What are the benefits of fertilizing cucumbers in a greenhouse with yeast, how to prepare and use it correctly

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Yakov Pavlovich

Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing

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The goal of every gardener is to grow a rich harvest of vegetables, including cucumbers. For proper development, the crop requires fertile soil and good care. For this purpose, various chemicals, growth stimulants and mineral fertilizers are used. Vegetables grown in this way cannot be called healthy. However, there is a healthier alternative: yeast. These microorganisms act on plants as a natural growth stimulator. Cucumbers are fed with yeast in open and closed ground, the plants do not get sick, develop well and bear fruit abundantly.

Why feed cucumbers with yeast?

Cucumbers are unpretentious vegetables . For them, the main thing is that the temperature is not lower than +16°C, otherwise the ovaries will not form, and does not exceed +40°C, otherwise the plant will simply dry out. The main task is regular soil moisture and fertilizing. For the full growth of cucumbers, the composition of the soil and its saturation with minerals are important.

Yeast, when released into the soil, releases biotin and mesoinositol, which work as growth stimulators of the plant root system. Fungal enzymes trigger the activity of phytohormones, which accelerate regeneration. In such comfortable conditions in the soil, organic matter begins to be actively processed by microorganisms and, as a result, the saturation of the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus increases significantly.

Land fertilized with yeast solution will be saturated with micronutrients and become comfortable for growing cucumbers.

Important. Previously, you can additionally add organic matter to the soil (in the fall - manure, chicken droppings, and not earlier than two weeks - compost, green fertilizer), then phosphorus and nitrogen will be released more actively and in larger volumes.

Properties and benefits for the crop

A mixture containing yeast used to fertilize a greenhouse will help achieve the following results :

1. Resistance of plants to insufficient lighting, which often happens in a greenhouse, violation of the water regime, and non-compliance with temperature standards.
2. Rapid rooting of seedlings after transplantation.
3. Formation of a more powerful root system.
4. Intensive growth of green mass, thickening of stems and their durability, reduction in the number of barren flowers.
5. Fruiting begins 10-14 days earlier.
6. Significant increase in immunity.
7. Improving the taste of the fruit, cucumbers are less hollow.
8. The duration of fruiting of the crop increases.
9. Protection from diseases and pests.

Interesting things on the site:

What to do if cucumbers don’t grow: feeding recipes

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How to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse

How to make foliar fertilizer with yeast

To get the sprinkle mixture, mix a packet of dry yeast, 4 tablespoons of sugar and 10 liters of water. Leave the mixture to steep overnight. The next morning, dilute it 1 to 10 with water and spray.

It is better to spray young plants. Cucumbers growing in the garden are processed in the evening; in a greenhouse, on the contrary, they are processed in the morning. Please note that the water for the spray solution must be warm. And don't forget to strain the mixture so that the sprayer doesn't clog.

Advantages and disadvantages of yeast fertilizer

Yeast nutrition of cucumbers is not so much a fertilizer as a dietary supplement that increases fertility and has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

• saturation of the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus;
• accelerating the processing of organic substances;
• the fertilizer is easy to prepare yourself;
• low cost;
• environmental friendliness of feeding;
• increase in productivity;
• the solution attracts bees, which pollinate the inflorescences.

Flaws:

• depletes calcium and potassium reserves;
• oxidizes the soil - when used for a long time in one place, it requires additional addition of wood ash;
• use no more than three times per season;
• It functions only in heat and stops working at low temperatures;
• short shelf life of the solution (no more than 12 hours);
• Do not use expired yeast.

Conditions for a good harvest of cucumbers

In order for this annual crop to produce a rich harvest in a short growing season, it is necessary to have:

• quality seeds;
• well-fertilized soil;
• suitable climatic conditions.

However, this alone is not enough.

Cucumbers need not just fertile soil, but soil in which oxygen access to the developing root system of the crop would not be impeded.

This requirement is also important because during the growth of the plant, the possibility of loosening will be limited due to the close proximity of its roots to the surface, as a result of which the likelihood of their damage during this procedure increases significantly.

After what crops to plant? Companion plants

To improve the soil structure, it is advisable to use green manure (for example, oats or mustard). Grown, mowed and rotted in the garden, they will not only improve the condition of the soil, but also enrich it (for which they are called “green fertilizers”), and also clean and remove pathogenic spores of harmful fungi and pathogenic bacteria from the soil.

