Feeding cucumbers with folk remedies, when and what to feed

The next feeding of cucumbers with folk remedies will not take an experienced summer resident by surprise.
There are a huge number of ways to easily and simply prepare fertilizer, which in turn will not be useless, but very effective in increasing the yield of cucumbers. Dear readers!
For you, we have created communities on social networks in which useful articles and interesting ideas are published several times a day! Subscribe and receive useful content in a convenient format! For the most part, folk remedies for fertilizing cucumbers are very simple to make, their recipes can be slightly adjusted without fear of harming cultivated plants, and the cost of such fertilizers always remains minimal.

What do cucumbers like?

The crop should be fed with balanced fertilizers, that is, containing a complex of micro- and macroelements, amino acids and various vitamins.

When feeding, preference should be given to those that contain more:

nitrogen;
potassium;
calcium;
phosphorus;
magnesium

It is these elements that they try to add additionally to the soil so that the cucumbers develop much better.

The benefits of applying phosphorus fertilizers

Feeding cucumber plants with phosphorus-containing agrochemicals affects several processes of crop development. As a result of application, root growth is activated, the growth of vegetative mass is accelerated, productivity and taste are improved. Thanks to its complex effects, vegetable growers highly value superphosphate, in which the content of the chemical element can reach 52%.

Mineral fat is widely used not only in vegetable gardens, but also in commercial production. Advantages of the agrochemical:

absence of toxic components;
Possibility of use on any soil composition;
complex influence on plantings;
compatibility with other mineral and organic fertilizers;
safety of use when taking recommended doses.

For your information!

Improper use of fertilizer leads to excessive acidification of the soil, which negatively affects cucumbers that are sensitive to low pH.

How can you feed cucumbers, effective folk remedies

Cucumbers are popular in the middle zone, so they can be fed with folk remedies. They use ash, manure, yeast, onion peels and many other lesser-known infusions.

NOTE! Obviously, cucumbers are also fed using mineral or organic mixtures. But the popularity of folk remedies is that they have an optimal balance of qualities: simplicity/effectiveness/environmental friendliness.

How to determine by leaves and fruits what cucumbers lack

You need to keep an eye on your “pets”, examine their leaves and fruits, by which you can determine what the cucumbers are missing:

The leaves have risen up - a lack of phosphorus in cucumbers. We eliminate the cause of the disease by spraying the leaves with an ash solution.
The edge of the fruit in the form of a ball and (or) brown edges of the leaves means a lack of potassium in cucumbers. You should use the ash again, but this time you can pour it into the hole and don’t forget to water it.

You will be interested to know: Soaking cucumber seeds before sowing in Epin, Succinic acid and Hydrogen Peroxide

The photo shows a lack of potassium in cucumbers

A light and narrow tip of a young fruit, small and light leaves - all this indicates a lack of nitrogen. Cucumbers should be watered with one of the organic fertilizers (infusion of mullein, bird droppings or green grass).
Yellow-green leaves on cucumbers warn of a lack of microelements . If you fed the plantings on time, it means that the plants did not absorb the fertilizer. In this case, spray the foliage with an ash extract (pour 5 liters of boiling water over 1 glass of ash and let it brew overnight).
The marbled color of the leaves indicates a lack of magnesium . Milk made from dolomite flour will help saturate the plants with this element (1 cup per bucket of water).

When feeding cucumbers, you need to know that it is better to spray the foliage in the evening, so that the sun's rays during the day do not burn the leaves. It is necessary to apply any folk fertilizing only on damp soil, so the day before fertilizing, water the bed with cucumbers.

Root feeding, watering recipes

For the most part, root feeding of cucumbers can be considered the most popular. Folk remedies introduced in this way are quickly absorbed by the roots, absorbed by cucumbers and, accordingly, contribute to the rapid growth of the crop.

