Dunkels Turbo Tomato

[motheralb]

I'm sure this product has been discussed on here before. Any opinions? Looks like it's a foliage spray. Ran across it searching for differnt types of tomato food. I've recently started using the Texas Tomato Food...too early to give any opinions. Please let me know. Thanks!

[ginger2778]

My Master Gardener class teaches that foliar sprays are not really effective. They say that the reason they appear to be effective is that people spray to the point of runoff and so the fertilizer drips down to the soil thus reaching the roots.
Having said that, the man who makes it is a member here,UncleDunkel, but he us careful not to tout his product himself. His product was used this year on the newest world record largest tomato, more than 8 lbs. it was not the only product used.
I am sure if you PM him he will be happy to help you.

[motheralb]

Thank you...makes sense. I'll reach out if I need more info.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

My Master Gardener class teaches that foliar sprays are not really effective. They say that the reason they appear to be effective is that people spray to the point of runoff and so the fertilizer drips down to the soil thus reaching the roots.
Having said that, the man who makes it is a member here,UncleDunkel, but he us careful not to tout his product himself. His product was used this year on the newest world record largest tomato, more than 8 lbs. it was not the only product used.
I am sure if you PM him he will be happy to help you.

Good Point there, Ginger.

Say you spray a gallon of whatever. Maybe more than 95% of it lands on the ground. So that is where the most of the benefit comes from. Though small amount is also absorbed by the leaves. But I suspect that its effect is just on the color of foliage.

Gardeneer

[Uncle Dunkel]

Well I could say a lot more about this subject but because of rules please drop me a private message.

Tim

[Gardeneer]

Tim,
I understand your concern. But here, in response to ginger's comment, we are not talking about any particular PRODUCT, but the principle of foliar feeding. It can be any product from water soluble fertilizers, epsom salt, peroxide, fish emulsion, .. etc, etc.

Gardeneer

[Barbee]

To get maximum benefit from foliar sprays, you need to be spraying the stoma. That is located on the underside of the leaf with most plants. So if you are spraying the tops of the plants to run off stage and not spraying the underside, you wont see good result from using a foliar spray. If you spray the undersides of the leaves and not worry about spraying to run off, your results might be different.
Hope this helps

[motheralb]

I have foliar fead other plants before...just not tomatoes. You are correct on spraying under the leafs so that the plant intakes the nutrients via the stoma. I know it can be effective for quick boosts or if your plant needs a quick nutrient adjustment. It's like running an IV to the plant because the intake is immediate. I guess my original question was more about the product and how worthwhile it would be to foliar feed say 40 large plants. If the stuff is awesome then it makes it worth my while...if you only see a slight quick uptake of nutrients then spending hours spraying under leafs doesn't make sense. I had never thought about the excess run off which now also makes sense. But I'll reach out to uncle and get his opinion.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Barbee

To get maximum benefit from foliar sprays, you need to be spraying the stoma. That is located on the underside of the leaf with most plants. So if you are spraying the tops of the plants to run off stage and not spraying the underside, you wont see good result from using a foliar spray. If you spray the undersides of the leaves and not worry about spraying to run off, your results might be different.
Hope this helps

Very interesting. All these years never heard or read to spray the underside of the leaves. I will give it a try.

To my understanding, you can use any water solubale nutrients as foliar feed. But if the plants can uptake it via roots system , why spray ? Unless the soil chemistry is messed up and some nutrients are not available. So in this situation foliar feeding is a way to bypass the root system.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Very interesting. All these years never heard or read to spray the underside of the leaves. I will give it a try.

To my understanding, you can use any water solubale nutrients as foliar feed. But if the plants can uptake it via roots system , why spray ? Unless the soil chemistry is messed up and some nutrients are not available. So in this situation foliar feeding is a way to bypass the root system.

The root system is still the primary zone of uptake of nutrients, foliar feeding is a way of supplementing certain valuable low molecular weight molecules that can pass through the cuticle layers and pass through cell walls. Amino acids, fulvic acids and other organic chelators of micronutrients, hormones and such can pass though into the leaf tissue. Anything that is in salt form you would have to be very careful with since it can cause burning of the leaf tissue.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by RayR

The root system is still the primary zone of uptake of nutrients, foliar feeding is a way of supplementing certain valuable low molecular weight molecules that can pass through the cuticle layers and pass through cell walls. Amino acids, fulvic acids and other organic chelators of micronutrients, hormones and such can pass though into the leaf tissue. Anything that is in salt form you would have to be very careful with since it can cause burning of the leaf tissue.

Thanks, Ray

The only things that I have ever foliarly sprayed have been Hyrogen peroxide and Epsom salt as very weak dilution. But didn't know then that I have to do it underside the leaves.
You live and learn.

Gardeneer

[Cole_Robbie]

I have some tea bubbling in my kitchen right now. It's shown great promise so far. I use it as a root drench and not a foliar spray.

[FarmerShawn]

I have been combining Actinovate with fish hydrolysate/kelp extract, with a glug of molasses and sometimes aerated compost tea, trying to get it on tops and bottoms of the leaves. I thought I was feeding and preventing foliage problems at the same time. Have I been misled?

[Gardeneer]

If you REALLY want to know what you are doing makes a difference, take 2 identical plants of the same variety. Foliar spray one and leave the other one alone.
I would put lots of cardboads and newspapers under the plan, making sure that none of that stuff gets into the soil. This is a semi-scientific approach.
Then tell us the difference :

Gardeneer

[RayR]

Originally Posted by FarmerShawn

I have been combining Actinovate with fish hydrolysate/kelp extract, with a glug of molasses and sometimes aerated compost tea, trying to get it on tops and bottoms of the leaves. I thought I was feeding and preventing foliage problems at the same time. Have I been misled?

Nothing wrong with that. Are you mixing 5 gal batches at a time?
What kind of foliar diseases do you have to deal with?

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

If you REALLY want to know what you are doing makes a difference, take 2 identical plants of the same variety. Foliar spray one and leave the other one alone.
I would put lots of cardboads and newspapers under the plan, making sure that none of that stuff gets into the soil. This is a semi-scientific approach.
Then tell us the difference :

Gardeneer

Actinovate, fish hydrolysate/kelp extract, molasses, aerated compost tea, that's all stuff where you would want the runoff to get into the soil.