Feeding indoor plants with fertilizers. Fertilizers for garden plants Video: Recipes for simple and inexpensive dressings

Garden and garden plants in the middle of summer work hard to feed us. But at the same time, they themselves need good nutrition, in feeding roots and leaves, in soil nutrition.

Plant needs

Other elements are also required: for example, fruit trees especially need calcium, boron and zinc; beets and tomatoes need boron.

You can achieve a good harvest through top dressing

In the first half of summer, plants need liquid top dressing with infusions of mullein or bird droppings. Herbal infusions from different herbs are also effective: shepherd's purse, tansy, nettle, horsetail.

Signs of starvation

Top dressing of fruit trees and berries.

liquid root dressings

In years with a rich harvest, fruit trees and berries consume a lot of nutrients and moisture for the formation of fruits. With a lack of moisture and nutrition, a massive fall of the ovaries is observed. In the first half of summer, we use a 3-7-day infusion of mullein (a bucket - for 6 buckets of water), or chicken manure (a bucket - for 12 buckets of water), or ammonium nitrate (30 g - for a bucket of water), or urea (25 g - on a bucket of water).

Instead of mullein and bird droppings, you can use liquid concentrated fertilizers: Ideal, Fertility, or Bogatyr. And also effectively feed with green fertilizers - herbal infusions of nettle, shepherd's purse, tansy, horsetail with the addition of ash, bird droppings, onions. Before and after feeding, all plants are watered. When using mineral fertilizers in solid form (granules or powder), they are introduced into the grooves to a depth of 8-12 cm, closer to the roots and then sealed. In hot, dry weather, without watering, it is better not to apply fertilizers, since with a lack of moisture in the soil, the roots of plants do not absorb them.

Root top dressing

In mid-August - early September, to increase winter hardiness, feed perennial plants with superphosphate and potash fertilizers - 50 g of both per 1 sq. m near the trunk circle. These fertilizers can be replaced with wood ash (1 kg per 1 sq. m). Fertilizers in dry form are applied along the periphery of the near-stem circle and embedded in the soil. There is no need to apply liquid top dressing, since precipitation usually falls during this period.

Foliar top dressing

Liquid fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out in the spring, during the period of growth of the bulk of the leaves, the second - after flowering, the third - during the period of intensive growth of shoots and fruits, the fourth - after harvesting. In the first three terms, plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium equally. Last time - without nitrogen. Spraying of plants is carried out in the evening, in calm, calm weather, trying to apply a thin spray on the upper and lower surface of the leaf.

The validity of foliar dressings is 10-15 days.

For top dressing, a solution of urea (40-60 g per 10 l of water), a solution of potassium chloride (60-80 g per 10 l of water) and an aqueous extract of simple superphosphate (300-500 g per 10 l of water) are used.

Preparation of working solution. Nitrogen and potassium fertilizers dissolve well in water. Phosphorus from superphosphate is more difficult to extract, the solution is prepared in advance. The measured fertilizer is placed in a glass dish, poured with a small amount of water (one part of the fertilizer per 10 parts by weight of water). Infuse for 2-4 hours with constant stirring. After this time, the precipitate is precipitated, and the clarified solution is drained and brought to the working volume.

Raisa Vasilkevich, agronomist-gardener

All plants and trees, like any living organism, need food. Nutrients necessary for growth, flowering and fruiting, plants take from the soil, water and air. I regularly feed flowers at home, I use fertilizers for the garden on the site. Without proper and timely feeding, plants grow slowly and cease to bloom. Understanding the many types of fertilizers is easy, I will talk about the main ones.

Types of fertilizers

The main criterion for distinguishing fertilizers is their division into organic and inorganic (mineral).

organic fertilizers are made from natural raw materials. Their main plus is a mild effect on the plant, the disadvantage is the smell and staining. These top dressings include peat, compost, green plants. Manure as fertilizer is the best food for crops. It contains all the necessary trace elements. The most valuable manure is horse manure. Cattle manure is used as an additive to horse manure. Fertilize the soil in areas with high humidity in the spring, in arid areas - in the fall.

