Nettle for tomatoes
Content:
In any country or agriculture, there is always no shortage of food and plant waste, which, as a rule, are simply thrown away and taken out of the site. Regular weeding of beds, pruning of trees and shrubs, pinching of vegetable crops, the formation of climbing plants is invariably accompanied by the formation of a large amount of unnecessary greenery. In this regard, many owners of garden plots and vegetable gardens are wondering how to use plant waste with benefit. This article explains the benefits of nettles for tomatoes.
Over time, both food and plant residues successfully rot and form a nutritious substance that is used by many gardeners as an organic fertilizer for the soil.
Nutritional mixture obtained from soaked and subsequently rotted greens, often referred to as "slurry", is very popular. The basis for the "slurry" is, as a rule, the grass left after mowing and weeds pulled out in the process of weeding. The herbal mixture is usually infused in a large container for 7 days, leaving it outside in the open air.
After a week, the present substance acquires a characteristic pungent smell and outstanding nutritional qualities. For a long time, the owners of rural and suburban areas used any herbs to prepare green fertilizer, without being interested in the beneficial properties of each component separately.
Gradually, however, interest in improving the efficiency of green fertilizers forced to pay more attention to the constituent parts of the "slurry". This article will discuss the beneficial qualities of such a common and familiar plant as nettle in gardening, and how nettle is useful for tomatoes.
Nettle for tomatoes: benefits
Nettle fertilizer for tomatoes: photo
Nettle has long been widely known for its many beneficial qualities and stood out among the many weeds that were considered unwanted guests in the garden beds. For a long time, recipes for soups and cereals based on nettle, for example, spring cabbage soup, as well as healing nettle infusions, have been known.
Nettle has a hemostatic and diuretic effect, and also generally strengthens the human body, promotes healing of wounds and activates metabolism. Bath brooms were made from nettles, and nettle burns were considered beneficial.
The rich vitamin composition of nettle is beneficial not only for humans, but also for vegetable crops. In particular - tomatoes. Nettle as a fertilizer is rich in all macronutrients necessary for the normal growth and development of tomato bushes.
The nitrogen contained in it contributes to the growth of the green mass of a young plant. Calcium is involved in the formation of a powerful root system. Potassium is indispensable for the fruiting process. Also, nettle contains magnesium, carbon, iron.
The top dressing made from young nettles is especially beneficial. Nettle as a fertilizer for tomatoes nourishes not only plants, but also the soil in which they grow, enriching its chemical composition.
Many gardeners choose not to remove the nettle from the site. Since its presence guarantees optimal conditions for the growth of other plants, and also protects them from pests. It is recommended to plant vegetable crops in the place where nettles were previously overgrown. There, the soil retains the nutrients inherent in this plant.
Mown or plucked nettles are often used to mulch soil in garden beds.A layer of mulch protects the ground from moisture loss, overheating and freezing. Reduces the number of weeding and loosening. Plus, mulching with nettles will help get rid of snails and slugs.
After several irrigation procedures, the nettle mulch turns into a useful and nutritious top dressing. The undoubted advantage of nettle is its availability due to its wide distribution. You can find this useful weed in any garden area or in a vacant lot.
The preparation of nettle as fertilizer for agricultural purposes does not require much effort. However, there are a number of recommendations that will allow you to achieve the maximum effect when using it:
- Nettles for tomatoes, collected before the formation of seeds, are suitable as raw materials for feeding.
- Only strong plants that do not have damage and traces of diseases are suitable for fertilizers.
- In the process of preparing the infusion, it is necessary to thoroughly stir it every 2-3 days.
- It is best to store cooked nettle infusion in the sun.
- In order to speed up the fermentation of the nettle mass, it is recommended to add ordinary yeast to the infusion.
- The leftover starter culture does not have to be poured out - it can be placed in a plastic container and stored in the basement until next season.
- After adding nettle for tomatoes, they must be spilled abundantly with water.
Cooking nettle as fertilizer for tomatoes
Nettle fertilizer for tomatoes: photo
There are quite a lot of recipes for top dressing based on nettle: these can be ordinary nettle infusions, or there can be complex mixtures that include, in addition to nettle, other components.
Most simple infusion nettle for tomatoes is prepared according to the following recipe: finely chopped stalks and leaves of young nettle should be poured with water in a ratio of 1: 3 and left for several days. You can water the tomato beds with the resulting solution every week.
Of course, some deviation from the indicated proportions will not harm the crop, since nettle is safe for other plants. However, watering the beds is often not recommended.
Has high efficiency dung-nettle infusion. Step-by-step instructions for its preparation include the following steps:
- in a barrel with a volume of 200 liters, you need to pour chopped nettle greens, filling the container by 1/3;
- dandelions can be added to the nettle;
- pour a bucket of manure into the barrel;
- pour the contents of the container with water to the very top and cover with polyethylene.
The resulting mixture is infused and applied in the same way as the traditional nettle infusion.
Many gardeners prefer to use nettle infusion to irrigate tomato bushes, rather than as a top dressing. In this case, the same fertilizer will serve both as a nutrient and as an irrigation liquid.
It is enough to dilute the existing nettle solution with water, reducing its concentration by 7-10 times. In order not to have to filter the nettle water for irrigation, you can soak the raw materials in nylon stockings, and then simply squeeze them out. Then the green pulp will remain in makeshift bags, and the purified infusion will be used for watering and fertilizing the beds with tomatoes.
This method will especially appeal to those gardeners who prefer to get rid of the specific smell of "slurry". The nettle mass remaining after pressing can be used as fertilizer for cucumber plantings - just place the nutrient substance on the beds.
Other household items can be used instead of stockings. For example, trousers with knotted legs.
Another way to avoid catching plant residues from the infusion is to place a filling net from under the vegetables in the nettle soaking barrel, fixing it with a heavy load.
Infusion on nettle can not only fertilize the soil and water the beds with tomatoes, but also spray the leaves tomato bushes.To do this, it is enough to take the required amount of ordinary nettle infusion, wait until it becomes dark and stops fermenting. And then strain and dilute it with water, reducing the concentration by about 20 times.
This tool is considered effective in the fight against late blight of nightshade crops.
Nettle fertilizer for tomatoes: photo
For that, to get rid of aphids on tomatoes, you can use the recipe for instant nettle infusion. It is enough to pour the crushed nettle with water in a ratio of 1: 2 and leave for a day. After this period, you can process tomato bushes from aphids.
Another recipe for fertilizing nettle for tomatoes will allow you to prepare an infusion that has immunostimulating action, as well as accelerating the growth and development of tomato bushes. The step-by-step algorithm includes the following points:
- Pour chopped nettle with warm water in a ratio of 1: 3;
- insist for 14 days, remembering to mix the infusion thoroughly from time to time;
- you can reduce the unpleasant odor with a handful of wood ash or valerian tincture added to the infusion;
- the infusion does not need to be filtered, it should be diluted in a ratio of 1 to 9.
Whichever recipe for the infusion is chosen, it is important to keep in mind that they can all ruin metal containers, so a plastic barrel is best suited for their preparation.
Conclusion
Infusions based on nettle for tomatoes not only help to protect tomato plantings from harmful insects and diseases of fungal, bacterial and viral origin, but also help to strengthen the immunity of plants, stimulate their growth and development.
There are quite a few recipes for fertilizing nettle for tomatoes, and every tomato garden owner can choose the most suitable one for his needs.
