How to feed cucumbers with milk: watering, spraying, 16 recipes

What are the benefits of milk for cucumbers?

Surprisingly, plain milk protects against diseases, repels pests and supplies essential microelements. It contains calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium and other substances necessary for the growth and development of plants. Lactose helps fight parasites and the diseases that most often affect cucumbers. The reason is simple - pests do not digest lactose, and the thin film coating that appears on the leaf plate after treatment with milk prevents the development of diseases.

You can only use natural raw cow's milk that has not been boiled. Pasteurized or sterilized milk from the store will not work.

Properties of milk

Using milk and its derivatives in the garden is not a new technique invented recently. People have been eating milk for several millennia and have been growing vegetables throughout this period. Therefore, they could not help but notice the beneficial effect that milk had on many plants. Why does this happen?

Important! Milk has a very rich composition of nutrients.

Only those elements that may be of interest to cucumbers should be mentioned:

calcium,
magnesium,
potassium,
manganese,
iron,
nitrogen,
phosphorus,
sulfur,
copper and much more.

In addition, milk has several special properties that make it useful when used in gardening.

Not a single pest is able to digest milk sugar (lactose), since insects simply lack some organs in the digestive system. Consequently, treating cucumbers with milk can create a barrier for many pests who want to feast on juicy cucumber vines.
When spraying leaves with a milk solution, a very thin film is formed on them, which prevents various pathogens from penetrating inside.
Milk can help the process of assimilation by cucumber plants of other useful substances that are contained in the soil or added along with fertilizing.

Hence the conclusion - feeding cucumbers with milk can solve several problems at once:

Providing plants with nutrients
Protection from diseases and pests
Saturation of the soil with useful substances that enhance microbiological activity.

Time for processing cucumbers with milk

The convenience of using milk is that it can be used at any period of cucumber growth.

When 4 to 6 leaves appear on the seedlings, treatment is a good preventative measure to protect against diseases and pests. Treatment must be carried out every 14 days.
After planting the plants in a permanent place or after the first shoots appear, spraying will ensure good development of the bush. In addition, at the beginning of flowering, you can also carry out another treatment.
When the cucumbers begin to bear fruit vigorously, milk will affect the amount of harvest and good ripening.

In addition, you can soak the seeds in milk before sowing. Before planting, it is also good to water the soil with milk.

Why does iodine need to be diluted with milk?

Spraying cucumbers with milk and iodine is a popular method. But using an antiseptic in its pure form can burn plants, so it must be dissolved in milk. The drink makes the effect of iodine softer and has the following properties:

contains large quantities of microelements that benefit vegetables;
milk contains lactose, which kills pathogenic microorganisms and fungi due to its intolerance;
the fats on the leaves form a protective film that prevents the entry of microbes.

It can be used for watering and spraying.

Disinfection of cucumber seeds and soil with milk

Based on this useful product, you can prepare a solution for disinfecting seeds and soil. The optimal proportion is 1:5 or 1:10. To enhance effectiveness, various components can be added to the solution. For example, iodine works well. This mixture serves as a fertilizer and prevents the emergence of pathogens. It helps with diseases of powdery mildew, late blight and gray rot.

Soaking the seeds

The milk solution not only disinfects the seeds and has a beneficial effect on the immune system, but also allows the first shoots to quickly appear. To do this, you need to dilute the milk with water in a ratio of 1:5 and immerse the seeds in it for half an hour. After the procedure, they should be rinsed well in clean water.

Tillage

This procedure before sowing gives very good results, and therefore is doubly useful. Add a glass of milk to a bucket of water and pour in 25 drops of iodine. For every square meter of soil you will need 0.5 liters of this mixture.

Watering with milk solution

If you want to mainly feed the cucumbers, dilute 1 liter of low-fat milk in 5 liters of water, stir thoroughly and water the cucumber bushes with the resulting solution so that each plant gets about 0.5 liters of the milk solution.

It is better to dig a shallow groove around the entire circumference 10-15 cm from the base of the bush, so that the root is in the center of this circle, and water directly into this depression. Usually, the roots of cucumbers are located close to the surface and are able to find all the substances they need on their own.

