Without a doubt, mullein or cow dung is the most common and available fertilizer. It is used by large agricultural enterprises and gardeners who have their favorite six acres.
Article outline
Composition of mullein
This type of fertilizer contains almost all the nutrients that plants need for growth, development and fruiting. These include the following macroelements:
- nitrogen;
- phosphorus;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- sulfur.
Microelements were also found in mullein: cobalt, iron, copper, molybdenum, boron and zinc. One ton of manure applied to the soil enriches it with 4.5-5 kg of nitrogen, 2-2.5 kg of phosphorus and 5-6 kg of potassium.
Mullein is especially attractive due to the fact that its nitrogen is in organic form. You should definitely know that one third of nitrogen is released quite quickly during decomposition, but the rest is stable and has a long-lasting effect on plants.
Half of the phosphorus in mullein is also bound to organic matter, but the rest quickly becomes available to plants. Almost all of the potassium contained in this organic fertilizer is easily soluble in water and can be absorbed by various crops almost immediately after application.
The use of mullein as a fertilizer helps the intensive reproduction of microorganisms in the soil, since the organic matter contained in it is a source of energy and food for them.
Cow dung improves physical and physicochemical characteristics soil, makes it possible to convert insoluble soil compounds into easily digestible ones.
It also helps create a structure of soil from small lumps, which is considered the best for growing any crops, since lumps of soil saturated with humus are not washed away by water and become strong.
For example, after adding mullein to heavy soil with a large amount of clay, it becomes looser, easier to work with, and warms up better and faster. All this helps with the growth and development of plants, as well as for obtaining good harvests.
Fertilizing with mullein can be carried out for all types of decorative and fruit trees and shrubs, on various perennial, biennial and annual flowering plants, as well as on vegetable and agricultural crops. You can also use cow manure as fertilizer for indoor flowers.
But before we start using this species, let's get acquainted with its varieties and methods of preparing mullein before bringing it into the ground.
What types of cow dung are there?
Depending on the way the cows are kept (with or without bedding made of straw, sawdust and other materials), mullein can be:
- bedding
- or liquid.
Solid straw manure, which is obtained when bedding animals, rots during storage and eventually becomes humus.
The liquid form of mullein is used to prepare humus in compost pits, where it is mixed with soil, sawdust, fallen leaves, weeds, tops of vegetable plants or straw. Moreover, usually two parts are taken of straw, tops, leaves or sawdust, and five parts of liquid manure. Wood ash or lime is also added to the compost (from 2 to 4% of the total mass).
Straw, sawdust or leaves are poured in a layer and poured with liquid manure, then the next layer and again - manure, and this happens until the pit is completely filled to the brim.
Cow manure as fertilizer can be used in any form: fresh, half-rotted and completely rotted (humus).
But you should definitely remember that fresh mullein can easily damage the roots and stems of various crops (causes severe burning and death).
Fresh mullein can be added to the soil only in the fall for digging, so that before spring it has time to burn out (rot) and no longer burn the roots of plants or seedlings. In spring and summer time Mostly half-rotted or completely rotted mullein (humus) is used.
Cow dung as fertilizer
You can buy mullein
For those who garden for the hobby and do not have their own cows, there is an option to buy ready-made fertilizer from mullein. It is quite popular organic fertilizer“Compost BIUD KRS”, which is available in 5 liter bottles, or “Radogor” fertilizer in 1 liter bottles. According to manufacturers, such fertilizers replace half a ton of fresh cow manure ( we're talking about about 5l bottles) or 5 buckets of mullein (we are talking about liter Radogor).
Such ready-made fertilizers are sold in most garden stores. There are also many options to buy dry mullein in bags from 50g to 5kg. It all depends on the range of country stores in your city.
For village residents, of course, it will be more profitable to use their own mullein, or buy manure from their neighbors at a cheap price.
How to use mullein as a top dressing
To prepare liquid fertilizers, cow manure in any form is taken. It is diluted in water in certain proportions and then allowed to ferment for 5-15 days. The finished infusion is diluted in the right amount water (it is different for different crops) and water plants, trees and shrubs.
Completely rotted mullein or humus is perfect for feeding any crop. It is often used as a mulching material (layer height varies from 4 to 8 cm), which retains moisture in the ground, looseness of the soil and at the same time serves as top dressing.
