Gardeners in Russia and neighboring countries grow cabbage with pleasure and quite successfully. But the "set" is usually limited to varieties white cabbage different term ripening, broccoli and cauliflower. Meanwhile, we already have popular types of cabbage that ripen earlier, and bring less trouble when growing. In this article, we bring to your attention 5 types of cabbage that you may not have heard of yet, but which are definitely worth growing.

The long-awaited April does not always bring pleasant surprises with the weather. But sooner or later, all work in ornamental garden will start in April. From simple household chores and clearing plant debris, cutting dry curtains and mulching the soil to laying new flower beds, you will have to take care of a lot. Landings come to the fore in April. Bushes, trees, creepers should be planted this month. But do not forget about the care of seedlings.

Among the variety of tomato varieties, as a rule, only two groups are distinguished: indeterminate and determinant. But the tomato world is divided into more diverse “clans”, which are not only interesting to know about, but also useful. Tomatoes are divided according to the method of cultivation, by ripening time, by leaf shape, by fruit shape, by size, by color ... Today I want to talk about the varieties that form the most colorful group under beautiful name"Bi-color" (Bi-Colour).

Charming April, with its delicate flowering and the first dazzling greenery, is a very capricious and changeable month. Sometimes he unpleasantly surprises with a winter atmosphere, and sometimes pleases with unexpected warmth. In April, work starts on the beds, and a full season begins in the greenhouse. Sowing and planting in open ground should not interfere with the care of seedlings, because the quality of the crop depends on its quality. Moon calendar useful plants especially favorable at the beginning of the month.

Spring sanitary pruning allows you to form a beautiful crown, stimulates the formation high yield. Trees easily tolerate it, recovery is very fast, wounds heal well. The main goal is the formation of the crown, the removal of broken and dried branches during the winter. Especially needed winter pruning in the first four years after planting, when skeletal branches are laid. Optimal time spring pruning - from the beginning of winter to the beginning of spring.

Extreme sensitivity to low temperatures makes zinnias flyers, which are usually grown through seedlings. But on the other hand, in sowing, and growing young zinnias, there is nothing complicated. They are hardy and low maintenance plants that are easy to grow from seed. And if you also collect your own seeds, you will get one of the most “economical” flyers in your collection. Bright baskets of inflorescences color the garden with a special cheerful canvas.

A wide range of cucumber hybrid seeds is presented on the domestic market. Which varieties to choose to get the maximum yield? We defined the best hybrids, according to buyers of seeds "Agrosuccess". They were Meringue, Zozulya, Masha and Director. In this article, we will tell you about their advantages. Since absolutely all hybrids of cucumbers do not have flaws: they do not turn yellow, they have many ovaries, the fruits are not large, they are resistant to diseases.

Eggplants are tall erect plants with wide dark green leaves and large fruits that create a special mood in the beds. And in the kitchen, they are a popular product for a wide variety of dishes: eggplants are fried, stewed and canned. Of course, to grow a decent crop in middle lane and to the north is not an easy task. But subject to the agrotechnical rules of cultivation, it is quite accessible even to beginners. Especially if you grow eggplant in a greenhouse.

Lenten charlotte with apples and cinnamon with vegetable cream is a simple pie that is suitable for fasting people, this pastry can also be included in a vegetarian menu. There are situations when dairy products need to be replaced with vegetable ones, then vegetable cream prepared on the basis of vegetable fats comes to the aid of housewives. The taste of cream goes well with apples and cinnamon, the baking powder makes the dough fluffy and airy, the cake is simply delicious.

Buying blooming orchid, lovers exotic plants they wonder - will it bloom just as well at home and is it worth waiting for it to bloom again? Everything will be - and grow, and bloom, and delight for many years, but on one condition. As for any indoor plants, for an orchid, initially you need to try to create conditions acceptable for growth and development. Sufficient lighting, humidity and air temperature, a special substrate are the main points.

Noble lush greenery, unpretentiousness, the ability to purify the air from dust and pathogens make nephrolepis one of the most popular indoor ferns. There are many types of nephrolepis, but any of them can become a real decoration of the room, and it doesn’t matter if it’s an apartment, Vacation home or office. But only healthy well-groomed plants can decorate the room, so the creation suitable conditions and proper care is the main task of flower growers.