Mineral fertilizers- These are artificially created chemical top dressings. They are easily and quickly absorbed by plants, but they have one significant drawback. If the dosage is incorrectly calculated, the use of these fertilizers can lead to illness and death of the plant.

According to the form of release, mineral fertilizers are divided into:

1. liquid fertilizers. A concentrated solution that is diluted with water before use. The most common form of houseplant fertilizer.
2. Soluble. A powder that is diluted in water immediately before watering.
3. Granular. It is often used as a garden fertilizer.
4. Fertilizers in the form of candles or tablets. They are laid in the soil, where they gradually dissolve as they are watered. The disadvantage of this type is the uneven distribution of nutrients.

According to the field of application, top dressing is divided into several types:

1. Universal fertilizers contain the main macronutrients in approximately equal proportions.
2. Special fertilizers are created taking into account the needs of a particular type of plant.
3. Tree fertilizer is suitable for all fruit crops in the garden, and rose fertilizers are necessary for feeding both garden and indoor roses.

Standard fertilizers, in turn, are divided into top dressing for flowering and non-flowering plants. When choosing fertilizer for your lawn, opt for a fertilizer for non-flowering plants.

According to the composition of feeding are divided into:

1. Nitrogen fertilizers. With a lack of nitrogen, the plant slows down growth, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
2. Phosphorus fertilizers. Phosphorus plays a major role in the processes of photosynthesis and fertilization, the lack of this element adversely affects the flowering and further fruitfulness of the plant.
3. potassium fertilizers. Potassium helps retain moisture in shoots and stems. In addition, potassium supplements increase the resistance of plants to various diseases.

I will talk about what fertilizers to use for which plants.

Which fertilizer and when to use depends on the type of plant that needs to be fed. Nitrogen fertilizers for strawberries are logical to use when the first buds appear, phosphorus - after the flowering period. The use of fertilizers when planting seeds will nourish and protect them.

A lack of nutrients for a plant is just as dangerous as an overabundance. There are a number of rules that will help to carry out top dressing with the greatest efficiency:

1. Never increase the dose or concentration of fertilizers on your own. Follow the instructions on the package.
2. Do not fertilize dry soil. Such top dressing will lead to burns and plant disease.
3. During dormancy, newly transplanted plants do not need fertilizer.
4. Slow-growing plants need more frequent feeding than fast-growing ones.
5. Flowering plants fertilize with the beginning of flowering.
6. If the plant is active in winter, then top dressing is necessary all year round.

Fertilizers certainly help the gardener in growing strong and healthy plants. But the main thing to remember is that bait "works" only if all other conditions favor the development and growth of the plant. Garden Soil fatigue: prevention and control methods

This article will help you understand the variety of nutrients on the market.

It seems to many gardeners that only vegetable plants or fruit trees and shrubs should be fertilized, but other garden plants do not need to be fed. But this opinion is erroneous - all cultivated plants need a sufficient amount of nutrients that they take from the soil. And if annuals can be planted every year in different places, then perennial garden flowers that have been growing for several years in one place choose nutrients from the soil that should be regularly applied to the soil again.

About fertilizing garden plants and how to feed flowers - this will be discussed below.

What substances are necessary for garden plants

Garden plants need the same chemical elements as other garden crops: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, S, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Co, Mb their root system, and each of them is necessary for the development of certain parts of flowers.

1. Nitrogen promotes the growth of stems and leaves. But this trace element is introduced into the soil in the spring, so that the plants do not grow too actively to the detriment of flowering.
2. Phosphorus reduces the growth of foliage and shoots, but the number of buds is also formed less. Usually the amount of these two elements is balanced so as not to harm the plants.
3. Potassium- an element that increases the resistance of flowers to diseases and resistance to frost. It also contributes to the growth of the root system.
4. Magnesium promotes the production of chlorophyll. If there is not enough Mg, then the color of foliage and shoots becomes more faded, as well as the color of buds and flowers.
5. The remaining trace elements are needed by garden plants in microscopic doses, they all help annuals and perennials fight diseases, accelerate the supply of nutrition to all parts of the plant, and increase the number of buds.