Mullein can also be used for foliar feeding. To do this, take 10 liters of water and dissolve half a liter of liquid mullein in it, then stir thoroughly and filter. Strengthen the effect of this foliar feeding possible through microfertilizers, which can be added in small quantities.
Let's find out how you can use mullein when feeding various crops.
Cow manure for fruit trees
It is best to fertilize fruit trees with mullein in the fall before digging, so that the deep-lying roots receive nutrients. But you can also feed at other times. At autumn application fertilizers, you need to evenly scatter the rotted mullein over trunk circles, which should be larger than the diameter of the crowns, and seal it to a depth of 30 to 35 cm.
Attention! It is worth remembering that on permeable light soils (with a lot of sand), manure is applied at two times: when the buds open and immediately after flowering. And where the ground contains a large amount of clay, mullein is applied in several stages. The first time fertilizing is carried out in the fall, then in early spring, and then after flowering in equal shares.
Best recipes summer feeding for trees with mullein
Strawberry
Fertilizing strawberries with mullein is carried out before the flowers begin to bloom and during flowering. To prepare the fertilizer, take half-rotted manure, add water in a ratio of 1 to 10 and leave it in barrels for about a week, stirring several times a day (3 to 5 times).
The infusion is poured between the rows, making sure that it does not get on the leaves and flowers.
Even the queen of flowers, the rose, cannot do without fertilizing with cow dung. Feeding rose bushes with mullein for the first time is carried out immediately after pruning in early spring. Completely rotted manure is distributed in a small layer (from 2 to 4 cm) around the bush, but at the same time it is necessary to retreat 10-15 cm from the root collar. The fertilizer must be embedded in the soil using a hoe or a small rake.
It is advisable to give the next fertilizing to rose bushes just before flowering. To do this, prepare an infusion, for which you take one bucket of rotted manure and ten buckets of water. It is advisable to add a little ash to the barrel with the infusion. One bucket of this fertilizer is used to water 2 to 4 plants (depending on the age and size of the bush).
To ensure that roses bloom well, during repeated flowering, another fertilizing with manure solution is carried out in the first ten days of August.
Attention! After such fertilizing, a fairly strong crust usually forms on the surface of the earth, which prevents the roots from breathing. It must be destroyed with a hoe and the soil underneath must be loosened.
When growing white cabbage, it is best to use a mullein solution for fertilizing, prepared at a rate of 1 to 10 (one part manure and ten parts water).
- It is advisable to combine the first feeding with hilling.
- The next time the plants are fed is after three weeks.
- The third feeding is carried out only for late varieties cabbage In this case, it is necessary to add manure to the solution (from 20 to 30 grams) and 10 grams for every 10 liters of water. The third feeding is carried out 10-15 days after the second.
Mullein for ornamental plants
Feeding ornamental trees mullein is carried out several times per season:
- During a period of intensive growth;
- Before and during flowering;
- During the period when trees are preparing to go dormant.
Moreover, for this it is best to use completely rotted bulk mullein. They mulch (cover) the soil near the trunk with a layer of about 4-6 cm. You can also use an infusion of cow manure with the addition of superphosphate and wood ash, which takes 7 to 10 days to prepare.
It is worth remembering that before each feeding it is necessary to carry out good watering, and after it loosening.
Apple trees
The apple tree is fed with mullein several times a year. The best time Autumn is the time to apply this organic fertilizer.
Half-rotted cow manure is spread around the trunks of apple trees and buried to a depth of 20 to 30 cm. It is imperative to ensure that the root system is not damaged during this work.
For good growth and a large harvest, apple trees are fed during bud break and just before flowering (for better fruit set).
Attention! If the harvest is expected to be small, then it is good to fertilize in June before shedding the ovary. And if the harvest is large, then it is better to fertilize after the ovary has shed.
Fertilizing flowers with mullein is carried out at different times and different numbers of times, depending on the growing technology and the nutritional requirements of the crop. For example, peonies are fed only two or three times during the entire season at the beginning of spring, when the mass of leaves rapidly increases and buds form.
It is best to prepare mullein in a certain way for this:
- One bucket of fresh cow dung is filled with 5-6 buckets of water and left to ferment for a week and a half.
- Before feeding, the prepared mullein is diluted with water, and one bucket of infusion is taken, and two buckets of water are taken.
- To feed the peony, make a circular hole at a distance of 20 cm from the base of the bush. Its depth should be from 8 to 10 cm.
- Fertilizer is poured into this hole, after it is absorbed, watered with water, and after a while covered with earth.
