How to use cucumber nitrate as a fertilizer

Characteristics of fertilizer

Calcium nitrate is an ideal option for feeding cucumbers. It is characterized by a high nitrogen content, which is necessary for the full development of the plant. It is produced in the form of granules or white crystals, which must be dissolved in water before use.

Attention! Vegetable growers advise choosing fertilizer in powder form - it dissolves better in water.

But not all summer residents use such fertilizer, since the phosphorus and potassium content in it is insignificant. But all the same, fertilizing cucumbers with saltpeter is necessary, because... it supplies the crop with calcium, which is important for the flowering period. Thanks to this element, the roots become stronger and the fruits ripen faster than expected.

Why do cucumber leaves turn yellow?

Diseases and insects are two reasons why cucumber leaves turn yellow. Diseases are a consequence of non-compliance with optimal conditions for growing cucumbers. To avoid them, it is necessary to properly water and fertilize the plants and avoid temperature changes. For prevention, the root area should be treated with fungicidal preparations according to the instructions.

Insects also negatively affect plants, so the leaves of cucumbers may turn yellow due to parasites. It is possible to cure such a lesion by spraying the pests with chemicals. However, the “chemical” fruits collected during this period will have to be thrown away. If a plant suddenly wilts, it must be completely removed, and along with it the contaminated soil from the hole where it grew.

Features of the use of saltpeter

It is important to feed cucumbers on time so that they do not get sick and do not become “victims” of pests. One way to do this is to use saltpeter. But to get what you want, you need to know the exact dosages and rules for using fertilizer.

Ammonium nitrate

The growth and development of cucumbers completely depends on the quality of the soil. The roots are not strong, and the flowering period of the crop is short. The quantity of fruits and their quality depend on the saturation of the plant with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Ammonium nitrate for cucumbers is a source of nitrogen. But its use must be careful, otherwise its excess in a vegetable can harm human health due to nitrate poisoning.

In addition, you need to feed the cucumbers several times with ammonium nitrate, because it contains calcium and magnesium. Fertilizer is one of the most commonly used fertilizers due to the ability to mix it with other types of fertilizer. You can fertilize the beds with ammonium nitrate in dry form, or you can water it with the prepared solution.

Plants need to be fed immediately after the snow melts (winter crops). Vegetable growers also use nitrates to destroy parasites living in the soil.

Self-production

If it is not possible to purchase a ready-made chemical in a special store, then the substance can be made with your own hands. For this you will need slaked lime, ammonium nitrate, an aluminum container, firewood, bricks and water.

It is necessary to pay attention to protection: wear a respirator and gloves. During manufacture, the substance emits a specific odor, so it is better to prepare the chemical away from a residential building

You need to make a small barbecue from the stored bricks. Then, having laid out the firewood, they should be set on fire. You need to pour half a liter of water into the container and add 300 g of saltpeter. Next, you need to place the container on the fire and wait for the mixture to boil. After the mixture boils, you need to add lime little by little (140 g each). The whole procedure takes half an hour. When the mass begins to emit the characteristic smell of ammonia, it can be removed from the fire.

After a certain period of time, lime will settle in the dishes. Then you need to prepare another container and pour only the liquid into it, leaving the mixture at the bottom untouched. Later, this liquid is used to spray the crops.

Composition and properties of fertilizer

The composition of calcium nitrate includes calcium (19%) and nitrogen (16%). This type of fertilizer is offered for sale granulated or crystallized. Calcium nitrate is distinguished by its good solubility in water, while its properties and use remain unchanged, even after long-term storage.

To prepare the solution, vegetable growers dilute 10 g of the substance in 5 liters of water. Gardeners use calcined nitrate on any type of soil, even with high acidity, since this indicator does not change. But it is important to maintain proportions so as not to harm the plant and human health with nitrates.

Attention!

Vegetable growers often ignore this type of feeding, believing that the crop does not need calcium. But this opinion is wrong - with a deficiency of this element, the roots begin to rot.

Owners of garden plots avoid using potassium fertilizers for cucumbers, opting for ammonium nitrate. This is not surprising - it contains nitrogen (26-34%), necessary for the vegetable, as well as potassium and calcium. As a result of its use, the tops turn green and become thicker, and the fruits ripen earlier.

