Cucumbers are one of the most popular crops cultivated in orchards and vegetable gardens. To obtain a rich and tasty harvest of juicy cucumbers, it is necessary to properly care for the crop. One of the most important points is the timely and competent application of fertilizing to replenish nutritional deficiencies and increase resistance to diseases and pests. For spraying cucumbers, solutions of the most diverse composition are used. The option from milk with iodine has proven itself well.
The benefits of milk and iodine for cucumber culture
A simple and accessible composition has a lot of positive features and has a beneficial effect on vegetables. Iodine has a powerful antiseptic effect and is rich in essential trace elements. Spraying with such a composition can protect plants from:
- lesions by late blight;
- the main types of rot;
- copperheads.
In addition to the protective functions, iodine has a positive effect on the external characteristics of the culture.
Milk also contains a lot of nutrients. Another useful feature is the suppression of fungal activity. Thus, the tandem of milk and honey provides plants with double protection.
As soon as at least five full-fledged leaves appear on the cucumbers, preventive spraying can begin. The procedure is recommended to be repeated every fourteen days.
The composition is useful not only for cucumbers, but also for other vegetables such as eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and cabbage.
Such a top dressing can be safely used not only for adult plants, but also for seedlings. This will have a beneficial effect on the formation of their own strong immunity of plants. However, there are still some precautions: it is recommended not to spray the seedlings, but to apply top dressing in a root way so that the delicate foliage does not get burned.
Safety when processing with iodine composition
During treatment with iodine, vapors are released that can harm health. Therefore, you should be especially careful when working in greenhouse conditions. Spraying should be carried out only in protective clothing and a respirator. Plants can also suffer from large amounts of iodine, so the concentration should be strictly observed. If it exceeds the norm, wilting of crops will be observed. To obtain a lasting result, it is better to repeat the procedure several times, but with a solution of a lower concentration.
Alternative formulation recipes
In addition to the classic composition with milk and iodine, you can prepare:
- Composition from fresh yeast diluted in warmed milk. The mixture should ferment, for this it is kept for 12 hours. If there is no time for cooking, you can add a tablespoon of sugar, the mixture will be ready after three hours. As soon as foam forms, add milk again in the same amount. After that, 5 drops of iodine and two tablespoons of wood ash are introduced. This fertilizer can be used for both conventional spraying and soil cultivation.
- For a different composition, iodine, milk, urea and soda are required. All components are diluted in the recommended proportions in ten liters of clean water. The composition has an excellent effect on flowering and the formation of ovaries, and will also help fight diseases of a fungal and infectious nature.
- With a solution of two teaspoons of water and a spoonful of iodine, the stems of crops are treated from the base to a height of up to 0.1 m. The method is especially effective against root rot. Treatments can be carried out every week until the signs of the disease disappear completely.
If necessary, iodine in the fertilizer can be replaced with ordinary brilliant green, because it has a similar effect.
Processing tips
It is recommended to carry out actions in cool weather in the absence of the sun. The best time is early morning or after sunset. It is worth processing both sides of the leaves with the composition. Residues of the product can be sprayed on the soil around the crops. If it starts raining within a few hours after treatment, the procedure will have to be repeated.
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