A rich harvest with minimal costs is the ultimate goal of every gardener. For healthy development of tomatoes and cucumbers, it is necessary to apply fertilizers. Many vegetable growers do not use chemicals as a matter of principle, trying to obtain an environmentally friendly product. Natural fertilizers, including whey, are used for fertilizing.
How beneficial is fertilizing with whey for cucumbers and tomatoes, how to properly prepare and use the working solution - you will learn all this from the article.
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.
Important. In addition to tomatoes and cucumbers, the product is used to fertilize squash, zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage, ferns and roses. The whey is not suitable for peppers and eggplants.
What happens if you feed plants with whey?
Features of fertilizing and its benefits for plants
Growing cucumbers throughout the growing season is accompanied by regular fertilizing and treatment of the crop against diseases and pests .
The use of chemicals for processing vegetables requires compliance with safety precautions and correct calculation of the concentration of substances. Traditional processing methods are safe to use and highly effective.
One of the many folk remedies for processing cucumbers is iodine-whey solution . The lactic acid product contains microelements that compensate for the lack of nutrients in the plant. A solution of serum with the addition of iodine is used to treat many diseases of cucumbers and to control insect pests.
How to prepare a working solution
The product is not used for processing in its pure form. For root treatment, the product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. An important condition is that the water temperature must be room temperature. The solution is watered at the plant's root and at a distance of 50 cm from it.
To spray bushes, the serum concentration is increased and diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3. For better adhesion of the solution, grated or crushed laundry soap is added to it.
The prepared solution cannot be stored for more than 2 days, otherwise the fermented liquid will harm the seedlings.
Preparation of the solution
Cucumbers must be treated correctly. Therefore, prepare the mixture, observing the proportions:
- The serum is diluted with water at room temperature, taking them in the same quantity 1:10.
- If pure whey is replaced with kefir, then the dilution proportion is the same.
- You need a little iodine per ten liters of whey solution, only ten drops.
- To enhance the therapeutic effect, add twenty grams of crushed laundry soap. This will help the mixture adhere better to the affected parts of the plant.
The prepared solution can also be used to prevent cucumber disease. It gives results when the plant is infected with powdery mildew or root rot.
How to treat cucumbers and tomatoes with whey
When and how to water? Cucumbers begin to be fed 10 days after planting in the garden. Root and foliar treatments alternate every 1-2 weeks.
Root treatment of tomatoes begins a week after planting in a permanent place. The treatment procedure is repeated every 7 days.
To water one bush of cucumbers and tomatoes, 1 liter of solution is enough. After feeding, be sure to water the plant with clean water to wash the solution off the leaves.
Stems and leaves are sprayed once every 10 days; for strong plants, the number of procedures is reduced to once a month. Young seedlings can be treated with a serum solution every week.
The last feeding of plants with serum is carried out several weeks before harvest. The procedure strengthens the ovaries.
Greenhouse processing
Experienced gardeners do not recommend using a fine spray bottle to spray whey solution. Small fractions of cottage cheese can clog the equipment. It is better to carry out the procedure with a sprayer or spray the plants with a broom.
Important! During treatment, spray not only the leaves, but also the mulch.
Processing in open ground
It is not recommended to cultivate the beds during strong winds and precipitation. The best time to carry out the procedure in open beds is early morning or evening, when there is no strong solar radiation. Otherwise, there is a high risk of foliage burns.
If it rains after treatment, the procedure will need to be repeated. Also, spraying after precipitation will help protect plants from late blight.
Processing rules
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Despite the fact that there is nothing complicated in using a fermented milk product, to get a positive result it is important to follow the rules:
- Experienced agronomists recommend using disease prevention serum for cucumbers a maximum of three times per season.
- There should be at least 1-1.5 weeks between uses.
- To prepare the mixture, the milk fermentation product must be diluted with warm water.
- Watering should be carried out not directly under the root, but at a distance of 0.5 meters from the crop.
Treatment of leaves in open ground should be carried out in the morning or evening, as well as in cloudy weather. And plants in the greenhouse should be sprayed with good ventilation, since condensation forms in a closed structure. Such conditions are ideal for the development of powdery mildew and rot.
Spraying of foliage can be carried out on both sides. It is also important to treat the soil around the plant.
What does a sour product go well with?
Whey is often combined with other folk remedies:
- iodine;
- brilliant green;
- baker's yeast;
- wood ash;
- chicken droppings;
- mown grass;
- honey.
Yeast is a natural growth stimulator and contains B vitamins, magnesium and active enzymes. It is recommended to combine the baking product with fertilizers containing potassium, since yeast helps to wash it out of the soil. It is good to combine yeast with wood ash, as it is rich in magnesium, sulfur, potassium and other elements.
