Feeding tomatoes is necessary at every stage of growth of this crop. Besides, organic fertilizers– such as mullein can be used periodically and will not harm developing plants in any way! Mullein refers to a diluted liquid prepared from cow dung, which does not contain straw or other debris.

When preparing nutrient liquids based on mullein, you can add additional potassium permanganate. So, for example, for a bucket of mullein, take five such buckets of water and leave it in a sunny area for almost half a month, periodically stirring the product.

Please note that the container in which the cow dung will ferment must be tightly closed, and only open it while stirring. Mullein is considered ready when its mass has completely fermented and, having settled, gives a sediment of solid particles. Only the light, transparent part of the liquid is collected.

Then take a half-liter jar of such liquid and add water to it, adding it to the volume of a ten-liter bucket. Additionally, add no more than 3 g of potassium permanganate.

How to fertilize tomatoes with mullein?

Before adding mullein to the soil, the tomato beds need to be thoroughly watered with plenty of water. Then every small bush pour three glasses of the prepared solution, but pour more into larger ones, increasing in some cases to five glasses.

Immediately after adding organic matter, the tomato bushes need to be well watered again. This is necessary so that the substances penetrate into the soil as quickly as possible and are distributed as evenly as possible in order to ensure the flow of nutritional components to the entire root system of tomatoes at the same time.

Some, intending to further enrich the soil with potassium and phosphorus, also add mullein and 100 g of superphosphate or a half-liter jar of wood or straw ash into the solution. The nutritional components contained in mullein are absorbed very quickly by tomatoes and it is believed that they love them very much!

When do you fertilize tomatoes with mullein?

Landed in open ground tomatoes, unless, of course, you have already supplemented the soil with similar organic matter before planting, it is recommended to feed them after about 10 days. This is provided that the plants are developing normally, since they have completely adapted to the new composition of the soil.

The next feeding may occur shortly before flowering begins, that is, somewhere else two weeks from the first. This time will be enough to root system the tomato has absorbed the previous nutritional components.

It is recommended to add mullein to the soil at the time of fruit formation and during the period of their growth. They also fertilize the soil when the fruits are ripe. These are all acceptable options. In fact, in practice, when applying fertilizing, you need to be especially careful so as not to inadvertently scorch the plants! Therefore, before you bring it inside root feeding tomatoes, you need to sensibly assess the composition of your soil. In the case of fertile nutrient soil, reduce the amount of fertilizing to a minimum!

Large manure cattle used as organic fertilizer for garden and vegetable crops. It is widely used in personal and farms as a natural remedy that improves the composition of the soil and enriches it with nutrients. Mullein fertilizer cow dung- A popular and easy-to-use product.

In reference books, the word “mullein” is understood as a solution of cow feces, and in common parlance, mullein is cow dung.

Chemical elements in mullein

The effectiveness of using mullein is explained by its chemical composition, which contains many of the elements needed in different periods plant growth.

Microelements and their action

The composition of manure varies depending on the diet, sex and age of the animal. For example, the content of the elements given in the table adult more than in a young animal.

Benefits of using mullein

Mullein has been used for thousands of years, and the need for its use has been proven by time. In addition, there are undeniable advantages over other types of fertilizers:

• accessible, cheap, universal remedy;
• participates in the creation of a fertile layer (unlike mineral fertilizers), improves soil structure and aeration;
• the chemical elements in the composition are necessary for the growth and development of the plant, the formation of fruits, and are absorbed in full;
• magnesium and potassium reduce soil acidity;
• promotes the conversion of insoluble mineral compounds into soluble ones;
• released upon decay carbon dioxide, necessary for the process of photosynthesis;
• has a prolonged, uniform effect (3-4 years in sandy and sandy loam soils, 7 years in clayey soils).

Types of mullein and uses

There are several types of mullein and each must be used correctly so as not to harm the plant.

Litter

Litter manure is livestock excrement, straw and hay used for feed and bedding. Sometimes leaves and sawdust rich in phosphorus and potassium are used for bedding.

