Whey for tomatoes and cucumbers: feeding and protection against diseases

How and when to process tomatoes

Treatment of tomatoes with whey and solutions prepared on its basis should begin after planting seedlings in the ground or transplanting them, if we are talking about greenhouses.

The first spraying should be carried out with a solution of serum and water (or if the product is store-bought, only serum). No additional components are needed.

After ten days, you can add iodine or wood ash to the solution. At the beginning and middle of the fruiting period, when there is a risk of developing late blight, you can add Fitosporin to the serum.

Serum treatment can be done once a week to ten days. To do this, you can use either a spray bottle or any other sprayers.

Important! For several days after treatment, it is necessary to water only at the root. If it rains, the interval between procedures is halved.

How to process tomatoes - step-by-step instructions

Treating tomatoes against late blight with whey and iodine requires precision.

Let's take a step-by-step look at how to fertilize:

1. Before fertilizing, you should weed the beds, freeing them from grass.
2. If you are doing root feeding, be sure to water the plantation.
3. The first treatment is carried out a week after planting the seedlings in the ground, then treated every 2 weeks.
4. For foliar treatment, the solution is placed in a spray bottle, carefully filtering it through cheesecloth.
5. Spraying is carried out in the evening so that the leaves irrigated with the solution are not damaged by direct sunlight.
6. The procedure is carried out when there is no rain, in calm weather.
7. When foliar feeding, the stem and leaves should be treated on all sides.

Important. Before root feeding, water the tomatoes at the root, being careful not to let the water get on the leaves.

Types of serums

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 for processing cucumbers and tomatoes: what is it?

Whey is a substance that is formed when fresh milk turns sour. It is usually separated from milk when curd is prepared or yogurt is filtered.

Note! Curdled milk contains more vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for plants, so whey from it will be preferable.

You can make it yourself or purchase a ready-to-drink drink at grocery stores. This product is effective for plant care due to its high concentration of milk protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids.

The benefits of whey for tomatoes

Spraying tomatoes with serum is carried out several times a month. This procedure does not harm fruits or neighboring crops. Serum for tomatoes and cucumbers is a universal remedy and fertilizer. Properly organized watering and fertilizing of tomatoes with whey guarantee a good harvest in the fall.

You can spray tomatoes with serum both in greenhouses and directly on an open plot of land. Using waste dairy products, they organize the treatment of diseased bushes that have suffered from parasites or fungal diseases. Whey for cucumbers and tomatoes is used as a main or additional food.

The biggest danger for tomatoes and cucumbers (seedlings and bushes) is late blight. A dangerous disease destroys seedlings and infects healthy bushes in a few days. The plant is difficult to save, and the entire future harvest is in danger of being destroyed. If you fertilize the soil and root system of tomatoes and cucumbers in a timely manner, such a problem will not arise. Treating bushes with serum is very profitable: you can make a cheap natural product with your own hands.

How to prepare serum for spraying

Serum comes in two types. One is obtained as a result of preparing cottage cheese, and the second is obtained after decanting yogurt. The second option is more useful, since it is natural and not subject to heat treatment, but the first option is also suitable for tomatoes. Some even recommend using store-bought serum. And if there is no other option, then it can indeed be used. But many store offers sometimes just look like colored water, so you need to choose quality products.

But it is best to prepare the serum yourself. The easiest way is to leave the milk to sour, then heat until the curd begins to separate, cool and strain. Before use, the serum must be diluted with water 1:3 or 1:5, depending on the fat content of the resulting product.

Tip! You can add a little soap solution to the serum. This will help to better retain the product on the plants, extend the exposure time and significantly improve the results after treatment.

The principle of action of both components on tomatoes

It is not by chance that a mixture of whey and iodine is used. The components have complementary qualities:

1. Whey contains lactic acid bacteria, which slow down the proliferation of pathogenic flora . Getting on the tomatoes, it creates a protective layer that protects the plants from the penetration of pathogenic spores. Whey is used as a fertilizer that saturates plants with microelements. The amino acids included in its composition affect the growth process, and lactose fights pests. This treatment increases yield and improves the taste of the fruit.
2. Iodine is made from seaweed . This remedy is used as an antiseptic, used in the fight against fungal diseases.
3. Iodine replaces nitrogen fertilizers (saltpeter). Strengthens the protective abilities of plants, stimulates the formation of ovaries.

What are the benefits of whey?

Whey is formed after the milk protein, casein, coagulates in heat. The result is a cloudy, light yellow liquid.

