Fertilizers & nutrients
by Plagron
Plagron Vita Race is an organic foliar feed containing 8% iron and an NPK ratio of 0-5-8, designed to trigger chlorophyll production and strengthen plant resistance during the vegetative and early flowering phases. Spray it directly onto your leaves once a week, and you'll see the difference within days — deeper green foliage, more vigorous growth, and plants that look genuinely healthy rather than just surviving.
Iron is the engine behind chlorophyll. Without enough of it, your leaves turn pale, photosynthesis slows, and your plants waste energy trying to compensate. Vita Race delivers that iron straight through the leaf surface, bypassing root uptake entirely. It's one of those products that does exactly one thing and does it well — no mystery ingredients, no vague promises, just a targeted iron boost where your plants need it most.
Iron deficiency is one of the most common issues we see growers struggle with, and it's annoyingly easy to miss. It starts with interveinal chlorosis — the veins stay green while the tissue between them fades to yellow, usually on newer growth first. Left unchecked, it tanks your photosynthesis rate and your plants simply can't produce the energy they need for strong flowering.
Vita Race addresses this directly. The 8% iron formula stimulates chlorophyll production, which is the molecule responsible for capturing light energy during photosynthesis. More chlorophyll means more efficient energy conversion, which translates to lusher canopies and plants with the reserves to push out better flowers. The NPK 0-5-8 ratio adds phosphorus and potassium into the mix — phosphorus for root and flower development, potassium for overall plant resilience and water regulation.
The foliar application method is what makes this product particularly effective. Leaves can absorb nutrients up to 20 times faster than roots, so you're delivering iron exactly where chlorophyll production happens. It's like the difference between taking a vitamin tablet and getting an IV drip — same nutrient, dramatically different uptake speed.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Plagron |
| Product Type | Organic foliar spray |
| Iron Content | 8% |
| NPK Ratio | 0-5-8 |
| Dilution Rate | Maximum 5 ml per 1 litre of water (1:200) |
| Application Method | Foliar spray |
| Application Frequency | Once per week |
| Usage Window | Growth phase through first 3 weeks of flowering |
| Compatible Substrates | Peat, coconut |
| Not Compatible With | Hydroponic systems |
| Available Size | 100 ml |
| SKU | HS1881 |
The 100 ml bottle makes up to 20 litres of spray solution at maximum concentration (5 ml per litre). For a small grow with 2-4 plants, that's roughly 5-6 weeks of weekly spraying — enough to cover the entire recommended usage window from veg through the first 3 weeks of flower. If you're running a larger setup with 8+ plants, you'll burn through the bottle faster and may want to grab two.
Here's something we've seen play out dozens of times: a grower has healthy-looking plants during veg, transitions to flower, and within two weeks the new growth starts yellowing from the inside out. They panic, assume it's a pH issue or nitrogen deficiency, and start dumping amendments into the soil. Meanwhile, the actual problem — iron lockout or simple iron depletion — goes unaddressed, and the first few critical weeks of flowering are wasted on a plant that can barely photosynthesise.
Iron is an immobile nutrient, which means your plant can't redistribute it from older leaves to newer ones. Once the supply runs low, the youngest growth suffers first and hardest. And because the vegetative-to-flower transition is when your plants are demanding the most energy to build bud sites, an iron shortage at that exact moment is spectacularly bad timing.
Vita Race sidesteps the entire root-uptake bottleneck. Foliar feeding puts iron directly onto the leaf surface, where it's absorbed and put to work within hours rather than days. We'd pick this approach over soil-applied iron supplements every time during the critical growth-to-flower window. It's faster, more targeted, and you can literally see the response — leaves darken up noticeably within 2-3 days of the first spray.
The honest limitation? Vita Race isn't a complete feed. It won't replace your base nutrients — it's a targeted supplement for iron and a modest P-K boost. Think of it as a weekly top-up, not a meal replacement. And if you're growing in a hydro setup, this one isn't for you. Plagron specifically states it's designed for peat and coconut substrates only.