Peat with a large amount of nitrogen in its composition is also found in manure. Peat manure decomposes more quickly and is quickly absorbed by the roots, but it is low in magnesium, so it is mainly used in compost mixtures.

Apply to the soil fresh (before the nitrogen evaporates) after harvesting when digging up the site, adding 30-40 kg per 10 m².

It is impossible to use fresh manure before planting, since as it decomposes, it increases the temperature of the soil, which can damage the root system.

Without bedding

This type of manure contains only feces, no impurities. Based on its condition, it can be divided into 3 types:

1. Fresh manure that has not begun to decompose. Apply diluted 1:20, watering the rows or soil around the plant, but not at the root. You cannot add it fresh to the holes - it will burn the roots, since the concentration of substances is very high. Possible cooking warm beds for cucumbers based on it.
2. Not completely rotted manure (semi-rotted), has Brown color and fluid consistency, contains up to 70% nitrogen. Used for fertilizer fruit trees and shrubs, preparing infusions for watering (liquid mullein).
3. Rotted manure (humus) can be ground into an odorless black powder. Used in any season - when digging, apply 40 kg per 1 sq.m., directly under the plant - 1 handful. The infusion is prepared from 1 kg of humus and 5 liters of water.

Information!

To plant tomato seedlings, use a mixture of garden soil and humus (2:1).

Slurry

Slurry is animal urine with a small amount of decomposed manure. Application is possible only after the fermentation process.

Mullein and fertilizers for tomatoes

Like all garden crops, tomatoes need feeding. Good results gives an infusion of mullein from fresh manure or slurry. The process lasts several days and, as a result, ammonia nitrogen is converted into a form that is safe for plants, stimulating their growth.

Bubbles are observed on the surface of the infusion, and their number indicates the activity of the fermentation process. The end of the process is indicated by the absence of bubbles.

How to cook:

• mix manure or slurry (1 part) and water (5 parts), stir;
• leave for 2 weeks, stirring the contents.

Options for using the infusion

A nitrogen-rich infusion based on mullein is used in initial period growing season of tomatoes and during the formation of ovaries.

The first time they are fed 2 weeks after planting the seedlings, the next feeding is done after 20-25 days. The infusion is diluted (1:3) by adding 1 tbsp. superphosphate for every 10 liters of liquid and spend 0.5 liters per medium-sized bush. For tall (indeterminate) varieties, the norm is increased to 1.5 liters.

Information!

To prevent infections, you can add 3 g of potassium permanganate to the solution.

During the formation of the ovaries, they are fed with the following composition: mullein (1 l), superphosphate (2 tbsp.), copper sulfate(1/3 tsp), water (10 l).

Watering is carried out in grooves made around the trunk at a distance of 15-20 cm. You cannot water at the root - you can damage the root system.

Along with beneficial properties mullein can significantly harm tomatoes if it is used uncontrolled and without taking into account the needs of the crop.

What not to do:

• failure to comply with the norms for adding organic matter - this leads to its excess in the soil and gives impetus to the development of diseases, disturbances in the development and formation of fruits;
• putting fresh manure in the holes - you can burn the roots;
• feed with mullein more than 3 times per season;
• feed only mullein - organic matter should be combined with mineral supplements;
• water with mullein without additional watering with water.

Mullein infusions are applied only to well-watered soil or, which is also acceptable, first fertilize it, and then, after 15-20 minutes, water it well.

Effective infusion for tomatoes

There are many recipes for using mullein in infusions and, for sure, everyone is trying to find the most effective remedy. Experienced gardeners successfully use mullein infusion with enhanced action:

• not completely rotted manure (not fresh) – 1 bucket;
• dry bird droppings – 1 kg;
• yeast – 100g;
• old jam (molasses, honey) – 3l;
• water - 5-6 buckets.

The infusion is prepared, with stirring, for a week. Tomatoes need to be watered with it when flowering and ovaries are forming - add 0.5 liters to a bucket of water. The application of mullein must be combined with watering.

