How to feed seedlings for good growth: the best folk remedies

How can you feed

Feed the seedlings either in the morning or in the evening. The main thing is that the sun's rays do not burn, otherwise the whole process will go down the drain.

Root feeding

This feeding method involves supplying nutrients directly to the root system. Both organic and mineral fertilizers, both dry and liquid, are used here.

However, according to experienced gardeners, liquid fertilizers are better absorbed.

For treating seedlings, ready-made preparations prepared for specific crops are recommended. Fertilizer is introduced under the root; for this, use a watering can with a narrow long nose or a medical syringe without a needle. This way you can carefully feed the plant without disturbing the leaves.

Foliar feeding

If in the first case it is necessary for the solution to get into the soil, then foliar feeding is a method of pollination. The liquid composition envelops the bushes in microscopic drops, which are easily absorbed into the leaves and trunk of the sprouts. This method increases plant immunity.

Fertilizer should be sprayed so that all parts of the plant receive a “shower”. The first foliar feeding is carried out after the appearance of true leaves. The second is during the flowering period.

For foliar feeding, Energen, Zircon, Ecopin and other stimulants are used.

It is worth noting that this type of seedling treatment is effective:

1. In tomatoes - if the trunks are too elongated.
2. In cucumbers - as a prevention of peronosporosis.
3. Cabbage acts as protection against pests.
4. In flowers - if the sprouts are too stretchy.

The main thing that a gardener should remember:

The fertilizer should be diluted according to the instructions; doing it on your own can lead to disease and death of the plants.

What determines the thickness of seedlings?

The thickness of the seedlings, first of all, depends on the fertility of the substrate in which it grows. However, it is important to remember that the volume of containers in which seedlings are grown is not too large, and young peppers and tomatoes need a lot of nutrients to grow and gain thickness. And if they are deficient, the sprouts will wither and grow poorly.

Therefore, seedlings of peppers and tomatoes should be constantly fed so that they grow faster and become plump.

But tomatoes and peppers can stretch and become thin if they don't get enough light. In this case, tomatoes and peppers are drawn to the light and stretched in only one direction. Therefore, seedlings should be kept on bright windowsills, periodically turning the containers.

When to feed

In the first months of life, plants especially need careful care. Feeding is one of the essential conditions for good growth. Healthy seedlings have a strong trunk and leaves, and they themselves have a pleasant, cheerful green color.

Experienced gardeners read plants like a book, that is, by their appearance they can determine what the crop lacks for good development:

• Lightened lower leaves indicate a lack of nitrogen.
• Potassium deficiency results in the appearance of yellowness on the leaves, and the tips of the leaves begin to dry out.
• Lack of phosphorus - purple, bluish tints of leaves, weakness of shoots.
• The lethargy of sprouts is due to a lack or, on the contrary, an excess of sun.

If there is at least one of the signs, you need to take immediate action.

It is important to know,

that each crop requires special fertilizers, as well as special care rules.

Timing of fertilizing on the windowsill

Feeding should be done once a week, not more often. Moreover, when the plants have undergone picking, that is, they have at least two or three true leaves. Experts advise feeding small sprouts in the morning or evening, during hours when there is no sun. Moreover, the solutions are poured under the root; it is not advisable to get them on the leaves. Before fertilizing, first carry out regular watering so that the soil becomes moist.

It is recommended to alternate organic fertilizers with mineral ones if the plant is withering, but do not overwater it, otherwise it will die. If you do not have confidence in your own abilities and the ability to prepare a solution for feeding yourself, it is better to use ready-made formulations that can be bought in a specialized store.

Mineral fertilizers

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is necessary for protein synthesis in the culture and the production of chlorophyll. A deficiency of the substance leads to yellowing of the leaves, inhibition of development and growth. Feeding seedlings with mineral nitrogen fertilizers is carried out by watering - this way the substance is quickly absorbed by the plant. Compositions with different nitrogen contents are used as fertilizers: ammonium nitrate (up to 34.4%), ammonium sulfate/ammonium sulfate (up to 21%), ammonia water (up to 20%), urea (up to 46%). The concentration is half that used for adult plants. The technique is simple - water the soil 2 hours before fertilizing, then water it with nitrogen fertilizer, and after 1 hour gently loosen the soil.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is needed for the systematic development and growth of plant roots. A deficiency of the substance leads to darkening of the stem and leaves, deformation and falling of the latter. The range of fertilizers for seedlings includes formulations with different percentages of phosphorus:

• simple and double superphosphate (20 and 48%, respectively);
• ammophos (52%);
• potassium metaphosphate (up to 60%);
• diammophos (46%);
• phosphate rock and bone meal (30 and 34%, respectively).