Why soil mulching is necessary

The introduction of mulching substances after watering under flower plants is very important, it performs several important tasks at once:

As mulching elements, you can use:

• peat;
• sawdust;
• humus;
• dry foliage;
• green grass;
• gravel;
• pebble.

What is better to use as mulch: organic matter or inorganic matter? This should be the gardener's choice, but the benefits of organic are obvious:

Disadvantages of organic mulch include:

1. Organic mulch has to be replenished periodically, and inorganic mulch can be in tree circles for years.
2. Grass or straw usually attracts mice and birds and should be turned up periodically.
3. If the summer season is rainy, then the leaves, grass and straw get very wet, and this is an excellent environment for the development of fungal or bacterial pathogens.

Therefore, organic mulch should be as fine as possible.

Types of fertilizers for garden plants

In order for garden plants to actively grow and delight their owners with their flowering, they need not only organic matter in the form of top dressing, but also macro and microelements in the form of complex or mono fertilizers.

However, before introducing, for example, organic matter, you should read which flowers do not tolerate it, and which ones need it. Are top dressings applied under flowers on a street lawn different from those applied under home flowers? In principle, the difference is small, complex mineral fertilizers are applied under house plants, which immediately include all the elements necessary for their growth and flowering. And certain types of fertilizers are introduced under garden fertilizers, which include certain minerals that flowers need in a particular period.

The application of various types of fertilizers should be carried out strictly according to the instructions, since the lack of nutrients and their excess are equally harmful to flowers. If these substances are not enough, then the plants will remain weak, the vegetative mass will grow poorly, and flowering will be sluggish. An excess of trace elements and organic matter in the soil leads to their death.

How to determine the lack or excess of minerals in the soil? How and when should they be submitted?

Compost fertilizer, humus usually applied at the end of autumn. This top dressing saturates the soil before the winter cold. The same fertilizers are applied in the spring immediately before planting flower seedlings in open ground. Such dressings make the land on the site better, and the root system of flowers absorbs them perfectly. Liquid top dressing based on organic matter can also be applied in the summer.

trace elements contribute throughout the summer season, only at each stage of flower growth they need different elements. Nitrogen is usually applied in early spring. It is needed in order for the plants to quickly increase the vegetative mass. But an excess of this mineral is harmful, as the plants will bloom worse. When buds begin to appear, as well as during active flowering, superphosphate (or other preparations containing phosphorus) should be applied.

Annual bushes are fed no more than twice.

The first time - 10 - 14 days after planting the seedlings in open ground (but if fertilizers were applied to the planting holes, then this top dressing should be skipped). The next time phosphate fertilizers are applied during the appearance of buds. And under perennials in the fall, fertilizing containing potassium should be applied. It helps the root system to prepare for winter, restore the supply of nutrients, and also stimulates the growth of flower buds for the next season.

Apply to the soil immediately after watering. In this case, the root system will not be burned by a concentrated fertilizer solution, and nutrients will not settle in the soil. Granular fertilizers are applied before watering - they are mixed with soil or scattered in tree trunks, and only then watered so that the granules dissolve and get in liquid form to the roots.

Immediately after planting (or transplanting), the flowers are not fed. Usually give them the opportunity to adapt to a new place - at least 10 - 14 days. Also, no nutrients are added for diseased or weakened flowers.

Usually, in addition to top dressing "under the root", fertilization is also carried out "on the sheet". Such spraying with a fertilizer solution is carried out in warm, dry weather (usually in the evening). Fertilizers that fall on the leaves are absorbed faster than those that are applied to the soil.

It is better to alternate the application of organic and mineral fertilizers.

Application of organic fertilizers

Organic fertilizers include:

• fully rotted compost;
• last year's manure;
• chicken manure;
• ash;
• humus, etc.

All these fertilizers, getting into the soil, activate the work of microorganisms - they process chemical elements in the soil so that they are better absorbed by the root system of plants.

Among all monofertilizers containing mineral fertilizers, urea (containing more than 40% nitrogen), phosphates and superphosphates, as well as various potassium salts are most often used for top dressing. Nitrogen fertilizers are quickly washed out of the soil, especially during heavy snowmelt, so they are sometimes applied several times in the spring.

