Can foliar fertilizer be applied to potted osmanthus (Can fertilizer be applied to potted osmanthus when it sprouts)

I suggest you don't spray foliar fertilizer when the osmanthus bonsai sprouts, because if you don't control the concentration of foliar fertilizer, it is easy to cause fertilizer damage. If you have to spray it, there are still many things to pay attention to.

First, let’s take a brief look at foliar fertilizers.

Foliar fertilizer, as the name suggests, is fertilization by spraying fertilizer solution on the leaves.

The principle of foliar fertilization is that the cuticle on the surface of plant leaves has many hydrophilic pores, through which the aqueous solution can enter the leaves and be absorbed.

Foliar fertilization has many advantages

① Foliar fertilizer takes effect quickly. Foliar fertilizer is directly absorbed by the leaves and can participate in photosynthesis, while root fertilization needs to be absorbed by the roots and then transferred to the leaves. Foliar fertilizer has obvious advantages in speed.

② Foliar fertilizer can be applied in a targeted manner. If one element is lacking, you can directly use foliar fertilizer to supplement it.

③ Foliar fertilizer can improve the utilization rate of fertilizer. After root fertilization, the fertilizer will react chemically with the elements in the soil and part of the fertilizer will be fixed.

The utilization rate of fertilizers is not high, but foliar fertilization does not require a complicated soil environment and has a higher utilization rate.

Although foliar fertilizer has so many advantages, it is not recommended to use foliar fertilizer when osmanthus sprouts, for the following reasons.

1. The new buds of osmanthus are relatively delicate. If you spray foliar fertilizer at this time and the concentration of the foliar fertilizer is not well controlled, it will easily cause fertilizer damage , which will directly burn the newly sprouted buds and cause the new buds to fall off, which is very detrimental to the growth of osmanthus.

2. There is no need to spray foliar fertilizer when osmanthus sprouts. The main function of foliar fertilizer is to supplement the deficiency of root fertilization. It is often used to treat plant nutrient deficiency or to promote flowering before flowers bloom.

When sprouting, the branches of osmanthus have sufficient nutrients and generally do not require foliar fertilizer.

If you have to use foliar fertilizer, how to use it correctly?

Nothing is absolute. Foliar fertilizer takes effect quickly and is more suitable as a supplement to root fertilization during peak fertilizer demand periods.

If you must use foliar fertilization, it is also possible, but foliar fertilizer should not be used indiscriminately and some things need to be paid attention to.

1. Pay attention to the period when using foliar fertilizer during the germination period of osmanthus. It is not recommended to use foliar fertilizer in the early stage of germination when the buds are small . At this time, the buds are small, and even very low concentrations will cause fertilizer damage.

It is safer to use foliar fertilizer until osmanthus has 1-2 new leaves unfolding.

2. Pay attention to the concentration when using foliar fertilizer . Foliar fertilizer needs to be diluted about 1000-2000 times when used normally, and a lower concentration is required when used during the germination period.

For safety reasons, it is recommended to dilute it 2000-3000 times before use. Do not adjust the concentration at will. Too high a concentration may easily burn new shoots.

3. Choose the right time when using foliar fertilizer . Generally, foliar fertilizer should be sprayed in the evening. The evaporation rate is slow in the evening, and the sprayed foliar fertilizer can stay on the leaves for a longer time, allowing the leaves to absorb more nutrients.

4. The purpose of using foliar fertilizer during the budding period of osmanthus is mainly to promote the growth of new buds, and the growth of new buds requires more nitrogen.

The suitable foliar fertilizer at this time is urea. When using urea, pay attention to the quality of the fertilizer . The content of biuret in urea should be less than one thousandth, otherwise it will easily burn the leaves.