"Apply to the base of the plant, avoiding the foliage"?

I have some Poundland Doff brand Tomato Feed, which seems to be exactly the same as their Rose Feed, just a high potassium plant feed, NPK 2.0-2.5-4.5

It looks pretty standard, and also has a small amount of Magnesium Oxide chelated by EDTA.

The instructions say "Apply to the base of the plant, avoiding the foliage". I am confused by this, as I thought all normal plant feed can be used either as a foliar feed or a root drench, and at very least you don't need to worry about getting it on the foliage? If you are using a watering can it is very difficult not to get any on the lower leaves, even if you are not trying to foliar feed.

 

Unless it's high nitrogen, I don't pay much attention to instructions

 

Many many years ago, it used to say that on Tomorite.
It can burn the leaves I presume, especially in sunlight.


Also many many years ago Phostrogen used to have a different dilution rate for foliar feeding as opposed to root feed.

Personally I always water at the base with feed and dont use a rose.
I've never used a tomato feed as a foliar feed but that's probably just me.

 

I've never applied feed to the foliage, except on the very rare occasions when I feed the lawn. Have I been going wrong all this time?

 

That will be one of Doff's affordable excellence range, there other tomato feed is 4-5-8 with seaweed & magnesium. If I was to foliar feed, I would use a sprayer but avoid doing it when they are in flower or fruit.

 

Thanks for everyone's advice. Next time I will use the watering can without its rose to apply fertiliser, so that I don't get fertiliser on the lower leaves.

From what little I know, some products seem to be specially made for foliar feeding.

Next time I water I will try to rinse the lower leaves with plain water. My plants don't really get strong sun so hopefully they will be ok.

 

Blight spores require a damp surface to develop. Best to keep tomato foliage dry to reduce chance of infection. I personally have stopped feeding, to bring on ripening. I have found reduction in watering at this time causes the fruit to become sweeter.