Composition and benefits of the drug
The product contains the plant hormone epibrassinolide, which acts on plants in a similar way to how ginseng acts on the human body. This is the first phytohormone synthesized in the laboratory. It is capable of increasing the yield by 10-15%, and due to the possibility of cheap industrial production, it costs the summer resident very little. The cost of treating one hundred square meters of tomatoes with Epin is no more than 100 rubles.
The active substance is dissolved in alcohols. The composition contains a component that allows the stimulator to adhere well to the leaf plates.
Since 2003, Epin Extra appeared instead of Epin. The new drug uses a higher quality hormone.
The product will not replace fertilizer. It does not contain nutrients and does not improve soil performance. The drug belongs to the class of adaptogens. It improves the immunity of plants and helps them cope with stress more easily.
Tomatoes treated with Epin react less to bad weather and better tolerate drought, frost, and heavy rains.
General description, composition
The Epin stimulator, used for seedlings of tomatoes and other crops, is presented in the form of drops, packaged in 0.25 ml plastic ampoules.
The composition of the drug is based on the active component epibrassinolide, a derivative of the natural hormone brassinolide. The latter is synthesized in small quantities by the plants themselves.
Alcohol acts as a preservative, but its concentration is not capable of causing burns to plants. There are other components that make the substance better retained on the sheet plates.
The stimulant is completely safe for the external environment and does not poison the soil or underlying waters.
The shelf life of the drug is 3 years. It is produced under the trade name Epin or Epin Extra.
Mechanism of action
The drug acts as a “trigger” for a series of biochemical transformations, such as the synthesis of protein, enzymes, and vitamins.
The phytohormone, absorbed into the leaf tissue, enters the cells and triggers the processes of growth, photosynthesis, and flowering in them. Other popular growth stimulants - Kornevin, Heteroauxin - contribute to the rooting of plant development.
The drug contains other hormones. It promotes the survival of the tomato bush in unfavorable conditions and rapid establishment after transplantation.
When and how to spray
For work, choose a clear evening without wind. You need to spray with a fine spray. This is an important condition, because droplets of the solution should settle on the leaves and not on the soil.
Treating plants with a biostimulant also helps in the fight against pests, since the hairs become stiff and impossible to bite through. The biostimulant does not kill pests, but helps to increase the vitality of the plant and activates its resistance.
Important! The effect of treating plants with a biostimulant will be obvious if they are provided with nutrition, moisture and light. Remember, Epin is not a fertilizer, but a means to activate the vitality of plants.
Some gardeners use Zircon. They are interested in what is better, Epin or Zircon for seedlings.
It should be noted that both drugs are good and are used to treat seeds, seedlings and adult plants. Only Zircon has a harsher effect on plants, so you need to be extremely careful when breeding.
What's better:
Attention! Overdose of any drugs is not allowed.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of the drug:
- spreads quickly throughout the plant;
- always on sale;
- effective;
- easily dissolves in water.
Flaws:
- does not fertilize the plant and soil, as it does not contain useful microelements;
- evaporates easily under sunlight;
- is destroyed by exposure to light and in an alkaline environment, which must be taken into account when used in conjunction with fertilizers and tap water;
- does not destroy spores of pathogenic fungi.
The use of Epin for stress and various diseases
If the plant is in cold soil for a long time, during prolonged rainfalls and droughts, then it will be difficult to obtain the desired harvest. Often, such conditions negatively affect not only fruiting, but also the health of the crops themselves.
The product is indicated for excessive soil moisture, pests and frost. By contacting leaves and stems, it activates immune processes in a short time. Thanks to this, all vegetable crops become resistant to difficult weather conditions. If the plants are stressed, they must be treated with the product at intervals of 10 days. A similar procedure is carried out until all the plantings have recovered. During frosts, crops should be sprayed the day before the temperature drops. Thanks to its unique properties, Epin will quickly restore all affected parts.
Knowing how to use the drug correctly, whether it is permissible to use it when picking, how to dilute and water, you can significantly strengthen the immunity of plants. After watering with Epin, crops acquire their natural healthy appearance and will certainly delight you with a good harvest.
Instructions for use in greenhouses and outdoor gardens
The packaging of the drug contains instructions, which indicate the dilution rates for each plant. Epin is used at any stage of tomato development, from sowing seeds to treatments against September night frosts.
It is not dangerous for bees and other pollinators, so Epin can be sprayed on bushes in bloom and even the corollas themselves. The drug is absolutely non-toxic for humans and has a minimum waiting period. It is used even if almost ripe fruits are already hanging on the bushes.
The duration of the drug is 2 weeks. Treatments can be repeated every 14-20 days.
Safety precautions and storage conditions
The drug is almost not dangerous for humans, animals, insects, fish (hazard class 3 and 4), does not pollute water and soil. When working with it, you do not need to use special protective equipment; just wear rubber gloves. After using Epin Extra, wash your hands and face with warm water and throw the packaging into regular household trash.