Having identified a phosphorus deficiency, it is worth fertilizing the soil with a solution of superphosphate (4 g per 1 liter of water) at the rate of 1 liter per 1 sq. m. m. Fertilizing should be done after the picking stage, when the seedlings take root and begin to grow. Until the deficiency is eliminated, it is allowed to fertilize the soil with phosphorus several times, but maintain an interval of 1 week between activities.

Potash

Potassium helps the plant absorb carbon dioxide, participates in the production of sugars and increases the immunity of the crop. A deficiency of the element leads to the appearance of spots on the leaves, a decrease in their size, or the absence of new greenery. To avoid such consequences, fertilizer is applied to seedlings of flowers and garden crops. The range includes formulations with different potassium contents:

• monopotassium phosphate (33%);
• potassium sulfate (50%);
• potassium magnesia (30%);
• potassium nitrate (44%).

It is recommended to treat the soil after 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings. The approximate dosage for monophosphate is 9 g per 10 liters of water. This volume is enough for 1 sq. m. Repeated treatment with potassium is carried out 7 days after picking. If you plan to apply fertilizer when planting seedlings in the soil and greenhouse, the dosage is increased by 1–1.5 g.

What to feed at home

In order for seedlings to grow happily, they need high-quality nutrition - organomineral, enriched with all the substances necessary for the plant.

Mineral fertilizers

Mineral fertilizers include the following useful complexes:

1. With nitrogen.
2. With phosphorus.
3. With potassium.

It is important to consider

that each crop needs a certain amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, so it is better to purchase ready-made balanced formulations.

Organic fertilizers

Popular organic fertilizers used for root feeding are:

• Mullein.

The slurry is diluted with water in equal parts, left for a week, and then diluted with a large amount of water.

• Green fertilizers.

An infusion is made from organic residues with water. Water at the root.

• Chicken droppings.

The droppings are poured with water and infused. Then prepare a solution for irrigation, diluting it in 20 parts of water.

• Ash.

Sprinkle soil at the roots.

Feeding with folk remedies

Experienced gardeners feed seedlings for the first time a couple of weeks after picking. In the case where the sprouts are initially planted in separate containers, fertilizing is possible when the seedlings have at least three true leaves. Fertilizing is carried out weekly, alternating various fertilizers.

Feeding is carried out:

• Ammonia.

This product contains nitrogen, which plants need for leaf growth and trunk strength. Prepare the solution as follows: take a teaspoon of ammonia per 10 liters of water. The solution is poured under the root; you can use a syringe without a needle for this.

• The shell.

Gardeners use the shell as a source of calcium, which plants need for good development. The shells are infused with water for three days (one egg shell per liter). Then the infusion is diluted with water, taking three parts of clean water to one part of the egg infusion. You can also simply grind the shells to a dusty state and sprinkle on the soil.

• Iodine.

Bacteria fear this product like fire. But the seedlings begin to grow quickly and look strong. The solution can be prepared by dissolving a drop of iodine in three liters of water. Water at the root of the sprouts. You need to try not to let the solution touch the leaves, otherwise there will be burns.

• Coffee.

More precisely, coffee grounds rich in nitrogen. The grounds must first be dried, and only then introduced into the soil.

• Brewer's yeast.

Yeast enriches the microflora and strengthens the roots of the plant. Usually, for 10 liters of water, take 100 g of yeast, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and then leave the solution for 24 hours. The resulting fertilizer must be diluted with water (one part of the yeast solution to five parts of water). The solution is injected under the root.

• Ash.

Ash rich in potassium and phosphorus will help seedlings grow strong and healthy. You can simply sprinkle the soil with dry ash, you can prepare a solution. Hot water is used for the solution. For half a glass of ash - 10 liters of water. The solution should sit for a day. Before watering, filter the product.

• Banana peel.

It is an excellent source of potassium. The peel of a couple of bananas is finely chopped and filled with water. The solution is left for three days, then filtered. Water at the root.

• Onion peel.

Containing vitamins A, C, group B and beneficial microelements, the husk becomes a plant protection against infections. The solution is prepared as follows: a glass of husk is poured with a glass of boiling water. The mixture should sit for 48 hours. Before watering, the solution is filtered and diluted with water in the ratio: 1:3.