The right herring under a fur coat - layers in turn, the order of which depends on the taste of the dish. It is important not only to put the fish and vegetables in a certain sequence. Great importance has also the preparation of products. Never boil vegetables for this snack the day before, they will lose some of their taste in the refrigerator overnight, they will become insipid. Boil vegetables 2-3 hours before cooking and cool them until room temperature. You can also bake carrots, beets and potatoes in the oven in foil.

In the garden first-aid kit of experienced gardeners, there is always crystalline iron sulfate, or ferrous sulfate. Like many others chemicals, it has properties that protect horticultural crops from numerous diseases and insect pests. In this article, we will talk about the features of using iron sulfate to treat garden plants from diseases and pests, and about other options for its use on the site.

Many people cannot imagine their diet without ripe tasty tomatoes. Moreover, the variety of varieties allows you to choose the one that is most to your taste. There are varieties that are called salad, that is, it is better to use them in fresh. These include the Honey tomato, whose name speaks for itself. In 2007, the Honey variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. "Agrosuccess" offers seeds from the best breeders in the world that have passed additional testing

retaining walls- the main tool for working with complex terrain on the site. With their help, not only create terraces or play with planes and leveling, but also emphasize the beauty of the rockery landscape, the change in height, the style of the garden, its character. Retaining walls allow you to play with raised and lowered platforms and hidden areas. Modern dry or more solid walls help to turn the disadvantages of the garden into its main advantages.

For the life of plants, fertilizers are simply necessary. After all, they enrich the soil with numerous useful substances. Plants that have received such nourishment grow much better, develop and acquire the ability to withstand various diseases. Required formulations easy to pick up in the store. But you can make your own excellent fertilizer for indoor plants at home. Consider the most effective means.

Plant fertilization rules

Before you figure out how to create fertilizer for indoor plants and flowers at home, you need to familiarize yourself with some recommendations.

So, the basic rules for feeding plants:

1. Too much fertilizer harms them.
2. Fewer fertilizers are used if the plant is not getting full sunlight. This is due to the fact that useful substances are not used in full, which leads to salinization of the earth.
3. Young plants need some fertilizer. After all, many home cultures are very sensitive to salts.
4. Plants should not be fertilized during hot weather. Also try to avoid getting the composition on the leaves and stems.
5. You can not use additional top dressing of plants that are in a diseased state or are not sufficiently rooted in the new territory.
6. It is better to “feed” cultures, focusing on periods. For example, at the beginning of the growing season, they need fertilizers that contain nitrogen. As for the period of bud development, the compositions must contain phosphorus and potassium elements.
7. Top dressing is sprinkled at intervals of a week or a month. The frequency depends on the season, type and size of plants. For example, non-flowering plants are best fertilized in winter, at intervals of 1 time per month. If the flowers are actively developing, then they need to be fertilized once every 2 weeks.
8. Plants that develop slowly need to be fed once a month. Feed fast growing plants once a week.
9. Also, before fertilizing, a few hours before the event, the flower must be carefully watered.

And now let's look at how to create an excellent fertilizer for indoor plants at home.

We use ash

Such a component can be an excellent top dressing for home flowers. Wood for indoor plants perfectly protects the culture from fungal diseases. In addition, it contributes to the enrichment of the soil with microelements.

To prepare such a fertilizer, you need to acquire branches of deciduous trees.

The process of creating a fertilizer:

1. Dry the branches in the oven. After that, they need to be broken into small pieces.
2. A regular bucket should be lined with foil. For this, an iron bucket is selected.
3. After everything is ready, move your raw materials (broken branches) into the bucket and set it on fire.
4. Do not pour out all the branches at once, otherwise you are guaranteed a big flame. It is better to put them in several pieces.
5. After the coals remain from the tree, they must be allowed to cool. Do not use them hot. The cooled coals are finely crushed.

Wood ash as a fertilizer for indoor plants is an excellent fertilizer for flowers.

Banana peel composition (compost)

Cleanings, which are often sent to the bin, can be a wonderful top dressing for home crops. Fertilizer for indoor plants and flowers is an excellent source of nitrogen and potassium. Such compositions, according to their characteristics, are suitable for any crops. They can even be used for field seedlings.

Manufacturing process:

1. Dry the banana peel. To do this, it can be left in the air or put on a battery.
2. Dried peel is recommended to be stored in a paper bag.