By the way, you can water cucumber plants from above, this way the milk solution will be absorbed by the leaves and additional protection from diseases and pests will be provided.

Feeding cucumbers with milk for fertilizer purposes

Milk is a nutrient that contains many beneficial microelements. Potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen are especially good for cucumbers. Whole milk has a high fat content, which is harmful to plantings, which is why it must be diluted with water before use. The solution is applied at the root or sprayed on the leaves.

After two true leaves have appeared, you need to wait two weeks and feed the plants with a mixture of milk, water and iodine. If cucumbers grow in open ground, they can be fertilized in this way 1-2 times throughout the season.

When the cucumbers bloom, you should prepare the same solution again, add boric acid to it and use it for spraying. After the start of fruiting, repeat the treatment.

Regular

A liter of milk is poured into 6 liters of water. You can enhance the effect by adding 6 drops of iodine. It is useful to water the seedlings with this solution.

Yeast

Add two tablespoons of yeast and one tablespoon of sugar to a liter of milk. Stir and leave in a warm place for three hours. Then add another liter of milk and 10 drops of iodine. Dissolve the resulting mixture in 8 liters of water, which should be at room temperature. Under each bush you need to pour 1 liter of this mixture.

Milk

Yeast

Iodine

With ammonia

For one bucket of water you will need: two liters of milk, one tablespoon of ammonia, 10 drops of iodine. The solution is used for spraying plants during flowering and the appearance of greenery.

Milk and iodine Ammonia solution

With urea

Dilute two liters of milk, 8 drops of iodine and 50 g of urea in 8 liters of water. Each plant will need 0.5 liters of this mixture for watering. The recipe can only be used once per season.

Milk, iodine

From a nematode

Why do cucumbers need milk?

Fermented milk products contain nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, copper, potassium, iron, manganese, etc., which are important for plant development.

Processing cucumbers with milk allows you to cope with several tasks at once:

saturates vegetable crops with useful elements, thereby increasing productivity;
lactose creates a dense film, protecting against pests and diseases.
provides a healthy green appearance to foliage and helps avoid yellowing and falling;
activates the process of assimilation of minerals useful for vegetable crops from the soil and fertilizing fertilizers;
saturates the soil with components that increase microbiological activity in it.

Due to the content of lactobacilli, milk promotes the reproduction of microflora important for the soil.

Also, if they treat the plantings simultaneously with medicinal drugs, this will enhance the effectiveness of the latter.

Important Tips

For watering, you should use low-fat milk: when it gets on the vegetative parts of the cucumbers, a protective film that is too thick is formed, making it difficult for beneficial components and oxygen to penetrate.

Sterilized and pasteurized dairy products are also not suitable for these purposes: during heat treatment they lose most of the beneficial elements.

But kefir and yogurt may well be a good alternative to milk.

Protecting cucumbers from diseases with milk

Milk will help not only as a preventive measure, but also to cope with the disease in the early stages. The effect of this useful component will be enhanced by iodine. It successfully fights fungus, pathogenic microbes and improves immunity well. But milk solutions are not able to defeat viral infections.

It is better to plan processing for July. It is at this time that the maximum development of fungal diseases usually occurs. For prevention, you can treat the bushes about once a week. It is especially important not to forget about this during cold weather and rainy weather.

In diseased bushes, remove the affected parts and continue spraying.

Root

Cucumbers are very susceptible to root rot, so it is better to make a small groove, about 10 cm away from the stem, and pour the solution into it. You can spray it on the soil near the stem.

Root feeding recipes:

Dissolve a liter of low-fat milk in a bucket of water. Each bush will require 0.5 liters. You can also water the leaves using a watering can.
Finely chop freshly picked nettles (about 0.5 kg), add five liters of water and three liters of kefir. You can also use serum. Then put the resulting mixture in a dark place for two weeks, then strain, dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10 and water the bushes.
When the cucumbers bloom, honey tincture will be useful. Dissolve five tablespoons of honey, 200 grams of wood ash and 10 drops of iodine in two liters of milk. Place the resulting mixture in a dark place for two days.

