Mullein fertilizer and features of its use
The dream of every gardener is to grow a truly beautiful garden, which will be rich in a variety of fruit plants, as well as weeded beds in which various vegetable crops ripen. But in order to reap the benefits, you must first invest a lot of effort, including fertilizing the soil on which all garden crops grow.
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Mullein: features
Mullein represents organic fertilizer, which has been used among Russian gardeners for a long time. This is one of the effective fertilizers for the soil in which garden crops grow. As soon as the mullein fertilizer gets into the soil, like any other mineral fertilizer, it gradually begins to mineralize in it throughout the entire summer season.
Often, mullein is a liquid type of cow manure, in which there is no straw or sawdust base, that is, only slurry. However, this is not the same thing and such fertilizers have several differences.
Slurry is an organic fertilizer that is also quite common among gardeners. This fertilizer contains a large number of nutrients and minerals, which are the basis of soil nutrition.
The main disadvantage of this fertilizer is that during the entire time that the fertilizer is outside the soil, a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria can multiply in it, which in the future will have a negative impact on the growth and development of garden crops.
Mullein is an aqueous solution of cow dung that has been in a state of fermentation for some time. During the fermentation process, almost all harmful bacteria die, so this fertilizer is not only useful, but also safe for garden plants.
Benefits of using mullein as fertilizer
Why soil fertilization Is mullein a big hit with gardeners? The thing is that this fertilizer has many advantages:
- the fertilizer is of natural origin and has good efficiency
- low cost, and if you have a cow, you will get it for free
- plants absorb all organic substances that are part of this fertilizer well
- carries out a high-quality process of feeding plants, and also reliably protects against diseases and harmful microorganisms
Use of mullein in the garden
Mullein fertilizer includes a large number of minerals and trace elements useful for plants, such as potassium, nitrogen, sulfur, iron, etc. Mullein can be either fresh or rotted.
Fresh fertilizer can be applied using the following methods:
- apply as a top dressing for the soil in the autumn, during digging, which is carried out before wintering
- prepare a special infusion with which to spray plants, and also use it for watering
The second type of fertilizer, rotted mullein, can be used in the following cases:
- in the process of digging up the soil in the autumn
- in the process of digging up the soil in the spring
- for the purpose of mulching plants
- for making an infusion, which in the future will be used for watering and spraying garden plants
It is worth noting that the main feature of fresh mullein is that oxidative processes are actively occurring in it. Therefore, if you water plants generously with this infusion, and also use it for spraying, the plants can receive serious burns to the leaves and stems.
If you start scattering mullein that has not yet rotted all over the area, this will not bring any positive results. There is a risk of being brought onto the site a large number of weeds, the seeds of which are in manure.
Cooking mullein
In order to prepare this fertilizer, you need to use cow dung. To do this, you will need to take a small amount of manure, fill it with five parts of water; for this procedure you will need a fairly deep container.
The resulting mixture must be thoroughly mixed, covered with a lid and left to infuse for 1.5 - 2 weeks.
Every three days the mixture must be thoroughly mixed until smooth. If small bubbles form on the surface of the mixture, this means that the fermentation process in this mixture is in full swing. A week after settling, the solution will change its color somewhat - it will become much lighter. If the mass contains large and hard particles, then over time they will settle to the bottom.
Before using the resulting mixture, it must be diluted with water by about half. In order to add phosphorus and potassium to the fertilizer, you can additionally purchase superphosphate in the amount of 100 grams per 10 liters of mixture, and wood ash, 500 grams must be used per 10 liters of mixture.
The chemical composition of mullein fertilizer will directly depend on what kind of food was given to the cow. But, regardless of food, mullein is a fertilizer that of all contains the maximum content of elements such as nitrogen and potassium. It does not contain much phosphorus, so to increase efficiency, many advise adding this element to the solution in addition.
The entire range of nutrients that mullein contains is easily and quickly absorbed by almost any garden plants. Microorganisms act as fertilizers, so urea, which is part of mullein, turns into ammonium carbonate. Ammonia is released from this substance quickly and evaporates through the soil into the surrounding air. Therefore, during the process of making mullein, the solution should be kept under a tightly closed lid.
Features of application
Despite the large amount of useful substances, mullein is a fairly strong fertilizer, which should be used with caution.
It is best to apply dry fertilizer to the soil in the spring, when the beds are being prepared for the new summer season.
Dry mullein can also be used as mulch in the summer. You need to be especially careful when fertilizing carrot beds. To do this, you need to prepare liquid mullein in advance.Liquid fertilizer can also be used in the summer, when all the plants have already been planted, and mullein is needed only to provide the soil with the necessary elements.
In the autumn, dry mullein must be scattered evenly over the entire soil perimeter of the garden, 4 kg of fertilizer per square meter. For potato fertilizers, you need to throw a small handful of fertilizer into each individual hole.
Mullein is a universal and effective fertilizer that will allow you to grow tasty and juicy vegetables and fruits on your plot. If it is possible to use mullein as a fertilizer in your garden, then all summer residents should carry out this procedure. Fertilizer, which is of a plant nature, is a hundred times better than artificially created soil fertilizers.
How much mullein should be fertilized with plants:
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