How to feed zucchini and how to do it right?
Zucchini is a culture known to many. But not everyone knows the benefits of this fruit, which can be eaten. Some grow the plant only to feed the animals in their household.
How to apply fertilizer?
Experts note that zucchini contains many substances that are beneficial to the body, antioxidants and vitamins. These fruits are low in calories, which allows them to be eaten by everyone who wants to lose weight. Plants contain fiber, which is good for the digestive system. And also this product can be used at any age without restrictions. To harvest a good harvest of an eco-friendly product in your garden, you must first properly plant it and take care of it.
The yield of pumpkin crops depends on how the planting material will be cared for. In order to get enough good fruit, it is necessary not only to cultivate and sow the site correctly, but also to observe the time of sowing and the time of harvest. Feeding the fruit in this case plays no less important role than regular watering. The best fruits can be obtained in those areas that are well fertilized and constantly receive the required nutrition. These vegetables grow in the open field, so they need constant top dressing to help set fruits.
Soil fertilization must be done several times during the entire period of growth and development of the vegetable.
Top dressing is done in order to increase the yield from the site. With the correct implementation of all activities, it is possible to increase yields up to 80 percent. And also top dressing makes it possible to increase the amount of nutrients and vitamins in the product. The vegetable well accepts any help in the form of top dressing, which should be carried out along with watering. In an open area after planting zucchini in June, it is necessary to give fertilizer to the plant several times.
The first dose of fertilizer is applied at planting, the second time it is necessary to carry out the treatment at the time when the plants begin to bloom. And also the third time it is recommended to additionally feed when the fruits appear on the vines.
During flowering
At this time, it is desirable to attract insects to the site that can pollinate flowers. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out foliar feeding with a sweet mixture. For its preparation, a teaspoon of sugar is taken and diluted in a glass of water. The resulting composition is sprayed on the bushes, it will attract insects that can pollinate the flowers. This procedure does not take much time and does not take strength, but at the same time it helps to improve the number of ovaries. In this case, the bush will form correctly, which will improve the ventilation of the soil and give access to useful substances to the fruits.
During the fruiting period
When the fruits begin to form, you should not miss this moment and give the plants enough nutrients so that they do not wither and gain strength. Therefore, at this time, superphosphate and urea are used for spraying. The solution is introduced into the soil in liquid form, and also mixed with the soil when loosening the soil.In the latter option, it is imperative to water the site. If there is no desire or opportunity to prepare organic fertilizers on your own, you can use ready-made mixtures that are sold in stores.
In any case, it must be remembered that for zucchini on the open ground, proper and sufficient feeding is important, since if it is not available, various fungal and other diseases can appear on the plant. Therefore, it is not worth giving up fertilizers. Such a plant will be at risk. Experienced specialists, in addition to the main dressings, also make additional ones. They are usually carried out on the tenth day after the appearance of the first fruits and are carried out once every 2 days.
Effective remedies
If the plant is fed on time and in sufficient quantity, it will help to get vegetables rich in useful elements and have a good taste when harvesting. In this case, it will be possible to harvest 40 days after planting. The main thing is to properly fertilize at the time of maturation and flowering of the plant. But not many people know how to feed zucchini at this time.
Experts note that top dressing can be done with iodine, ash or yeast, as well as other drugs. All these products are natural, so they will not harm and help grow an eco-friendly product.
Folk
Those who are worried about their health usually prefer folk remedies for feeding plants in the open field. Folk remedies are an alternative to mineral fertilizers, which are not inferior in their effectiveness, but at the same time contain fewer chemical components that negatively affect not only the health of the person who uses such a product, but also the plant.
Often, experienced gardeners use ash as a natural fertilizer, which contains the elements necessary for zucchini. It is important that the ash does not contain nitrogen, so it will need to be added separately. Moreover, if a lot of manure was introduced into the soil in autumn, then nitrogen will be contained in such soil. Its quantity is enough to help zucchini develop. Therefore, ash can be used as the only fertilizer for such a crop during this period.
It must be remembered that a concentrated ash solution replaces other chemicals that are used to deoxidize the soil. The ash can reduce acidity in a short time without harming either the product or the soil. Ash is effectively used in dry form or diluted with water. It must be applied both on the ground and scattered or sprayed on plants. It is important to choose the ash that remains only from burning firewood. Do not use ash from foam plastics, roofing materials and other materials of artificial origin.
All types of dressings provide useful components for the plant. Among them, yeast can be noted. At the same time, zucchini will respond to such top dressing with improved root growth and larger fruits. When yeast is introduced, they cause an accelerated development of microelements and bacteria that are in the soil and take part in the processing of humus. The process releases nitrogen, which is important for zucchini.