When the ovaries appear, you can feed the bushes with kefir with added sugar. For three liters you will need one tablespoon.

Traditional method of root feeding: more details

Low-fat milk (up to 2.5%) should be used. It is dissolved in a bucket of warm water, which must first be defended. The mixture is mixed well. Then, at a distance of 10 cm from the shoot, make a small furrow in the soil and pour in 0.5 liters of fertilizer. The first such procedure should be carried out after several leaves have formed.

Foliar

This recipe is indispensable for carrying out preventive measures. Dissolve 30 drops of iodine in a bucket of water, add a liter of low-fat milk or half a liter of whey. Then leave the mixture for 24 hours and spray the cucumber shoots. For every square meter you will need half a liter of solution.

Soap solution

This supplement will enhance the effectiveness of protection against diseases. Add a liter of milk and 30 drops of iodine to a bucket of water. Then dissolve about 25 g of laundry soap in the mixture, which must first be crushed. It will be convenient to grate it on a coarse grater.

Solution with added hydrogen peroxide

This additive plays the role of an antiseptic that disinfects the shoots. The base solution is prepared in the same way as in previous recipes - a liter of milk per bucket of water. Then pour in 40 drops of iodine and one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. After this, you can start spraying the shoots. This can be done several times during the season.

For spraying and watering

The most effective recipes:

Pour three liters of sour milk into seven liters of water, add 20 drops of iodine. Mix everything well and start processing.
Dissolve two liters of milk in a bucket of water, add 30 drops of iodine and half a piece of laundry soap. Stir until the soap dissolves.
Dilute two liters of milk with a bucket of water, pour in 40 drops of iodine and a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. Mix.

Such products are good for both watering and foliar treatment of plants.

Classic recipes for spraying

To feed cucumbers, formulations are often made with milk, and to counteract pests and diseases - from fermented milk products . You should not exceed the iodine norm, as this will reduce the beneficial properties of milk.

A universal recipe for feeding and protecting cucumbers:

Rub laundry soap (35–40 g required).
Soap in solution promotes the formation of a protective coating on the leaves
A water-alcohol solution of iodine is purchased at a pharmacy.
Iodine can be purchased at a pharmacy
Add milk (1 l), iodine (25 drops) and soap shavings to 9 liters of slightly warmed water.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and immediately begin spraying the plants.

When foliar processing of cucumbers, all lactic acid solutions are prepared with soap. Thanks to it, the antiseptic properties of the composition are increased, and the combination with milk helps to create a protective coating on the leaves.

You can replace milk with whey, yogurt or kefir. Then mix one or the other with water in equal proportions. Then add the same ingredients as in the previous recipe and mix. At the late stage of infection of cucumber lashes, 10 ml of iodine (1 bottle) will be required. This is how only adult cucumber vines are processed.

Milk to protect cucumbers from pests

This useful product has proven itself to be effective against whiteflies, aphids, spider mites and slugs. These pests do not digest the lactose contained in milk. Iodine, which causes poisoning in insects, will help enhance the effect.

With ash and soap

Dissolve a piece of crushed laundry soap in a bucket of water, add two glasses of ash, 30 drops of iodine and two liters of milk. Thanks to soap, all substances will remain on the bush.

With urea

Dilute a liter of sour milk in a bucket of water; you can also use whey. Add 20 drops of iodine and 15 ml of urea. Use the solution to spray the bushes.

From a nematode

Recipes for preparing the solution

Feeding should be regular so that the plants do not get sick and develop well. The antiseptic cannot be used independently, so solutions are prepared based on it. To get the desired result, you must maintain the proportions and apply fertilizers to the soil according to all the rules.

With milk, iodine and soap

Cucumbers should not be fed with pure milk. To increase its effectiveness, it is also necessary to add iodine and soap. Thanks to this method, it is possible to nourish the culture with important substances.

Attention!

Foliar feeding should be done a few days after emergence. Water the plant only after applying fertilizer.

To prepare it, dissolve 3 drops of iodine and grated laundry soap in a liter of milk. Mix the solution well before use.

