Top dressing for cucumbers in the open field with folk remedies
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Remember what you dreamed about when your gardening epic just began? For sure that you will grow organic vegetables and fruits, so as not to worry about the level of nitrates. But the soil is depleted, the yield decreases every year and the question inevitably arises - how to feed vegetable crops so that they grow and bear fruit better, but at the same time not harm their health, and feeding cucumbers with folk remedies comes to mind.
In this article, we will discuss several options for feeding cucumbers that are effective and proven by experienced gardeners, are easy to prepare and do not violate the ecological balance.
Feeding cucumbers with folk remedies and conditions for growing cucumbers
Before we start discussing different options for feeding cucumbers, let's clarify exactly what conditions this culture needs for good growth and abundant fruiting. Why feeding cucumbers with folk remedies is so necessary.
First of all, it should be a soil enriched with humus, neutral or with a low level of acidity. Be sure to have high humidity and air temperature not lower than +20 degrees (and the soil temperature is not lower than +15 degrees). In cold weather, cucumbers just don't grow.
They should only be watered with warm water, as cold water lowers the temperature of the soil and plant growth slows down. This culture does not tolerate temperature fluctuations, drafts, and transplantation. This is not about planting seedlings, but about further transferring cucumbers from one place to another.
Feeding cucumbers with folk remedies is needed, since the plant needs to feed a long stem. Their root system is not located deeply and without additional fertilizing the crop will not meet your expectations.
It is important to take into account that at different stages of development, the plant requires different fertilizers. So, for example, at the beginning of growth, they desperately need nitrogen, since cucumbers are actively growing and increasing their green mass.
Then, during the period of bud formation and flowering, more potassium and phosphorus will be required. And during the fruiting period, nitrogen again in combination with potassium and of course magnesium. There are many popular recipes to provide plants with everything they need and at the same time preserve their ecological purity.
We will consider several different options for feeding folk remedies for cucumbers in the open field, you choose the one that suits you best. Better yet, combine different feedings. This will provide complex fertilization and protect plants from diseases.
Fertilizing cucumbers: top dressing with folk remedies - ash
Wood ash as a folk remedy for feeding cucumbers cannot be underestimated; it contains potassium, phosphorus and many trace elements that are so necessary for cucumbers. Yes, it is not rich in nitrogen, but for this you can use other fertilizers (for example, green manure plants).
For the first time, ash can be introduced already during sowing, while mixing it with the ground and watering it with water. And in the future, you can fertilize the plant with ash every 2-3 weeks, doing it in different ways.You can either sprinkle dry ash on the root before watering. Or dissolve the ash in water and water with the resulting solution (2 glasses of ash per 2 liters of water - this is for one plant).
Phosphorus helps the root system to actively absorb the necessary nutrients to the fruits and leaves of the plant, and potassium is responsible for budding, and therefore for the amount of the crop.
And also wood ash is actively used to fight diseases and harmful insects, so before watering, you can dust the plants with ash, this will be an excellent prevention.
Compost and manure as top dressing of cucumbers in the open field with folk remedies
Feeding cucumbers with manure in the open field: photo
All plants of the pumpkin family respond well to feeding with manure, but only in liquid form. Dilute it in plenty of water (otherwise you can burn the plant roots). Both mullein and bird droppings contain a lot of essential substances.
To prepare the fertilizer, they are diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 4, then the solution is allowed to brew for several days, stirring occasionally. Next, dilute this infusion with water 1:10 and water the cucumbers (two liters for each plant).
After weeding, weeds can also be put into action - put them in a bucket or barrel, fill with water and also let it brew for several days. Before watering, dilute in a 1: 5 ratio and boldly pour 2 liters under each bush.
The advantages of such fertilization are that even if you overdo it and apply too much, there will still be no nitrates in the fruits, the risk is minimal. And one more thing: if you strain the solution and process the cucumber foliage with it, then you can not be afraid of powdery mildew. Not a bad bonus, agree.
Yeast and beer
Feeding cucumbers with yeast in the open field: photo
Yes, life is sometimes surprising and unpredictable, and you can buy cucumber fertilizer at the grocery store.
With the help of baker's yeast, cucumbers are fed two or three times during the summer. In order to prepare fertilizer, you need: one pack of yeast, two-thirds of a glass of granulated sugar and three liters of water. All this must be mixed and put in a warm place for 3 days, stirring occasionally.