Soils, the acidity of which is high, have a feature - phosphate fertilizers in such soils remain in a form inaccessible to the root system. Therefore, chalk, lime (slaked or quicklime) are added to such soils along with other fertilizers in order to bring the pH closer to neutral.

Since many flowering annuals and perennials do not tolerate organic fertilizers well, they can only be fed with mineral supplements.

However, I would like to remind you once again that it is better to apply less fertilizer to the soil than too much. Therefore, before feeding the plants, you should carefully read the instructions and in no case exceed the dosages indicated in it.

Feeding annuals and perennials in the garden is a very important element of caring for them. And on how correctly gardeners will fertilize the soil, it depends on how strong and actively flowering the plants in the garden will be.

See also video

A typical mistake of many novice gardeners is that they ignore the recommended plant nutrition. Having bought a flowering houseplant, they believe that since it blooms without any top dressing, then you can do without them at all. This is the deepest delusion. Firstly, any plant offered for sale is already pumped to capacity with various stimulants and fertilizers. Therefore, they bloom so profusely, sometimes violating all flowering periods for their species. And secondly, even the land oversaturated with fertilizers is eventually depleted. By the way, this is one of the reasons why, after flowering, for flowering, and for decorative leafy plants, after a short quarantine, a mandatory transplant is recommended.

Shop soil is practically neutral and does not contain any nutrients other than those introduced from the outside. But even a mixture made according to all the rules will sooner or later be depleted, the plants will absorb all the useful and necessary elements. Consequently, after that they will be on a starvation diet. What kind of growth and flowering then can we talk about. But you also need to feed the plants wisely. For many indoor and garden flowers, their excess is just as harmful as the lack. For, any plant needs a whole set of minerals and trace elements. But the main ones are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Moreover, each of them affects a certain stage of flower development. Moreover, depending on the type of plant, the choice of one or another fertilizer will also depend.

Plant nutrition rules

Always follow the fertilizer frequency recommendations given for each individual plant. If the recommendations do not indicate the dosage for any fertilizer, then follow the instructions for it. This applies to purchased fertilizers. In the recipe, prepared independently, the dosage is usually indicated.

Never feed houseplants and garden plants when they are sick or infested with pests.

After transplanting into fresh land, there is no need for top dressing for some time. Fresh earth mix, provided it is properly formulated, contains everything you need. The start of fertilizing for each plant is negotiated separately, and it depends on the type of plant, its size, and the volume of the earthen coma. But on average, it is believed that top dressing can be started in the second or third month after transplantation. An exception may be flowering and plants that may need stimulants. They are introduced according to the recommendations and the conditional "schedule" of vegetation (development).

Do not fertilize during the dormant period. At this time, any plant does not consume nutrients, and if it does, then in a very limited amount.

For beginner flower growers, I would not advise using "homemade" fertilizers, and even more so, feeding them with all sorts of "nutritional waters": meat, fish, vegetables and other nonsense. I do not argue, sometimes it can be done, but for this you need to know to whom, when and how much to give this liquid. It is safer and more reliable to buy mineral or organic fertilizer suitable for your plant.

If the purchased plant blooms for a long time (,) and it is still impossible to transplant it, start feeding a month after the purchase, this will prolong flowering and maintain the viability of the flower.

How to properly feed houseplants

Before you are going to fertilize, two or three hours is a must. Fertilizers must not be applied to dry land! Especially organic. Feeding "dry" can severely burn the root system.

Solutions of dry mineral fertilizers are prepared immediately before top dressing. Do not prepare them "for the future." Some of their components, in solution, are destroyed during long-term storage.

Organic fertilizers prepared independently from mullein or bird droppings, on the contrary, should be thoroughly infused and fermented.

In addition to the usual top dressing "at the root", foliar top dressing of plants is also used. But it is carried out not instead of the root one, but in addition to it. Fertilizers for foliar feeding are taken in much smaller quantities than for root. If no clear recommendations are given for a particular flower, then a maximum of half the dose is taken. Foliar top dressing is combined with one of the sprays. Usually once a week, subject to. After spraying with a solution of fertilizers, spraying with clean water is mandatory the next day.

