HIGH-YIELDING TOMATO VARIETIES FOR GREENHOUSES: REVIEW OF GROUPS, HYBRIDS AND GROWING FEATURES Of the wide variety of tomato varieties offered to farmers and amateur vegetable growers, it is impossible to unambiguously recommend only some and ignore others, because the preferences of a particular person are subjective. And this is understandable: each of us has our own criteria for evaluating the tomatoes we grow, but everyone always chooses the most productive tomatoes for greenhouses. In areas with different climates, the conditions for cultivating tomatoes (even in farm greenhouses) are different, so the most popular are specific, zoned varieties, which enjoy well-deserved attention from most gardeners. - Indeterminate varieties are ideal for greenhouses - vigorous bushes form into one stem. - Determinate tomatoes for greenhouses require constant pruning of shoots. Each hybrid is prone to one of these 2 types of development, so we need to correct plant growth in time, starting right from the seedlings. According to the type of growth, TOMATOES are divided into 2 GROUPS: - with vegetative development, - with generative development. As a rule, well-known seed manufacturing companies provide the following starting information on the packaging: the main characteristics and individual characteristics of a particular variety. For low greenhouses for tomatoes with a standard (up to 2.5 m) ridge height, we will choose tall varieties of tomatoes with shortened internodes, and we will form them into 2 stems. When the bushes grow to the trellis, each shoot will already have 3 brushes. We will send out additional shoots from the seedlings under the very first cluster. Typically, tall and large-fruited tomatoes exhibit a vegetative type of growth. We plant seedlings of hybrids and varieties with this vegetative type of development with the first two racemes flowering in order to prevent fattening of the plants, which reduces the yield of tomatoes in the greenhouse. REVIEW OF VARIETIES ONLY FOR GREENHOUSE PURPOSE MEDIUM AND HIGH-GROWING YIELDING VARIETIES 1. Intuition F1 - with 1 stem and unlimited growth, a mid-season hybrid of truss tomatoes: only 110 days pass from the first shoots to fruiting. Round, smooth fruits weighing over 100 g do not crumble even after ripening, do not crack, and their high sugar content is ideal for canning and fresh salads. 2. Kostroma F1 is a two-meter mid-early hybrid, already 106 after germination we collect a friendly and abundant harvest of flat-round fruits weighing 150 g, and up to 5 kg per bush. This plant is resistant to viruses and changes in humidity and temperature. 3. Rosemary F1: within 115 days after sprouting, large (400g), pink, smooth fruits ripen for delicious salads. Their flesh is juicy, tender, and has a “melting” consistency. Productivity reaches 11 kg per plant. 4. Chio-chio-san - a mid-season hybrid with unlimited growth, hung with huge branched clusters, with 50 fruits on each. Pink, plum-shaped tomatoes weighing up to 40 g delight us with an excellent dessert taste and four kilograms of such fruits per bush. The variety is not susceptible to tobacco mosaic disease. 5. Blagovest F1 is a one and a half meter tall, early ripening hundred day hybrid. One plant produces 5 kg of round fruits weighing over 100 g each. 6. Verlioka F1 - one and a half meter, early ripening hundred-year-old with round fruits up to 100 g each and 5 kg per bush. This tomato is great for canning and fresh salads. As the personal experience of gardeners proves, the most productive varieties of tomatoes for a greenhouse are numerous: their list can include dozens of other hybrids and varieties of tomatoes, even for one region. INTERESTING NEW VARIETIES 1. Siberian F1 - a late-ripening, single-stem hybrid with unlimited growth produces a yield of up to 5 kg in 4.5 months. Its flat-round, smooth, aromatic tomatoes are unique in size - up to 2.8 kg, and their taste is harmonious, dessert. The plant is not susceptible to diseases such as cladosporiosis and fusarium. 2. Ural F1: This indeterminate tomato with unlimited growth for the Ural region will produce the first tasty, sweet tomatoes for salads in just 4 months. Up to 25 flat-round fruits weighing 350 g grow on 1 bush. 3. Shaolin F1 is a plant with a medium ripening period: after 115 days, the first large (up to 400 g), pink, beautiful tomatoes, intended for salad purposes, ripen on powerful low bushes. Their pulp is tender, juicy, as if melting, with an abundance of provitamin A. The average yield is 10 kg per plant. Kamchatka F1 is a one and a half meter mid-season (110 days before fruiting) variety with attractive and tasty round fruits weighing up to 150 g, stored for up to 2 months. The hybrid is resistant to all viral pathogens dangerous to these plants. All of these listed productive varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses have already been appreciated by experienced vegetable growers and are leaders in the sale of seeds, especially since they are not very demanding on care. GREENHOUSE RUSH TOMATOES (We collect their fruits with tassels, like grapes in clusters). This type is gaining well-deserved popularity. Breeders have successfully bred the following hybrids: Fatalist, Fan, Vladimir and others. FEATURES: - A valuable feature of this type is its high strength: we can transport the crop anywhere, but the tomatoes do not spoil or crack. - The fruits on the cluster are often the same size: 100 - 200 g. - Such greenhouse tomatoes with clusters are absolutely resistant to the diseases characteristic of these plants, so we do not have to spend money on purchasing various preventive chemicals. THE MOST POPULAR Of course, it is almost impossible