Features of feeding cucumbers with ash
Every experienced gardener knows that in order to get a high-quality and healthy harvest, seedlings must be fed. It is not at all necessary to add expensive and harmful chemicals like potassium and phosphorus to the beds. One of the most popular and effective remedies is ordinary wood ash. Domestic farmers widely use it for their garden. How is the feeding of cucumbers with ash carried out and how useful is its use for the future vegetable?
Features of feeding cucumbers with ash
Ash use
Ash is an organic substance composed of fibers from the tissues of trees and plants. It has the ability to take the final shape under persistent pressure, thanks to its fine structure. If the ash is obtained as a result of the combustion of plants, gardeners use it to fertilize and loosen their plots, but it is not recommended to put recycled residues of building materials and plastic bottles into the ground: hazardous chemical compounds are formed during their combustion. When they enter the soil, they infect the fruits with toxic substances.
Wood ash contains a large amount of trace elements necessary for the life of plants. Among them are carbonate, silicate, calcium sulfate and chloride, magnesium sulfate. The percentage of substances may vary, depending on the species. Wood is rich in calcium, ash of bark and straw - phosphorus, and meadow wood will saturate the crop with potassium. Harmful nitrogen is volatilized during combustion.
Act
The purposes of using this organic product are as follows:
- Stimulation of the process of reproduction of beneficial bacteria in the soil.
- Influence on the amount of ground alkali.
- Preventing the development of fungal diseases in the plant.
- Maintaining acid balance.
- Long term of validity - 3 years. All this time, the positive effect on the soil and fruits is noticeable to the eye.
Wood ash does not contain chlorine, which cannot be said about most other mineral fertilizers. Also, ease of use and naturalness are inherent in it. Ash is used in the cultivation of many fruit crops, however, each individual vegetable or fruit, depending on its characteristics, requires a different consistency of organic matter for its soil.
Ash benefits
Cucumber is a fast growing vegetable with early fruits - they usually mature in no more than 10 days. Why is ash useful for cucumbers, what is the importance of using it when growing in a greenhouse or in open soil?
- It helps to speed up the growth of the crop, improves its quality and increases the quantity.
- It protects seedlings from attack by pests, in particular, from aphids.
- Prevents the spread of bacteria and infections. A solution of ash in the open ground is especially effective in relation to powdery mildew, which is very dangerous for the leaves and root system of cucumbers and requires serious treatment in case of infection.
The principle of feeding
An important role is played by the process of feeding the cucumbers with ash during the formation of ovaries and lashes after harvest.At this time, the fruits are deficient in such vital trace elements as calcium and potassium. Fruits can lose their juice and develop abnormally.
Timely applied fertilization will promote better formation of ovaries and have a beneficial effect on cucumbers, accelerating their ripening, improving taste and appearance. Chemical fertilizers will only do harm, especially if you overdo it. The fruits are at risk of becoming poisonous, the plants are thin, and the leaves are dull.
Top dressing accelerates fruit setting and growth
The lack of nutrients during the growth process leads to depletion of the soil, which negatively affects the yield.
Instructions for use
It is important to know how to properly feed the cucumbers with organic ash and how much it needs to be poured in order to get the desired result. There is an algorithm for preparing for feeding and adding ash to cucumbers.
- Preparation of the solution: 3 tbsp. ash is stirred in 1 liter of water and kept for a week.
- Soaking cucumber seeds in an organic solution for 6 hours to prevent viruses.
- Adding fertilizer in 1-2 tbsp. l. in each hole for foliar treatment and planting seeds. This contributes to their enhanced growth.
- Watering the seeds with infusion every 10 days after the beginning of flowering. This has a positive effect on the taste of the fruit and protects them from diseases.
There is another option, how to fertilize homemade cucumbers with ash. In this case, the soil must first be watered, and only then dry ash should be poured. A similar method is good before and during planting seedlings in open ground in the spring. For feeding 1 sq. m you will need 1 glass of ash (about 100 g). Dry organic matter is introduced into a hole 15 cm deep near the plant. Sprinkle earth on top.
Fertilization frequency
As for how often cucumbers are fertilized with ash, there is an important note. Fertilize seedlings with infusion twice a day, morning and evening, at room temperature in a greenhouse or outdoors. They must do this in wet soil, after watering, because the introduction of substances into dry soil leads to problems with the rhizome. There should be no more than 7 feedings per season - in no case should feedings be overused!
You should start feeding the cucumbers with fertilizers from the moment the first leaves appear on the stem, when it is just forming. The second stage is the beginning of flowering. When the plant begins to bear fruit, it is fertilized about once every two weeks.
Recommendations
The operation of the solution requires adherence to a number of urgent recommendations. Proper application will avoid the occurrence of problems associated with the integrity of the plant and the safety of organic matter.
The storage of the finished solution / dry powder should be carried out in sealed packaging: this will save all the useful substances. Dry matter cannot be in a room with a high level of humidity.
In gardening, orange organic fertilizers cannot be used: they have a high percentage of iron and oxide content. Also, you cannot mix one type of fertilizer with another. It is advisable to feed clay soils in autumn, sandy soils in spring.
Spraying and organic cultivation of the soil with cucumbers begins at the beginning of planting and throughout the entire growing season. Ash is the leader among other organic and mineral fertilizers. This is the simplest type of top dressing, rich in all micro and macro elements necessary for the plant, harmless, multifunctional and affordable.