The use of humic fertilizers for plant nutrition has a positive effect on the taste of fruits and vegetables and strengthens green spaces. Not all gardeners know about this useful drug. It is important to know how the product works, what it contains, and what crops it is suitable for. Before use, you must study the instructions for use and learn about precautions when working with the substance.
What are humic substances, how do they affect plants?
Humus is a substance obtained as a result of the processing by soil microorganisms of the vital activity residues of flora and fauna. The product directly affects soil fertility.
Chernozems that contain up to 12% organic additives are considered the most nutritious. The lands located in the central zone of the country contain no more than 5% of such substances. Fertilizers that accumulate in the soil help strengthen plants and increase crop yields.
To obtain humus, plant residues are added to the soil and earthworms are introduced to process the compost. Then the product is watered with a weak alkali solution, after which concentrated compounds are formed - humic acids. These substances are used to stimulate photosynthesis processes in plant tissues, improve soil structure and soil breathability.
Composition and effectiveness
Humic fertilizers are made from plant materials. Manure and brown coal are used as a basis. Silt and sapropel are often used, and composts are processed.
The product is produced mainly in the form of a concentrated liquid. This form is convenient to use. The composition of organic preparations includes a set of acids:
- humic;
- aminocarbonic:
- from fulvates.
Fertilizers are also enriched with beneficial fungal microorganisms and mineral supplements, including nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other elements.
Types of humic fertilizers
Manufacturers have developed several types of humic fertilizers. The most popular are liquid formulations into which other nutrients can be added.
Liquid
Flowable and soft compositions are used as growth stimulants and for complex plant nutrition. Examples:
| Names of fertilizers | Application |
| "Living Power", "Ekorost", "Edogum SM" | For soaking seeds, adding to the soil at the end of the growing season |
| "GUMI-OMI" | For watering flowers, processing planting material |
| Humic fertilizers enriched with potassium (potassium humate, “Gumi-20” and others) | As a stimulator of root development, to strengthen plant immunity, and to enrich soil |
This feeding is suitable for gardeners whose farming methods are based on the principles of natural farming.
Peat-humic
To produce this type of fertilizer, peat is used as a raw material:
| Name of drugs | Areas of use |
| "Flora-S" | Process seed material, feed vegetables and fruit trees, grape bushes and other plants |
| "Gumimax" | Suitable for caring for indoor plants, increases flowering intensity |
| "Fitop-Flora-S" | Suppresses pathogenic microbes. Used to protect harvested crops from infection |
Even granaries and home cellars are treated with dry peat-humic fertilizers.
Instructions for use
Humic acid concentrate is diluted according to the instructions on the package. Exceeding dosages threatens the development of plant crops. The finished composition is not stored, but used for its intended purpose.
Agronomists identify 3 areas of fertilizer use:
- Strengthening the seed before placing it in the ground.
- Applying the solution to the soil for root development.
- Spraying leaves.
An application diagram has been developed for each method.
Seed treatment
Bulbs, seeds and tubers are soaked in a solution of humic acid. The recommended content of the drug is 0.1%. Planting material is placed in the mixture for a period of 18 hours. The treatment is aimed at increasing the germination of shoots.
Root feeding
It is necessary to apply humic fertilizers at the root of the plant several times during the season. The first fertilizing is carried out after planting. The seedlings are watered 2 weeks after being placed in the garden. The next session of soil enrichment is carried out when the flowers begin to bloom and then during the period of fruit set. The procedures are completed before harvesting.
Processing by sheet
The surface of the leaves is treated with humic fertilizers twice a season. A 20% concentrate is diluted in a thousandfold volume of liquid. One tablespoon of the drug is required per bucket of water. Spraying is carried out when the weather is cloudy, or at sunset. Bright sun can cause leaf burns. According to agrotechnical recommendations, the solution is sprayed when the crown is just forming and after flowering has completed.
Safety precautions
The production of humic fertilizers is based on the use of organic raw materials. Therefore, the drugs are classified as hazard class 4. This category is considered harmless to humans. But you need to take some precautions:
- When working with liquid concentrates or dry substances, gloves are used.
- If the solution gets on unprotected areas of the body, wash the skin with water.
The greatest danger is from accidental ingestion of fertilizer. In such a situation, vomiting should be induced and adsorbents taken.
Contraindications for the use of humic fertilizers
The scope of application of organic fertilizer is wide, but there are limitations:
- Fertilizers are not suitable for coniferous plantations.Plants obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere. Additional mineral complexes create an excess of the element.
- Humic acids do not affect the increase in the yield of legumes, as well as sunflower and corn.
In greenhouses, the drug works more effectively than in a garden.
Terms and conditions of storage
Diluted humic acid can be stored for no longer than a week. The drug in sealed original packaging will not deteriorate for 3 years. Place humic fertilizers in closed areas with good ventilation.
If the recommended dosages and timing of application are observed, humic fertilizers promote plant development and increased productivity. The drug is effective when processing planting material, spraying and as root feeding.