Mode of application:

• grind or finely chop the skins;
• pour raw materials into the soil;
• it is necessary to try to deepen the fertilizer sufficiently into the soil, otherwise mold may appear on the surface.

Demonstrates how to make such a fertilizer for indoor plants at home, photo.

chicken manure

A very common modern fertilizer. However, most people using for the first time this way feeding plants, refuse to continue to repeat such procedures. This is due to the fact that, following the wrong technologies, you can get the opposite result.

You can use ammonia dissolved in water. The composition is of 2 types: with a share of ammonia 20-25% and 16-20%.

It is also very important to take into account the individual conditions in which the culture grows. The size of the plant is also important.

Ammonia: protection and fertilization of plants

Active flower growers should take a closer look at this component. Ammonia, as a fertilizer for indoor plants, has a great effect on the condition of pets such as geraniums, lilies.

To prepare, you need to dilute 50 milliliters of ammonia with 4 liters of water. This is enough to ensure that your plants acquire a healthy and noble appearance. Watering pets with such a solution will contribute to the rapid recovery and strengthening of the stems and leaves.

It is also very important that such a mixture does not leave unpleasant "aromas". The smell may appear only during the procedure. However, these inconveniences are short-lived.

Yeast for plants

One of the most effective ways crop nutrition. Fertilizer for indoor plants at home from yeast will become effective and in an inexpensive way feeding flowers with essential substances.

Cooking method:

1. A liter of water is diluted with a few tablespoons of sugar and 10 grams of dry yeast.
2. After that, this mixture should be infused for 2 hours.
3. The output will be a concentrated solution, which must be diluted with five liters of water before use. The ratio should be 1 to 5.

Yeast is used for plant nutrition. They contain a large number of vitamins and minerals. Such components stimulate active cell growth. The positive effect of such a fertilizer has long been proven by experts.

Using sugar to fertilize plants

A similar component is in every home. Do you know what a great fertilizer for indoor plants at home? It suits so many cultures. Cacti are especially fond of sugar.

Nutrition is provided in several ways.

1. Before watering the plant, sprinkle the surface of the soil with sugar. One tablespoon of white matter is enough for this.
2. Watering with sweet water. To do this, you can use half a spoon of sugar. This amount should be diluted in a glass of water.

Sugar can be used to generate carbon dioxide. However, do not exceed the dosage, this can adversely affect the condition of the plant.

Water left after washing cereals

Such a liquid has a large number of useful components.

She is rich:

• phosphorus
• magnesium
• iron
• silicon.

This method is called liquid feeding.

Aspirin plant nutrition

A solution based on Aspirin tablets is able to increase plant immunity. That is why such a fertilizer is useful for diseased flowers. It can also be used as a disease prevention.

It is necessary to add a crushed Aspirin tablet to 1 liter of water.

What do growers think?

Fans of indoor plants assure that plant nutrition is just as necessary for crops as vitamins are for humans. However, the purchase of fertilizers is not cheap. Especially when you consider that each flower needs a certain composition.

That is why most people create fertilizer for indoor plants at home. Reviews of such flower growers indicate that cultures receive all the necessary nutrition from such substances. This affects the appearance of flowers.

Sugar is very popular. After all, this method is quite effective and simple. Coffee grounds are considered an excellent growth stimulant. In addition, such a component perfectly loosens the soil. Banana peel fertilizer for indoor plants is no less popular. Reviews indicate that after such feeding, the flowers simply grow stronger and bloom before our eyes.

However, do not forget that you should not over-fertilize the plants. There must be a measure in everything.

Under indoor conditions, home flowers require additional nourishment, which can be provided by introducing special substances into the soil. You don't have to buy houseplant food from stores. It can be easily made at home using, for example, a regular banana peel.

This article will tell you how to properly make dressings for indoor flowers with your own hands. In addition, you will find useful tips and rules for fertilizing and signs by which you can determine that a flower needs fertilizer.

Taking care of cultures on your own suburban area, we do not forget to feed them, but when it comes to caring for house flowers, we often remember that they also need to be supplied with nutrients. And although indoor pets are much smaller and do not bear fruit as abundantly as, for example, garden pets, however, the feeding area of ​​\u200b\u200btheir roots is limited to a flower pot. Sooner or later, the soil in the flowerpot is depleted, and therefore it is necessary to periodically enrich it with useful substances.