After completely using the infusion, add manure (half a bucket) to the mixture again, infuse and use. You can add chopped nettles 1 bucket at a time. To prevent the smell from disturbing, the barrel is covered with film and tied with an elastic band. The infusion is suitable for watering all vegetable and berry crops.

Tomatoes will be grateful for mullein-based fertilizers and will delight you with a decent harvest.

27.11.2017 3 459

Mullein – effective fertilizer for the garden

Mullein is a fertilizer of organic origin, actively used for feeding garden plants, and how to use fresh cow manure effectively, how to dilute it and apply it to the beds for tomatoes, strawberries, garden trees when is it better to fertilize - in autumn or spring, read on...

Fresh manure as fertilizer

Mullein is a fertilizer that is almost ideal for all types of plants - firstly, organic matter is absorbed faster mineral supplements, secondly, cow dung contains almost all the elements necessary for the growth and development of plants - nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and many others. Fresh manure is used as fertilizer in the form of slurry, humus or infusion.

Pure mullein should be added to the soil in the fall after harvesting so that the organic matter burns out before spring without scorching the roots of the plants. It is best to spread and cultivate the soil with fresh cow pats, as over time they lose a lot important element– nitrogen. Infusion, humus or half-rotted composition can be used at any time during the growing season. Cow dung can be used in two forms, each with its own benefits.

Litter manure is a mass collected from animal bedding, contains straw or peat, is rich in magnesium, which helps increase productivity, helps the plant survive temperature changes, and is rich in nitrogen. There is no magnesium in peat litter, but it is rich in ammonium nitrogen, which is much better absorbed by the soil - it is used to prepare humus and complex fertilizer soil during autumn and spring plowing.

applying fresh cow manure

Mullein is pure manure without any impurities, containing more than 50% ammonia nitrogen, used to prepare slurry. Clean manure is included in compost pits. Fresh manure is used as a complex feed during autumn and spring plowing, but using cakes in their pure form is dangerous - you can burn the roots. During spring plowing, it is best to mix the soil with rotted manure or use dry mullein, which is also used for mulching.

How to prepare slurry

Preparation of mullein infusion will require a large container - pour in the pure substance, add water in a ratio of 1:5 so that there is free space up to the lid, since it is more convenient to mix the liquid. We close the lid, put pressure on top, otherwise the lid will fly off when gases are released, leave the mixture for 5-7 days, depending on the weather. The liquid must be stirred periodically, and when the slurry brightens, undissolved elements settle and bubbles form on the surface - the concentrated slurry is ready. The concentrate is stored under a tightly closed lid.

diluting cow dung in proper proportion

How to dilute cow manure for irrigation depends on soil moisture - for wet soil you need to dilute the mixture by half, for a dry garden 1:4. In any case, it is recommended to water the soil before and after fertilizing, and to get the maximum effect, you can add 100 g of superphosphate and 0.5 kg of wood ash to the mixture. It is advisable to make a groove around the trunk of the plant, pour the resulting mixture into it, and then bury it.

If the mixture has not fermented, and replenishment needs to be done urgently, it is better to use a 1:10 solution of mullein. Sometimes the unfermented mass is used to resuscitate yellowed leaves suffering from a lack of nitrogen, to resuscitate weakened or diseased crops. This mass restores plants well after temperature changes.

They use fresh cow manure as a foliar feed - a concentrate of slurry diluted with 20 parts of water is sprayed on the plants, and thanks to this the soul garden plot comes to life - the leaves become bright green, the plants grow stronger and become disease-resistant.

Mullein - fertilizer for the garden and vegetable garden

Before fertilizing trees with mullein, a ditch is dug around the tree trunk area or pipes are dug in for root feeding, after which diluted slurry concentrate is poured into them at the rate of 1 bucket per young tree, 2 for an adult. The hole is buried immediately after the soil has absorbed the liquid.

Mullein is a fertilizer, the use of which is advisable to stop in the second half of summer, since the composition of the substance provokes the growth of shoots - starting from mid-July, the branches prepare for winter, become woody, and the fragile branch will probably freeze and die in cold weather conditions.

