Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro Directions For Use
Dyno-Gro Foliage Pro is a liquid plant food that's a bit different from the rest. To find out more about what makes it unique, check the Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro FAQ's >. But if you already know how good it is - and already have Foliage Pro in your hands right now ready to feed - here are the directions for use below.
Like most plant foods, directions for use change based on how you want to use it and how often you feed. Keep in mind when any plant food gives you a range, go for the higher dose when your plant's actively growing, or are fast growers, and the lower dose for maintenance, in winter, for plants that aren't actively growing, or for slow growers. If you feed twice as often, don't double the dose! Keep the dose the same instead and double the water.
Here are the different doses for different uses below...
Every time you water (general maintenance): 1 ml per 1.5 litres*
This is the main way I use Foliage-Pro for my indoor jungle, which is the 'general maintenance' rate. I'll sometimes use it for foliar feeding also, typically for a new arrival who's looking stressed.
Officially the general maintenance dose is 3 to 7 ml per 10 litres, which is 0.3 to 0.7 ml per litre - but that does my head in (and my pipette measures in half ml increments), so to make it simple, I just feed 1 ml per 1.5 litres* on average once a week.
If you have a quick check of the plant forums, you'll find most collectors have found their own ideal dose, but overall general consensus for indoor plants feeding Foliage-Pro is from 1ml per litre to 1 ml per 1.5 litres.
*It's a good habit to feed every time you water, so if that's twice a week for your plants, keep the dose the same but double the water. So once a week you'd use 1 ml per 1.5 litres, but twice a week you'd use 1 ml per 3 litres.
Monthly watering: 2 to 4 ml per litre
If you find it simpler to feed less often, use the monthly rate instead. That's 20ml to 40ml per 10 litres, so 2 to 4 ml per litre. For active growers go for the 4ml dose per litre, and for slower growers or in colder seasons go for to the 2ml dose per litre.
I recommend feeding every time you water in order to avoid deficiencies in immobile nutrients like calcium (more about that in the Foliage-Pro FAQs). Once immobile nutrient deficiencies occur - that's it - you've got yourself a deficiency for life that your plant can't remedy later in the affected leaf / root / flower / fruit. If you feed more frequently than monthly, use the General Maintenance dose above instead.
Hydro and Leca: 1 ml per 1.5 litres
If you have a recirculating hydroponics system, go for 5 to 10 ml per 4 litres. But for non-recirculating systems like hydro in still water, and for leca, use the same level as general maintenance, above: 1 ml per 1.5 litres.
Note it's recommended to change the water weekly for non-recirculating hydro and leca to keep the water chemistry and nutrients balanced. If you're doing twice weekly water changes, keep the dose the same but double the water, so that's 1 ml per 3 litres.
Foliar feeding (misting & spraying): 1 ml per litre
Foliage Pro is suitable for foliar feeding (a fancy name for watering fertiliser on to leaves instead of into soil).
Mix 1/2 to 1ml per litre of Foliage-Pro in your spray bottle or mister (choose the dose to match the plant's needs), and water all leaves until they drip. I like to foliar feed in the morning so it dries on the leaf surface during the day. A portable potting mat is superb to put down when foliar feeding too to protect surrounding surfaces from excess spray.
Foliar feeding doesn't make up for nutrients lacking in the soil though, so I wouldn't recommend foliar feeding on the regular, but if there's a temporary deficiency you want to correct as fast as possible, foliar or leaf feeding definitely has its place for rapid relief. If a plant's under stress or on the decline, I've seen a sickie perk up well pretty fast following a foliar feed.