Mullein is also used for feeding when growing delphinium.. To do this, take fresh manure and dissolve it in water (1:10), then leave it for several days (from 7 to 10 days). Fertilizing is carried out at the rate of one bucket of liquid fertilizer per 5 adult plants or 10 young bushes.
And so many years old ornamental shrub Just as cinquefoil also cannot do without feeding with mullein. Moreover, to prepare the infusion, completely rotted manure is taken, which is diluted with water (1:10), and then supplemented with a small amount of wood ash. Before feeding, the soil around the bush must be loosened to a depth of about 5 cm and watered with plenty of water.
Since mullein is an environmentally friendly fertilizer, it is good to use when growing cucumbers for feeding. Fertilizer can be prepared in several ways.
In the first case, fresh cow dung is taken and filled with water in a 1:1 ratio and infused for a week. The finished infusion is diluted with water, using 10 parts of water for one part of mullein. Cucumbers are fed between rows at the rate of 10 liters of diluted fertilizer per 1 square meter.
In the second option, to prepare the fertilizer, take slurry and mix it with water (1:4) and leave it in a warm place for a week. The resulting fertilizer is diluted again with water (1:3 or 1:4) and fertilized.
Attention! Fertilizing cucumbers with mullein must be combined with good watering.
It is advisable to feed cucumbers throughout the season every 10 or 12 days, but you need to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers.
Natural liquid organic fertilizer from mullein - how to prepare
Tomatoes
Tomatoes, as well as cucumbers, are best fed with organic fertilizers such as mullein. After planting the seedlings and their rooting (15-20 days), you can begin fertilizing at intervals of two weeks.
To do this, take completely rotted manure and fill it with water (1:6), then add superphosphate (about 20 grams) and ash (20 grams). The infusion will be ready in 5-7 days. The plants are fed between the rows at the rate of half a liter of infusion per tomato plant.
It is worth remembering that it is advisable to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers when fertilizing. It is especially advisable to fertilize so that it occurs at the opening of the second and third clusters. But then it is better to fertilize after two weeks.
Natural organic fertilizers improve physical and biological properties soil. IN chemical composition mullein contains nitrogen, potassium, small amounts of phosphorus, and other trace elements. Depending on what the animal was fed, the composition may vary. The topic of this article is feeding tomatoes with mullein and also discusses other types organic fertilizers: horse dung, rabbit, sheep and goat droppings and their distinctive features.
What is mullein
Mullein is a fertilizer prepared from cow dung. Like any organic fertilizer, it is preferable chemicals, since it is a natural product and does not harm plants. In the soil, organic matter gradually turns into minerals that nourish plants throughout the growing season.
Attention! Do not confuse fresh slurry with mullein. Its composition is not inferior to mullein, but may contain pathogens.
How to breed mullein to feed tomatoes? This is done as follows: one part of manure is poured with five parts of water and left to ferment for 10 - 15 days, stirring the solution every three days. Sometimes superphosphate is added to this liquid at the rate of 10 grams per 1 liter to increase its phosphorus content. Bubbles should appear on the surface of the liquid - this is the result of fermentation. Due to the fermentation process, pathogenic fungi and microbes die, which is why it is not recommended to fertilize with fresh, unrotted manure.
To feed tomatoes with mullein, it should be diluted with water.
Mullein is an excellent environmentally friendly fertilizer, but it should not be used indiscriminately. There are scientifically based and practice-tested norms and rules for applying this fertilizer, which must be strictly followed.
Residents of cities with suburban summer cottages, it is difficult to obtain fresh cow dung for preparing mullein. There is an option for them - to purchase mullein in a store.
It is available in both powder and liquid form. The concentration of the fertilizer is such that one five-liter bottle is equivalent to half a ton of fresh manure.
Completely rotted manure, humus, is an excellent fertilizer and is also used as mulch to maintain soil moisture and at the same time nourish the plant.
To make humus, sawdust, leaves or weeds, preferably without seeds, watered with slurry or mullein, then the next layer of sawdust, and so on until the hole is filled. Wood ash is also added there.
Advice! Fresh, undiluted mullein can cause burns to the roots and stems of plants. When using it, it must be diluted in the required proportion.
Fresh manure can be added during autumn digging so that it has time to rot by spring.
You can also use mullein for spraying, as foliar feeding of plants; it is enough to dissolve 50 grams of mullein in one liter of water.
