How to feed seedlings so that they get stronger
Miscellaneous / / April 22, 2022
Look out for escapes. Maybe it's time to feed them.
How to understand that seedlings need fertilizer
If you take care of the quality of the soil when picking your plants, then you don’t have to worry about additional top dressing. But, unfortunately, gardeners do not always choose good soil, so a deficiency of nutrients can affect the condition of seedlings. If the growth of the shoots has stopped or slowed down, the leaves have changed color, and the stems have stretched and become thin, it's time to feed her.
How to feed seedlings
top dressing it happensN. N. Lazarev. Plant nutrition / Big Russian Encyclopedia root and extraroot. In the first case, we are talking about watering the plant under the root, in the second - about spraying.
You can feed seedlings with mineral and organic fertilizers. Or choose complex tools - they are universal and special for different cultures. This option is suitable if there is no time or desire to understand all the intricacies of top dressing.
Various growth stimulants and rooters will also benefit.
Mineral fertilizers
The main substances that plants need during their life are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The disadvantage of any of them affectsN. BUT. Wednesday, R. AND. Bayazitova, V. I. Davletgareeva, V. AND. Kuznetsov, N. BUT. Rodin. A guide to fertilizers for gardeners and gardeners. Edition 1 on the quality and appearance of seedlings. Depending on the problem, seedlings can be fed with these elements separately. The main thing is to understand what they are responsible for.
1. nitrogen fertilizers
Nitrogen is responsible for metabolism in plant cells. It helps the production of chlorophyll and proteins, ensures harmonious growth and growth of green mass.
Signs of nitrogen deficiency:
- slow growth or its stop;
- yellow or pale leaves;
- thin and weak stems.
There are many fertilizers with nitrogen: ammonia water, ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulphate, ammonium sulfate. Each has its own specific application. Therefore, before feeding, carefully read the instructions on the package.
For example, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and urea are commonly sold as granules and powder, but are best absorbed by the plant in liquid form. To prepare the solution, take 3-4 g of fertilizer per 1 liter of water. Water the plants with the resulting mixture, and after 1-2 hours, gently loosen the topsoil.
2. Phosphate fertilizers
Phosphorus helps the development of the root system of plants, and also increases their sustainability to low temperatures and droughts.
Phosphorus deficiency symptoms:
- darkening and purple-purple color of leaves and stems;
- dark, and sometimes almost black color of dried foliage.
There are also many options for fertilizers: ammophos, double superphosphate, diammophos, bone meal, potassium metaphosphate, simple superphosphate, phosphate rock. You can choose anything. Just remember that bone and phosphorite flour practically does not dissolve in water, so it is better to feed it immediately before planting plants in open ground or greenhouse.
At home, it is more expedient to use water-soluble fertilizers. For example, pour 1 g of double superphosphate into 1 liter of hot water, let it cool and feed the seedlings at the root. You can repeat the procedure after 7-10 days.
3. potash fertilizers
Potassium is an important participant in the process of photosynthesis, so its deficiency is primarily reflected in the leaves. It is also responsible for plant immunity, abundant flowering and fruit taste.
Signs of potassium deficiency:
- edge burn of leaves;
- drying and falling of leaves.
You can feed the seedlings with potassium nitrate, potassium magnesia, potassium monophosphate, potassium sulfate, potassium sulfate. For example, dissolve 0.7–1 g of potassium monophosphate in 1 liter of water and water the seedlings under the root. After 10-15 days, top dressing can be repeated.
organic fertilizers
Mullein and bird droppings are natural top dressings. They will provide seedlings with nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese and other useful substances. In addition, they can be combined with mineral fertilizers.
Although there is a clear drawback - a persistent smell. Before watering the plants, both the mullein and the droppings must be filled with water and kept warm for several days. In conditions apartments this can be a real problem, so you can buy pelleted manure. It does not have a strong odor and is simply applied to the soil in a dry form.
Another option is biohumus concentrate, which contains a complex of nutrients, micro and macro elements. This tool is sold in a semi-finished form, so you can simply dilute it with water and leave it for just a few hours.
Complex fertilizers
These funds are a source of nutrients for plants. When choosing, you should pay special attention to the composition and proportions of the components.