Very often flowerpots have to endure heat and drafts, lack of sunlight or its excess. Some flower lovers practice regular transplanting into new soil, however, you should be aware that the supply of nutrients in a fresh earthy coma is only enough for two months. And if the culture at this time begins to grow actively or enters a flowering period, additional feeding is indispensable. Only those specimens that are in a dormant period do not need to be fed.

So that indoor plants always have a beautiful and healthy appearance, you need to know some rules for the introduction of nutrients (Figure 1):

• The optimal time for fertilizing is the period from early April to mid-October. Since most species are in a dormant period in winter, there are practically no top dressings at this time of the year.
• All kinds of nutrients are applied to moist soil to prevent root burns.
• The same fertilizer should not be applied to both deciduous and flowering varieties at the same time as they have different nutrient requirements.
• The drug must be strictly dosed. An excess of nutrients leads to a halt in the growth and development of the flower, provokes the death of the culture.

As an additional procedure for root dressing, foliar application of the same fertilizers is carried out, but in smaller quantities. Foliar recharges also have their own characteristics. So, they are effective for young specimens with delicate foliage, but adult specimens absorb them much worse. It is impossible to foliarly feed plants with pubescent or glossy leaves that do not allow moisture to pass through (aloe, Kalanchoe, palm, saintpaulia, gloxinia, etc.). If the air humidity is insufficient, it is also necessary to spray clean water after each foliar feeding.

The video shows the best flower fertilizers that you can use at home.

How to tell when plants need food

How to determine that indoor plants need to be fed? A number of signs will indicate this to you, among which are:

• Slow growth and lack of flowering;
• Weak elongated stems and pale small leaves;
• The appearance of signs of disease: spots, yellowing and falling leaves.

As you know, the disease is easier to prevent than to cure, so let's get acquainted with natural fertilizers to help keep your flowers healthy and strong.

Banana peel fertilizer for indoor plants

The influence of bananas on human body due to their high content of a whole complex of vitamins and microelements. At the same time, nutrients are found both in the pulp itself and in the peel of this fruit. Therefore, banana peel is actively used for the preparation of various fertilizers.

It is used fresh and dried, as well as for the manufacture of tinctures and spray solutions (Figure 2).

Dried banana peel fertilizer

A pre-washed banana peel can be dried on a radiator, in the oven, in the sun, then ground into powder in a coffee grinder or simply folded into a paper bag.

Banana powder is mixed with the substrate in a ratio of 1:10 at the time of transplantation or used as a mulching material, which is sprinkled on the soil in a flower pot once a month. banana fertilizer in the form of a whole dried peel, it should be placed only in the lower layers of the soil as a drainage, since the peel begins to mold on its surface.

Fertilizer from fresh banana skins

Fresh skin is crushed into pieces with scissors and buried in the ground as deep as possible. However, it is often quite difficult to determine the exact number of skins that can quickly decompose. As for houseplants, the processing of potted banana peels is very slow.

Banana peel infusion

Banana peel infusion is used to saturate the soil with useful substances. To prepare it, the skins are thoroughly washed, crushed, placed in a liter jar for half its volume, poured with water and insisted for a day. Then the resulting infusion is topped up with water to a volume of 1 liter.

Spray Banana Peel Complex Fertilizer

To prepare a complex fertilizer, you will need powder from the dried peel of 4 bananas, 2 tsp. powder from eggshell and 20 g of magnesium sulfate. All ingredients are mixed, pour 900 g of water and shake until magnesium is completely dissolved. The resulting preparation is stored in the refrigerator and used to spray the soil and leaves no more than once a week. It can be supplemented with other nutrients, then the procedure will become more effective.

Iodine for indoor plants: how to feed

Although iodine is not vital important element for plants, however, its presence in the soil has a positive effect on all processes of their vital activity. You can spray flowerpots with water mineral fertilizers, which include iodine, or special iodine-containing complexes. However, if the iodine content exceeds allowable norms, then such a fertilizer can be detrimental to flowers. Therefore, you should know that the iodine content in the solution should be 0.1 mg per kilogram.

Plants after feeding with iodine develop faster, bloom more abundantly and practically do not get sick. Experienced flower growers it is advised to dissolve 2 drops of iodine in 2 liters of water and water the flowers with the resulting solution on wet soil no more than 1 time per month (Figure 3).