How to use mullein to feed tomatoes
Feeding tomatoes with manure, or more precisely, mullein, is preferable during the period of growth of leaves and stems, as well as when the ovaries appear. Diluted mullein is added only after watering, and not under the plants, but along specially prepared grooves.
The first feeding is done two weeks after planting, and then done at intervals of 15 days. The infusion is prepared with the addition of superphosphate. For each bush, use 500 grams of diluted mullein. High determinate varieties tomatoes will require an increase in consumption to one and a half liters for each bush. For preventive purposes, it is a good idea to add three grams of potassium permanganate to this liquid.
After the first ovaries appear, the following feeding is recommended: one liter of mullein, two tablespoons of superphosphate, a third of a teaspoon copper sulfate dilute in 10 liters of water. The same composition can be used when the tomatoes begin to actively ripen.
The use of mullein for feeding cucumbers
Mullein is the most common organic fertilizer for cucumbers. It is used for the first feeding after planting and for subsequent feedings at intervals of two weeks. When preparing an infusion from fresh manure (1 part manure / 5 parts water), ash is added. This infusion must be diluted 10 times under the plants, not directly at the root, but into pre-prepared grooves, which are then filled in.
Fertilizing cucumbers with mullein should be done four times:
- When they bloom. This time, a teaspoon of potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate is added to a glass of mullein, then diluted 1:10.
- When the ovary appears. Ash is added to the mullein solution.
- Half a month after the second feeding. The fertilizer mixture is prepared according to the same recipe as for the first feeding, only add 8 - 10 liters per square meter.
- 20 days after the third, the last feeding is carried out. Add complete mineral fertilizer to one liter of mullein, dilute it 1:10 and apply 5 liters per square.
If the infusion is diluted 1:20, then foliar feeding (spraying on the leaf) is also carried out. The barrel in which the mullein infusion ferments should be placed in a greenhouse; the evaporation from it will also serve as foliar feeding for cucumbers and tomatoes.
If you dig well-rotted manure into the soil to a depth of about 25 cm, then plant cucumbers there, it will nourish the plants and prevent the soil from compacting, this will definitely have a positive effect on the harvest.
Horse manure as fertilizer
Horse manure is a valuable organic fertilizer. It contains more potassium, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus than cow or other types of manure. In addition, horse droppings produce a lot of carbon dioxide, which plants breathe. And most importantly, it contains almost no microbes and fungal spores, its use enhances protective forces plants. Horse manure is the driest and lightest, it is the best biological fuel for warm beds and greenhouses. With its help, the structure of the soil is significantly improved, and in terms of increasing productivity from its use, it has no equal!
Fresh horse manure always contains bedding in the form of straw; after three years of storage, the straw breaks down into substances that are easily digestible by garden crops. This substrate is considered the most convenient to use.
Attention! Adding horse manure alone to the soil will not give quick results due to the fact that it is slowly absorbed. When used for the first time, it must be combined with mineral fertilizers or used well-rotted.
To heat greenhouses and greenhouses, horse droppings are mixed with straw, grass or sawdust. On large areas horse manure is applied in the fall for digging or plowing.
For growing cucumbers, horse manure is considered better than cow manure. It retains heat perfectly, which has a good effect on the growth of cucumber seedlings. It is recommended to add it in the fall at the rate of 5-6 kg per square meter. Cucumbers are fed with a 1:10 liquid solution when they bloom and when they begin to bear fruit.
For tomatoes, horse droppings are applied during autumn plowing. Mulch the soil with well-rotted soil.
To produce liquid fertilizer, a bucket of manure is diluted in 30 liters of water and allowed to brew for three days. Tomatoes are fed with it for the first time 20 days after they are planted. permanent place, then once every half month throughout the season.
Rabbit manure as fertilizer for tomatoes
One kilogram of rabbit droppings contains:
- 6 grams nitrogen
- 4 grams calcium
- 6 grams potassium
- 7 grams magnesium
Thanks to this composition, rabbit droppings successfully replace chemical fertilizers. Its advantage over cow manure is that it does not contain seeds. weeds capable of growing. Adding rabbit droppings to the soil will improve its structure and make heavy soil lighter.
Attention! It is not allowed to introduce fresh rabbit droppings under tomato seedlings. It is capable of burning young roots.