The composition of whey is unique; it contains macro- and microelements from milk: nitrogen, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, magnesium and others. But the nutrients in lactic acid liquid are contained in small quantities, that is, they are not able to satisfy the needs of plants and have a minimal effect on their productivity.

Whey amino acids are of particular value for plants. They work as growth and development stimulants:

• enhance root development;
• improve pollen germination;
• stimulate the production of hormones important for flowering and fruiting;
• increase resistance to cold, drought, soil salinity;
• improve the taste of fruits;
• regulate water metabolism in the plant.

In its action, the serum is similar to EM preparations. Lactic acid bacteria in the product accelerate the decomposition of organic matter in the soil and the formation of humus.

Milk liquid contains organic acids, the environment of which is destructive for pathogens of fungal infections. Spraying cucumbers and tomatoes with serum helps protect crops from powdery mildew and late blight, which often cause the death of an impressive part of the crop.

The whey remains in private farms where they keep cows and sell milk, cottage cheese, and cheese. The product can also be bought in a store, replaced with kefir or yogurt, or prepared yourself.

Why feed your plantings with whey?

When caring for the plants in your garden and using modern preparations to care for them, it is important not to neglect folk remedies. Treatment with whey can significantly strengthen the plantings, give them the necessary nutrition and reap a good harvest in the fall.

Milk (including whey) contains essential microelements and substances that are indispensable for tomatoes. For example, amino acids are important for the growth process, and lactose allows active pest control. Milk treatment allows you to create a thin protective layer on the green part of the plants, which will prevent the development of fungal diseases and insect damage. This feeding of tomatoes is absolutely safe for humans (there is no need to use special equipment).

Tomato whey is obtained by souring milk. To obtain it, just leave the container with milk in a warm place (you can add any fermented milk product). The sour mass is heated over low heat to release the whey. The resulting liquid, which is rich in beneficial lactobacilli, must be diluted with water before use so as not to disturb the acid balance of the soil. And so that the solution stays better on the leaves, laundry soap is added to it.

Recipes for feeding plants

Fans of organic farming are not limited to using only whey; they enhance the composition of nutrient solutions with additional substances. There are many folk recipes that are guaranteed to be healthy for tomatoes and cucumbers.

Whey based recipes:

• Yeast. After enriching the milk liquid with yeast enzymes, a powerful growth stimulator is obtained. The nutrient solution is especially useful for plants that develop poorly and are stunted in growth. 100 g of yeast is poured into 1 liter of warm water and left for 3 hours. Yeast infusion and 1 liter of whey are added to 10 liters of water.
• Honey. The solution nourishes the plants and attracts bees to pollinate tomato and cucumber flowers. In 10 liters of water, dilute 1 liter of whey and 5 tbsp. l. honey You can add 1 cup of ash to the solution.
• Ash. Strengthening the nutrient solution with phosphorus and potassium ash is especially useful during the budding and ovary formation phases of tomatoes and cucumbers. Dilute 1 liter of whey and 1 glass of ash into 10 liters of water and leave for 2-3 hours.

When used independently, whey is diluted with water 1:10 for root feeding and 1:5 for spraying on leaves.

It is advisable to use the prepared solution immediately. Long-term storage of more than a day will lead to souring of the liquid.

You can feed zucchini, pumpkin, squash, strawberries, berry bushes and roses with whey. The product cannot be used on eggplants and peppers; the crops do not tolerate an acidic environment.

Preparation of the solution

Tomatoes also respond well to feeding with whey based on fermented milk products. The most basic solution recipe is to pour a liter of product into 10 liters of water. You can water it not only on tomatoes, but also on squash and zucchini.

For foliar fertilizer purposes, the infusion is prepared in a ratio of 1:3. As with cucumbers, you should take a break of 10-12 days between treatments.

The whey infusion can be modified by adding, for example, nettle (however, other weeds are also used). It is prepared in a large container (you can also use a barrel, it all depends on the area being processed).

Nettle shoots are crushed and ground, all the grass needs to be filled with water at a temperature of 20-25 degrees, then the composition is mixed with whey (3 liters is enough). The barrel (or any other container) is closed and moved to the shade, where the mixture will ferment for two weeks.

The resulting infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, then root watering is carried out.

Integrated Disease Management

To make the effect of spraying against late blight even more significant, you can add the drug “Fitosporin”, which is a non-toxic systemic fungicide, to the solution for tomatoes. Their combined use will significantly increase resistance to diseases and will contribute to more abundant ripening of fruits.