Fertilizing indoor flowers with yeast

It is known that yeast contains fungi containing a large amount of protein and amino acids, as well as many micro and macro elements. Yeast is very useful for plants, especially indoor plants (Figure 4).

To prepare fertilizer for indoor flowers, you will need 10 g of dry yeast per 10 liters of water. Sugar, potato tops, hops are added to the resulting solution for a better effect in order to increase the nitrogen content in the fertilizer itself. The resulting drug insist in dark place several hours until the fermentation process begins. A liter of the resulting fertilizer is dissolved in 5 liters of pure water and the flowers are watered. The result of yeast feeding will be visible after a few days.

From the video you will learn how to prepare a top dressing for homemade flowers from yeast.

egg shell fertilizer

Eggshell contains many nutrients. It decomposes quite quickly in the soil and is used as a fertilizer for both garden and house flowers (Figure 5).

Note: You should know that eggshells lower the acidity of the soil, so species such as azalea, camellia, gardenia, pelargonium, hydrangea, pansies, ferns top dressing with eggshells is contraindicated.

Before preparing top dressing, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the shell, clean it of protein residues, then dry and chop with any accessible way. The resulting powder is stored in a paper bag (box) or in a glass container with a lid. Eggshells can be applied directly to the soil (powder or tincture) or used as drainage.

There are several ways to prepare eggshell tincture. For example, it is recommended to pour one cup of crushed eggshells over 4 cups warm water and let it brew for 2 weeks, periodically shaking the liquid. Ready infusion to water the flowers once a month. You can also dissolve 2 tbsp. spoons of powder in 1 liter of boiling water. In this case, the solution should be infused for 5 days. Using egg powder pure form, take off upper layer soil in a flower pot, mix it in a separate container with 1 tbsp. eggshell and pour back into the pot.

Fertilizer Agricola for indoor plants

In addition to homemade dressings, you can use a long-term fertilizer for home flowers called "Agricola". This preparation is universal and suitable for feeding all kinds.

It contains a complex of all the necessary micro and macro elements, is economical, has an unlimited shelf life. For root dressing, a solution is prepared from 1 tsp. fertilizer and 2 liters of water. Top dressing is carried out 1 time in 7-10 days, and during the dormant period of the plant (from November to February), 1 such top dressing per month will be enough.

Fertilizing flowers is the key to their long, plentiful and wild flowering. It is impossible to get flower arrangements like those in the photo in a natural culture. And it's not just the limited amount of nutrient medium; in a properly arranged flower bed, it can be more than sufficient. The point is that natural life cycle ornamental flowers are deliberately distorted in favor of more lush barren flowers at the expense of fruiting. Even annual flowers are propagated by seeds relatively rarely, and for some flower crops, fruiting is generally unacceptable. One of the agricultural practices that allow you to achieve lush color, without risking premature exhaustion of plants, is the competent application of fertilizers.

Plant nutrition basics

As you know, for normal development, plants primarily need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK).

Nitrogen contributes to the growth of green mass to the detriment of flowering and fruiting, but any plants wither from nitrogen starvation. Therefore, fertilizers for flowers should contain a minimum of nitrogen: suddenly starvation for it was discovered, additional doses of nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied as an urgent top dressing. The percentage of active NPK in ready-made fertilizer mixtures is indicated most often by 3 digits, for example. 20-10-20 means 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium. Fertilizers containing more than 20% nitrogen for flowers should be avoided.

Phosphorus and potassium enhance the development of the root system, plant resistance to cold weather, diseases etc. extreme conditions, so to speak, their general health, a favorable physiological state. The number of planted flower buds depends on the latter, but phosphorus and potassium do not directly affect the nature of flowering. Flowering is provided mainly at the expense of own stocks of the so-called. plastic substances in the plant. If it came to the flowering phase exhausted, there will be no violent color, no matter how you feed it.

Next, plants need trace elements; primarily magnesium, calcium, iron, boron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, zinc. If +7 trace elements are listed on the packaging of the finished fertilizer, then most likely they are, except for calcium. Its salts are relatively difficult to dissolve, so calcium is introduced into the soil by liming or in the form of eggshells. Fertilizers for indoor flowers should already contain 16-20 trace elements, as for hydroponics, because. potted soil is always severely depleted. There are no ready-made mixtures with such a number of microelements, because. from their expanded set, not micro-doses, but nano-doses are required, but fertilizers with a full set of microelements are easy to prepare with your own hands at home.