Litter is used in the form of:
- Compost. IN compost pit or a specially prepared pile is layered with manure, hay, plant debris, peat, fallen leaves, food waste, etc. Periodically, the compost needs to be watered, adding minerals, and shoveled. After a month and a half, the compost should be compacted and covered with film. For winter, insulate with a layer of sawdust.
- Humus. Manure processed by earthworms. After the worms have worked with the manure, it stops making bad smell. Humus is spread over the surface of the soil before it is processed. The result will be beds with high soil fertility and improved structure.
- Liquid feeding (infusion). First, manure is mixed with ash 1:1, then diluted with water 1:10.
- Dry powder. No other manure except rabbit manure is used in dry form. The rabbit "balls" are dried in the sun, crushed and mixed with soil. For 6 kilograms of land, just two tablespoons of manure crushed into powder is enough. This fertilizer is applied under tomato bushes and into holes when planting.
Sheep, lamb, goat droppings as fertilizer for garden crops
The efficiency of applying goat manure is very high. Goats are selective about the choice of food on the pasture, eating only rich necessary elements grass, this has a positive effect on the nutritional properties of manure. It is enough to fertilize with goat and sheep droppings 5 times less often than with mullein and 4 times less with horse manure.
Benefits of goat droppings:
- High efficiency.
- Can be used for a variety of crops.
- Small volumes for application.
- No “aroma” after drying!
- The ability to use it to heat greenhouses.
- High decomposition rate.
Disadvantages include a high nitrogen content, which can cause burns to the root system and undecomposed waste that harms garden crops.
Due to the fact that sheep droppings produce a lot of heat when decomposing, no the best remedy to improve the quality of heavy clay soil. Its demand is explained not only by the richness of minerals, but also by the relatively small amount of organic matter. Just like goat manure, sheep manure also contains too much nitrogen.
Attention! It is recommended to apply sheep manure to garden crops in the form of compost, otherwise it can harm the plants.
Prepared sheep compost is applied as fertilizer according to the same rules as mullein.
During storage, manure should not be allowed to dry out; its quality will sharply decrease. In winter, the manure pile should be covered with straw to retain heat. To preserve ammonia, the pile is watered with slurry. The manure will be ready for use no earlier than five months later.
Mullein is an organic fertilizer made from cow excrement. There are no chemicals in mullein, which is why many gardeners choose it. It is used fresh and added to compost. For tomatoes, diluted mullein is mainly used.
Interesting!
The amount of nutrients depends greatly on the food the animal eats and the age of the animal. It was noticed that in excrement adult contains fifteen percent more nutrients.
Manure contains a lot of nitrogen, which is responsible for the growth of greenery. Potassium and calcium are necessary during fruit formation. And also phosphorus in small quantities. A substance such as magnesium is not found in all varieties of mullein, but tomatoes also need it for full development. In manure in small quantities contains elements such as B, Cu, Mg, Zn, Co and Mo. Mullein takes a long time to decompose, so it can nourish plants much longer than mineral fertilizers.
Varieties of mullein
This organic matter can be divided into three types, and all of them are successfully used in agronomy.
- bedding;
- slurry;
- without bedding;
Litter- this is manure mixed with bedding materials, peat, straw, hay. If peat predominates as litter, it contains a huge amount of ammonia nitrogen. This fertilizing is better and faster absorbed by plants. As for the minuses, there is no magnesium in bedding manure.
If straw predominates in the substrate, then it contains magnesium, which is vital for plants, as well as potassium and phosphorus. This mixture is suitable for fertilizing soil in autumn period and for making compost.
Slurry- represents liquid fertilizer, it is not recommended to use it fresh. Since it may contain various viruses and bacteria dangerous to plants. It is used after the solution has fermented and all microorganisms have died. It contains high levels of nitrogen and potassium. Must be diluted with water before use. Some gardeners apply slurry in the fall for plowing, then over the winter it will have time to decompose and replenish the amount of nutrients in the soil. This fertilizer promotes active growth of tomatoes and increased productivity. It is recommended to apply 5 kg of manure per 1 m2.
Without bedding– the consistency is medium density, it contains high levels of nitrogen. Mullein also differs in its content of other nutrients. Before use, it is diluted with water and used as irrigation for trees and various garden crops.
It is also worth noting that there is also factory mullein. For those who live within the city and do not have a farm, getting fertilizer can be problematic. But thanks to the fact that progress does not stand still, various manufacturers began to produce it in convenient packaging. This can be a half-liter container, a liter container, or a five-liter container.
Interesting!
