At the end of the season, when tomatoes cease to bear fruit, I remain a huge amount of foliage. Many send all in the compost pit, but I found a lot of useful methods of application. It turned out that the greens is not just for compost.
1. Remedy against pests
The tops of tomato contains a very useful substance - solanine. This poison scared almost all garden pests. That is why, infusions and decoctions of the tomato tops are natural and very effective way to get rid of aphids, ants, beetles and other insects spoiling life.
Recipes there are so many. I tried, perhaps, the most common 3-4. I'll tell you about the most effectual, which really helped.
We will need about 4.5 kg of tomato leaves, pan or bucket 10 liter, warm pure water.
- Finely chop about 4.5 kg of tomato tops and fill her bucket. It is important that during the grinding the whole not squirt the juice (If the tops do not dry);
- Fill a bucket of hot water and leaving it stand for a few hours;
- After this, the infusion boil on low heat for about 30 minutes. Bucket when it should be closed. It is not necessary to boil longer than half an hour, because we need to preserve all natural poisons;
- After the broth is cooled, it is ready for use.
I put the diluted broth (for 5 liters of water - 1.5 liters of broth) to the affected pests bushes and trees in several layers. Some gardeners are added in such broths liquid soap, but I do not.
The only negative - the tomato tops appear, usually at the end of the season, when the main pests anymore. Therefore, I dry foliage for part of the next year or make a decoction of the laterals.
2. lovely compost
It has long, many gardeners use the tomato tops as compost. And it is right. However, one must consider that in the tomato tops can be disputes such diseases as late blight.
To the future not infect other plants, compost tomato tops need at least 3 years.
3. Plant as fertilizer
Not many people know, but the tomato tops is an excellent fertilizer. Not in pure form, but as a part of the water infusion. Feeding through the tops of tomatoes saturate the soil with nitrogen and other necessary for the growth and development of plant substances.
For the preparation of fertilizers, we need a simple grass or weeds, young tomato tops (after pasynkovaniya), small barrel, and plain water.
- Fill slightly more than half barrels grass interspersed with young tomato tops;
- Fill the barrel of warm water to the top;
- Closing the cover or stretch the film.
Our dressing will be ready in a week. I add a 10-liter watering can about 1 liter of the infusion and 9 liters of water.
Watering plants at the root, we get an excellent fertilizer. Processing plant fully we get rid of pests and also fertilize it.
4. Ash from the tops of tomatoes
From the tops of tomatoes make excellent ash. Since the very tops poorly lit (Especially if it is poorly allowed to dry) it can interfere with birch or pine wood. It turns a great mixture, rich in phosphorus, potassium and many other very necessary and useful for the garden micronutrients.
5. mulching the soil
Tomato tops perfect for mulching. In the first months of this flooring will give warmth and protection, and in the future will be an excellent fertilizer and a source of micronutrients. In addition, the presence of solanine warrants various pests.
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