to list all the high-yielding varieties of tomatoes for the greenhouse - after all, breeders delight us with their new achievements. Among them, De Barao red and Hybrid Ivanhoe F1 stand out. It is believed that these varieties in a greenhouse produce over 20 kg of fruit from 1 bush. DE BARAO - For De Barao, the norm is 30 kg per plant, and the record is 70 kg. - Even in open ground, this variety, under normal conditions and proper care, produces 10 kilograms per bush in the hot summer. - Its smooth fruits are of medium size with a weight of 150 g and are very tasty fresh and canned. - However, the hybrid is very demanding on the microclimate and grows poorly on infertile, heavy clay or loamy soils. - Breeders have pleased gardeners with original early varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses, which are not inferior in yield. But they have a different color, indicated in their very name: De Barao yellow, pink or black. SEMKO-SINBAD F1 One of the most popular early ripening hybrids was Semko-Sinbad F1. - In terms of early ripening, it is not inferior to the Hurricane variety, in which the first tomatoes turn red already on the 80th day from the seedlings pecking. - Ovaries on the plant are also formed without additional measures. Its inflorescence contains 8 red fruits weighing up to 100 g with an average yield of about 10 kg per 1 sq. m. HYBRID IVENGO F1 The new salad tomato surprises with its productivity: the fruits on its clusters are like on a well-groomed bunch of grapes. - All tomatoes are bright red and do not shrink closer to the top of the bush, providing excellent harvest without the use of growth stimulants. - The taste of the fruits of this hybrid is much better than other greenhouse counterparts, and the bush itself is large, with powerful thick stems. - Ivanhoe, with its high yield, practically does not get sick and is resistant to fungi, tomato mosaic, nematode, and verticillium. - Particularly valuable for lovers of natural farming: it gives an excellent harvest without the use of chemicals. - And this variety actually has no disadvantages, only the price of its seeds is higher. And we won’t put tomatoes in regular jars - they are very large. ALHAMBRA Its excellent productivity is successfully combined with another advantage - the brushes do not refract. - The taste of tomatoes is excellent. - This variety bears maximum fruit in heated greenhouses from April to January, forming ten-meter vines. CARE OF HIGH YIELD TOMATOES We monitor the load of plants directly with fruits and regulate it in a timely manner, taking into account the characteristics of the variety. FEEDING 1. It is advisable to carry out agrotechnical regulation of the development of bushes only with their balanced nutrition. 2. Please note! Experience shows that it is better to limit nitrogen before the formation of the first bunch of fruit, especially in plants with vegetative development. 3. 1 week before planting the seedlings in the garden greenhouse, stop feeding them, and after planting, we will do the first feeding in 2 weeks. 4. During the growing season, we regularly add, as the instructions recommend, phosphorus and potassium (wood ash is well suited for this purpose, and to simplify the process of feeding plants, it is best to immediately add 2 large handfuls of ash into each hole immediately when planting seedlings), during flowering It is advisable to sprinkle the same wood ash around each tomato bush (this will also help protect the plants from verticillium wilt). Next, when the fruits set on the first two clusters, it is necessary to apply nitrogen liquid fertilizers for active growth of the fruits. During this period, we feed with a solution of mullein or bird droppings, and an infusion of weeds with an EM preparation is also good. 5. In case of excessive vegetation, we apply root feeding with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate. 6. With accelerated generative development, we will make 2 feedings with fermented weeds - this will speed up the ripening of unexpectedly numerous fruits in cool weather. CARING FOR SEARCHES - Shoots will appear in a week, and we will reduce the temperature to +18C. - Water with warm, settled water once every 3 days. - To rid the sprouts of root rot, we use biological products. - When a true leaf appears, place the seedlings one at a time in plastic or peat pots. CARE OF PLANTS - We place seedlings in a row on the ground every 50 centimeters, and between their rows - 60 cm. - Please note! Seedlings of large-fruited tomatoes are placed in heated shelters 50 days after germination, and in unheated shelters in May. - Add 0.5 kg of humus into the hole. - We will tie up the overgrown bushes with a trellis, thrown over a 5 mm wire stretched along the rows. - Next, we simply twist the trellis with our own hands as the bush grows, water it, and after flowering, feed it with ready-made balanced organic matter 2 times a month. - We will tie up large-fruited tomatoes - these high-yielding varieties need such support. - We regularly remove shoots from the leaf axil. - We collect fruits that are brown, since their complete redness depletes the plant. CONCLUSION - Experienced gardeners experiment with several varieties of tomatoes at once, because a specific soil and region have their own productive hybrids. - When choosing varieties, we take into account the characteristics of the greenhouse and growing conditions. - Traditional and proven greenhouse tomatoes are good, but new varieties are more hardy and productive with easy care. - We buy large packages of the selected variety and plant half of the seeds; if the result is successful, we sow the remaining seeds for the next year.