With curdled milk

You can also fertilize cucumbers with fermented milk product. This type of feeding can only be used for adult plants at the fruiting stage. It delivers useful elements to the roots, destroys parasites, normalizes the acid balance of the soil and retains moisture in it.

To prepare the solution, you will need yogurt (5 l) and iodine (15 drops). Mix the ingredients thoroughly and pour the vegetable under the root. Apply the mixture 2-3 times a week.

With serum

Against aphids, gardeners often use fertilizer prepared from iodine (2 drops) and whey (1000 ml). Spraying with this mixture should be carried out once every 5 days. If there is no antiseptic, you can add brilliant green or ammonia to the mixture.

After spraying, in the first few days a white coating may appear on the leaves, there is nothing terrible about that. After watering it will wash off.

Tips from Mister Summer Resident

Our portal https://mrdachnik.com advises:

Use only low-fat milk. Excess fat remains on the leaves and stems, forming a film that will prevent the penetration of oxygen and beneficial microelements.
Do not use milk from the store. Sterilization and pasteurization deprive milk of nutrients.
Whey or kefir are good alternatives to milk.
The best time for foliar treatment is evening or cloudy weather.
Before root feeding, plants must be thoroughly watered. This must be done the day before. This measure will protect against burns on the roots.
All procedures should be carried out only after five true leaves appear on the plants. The only exception is a mixture of milk, water and iodine.
The largest amount of solution should be left on the lower leaves, where treatment begins.
The solution is not stored for a long time, so processing must begin immediately after the mixture is ready.

Features of application

Milk is used unheated, because during pasteurization or sterilization most of the vitamins are destroyed. As a result, the product loses its effectiveness.

Do not pour the solution under the root. Make a funnel around the bush at a distance of 10-15 cm, after which liquid is poured into it. Cucumber roots are located close to the top of the soil and will be able to absorb beneficial moisture from there. Watering is carried out only after a day.

Spray the leaves either in cloudy weather or after sunset so that the plant does not get burned.

Features of processing in greenhouses and open ground

You should pay attention to some subtleties.

If it rains within two hours after spraying, the product will be washed off and there will be no result. If it has time to dry on the leaves, the plants will be safe for a week.
Air exchange in a greenhouse is not as good as in open ground, so the product should be used less often, approximately once every 14 days.
To avoid diseases and pest attacks, you can treat not only the shoots, but also the soil, walls and floor of the greenhouse.

A little trick - hang several open bottles of iodine, and you don’t have to worry about the appearance of late blight.

Read how to make a greenhouse and greenhouse for cucumbers from polycarbonate and other materials.

Product properties and effectiveness as a top dressing

Substances in milk help strengthen the immunity of greenhouse plants and help avoid the risk of fungal diseases. It contains a lot of compounds useful for cucumber culture, including:

calcium;
potassium;
magnesium;
nitrogen;
phosphorus and other elements.

Dairy feeding causes an intensive increase in green mass, accelerates the onset of the flowering phase, and helps to increase the number of ovaries of cucumbers and tomatoes in the greenhouse.

The effectiveness of milk for feeding cucumbers is determined by the following properties of the product:

provides a barrier against agents of pathogenic microflora. When sprayed with a milk composition, a protective film is formed on the leaves of the plant, which helps to resist the effects of pathogens;
provides protection against pests. Lactose does not attract insects; pests of cucumbers and tomatoes in the greenhouse prefer to avoid bushes treated with milk;
is an effective fertilizer. The beneficial substances in the product determine the active development and long-term fruiting of the bush. With systematic feeding with milk, an improvement in the taste of cucumbers and tomatoes is observed.

Milk is an effective fertilizer for cucumbers

A big plus in the piggy bank is that the milk product is able to stimulate microbiological activity in the soil, feeding beneficial microflora.

Precautionary measures

Incorrect preparation and non-compliance with the recipe will cause harm instead of benefit. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful.