How to determine what substances a plant lacks

Subject to all the rules of dressing, the substances necessary for a house or garden plant will be enough. But there are times when something goes wrong and there is a shortage of one or another element.

Eg. A lack of nitrogen will be indicated by weak foliage growth, the leaves themselves will become small, pale green.

A lack of phosphorus can cause flowering plants to either bloom poorly or not bloom at all.

If the leaves become not just pale green, but almost yellow, when each vein is clearly distinguished on them, then this is chlorosis, iron deficiency. You can replenish it by feeding the plant with iron chelate.

In order to make it easier for you to determine which trace element a plant may need, I will give a table.

Did you notice a mistake in the text?

Select it with the mouse and press Ctrl+Enter

Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Nikolai Khromov

It's no secret that indoor flowers need to be fed, and we go to stores, buy, sometimes expensive, fertilizers and start feeding, watering and spraying plants with them. In most cases, we get good results, but is it really necessary to spend money and use “chemistry” at home when you can use the available tools at hand.

Fertilizing with sugar keeps houseplants alive during the winter months when they lack light. Photo by Vitaly Pirozhkov.

Indoor roses respond best to coffee grounds. Photo by Nikolai Khromov.

Citrus peel nutrition is especially good for spathiphyllum. Photo by Nikolai Khromov.

Few people know that ordinary yeast contributes to the growth of flowers and their full development. Yeast solution is the richest pantry of a variety of microelements that activate the processing of organic compounds both in the soil and in plants. In the process of their processing, the composition and quality of the soil improve, the immunity of plants to diseases and pests increases, and active growth and development of the root system is observed.

To prepare a growth-stimulating solution, it is enough to take 10 g (a bag) of dry yeast and 4 cubes of refined sugar and dissolve in 1.5 liters of water. Hold the resulting mixture for 2 hours in a warm room, and then dilute five times with water. For a smaller volume, 1 g of dry yeast and 1 tsp is enough. granulated sugar. When watering a flower, 50-100 ml of solution is consumed per 1 kg of soil in a pot. It is desirable to carry out the procedure once in spring, summer and autumn.

You can use yeast for any indoor plants, especially flowering ones. However, during fermentation, yeast fungi can actively absorb such important elements as potassium and calcium from the soil, sometimes in large quantities. It is quite easy to compensate for these elements: at the same time as watering the nutrient solution, add wood or stove ash to the previously loosened soil - only 5-10 g, and even better, 0.5-1.0 g of potassium sulfate dissolved in soft, settled water.

It is also good to soak plant divisions in a yeast solution for faster formation of the root system (12-15 days earlier).

Another effective remedy for feeding indoor flowers is sugar. In the soil, it breaks down into glucose and fructose. Plant tissues cannot absorb fructose, but glucose can become a powerful source of energy for most of the important processes of their life, such as respiration, absorption of nutrients. In addition, glucose is a universal building material that literally builds the most complex organic molecules. But glucose can become a builder of organic molecules if it is fully absorbed by plants, and this requires a second component - carbon dioxide. If there is no or little carbon dioxide in the soil, mold may appear and root rot may occur. Therefore, along with doses of sugar, it is recommended to apply any of the microbiological preparations for the soil (EM preparations). These preparations contain bacteria that contribute to the decomposition of organic matter and the release of carbon dioxide.

The benefits of sugar have long been confirmed by numerous studies of biologists. Sugar helps keep the flowers alive during the winter when they suffer from a lack of light. But plants become stronger and healthier after sugar additions and in spring. Their growth increases, flowering improves and its duration increases.

To prepare a sugar solution 1 tbsp. l. granulated sugar is diluted in 0.6 liters of water. You can also use pure glucose - it is sold in a pharmacy: 1-2 tablets are dissolved in 1 liter of water.

Large plants, in particular ficuses, love sugar dressings, but cacti also prefer them.