It will be very good if the area where you plan to plant cucumbers has previously grown legumes, peas, potatoes, cabbage or perennial herbs. This guarantees the absence of pests (and their larvae) in the soil that are dangerous to young shoots of cucumbers.

More information about crop rotation - then plant cucumbers for next year.

For greater plant protection, it is advisable to plant bush beans along with cucumbers, the smell of which drives out most pests. Cucumbers practically do not compete with beans for nutrients; moreover, the increased nitrogen cycle from their proximity to legumes contributes to the rapid replenishment of the latter in the soil.

For protection purposes, it is also a good idea to plant onions and garlic, the phytoncides of which cope well with infectious spores of pathogenic fungi.

Proper watering

One of the determining factors for a good cucumber harvest is the organization of timely and proper watering. Water is extremely necessary not only for the growth and formation of the plant (roots, stems, leaves and fruits), but also for organizing channels for the supply of nutrients to the root region from distant areas of the soil and ensuring their good absorption by the root system.

With low soil moisture, the supply and absorption of substances will sharply decrease; with an excess of moisture, the roots will begin to “suffocate” from insufficient oxygen supply.

However, the optimal irrigation regime, together with the above conditions, does not yet guarantee a rich harvest. The explanation for this is simple - the initial saturation of the soil with nutrients drops sharply (especially in the root zone) as the plant develops, which in the process of growth “pulls” a large amount of these substances out of it.

Feeding

Many years of experience in cultivating cucumbers have established the usefulness and high efficiency of periodic application (usually at first in the root zone, and as the green mass develops in the foliar way) of basic nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which allows maintaining their sufficient concentration in the soil.

These additives are called fertilizers and ensure good crop yields.

Even higher yields can be achieved if you manage to organize the introduction of other substances that are also very useful for plant growth, such as vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and microelements, especially in easily digestible, so-called. organic form (iron, etc.).

If at the same time the plant’s root system is provided with advanced development, the positive effect on yield will be even greater.

As practice shows, the above can be implemented relatively simply - by introducing yeast microorganisms into the soil (yeast feeding).

How to properly prepare fertilizer, recipes

When preparing a yeast solution, a number of rules are followed:

• use only warm water to prepare the mixture;
• concentrated syrup must be diluted with water;
• fertilizer is used after moistening the soil;
• feeding vegetables with yeast solution should be done when the soil is sufficiently warmed;

There are available methods for preparing fertilizers , each of them has its own advantages, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with them all and choose the most suitable option for yourself.

Attention! You will achieve the effect only when using a properly prepared solution.

Simple recipe

A kilogram of solid yeast is soaked in 5 liters of warm water . Leave to infuse in a warm place for 6 hours. Before watering, the concentrate is diluted with settled warm water in a ratio of 1:10.

Apply 1 liter of the mixture under the bush, water the seedlings with 200 ml of solution.

Feeding with dry yeast

This will require:

• 2 tbsp. l dry yeast;
• 10 liters of warm water;
• 2 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Dissolve dry yeast in warm water, add sugar, mix. Place in a warm place for 2-3 hours. Dilute 50 liters of warm water. Water 1 liter of solution under the root.

Yeast fertilizer with ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid stimulates the formation of dense, strong inflorescences and fruits and helps plants cope with stress during drought and the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

Compound:

• 10-12 g dry yeast;
• 2 g ascorbic acid;
• 5 liters of warm water.

Crush the tablets into powder, mix with dry yeast, add warm water. Infuse for a week in a dark and warm room. Before watering, dilute a glass of liquid in 10 liters of warm water. Pour 0.5 liters under each plant.

With sugar

Sugar is used to improve the fermentation of yeast fungi in fertilizer.
Compound :

• 0.5 kg of pressed yeast;
• 1 cup of sugar;
• 10 liters of warm water.

Dissolve the yeast in warm water, add sugar, stir until completely dissolved. Place in a warm place for one day. Before application, dilute with warm water in a ratio of 1:5. Pour 0.5 liters of the mixture under each bush.

With added bread

Gray and black bread are better suited for preparing fertilizer ; toasted crackers cannot be used for this purpose.

Compound:

• 1 loaf of bread;
• 5 liters of warm water.

The bread is cut, poured with warm water, covered with a lid so that the bread is in the water. Leave in a warm place for 5-7 days. Next, filter, bring the volume of the solution to 10 liters and water the cucumbers. You can add 0.5 liters at the root or on the shoots, spraying evenly.