It is important to maintain the required proportions and not change the recipe. If there is more milk or iodine than necessary, the consequences will be disastrous and the plants may die. If there are not enough active ingredients, then such a remedy will not give the desired effect.
Excessive amounts of iodine are harmful to the thyroid gland. Therefore, all work with it must be done wearing a protective mask.
It is necessary to do a check. After preparing a small amount of the product, test it on one plant and observe. If nothing bad happens after a day, you can continue to use the drug.
Don't overdo it. For prevention purposes, it is necessary to spray the bushes no more than once every 7 days. Root feeding can be carried out only twice per season.

Prevention

Reviews from gardeners prove that a solution of milk and iodine is an effective means for preventing the development of diseases. Thanks to timely processing, the appearance of rot and fungus can be prevented.

To do this, you need to mix 50 g of urea and 20 g of iodine in two liters of whey. Water the crop with this product at least two and no more than three times per season. Prevention should be carried out after the appearance of 5 leaves. Repeat the procedure after 14 days. In this case, disease outbreaks can be avoided.

Attention!

The product is suitable not only for cucumbers, but also for peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, zucchini, and blueberries.

Fertilizing does not pose a danger to plants, provided that all proportions are strictly observed.

Using whey in the garden

Whey is a secondary product obtained during milk processing. It consists of 93% water, the rest comes from substances contained in milk.

Whey is a useful fertilizer for many garden crops. Most often it is used to feed cucumbers and tomatoes. Both store-bought and homemade products from kefir or sour milk are effective.

The serum can be used in open beds, in greenhouses and hotbeds. The product is suitable for treating young and mature plants.

What are the benefits of fertilizing with an acidic environment?

The serum contains:

lactose;
proteins;
mineral elements;
amino acids;
vitamins.

In the garden, this product is highly valued for its content of important amino acids, which are involved in plant growth along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Lactose protects against pests, monacid bacteria stop the proliferation of pathogens, and the microflora of the product cleans the surface of the leaves from fungi.

Lactic acid inhibits pathogens and promotes greater adhesion of the solution to the leaves. The thin film that forms on the plant protects against the penetration of pathogens and pests.

Can whey be used as a fertilizer?

The serum is used both for application to the soil and for foliar treatment. The product saturates plants with useful elements necessary for growth, improves their condition, which helps to increase productivity.

What happens if you feed plants with whey?

Watch this video on YouTube

What does iodine deficiency cause in plants?

The element is necessary for several processes occurring in plants at once. Vegetable growers feed the crop with iodine because it helps absorb nitrogen. If this element is poorly absorbed, then the cucumbers will be weak and it will not be possible to save them from diseases.

Antiseptic is one of the components of proteins. In addition, thanks to it, plants “breathe”, as a result of which the immune system is strengthened. In this case, photosynthesis proceeds faster if iodine is present in the tops and roots. Therefore, it is important to prevent its deficiency in plants.

Most often, element deficiency can be seen in the following types of soil:

sandy and sandy loam – useful microelements quickly penetrate into the lower layers of the soil;
peat bogs – characterized by an increased level of acidity;
podzolic;
poor in organic matter - the acidity level is also low.

Attention!

Lack of iodine is least likely in black soils and in areas close to the sea. In the second case, the element is present in the air, so the crop receives it in the required quantity.

It is better to apply milk solutions with iodine in autumn and spring.

Reviews

Vladimir, Moscow region.
Relatives have been using a solution of iodine and milk for several years to process cucumbers in order to get a rich harvest. I always thought it was a waste of time, but I decided to give it a try. For 5 years now I have been using a milk-iodine mixture to feed vegetables. Apply several times a week and the fruits grow not only tasty, but also without nitrates.

Konstantin, Omsk
My acquaintance with the mixture began to quickly get rid of aphids. I deeply doubted that there would be any use, but there are no more harmful insects on my site.

In order for the use of fertilizing from milk with iodine to be effective and not harm the cucumbers, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions, observe the dosage and follow the recommendations of agronomists.

Milk-iodine solution against diseases and pests

Among the rules for caring for vegetable crops, special attention is paid to treating cucumbers from pests. Most gardeners prefer to use natural products that do not contain chemicals. Therefore, spraying with iodine water or milk formulations has become widespread.