1 kg of dry granules can replace 4 kg of fresh substance.
Dry granulated mullein is packed in polyethylene and cardboard boxes. It is already disinfected and ready for use. Fertilizer should be applied to the soil strictly following the instructions. You can purchase it at any gardening store. The most popular are “Radogor” or “Compost BIUD KRS”.
Preparation of mullein feed
Rotted manure
During storage, water evaporates from manure, and aggressive nitrogen decomposes. The substances rot when placed in compost. To do everything right, first you need to dig a deep hole and cover its bottom with film. The first layer is sprinkled with sawdust, foliage, grass and all this is watered with mullein, then sprinkled with sawdust again. Alternate until the pit is full. Some gardeners recommend adding wood ash to the substrate.
Humus can be added to the soil during plowing; 9 to 11 kg of the substance is usually used per 1 m2. You can also prepare an infusion for root feeding from it. To do this, add 1 kg of humus to 5 liters of water. Many gardeners use it to prepare a substrate for growing seedlings. To do this, it is mixed with fertile soil, taking one part of humus and two parts of earth.
Infusion
In order to prepare it you will need slurry or fresh manure. When in contact with water and kept for 3 days, nitrogen, which is dangerous to plants, decomposes and becomes completely safe. Manure is added to water, keeping a proportion of 1 to 5, then the liquid is stirred well and infused in warm sunny place approximately 14 days. Bubbles are a sign of the beginning of fermentation. Before watering the tomatoes, mullein is diluted with water again.
This infusion is used in case of obvious signs of nitrogen deficiency, or when the growth of young plants is stunted. To fertilize tomatoes at the flowering and fruiting stage, experienced gardeners advise adding minerals to the solution.
Mullein with added minerals
At the time of flowering and fruiting, tomatoes especially need elements such as potassium and phosphorus. Unfortunately, there are not enough of them in mullein. But you can add them to the solution additionally. For example, half a kilogram of wood ash, or 100 grams of superphosphate, is added to 10 liters of concentrated substance.
Thanks to this fertilizing, fruits will actively set and productivity will increase. The taste of the tomatoes will also improve.
Foliar feeding of tomatoes
With the help of foliar feeding, nutrients are absorbed by the plant much faster than when they are added to the soil. But you cannot use a concentrated solution for this procedure, otherwise it can lead to unpredictable consequences. It is recommended to dilute mullein with water in a ratio of 1:20. Tomatoes are sprayed in the evening or in cloudy weather, since direct contact sun rays After the procedure there is a risk of getting burns.
Fertilizing schedule
Feeding at the seedling stage
Two weeks after the seedlings have appeared, you can feed the seedlings with mullein solution. The substance is diluted with water 1:20, and the tomatoes are watered at the root. For a better effect, you can add one spoon of nitrophoska or 0.5 tsp to the solution. boric acid.
Fertilizers with mullein after planting in a permanent place
The tomatoes must adapt to the new conditions, and after 14 days you can add mullein in the same concentration as in the previous case, adding 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate. This fertilizing activates the growth of the plant and brings the flowering time closer. For preventive purposes, add 3 grams of potassium permanganate to a bucket of the substance. For low-growing varieties, use approximately 500 ml of solution. For tall tomatoes, increase the dosage.
Feeding with mullein during the formation of ovaries
At this time, tomatoes especially need to add additional substances to the soil and seasoned gardeners For this use the following recipe:
Add 1 liter of mullein, 2 tbsp. to water (10 liters). l. superphosphate and 1/3 teaspoon of copper sulfate and mix thoroughly. Then the soil is fertilized with the resulting composition. Also this feeding can be used at the stage of fruit ripening.
- Tomato feeding is carried out immediately after watering, in the morning or evening.
- To introduce mullein, grooves are made next to the plant, into which manure is poured.
- Humus can be used as mulch; it will simultaneously retain moisture in the soil, serve as an obstacle to the growth of weeds, and will gradually saturate the tomatoes with useful substances.
- Fresh manure can only be applied in the fall before plowing the soil. Over the winter it will rot and saturate the soil with vital microelements.
- If you use fresh undiluted mullein, it will burn root system plants.
Conclusion
Mullein is a universal fertilizer that has been successfully used by farmers for decades. It serves as an excellent fertilizer for various crops, not just tomatoes. Manure saturates the soil with various beneficial substances. But you need to use it very carefully; using it fresh or failing to comply with the dosage can not only greatly harm the plants, but even lead to death.
