Cucumbers are one of the most common vegetable crops in summer cottages. Spraying cucumbers with milk and iodine can protect fruits from a wide range of diseases. Among the advantages of this method are the naturalness of the ingredients, ease of preparation and the absence of harmful chemical effects. The fruits can be eaten without additional purification. Feeding cucumbers with milk has only one disadvantage: the disease in the active phase requires the use of more aggressive methods.
Milk-iodine solution against diseases and pests
Among the rules for caring for vegetable crops, special attention is paid to treating cucumbers for pests. Most gardeners prefer to use natural products that do not contain chemicals. Therefore, spraying with iodine water or milk formulations has become widespread.
It is most effective to spray cucumbers with milk and iodine when fighting true and downy mildew. Reviews from gardeners have shown that iodine copes well with gray mold and late blight. Antiseptic treatment is indispensable, especially when it’s a cool and rainy summer. Iodine also helps prevent premature yellowing and falling leaves.
The two most effective recipes are:
- a solution of milk with the addition of iodine and soap;
- solution of curdled milk with iodine.
Milk-iodine spraying
The recipe involves three main ingredients: milk, iodine and laundry soap. When choosing ingredients, you should give preference to low-fat dairy products.
This is due to the fact that fat creates a thick protective film on the leaf plate.
It prevents the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the plant. Laundry soap has a simple composition and the absence of chemical additives (fragrances, dyes).
For 10 liters of mixture you will need:
- warm water 9 liters;
- low-fat milk 1 liter;
- iodine 30 drops;
- laundry soap 20 grams.
Before preparation, the soap is grated on a fine-mesh grater. All ingredients are added to warm water and stirred until completely dissolved. The solution is used immediately after preparation.
You should spray not only the upper part of the leaf plate, but also the lower part. Water the ground around the bushes with the remaining solution. Watering is an additional fertilizer for plants.
Iodine solution with curdled milk
Not only milk, but also dairy products have shown high efficiency in pest control. In greenhouses and greenhouses, plants suffer from lack of ventilation and elevated temperatures. Together with high humidity, these conditions provide a good environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria.
The use of whey and curdled milk has proven itself well for spraying cucumbers in a greenhouse.
To prepare the solution you will need yogurt diluted with warm water. The ingredients are taken in a ratio of 1 to 1. It is important to note that spoiled milk or stale kefir will not work in this case. Only 30-40 drops of iodine are added to 10 liters of mixture. Its volume should not exceed 10 ml.
Fitosporin has a positive effect on the effectiveness of the treatment composition. The drug helps to prolong the fruiting period.
Feeding seedlings with milk and iodine
Any plants require fertilizer during the season. Fertilizing has a particularly beneficial effect on seedlings during the period of ovary and fruit ripening. Most gardeners, in addition to ready-made complex ones, use natural formulations.
The use of milk with iodine for feeding cucumbers has shown high efficiency. As fertilizer, the components are used both individually and in combination. The benefits of dairy products for cucumbers are associated with their rich vitamin and mineral composition. The substances contained in milk are well absorbed by plants, replenishing the lack of nutrients in the soil.
Speaking about why iodine is needed in the solution, we should mention its disinfecting and rejuvenating properties. Also, the use of the substance is based on creating a barrier for plants from diseases.
When using milk solutions, a number of problems are solved at once:
- bushes are provided with nutrients;
- seedlings receive protection from diseases;
- the soil is saturated with useful substances.
You can feed the plants with a solution prepared from 5 liters of water and 1 liter of milk. Warm, settled water is used for the composition. The components are mixed well.
Plants should be watered in a small circular ditch dug at a distance of 10 centimeters from the stem. Each bush should receive at least 0.5 liters of fertilizer.
Plants can be fed by watering from above. This solves 2 problems at once. The bushes will receive the necessary nutrients and additional treatment for diseases.
Feeding cucumbers with iodine helps accelerate metabolism and stimulate the growth of seedlings. The positive effects of iodine include improving the taste of fruits and increasing yield.
Settled water is used to prepare the solution. For 1 liter of liquid there are 3-5 drops of iodine. An aqueous solution with whey and iodine showed high efficiency for feeding. For 5 liters of water, use a liter of milk and 30 drops of iodine. Feeding is carried out at intervals of at least 14 days.
Spraying rules
Spraying cucumbers with milk and iodine should follow a number of rules. Their violation can lead to burns of leaf blades or a general deterioration in the health of plants.
- Timing. The procedure can be performed in the evening hours, when there is no direct sunlight.
- Sequence of processing. Spray the plants starting from the lower leaves. Gradually work your way up, covering the rest of the plant with the solution.
- Plant age.It is recommended to treat and feed bushes that have at least 5 true leaves.
- Periodicity. Treatment of cucumbers with milk, iodine or mixed solutions is carried out once every two weeks. However, it is not compatible with other types of fertilizers or processing compounds.
- Composition of the solution. Preparing a solution for treating plants requires special attention. Do not add excessive amounts of iodine to it. Its excess can lead to burns of leaf plates.
Watering cucumbers with milk with iodine is an excellent prevention of diseases and lack of nutrients in the soil. The method is natural and does not pose a threat to human health. Regularly feed plants in open ground and greenhouses with milk-iodine solutions and at the end of the season you will receive a bountiful harvest with excellent taste.
