2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
In order for the seedlings to please with full growth and development, it must be fed from time to time. The main thing is not to lose a sense of proportion, because overfeeding vegetation is no less dangerous than underfeeding. So what kind of feeding should you pay attention to in the first place, and how not to be mistaken with their dosage?
Watering and feeding is the key to the successful development of seedlings
The most important rule that every summer resident must learn is that you should not feed the seedlings until they are picked. At this time, the seedlings have more than enough useful compounds available in the soil mixture, but their excess can provoke the overgrowth of seedlings.
As a rule, the first feeding of seedlings is carried out somewhere in a couple of weeks after the pick. If the seedlings will not undergo a pick, they begin feeding only after two to four true leaves are formed on them. And then the seedlings are fed every week and a half, until the moment they are planted in the ground.
Both the watering of the seedlings and their feeding should ideally be carried out in the morning: by the evening, when the temperature drops, both the soil surface and the leaves should have time to dry out well - excessive moisture in combination with cold often leads to the formation of extremely unpleasant mold on the soil.
If the soil is too dry, then before starting to feed the seedlings, they are watered a little and wait until the moisture is properly absorbed. And in wet soil, the prepared fertilizer solution will be an excellent alternative to water for irrigation.
In order for the beneficial compounds to be absorbed by the vegetation in the best possible way, it does not hurt to systematically loosen the upper soil layer in the seedling containers - this is necessary in order to provide oxygen access to the developing roots. True, you should not be too zealous either - so as not to inadvertently damage the roots, you should not loosen the soil very deeply. As a rule, such loosening is carried out approximately one hour after watering.
What fertilizers should you prefer?
The best choice for feeding growing seedlings will be instant or liquid fertilizers. The composition of such fertilizers must certainly contain phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, as well as some micro- and mesoelements. In this case, fertilizers can be in the form of powders or granules, as well as tablets or liquids, but all of them should be designed specifically for liquid dressings.
Quick-dissolving mineral fertilizers are very convenient to use (they can be tableted, powder or granular), provided with detailed instructions to minimize the risk of possible overdose. In addition, such fertilizers can boast of a very affordable price.
Organomineral complexes, which are liquid supplements painted in dark colors, will also serve well. As a rule, the composition of such fertilizers includes humic additives that increase the vitality and strengthen the immunity of seedlings. However, when choosing such fertilizers, it is important to pay attention to the fact that they contain not only humates, but also mineral components that are responsible for the balanced nutrition of seedlings.
The composition of liquid mineral dressings is usually completely identical to the composition of their instant counterparts, only they are sold in the form of solutions. The price of liquid fertilizers is usually slightly higher, but they are very convenient in dosage.
Some gardeners successfully feed seedlings with diluted bird or cow droppings, however, when working with such feedings, you need to be extremely careful: a mistake in concentration is fraught with burnt roots and the complete death of seedlings. So it is better for novice gardeners to feed the vegetation with organic matter only after it has been transferred to open ground.
But feeding with infusions of various medicinal herbs will only benefit the seedlings - such infusions will not only saturate the seedlings with all the elements they need, but also save them from the development of all kinds of diseases.
A little about dosage
In order not to be mistaken with the dosage of purchased fertilizers, it is important to carefully read the instructions before using them. For feeding seedlings, the concentration is usually taken half as much as for feeding adult crops. As a rule, this is from seven to ten grams of fertilizer (that is, about a tablespoon) per ten liters of water, while for liquid fertilizers, the rate may be completely different. If, on the packaging with fertilizer, the same dosage is indicated for both adult crops and tiny seedlings, it is possible that this is a low-quality product that will definitely not give the plants absolutely any benefit and, if you are lucky, will not do them any harm.
Bio cocktail and vermicompost are the best helpers for the summer resident
In order to get healthy and strong seedlings, you can safely feed it with such wonderful fertilizers as bio cocktail or vermicompost.
Vermicompost is a highly effective microbiological fertilizer. To feed them seedlings, a glass of vermicompost is diluted in a bucket of water at room temperature, and then, having thoroughly mixed everything, let the mixture stand for twenty-four hours at room temperature.
As for the bio-cocktail, in addition to the most useful microorganisms, it also contains elements that enhance the immunity of seedlings and contribute to the acceleration of their development. To prepare such a fertilizer in a liter of water, dissolve a couple of droplets of the "HB-101" agent and a couple of "Ekoberin" and "Healthy Garden" granules. And to improve its composition, you can make a bio-cocktail based on the "Shining-2" solution (in this case, it is used instead of water). It is quite simple to prepare such a solution: in 300 ml of warm and necessarily settled water, dilute one teaspoon of the "Shining-2" agent and ordinary sugar. This composition is insisted for about twelve hours, and the plants are watered with it once a week. Such a simple method allows many summer residents to achieve truly impressive results!
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