Yeast can be applied in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are used as a dry product that is sprinkled on the soil, or as a solution with water. They can spray both the bushes themselves and the soil.
It should be remembered that yeast develops in heat, so it is better to feed with their help in hot weather. In cold weather, yeast will be less useful.
Professional
Today, there are many chemicals on the market that can be used as top dressing for zucchini. If there is no desire or opportunity to use organic substances to feed the soil and plants, chemical ones can be prepared. It is enough to dilute them correctly in water and spray the bushes. It is necessary to perform the procedures only at the time indicated on the package. All these points must be observed in order not to harm the plants. Among such drugs, nitrophoska can be noted, which is diluted in a one-to-one ratio with water and poured onto plants. Zucchini absorb this mixture well and develop.
Along with this, you can additionally sprinkle the soil near the bushes with peat or chicken droppings. Another means for feeding zucchini is urea. To do this, dilute 5 grams of the substance in a bucket of water and spray on the site. To feed zucchini during the period of fruit appearance, you need to use "Effekton". It is diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 2 and is applied under the root of the plants so as not to get on the leaves. Superphosphate and boric acid will help enrich the soil and zucchini with minerals. They are also applied under the root of plants.
How to fertilize?
Top dressing of zucchini in the open field is carried out according to certain rules. They are quite simple, so anyone can do them. To properly fertilize the soil, you must adhere to the following tips from experts in this area:
- when the fruit is formed, the plant can get sick or wither from a lack of strength, so the use of fertilizer preparations is important;
- they can be applied in the form of solutions, followed by loosening the soil, or sprinkled, and then also dug up and loosened, while it should be borne in mind that a large amount of fertilizer can adversely affect plants;
- some drugs should be applied only under the root in a small concentration; for this you need to take 10 liters of water to dissolve 10 or 15 grams of chemicals;
- for foliar top dressing, the means "Buton", "Rosa" and others are used;
- if the weather is good and it is not hot outside, then you can apply drugs in an amount of no more than 10 liters per square meter, regardless of how many bushes are planted there;
- the best time for watering zucchini is morning or evening;
- during the day, when the plants are still small, they can be covered with damp cloth or freshly cut grass, which will help the moisture to be contained in the soil and not evaporate, and also prevent the leaves from drying out from the heat;
- it is important to use only freshly prepared solutions, and also treat the plant with them no more than twice the entire season.
Recommendations
In order to ensure a sufficient amount of trace elements in the soil, in addition to the main dressings, which are carried out twice throughout the season when using chemical or organic fertilizers, it is recommended to additionally produce one more top dressing. It is done during the fruiting period, when plants need growth stimulants the most. To do this, you can use the drug "Energen" or "Effekton". They dissolve in an amount of 20 grams per 10 liters of water and are poured onto a bush.After this procedure, the first zucchini will appear in 2-3 weeks and will be distinguished by good taste and beautiful appearance.
If the rules are not followed, zucchini can rot in the garden, which happens for several reasons.
- Too wet soil. In this case, it is necessary to reduce watering so that the water can evaporate from the soil in a natural way or be absorbed into it. In some cases, it is recommended to mulch the soil.
- Non-observance of crop rotation. It is not recommended to plant this crop in one place for several years in a row, which will cause soil depletion and a decrease in the amount of nutrients in it. And also pathogens of various diseases can develop in the soil. It is important to change the planting site of this crop, pre-fertilizing the part of the garden where zucchini was previously planted. The area where zucchini grew during the season cannot be used for their re-planting the next year. Such a site should be fertilized and prepared for planting legumes, eggplant, carrots and cucumbers. All these vegetables grow well in areas after zucchini and do not require special care. At the same time, it is recommended to sprinkle the soil for the winter with peat or humus for better feeding of the bushes, after which you need to dig the bed to a depth of 20 cm.
- Pests. If the plants get sick, then this can be determined by their appearance. A white coating appears on the leaves, which then turns into spots. After that, pale plants begin to turn yellow and rot.
Therefore, it is recommended to treat pumpkins with chemicals during this period, for example, Fitosporin.
If you follow all these rules, as well as eliminate diseases in time and feed the soil, you can get a pretty good harvest and not put a lot of effort into it.As you can see, growing zucchini and feeding them does not require special skills and abilities, so everyone can handle this job.
With proper care, up to 40 fruits can be harvested from one bush. It is recommended to collect them young, as they have many useful substances at this time and differ in taste. Such fruits do not require cleaning before cooking, and they can also be used for conservation.
For information on when to feed zucchini, see the video below.