How to make an ash solution for watering cucumbers

The popularity of ash for feeding cucumbers is quite understandable - an infusion based on it replenishes the mineral composition of the soil (potassium, calcium, etc.), and at the same time repels some pests.

Both spraying with wood ash and watering are used.

At a watering rate of half a liter of ash infusion for each bush, you will need a solution:

cups of ash (or about 200 g) for every 10 liters of water;
the solution is infused for 10 days and stirred periodically.

Root feeding of cucumbers with this folk remedy requires up to 5 per season with a break of 1-2 weeks between each.

Recipes with iodine for feeding cucumbers

Gardeners often turn to iodine when feeding cucumbers. This is another remedy that is very affordable, and in addition to directly improving the growth of cucumbers, it helps fight fungal diseases.

Add iodine to the root:

3 drops of iodine per 10 liter bucket of water;
Let it sit for a bit, then water.

Someone additionally adds milk to 10 liters of water, plus increases the concentration of iodine to 30 drops - it is believed that such feeding is even richer in the composition of useful microelements.

How to apply grain fertilizers

There is bread in every home, and baker's yeast is an effective ingredient in it. It is known that they have a beneficial effect on the growth of cultivated plants, and specifically on cucumbers they prevent yellowing of the leaves.

At a watering rate of half a liter of product for each bush:

First, leave the loaf to infuse in a 10 liter bucket of water for a week, stirring the infusion periodically;
cover with a lid, leaving the bucket in a warm place;
after a week, add 20-30 drops of iodine, stir and re-dilute the finished mixture with clean water in the proportion: 1 part mixture: 3 parts water.

Grain fertilizer is applied at intervals of 10 days, and in total there should be no more than 3 per season.

As a piece of advice, please note that grain fertilizing is most effective from the moment fruit sets and throughout the entire fruiting period of cucumbers.

Solutions for feeding cucumbers with whey

For irrigation, dilute the whey in a ratio of 1:10 with clean water and let it sit for a few hours.

It is root feeding that will be needed when the first true leaves of the crop appear (you can also fertilize seedlings). But later the serum can also be used, but spraying on the leaf will be required.

How to make a green solution for cucumbers, green fertilizer

For this folk remedy, all you need to do is mow the grass in the area and then prepare the solution. Nettles, weeds, any tops will do.

fill the barrel about halfway with the prepared grass, fill it with water, leaving 10-20 cm to the edges;
you can add compost and infuse the product for 10 days;
Stir the contents periodically.

Herbal fertilizer is rich in nitrogen, so cucumbers grow more actively and are then richer in terms of yield. To apply root fertilizers, the mixture cannot be used in its pure form, but must be additionally diluted in a ratio of 1:8 with clean water.

Cucumbers will need feeding no more than 3 times per season with an interval of 10 days between each.

Solutions based on mullein

Mullein is rich in nitrogen, so with its help you can easily and quickly provoke active growth of green mass and cucumber roots.

Apply half a liter of the product to each bush:

mix the mixture in the proportion of 1 part mullein to 3 parts water;
the infusion is prepared for 5 to 15 days, until it begins to lighten and form bubbles;
then the mixture is mixed in a ratio of 1:10 with clean water, left for another 1 hour, after which the plants can be watered.

Mullein will be more effective if you add 100 g of superphosphate or a little wood ash to the solution.

How to use boric acid for cucumbers

Boric acid powder must be used, not an alcohol solution!

Boric acid will significantly improve the taste of cucumbers and also increase the number of buds:

half a teaspoon is diluted in 10 liters of water;
The product is mixed and, after settling for a short time, applied to the root.

The greatest effect is achieved by watering three times per season: during the formation of buds, flowering, and the beginning of fruiting.

Bird droppings for cucumbers

Nitrogen-rich bird droppings are used for all types of crops in the garden.

For cucumbers, at a rate of half a liter per bush, you can prepare the following fertilizer:

mix the litter with clean water 1:1;
leave for 3-5 days, stirring occasionally;
Before use, additionally dilute the product with clean water in a ratio of 1:10.

