Organic fertilizers not only increase soil fertility and make it looser, more air- and water-permeable, but also strengthen the immunity of fruit crops and increase productivity. Cow manure is considered one of the most popular natural fertilizers, but it must be prepared before use. A fertilizer such as mullein can not only benefit plants, but also harm them if used incorrectly.
What is mullein and what are its features?
Mullein is a natural organic fertilizer that is obtained from cow manure through fermentation. Fertilizing is characterized by a prolonged effect and, after entering the soil, continues to release the nutritional components necessary for cultivated plants for abundant fruiting and full development for several years.
The composition of mullein directly depends on the diet of farm animals on a farm or in a subsidiary plot. The main components in feeding are potassium and nitrogen; there is also phosphorus, but in a much lower concentration. The nutrients in the fertilizer are in a form that is quickly absorbed by plants; in addition, properly prepared mullein consists of 78% water, which allows you to keep the soil moist.
Macro- and microelements provide the following benefits to cultivated plants:
- phosphorus promotes the rapid and abundant formation of ovaries, in addition, stimulates the growth of shoots;
- nitrogen is necessary for adequate nutrition of fruit crops and intensive development of seedlings and seedlings;
- magnesium stimulates an increase in yield from each bush;
- potassium is necessary for plants during the period when the ovaries of berries, fruits and vegetables appear;
- calcium contributes to the timely ripening of the crop; thanks to this element, the fruits grow in a correct and uniform shape and have an increased density.
The components contained in the fertilizer change the structure of the soil on a personal plot - a fertile layer (humus) is formed on the surface of sandy soils, and clayey and heavy ones become more loose and breathable. In the first type of soil, organic fertilizer completely decomposes after 3-4 years, in the second case it will take about 7 years.
The benefits of mullein include the following:
- low cost of fertilizer;
- Possibility of application for different plants;
- improving soil quality and increasing its fertility;
- the oxide form of the elements in the composition, thanks to which the fertilizing is well absorbed by the crops.
Among the disadvantages, gardeners note the need for preliminary preparation, which takes time.
How to distinguish mullein from slurry
Manure, which was recently obtained from a cow, although it is a nutritious fertilizer, is not recommended to be applied to the beds in this form. The fact is that it may contain pathogenic microorganisms, which, once in the soil, will cause diseases of cultivated plants. Before use, slurry must be converted into mullein and only then used in the garden.
You can distinguish fresh manure from mullein by one characteristic feature. Since the latter is a fermenting mass, small bubbles are visible on the surface, whereas this phenomenon is absent in manure.
How to cook it?
Do manure fertilizer Even an inexperienced summer resident who is starting such a procedure for the first time can do it. The main thing is to follow the step-by-step instructions:
- Take a large container and add 5 parts of clean water and 1 part of fresh manure into it.
- Mix thoroughly and cover the container with a lid.
- Every day, remove the lid and stir the mixture.
- After a week, the color of the composition will begin to change, and the particles will settle to the bottom.
- It is necessary to keep the mullein in a container, stirring every day, for 2 weeks.
- Before use, the resulting mass is diluted with water in a concentration of 1 to 10 and components are added that increase its effectiveness - 500 grams of wood ash and 100 grams of superphosphate. Let it brew for about 50-60 minutes and use it as directed.
It is worth remembering that it is necessary to store cooked mullein only under a lid, so that ammonium carbonate does not evaporate and the fertilizing does not lose its beneficial properties.
How to use fertilizer
Organic fertilizer is needed by cultivated plants that absorb large amounts of nutritional components from the soil, which is due to the characteristics of their development. In order for the procedure to bring the expected result, you must adhere to the recommended dosages.
For cabbage
The fertilizer is used for the first time 2 weeks after moving cabbage seedlings into open ground. For each bush of the crop you will need half a liter of mullein already diluted with water. A second feeding will be needed a month later in the same dosage.
If middle and late varieties of crops are planted on the site, then it is advisable to carry out a third application of fertilizer, but this time increasing the volume of the solution to 1.5 liters for each plant.
For the bow
Mullein solution is added at the beginning of the growing season (late May, early June). A sign of the need for fertilizer is the intensive growth of greenery by the plant. Per square meter of garden you will need about 2-3 liters of an aqueous solution of mullein.For onions, one application of food throughout the season is sufficient.
For cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, melon and watermelon
Experienced gardeners recommend feeding melons and melons while the seedlings are growing; in this case, they will be stronger and will tolerate planting in open ground without any problems. However, it must be remembered that young sprouts will require a less concentrated solution of organic matter. The ready-made solution is once again diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 5 and the seedlings are watered with this mixture. If the seedlings look weak, you can re-fertilize 2 days before planting outside.
For tomatoes
For tomato bushes, a weakly concentrated solution is needed. To do this, the standard version is diluted in a ratio of 1 to 20. The fertilizer is used for the first time 10 days after the seedlings are transferred to open ground or a greenhouse. One bush will need half a liter of solution. It is recommended to do the second feeding after two weeks, at which time the crops are just beginning to bloom.
The tomatoes are fed several more times during the fruiting period, but a liter of solution is already used.
For pepper
Bell peppers are fertilized at the moment when they are transplanted into open ground. To do this, add half a liter of mullein to 10 liters of water and heat this mixture in the sun to 35 degrees, after which it is poured into the prepared holes. Each hole will need about a liter of fertilizer.
Further, feeding is carried out only if the crop is growing in a greenhouse.
For spinach
Although the growing season of this crop is short, it is worth adding nutritional components to obtain a bountiful harvest. It is recommended to fertilize at the very beginning of plant development, using half a liter of solution for each specimen in a standard concentration (1 to 10).
For beets
Application fertilizing for beds with beets carried out when the fruits acquire the size of a walnut. Use the following concentration - 1 part mullein to 8 parts water. Per linear meter of field you will need 1 liter of fertilizer solution.
For cucumbers
To feed the cucumbers, prepare a solution of 2 glasses of organic matter and 10 liters of water. Fertilizer is applied the first time before the crop blooms, and the second time before fruit sets. About 8 liters of solution are used per square meter of garden.
For garden trees
To fertilize fruit trees, mix a bucket of mullein with 5 buckets of water and water the crops with this solution in the spring, using up to 3 buckets of the mixture for each specimen.
Precautions for use
When choosing mullein as a fertilizer for garden and vegetable plants, you must remember that it cannot be used in an unfermented form. In addition, when preparing the working solution, adhere to the recommended dosages so as not to harm the crops.