Calcium and its importance

Potassium, phosphorus and especially nitrogen are the elements for which mineral fertilizers are applied. They are well known. Amateur gardeners often don’t even remember the remaining elements. But in vain. Plants still need many other things. For example, in calcium. Usually they remember about him when the conversation turns to bones. Therefore, it is believed that calcium is needed not for plants, but for animals. This is not entirely true. The use of calcium is justified by the fact that it is an extremely important component for the proper development of the root system. It helps in the absorption of nitrogen, which means it promotes plant growth and an increase in their green mass.

Another useful quality of calcium can be considered its high effectiveness in combating soil acidity. Therefore, a fertilizer such as calcium nitrate, also called calcium nitrate, was developed.

This is a crystalline or granular substance, which, for the convenience of gardeners and gardeners, is sold packaged in 1-2 kg bags.

Calcium nitrate should be used in the spring. This is a mandatory rule. In the early stages of development, the plant is in dire need of nitrogen, and calcium, as already mentioned, promotes this process. Thanks to this, young plants quickly gain strength, accumulate green mass and become less susceptible to pests, diseases and weather conditions. And calcium, in turn, takes excess manganese and iron from the ground, thereby reducing the acidity of the soil.

If this fertilizer is applied in the fall, like some other fertilizers, then all the nitrogen will go away along with the melt water, and calcium in its pure form is not always useful for a young plant.

Nitrate is reused for spraying young cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage. This allows you to fight such an unpleasant thing as surface rot. And in tomatoes, the use of calcium nitrate also prevents blossom end rot, and also has a preventive effect in the fight against mites, slugs and other pests. The effect is so long-lasting that tomatoes treated in the early stages with this fertilizer are much less susceptible than others to black rot, the scourge of tomatoes.

Cabbage fed with calcium nitrate suffers less, quickly gains weight and enters the head formation phase relatively quickly. But there are small subtleties when processing cabbage. Approximately 1 teaspoon of fertilizer is poured directly into the hole, then it is sprinkled with soil, and only then the root of the seedling is lowered into the hole.

For flower growers, calcium nitrate is a good helper. Small, still weak plants are often pressed to the ground, where moisture accumulates, which causes rot. A similar situation may arise in the middle of the season, when the flowers have already grown. The leaves are pressed so tightly against each other that they do not allow the watered soil to ventilate. This also leads to increased humidity and rot. In addition, in such a greenhouse space, all kinds of bacteria and pests actively multiply. Young shoots treated with calcium nitrate receive immunity, and their stems become stronger. This protects them from diseases.

For those who are engaged in growing garden plants or growing flowers, calcium nitrate is a good help.

Advantages and disadvantages of saltpeter for cucumbers

Before you start applying fertilizer to cucumber beds, you need to choose it and study its advantages and disadvantages. Saltpeter is one of the popular ways to feed plants in the garden, due to the following advantages:

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• accelerated photosynthesis - the tops develop faster, and the leaves do not turn yellow;
• increase in the number of fruits - all types of nitrate contain microelements that have a beneficial effect on the development of the crop, as a result of which a rich harvest can be harvested;
• fast germination - if you treat the seed material with calcium nitrate before planting, it will germinate more quickly;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• improved taste and appearance - fertilizing with such means makes the vegetable juicy and tasty;
• resistance to sudden temperature changes.

Despite this list of advantages, saltpeter also has a disadvantage. Fertilizer is a nitrate, so its abuse can only cause harm. But if you strictly adhere to the proportions when preparing the solution, then neither the crop nor the person is in danger.

The importance of feeding cucumbers

Some gardeners do not use fertilizers when growing cucumbers. As a result, the harvest is poor, and the cucumbers grow small and clumsy. Using mineral fertilizers you can get the following results:

1. Stimulation of growth and strengthening of the root system.
2. Increased immunity, resistance to diseases.
3. Resistance to changes in weather conditions.
4. Fertilizers affect the formation and strengthening of cell membranes.
5. Improving metabolic processes.
6. Stimulate and accelerate germination.
7. The process of photosynthesis and the absorption of carbohydrates improves.
8. Increase in yield by 15%. The taste of the finished product is improved, and the fruits are stored much longer.

When is saltpeter feeding necessary?

Vegetable growers, especially beginners, do not know when to start using saltpeter as a fertilizer. It is necessary to feed cucumbers as soon as the first signs of calcium or nitrogen deficiency in the crop are noticed. If you don’t start solving this problem in a timely manner, then you can forget about a good harvest.

In addition, the need for fertilizers of this type increases if cold weather with frequent precipitation persists for a long period. If you fertilize on time, the fruiting stage will be increased.