The positive result of fertilizing with bread will become noticeable in just a few days . The plants will come to life and bloom more abundantly. The fruits will become tastier and the harvest will be more abundant.

Yeast dressing with ash

Wood ash is a source of minerals for yeast fungi , which are absorbed by them in large quantities, which creates favorable conditions for the proliferation of nodule bacteria, which fix nitrogen in the soil. Use fertilizer with ash during the flowering period.

Compound:

• 100 g live yeast;
• 100 g ash;
• 100 g sugar;
• 3 liters of warm water

Dilute the yeast with water, add sugar and sifted wood ash, mix and leave in a warm place for three days. Dilute the concentrate with water in a ratio of 1:40.

With milk

Take 1 liter of milk and 100 g of solid yeast . Dissolve yeast in warm, unboiled milk and leave for two hours. Then dilute with water 1:10. You can spray the liquid on plants and add 1 liter to the root.

This composition of the fertilizer has a beneficial effect on the formation of the ovary and protects plants from diseases. The fatty film remaining on the leaves and shoots serves as a barrier to bacteria.

Yeast feeding of cucumbers - rules of application

Active development of yeast occurs in warm weather (but not in dry weather), and they actively reproduce at t +30-35°. After a temperature of +40°, fungi die en masse. It is necessary to take this feature into account when using yeast fungi in greenhouse conditions, in which the air temperature during the day reaches +45-50°. Therefore, before greenhouse fertilizing, you should first ventilate the room or fertilize in the morning. Early fertilizing is useless; at temperatures below +4-8° the yeast stops developing. It is necessary to use yeast fertilizers for cucumbers when the weather is consistently warm.

By the way, before fertilizing, you need to moisten the soil, because microorganisms become active in a humid environment.

Various sources write that some people store yeast solutions for weeks, but this is only if the yeast has enough sugars to feed it. Basic fertilizing must be used immediately, as it can ferment and the living microorganisms will die.

But still, yeast fertilizers have a beneficial effect on cucumbers: the seedlings become stronger after transplanting, more fruits are produced, the cucumbers are dense, without voids inside - this is how gardeners and farmers speak positively about yeast fertilizers.

So we have come to the end of our interesting educational article on how to properly use yeast mushrooms for cucumbers and how to prepare top dressing.

Use this information, and you are guaranteed a rich and generous harvest.

Timing and schedule for applying fertilizer

It is a known fact that cucumbers are very “gluttonous” - in a short time they build up a large vegetative mass, that is, they quickly deplete nutrients from the soil. Therefore, the main task is to provide reasonable feeding in order to prevent them from starving .

When should a stimulant be added to the beds to create the most favorable conditions for the proliferation of soil bacteria? You can start feeding yeast from seedlings. For better survival in a new place, before planting, seedlings should be soaked in a yeast solution for a day.

It is recommended to fertilize cucumbers with yeast no more than three times during the entire growing season .

After landing

This plant is fertilized 8-10 days after it is planted in the soil .

At this time, it is very important to fertilize with nitrogen . This is done before watering with yeast fertilizers. Fertilizers should not be saved at this moment, as well as water for irrigation.

A young plant will need about 0.5 liters of water, but adult bushes require 1 liter of liquid.

During flowering

The second application of the yeast solution is carried out during the flowering of the vegetable. Before the procedure, feed the cucumbers with phosphorus-containing compounds . The yeast composition will increase the speed and number of ovary formation.

During the fruiting period

After the first harvest of cucumbers, feed the soil with yeast infusion one last time . This will ensure further ripening of new fruits, which will grow tasty, crispy and dense, without internal voids.

Composition and effect of yeast on cucumbers

Yeasts are single-celled protozoan fungi, which in their composition are not much inferior to complex mineral fertilizers. They contain:

• zinc;
• phosphorus;
• organic iron;
• nitrogen;
• magnesium;
• potassium;
• amino acids;
• carbohydrates;
• proteins.

Amino acids

Baker's yeast protein contains 17 amino acids: leucine, threonine, arginine, cysteine ​​and others. These substances help plants tolerate unfavorable conditions, increase pollen fertility and ovary formation, and promote better absorption of other nutrients.

Vitamins

Yeast also contains a number of vitamins that are easily accessible to plants. This increases the drought resistance of the bushes, improves flowering, and reduces the level of nitrates in fruits.

Squirrels

About 16% of the total protein contained in yeast is nitrogen. When released, it accelerates the growth of the aerial part, the lashes lengthen, and the ovary forms faster.