What folk remedies can be used to feed seedlings?

Experienced gardeners and gardeners do not recommend fertilizing the soil with seedlings before picking. If a nutritious soil mixture was used for sowing, the seedlings will develop well in it without additional fertilizers.

Even if the seedlings do not grow, do not rush to fertilize them. Pay attention to whether they have enough lighting. There should be at least 12 hours of daylight. Otherwise, the seedlings will not grow. This applies to winter sowings. First, try to illuminate them in the morning and evening, increasing the daylight hours to 12-14 hours.

Advice! We offer proven recipes of folk remedies for feeding home seedlings. But don’t rush to water all the seedlings with them at once. Test on a few plants first. If after a few days everything is fine with them, fertilize the remaining seedlings. The fact is that the composition of the soil you use is not known for certain. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and do a test feeding first.

Yeast solution

Feed poorly growing seedlings of flowers, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables with a folk remedy made from yeast. Yeast infusion is a growth stimulant and will give an impetus to the growth of your seedlings. It can be prepared from dry and fresh yeast.

You will be interested to know: Watering and spraying plants with iodine against diseases, using iodine in the garden as fertilizer

To feed seedlings with a yeast solution, dilute 10 g of fresh or 5 g of dry yeast in 1 liter of warm water. These are the proportions, but first you need yeast, a small amount of water (50-100 ml) and 3 tbsp. l. sugar to prepare the dough. Place the dough for 2-3 hours in a warm place. After this, add warm water to it to make one liter.

It is recommended to feed seedlings with a folk remedy using yeast in the morning. The soil in the seedling containers must be warm, otherwise the yeast fertilizer will not work.

It is important! A few hours before feeding young plants, water them with water! If the soil is dry, fertilizers may burn the roots.

Infusion from sleeping tea leaves

Another good folk food for the growth and development of seedlings is an infusion of tea leaves. It contains many useful elements that seedlings need. Fertilizer is prepared from 3 liters. boiling water and 1 cup of tea leaves. Then it is infused for 5 days, filtered and you can feed the seedlings.

Before picking, the seedlings are fed once with the suggested folk remedies. As a last resort, you can fertilize twice, but not earlier than 10-14 days after the first feeding.

If you sow flowers or vegetables in cassettes or cups and will not plant them, you should fertilize the seedlings for the first time when two true leaves appear on them.

Plant nutrition

Tomatoes and peppers

Tomatoes love nutritious soil, and peppers are not far behind tomatoes in their preferences. In order for seedlings to develop well, you need to enrich the soil with fertilizers containing nitrogen.

The solution is prepared from urea (0.5 g), superphosphate (4 g), potassium salt (1.4 g) and water (1 l). Seedlings are watered only after two good leaves appear. The second time you need to fertilize after diving - with urea (a tablespoon) dissolved in water (a bucket).

Before sending the seedlings to the site, ten days before, they are again fed with fertilizers.

Important,

so that the fertilizing contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

Peppers, unlike tomatoes, must first be fed with a solution of urea, superphosphate, potassium sulfate (ratio in grams - 1: 3: 5) and two liters of water. The soil is sprinkled with ash before watering. Each time feeding is carried out, the dose of drugs is doubled. You need to feed every ten days, not more often.

cucumbers

Cucumbers need the following feeding:

1. ammonium nitrate (2/3 teaspoon), potassium sulfate (2/3 teaspoon), superphosphate (tablespoon), dissolved in water (10 liters).
2. urea (a tablespoon), superphosphate (1.3 tablespoons), dissolved in 10 liters of water.
3. organic composition. Dilute the slurry in water (proportions 1:1) and leave for a week. Then the composition is diluted with water, taking ten parts of water for one part of the composition. This solution is poured over. Another option is to pour chicken manure with water and let it sit for a week. Dilute the composition with water for irrigation in a ratio of 1:20.

The second time, cucumber seedlings need to be fed two weeks after the formation of the second leaf.

For the solution you can use:

1. A tablespoon of nitrophoska,
2. A teaspoon of ash
3. Three liters of water.

There is another option:

Experienced gardeners advise not to fertilize with the same fertilizers twice in a row. So, if you first fertilized with a chemical composition, then the second time you need to use organic fertilizers.

