A short list of suitable foliar sprays is below. This list is in no way complete but is a short list of the items I have used over the years and found to work the best.

Manure

Most manures (with the exception of fresh poultry manure) can be soaked in water to make a foliar spray. These concentrated manure emulsions need to be diluted before applying with either a watering can or spraying unit.

Seaweed

Fresh seaweed collected from the beach can make an excellent foliar spray. Seaweed should be rinsed and partially composted prior to soaking in water. Seaweed should be soaked for several weeks to ensure a quality liquid concentrate which can then be diluted before application with a watering can or sprayer.

Compost

Compost made from household scraps will make an excellent foliar spray when soaked in water. Compost has already began to breakdown which means it will not need soaking for more than 24 hours before diluting and applying with a watering can. Spray units could also be used but ensure the mixture has been well strained to remove any contaminants which may block the spray nozzle of the applicator.

Plant Teas

Plant teas can range from Old weeds, Lawn clippings, Pea straw and basically anything green which has been soaked and fermented in water. Some specific plants when soaked make excellent pest control sprays as well as a source of nutrient.

Urine

Urine has long been known for its benefit to Lemons and other Citrus trees. Urine is a high source of ammonia which makes it an ideal foliar spray. Urine should be first left to stand for a week or so before using on plants. I wouldn’t use it it for leafy or hearting vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage or Brussels sprouts, though this is a personal choice and there is no specific reason not to.

Vermicast

Vermicast or worm castings can be soaked in water and used as a general foliar spray, fertiliser and plant or soil conditioner.

Commercially available Liquid Fertilisers

Brand names differ from country to country but several liquid fertilisers and foliar sprays are available. In Australia brand names such as Seasol and Charlie Carp are common and are an excellent choice for a natural plant and soil conditioner. These preparations should be mixed according to the specifications on the product packaging and applied according to the directions.

Article written by Eric J. Smith

Many Organic gardeners use seaweed regularly.

Seaweed can take a long time to breakdown especially when added as mulch. The longer it takes to breakdown the more nitrogen it is depleting from the soil.

5 ways you can beat the salt and use seaweed in your home organic garden:

• Store seaweed in a wire cage with no bottom. Leave the cage in an area that will not be effected by high salt levels. Let the natural elements wash and blow the salt from the seaweed and give it a regular wash through with fresh water.

• Shred seaweed and mix with equal amounts of fresh green lawn clippings. Use this mixture at a rate of no more than a third of total mix, in compost that includes chicken manure and hay or straw.

• Once the seaweed is well weathered and washed (a month during a wet winter would be sufficient) it can be dug into garden beds in preparation for spring planting. Using a trench composting method is ideal. Shredding is not necessary when digging into the garden.

• Chooks love to scratch around in seaweed. Placing seaweed on the ground and let the chooks scratch it over the winter months. This is an excellent way of eliminating weeds and adding extra nitrogen to the soil that the seaweed will deplete.

• Despite the high levels of sodium, seaweed is naturally high in other minerals that are beneficial to the soil and plants.

Seaweed used in the garden is not the same as the kelp often associated with seaweed/s. The seaweed used in the garden is more like a sea grass.

Something for you to try: I have had a lot of success growing organic potatoes under a mixture of seaweed and old grass hay. Lay potato tubers on top of the ground place loose hay around 12 inches thick. Add seaweed over the hay to another 12 inches thick. The seaweed will help prevent light from getting in to the tubers preventing them from going green. The seaweed will begin to decay as the potatoes grow. This hay and seaweed mix can be added to the compost heap or used as a mulch around beetroot, spinach, silverbeet or other beet crops. It will gradually break down and add more nutrients to the soil.

If you have backyard chooks or rabbits you can build a fence around your vegie patch and let the chooks or rabbits roam freely. They will keep the garden weed free and leave a good source of fertilizer for the spring season.

You could also add old hay, kitchen scraps, seaweed etc if you have chickens or just hay if you have rabbits. This will be consumed and/or scratched into the soil improving soil structure.

Approximately 4 weeks before spring planting stop adding any additions to allow weed seeds from hay or unwanted seeds from vegetable scraps (like tomato seeds) from remaining in the soil and sprouting in an unwanted area.