with its more aggressive spray.

So, to sum it all up, if you have time, do a quick internet search on liquid kelp, or liquid seaweed. You'll find some interesting facts, such as how they are rich in cytokinin, a growth hormone, and also in trace elements, vital in many enzyme systems, especially where photosynthesis occurs. When sprayed on the leaves, it goes right to the nucleus and  allows cells to grow.
 
I hope you'll give foliar feeding a try as I did, and hopefully you'll see the results and become more interested in not just the styling of your trees, but of their optimum health also. Although this foliar spray won't make yellow foliage return back to green, it should stop it from continuing, and the results should be fairly quickly. You should also notice a more greener color to your junipers and chinese elms as shown below.

For those not familiar with where to purchase Liquid Seaweed, or a small spray bottle like the one shown below, Dallas Bonsai Gardens has both of these items for purchase.

Note: Some informational websites on foliar feeding will caution foliar feeding at temps above 80 degrees, and when the weather is hot and dry. Some will say do it when there is plenty of sun to dry the plant off before sunset,
and some say to wait until just before sunset while the stomata are most active. I have had no problems whatsoever foliar feeding as I stated above with the hot and dry conditions in my area, and doing it about two hours before sunset. All the same, please keep this in mind if you plan to foliar feed, or do a little research on your own for all practical purposes. With all Bonsai techniques, it could vary depending upon your distinct Climate or Micro-Climate.