Your own garden allows you to easily supply fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, delicious bell peppers and juicy greens to the dining table. But fruit plantings must have optimal care: watering, loosening the soil and, of course, timely fertilizing with fertilizers. One of the most well-known types of fertilizers is succinic acid for tomatoes and other crops, accessible and optimal in its composition.
Brief overview of the article
- External characteristics of the drug
- Properties of succinic acid
- Benefits of using acid
- Features of preparing the solution
- Possible applications
- Soaking seeds in solution
- Spraying of ground parts
- Watering the root part
- Processing of foliar parts
- Peculiarities of cucumber processing
- Photo of succinic acid for tomatoes and cucumbers
How does succinic acid work?
The drug is mainly used as a growth stimulant. Treatment is carried out at any stage of crop development, starting from planting.
The main advantages of use:
- acceleration of the process of chlorophyll synthesis;
- increasing the resistance of crops to unfavorable conditions;
- stimulation of root and shoot growth;
- protection against accumulation of nitrates in the soil;
- increasing plant immunity;
- improving the absorption of nutrients.
There is no need to be afraid of overfeeding with succinic acid: plants regulate the level of intake of this element on their own.
Composition of the drug
The use of succinic acid is completely safe, since it does not contain any chemical impurities. It is a completely natural substance that is a component found in plant and animal tissues.
The composition contains talc, starch, aerosil, and sugar as additional elements.
What useful elements does it contain?
Succinic acid is a natural product that is produced by all living organisms.
Industrially, it is produced as a white powder similar to salt or sugar. You can also find the drug in tablet form.
Succinic acid does not contain chemical impurities. It contains sugar, potato starch, talc, calcium stearate and aerosil.
As you can see, this is an exclusively natural product that is more suitable for organic farming than anything else.
How to use as fertilizer
Gardeners use succinic acid for cucumbers, tomatoes and other plants. I especially like this feeding of tomatoes: they form more ovaries. The product is used to fertilize the ground or use it to spray plants.
The very first fertilizing is done when planting seedlings in the ground. The second will be needed before flowering, the third during the flowering period and the fourth after the plant has flowered.
If the condition requires additional treatment with the drug, you need to slightly reduce the concentration of the solution. Root feeding is usually done in the evening - this allows plants to better absorb succinic acid.
Cooking rules
Succinic acid is applicable for processing and watering tomatoes, cucumbers and other cultivated plants only in diluted form.
The dosage of the drug is calculated depending on the purpose of its use:
- to treat seeds, make a working liquid with a concentration of 2%: dilute 2 g of the drug in 50 ml of slightly warmed water, and after complete dissolution of the powder, bring the volume of liquid to 1 liter;
- for root watering of seedlings and adult bushes, make a less concentrated solution by diluting 2 g of acid in a small amount of water until completely dissolved, then increase the volume of liquid to 20 liters.
- the dosage for foliar feeding is reduced by 2 times, the concentration of the solution is adjusted to 0.1%.
Treating leaves with a solution
Root feeding is supplemented by spraying. At the same time, the concentration of the active substance in the solution is reduced. One tablet of the drug is crushed to a powder and dissolved in water at the rate of 2 grams per 1 liter.
It is recommended to spray in the morning in cloudy weather. Another option is evening time. This approach allows you to increase the absorption of the drug.
Feeding seedlings
Immediately before the procedure, the crushed product is dissolved in water using a concentration of 2 grams per liter. Spraying with the resulting composition should be done evenly, on both sides of the sheet, gradually moving from top to bottom.
Cucumber seedlings take the drug very well, so it is better to prepare a solution at the rate of 5 grams of the substance per liter of water. The composition is used for watering seedlings.
Fertilizer after planting in the ground
After planting plants in a new place, they should also be fed. Dosage – 2 grams of product per liter of water.
The composition can be used not only for watering, but also for spraying leaves. Thanks to this feeding, the plants will be able to take root well and settle down in a permanent place.
How to feed seedlings
Succinic acid is used for tomato seedlings in two ways - foliar spraying or watering at the root. The active substance is almost instantly absorbed by the tissues and root system of seedlings.
Spraying with a solution of an amber preparation has a beneficial effect on tomato seedlings - it stimulates their growth, strengthens the immune system and protects against diseases, accelerates the adaptation of seedlings after picking or transplanting.
To spray tomato seedlings, use a 0.02% solution prepared from 0.2 g of succinic acid per 1 liter of water. For healthy tomato seedlings, the concentration of fertilizing can be increased to 0.5-1 g per 10 l (5-10 tablets). It is advisable to carry out the procedure early in the morning, as the sun's rays can cause burns to sensitive tomato leaves.