Organic fertilizers are an excellent source of nutrients essential for plants. They make it possible to improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil and increase the efficiency of application. mineral supplements, and also improve water and air permeability of the soil. Ideal option considered mullein. Fertilizer that you can get almost free if someone keeps a cow in your neighborhood. This simple remedy provides all the nutrients necessary for green spaces, including microelements. Unlike mineral fertilizers, which contain only one or a few elements, it provides a luxurious basis for plant growth. Therefore, today let’s talk in more detail about mullein - a fertilizer that is more natural than anything else in the world.
Ecological farming
After several decades of the industrial revolution and the abuse of chemical plant foods, many are again starting to switch to regular mullein - a fertilizer whose nutrients are easily available to all plants. It best meets the principles of ecological farming. However, we must remember that the rules of agricultural technology must be followed even if you use mullein. A fertilizer so rich in nitrogen can contribute to the accumulation of harmful substances and nitrates in fruits and vegetables.
How to apply to the soil
If you decide to follow the principles of ecological farming, then you probably want to purchase mullein (fertilizer). What it is? This is nothing more than ordinary manure. But most often they use its infused solution. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between fresh manure, which can be used to fill the beds only in the fall, so that it has time to rot. Not the same as mullein, and slurry, that is, a fresh solution of manure with water. In this case, mullein has the properties of humus, but cooks much faster. In order to prepare it, you need to take out a barrel, fill it 1/3 with manure, fill it with water and leave it warm for 2 weeks. In the summer garden plot the process will go very quickly. This is exactly how mullein (fertilizer) is produced at home. You already know what it is, now let's find out how it can be used.
Chemical composition
Even though it is a completely natural product, its uncontrolled use can harm your garden. That is why we raised this topic today. So, what is mullein (fertilizer), how to prepare this useful product, we have already described, now let's look at what elements it contains.
This is a real storehouse of organic substances and microelements. It contains a large amount of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, that is, manure completely replaces the famous nitroamophoska. In addition, it enriches the soil with molybdenum and iron, copper, sulfur, boron and manganese. It is thanks to this composition that mullein is only gaining popularity among gardeners, as it allows you to do without chemical fertilizers.
Using fresh or dried mullein
The nutrients contained in this fertilizer easily tolerate drying, so you can prepare mullein for future use by spreading it out thin layer and dried in the sun. Fertilizing plants with mullein is done by adding it to the soil, while the fresh mass is added to more, and dry - to a lesser extent. So, in order to properly fertilize the site, 30-40 kg of manure for every 10 square meters is added to the soil in the fall. It is optimal to spread manure and dig up the soil well to a depth of at least 20 cm. However, if you have not been able to add it to the soil in the fall, then it is better to abandon this idea. If you add manure to the garden bed in the spring and immediately plant root crops, the fruits will grow watery and tasteless.
If you have dry mullein available, you can chop it up and scatter it around the area in an amount of 2-4 kg per square meter. It is also introduced in the fall, and be sure to dig up the area well.
Liquid fertilizer mullein
Its peculiarity is that it can be used for summer feeding. In fact, this is humus, only the fermentation processes in it occur much faster due to the aqueous solution and high temperature. However, you need to be careful, because the solution is very concentrated. First, the manure is diluted with 1/3 part of water and left to ferment in the sun. Then the resulting raw material must be diluted 4-5 times, after which you can start feeding the plants.
Rotten mullein
If you have manure and some time to spare, then it is best to prepare humus, which will be useful in the garden. To do this, you need to make a compost heap, where you can throw all the collected grass, add the collected eggshells, and fill it with manure on top. Cover the pile with branches left over from pruning. garden trees, and grass. All that remains is to water the pile and leave it for natural debate. Humus usually becomes usable after a year, so if you start this pile in the spring, you'll have excellent fertilizer for the next gardening season.
When should you use mullein?
If you see that the plants are pale in color and have thin stems, then you need to use mullein. It is especially loved by cucumbers and tomatoes, beets, peppers, pumpkin and cabbage. This fertilizer adds vitality to many plants and becomes a real salvation for the gardener. It can be said that it represents universal remedy for the entire garden. Almost all plants immediately activate growth and become much stronger. After fertilizing with mullein, much more fruit is produced, this also applies to fruit trees. However, there are plants that do not benefit from fertilizing with this product. These are radishes, radishes and peas. Do not forget that when using liquid mullein, you need to pour it into the grooves or holes, being careful not to get it on the plant itself. This can cause severe burns to leaves and stems, so extreme caution must be used.