Epin is stored, subject to proper storage, for 3 years from the date of production. The conditions in which it should be located are a dark, dry, cool place. There should be no food or medicine near him. The diluted solution should be used immediately or within a maximum of 1 day. Do not store in the light. If the solution has not been used within 24 hours, it is unsuitable for use. You need to pour it out and prepare a new one.
Timing and method of spraying seedlings
In the apartment, tomato seedlings are grown in conditions atypical for plants. Seedlings do not have enough light. The air in apartments is too dry for them. The drug helps smooth out these troubles. Seedlings treated with it become strong, stretch less, develop quickly, and take root well after picking.
Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a solution: a drop of Epin per 50 ml of water. This liquid is enough to process 10 g of seeds. The event strengthens the immunity of seedlings to diseases, promotes faster and more friendly germination.
It is recommended to process seedlings in the following phases:
- 2-4 true leaves (1 ml per liter of water) – protects against blackleg and pulling;
- a day before picking (3 drops per 100 ml) – to reduce stress from root damage;
- one day before planting in the garden (1 ml per 5 l) - the period of rooting and adaptation to changed conditions is reduced.
Adult plants are sprayed during budding and flowering at a dose of 1 ml per liter of water. The procedure protects the ovaries from falling off and promotes better pollination of tomatoes.
If the air temperature stays below 20 degrees even during the day, the rains are heavy, weather forecasters promised colder weather at night, you can spray tomatoes every two weeks. This will help reduce the incidence of late blight and alternaria. Dosage for preventive spraying – 1 ampoule per 5 liters.
How to dilute the drug
Epin should be diluted using rubber gloves. To prepare the solution, take a clean, capacious container. It is recommended to make the product in the volume required for a single spraying.
Stimulant dilution algorithm:
- Pour the required amount of warm boiled water at a temperature of at least 20 degrees.
- The ampoule with the drug is pierced with a needle, and the required dosage of the drug is measured with a syringe.
- Drops are added to the container with the liquid. Their quantity depends on the purpose of use and is specified in the attached instructions. For seedlings, the dosage is 0.2 ml per liter jar of water. For adult plants, take 1 ml of the drug per five-liter container of water.
- The resulting solution is mixed well with a wooden stick.
You can use the finished stimulant for two days. After the expiration date, the drug becomes unusable and loses its properties. Store the induced solution in a dark place, as light rays destroy the active components of the product.
Compatibility with other drugs
The product can be combined in one container with most pesticides, thus reducing the number of treatments and saving time. The exception is Bordeaux mixture, which is incompatible with Epin due to its alkaline nature.
Epin is not combined with Zircon and other immune stimulants, but alternated.
It is useful to mix the drug with fertilizers. Any complex compositions are suitable, including microbiological ones (such as Baikal M). The growth regulator stimulates metabolic processes inside the plant and increases the absorption of fertilizer.
The drug is combined with insecticides and fungicides:
- Aktellikom,
- Decis,
- Intavir,
- Ridomil Goldom,
- Fufanon.
Rules for spraying different types of plants
To improve germination, it is necessary to initially dip the grains into a solution of potassium permanganate. Then transfer the seeds to the prepared liquid of 4 drops of stimulant and 1000 ml of water. Pumpkin seeds should be kept in the preparation for 17 hours.
The next treatment procedure is carried out after three full-fledged leaves appear on the sprouts. After flowering, the pumpkin is treated once every 2 weeks. The liquid is prepared using 2 glasses of water and 6 drops of fertilizer.
Processing strawberry seedlings
You can fertilize with a stimulant throughout the entire period of berry cultivation. In order to get a good harvest, planting material is kept in the solution for about 24 hours. It is prepared from water (1000 ml) and Epin 0.5 mg. After planting in open ground, the bushes need to be treated once every 7 days. To spray, you need to combine a quarter of the ampoule and 5 liters of water. At the end of fruiting, the leaves on all strawberry bushes are cut off, and the remaining part is sprayed with concentrate (3-4 drops and 2 tbsp. water).
Application for cucumber seedlings
Before planting, the grains must be soaked in 2 drops of stimulant and 2 glasses of water. Planting material should be kept for 18 hours. After emergence, special attention should be paid to spraying the green part. The solution for cucumbers should consist of 5 liters of clean water and one ampoule of a stimulant. If adult plants are injured or stressed as a result of difficult weather conditions, they need to be sprayed for 10 days with 3 glasses of water and 7 drops of the drug.
Application for flowers
This composition is perfect for petunias, conifers, and indoor plant species. The spraying procedure should only be carried out in the bathroom, where there is good air ventilation. It is also necessary to remember that even small drops if ingested by pets can cause unpleasant consequences.
What is Epin?