Coffee grounds can be a good organic plant food. Drinking coffee acts as a delayed nitrogen fertilizer. Microorganisms contained in the soil release nitrogen from the coffee grounds. As a result, the soil becomes looser, lighter, and more oxygen accumulates in it.

Before making coffee grounds, it is advisable to dry a little, and then mix with the soil at the rate of 1 tsp. thickets per 500 g of soil. Usually such an additive is enough for 5 kg of soil. It is not worth increasing the dose, because drinking coffee in excess can acidify the soil.

Indoor roses react best to sleeping coffee - the duration of their flowering increases and the brightness of the flowers increases. The sleeping coffee of azalea, gardenia, anthurium, indoor cypress is useful. But it is not worth using tea brewing for top dressing. Once in the soil, it will attract black flies - sciarids.

Valuable top dressing for indoor flowers can be obtained from the peel of oranges, tangerines, lemons. To prepare the infusion, the peel is cut into small pieces (1 cm each), they are filled with a third of a liter glass jar and poured with boiling water for a day. After a while, the infusion is filtered and topped up to the top of the jar with settled water. Apply such top dressing once every four to five weeks, pouring 50 ml under each flower. The infusion heals both the soil and plants, increasing their immunity. In addition, the aroma of citrus repels spider mites and scale insects. But if these pests have already settled on the flowers, you will have to use fungicides.

Spathiphyllum responds especially well to dressing from citrus peel.

Wood ash containing potassium (up to 5%) and phosphorus is rarely used for dressing indoor flowers. Furnace ash is considered more useful, but wood ash also improves the composition of the soil, disinfects it, increases water and air permeability, normalizes acidity, and prevents the spread of putrefactive microflora. The potassium in the ash is necessary for budding and good flowering, and phosphorus is necessary for fruit and seed setting.

For the preparation of top dressing 2 tsp. ash is dissolved in 1 liter of water, infused for a week. Water with this solution once every two weeks. Top dressing is designed for 5 kg of soil. You can also use dry wood ash, it is mixed with the soil before planting or transplanting plants in a ratio of 1:50.

Ash top dressing is suitable for all indoor flowers. However, some of them are capricious and prefer acidic soils, such as azalea, gardenia, calla, anthurium, indoor cypress. Ash can harm them by reducing the acidity of the soil.

Onion peel is also used for top dressing, it contains a lot of phytoncides that protect the soil from harmful insects, and when decomposed, help improve its structure. Applying onion peel constantly, you can improve the quality of the soil, making it looser. Plant growth will increase, flowering will become more magnificent.

To prepare the solution, a handful of onion peel (50 g) is poured into 2 liters of water, boiled for 15 minutes, allowed to brew for 2-3 hours, filtered and spilled over the soil or sprayed with flowers. It is advisable to do this no more than once every 45-60 days. This dressing is most suitable for plants planted on the balcony.

Aquarium water is considered a good natural fertilizer. It is soft, has a neutral acid-base balance and contains many trace elements that stimulate the growth and development of plants. Flowers can be watered with such water once every 35-40 days (not more often) and it is better in spring and early summer, otherwise microscopic algae can multiply in the soil, and the earth will turn green and sour. Spend 1 liter of water for one large and 0.5 liters for a small flower.

Orchids react well to aquarium water, with this water they can be watered and sprayed, diluted twice. They love aquarium water myrtle, crossandra, pelargonium.

Another rare top dressing for indoor flowers is water left after defrosting meat. It contains substances that contribute to the formation of chlorophyll necessary for all plants in the tissues. Plants should be watered with such water once every 3-4 months, after diluting it twice. No more than 100 ml of solution is poured into a flower pot with a capacity of 5-6 kg of soil. As a result, the flowers acquire a rich green color, become healthier and grow faster.

Finally, some general advice. Before applying this or that top dressing, spill the soil in the flower pot with clean water, this will help not to destroy the flowers if the fertilizer is too concentrated. Repeat watering regularly, but not year-round, flowers especially need top dressing in spring and summer - during the period of active growth and flowering. Feed weakened plants very carefully, using a solution of low concentration. And remember that excessive amounts of water can lead to root rot and disease.