To increase the nitrogen content in the soil, whey is combined with chicken manure.
Mown grass is a universal remedy containing all the necessary substances for plant development. During fermentation, it releases a large amount of amino acids and beneficial microelements.
Types of serums
Video: Soil for cucumbers in a greenhouse
You can add different components to whey, then this product will be much more effective. Most often, domestic gardeners use the following formulations for feeding and spraying plants:
- Whey from cottage cheese or yogurt in its pure form;
- Mixture with iodine solution;
- Mixture with brilliant green solution;
- Infusion of serum with ash.
The addition of substances such as iodine, brilliant green and ash further enriches the feeding with useful substances. For example, ash contains a large amount of potassium, which has a beneficial effect on the formation of ovaries and fruits and plays a big role in the prevention of “barren flowers”. Iodine increases the intensity of flowering, and brilliant green disinfects the soil, killing pathogenic bacteria.
Serum with iodine
How to prepare and use a functional solution
Based on the serum, functional solutions are made that can protect against diseases, fertilize the plant and improve its flowering.
Serum with iodine against late blight and powdery mildew
Gardeners use the serum to prevent late blight and repel insects. To do this, add 10 drops of iodine to the working solution. This pharmaceutical drug increases metabolic processes in the plant, enhances the process of nitrogen exchange, stimulates plant growth and protects against fungal pathologies.
To improve the effect, the drug “Fitosporin” is added to the solution - it increases the resistance of tomatoes to diseases and pests, and also prolongs the fruiting period.
The serum is also used to prevent powdery mildew. Cucumber leaves are treated with the following solution: 10 liters of water, 1 liter of whey and 13 drops of iodine. The procedure is carried out once every 2 weeks.
Concentrated solution with iodine
At the first sign of disease, emergency measures will be needed to save the crop. A regular working solution will not be able to cope with the disease. The roots and stems of plants are treated with a concentrated solution: 0.5 liters of whey and 10 drops of iodine.
To prepare the solution, it is better to use slightly warmed whey. Sick plants should be sprayed daily, paying special attention to damaged leaves.
This solution can be used to treat both young seedlings and adult plants. To spray fruits, the concentrate is diluted with water.
Recipe for universal serum for vegetables with ash
Fertilizer recipe: for 10 liters of water you will need 2 liters of whey, 10 drops of iodine and 2 tbsp. l. wood ash. It is better to use settled water. The solution is applied at the root or the tops are sprayed with it.
Medicinal mixture with added greenery
Downy mildew is a dangerous disease that affects cucumbers. The disease can be treated and prevented with the following solution: 1 liter of water, 1 ml of brilliant green, 0.5 liters of whey and 25 g of urea.
Treatment is carried out 3 times a season: before and after flowering, as well as in the first days after the formation of the ovaries.
Fertilizer with honey during flowering
Whey improves flowering of tomatoes and cucumbers. To prepare the solution use: 2 liters of product, 5 tbsp. l. honey, 10 drops of iodine, 1 glass of ash. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and leave to infuse for 2-3 days. The solution is used for foliar treatments, as well as for soaking seeds.
Important! Spraying during flowering reduces the number of barren flowers.
Spraying tomatoes with iodine serum
To save tomatoes from fungal microorganisms, spraying should be carried out as often as possible. The serum forms a thin film on the leaves, which prevents garden pests from developing on them. With its help, it is possible to fully combat late blight on tomatoes. The pathogens will never “touch” a plant under such protection. Spraying will have to be done frequently, otherwise there will be no effect. Many gardeners start in July, when the risk of developing fungal diseases and late blight increases.
If we talk about folk remedies for late blight on tomatoes, it is worth mentioning spraying with serum and iodine. The latter remedy is known for its antimicrobial effect, which helps even if the tomatoes are sick. To prepare the mixture, you need to take 10 liters of water, dilute 2 tbsp in it. spoons of ash, 10 drops of iodine, liter of whey. It needs to be processed every 7-10 days. Spraying can be carried out for tomatoes growing in a greenhouse and in open ground.
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Pros and cons of fertilizing with whey
Whey has a number of advantages and disadvantages.
Product advantages:
- saturation of the soil with useful microelements and amino acids;
- increasing productivity;
- improvement of plant development;
- inhibition of bacteria and fungi that cause diseases;
- treatment of diseases without harm to seedlings;
- use for processing a variety of garden crops;
- acceleration of compost maturation;
- application in insect control.
Flaws:
- short-lived effect;
- instability to precipitation.
The serum is short-lived, so treatment will need to be done regularly.
Advantages and disadvantages
Whey has its advantages and disadvantages. First, let's talk about the advantages.