The culture of flowers in boxes on the balcony has its own characteristics, which will be discussed later. For now, we note that +7 fertilizers are enough for balcony flowers, because. the earth in the boxes is changed annually or recultivated in autumn.

How to feed flowers?

In the method of fertilizing the soil under flowers, 3 types of it should be especially clearly distinguished:

• Filling the soil, i.e. early saturation of it with hard-to-leach (leached) nutrients;
• Systematic feeding of flowers in order to correct the life cycle and current plant nutrition;
• Urgent top dressing with quickly digestible fertilizers in case of signs of starvation for any of the elements.

The requirements for soil saturation, averaged over many crops, with the entire complex of nutrients for flower and food crops are shown in Fig. Flowers that are not allowed into the fruiting phase with starvation rations need large starting spring stocks, pos. 1 and 1' in fig. Accumulation of nitrates here can not be feared, because. flowers are not eaten. Top dressing before the budding phase or at its very beginning (pos. 2) is necessary for flowering, because. the breeding algorithm has already been activated in plants, i.e. flowering and fruiting.

It is very important not to feed flowers in the midst of budding, failure 3. Plants will “understand” this as temporary unfavorable conditions that require slowing down the reproduction of offspring, i.e. postpone flowering, although the buds will still be laid. But top dressing immediately before blooming buds (peak 4) stimulates their friendly blooming and long flowering. This technique is especially effective for home, greenhouse and greenhouse flowers, and for open ground and balcony flowers it can be obscured under the influence of real external conditions- prolonged bad weather, heat, drought, etc.

After flowering, it is better not to feed the flowers at all (pos. 5), so as not to encourage them to bear fruit. In the period of preparation for winter (pos. 6), flowers are given 1-2 weak top dressings so that they do not think of blooming for the winter looking and therefore not surviving it. Remember, we did not allow flowers to bring their seasonal cycle to its natural end - fruits and seeds. But already in the dormant period, but even before the cold weather, the soil under the flowers needs to be properly filled with fertilizers so that from spring there is something to roam. Abundant autumn soil dressing is especially necessary for regenerating perennials with a short vegetation cycle (tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, etc.); this is the so-called. ephemeroid plants.

Life cycles of flowers

Fertilizers for flowers containing NPK +7 or +20 are available in various chemical and physical forms, the effect of which on plants can be drastically different. The first thing to be guided by when choosing fertilizer for flowers is the life cycle of plants. According to the duration and nature of life decorative flowers are divided into:

1. Continuously vegetative - these are mainly domestic (indoor) flowers, except for those requiring a physiological pause (cyclamen, gloxinia, etc.).
2. Wintering perennials - in the middle latitudes, these are usually shrubs: roses, lilacs, clematis, etc.
3. Regenerating perennials with a short vegetation cycle - mainly ephemeroids: tulips, hyacinths, anemones, crocuses.
4. The same, but with a long growing season. For the winter, the aerial part dies off, and in the spring it grows from renewal buds on the roots (carnations, delphinium, phloxes, mignonette, levkoy, and many others) or from tubers (dahlias).
5. Annuals - die off completely for the winter, sowing is necessary in the spring. , fragrant tobacco, brugmansia, etc.

About soil

Most flowers require neutral soil with pH = (6.5-7.5); determine the acid reaction of the soil with indicator paper. However, eg. and azaleas require acidic soil. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, some fertilizers acidify the soil, and water-insoluble "long-playing" fertilizers saturate only acidic soil with nutrients, because. dissolve in acids. Therefore, firstly, it is necessary to fill with fertilizers for the winter slightly acidic soil. At the cottage or personal plot this is easy to achieve by filling the ground with homemade organic fertilizer, see below. After the meltwater melts, the still well-moistened ground is mulched, and strongly acidic soils, this at the same time will provide the flowers with calcium for the season. You can lime the soil of potted indoor or box balcony flowers with finely crushed egg. From raw or boiled eggs - it doesn't matter, but the shell raw eggs also somewhat stimulates plant growth.