The main active ingredient of the drug is epibrassinolide. It is made from the natural hormone brassinolide, produced in small doses by plants.
Video: Epin for tomato seedlings
Penetrating into plant cells, the hormone inhibits the production of ethylene and abscisic acid, which slow down the growth of seedlings. At the same time, Epin does not force tomatoes to actively grow green mass, but helps them adapt to weather conditions, strengthen their immunity and withstand stress during transplantation.
Due to the appearance of many counterfeits on the market, it was decided to stop production of the biostimulator Epin. Now, instead of it, Epin Extra is being produced - an improved version of the same drug. For convenience, it is often called by its old name - Epin.
The drug is available in ampoules of 0.25 mg.
Note! Despite its beneficial properties, Epin is not a fertilizer for tomatoes. To feed seedlings with nutrients, you need to use other preparations.
Why soak seeds in Epin
Epin is a preparation based on phytohormones, which is a natural biostimulator of plant growth. Today it is produced under the name "Epin Extra".
The main active substance is ebiprassinolide. It is this active component that stimulates the processes of “awakening” the planting material. Additionally, the composition includes a washing base that ensures reliable “gluing” of the solution to the grains, leaves and stems of plants.
Soaking tomato seeds before sowing is an agrotechnical procedure that increases the likelihood of their rapid germination. It is not mandatory, but when sowing unprepared seeds, vegetable growers are often faced with slow development of seedlings, weakened immunity, and frequent attacks by fungal diseases and pests.
Soaking seeds is important for tomatoes of all varieties grown in the garden and in the greenhouse. It is especially important to treat tomato seeds with Epin if their expiration date has expired or their origin has not been established. Also, the seeds of especially valuable or rare varieties of tomatoes are always soaked.
In some cases, soaking in Epin solution is not justified. This procedure is not required when using planting material collected independently - such seeds germinate well even without soaking in stimulants. Also, treatment with Epin is not necessary when sowing a large number of tomato seeds.
Analogs
The biostimulator Epin has no complete analogues, but there are many drugs with similar effects. One of the most common is Zircon, which activates the immune system of plants, accelerating the processes of rooting, germination and growth. Zircon has a more powerful effect, so its dosage is much less than Epin.
Vitalizer NV-101 is also popular among gardeners. This drug not only activates plant growth, but also saturates them with useful substances.
Other growth regulators with similar effects include:
- Baikal-MG;
- Narcissus;
- Agate-25 K;
- Biosil;
- Ribav-Extra;
- Immunocytophyte;
- Sprout.
Using Epin for tomato seedlings will not only accelerate the development of a young plant, but also give it strength for flowering and fruiting. We can safely say that the use of an effective growth stimulator is the key to a good harvest, which every gardener strives for.
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Benefits of Epin
The main advantage of this biostimulant is its ability to mobilize the natural forces of the plant without forcing it to grow. Epin fills plants with energy, accelerates regenerative processes, and strengthens the ability to resist diseases.
Other advantages of Epin include:
- Harmless if you follow the instructions for use. The stimulant is not dangerous for people, animals and pollinating insects;
- Environmental friendliness. Epin does not remain in soil and groundwater and does not harm the environment;
- Efficiency. The drug rejuvenates old plants, stimulates young ones to grow, while protecting them from pest attacks, diseases and the negative effects of temperature changes.
When used correctly, Epin for tomatoes has no disadvantages or difficulties in use.
Precautions when working with the solution
Like other chemicals, Epin should only be used in compliance with safety rules:
- Do not smoke, eat or drink during the spraying procedure;
- In windy weather, work with Epin is not carried out;
- Be sure to use personal protective equipment (mask, goggles, gloves) when processing plants;
- Do not use food containers for the solution;
- After finishing work, wash your face and hands thoroughly with soap.
If Epin gets on your skin, wipe it with alcohol and then rinse the area of contact with plenty of water.
If the product is swallowed, drink 0.5 liters of clean water, induce vomiting, and take several tablets of activated carbon.
You must definitely call an ambulance, dictate the name of the product, the hazard class and the active substance. Next, follow the instructions received from the specialists.
Content
- Prescription of the drugs "Epin" and "Zircon" (similarities and differences)
- Application
- Composition and dosage form
- Mechanism of action
- Regulations for the use of "Epin-Extra" and "Zircon"
- a) Regulations for use for private household plots
- b) Regulations for use in agricultural production
- Compatibility of drugs "Epin" and "Zircon"
- Restrictions and security
- Benefits of use
“Epin” and “Zircon” are popular among many who are engaged in agriculture. However, questions often arise - how to use it correctly, which drug to choose, what is their difference.
In this material, using the example of these drugs, we will understand what plant growth regulators (phytohormones) are, and also conduct a comparative analysis (composition of the drugs, their mechanism of action, purpose), consider the features and regulations for use.