- Two-component fertilizers. There are nitrogen-potassium (potassium nitrate), nitrogen-phosphorus (nitroammophosphate, diammonium phosphate, nitrogenophosphate, ammophosphate, ammophos, nitroammophos) and phosphorus-potassium (monopotassium phosphate).
- Three-component fertilizers. Contain at once nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These are ammofoska, diammofoska, nitroammofoska, nitrofoska.
All of them are complex, since during the production the substances are not just mechanically mixed, but enter into chemical reactions. The composition may also include sulfur, magnesium and other elements.
Biostimulants (growth stimulants and rooters)
These products also contain a whole range of substances that plants need. Plus, there are fungicides that protect against fungal diseases.
Biostimulants include, for example, succinic acid. With it, plants become more resilient, develop better and absorb nutrients from the soil. However, it cannot replace fertilizers, but only complements them.
Succinic acid is sold in the form of tablets and powder, which must be diluted in water. For seedlings, two or three waterings are enough, the last of which is best done a few days before transplanting. It is useful even 2-3 days after picks. In both cases, the tool will help the seedlings take root.
Spraying is another option for using succinic acid. It is especially effective before and after transplanting, as well as for helping damaged and weakened plants.
You can buy other special stimulants and rooters of different brands. For example, "Epin" and "Zircon" will help plants survive stress after picking, transplanting and pinching, and "Kornevin" will stimulate the growth of the root system.
When to feed seedlings
Do not rush to feed plants that have just sprouted. It will do more harm than good.
When to Feed Eggplants
The first time you can apply fertilizer when the plants already have 2-3 true leaves, and the second - a week and a half before transplanting to a permanent place.
When to feed cabbage
The first time you can apply fertilizer a week after picking, and the second - 7 days before planting in the ground.
When to feed cucumbers
seedlings cucumbers can be planted after 25-30 days, so with the right soil you can do without fertilizer. And additional substances are needed only when problems arise.
If top dressing is unavoidable, wait until at least one or two true leaves appear, and then fertilize for the first time. The second time cucumbers can be fed in about two weeks.
When to Feed Peppers
When the plant has a real leaf, you can apply the first portion of fertilizer. The time for the second feeding will come in two to three weeks, and for the third - 7 days before transplanting.
When to Feed Tomatoes
The first top dressing can be applied when the first true leaves appear on the seedlings. A suitable time for the second is 12-14 days after the pick. The third time you can feed the tomatoes two weeks later, and the fourth - 7-10 days before planting in open ground, a greenhouse or a balcony box.
How to properly feed seedlings
There are several important rules.
Keep Proportions
Before using the fertilizer, carefully read the instructions on the packaging. The dosage may vary depending on the manufacturer. Follow the recommendations when preparing the solution - excess nutrients can destroy plants as well as their scarcity.
Water the plants first
Fertilizers need to be in moist soil so as not to burn the roots of the plant. Water the seedlings in the evening with plain water, and in the morning with a nutrient solution. This technique will save the root system from burns, and the soil from waterlogging.
In addition, take care of proper watering in the intervals between top dressing. Do not overdry the soil and do not let it turn into a swamp. This is equally dangerous for seedlings.
Be careful
Pour the fertilizer solution strictly under the root, otherwise you risk burning the leaves and stems of the plant. Remember to wear gloves before working with chemicals.
Choose the right time
It is advisable to water in the morning so that the roots do not suffer in moist soil at a lower night temperature.
And foliar top dressing is best done in the evening. Firstly, under the influence of light, useful substances will evaporate faster than they have time to act, and secondly, the leaves can burn.
Do not mix different types of fertilizers
It is better to use the products separately, because their combination can lead to unpredictable results - the necessary elements simply will not be absorbed by the plants. If you don’t want to understand the theory, fertilize with a complex mineral fertilizer with a uniform distribution of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - most often it is 18:18:18 or 20:20:20. Dosage and method of application can be found in the instructions on the package.
Don't feed too often
As we have said, an excess of even nutrients in the soil is not the best option for plants. So do not try to water the seedlings every few days with all the top dressings that are at hand. Observe the intervals between fertilizer applications. In addition, it is better to start top dressing after picking, if you use high-quality and nutrient-rich soil.
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Text worked on: Victoria Kuracheva, Irina Sakharova.
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