Then the resulting solution must be diluted with water (250 ml per 10 liters of water) and feed the cucumbers, pouring 0.5 liters of fertilizer under each stem. Such fertilizer is not stored, so if you do not have a lot of cucumbers in your garden, initially divide the original ingredients in half.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we are talking about ordinary baker's yeast. Perhaps dry yeast can also be used for feeding, but this will be a different recipe.
You can also use beer for feeding, but not any. Either non-alcoholic or live beer is suitable, with such a product you can feed cucumber seedlings using 100 ml per bush.
Decoctions and herbal infusions
Such fertilizer is not only available to everyone and is not difficult to prepare, in addition to its nutritional function, it also protects the crop from infections and pests. Most often used and the best effect is achieved with the help of infusions of burdock, coltsfoot and agave.
To prepare the infusion, fill the container two-thirds with the raw material and fill it with water. All this should be infused for at least 10 days in a warm place, then dilute each liter of solution with 10 liters of warm water and water the cucumbers, they will grow strong and healthy.
As protection against pests, you can prepare infusions of marigold or calendula.
Eggshell
Another product that can be useful not only in the kitchen, but also in agricultural work. After the eggs are cooked, the shells are usually thrown away, forgetting that they can be of great benefit to your garden.
Eggshells contain a lot of calcium. Therefore, it can help reduce the acidity of the soil, and at the same time it will help make it looser.
To prepare top dressing, the eggshells must be washed well, dried and chopped as much as possible - for this, use a coffee grinder. The smaller the shell, the more effective the fertilizer will be.
And now the recipe: you need to grind the shells from 5-6 eggs into powder in a coffee grinder and pour 1 liter of boiling water. The resulting mixture must be infused for 5 days, then diluted with water and pour over the cucumbers.
Food waste
Another kind of fertilizer made with strange ingredients. Oddly enough, but when you start to carefully study this issue, it turns out that almost everything can be put into action and used in the garden.
A very healthy nutritional mix can be made from onion skins, banana skins, orange peels, and carrot peels. All this must be poured with hot water and allowed to brew for several days. And then dilute every 250 ml of infusion with five liters of water.
Thus, we receive not only fertilization, but also preventive treatment for various diseases. In a similar way, you can prepare fertilizer from potato peelings, from the mycelium of mushrooms.
A solution prepared only from onion peel will be both a fertilizer and a cure for all diseases. Since onion phytoncides have powerful bactericidal and immunomodulatory properties.
A large handful of onion skins is poured with one and a half liters of boiling water and boiled for several minutes. The cooled broth is brought to five liters, and you can water and spray cucumbers with it.
Banana skins infusion is very useful during the growing season. To do this, you can use fresh or dried skins, they are poured with water, insisted for two or three days and young plants are watered.
The dried skins can also be used as mulch, as they will not only nourish the soil, but also slow down the evaporation of moisture and stop weeds from growing.
Growth biostimulant
Do not be alarmed, no chemistry, we are talking about the famous aloe or agave. The plant is a doctor, it helps not only people, but also vegetable crops, accelerating their growth.
You need to take a few leaves of the plant (you can use both young and old leaves, this is not important) and grind them into a homogeneous mass. Next, make a solution (1 tablespoon of the mass in 250 ml of water) and leave in a dark, cool place for 7-8 days. Bring the volume of the mixture to five liters, boil and when it cools down, you can water the cucumbers.
Acetylsalicylic acid for feeding cucumbers in the open field
If suddenly someone did not immediately understand - this is the usual well-known aspirin, another substance that can be used off-label. Aspirin has a good effect on the development of plants, accelerates their growth, helps regulate the acidity of the soil and treats it against fungal diseases.
Fertilize in two ways: you can dilute an aspirin tablet in a liter of water and water the cucumbers, or bury aspirin directly in the ground (1 tablet for every 10-15 cm of the garden bed), it will gradually dissolve during watering and have a positive effect.
Plants in greenhouse conditions
Don't forget that we talked about fertilizing for cucumbers outdoors. Plants in the greenhouse will require a completely different fertilization frequency.
In greenhouse conditions, the yield is much higher than in the open field, which means that the load on the plants is greater, respectively, and fertilizing is required much more often. And this is a topic for a separate article.
We have discussed with you the most popular folk remedies for feeding cucumbers in the open field. In my opinion, they are effective, some do not require financial investments at all and do not cause difficulties in preparation.
In addition to fertilizing, they also prevent the development of various unpleasant diseases that could destroy all your cucumbers. Try it and see for yourself - the harvest will be great.