Cabbage

They also begin to feed cabbage after the first good leaves appear. To do this, take half a teaspoon of a special fertilizer, complex, with microelements, and dilute it in a liter of water. Compositions with boron and molybdenum are ideal.

Two weeks later, before picking, the soil is enriched with ash (a couple of tablespoons per bucket of soil is enough) and double superphosphate (a tablespoon). After picking, nine days after this procedure, they are fed with a solution consisting of ammonium nitrate (2 g), potassium (2 g), and superphosphate (4 g) diluted in a liter of water. After 14 days, feeding is repeated, but the solution becomes more enriched due to the doubled proportions of nutrients.

Eggplant

Eggplants will have to be fed five times, and at the root. Fertilizers with nitrogen and potassium will be required before the picking process. A little later - after picking - you will need fertilizers with phosphorus. Experienced gardeners recommend “Ideal” and “Kemira Universal” fertilizers, which are diluted with water (a teaspoon per five liters). Watering is carried out at the root, without touching the leaves. A couple of weeks after this watering, you can repeat the process, doubling the dose of fertilizer.

A good solution would be to feed the eggplants with an infusion of banana peels; this solution will enrich the soil with potassium. An infusion of potato peels is also good. The peelings are first boiled, and the plants are watered with the cooled solution.

Petunia and lobelia

Petunia and lobelia seedlings are fed with complex fertilizer. It could be Plantofol, Kemira Lux. Fertilizers should contain nitrogen, which these flowers love. You can also use “Ideal”, “Master”, “Garden of Miracles”.

Repeated treatment occurs when the plants become strong. They are fed a third time before transplanting into the ground on the plot.

Foliar feeding is also important. To maintain health, plants are sprayed with urea, potassium guamate (peat-based), aquarin, and vermicompost.

Florists need to know

that seedlings are pollinated with fertilizer, but it should not be moistened too much.

It is also recommended to feed the flowers with a solution of mullein (slurry and water in a ratio of 1:10), a liquid complex fertilizer.

Correct feeding:

1. Watering with water.
2. Introduction of fertilizer.
3. Another watering.
4. Pollination of foliage with mineral fertilizers.

Possible reasons for poor growth of seedlings at home

First you need to find out why the seedlings develop poorly. The reasons may lie either in agricultural technology errors or in disease.

And if tomato seedlings grow poorly after picking, then something went wrong during transplantation. The root was damaged or placed incorrectly, the soil was loosely covered, creating an air gap. A stop in development should be noticed as early as possible, only then is there a chance to save the seedlings.

Poor quality soil

If tomato seedlings grow poorly, what to do first: check the quality of the soil. Under no circumstances should you take garden soil. The soil must have the correct structure and composition. It also needs to be disinfected by destroying bacteria and microorganisms, for which purpose watering is carried out with potassium permanganate dissolved in water.

Poor quality soil

The addition of fertilizers and peat is encouraged to increase fertility. If this is not done in advance, then after planting the situation is corrected by adding the necessary components on top of the soil layer.

Temperature violation

The growth of seedlings may stop or even freeze if the room is too warm or cold. The optimal temperature before seedlings emerge is 23-26 degrees. At +10-15, the seedlings will begin to curl and then may die.

As soon as the first true leaves appear on the seedlings, they begin to monitor the air temperature especially carefully. It is reduced to +18 at night and increased to +22 during the day. This way you can ensure optimal plant development.

The temperature of the substrate is also important. It should be within +20-25 degrees. Below, the seedlings will wither; above, they will grow too quickly, not having time to form normally.

Lack of nutrition

How to determine which substances are missing:

• potassium, copper - leaves curl, become dark and wrinkled;
• nitrogen - the stem becomes thinner and acquires a bluish-reddish color;
• calcium - the top becomes lighter or dies, the leaves become covered with light spots;
• phosphorus - tomato seedlings are purple and grow poorly;
• magnesium - leaves turn brown in whole or in part;
• iron - yellow veins and spots appear on the plates.

Lack of nutrition for tomato seedlings
Above are approximate signs of starvation of seedlings, which are used as a guide when deciding what to fertilize the seedlings with.

Diseases

If the tomato seedlings are purple and growing poorly, most likely the seedlings are affected by bacteria or fungi. When infected with a disease, it is useless to treat “newborn” plants - they are still too weak to survive such an attack. Affected seedlings are separated from healthy ones, which are also sent to a new container.