Among the organic fertilizers for cucumbers that can be prepared from improvised means, nettle infusion stands apart and has a lot of advantages. Fertilizing cucumbers with nettles is most effective, affordable, quick and easy to prepare, and the purpose of such organic fertilizer is universal.

Nettle is traditionally considered a noxious weed. It colonizes vacant lots, areas near fences and buildings, and fills paths and lawns. Nettle is a “pioneer” of neglected wastelands and burnt areas. It grows especially vigorously in fertile soils.

Competent gardeners consider the tenacious weed an excellent fertilizer for cucumbers and successfully use the best qualities of nettle to increase the yield of the crunchy vegetable.

Which nettle is suitable for feeding cucumbers

In our country, only a few species are more common, all of them are suitable for fertilizing cucumbers.

Stinging nettle stands out for its “dimensions”. It forms powerful clumps, spreads by creeping rhizomes, grows up to 1.5–2 m. The leaves and inflorescences are large, on long petioles.

It surpasses many vegetable and berry crops in the content of vitamins C, K, A, and is rich in potassium, calcium and other microelements, essential oils and organic acids.

Stinging nettle is inferior in size to stinging nettle; it is lower and strewn with smaller leaves, but is considered more stinging. No less rich in useful elements and nutritional properties.

Hemp nettle is less common and is a more fibrous variety. If it is inferior to the first two in terms of medicinal and “calorie” qualities, it is not by much.

Why is it useful to feed cucumbers with nettle solution?

Nettle contains:

• 34% potassium,
• 37% calcium,
• organic acids, the main of which is formic acid,
• a significant amount of nitrogen, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, other macro and microelements, organic acids and essential oils,
• vitamins of group B, as well as K, C, A, E.

The former weed generously shares all the useful elements with cucumbers:

• cucumber vines grow quickly;
• the plants are strong, healthy, and take root well when transplanted;
• flowering and fruiting of cucumbers accelerates;
• The yield increases, the quality and taste of greens improves.

Thanks to a set of vitamins and important elements, cucumbers gain the ability to quickly get rid of toxins. Potassium imparts resistance to diseases, vitamins increase the taste properties of cucumbers.

Macro and microelements increase the immunity of cucumbers and adaptability to adverse conditions, stimulate metabolism, and improve resistance to microorganisms and insect pests.

The advantage of organic fertilizer

The quality of modern mineral fertilizers, when used regularly, does not allow us to say that they are inferior to organic fertilizers.