- Non-toxic and harmless. The serum is also used during the period of fruit formation, without fear of harming the plantings. Spraying can be carried out almost until the fruit is harvested. Because of this property, no additional protection measures need to be applied.
- The solution is prepared simply and quickly.
- The serum is complete in itself and has a varied composition that allows you to replace all other products. It contains all the necessary macro- and microelements. Each of these elements contributes to the full development of the plant.
- The composition contains acids that create unsuitable conditions for the spread of harmful microflora.
- Treating with serum is also useful for repelling pests. For example, aphids will definitely be afraid of this product.
There are only two minuses.
- After treatment with whey, a very thin film is formed on the surface of the plants. It does not last long and is quickly washed away by precipitation. Therefore, you will have to process it often.
- The serum promotes acidification of the soil, for this reason deoxidation is necessary. The most common acid-reducing agent is ash, known to many. It is enough to add very little to the solution.
Disease Prevention
Whey not only fertilizes the soil, but also helps destroy dangerous pathogens that cause diseases.
Experienced gardeners use it against the following diseases:
- late blight;
- powdery mildew;
- rust;
- fusarium;
- scab;
- leaf spotting.
Preventive treatments are carried out 2-3 times a month. Before the procedure, remove dry leaves and rotten stems. For spraying, use a solution of serum diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3.
Prevention and treatment of powdery mildew
Roses and cucumbers are often affected by powdery mildew, which an infusion of whey and ash can help get rid of. It is effective only for prevention and at the initial stage of the disease.
Recipe:
- Pour a glass of ash into a saucepan with three liters of boiling water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid and put in a dark place.
- After 7 days, strain the infusion and add 3 liters of whey and water.
The finished ash-whey infusion is used for spraying the above-ground parts of plants.
Insect protection
Insects love the serum, so it is used to make traps. Pour undiluted product into a small container by a third and leave it in the beds overnight. In the morning, the insects caught in the trap are destroyed.
The product will get rid of the following insects:
- aphid;
- onion fly;
- cruciferous flea beetle;
- caterpillars;
- codling moth.
Precautionary measures
When using whey, it is important to maintain a normal soil balance. If applied heavily, there is a risk of lowering the soil pH, which will negatively affect plant health.
Using undiluted product may cause burns to leaves and roots. A solution is used to treat plants.
Serum is a safe product for humans. However, people who are allergic to dairy products should be careful when using it.
What are the advantages of the solution
It’s very simple to prepare the solution, even if the proportions are not exactly met, nothing bad will happen.
Let’s look at the advantages of treatment with iodine and whey:
- Availability of all components . Buying whey and iodine is not difficult; they are sold in all localities and are inexpensive. And those who keep cows have no problems with whey at all.
- Simplicity and safety of preparation . Even a child can prepare the solution. The proportions are easy to maintain and even if they are slightly off, nothing bad will happen. The composition does not contain toxic or hazardous components, so you can prepare the mixture and use it without the use of protective equipment.
- Environmental friendliness of the composition . By treating plants with whey and iodine, you do not increase the amount of nitrates in the soil. Plants do not accumulate any harmful substances and you get an environmentally friendly harvest.
The serum has a number of beneficial characteristics, which are further enhanced by the addition of iodine.
- High content of minerals, proteins and vitamins . The mixture is very nutritious and has a good effect on the development and growth of cucumbers, stimulating their development. The soil is enriched and the structure becomes lighter; with constant use, the general condition of the soil improves.
- The ripening time is reduced and the taste of the fruit is improved . The plant as a whole bears fruit much better, fruit set improves and the fruiting period increases.
- Lactic acid bacteria serve as an excellent disease prevention and means of combating them . They have an inhibitory effect on pathogenic microorganisms and destroy them both on the plant and in the soil.
- Versatility of use . The solution is equally good for cucumbers and tomatoes, as well as many other vegetable crops. You can use it without any special restrictions, because it contains no harmful components.
The use of fertilizing with whey and iodine significantly prolongs the fruiting period and thereby increases productivity.
The author of the video explains a preventative option using only whey or low-fat milk. A mixture is prepared at the rate of 2 cups of dairy product per liter of water. Plants are sprayed once a week for preventive purposes.
Reviews
Valentina, Zhukovsky: “Whey is an indispensable product in the country. Store-bought milk is of little use; I use natural milk from village milk. This serum contains many valuable microelements for plants.”
Artem, Krasnodar: “Tomatoes and cucumbers grow well on whey. I use it to feed plants at the roots. I dilute the product with water in a ratio of 1:8.”
Natalya, Ufa: “The serum helped get rid of aphids in just 2 sprays. There was a break of 10 days between procedures. Iodine was added to the solution. The pests left the site, but the plants themselves were not damaged.”
