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Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,396
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Feeding plants by spray vs ground watering, which is better?

I started spraying plant food on my flowers, but I am not sure if it is as effective as soil watering.

 

Any advice?

 

I am using that Bloom Booster sold on the Q. Not Cottage Farms stuff (too expensive).

 

On the tub, it has directions for both ground or spray. I guess I am wondering if the leaves really use the food vs roots?

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,804
Registered: ‎05-08-2012

Re: Feeding plants by spray vs ground watering, which is better?

I do both. I do see improvement in my flowers when I feed them.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,937
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Feeding plants by spray vs ground watering, which is better?

It's better to water at the soil. Some plants flowers & veggies don't like to be watered on the leaves. Staying wet can cause disease. I water all my flowers let the soil dry & water again. I mix food with water in pitcher with pour spout so I can water down into the soil. The roots are what need the nutrition. I know with Iris's you have to wait until later in the year before you cut them back. If you cut them back to early you cut off their food supply for the winter.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,396
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Feeding plants by spray vs ground watering, which is better?

Thank you. It is so much more time consuming to root water, but I felt like maybe I was wasting food and time spraying them.

 

Guess I will go back to root watering! Smiley Happy

 

I often wonder how nursery's feed all their flowers. There are some huge fields of flowers out there in this big world.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,655
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Feeding plants by spray vs ground watering, which is better?

Those with overhead sprinkler systems, try to avoid watering at dusk because leaves get naturally moist at night with dew. I set my sprinklers to go on around 4AM, that way with the sunrise, the leaves are drying by the time 10AM rolls around. If certain areas can be done using drip irrigation that is the best way to go.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