It is most effective to spray cucumbers with milk and iodine when fighting true and downy mildew. Reviews from gardeners have shown that iodine copes well with gray rot and late blight. Antiseptic treatment is indispensable, especially when it’s a cool and rainy summer. Iodine also helps prevent premature yellowing and falling leaves.

The two most effective recipes are:

a solution of milk with the addition of iodine and soap;
solution of curdled milk with iodine.

Milk-iodine spraying

The recipe involves three main ingredients: milk, iodine and laundry soap. When choosing ingredients, you should give preference to low-fat dairy products.

This is due to the fact that fat creates a thick protective film on the leaf plate.

It prevents the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the plant. Laundry soap has a simple composition and the absence of chemical additives (fragrances, dyes).

For 10 liters of mixture you will need:

warm water 9 liters;
low-fat milk 1 liter;
iodine 30 drops;
laundry soap 20 grams.

Before preparation, the soap is grated on a fine-mesh grater. All ingredients are added to warm water and stirred until completely dissolved. The solution is used immediately after preparation.

Iodine solution with curdled milk

Not only milk, but also dairy products have shown high efficiency in pest control. In greenhouses and greenhouses, plants suffer from lack of ventilation and elevated temperatures. Together with high humidity, these conditions provide a good environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria.

The use of whey and curdled milk has proven itself well for spraying cucumbers in a greenhouse.

To prepare the solution you will need yogurt diluted with warm water. The ingredients are taken in a ratio of 1 to 1. It is important to note that spoiled milk or stale kefir will not work in this case. Only 30-40 drops of iodine are added to 10 liters of mixture. Its volume should not exceed 10 ml.

Fitosporin has a positive effect on the effectiveness of the treatment composition. The drug helps to prolong the fruiting period.

Using whey in the garden

Summer residents use watering cucumbers with whey to prevent the appearance of fungus. The substances in the drink actively counteract fungal spores and bacteria, and do not harm the plant. The serum can be used for seedlings that grow in a greenhouse, as well as for adult crops.

Attention! The product of lactic fermentation is mainly fed to cucumbers, but it can also be used as fertilizer for various plants in the garden. But peppers and eggplants are an exception to this rule. Vegetable growers begin to use whey for spraying in July

This type of crop care helps avoid late blight. This disease affects many garden plots in cloudy weather. To avoid such consequences, you need to treat it with serum immediately after planting the seedlings. You can prepare this product yourself or purchase a ready-made drink in the store.

Vegetable growers begin to use whey for spraying as early as July. This type of crop care helps avoid late blight. This disease affects many garden plots in cloudy weather. To avoid such consequences, you need to treat it with serum immediately after planting the seedlings. You can prepare this product yourself or purchase a ready-made drink in the store.

The benefits of fertilizing with an acidic environment

The fermented milk product contains:

proteins;
lactose – protects plants from parasites;
components of mineral origin;
vitamins;
amino acids are important for the active growth of crops.

Gardeners value the drink for these properties. It can be obtained through the process of fermenting milk. The output is a product that consists of water (95%), as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and other useful components (5%). If the serum is used according to all the rules, then you can get a rich and healthy harvest - it destroys pathogenic microorganisms.

Attention! Use whey in its pure form for processing, because its acidity negatively affects the composition of the soil. In addition, due to improper use, plant leaves can be burned. Fermented milk liquid, when used with other drugs, improves the growth and development of cucumbers

Fermented milk liquid, when used with other drugs, improves the growth and development of cucumbers.

Can whey be used as a fertilizer?

Summer residents can add the drink to the soil or use it as foliar feeding. By treating the garden with it, you can saturate the cucumbers with useful microelements to get a rich harvest.

Caring for vegetables requires that gardeners not only water them well, but also fertilize them. For rapid growth and good yield, the crop needs calcium, amino acids, phosphorus and copper. These substances are contained in whey, which can be mixed with iodine and ash.

Agronomists recommend using the drink if you need to fertilize cucumber seedlings

But it is important to water the first shoots as soon as 2-3 true leaves appear. Plants will become strong, healthy, and will not stretch if they are saturated with useful substances.