Mullein is a very common organic fertilizer, a source of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus for plants. However, sometimes a wanderer arises, which should be called mullein. According to the book by O. Petrosyan “Fertilizers and fertilizing”, mullein is an aqueous solution of cow feces. But in colloquial speech Mullein is often called cow dung. The same goes for slurry. Slurry is not diluted manure at all, but a fertilizer that consists mainly of animal urine and, to a small extent, decomposed manure.
How to prepare mullein for plant nutrition
Cow pats are a very concentrated substance. And if you apply it under plants in pure form, you can simply burn them. Therefore, cow dung is diluted with water to prepare an aqueous solution - mullein. Recipes, how to prepare mullein for plant nutrition, there are a lot. They add… to mullein. An aqueous solution of mullein is used to feed strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and other plants.
The above manual gives the following recipe for preparing mullein:
- The first step is to prepare a concentrated infusion of mullein from fresh cow dung and manure.
The container is filled 1/3 with cow feces, the remaining volume of the container is topped up with water. In this form, the solution is left to ferment for 1-2 weeks (another source says that 5-7 days is enough), tightly covered with a lid. But if the feces are rich enough in nitrogen (which greatly depends on the animal’s food), then leaving the solution for fermentation is not necessary. It is difficult for us, ordinary summer residents, to know whether cow patties are rich in nitrogen or not :)))) Therefore, just in case, it is better to let the infusion ferment for at least 5 days.
2. Dilute mullein with water in a ratio of 1 to 10.
Before use, fermented mullein is mixed well and diluted with water (proportions are not given in the source, but most often diluted 1:10). This means we take 1 part mullein and dilute it in 10 parts water (usually a 10-liter bucket).
It is best to use the infusion immediately after preparation, so that the substances beneficial to plants are preserved as much as possible.
Feeding with mullein: recipes
Some recipes what can you feed with mullein? :
- Mullein infusion, diluted in a ratio of 1: 10, is used for cabbage, beets.
- The first feeding of tomatoes (2 weeks after planting the seedlings) is carried out with mullein infusion with a sprinkle of ash. The second feeding of tomatoes occurs at the time when ovaries with a diameter of 1.5 cm have formed on the second bunch of tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of full mineral fertilizer, 3 g of copper sulfate and potassium permanganate. Consumption: 1 liter per plant. The third feeding is carried out like the second (when fruit picking begins).
- Beets are fed with mullein diluted in water 1 to 10. If there is no organic matter, it is replaced with a mineral complex fertilizer.
- At the beginning of flowering, it is useful to give cucumbers the following fertilizing: for 10 liters of water, 500 ml of mullein and 1 tbsp. nitrophoska. Consumption: 3 liters of solution per 1 m2. Subsequent fertilizing can be carried out in the same amount, increasing the fertilizer consumption to 5 and then to 7 liters.
- But for onions, a different proportion of dilution of mullein with water is used: 1 to 12, with 30 g of ammonium nitrate added to the solution. Fertilizing will be especially effective if onions are not growing well.
- Chrysanthemums are fed with mullein during the growth of leaves, shoots, and roots. For feeding, a liquid infusion of mullein is prepared and 500 ml is used to feed 1 plant. Combine organic matter with complex mineral fertilizers.
- During the period of active flowering, it is useful to feed strawberries with mullein, diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 8, with the addition of 0.5 cups of ash per bucket.
- Gooseberries respond well to feeding with mullein, diluted 1 to 10 with water. Consumption: 1 bucket per 1 m2.
- During the growing season of cherries, use an infusion of mullein (immediately after flowering and again after 2 weeks). Take 1 bucket of mullein for 5-6 buckets of water, add 1 - 1.5 kg of ash, infuse for 3-6 days. Consumption: half a bucket of infusion is poured under 1 tree, and then the cherries are immediately watered at the rate of 2-3 buckets per 1 tree.
The advantages of fertilizing with mullein, in addition to its high content of useful substances, is also that fertilizers in liquid form are better absorbed by plants. Feeding with mullein is especially effective in case of nitrogen starvation, which is expressed in poor development and pale green color of leaves. Excess nitrogen, on the contrary, is expressed in the lush growth of greenery. And then feeding with mullein will be unnecessary.