Treatment of tomato bushes for prevention or treatment can be combined with the application of fertilizers. You can carry out foliar feeding using a product prepared according to the following recipe:

• Water – 10 liters;
• Whey – 2 liters;
• Ash – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• Iodine – 10 drops.

This mixture will provide the plant with the necessary nutrients that will strengthen its immunity. Thanks to this spraying, the bushes will grow and bear fruit better. Wood ash will provide an alkaline reaction, which will repel fungal diseases.

The combination of whey with iodine gives very good results. After all, iodine solution has a powerful effect aimed at destroying microbes. It not only performs a protective function, it can also be used when the tomatoes have already become infected with fungus. This remedy will not cause harm, so you can use it at least every day. By treating the leaves with a mixture of whey and iodine (0.5 liters of dairy product per 10 drops of iodine), you will stop the spread of the disease.

Combine these products with other preventive medications to ensure the health of your plantings and a good harvest.

Use as a top dressing

Using the product as a top dressing:

• saturates plants with essential microelements;
• strengthens the immune system of plants;
• enriches the soil with organic substances;
• improves seedling resistance to diseases.

To feed plants, foliar and root methods are used. When foliar feeding with iodine serum is used, the bushes themselves are irrigated. Treat the plants in the evening, in calm weather, watering the entire plant abundantly.

Advice. Treat the bushes with a spray bottle or a broom.

When root feeding, the solution is applied directly under the root.

Advantages

1. Whey is absolutely harmless. Its use even during the fruiting period will not harm the vegetables. Moreover, the fruits can be collected for consumption the very next day after processing.
2. Quick and easy preparation of a solution from fermented milk product. There is no need for special preparation for this; the fertilizer can be prepared in any container.
3. Rich composition. The content of trace elements, amino acids, vitamins and lactose makes whey a self-sufficient fertilizer.
4. Multifunctionality. With this product you can cure and protect the crop from diseases, repel insects, feed the soil and improve productivity.

Flaws

1. Frequent processing required. The protective film does not last long on the leaves; it constantly needs to be restored with new sprays.
2. Fermented whey changes the pH of the soil. It oxidizes, so it is recommended to use substances that would restore its balance.

Whey is a common and easily accessible product, cost-effective and very effective. It contains the components necessary for tomatoes.

Gardeners who use this product as a fertilizer can boast of a high-quality and high-quality harvest grown without the use of harmful chemicals.

Serum with iodine against late blight and powdery mildew

Iodine not only helps fight diseases, but also promotes fruit ripening. Therefore, experienced gardeners recommend using the following recipe to protect tomatoes and potatoes from late blight, and cucumbers from powdery mildew:

• add 1 liter of whey to 9 liters of settled warm water;
• add 20 drops of iodine to the resulting mixture;
• mix everything well and strain.

This solution will protect plants from diseases, help them better adapt to temperature changes and increase immunity.

Folk remedies for fertilizing cucumbers and tomatoes

You can process cucumbers and tomatoes using other folk remedies. They also give good results and can significantly increase productivity. Among these tools, the most commonly used are the following:

• Ash;
• Mullein diluted with water;
• Humus infusion;
• Fresh manure and diluted bird droppings.

Bone meal and eggshells also significantly increase yield. Ground bones are rich in valuable microelements, and ground shells are an irreplaceable source of calcium.

Experts say that using whey as a top dressing and natural growth stimulator gives good results. But before using this product, you need to carefully study the options for its use and choose the one that is best suited for specific plants.

So, serum for cucumbers and tomatoes is very popular among domestic gardeners. It is an easy-to-use and inexpensive tool for increasing productivity.

Prevention and treatment of diseases

The acidic environment of milk liquid is destructive for many pathogens of fungal diseases of cucumbers and tomatoes. But with severe infection of crops, when fungi infect more than 1/3 of the plants and germinate in their tissue, the product is ineffective. In this case, you need to use chemicals.

To enhance the fungicidal properties of a dairy product, agents with an antiseptic effect are added to it:

• Iodine. To treat plants, 1 liter of whey must be mixed with 5 liters of water and 10 drops of iodine added to the solution.
• Brilliant green and urea. To 10 liters of water add 1 liter of whey, 5 drops of brilliant green, 20 g of urea.

To treat plants, you can also use ash to dust the soil or add 100-200 g to solutions.

Any medicinal solution will stay on the surface of plants longer if soap is added to it. Calculation: 50 g per 10 liters of water.

