Iodine for strawberries: properties and rules for use
Very often, improvised home remedies are used to treat, protect or feed strawberries. One of them is iodine, which allows you to positively influence the plant. Only by creating the most favorable conditions can you get juicy sweet berries.
Properties of iodine in horticulture
Alcoholic pharmacy iodine is very often used for antiseptic and prophylactic treatment of garden plants in order to increase their resistance to fungal diseases and insects. It is believed that this tool helps to have a beneficial effect on the growth and flowering of strawberries.
Iodine solution is an anthelmintic, antimicrobial and antiviral drug. It contains alcohol, so in large doses it is able to release toxins. For the agrochemical industry, potassium iodide is usually used, which does not contain toxic substances, but does not rid the plant of the fungus.
This tool is able to enter into a chemical reaction with organic and inorganic compounds that are contained in the soil. At the same time, it releases oxygen, which has a detrimental effect on infections and allows the plant to grow faster.
According to some reports, iodine can increase the viability of strawberries, since its components have a positive effect on enzymes. In this regard, the strawberry bush gives a large harvest.Many years of research have proven that using a substance for feeding and processing a plant can accelerate its growth and increase immunity.
When spraying a strawberry bush with iodine, it is impossible to speak with full confidence about the safety of such treatment. For this reason, this method must be used with caution. Do not dilute the concentrated preparation, as well as spray strawberries too often. If this tool did not help the first time, then you should not resort to it again.
Due to the volatility of the iodine solution, it quickly evaporates from the surface of the bush. For this reason, it can be argued that toxic substances do not have time to be absorbed into the plant. But many gardeners believe that the more volatile the substance, the less useful it will be.
The use of iodine
To process garden strawberries, you must follow several important rules:
- You can disinfect the soil in early spring or autumn, after the old tops are removed from the bush. To prepare the solution, mix 15 drops of iodine solution in 10 liters of water. Thus, you can disinfect the soil and get rid of pests.
- To prepare the soil for planting young rosettes, you need to use a weak solution consisting of only 3 drops of iodine and 10 liters of water. It is desirable to cultivate the land 3-4 days before transplantation.
- Spring root treatment involves watering the beds with a solution consisting of 10 liters of water, 30 drops of iodine, 100 g of wood ash and 20 drops of boric acid. For one strawberry bush, you can spend only half a liter of the mixture.
- Before the plant blooms, it must be sprayed with a mixture that consists of 10 liters of water and 10 drops of an iodine substance.This treatment helps prevent the formation of fungus and destroy possible pests.
- To get rid of insects, you need to dilute 30 drops of iodine and 20 g of laundry soap in 10 liters of water. You can use this method no more than once a month.
Fertilizing strawberry bushes in early spring can speed up their growth and rid the plant of various diseases. Spring top dressing consists of spraying to not only fertilize the soil, but also nourish the stems and roots of strawberries. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the amount of iodine so as not to damage the leaves.
It is necessary to carry out spring top dressing only once. After removing the old tops, the earth should be watered abundantly and after that the iodine mixture should be used.
During flowering, iodine is used to spray bushes in order to restore the balance of nutrients in the soil. The yield of strawberries directly depends on this. During this period, it is desirable to resort to root and foliar top dressing. Such watering is possible only once, otherwise you can burn the root system.
It is not worth processing strawberries during fruiting, since from such a fertilizer it withers along with the berries. It is best to resort to spraying after harvest.
Disease prevention
Most often, strawberries get sick during the rainy season or when the air temperature drops. In this case, the fungus affects not only the leaves, but also the roots and even berries. This plant is most susceptible to rot, powdery mildew, spotting and fusarium.
Strawberry rot is formed on the plant with a lack of light and heat. Infection manifests itself in the form of extensive whitish spots formed on the leaves. If you do not get rid of the problem in time, then the rot will begin to affect the fruits.
Powdery mildew damages strawberry bushes and seriously reduces crop yields. You can recognize the fungus by white spots, which gradually increase in size and lead to curling of the leaves. Berries affected by powdery mildew begin to turn blue and rot.
Fusarium occurs during extreme heat or when there is an excess of weeds near strawberry beds. At the same time, the leaves begin to dry rapidly. If the disease is not treated, it can lead to the death of the bush.
To protect strawberries from disease by various fungi, you need to use a fertilizer consisting of 10 liters of water, 1 liter of milk and 10 drops of iodine. This top dressing is recommended for use in the spring after sunset.
Iodine treatment will not be useful if rocky, sparse soil prevails on the site. Bushes not enriched with mineral fertilizers are not able to fully grow, even iodine is unlikely to help them in this. To change the situation, it is worthwhile to first pass a soil analysis, and according to its results, enrich the beds with special fertilizers.
Getting rid of pests
Many years of experience have proven that iodine allows you to fight not only fungal diseases, but also various pests. It cannot be argued that this remedy is capable of destroying all insects, but most of them are not able to survive after iodine treatment.
What insects does iodine help with:
- beetle weevil - is the biggest enemy of strawberries. It can completely destroy the buds, which will eventually lead to crop loss. To get rid of this pest, you need to treat the bushes in early spring with a solution consisting of 10 liters of water and 10 drops of iodine. First, the beds need to be watered abundantly, and after that, pour the iodine mixture.
- Aphid - covers the surface of plants and damages stems, leaves and inflorescences. To get rid of it, you need to mix 120 ml of cow's milk, 30 ml of iodine and 1 liter of water. This tool is sprayed with infected bushes.
- transparent mite It is small in size, so it is not visible at all. Despite being invisible, it can cause great harm to strawberries. This insect sucks plant juices from the plant, which leads to curvature and wrinkling of the leaves, as well as a decrease in yield.
Some gardeners believe that adding laundry soap or milk to an iodine solution increases the effectiveness of the remedy. However, this has not been scientifically proven. Lactic acid bacteria improve the absorption of iodine by strawberries, but do not affect the fight against insects.
An iodine solution is not capable of destroying slugs and snails, so another remedy must be selected to combat them.
Preparing a solution for irrigation
To prepare an iodine remedy that can be used to feed or cure a strawberry bush, the dosage must be strictly followed. Each disease requires the use of a specific recipe so as not to harm the plant itself. Often, gardeners increase the concentration of iodine in order to speed up the effect of the drug on aphids or rot. But by increasing the dosage, they risk damaging or completely destroying the bushes.
The preparation of the compositions is not difficult, but it is worth remembering that it is impossible to prepare solutions in metal utensils. And also do not use iron tools to stir the mixture, as this will lead to oxidation of the metal. It is best to resort to plastic utensils and wooden tools.
It is undesirable to store an iodine agent.But if necessary, you can use a glass jar with a tightly closed lid for storage. The container should be in a dry and well-ventilated place, which is not exposed to sunlight. If you do not follow these recommendations, it will lead to decomposition of the composition.
You need to work with iodine in a special mask and gloves. This substance has good volatility and is able to evaporate toxic substances. In addition, contact with iodine on the skin in large quantities can lead to burns.
The technology for using iodine to increase strawberry yield is shown in the following video.