Hoe to Use Sea Minerals to Boost Plant Immune Systems, Reduce Pest Damage

In lots of hydroponics situations, it's all about the extras that you use to enhance a simple garden process. Some growers swear by a mix of minerals often found in salt water, which you might call sea or ocean minerals. Here are some steps to using these recommended nutrients to help plants out.

Use a foliar application

Many growers would say the best ways to use ocean minerals would be through a foliar feeding strategy. This means putting the nutrient-rich water mix into a bottle and spraying it on plants. By spraying the mixture on stems and leaves, growers give the plants a chance to intake some of the minerals through small glands called stomata, that are on the stem near the base of the leaf.

Spray at low temperatures

Experts recommend giving plants this stuff early or late in the day, or any time that an internal grow space is below a temperature of about 80°F. The reason is that at the cooler temperatures, the plants glands open significantly, and you've got more intake at those times.

Find a feeding schedule

You don't have to constantly be spraying plants in order to get the benefits from the minerals. Some growers go in every 3 to 5 days to spray the mixture on plants. Remember that you’re supplementing what's already in the reservoir, so take care not to overload plants as they can get burned, which can cause destruction.

Space plants out

For any sea mineral foliar feeding or similar kind of application, you need to have plants spaced out to where you can access them. This also gives them their own room to grow and thrive. You need to consider how get to get light to each plant, and how to circulate air to prevent stagnation.

Some hydroponic growers are taking cues from soil-based farmers who use foliar feeding to compensate for poor soils. In hydroponics, it's all part of that delicate balance of providing just the right chemical solution for plants. This type of application has been known to reduce insect damage on plants, and generally improve their immune systems. Fortify your plants this way to get extra protection against bacterial invasion and other threats.

For more, keep reading our blogs and social media pages at Dealzer as we help growers to get the ideas they need to get started in hydroponics.