The recommended application rate is no more than 3 times per season. First in early spring, then at the time of flowering, and only then during fruiting, but no later than two weeks before harvest.

Infusions of onion peels for feeding cucumbers

By increasing the amount of nutrients in the soil, an infusion of onion peels stabilizes fruiting, but also improves the taste of cucumbers. And the rutin and quercetin contained in the husk will effectively repel aphids, poutine mites, and serve as a preventive measure for the development of fungi.

For preparation:

pour onion peels with about 3-4 liters of boiling water;
leave the product for about 4 days, stirring occasionally;
Before use, strain, dilute in a ratio of 1:10 with clean water and water at the root.

It is believed that the yellow onion peel is richest in the composition of active ingredients.

How to feed with yeast

Cucumbers must respond to the addition of yeast. A folk remedy based on them makes the soil composition richer in manganese, iron, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Apply 1 liter of product to each bush:

per 10 liters of warm water add 10 g of dry or yeast and 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar;
the product is stirred and infused in a warm place for a day;
Stir before use.

Yeast improves root formation of cucumbers, and this leads to a more stable harvest. Watering will be required no more than 3 times per season with breaks of 10 days between each.

TIP: The warmer the soil, the more effective yeast is!

Is it possible to use eggshells to feed cucumbers?

Egg shells help to loosen the soil under the cucumbers to the required extent and replenish the mineral composition of the soil.

The fertilizer is prepared from the shells of 5 chicken eggs, crushed to a powder. Pour a liter of boiling water over it and leave for 5 days, stirring the mixture periodically.

Already before watering, the infusion is diluted with clean water 1:10 and the cucumbers are watered at the root 2-3 times a season.

How to feed cucumbers with banana peels

Banana peel will help young cucumber sprouts to form more actively.

Pour 3 liters of boiling water over the peels of 3 bananas and leave for 3 days. Then dilute the mixture 1:1 with clean water and water the crop.

How to make a soda-based solution

Soda has proven itself to be an effective means of combating aphids and whiteflies. But it will also serve as fertilizer for young cucumbers.

A simple solution of soda and water (1:5) is poured under the root. It is optimal to make 2 feedings from sowing cucumbers to harvesting.

Purpose of superphosphate

Phosphorus salts are indispensable for the normal formation of cultivated plants. Organic matter with the inclusion of the nutrient P is necessary:

for metabolic processes;
increasing the yield;
formation of powerful roots;
fruit development;
increasing resistance to diseases and harmful insects;
saturation of plant organisms with microelements;
improving the taste of fruits.

How to prepare solutions for foliar feeding, solutions for spraying

It is believed that the best feeding of cucumbers is alternating foliar methods (spraying) and root methods (watering). Therefore, folk remedies are prepared in different ways, including for spraying cucumbers on the leaf.

How to water cucumbers with kefir solution

Kefir has proven itself to be quite good for spraying. To prepare, just dilute 2 liters of kefir in a 10 liter bucket and mix everything thoroughly.

Water the leaves up to 3 times a season with breaks of 10-12 days between them.

Bread

2-3 times a season you can spray cucumbers with the following solution: 400 g of black bread (loaf), 10 liters of clean water, 30 drops of iodine. The loaf is first placed in water, the next day it is kneaded, iodine is added to the bucket, and the mixture is infused for several more hours. Then it is diluted 1:10 with clean water and applied one sheet at a time.

Ash

You can also spray cucumbers with ash. To do this, dilute 100 g of wood ash in 10 liters of water and leave for 10 days. You need to spray the mixture no more than 3 times a year with breaks of at least a week between them.

Instructions

Depending on the conditions for cultivating cucumbers, some nuances of using nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers are observed.