Types of the drug

Calcined nitrate in specialized retail outlets is mainly represented by the brands “Buyskie Fertilizers” (packaged in 1 kg, 25 g, 20 g) and “Fertika”, produced in packages of 1 kg. The instructions for the fertilizer indicate the composition and amount that should be used to feed a specific type of plant. If you apply more than the recommended dosage, there is a high probability of causing the green mass to become fattened to the detriment of fruiting.

Calcium nitrate fertilizer can be made at home if desired. The cooking technology takes 30-35 minutes and includes:

1. The construction of a small installation from several bricks.
2. Making a fire.
3. Mix the following components in an aluminum container with a volume of 3-4 liters - water (500 ml), ammonium nitrate (300 g) and slaked lime (140 g).
4. The mixture is considered ready when the sharp, ammonia-like aroma ceases to spread. At this stage, the fire is extinguished and the homemade product is given time to cool. Use a clean liquid fraction to feed the plants, and remove the dark sediment formed at the bottom of the pan.

When preparing nitrate, it is recommended to use protective gloves and a respirator.

In order to fully meet the calcium needs of cultivated crops, as well as to improve the penetration of water and oxygen into the soil, phosphorus-containing nitrate is used as an effective fertilizer used when sowing seeds, to strengthen seedlings, restore soil and during the growing season.

How to prepare the solution

As soon as you have transplanted cucumber seedlings into open ground, they need to be fed with nutrients. If ammonium nitrate is chosen as a fertilizer, then it must be dissolved in warm water. The ratio of components is as follows: 10 g of fertilizer per bucket of water.

Fertilizer should be applied a maximum of 10 times per season. Its effectiveness is noted by experienced gardeners.

Attention!

If the crop does not have problems with growth and yield, then fertilizing is not needed.

It is important to remember that an excess of nitrogen harms the vegetable. The use of ammonium nitrate is unacceptable during the fruiting period, because cucumbers will absorb nitrates. It is suitable for regions with any climate.

Before adding calcium nitrate, you need to prepare a solution. To do this, mix 5 liters of water, 400 g of fertilizer and 700 g of lime, bring to a boil and simmer for at least half an hour. After the liquid stops smelling unpleasantly, remove it from the heat and leave for 2 hours.

Potassium nitrate fertilizer also needs to be prepared correctly. To do this, mix 15 g of the substance with 5 liters of liquid, 65 g of ash, 10 g of urea. Leave for 1.5 hours and use the mixture to water the bushes.

Precautionary measures

Instructions for use of calcium nitrate include storage in sealed packaging. If the package has been opened, it must be used within 6 months.

The drug is classified as hazard category 3, i.e., when used correctly, it is safe for the human body. Large concentrations can burn the skin and mucous membranes. All work on fertilizing plants must be carried out strictly according to the instructions and wearing protective clothing.

If the substance gets into your eyes and skin, you must wash it off with running water; if dust gets into your nose, rinse your mucous membranes; if the chemical enters the body through ingestion, you must drink a large amount of liquid, drink activated charcoal and go to the hospital.

There is conflicting information about the flammability and explosiveness of the chemical. Some manufacturers call it completely safe, while others claim that with strong shaking or impact, the substance can ignite and explode, like ammonium nitrate.

Use of saltpeter

Summer residents use saltpeter in their garden plots. This is not surprising, because with its help the stems and foliage of vegetable crops actively develop, and it also has a beneficial effect on the harvest. But you need to know how to use this substance to feed cucumbers in a greenhouse and in open ground.

Fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse

Vegetables growing in a greenhouse need root and foliar fertilizer, because... In closed ground there are few nutritional components. For spraying, you need a spray bottle so that drops of the solution fall on the leaves and do not spread.

You need to fertilize cucumbers in a greenhouse in the morning or evening. If you carry out the procedure during the day, the substance will not only not be absorbed, but will also damage the foliage - the drops will act as lenses and cause a burn.

Attention!

You can apply fertilizer during the day, but only in cloudy weather.

In order for the roots of the crop to become stronger, they begin to be fed with saltpeter even before transplanting into the greenhouse. After planting, the fertilizer scheme is as follows:

1. During the formation of the first two true leaves.
2. 2 weeks after the first procedure.
3. The third mandatory feeding should be carried out 30 days after the second.

Saltpeter in granules or crystals is suitable for preparing the solution. Experienced vegetable growers prefer the second type, since it dissolves in water faster and is easily absorbed by the soil.