Minerals and trace elements

Among other things, yeast contains many trace elements and minerals: potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, boron and others. The plant needs all these substances for full development and fruiting. Yeast contains the balance of microelements most suitable for vegetable crops, so such fertilizing is very effective.

Advice from experienced summer residents

Experienced gardeners share tips on using yeast when growing cucumbers in greenhouses :

1. The interval between fertilizing with mineral or organic fertilizers and yeast is at least 7-10 days.
2. Feeding is applied only after abundant watering of the sprouts, carefully, avoiding missed places.
3. To increase the effectiveness of the fertilizer, you can add several crystals of potassium permanganate to it.
4. Fertilize with yeast into heated soil. Do not forget that yeast fungi do not multiply in the cold.

Recommendations for choosing the timing of feeding

Already at the seedling stage, plants can begin to be topped up with yeast mixture. This will enhance root formation and accelerate the growth of bushes.

1. The first time the treatment can be carried out by planting seedlings in pots with a new soil mixture.
2. It is advisable to fertilize young plants a second time after planting in the ground, after 7–10 days, so that they grow faster.
3. The third time yeast is added before flowering to increase the number of ovaries.

Important! It is necessary to observe the temperature regime, because yeast does not work at temperatures below +15...+20 degrees.

Each fertilizing lasts for 1.5–2 months, so using yeast more than 3–4 times per season is impractical and even harmful to plants.

Reviews

Reviews about the yeast method are 99% positive.

Svetlana, Rostov : “For several years in a row I harvested ugly cucumbers. The fruits looked like thin hooks of a pale color. This year I took the advice and fertilized the cucumbers twice with yeast. I was pleased with the harvest: the cucumbers grew - just what I needed. From now on I will always feed yeast to cucumbers.”

Dina, Voronezh : “Last year, the cucumbers grew very poorly in the greenhouse. The sprouts were weak, the leaves were light green. By summer the stems had grown to only 70 cm. They bloomed poorly. Since the tips of the fruits were pointed, I decided to feed them with yeast. There was an effect: new cucumbers of normal shape began to form. From now on, I will start feeding yeast from the moment of seedlings.”

Valery, Novokuznetsk : “Yeast infusion with wood ash is just a godsend for a summer resident. I always use this recipe and the results are excellent. I always have cucumbers."

How to use pressed

Regular compressed yeast is considered more effective than dry yeast in a bag. You need to dissolve 100 grams of the product in a liter of water, and after 3 hours bring the volume to working volume.

The disadvantage of compressed yeast is that it must be stored in the refrigerator. Accordingly, they are not suitable for those summer residents who have to travel a long time to get to their site.

Timing of fertilizing

Experienced gardeners recommend feeding cucumbers using yeast twice during the growing season:

1. At the end of fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which is carried out approximately 7 days after transplanting young seedlings to permanent beds in the ground, the first fertilizing should be carried out.
2. Before blossoming (opening) of the fruit ovary, after phosphorus fertilizer, provided that superphosphates have not been added to the soil since the fall, gardeners carry out a second feeding.

Important! If cucumber seedlings experience sluggish growth and poor development, regardless of growing conditions, it is necessary to feed the plant every 10 days.

After using the fertilizer, the vegetation mass and the number of fruit ovaries actively grow, and the volume of barren flowers also decreases. To the extent that yeast acts as a biological stimulant, then adding it twice will be enough.

As soon as the first shoots of the seedlings are noticeable, it is necessary to fertilize the cucumbers. You should also pay special attention to this during the formation of a strong ovary.

Why yeast

Relatively recently, in addition to the word “fertilizer,” the expression “growth stimulator” appeared in the vocabulary of gardeners. The name speaks for itself. It is clear that after feeding with such a product, the plant becomes stronger and more resilient, and produces a better harvest. However, no matter how “safe” the information on the packaging is, it is better to avoid store-bought drugs, especially since there is such a universal option as yeast.

Fertilizers prepared using them are the best stimulants known today. Powerful protein-vitamin blend provides:

• energy charge;
• the amount of vitamins and microelements necessary for normal development (first of all, it is worth noting the presence of vitamin B and iron);
• active work of beneficial microorganisms in the soil;
• plant endurance and resistance to various diseases;
• improving the quality and taste of the fruits themselves.

It is recommended to use live pressed yeast for making fertilizers, but in principle dry yeast is also suitable, as well as leftover bread, crackers, and drains from home-made kvass.