You can start fertilizing cucumbers, zucchini, melons, watermelons and pumpkins at the seedling stage - to prepare mullein slurry you need to pour in the mixture hot water in a ratio of 1:10, leave for 3-4 hours, dilute again 1:5 and water the seedlings. Next time, the seedlings are watered two days before transplanting into the ground, and the final feeding will be the introduction of mullein into the beds 2 weeks after planting with a solution of 1:10, 1 liter for each bush.

feeding greenhouse cucumbers

Cucumbers can be fertilized with 1 glass of cow dung diluted in a bucket of water until the ovaries appear, and the procedure can be repeated several times during fruiting - 8-10 liters of the already prepared mass are added to each bush.

It is important to know how to fertilize tomatoes and peppers with mullein - to do this, pour a mixture diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20 into the holes prepared for seedlings. The second feeding is carried out after 10-14 days, 0.5-1 liter per bush, subsequent ones - as necessary during fruit ripening. Before each procedure, the bushes must be watered abundantly.

Spinach, cabbage, lettuce, and other spicy greens are watered with a standard mullein solution at the beginning of the growing season. Beets are fertilized after thinning, when the root crop reaches 3-4 cm in diameter - for this, pure manure is diluted 1:8 and watered at a rate of 500 ml per bush.

Strawberries are fed with dry mullein, pouring it between the beds. It is also recommended in the fall to dig up the soil for future beds with bedding manure. Root feeding can be done with slurry, adding it to the holes before planting, before the flowers set and during the formation of berries.

Mullein is a fertilizer that has some contraindications for use; in particular, the use of this organic substance is not recommended for the following reasons:

• Carrots, radishes, radishes after feeding will acquire a hard, fibrous structure, growth will take place in spreading tops;
• Beans, peas, chickpeas, asparagus and lentils intensively grow tops to the detriment of flower ovaries;
• Cabbage loves fertilizer made from cow manure, with the exception of Kohlrabi and Chinese cabbage, the structure of which will become denser and lose juiciness due to fertilizing.

Onions and garlic also have mixed reactions to the remedy - they categorically do not accept cow dung in the ground, they begin to weaken and get sick, but watering with slurry can bring positive results.

Cow manure, also known as mullein, is a widely used fertilizer; it contains many useful substances and provides plants with all the necessary nutrition. Judge for yourself, it contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, zinc, cobalt. Treating the soil with such fertilizer will make it more fertile and the plants healthy and beautiful. Cow manure is stored in bags when it is dry, in barrels and bottles when liquid; It can be used in the spring, before planting, and in the fall, after harvesting. The main thing is to follow the instructions to prepare the best fertilizer for your garden soil.

Cow dung infusion is easy to prepare and will last you a long time. You can buy cow manure in bags at any barn in spring or autumn, and you can use fresh infusion as much as needed to fertilize the soil. It is best to prepare mixtures in the spring, before planting begins, and use them as soon as possible.

The barrel needs to be filled one-third full with slurry, add water until it is full, and mix well. The solution is left to sit for several hours, and then diluted 1:5 or 1:15, depending on how much moisture there is in the ground, immediately before watering. Fresh infusion can be diluted with urea, mineral and organic fertilizers can be added to obtain a more saturated solution.

Another method of preparation: mix the slurry with water and leave to ferment for 7-10 days. Dilute the resulting solution again with water 1:2 or 1:4 (depending on soil moisture). For young plants, one bucket of such fertilizer will be needed; for trees, a little more will be needed - 2-3 buckets, taking into account 2 liters per 1 sq. m. m. You can also mix a solution of bird droppings and cow feces. Mix equal parts of bird and cow manure with water and leave to ferment for 3 days. Pour the resulting mixtures into one tank and dilute again with water. A lack of phosphorus can have a detrimental effect on your plantings, so you can mix slurry, 50 g of superphosphate, and dilute with water 1:2 before applying.