Fertilizing cucumbers in open ground

If the seedlings will grow in open ground, then fertilizer must be applied in the spring when digging. Vegetable growers often make a mistake and add it in the fall. But in this case, all useful microelements will be washed out of the soil along with the snow.

If calcium nitrate is used, it should not be combined with other fertilizers containing nitrate and sulfate. It will help seedlings appear faster. Crops need feeding during the first period of growth. At subsequent stages of plant development, it also needs to be added.

Doses of nitrate: at the initial stage, dilute 1 tbsp. substances in 6 liters of water. Gradually increase the proportions, but they should not exceed 3 tbsp.

Fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse

In order for vegetables to bear fruit for a long time and abundantly, they must be fertilized with calcium nitrate for cucumbers. In a greenhouse, the soil is rarely enriched with useful minerals. In addition to root feeding, foliar feeding is also necessary. It is better to spray the solution onto the leaves from a spray bottle, then the drops will be small and will not spread.

It is not recommended to spray in hot, sunny weather. The fertilizer will not have time to be absorbed, but will simply evaporate; the leaves may get burned and turn white. You should start feeding the plants with saltpeter for cucumbers before transplanting them into the greenhouse so that the roots have time to fully strengthen.

Correct application technology

To properly fertilize cucumbers, it is important to know the technology for applying nitrate. You need to carry out the procedure:

1. Before planting seedlings in garden beds. Dry matter is added to the ground. It must be poured 8-10 g into each hole and mixed well with the soil. Otherwise, you can burn the root system of the plants.
2. During the flowering period. Nitrate must be diluted with water: 35 g of fertilizer per 15 liters of warm liquid. Apply 1.5 liters per bush using the root method.
3. At the stage of fruit formation. In this case, foliar feeding is necessary. Spray in the morning and evening. This approach will avoid diseases and activate the immune system.

If you adhere to these rules, then there will be no problems with growing cucumbers.

Feeding at the stage of fruit formation

Calcium nitrate is needed for the formation of a good ovary. For feeding, prepare the following solution: for 10 liters of water - 0.5 liters of slurry and 20 g of calcium nitrate. Nitrogen and calcium improve the structure of heavy soils, promote the penetration of oxygen to the roots of tomatoes, and affect the growth and formation of vegetables. A lack of nitrogen can be seen in thinned leaves, crumbling flower buds, poor fruit set and their small size. In addition, a reddish tint appears on the tomato leaves. Nitrate (10 g per 10 liters of water) can change the situation.

Plants are watered with this mixture at the rate of 0.5 liters for each bush. The nitrogen produced by vegetables allows them to remain fresh and whole for a long time.

When fertilizing tomatoes, you need to use one mineral fertilizer along with organic fertilizer throughout the growing season, observing the doses. Although tomatoes respond well to fertilizing, it is better to under-fertilize than to over-fertilize. Then the plant will spend all its energy on increasing green mass, and the resulting fruits will crack.

Only by knowing how to fertilize correctly and following the dosage can you get a bountiful harvest.

← Methods and rules for pollinating flowering tomatoes in a greenhouse ← Description of the Moscow delicacy tomato: cultivation and reviews from gardeners

What fertilizers are prohibited from being used together?

Gardeners, especially beginners, mistakenly assume that saltpeter can be used with any type of fertilizer. But that's not true. Types of fertilizers with which saltpeter is not compatible:

• straw;
• sawdust;
• phosphate;
• manure;
• chalk.

Attention!

It should also not be mixed with fertilizers that contain phosphorus.

It is better to use ammonium and calcium nitrate with urea and urea. This solution will allow you to get a good harvest.

How to get rid of pests on cucumbers?

There are quite a lot of insect pests that cause cucumbers to turn yellow in a greenhouse. This includes the sprout fly, the cucumber gnat, aphids, and spider mites. All these insects or their larvae feed on the leaves, stems and fruits of cucumbers, which inevitably leads to drying out and death of the plant.

To get rid of them and preserve the plant and harvest, it is necessary to choose the right pest control product. But do not forget - after treating the plant with one drug or another, all grown fruits must be removed and thrown away. It is extremely unsafe to eat cucumbers that have been exposed to drops of pest control products.

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Safety precautions when working with substances

Nitrate is not included in the group of toxic substances and is therefore recognized as safe for humans. In addition, working with it does not cause an allergic reaction. But this does not mean at all that when using fertilizing, you can neglect basic safety measures.

If you need to feed cucumbers in a greenhouse, you should work with gloves, safety glasses and respiratory masks. In addition, it is important to protect exposed skin. If nitrate gets on them, wash thoroughly with plenty of water.