Secondly, in fertile soils some types are missing. In chernozems, for example, there is little manganese and magnesium; the same applies to loams and brown soils. In such soils, it is necessary in the spring, before germination, to apply complex microfertilizers, simply according to the instructions on the package. It is very difficult to overdo it with trace elements, plants do not take them greedily.

organic

The best fertilizer for flowers is organic, in descending order of effectiveness:, goat, sheep and. Pig manure is not good, it burns plants and strongly acidifies the soil. In addition to the NPK complex, organic fertilizers contain trace elements and substances that promote the synthesis of phytohormones - flowering stimulants. However, natural organic fertilizers contain too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus; besides, they all have an acidic reaction. Therefore, manure in advance, before autumn, is laid in compost heaps with the addition of phosphate rock (see below) in the range of 20-50 g per kg of manure. In autumn, before the cold weather, areas for flowers are mulched with rotted compost.

Note: organic fertilizer for outdoor flowers can be prepared from food waste in many ways, see e.g. video below.

Video: homemade organic fertilizers for flowers and other plants

The second area of ​​application of organic fertilizers is the cultivation of flower seedlings and the improvement of soil fertility. It is good to grow seedlings of annuals from seeds on peat tablets: they are soaked in water until they swell, 1-3 seeds are pressed into each and laid out in bowls or pots without drainage. Watered, not allowing the peat to dry out.
You can improve the quality of heavy soil for flowers with sawdust, shavings and tree bark. They are piled in heaps and allowed to rot, then they are brought into the soil in the fall. In the spring, before planting flowers, add 30-50 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g ammonium nitrate per 1 sq. m. Light lean (sandy) soils are improved with lake silt - sapropel. It does not require additives, because. already contains NPK and all trace elements. Sapropel is introduced from spring until the desired soil structure is obtained: the earth should be crushed by hand, like black soil. You will have to make a lot, up to half a ton per hundred square meters, if the initial soil is loose sand.

Fertilizers and water

By solubility in clean water, i.e. in a neutral environment, mineral fertilizers are divided into:

• Water-soluble - easily soluble, but easily leached out, e.g. all saltpeter, superphosphate. They are used individually or in combination for instant top dressing. You need to make it strictly according to the norm, so as not to burn the plants, during watering or in the rain.
• Slightly soluble - they dissolve quite well in vessels with water, but they linger in the soil capillary moisture and therefore slowly leach. Examples are the majority. Apply in spring before planting/sowing.
• Semi-soluble - dissolve in a slightly acidic environment. An example is a precipitate. They are brought in for the winter for digging.
• Poorly soluble - practically insoluble in water. Slightly and slowly soluble in acid solutions. An example is phosphate rock. They are applied to decaying manure or slurry or before winter in combination with acidifiers (see below).

What to feed flowers?

For beginner gardeners, of course, it is desirable to grow a luxurious flower bed or curtain, without going deep into the intricacies of agrochemistry and plant physiology. Only in industrial scale more than 20 types are produced. Fertilizers chemically interact with each other and with the soil. Sometimes and experienced agronomist it is difficult to calculate how much to apply for a given crop on a given soil.

Nevertheless, beginners can be given recommendations on how to fertilize flowers without tormenting themselves with reference books and calculations. One of the latest discoveries in the field of small-scale agrochemistry, EM composting, will help in this. What it is, see below for more details, but for now we will assume that we already have its products. We will also try to do without manure, which is difficult for a city dweller-summer resident. And then, when the fruits of labor will appear in all their glory and there will be an understanding of how they can live, it will be easier to understand the nuances of agricultural science.

In the garden and in the flowerbed

Fertilizers for garden flowers must first of all be inexpensive. There are many dry mixes and ready-made solutions in NPK +7 bottles, but even for a small flower bed, buying them in such forms will cost a pretty penny. Therefore, on open ground it is better to use complex organic and mineral fertilizers. Microelements in the open ground are usually enough for plants, and if necessary, they can be given additionally.

So, starting from the middle of summer, we prepare humus with the help of an EM composter. We mulch them in autumn trunk circles wintering perennials. EM composting of humus gives little in general, and there is not enough of it in the area under regenerating perennials. There you need to make a precipitate before winter in a mixture with potassium chloride 1: 1 at the rate of 25-30 g per square meter. m, and evenly sprinkle with humus on top. Potassium chloride will acidify the soil. Under annuals, the soil is prepared in the same way, but carefully dug up. mineral mixture applied at 30-40 g/sq. m.

Note: on peaty, podzolic, heavily manured, and other acidic soils, cheaper phosphorite flour can be applied instead of precipitate.