Video “All about the use of cow feces”

Informational video with illustrative examples and tips for using cow feces.

Breeding

Fertilizing the soil with mullein requires proper dilution; fertilizer must be applied carefully. Infusion or humus provides what the soil needs useful material, but in excess it can lead to nitrate poisoning. It is better to purchase fresh cow manure in bags in the spring, but pass it through processing and removal of pests and weeds.

All useful elements that are introduced into the soil with mullein are absorbed by the plants within the first day. This effect on plantings gives an obvious advantage - large harvests at the end of the season. How much water is needed to use this mixture? Usually a ratio of 1:10 is used, but if you previously diluted the mixture with water, you will need to dilute it 1:5.

Application

Before finding out how to use mullein, you should understand what types of mullein there are. The first one is bedding. This type of mullein accommodates solid and liquid excrement, which is mixed with hay, straw or peat, used as bedding. Depending on what kind of material was used as bedding, you can determine the most effective use of fertilizer.

If the bedding was hay or straw, the humus will be rich in phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. I use this mullein to fertilize the soil in the fall, after the harvest has taken place. Peat mullein contains ammonium nitrogen, which is well absorbed by plants. It is best to use it in spring.

The second type is bedding-free, a medium-density substance that contains all the necessary nutrients. For example, ammonia nitrogen, which plants absorb better than nitrogen from mullein litter. The last type is slurry. This is a liquid type of manure that is prepared from unlined mullein. It can only be used in a fermented state and diluted.

You can often find factory-produced mullein, an organic mixture mined industrial methods. This fertilizer is available in several types. This can be a package of dry fertilizer (this option is always inexpensive and easy to transport) or a bottle of liquid fertilizer.

It is worth remembering, however, that such fertilizers must be used correctly and not applied to the soil before planting, otherwise there is a high risk of burning the roots of your seedlings. An obvious plus is that factory processing involves the removal of pathogens. Factory-made mullein can be used immediately if you prepare a mullein solution from it. This solution can be used to feed seedlings already during the ripening process, as well as throughout the entire growth period, right up to harvesting.

Video “Preparation of natural fertilizer”

Tomatoes respond especially well to fertilizing with mullein; this universal organic fertilizer contains all the macro and microelements necessary for the crop. It is sometimes used fresh, but more often it is put into compost and made into nutritious infusions. Let's use the tips experienced gardeners, let’s talk about exactly why mullein is useful and how to use it correctly.

What types of mullein are there, benefits for tomatoes

Mullein significantly increases the humus content and nutrients in the soil, it is called a complex or even complete fertilizer. If we compare pig manure with cow manure, the latter brings 2 or even 3 times more benefits; it decomposes for a long time, due to which it feeds the plants for a long time and evenly. The list of elements contained in such a fertilizer is quite long. Main substances: magnesium, boron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, copper and nitrogen.

Attention!

Mullein is often confused with slurry, it is different concepts. Slurry is pure, liquid cow dung, and mullein is a fermented aqueous solution of cow dung.

Mullein promotes the development and reproduction of microorganisms in the soil, it improves the properties of the soil, converts poorly soluble substances into an easily digestible form. Fertilizer structures the soil, binding it into small lumps; in such conditions, plants are most comfortable. Lumps of earth are washed away by water, but remain strong, in simple words such soil is called greasy.

After introducing cow dung into the heavy, clay soil, it becomes loose, easier to process, water does not stagnate in it and heat accumulates faster. At the same time, tomatoes grow strong, their immunity to various negative factors improves, and the yield and quality of the fruit increases.

Varieties of mullein

In total, there are 2 types of natural milk, they differ in additional ingredients, which depend on the way the cows are kept.

In specialized stores you can find another type of mullein - factory. Industrial, concentrated liquid fertilizer made from manure. There is also dry and granulated mullein on sale, which is diluted in ordinary water.

