A Few Words About Feeding Cucumbers And Tomatoes

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Among summer residents, there is probably not a single person who would not be engaged in the cultivation of crops such as cucumbers and tomatoes. However, special care is needed for these plants, as for feeding, because underfeeding or overfeeding can have a bad effect on the final harvest

Since many people plant these vegetables in hotbeds and greenhouses, the question of feeding should be approached very seriously and responsibly.

If we consider precisely cucumbers, then three or four feedings carried out in one summer season will be enough for them. But with tomatoes, the situation is much more complicated, since these plants are more whimsical. The tomato feeding procedure should be carried out at least once every couple of weeks. Summer residents and gardeners use either mineral or organic fertilizers as feed.

The feed can be introduced either into the root or outside the root. Each person makes the choice of the necessary fertilizer himself in accordance with his preferences. Although even here there are certain rules.

The root type of fertilizer is most suitable if the summer is warm. In this weather, the roots of the cucumber culture develop perfectly. Therefore, the procedure itself is recommended to be carried out after rain or watering. With regard to the time of day, it is better to start doing this process in the evening or on a cool and not sunny day.

Foliar dressing will be most useful during the cool summer season, when the weather is cloudy and rainy. Without outside help at such a time, the roots of plants will not be able to cope with the assimilation of feed. A leaf spray method works best here. Here it is important to ensure that the solution is sprayed evenly and looks like miniature droplets. Also, a large amount of assimilated substances depends on how long the fertilizer will last on the plant.

Summer residents begin the first feeding procedure fifteen days after the plant is planted. The second such process occurs at the beginning of flowering, and the third - already at the time when fruits are actively appearing. At the same time, the fourth feeding takes place. The main task in observing the regime is to extend the fruiting period and help it become more abundant. Some summer residents believe that if the cucumbers bear fruit well, then the third and fourth feeding is not at all necessary, and sometimes even one is enough.

The formulation of fertilizers for the garden and vegetable garden can be completely varied. The choice of the type of feed depends on financial capabilities, soil characteristics and weather conditions.

As the first organic feeding, fresh chicken droppings are used, the concentration of which is 1:15, and it is used fresh. Slurry, infusion of green grass, or dung are also suitable. With regard to mineral fertilizers, attention should be paid to a mixture of one tablespoon of urea and sixty grams of superphosphate with ten liters of water. Other dressings already consist of other components and proportions. But the above rules are only suitable for cucumbers.

Tomatoes, on the other hand, need to start feeding during their flowering. The solution for this procedure is prepared in this way: ten liters of water, 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 50 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride are mixed. This proportion is enough for about ten bushes. In the event that the plants are weakened, additional feeding can be carried out in the form of a solution of bird droppings in a ratio of 1 to 10 or slurry 1 to 4.

Sometimes, by the taste and appearance of the fruit, one can understand what the plant lacks. For example, if cucumbers taste bitter, then most likely they are deficient in moisture or too susceptible to temperature changes. In this case, you need to start watering the cucumbers more abundantly, and not just at the root, but around the entire perimeter of the beds. The shape of the light bulb in cucumbers indicates a lack of potassium. To do this, you need to start using ash irrigation or spraying with a potassium solution. The recipe for this composition is as follows: one teaspoon of potassium, dissolved in one liter of water.

Narrowing at the tip of the cucumber, but thickening at the stem indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Thin leaves and whips, as well as the light color of cucumbers, speak of the same. Here you need to use a solution of mullein in a ratio of 1 to 10 and water it one liter at the root.

Let fresh salads from your own cucumbers and tomatoes delight you and your loved ones at the family table!