How to water cucumbers correctly?

One of the main reasons why cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse is irregular watering and the use of cold water. If you want your cucumbers to grow healthy, water them properly.

It is important that the soil of the cucumbers is always moist, but under no circumstances turn it into slush. Water for irrigation should be settled and heated in the sun. In hot weather, watering should be daily, in the evening, followed by careful loosening of the soil. If cold weather occurs at night, then watering should be done in the morning.

Storage conditions and contraindications

It is impossible to mix saltpeter with phosphates, sulfates and organic fertilizers. As a result of their interaction, a reaction will occur that is harmful not only to cucumbers, but also to humans.

The substance should not be stored with flammable materials, peat, straw, sawdust, as there is a high risk of fire. For the same reason, the fertilizer should be completely excluded from exposure to sunlight. It's better to choose a cool place.

You need to feed cucumbers carefully, strictly maintaining the proportions and timing of the procedure. Otherwise, nitrates will accumulate in vegetables. To store nitrogen-containing fertilizers, you should give preference to paper or plastic bags.

How to properly feed cucumbers?

At the beginning of the growing season, the cucumber needs more nitrogen, during the period of loop growth - potassium, during fruiting and the appearance of new growths, nitrogen is again required. Therefore, improper feeding may be another reason why cucumbers in a greenhouse turn yellow. The main thing to remember is that the plants require little feeding, but they need to be fed correctly.

Cucumbers have weak roots that are not able to penetrate deeper than 20 cm, so the plants are especially sensitive to the properties of the soil. Fertilize it with manure, rotted garbage, straw, peat or sawdust. Enrich the compost with nitrogen and apply fertilizer locally. Don't forget about mineral fertilizers.

During the summer, you need to properly feed cucumbers no more than 5 times. The first feeding is carried out at the beginning of flowering. The next four are during the fruiting period. Chicken manure and mullein are used, but they can also be replaced with ready-made fertilizers.

When warming replaces a long cold spell, greenhouse cucumbers need ammonium nitrate. Cucumbers are fed by placing fertilizer in the furrows, after which they are watered. During low temperatures, the plant is supported by foliar feeding.

Reviews

Dmitry, Krasnodar
I bought a summer cottage a year ago and decided to plant cucumbers. I knew that I needed to fertilize, but I didn’t know what exactly. Friends recommended saltpeter, but I didn’t understand how to add it. So I watched the video online. I was afraid, of course, I thought I would overdo it, but everything went well. Moreover, the foliage grew immediately, and I received the harvest earlier than expected. I would like to advise beginners: after applying fertilizer, water the crop.

Larisa, Samara
My husband and I set up a greenhouse on our property and planted early varieties of cucumbers. How surprised I was that they did not grow very quickly. But the situation changed after using saltpeter.

There is nothing complicated in using this type of fertilizer. The main thing is to adhere to the application plan and observe safety precautions.

Advice from experienced summer residents

Many farmers have appreciated the benefits of fertilizer for cucumbers.

Oleg, Kostroma region: “I grow cucumbers in a greenhouse for sale, so the friendly return of the harvest is of great importance. At first I fed the cucumbers with potassium chloride at the time of fruit set, but in 2022 I decided to try potassium nitrate from. I liked that the fertilizer is already in liquid form. Preparing the solution is a pleasure: you measure out a cap onto a bucket of water, and that’s it! The price of the fertilizer is higher than that of cheap analogues, but in my case the investment was justified.”

Olga, Moscow region: “I have acidic soil in my garden. The fertilizer for cucumbers is good, but if you look from the point of view of agrochemistry (I am a chemist by training), then only one element is used - potassium. Nitrogen does not work on acidic soils, but on purely alkaline soils, on the contrary, potassium will lie as a dead weight. For me, a pensioner, it is also expensive. I feed my cucumbers with ash and am happy with the result.”

Anastasia, Klin: “My husband and I are just starting to garden. The plot was given with poor soils. In the fall, manure was applied, and in the spring, cucumbers were planted under the film. The culture was growing and had already begun to bear its first fruits. We were about to harvest this weekend when we discovered that the lower leaves had turned yellow. Whatever we did: watered, looked for pests, used home remedies, but the plants stopped growing and setting fruit. A neighbor helped, advising us to spray them with potassium nitrate. I did everything as in the instructions. After 4-5 days, the cucumbers came to life and continued to set ovaries.”