Let's remember about rotted cow manure; its peculiarity is that during storage it loses liquid, and aggressive, harmful nitrogen also evaporates. Decomposition and rotting occur during the composting process, after which the humus is used for digging (up to 11 kilograms per square meter earth) or prepare nutritious infusions - a kilogram per 5 liters of water. If you mix such compost with soil at a ratio of 1:2, you can grow tomato seedlings in the resulting mixture.

How to fertilize tomatoes with mullein, feeding recipes

mullein is predominantly bedding-free, but it is not used when planting in its pure form, there are 2 reasons for this. Fresh cow manure produces a high temperature when decomposed, and also contains too much ammonia nitrogen, both factors lead to burning of tomato roots.

Only planted seedlings are not fertilized with mullein at all; the first fertilizing can be done only after the bushes have taken root in the garden bed, got used to the new conditions, taken root and become stronger. This period takes about 10–20 days. Liquid fertilizer is used after good watering, but it is not recommended to pour it directly under the root; it is better to make special holes around the bush and fill them with mullein.

Attention!

Fresh manure can be applied during autumn digging, evenly scattering it over the beds for tomatoes. Soil enrichment is carried out no more than once every 3 years, using no more than 5 kilograms per square meter.

How to prepare liquid fertilizer for tomatoes based on cow dung:

1. Manure is mixed with water (1:5), covered tightly with a lid and left to infuse for 2 weeks. It is advisable to use enamel or plastic containers. One part of the infused mixture is diluted with two parts of water, the fertilizer is ready for use. Consumption – 500 grams per bush.
2. Take 5 buckets of water per bucket of mullein and let it sit for 2 weeks. It is advisable to remove the lid only for periodic stirring of the mixture (every 2 or 3 days). When the mass has completely fermented, take half a liter of clear, settled liquid from the top of the container, dilute it in a bucket of water and add 3 grams of potassium permanganate. 3–5 faceted cups of fertilizer are poured under each bush.
3. A kilogram of fresh manure is poured with 6 liters of water, 40 grams of wood ash and 20 grams of superphosphate are added, covered and left for a week. Take half a liter of infusion for one bush.

Liquid fertilizers prepared according to the first and second recipes should be used when symptoms of nitrogen deficiency are observed. Feeding is also useful during slow growth and in the first stages of bush development, when they grow green mass. During the period of flowering, setting and formation of fruits, a third fertilizer option is used. Mullein can be applied at all stages of tomato growth with an interval of 2 weeks.

Usually cow manure is infused for 2 weeks, but if the container is placed in a sunny, well-warmed place on the site, then the mullein can be ready a little earlier. The beginning of fermentation will be indicated by bubbles appearing on the surface of the solution. Later, the color of the liquid will begin to change, becoming much lighter, due to the fact that all the solid particles will sink to the bottom. This indicates the end of the fermentation process, which means that after 3 or 4 days the fertilizer can be used. The finished mullein is stored in a closed container.

Attention!

The frequency of fertilizing tomatoes with cow manure depends on the condition of the soil. You should not use it when the land is already fertile and rich. Particular care is taken if mullein was brought in for digging in the fall.

Even tomato seedlings are fertilized with a solution of cow dung. To feed, take 500 grams of mullein per 10 liters of water, add a teaspoon of boric acid, and mix. No more than 50 grams of nutrient liquid is poured under each bush.

Do not forget that everything should always be done on time and in moderation. Excessive and improper use of mullein can lead to the most unexpected results. Do not exceed the norms for applying fertilizer and monitor the condition of the tomato bushes; if they are externally strong and beautiful, the fruits are plump and ripen well, then it is better to avoid using mullein. Insufficiently rotted or unfermented manure can cause irreparable harm; pathogens of various diseases often develop in such fertilizer.

Cow dung is an environmentally friendly, incredibly valuable fertilizer that can replace absolutely all complex mixtures sold in stores. Its benefits are difficult to overestimate; the main advantage is that all the necessary elements and substances are quickly absorbed by plants. Another plus is the availability of cow manure, even if there are no farms nearby, factory-made mullein would be a good replacement; it will definitely be found in any specialized store.