In early spring, as soon as the melt waters come down, the acidity of the soil is checked. The excess is neutralized by liming, and now it is necessary to acidify the basic (with an alkaline reaction), because. all nitrogen fertilizers easily soluble and nitrogen could leach out during the winter. Its excess before the start of budding will not bring down the color.

According to the normalization of the soil reaction, it is added (composition 12-12-12) at a rate of 20-30 g / sq. m. Flowers are fed with the same fertilizer 2 weeks after planting, when they take root well. “Exciting” top dressing when pecking the first buds and at the very beginning from opening, petals barely cut through from the top, give already nitroammophos (17-17-17) at 30-40 g / sq. m. For accumulation vitality before winter, perennials once a week or two are fed with diammophos (10-26-26) of 15-20 square meters. m. The preponderance of phosphorus and potassium over nitrogen will better prepare flowers for winter; in addition, the composition of diammofoska includes microelements, which flowers have already eaten out of the ground over the summer. Well, at the end of the growing season, we fill the soil of the flower garden again for the winter.

EM composting - how is it?

This is the fermentation of raw (not boiled!) food waste to obtain a complete organic fertilizer + physiologically active liquid, an EM concentrate. The scheme of the device of the EM composter and the procedure for working with it are shown in fig. the best option the use of EM products - as starters for the preparation of humus from garden compost; instead of 2-3 years, thus ready-made humus is obtained in 2-3 months.

The initial filling of the EM composter is done according to option 2, adding a handful of garden soil to the EM bucket. Then, 10-20 ml of EM liquid, option 1, is used as a seed. bananas and citrus fruits, sleeping tea, coffee grounds. If the EM composter is away from home (say, in a backyard under a shed), onion skins and fish giblets can be laid. They will give a lot of useful substances for plants, but at first the amber shibanet - just hold on. Finished EM products should smell like damp earth; stink is a sign of badness.

A small EM composter can be made from a couple of bottles, see picture:

Loading should be pierced at least once a day 2-3 times to the cork with a pointed stick, for aeration. This device does not produce EM compost; as the contents settle, waste and earth are added alternately. EM concentrate is diluted with water 1:30 and potted flowers are watered with this fertilizer every 2-3 weeks.

Note: full organic fertilizers for potted and container (box) flowers can be obtained from food waste in other ways, see the video:

In pots and on the balcony

In the absence of organic matter or opportunities for its preparation, indoor and balcony flowers are fed with ready-made complex fertilizers. The price does not play a big role here (literally drops of concentrate are used for 1 watering), but complex fertilizer for home and balcony flowers, it must be held firmly in the ground to resist leaching from overwatering and, for a balcony, from rain. Judging by the statistics of purchases and reviews of flower growers, the best way for feeding potted and box flowers showed themselves:

Ambulance

In the potted culture of flowers, the following is sometimes observed: soil analysis for nutrition and granulometry gives a picture - poke the shaft, the tarantass will grow - and the flowers wither. This means that the roots in a cramped space have lost the ability to absorb nutrients. This phenomenon is to some extent analogous to the infamous disease of the Stalinist and Nazi camps - pellagra. In this case, most often you can save the flowers by watering with one of the fertilizer-stimulating compounds:

• 30 g bakery insist in a liter of water. Watered with a 1% solution of infusion (10 ml from a medical syringe per 1 liter of irrigation water). "Pull out" plants cytokinins and vitamins of group B.
• Wheat sourdough - soak a glass of wheat grains and leave in a warm place for a day. Add 1 tbsp. l. sugar and wheat flour until the density of sour cream, cook on the lowest heat, avoiding the smell of burning, 20 minutes. It is better to steam for half an hour in a water bath. Cool, cover with gauze or a piece of nylon tights and leave in a warm dark place until soured, until it bubbles. 1 st. shake a spoon in a liter of irrigation water, water the flower. The active principle is phytohormones.
• Succinic acid (sold in flower shops), 5 g per 1 liter of water. It is able to literally pull out the most whimsical plants from the other world, but re-application to the same specimen is permissible no earlier than after 5 years.

After “resuscitation” with these preparations, when the plant comes to life, you need to wait a month and completely transplant the flower into a large dish and fresh earth, while removing rotten and dead roots. A month later, a revived plant can be fed with complex fertilizers. And, most likely, the former almost dead will bloom like it never bloomed before.