In the greenhouse

In order for greenhouse cucumbers to grow healthy and produce a good harvest, they need only 3 feedings with superphosphate:

When replacing soil or preparing beds in autumn. Apply 40–50 g of a simple product per 1 m2 or 10–20 g of a double product. The agrochemical is evenly scattered over the ridges and harrowed with a rake, lightly incorporated into the soil.
Foliar spraying of cucumbers during budding with a working solution. It is carried out after 14 days.

In protected soil conditions, it is preferable to use double superphosphate. The high content of impurities in simple matter has a toxic effect on plants at high air humidity and a small greenhouse area.

In the open ground

The characteristics of fertilizing in open ground are slightly different from those in greenhouses. On poor soils, the amount of superphosphate is increased. When adding the product during sowing, compost and ash are additionally used so that the young roots come into direct contact with the fertilizer.

Important! If dry necrotic spots of small size appear on the lower leaves of cucumbers, this means that the crop does not have enough phosphorus. Such plants are stunted in growth, shed some of their ovaries and begin to bear fruit later than others.

To apply liquid fertilizing, prepare a working solution in advance and use it only after watering with plain water.

Tricks of gardeners and vegetable gardeners

If cucumbers are grown in a greenhouse, then they need more fertilizing. It’s easy to explain: the crop yield is higher, so there should be much more useful substances in the soil.

Remember that by using soda as a fertilizer several times a season, you are simultaneously strengthening the immunity of your cucumbers. But the concentration of soda should always be strictly according to the recipe, no more.

Fertilizing plants that are in greenhouse conditions

In greenhouses, cucumbers must be fed much more often compared to those plants that grow in open ground. This is explained by the fact that from closed ground it is possible to obtain 15 times more greens, therefore much more fertilizer must be applied.

Here is the answer to the question of how to fertilize cucumbers. Almost all the most popular folk remedies for feeding cucumbers are presented. Be more attentive to vegetable crops, and you can proudly say: “I feed the cucumbers, and they thank me for a good harvest.”

Common mistakes

Root feeding of cucumbers with folk remedies is allowed only after preliminary watering with clean water. Otherwise, the root system often gets burned and begins to hurt.

Folk remedies can also be harmful. The thing is that most recommendations should be followed strictly, not allowing the active substances to be less or more than the norm. Too little of the substance will not bring any effect to cucumbers, and too concentrated can even harm the future harvest.

It is cucumbers that, when feeding them at the root, should be watered at a distance of about 10 cm from the root collar.

The most common mistake made by foliar feeding - spraying - is incorrectly chosen weather. It is important to carry them out in calm weather, preferably early in the morning or in the evening after sunset.

Precautionary measures

Superphosphate belongs to hazard class 3, so gloves are used when working with dry or liquid products. For foliar feeding, choose windless days. While working, it is prohibited to talk, smoke, drink or eat food. After the activities, thoroughly wash your hands, face and other exposed areas of the body with soap.

Attention! Superphosphate is stored at a humidity of no more than 50% and a temperature no higher than +30°C in places inaccessible to children and animals.

If the substance gets into your eyes, rinse them immediately with clean water. If you feel a burning sensation or discomfort after this, consult a doctor.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Should I alternate methods or use one all season?

It is optimal to alternate in order to consistently give cucumbers different microelements.

What is better, root or foliar feeding?

The ideal behavior strategy is to alternate root and foliar fertilizers throughout the season.

How many times do you need to feed cucumbers?

In order not to overfeed, but also to add nutrients in full, it is advisable to do 2-3 feedings per season.

Is it possible to feed at the time of fruiting?

For most methods this is no longer desirable.

Signs of phosphorus deficiency in cucumbers

You can notice symptoms of a lack of phosphorus fertilizers in plants visually when examining the ground part. The following signs indicate a lack of a component:

The leaves become brownish, maroon, blue or other uncharacteristic shade. Spots may also appear on the foliage.
Falling of leaves due to poor root development due to lack of phosphorus in the lower layers of the soil.
Externally, the plants look oppressed and not fully developed.