Frequent illnesses:

• Blackleg. The causative agent is a bacterium. The result of the defeat is black stems near the base that fall and die. You can try to save the seedling by cutting off the healthy top and placing it in a container of water.
• Fusarium. This disease is caused by a fungus that enters seedlings through contaminated soil or contained in low-quality seeds. As a result of its action, plant development slows down and then stops, the seedlings turn yellow and wither.
• Chlorosis. The sign is a change in the color of the leaf veins. They turn yellow while the entire surface remains green. The cause of the disease is lack of nutrition. If the plant is not fertilized, then over time it will completely turn yellow and wither.

To prevent the appearance of fungi and bacteria, you should buy only high-quality planting material and pre-etch the soil. And when caring for a young plant, avoid overwatering, excessive air humidity and low room temperatures.

Reviews

– I use foliar feeding of tomato seedlings - I spray it with a solution of calcium nitrate once every two weeks. My neighbor in the garden once suggested this to me. Now I don't have rot.

Margarita, Lesnoy

- And I poured saltpeter under the root, for one and a half liters of water - a third of a teaspoon of saltpeter. The result is very good, the seedlings are pleasing.

Tatyana, Krasnodar

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“I know one thing: in a spoon there is medicine, in a barrel there is poison.” Same with seedlings. Everything needs to be done in small doses, carefully. And if the seedlings are already good, why all this feeding? For what? I understand that if someone dies before our eyes, then we save them. What if it’s strong? This means there is enough nutrition in the soil.

Nikolay, Revda

“My petunia was dying, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong.” Friend, take it and ask: do you feed? I haven’t heard of any supplements. I was advised to inject calcium nitrate into the root with a syringe. Saved me!

Elena, Pskov

– My seedlings have stretched out. I tried to save him with the help of Energen, but to no avail. They recommended “Athlete” and the results were immediately noticeable. They also recommended me a good way to feed it: dilute half a packet of yeast in a bucket, let it ferment and water it. The seedlings have recovered.

Evgeniy, Sysert

In order for the sprouts to form correctly into a healthy adult plant, you need to take care of feeding with the necessary fertilizers. It is important to take into account the “tastes” of each culture and the process algorithm. Then the seedlings will grow strong and strong.

Health to you and your loved ones! Natalya Belokopytova.

What microelements do tomatoes and peppers need for seedling thickness?

In order for seedlings to actively grow and be plump, they need a whole complex of macro and microelements.

First of all, for active growth of the vegetative mass, seedlings, like adult peppers and tomatoes, need nitrogen-containing fertilizers. It is this element that is responsible for the growth of green mass and stems.

If there is enough of it in the soil, it means that the seedlings of peppers and tomatoes will grow strong and plump. But it is important to apply nitrogen in a certain dosage, since its excess will lead to the fact that the seedlings will actively increase only green mass.

Seedlings also require other fertilizers for normal development:

• P;
• K;
• Mg;
• Fe;
• B;
• Cu;
• Zn;
• Mo;
• Ca.

Typically, vegetable growers purchase complex mineral fertilizer and water all the seedlings of peppers and tomatoes with it, and the plants themselves will take from the soil all the minerals they need.

Why tomato seedlings die, disappear, do not grow, or grow poorly after picking: reasons

a person transplants tomato seedlings into another container.
There are several reasons for the death and poor growth of tomato seedlings:

• Errors during transplantation, when the root is incorrectly located in the hole or damaged; the ground is not covered tightly enough. In the latter case, the presence of air bubbles prevents the development of the plant's root system.
• Lighting. Direct sunlight often causes burns on seedlings, which negatively affects their health and growth.
• Diseases, for example, blackleg. It develops due to watering the tomato with cold water. Or a fungus in the soil that penetrates the stem and forms blood clots. They prevent the movement of juice with beneficial substances to the leaves.
• Pests, such as spider mites. The lesions are not noticeable at an early stage, but when the colony grows, it is difficult to save the plant.
• Irrigation errors and drainage problems. Stagnation of water causes rotting of the roots of seedlings, and watering with cold liquid causes the development of a disease, the so-called blackleg.
• Poor quality soil with low mineral content. For example, a lack of iron causes yellowing and dying of leaves, as well as a significant slowdown in seedling growth. Low nitrogen content is indicated by excessively thin stems and limp leaves.
• High indoor temperatures have an extremely negative effect on the overall health of tomatoes. If an excessive moisture level is added to it, the formation of putrefactive processes in the soil is expected. As a result, the root system and the entire plant will suffer.