You can use only one component, but the effect of the finished fertilizer will be significantly enhanced if you supplement the yeast’s abilities with specially collected medicinal herbs (nettle, hops), freshly picked weeds, and wood ash.

What are the benefits of yeast for cucumbers?

Yeasts are single-celled fungi. Once in the soil, they awaken soil bacteria that promote the mineralization of organic components, as a result of which the latter are more easily and quickly absorbed by the crop. Fungal fertilizers are useful for cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.

In an aqueous solution, the product releases special elements that enhance the formation of the root system, which is important for planting at an early stage of formation. The result of proper root formation is a healthy and powerful cucumber vine, lush flowering and abundant fruiting. The quality of the vegetable increases - the cucumber is formed evenly, the same in size, and emptiness inside is less common.

cucumbers benefits of fertilizing with yeast

Provided the correct amount of organic matter in the substrate, the effect of yeast feeding lasts for 1-2 months. Thanks to this, the time and effort required for regular care of seedlings is significantly saved. Undoubtedly, the fertilizer will not be an absolute replacement for traditional organic and mineral complexes, but the effect of application is immediately visible. Such compositions can be used both in a greenhouse and in open ground. Only in closed ground conditions do all processes proceed faster.

For your information! An additional bonus of feeding with fungi is protection against various diseases.

Basic Rules

There are several rules, if followed, 100% results of any feeding of cucumbers will be guaranteed:

• It is necessary to dissolve all types of yeast exclusively in warm water.
• Under no circumstances should you use fertilizing concentrate; you must dilute it in water.
• Before applying fertilizing, cucumber plants are watered abundantly.
• There is no need to feed plants in cloudy and rainy weather. You should wait until the sun warms the soil.

Solutions are prepared in different ways. It is recommended to try several options and observe, and perhaps conduct an experiment, applying fertilizing to different types of cucumber plantings.

How much yeast do you need for feeding?

There are several recipes for yeast supplements for cucumbers with different weights and liters of water. Below we will consider options using a minimum amount of yeast.

Everything will depend on what type of yeast the summer resident prefers to use. If they are dry, then the minimum required amount is 10 grams.

If you take compressed yeast, then the minimum volume is 100 grams, this is a small pack as in the photo below.

How to dilute yeast

Mix the contents of a standard dry package of 15 g in one liter of heated water.

To obtain a solution from raw yeast, 100 grams of the substance are diluted in a liter of water at room temperature.

How long to insist

The solution prepared from dry yeast must be infused for four hours. Next, you should pour the resulting composition into a 10-liter bucket of water and let it brew for another 1-2 hours. The final solution is prepared in a ratio of 1:5. The resulting mixture is poured over cucumbers.

The diluted live yeast is infused for three hours, then brought to the final volume. Cucumber plants are watered with this yeast tincture.

Do I need to water cucumbers before feeding them with yeast?

Whether plants are watered before fertilizing or not depends on the initial condition of the soil at a particular point in time. If there has been recent precipitation and you see that the ground is abundantly moistened, then watering is not required before starting fertilizing.

If the soil is at an average level of moisture, and its top layer is completely dry, then you will need to water the cucumbers well before starting the feeding procedure.

Well-moistened soil helps the necessary substances contained in the yeast to be evenly absorbed and penetrate into the seedlings. This ensures timely delivery and transportation of the necessary components to the plant.

Recommendations from experienced gardeners

Experienced gardeners strongly recommend feeding cucumbers with yeast solution. Herbal supplements and herbal infusions, which are prepared on the basis of tree leaves, vegetable tops, nettles, and weeds, will help to enhance and complement the action of yeast.

If you are interested in the question of whether yeast solution can be used with tobacco, then the answer will be positive. It is used precisely as an energy supplement.

It is recommended to use a tincture with wood ash flakes during fruiting for better fruit ripening. Seedlings that have been stimulated by yeast develop strongly, and the fruits become elastic, juicy and, accordingly, healthy.

Important! To prepare an effective yeast fertilizer, you cannot use expired or old yeast. Their negative impact can destroy the plant.

This fertilizer has an ideal effect on young gherkin seedlings. The plant is actively developing and growing. The seedlings also begin to rapidly straighten out. It is recommended to use this fertilizer only if the leaves of the seedlings begin to turn yellow and wither.

Cucumber seedlings after this stimulation will give you an excellent harvest of cucumbers. The use of such a powerful biological stimulant will allow you to grow an environmentally friendly product that will not be dangerous to your health.