Disease Prevention

Spraying of vegetable bushes is carried out during seasonal diseases and to prevent dangerous diseases in plants planted in open ground. Treatment is always cheaper than treating tomatoes for fungi or pests. Tomatoes that are treated with whey in a timely manner do not get sick and allow you to harvest a good harvest in the fall.

For prevention, treatment of vegetable bushes is carried out after cleaning the bushes from dry leaves and rotten stems. You need to start spraying the crop in greenhouses while the stems are not yet strong. Prevention can be carried out less frequently than spraying the crop during the disease. It is enough to spray the tomatoes once a month and organize constant watering in order to harvest a good healthy harvest by autumn.

Tomato processing scheme

Whey with iodine is used as a solution for spraying tomatoes. Timely work will help grow healthy tomatoes and get a bountiful harvest.

Timing and frequency

Treatment of tomatoes with serum with iodine begins a week after planting the seedlings in the ground. In the form of foliar and root feeding, the procedure is repeated every 10-14 days throughout the season. During the flowering period, plants need potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Taking this into account, you should prepare a solution with the addition of superphosphate (2 tablespoons per bucket of water), urea (1 tablespoon), wood ash (1 glass).

Advice. The frequency and number of sprays can be increased, especially on depleted or contaminated soils.

Additive to compost

Compost is one of the best environmentally friendly fertilizers for tomatoes and tomatoes. It is formed as a result of the decomposition of organic substances under the influence of microorganisms; its beneficial properties are equal to manure and bird droppings. Compost is added to beds and planting holes to structure and nourish the soil, and is used as top dressing during the summer.

You can compost any plant debris, but the process is lengthy and can take several years. To speed up decomposition, organic matter is watered with whey. The only negative is that you will need a lot of product.

Organic residues are placed in a composter, pouring whey into each layer. For the activity of lactic acid bacteria, oxygen is needed, so excessive moistening of organic matter is avoided and the compost mass is periodically shoveled. Treatment of organic matter with whey accelerates the maturation of compost by half.

Whey helps to obtain a high yield of cucumbers with tasty and harmless fruits. However, no folk remedy, no matter how much it is praised, can be viewed as a panacea for any problem. To grow healthy plants and achieve high productivity, gardeners need to carefully follow agricultural practices: soil and temperature conditions, watering regime, and the addition of necessary nutrients.

Adviсe

In order for spraying with whey solutions to give the best possible result, you must follow the basic recommendations:

• processing should be regular (every 7-10 days);
• to increase the effect, the solution must be heated;
• it is advisable to regularly remove the lower leaves;
• it is necessary to alternate root and foliar treatment.

Whey is one of the most effective and affordable means for processing tomatoes. Use it regularly for spraying and root feeding to reliably protect your plantings from diseases and pests, as well as ensure excellent results.

Tips and recommendations from experienced summer residents

Tips and recommendations from experienced gardeners on how to treat tomatoes with iodine serum:

1. Follow the proportions in recipes so as not to burn the leaves.
2. Choose suitable weather and processing time.
3. Start spraying as early as possible.
4. Use freshly prepared solution.
5. If you don't have a spray bottle, use a broom.
6. Treat plants from all sides.
7. Do not spray in direct sunlight to avoid damaging the leaves.
8. For better adhesion of the solution, add laundry soap or any liquid soap.
9. Do not use the serum in its pure form.

How to prepare the solution correctly

When starting to prepare the solution, remember that iodine contains alcohol, which can burn delicate leaves. When treating tomatoes against late blight with whey and iodine, maintain the proportions.

Recipe and proportions

There are many recipes for feeding tomatoes. The advantage of our method is that it is environmentally friendly and completely harmless to humans, provided that the proportions are observed.

Foliar feeding:

1. Combine 1 liter of whey, 5 drops of iodine and 3 liters of water.
2. To make the product stick, add a pinch of grated laundry soap to the solution, which is pre-soaked in warm water.
3. Spray the plants from all sides.

Treatment of tomatoes with whey with iodine - recipe with honey and ash:

1. Combine 2 liters of whey, 10 drops of iodine, 4 tbsp. l. honey and a glass of wood ash.
2. The mixture is placed in a deep bowl and left for 3 days.
3. Plants are treated during flowering. The honey contained in the fertilizer attracts bees, which pollinate the tomatoes, enlarging the ovaries.

The product is also used for soaking seeds.

For root feeding, prepare a solution in the following proportions: 1 liter of whey, 10 liters of water, 10 drops of iodine. Fertilize after watering 0.5 liters per bush.

Advice. To increase efficiency, the drug Fitosporin is added to the solution. It increases plant resistance to diseases and pests.