The smell is distinctly mineral — like wet iron filings mixed with something faintly organic. It's not unpleasant, but it's not nothing either. If you're growing indoors, expect the scent to linger for an hour or so after spraying. The liquid itself is dark, almost black-brown, and it will stain light-coloured surfaces if you're sloppy with the spray bottle. Lay down newspaper or spray over a tray.
One thing that catches people off guard: the 100 ml bottle looks small. But at 5 ml per litre, you're getting 20 litres of spray solution out of it. That's a lot of coverage from a little bottle. We've had customers come back thinking they'd need multiple bottles for a single grow cycle and end up with leftover product. For a modest 2-4 plant setup, one bottle genuinely covers the full recommended window.
Compared to something like Plagron's Power Roots or Pure Zym, Vita Race has a much more visible and immediate effect. Root stimulators work below the surface — you're trusting the process. With Vita Race, you spray on Monday and by Wednesday the leaves are noticeably darker green. It's satisfying in a way that most plant supplements aren't.
Complete your Plagron feeding schedule with Plagron Alga Grow for the vegetative base and Plagron Green Sensation as a flowering booster. Vita Race fills the iron gap that base nutrients often miss, and pairing it with a proper bloom stimulator covers all your bases from seedling to harvest.
| Factor | Vita Race (Foliar) | Soil Iron Supplements |
|---|---|---|
| Uptake Speed | Hours — absorbed directly through leaves | Days — depends on root health and soil pH |
| pH Sensitivity | Low — bypasses soil chemistry | High — iron locks out above pH 6.5 |
| Precision | Targeted to foliage where chlorophyll is produced | Distributed through entire root zone |
| Risk of Overfeeding | Low at recommended 5 ml/L dilution | Moderate — iron toxicity in soil is harder to flush |
| Substrate Compatibility | Peat and coconut only | Most substrates including hydro |
| Ease of Use | Weekly spray — takes 5 minutes | Mixed into watering schedule |
It delivers 8% iron directly to your leaves via foliar spray, stimulating chlorophyll production and boosting photosynthesis. The NPK 0-5-8 ratio adds phosphorus and potassium for flower development and plant resilience. You'll notice darker, healthier-looking foliage within a few days of the first application.
Start during the vegetative growth phase and continue through the first 3 weeks of flowering. Stop after week 3 of flower — you don't want spray residue accumulating on developing buds. The entire usage window typically spans 6-10 weeks depending on your grow schedule.
No. Plagron specifically states that Vita Race is not compatible with hydroponic cultivation. It's formulated for use on peat and coconut substrates only. If you're growing in hydro, look at a chelated iron additive designed for recirculating systems instead.
Leaves only — it's a foliar spray. Spray generously until the solution drips from the foliage, including the undersides where nutrient absorption is most efficient. Never pour it into your soil or reservoir as a root feed.
Plagron doesn't recommend combining it with other foliar sprays in the same solution. Use Vita Race on its own, diluted at 5 ml per litre of water. You can continue using your regular root-zone nutrients and supplements alongside it without any issues.
If interveinal chlorosis persists after 2 weekly applications, the issue may not be iron deficiency. Check your substrate pH — if it's above 6.5, nutrients lock out regardless of what you spray. Also rule out magnesium deficiency, which looks similar but affects older leaves first rather than new growth.
Morning is best. Plants absorb foliar nutrients during daylight hours when stomata are open. Spraying in the morning also gives leaves time to dry before peak light intensity, reducing the risk of burn spots from water droplets acting as tiny magnifying glasses.
At the maximum recommended concentration of 5 ml per litre, one 100 ml bottle produces 20 litres of spray solution. For a small grow of 2-4 plants sprayed weekly, that's roughly 5-6 weeks of coverage — enough for the full recommended usage window.
Last updated: April 2026
