Nettles are used to feed tomatoes very popular. This option is a simple and effective method of fertilizer, providing a natural cycle of life-giving substances and microelements (what the weed takes from the soil during growth returns).
- Chemical composition and use
- Harvesting nettles
- Preparation and use
- Watering plants
- Mulching <
- Conclusion <
Chemical composition and benefits
In order to understand what the benefits of this weed are, you need to study the chemical composition of the plant. nettle dor:
- Ca (calcium) – 37%. It promotes photosynthesis and metabolism. From a lack of calcium, growth stops, the shoots and leaves wither.
- K (potassium) – 34%. It activates the work of enzymes, promotes the movement of beneficial trace elements, is responsible for maintaining the level of moisture. From a lack of potassium, the plant loses its strength and elasticity, then dies.
- Mg (magnesium) – 6%. It, like calcium, is necessary for photosynthesis. The lack of magnesium is determined by the appearance of the foliage: it loses its color, grows dull.
By the amount of nitrogen, this weed significantly exceeds its content in poultry, cow, horse manure. All elements are well absorbed by vegetable crops, but are especially useful for tomatoes.
There are methods for fertilizing the nightshade family, such as watering, mulching, and spraying. When watering with infusion of nettles, tomatoes tend to increase the vegetative mass and form high-quality fruits. Mulching helps the plant in development, performs a protective function when attacking slugs and snails. Spraying eliminates harmful microorganisms and late blight.
Before you go in search of this plant, you need to take safety measures: clothes and shoes should be closed, it should be Carry tight gloves (this will help protect the body from burns). It is necessary to prepare a knife or clippers, as well as a bag for collecting fertilizer. It is at this stage of ripening that the weed is rich in nutrients. Plants should not contain external damage by microorganisms or rot. Young shoots are best suited for this.
Preparation and use
Nettle as a fertilizer has many different recipes, the basis of which is fermented plant mass. Subsequently, various ingredients are added to this mass to increase a certain amount of chemical elements.
Before starting work, you need to:
- Decide on the choice of container for the liquid. It can be a wooden barrel, a plastic vessel, an enameled bucket.It is not recommended to use an iron container: when a metal comes into contact with a plant, a chemical reaction occurs, all useful trace elements disappear.
- Grind and pour the nettle branches and leaves into the selected container. Fill more than half the volume of prepared containers.
- Pour all this with warm water, not reaching the edges of the container. After this, the fermentation process begins and a foam forms.
After about 2 weeks, when the fermentation is completed, the infusion will be ready. Mix the fertilizer daily so that the selection of nutrients is even.
Water the plants
Before starting to water the tomatoes, the fertilizer is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, i.e. 10 L of water accounts for 1 l of top dressing. With this infusion, tomatoes need to be fertilized every 2 weeks. After this procedure, they need regular heavy watering.
To spray tomatoes with infusion, mix 1 part of the prepared mixture and 20 parts of water in a ratio of 1:20. This prevention is carried out no more than once a month.
Mulching – covering the soil with natural inorganic materials that provide:
- soil protection from moisture evaporation;
- uniform feeding of tomatoes;
- weed control.
Raw nettles are dried for several days. During this time, excess moisture evaporates, the process of decay does not occur. After that, the dry grass is laid out in the beds and in the aisles, while the mulch should not come into contact with the stems of the tomatoes.
Nettle blooms from mid-May to late autumn, so you can use it to prepare the ground for tomatoes for the next year. The plot of the garden after harvest is mulched with mowed nettles. This should be done when the rainy season begins. Before the first frost, the mulch manages to overtake and turn into fertilizer.
It is believed that if the beds of tomatoes are located near the place of planting of nettles, this positively affects the quantity and quality of the harvested crop.