To completely dissolve the fertilizer in water, it is best to dissolve the required amount of powder or tablets in 1 liter of water at room temperature, then add clean water to the required volume.
The amber preparation is also used for watering at the root . It must be carried out after abundant watering with clean water, since the concentrated pharmaceutical product can cause burns to the roots of the seedlings.
For root irrigation, a weakly concentrated solution of an amber preparation is used, which is prepared at the rate of 1 g per 10 liters of water (1 tablet with a concentration of 0.1 g per 1 liter of water). Watering tomato seedlings is carried out according to the following scheme:
- the first – 3 days after picking the seedlings;
- the second - 14 days before planting the seedlings in a permanent place;
- the third - 3-5 hours after transplanting the seedlings into open ground or a greenhouse.
For the third feeding, it is recommended to prepare a solution with a higher concentration - 2%. To prepare it, use 2 tablets of succinic acid (0.1 g each) per 1 liter of water.
Treatment during the flowering period
The useful solution is used to feed tomatoes and other crops at the flowering stage. It is recommended to do this for three weeks.
One gram of succinic acid is dissolved in 1 liter of water. The product is used both for watering and for treating leaves once a week.
Main characteristics
Succinic acid is also called butanedioic or ethane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid. It has a crystalline form with an unexpressed color. Dissolves well in liquid. It has a slightly sour or salty taste. Found naturally in plants and amber.
Additional Information! The first mention of the production of succinic acid dates back to the 17th century. It was obtained during the distillation of amber.
Under the influence of temperature, the acid transforms into succinic anhydride with the formation of water.
In industry, the substance is extracted through the hydrogenation of malenic anhydride. Salts and esters of the acid are called succinates.
The substance melts at 183 °C and boils at 235 °C. At higher temperatures, a water elimination reaction occurs to form succinic anhydride. Crystals dissolve better in warm or hot water.
Succinic acid is actively used in the chemical industry, cosmetology, medicine, food industry, and gardening.
Processing cucumbers
The first time cucumbers are treated when planting seedlings, using a solution at a concentration of 2.5 grams per liter. After a week, it is recommended to do another feeding, and after two weeks - a third.
You can further strengthen plants to increase their resistance to heat and cold by watering the bushes with a composition at the rate of 2 grams of the substance per 10 liters of water.
Pros and cons of use
Like any remedy, this drug has its own characteristics. The advantages include:
- budget cost;
- proven effectiveness;
- health safety.
The use of succinic acid can improve the general condition of plants, increase their immunity and resistance to pests, improve the growth of shoots, and strengthen their roots and trunk.
If we talk about the disadvantages, it is worth noting the short-term storage of the finished solution. It is better to use it fresh, since its beneficial qualities disappear within three days. This should be taken into account when calculating the volume of the composition.
Regardless of whether succinic acid is used to fertilize tomatoes or cucumbers, you need to keep in mind that it makes the soil more acidic. Therefore, it is not recommended to be overly zealous with fertilizing.
Dosed use of the product allows you to normalize the composition of the soil and improve its microflora. If, nevertheless, the concentration was exceeded, then to reduce the acidity of the soil it is necessary to enrich it with wood ash or dolomite flour.
Benefits of using acid
The advantages of choosing succinic acid for spraying cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers include the following criteria:
- Availability of pharmaceutical form. The drug can be found at the pharmacy at a reasonable price.
- Ease of use. Tablets and powder dissolve well in water.
- No toxic effects for humans. The dilution and spraying process does not require the use of personal protective equipment (as is the case with the use of most officially recognized fertilizers).
Also, the advantages of choice include a wide range of beneficial properties of the drug with an almost complete absence of side effects.
Limitations and precautions
The use of succinic acid for tomatoes and other crops in general is not limited in any way. You should refrain from using it only if the soil on the site is highly acidic. To enrich such land, it is better to purchase complex fertilizers.
In any case, you need to understand that this remedy only stimulates growth. It does not contain nitrogen, potassium and other substances necessary for the formation of flowers and fruits.
When working with the drug, be sure to use safety glasses and gloves to avoid contact of the powder with the eyes and mucous membranes. The product should be stored in a safe place, away from children and pets - there is a possibility of allergic reactions.
If poisoning occurs accidentally, you should immediately call a doctor. If the prepared solution gets into your eyes, they should be rinsed with plenty of running water. Deterioration of the condition should be a reason to contact an ophthalmologist.
Preparation and storage of the solution
The product is a powerful activator. Use it with caution. If the concentrated solution comes into contact with the skin or mucous membranes, burn damage may occur. If it gets on the body, immediately wash the area with water or soda solution.
Wear gloves for work. After preparing a solution of the required concentration, it is used immediately. The working solution is not stored. Spoilage occurs upon contact with air within a couple of hours. The master concentrate can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.