However, many vegetable growers prefer natural nutrients. Nettle as a fertilizer for cucumbers is an excellent and very effective alternative to mineral preparations:

• absolutely harmless to cucumbers, plants, pollinating insects, soil;
• quickly absorbed;
• gives instant results;
• does not require any financial costs;
• the finished infusion can be stored until next season.

Cucumbers fed with nettles become strong and strong. The leaves take on a rich green color. Juicy, crispy and very tasty cucumbers are poured quickly.

How to prepare liquid fertilizer for feeding

The stems and leaves of any nettle are suitable for preparing fertilizer for cucumbers. Roots cannot be used.

Attention! Nettles for preparation of fertilizing are taken before flowering.

The greens can be chopped, but this is not a necessary condition. Leaves and stems are placed in a container and filled with water. The fertilizer container can be metal, but plastic or enamel is preferable.

It is better to pour hot water, so the fermentation process will begin faster. But regular cold water will do. The green mass must be completely covered with water; for this it is useful to use light pressure.

An important condition is that the container with nettles must be covered with a lid or wrapped in film, and placed in a sunny, well-warmed place.

The fertilizer should be mixed two to three times a week (or better yet, daily). The beginning of fermentation is signaled by the appearance of foam and a characteristic unpleasant odor.

On hot sunny days, nettle fertilizer for cucumbers is ready in 7–10 days, on cloudy and cold days – in 14–20 days. You can fertilize cucumbers with this fertilizer at any stage of growth a couple of times a month.

Unused infusion can be stored for as long as desired, even until next summer. For the winter, the container needs to be well covered, and in frosty regions, do not forget to put a stick on the bottom, this will protect the container from cracking.

How to fertilize cucumbers with nettles

Nettle infusion is used for root and foliar feeding: cucumbers are watered and sprayed with “nettle tea”.

For root fertilizer, take 1–1.5 liters of infusion per bucket of water. Pour it under the roots of cucumbers at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 m2 of planting. After fertilizing, it is useful to water the soil with plain, clean water.

For spraying, prepare a light and suspended working solution:

• filter the infusion through several layers of gauze to prevent clogging of the atomizer filter;
• dissolve one part of the purified infusion in 20 parts of water.

Spray cucumbers with fertilizer in the evening or on a cloudy day to prevent the leaves from being burned by the sun's rays. During dry, sunny periods, foliar feeding is carried out once every two weeks; on rainy and cloudy days, cucumbers can be sprayed every 7–10 days.

Nettle fertilizer is also excellent for seedlings if cucumbers are grown this way. To spray or water seedlings, use a less saturated solution of green fertilizer. Watering and spraying can be alternated, this way the best effect is achieved.

Fertilizer for cucumbers from whole nettles

A regular nettle “blanket” for cucumbers has a prolonged effect. To do this, take the burning leaves and stems, cut them into small pieces (this is more convenient to use), and mulch the cucumber bed.

Gradually decomposing under the influence of moisture, sun, wind and microorganisms, nettle gives cucumbers valuable nutrients. At the same time:

• protects the soil and roots of the crop from drying out;
• prevents the appearance of slugs and other pests;
• improves the structure and mineral composition of the soil.

This fertilizer does not give quick results; its effect is designed for a long period.

Fertilizer preparation

The best time to harvest nettles for future use is May-June, before flowering begins. Cut off the burning stems with leaves, do not use the roots. For drying, cut into large pieces or tied in bunches. Dry in the shade, in a well-ventilated place, for example, under a canopy or in an attic.

The harvested raw materials are used to prepare fertilizer in the same way as described above. An infusion of dried nettle will help if you need to feed early cucumber seedlings.

Improving the properties of fertilizer

Nettle fertilizer itself is very effective. But you can achieve an even more remarkable result if you add wood ash, nutritional yeast or manure to the infusion.

Other herbs that are considered weeds by gardeners are also suitable - dandelion, thyme, chamomile, biting midge. The main condition is not to use rhizomes and those plants where seeds have already formed. You should also avoid poisonous “ingredients” – bindweed, for example.

Fertilizer is a healer

Due to its outstanding properties, the presence of vitamins and microelements, nettle not only supplies cucumbers with nutrients and vitamins.

It strengthens the crop's immunity to diseases such as late blight and powdery mildew. Increases the resistance of cucumbers to pests - aphids, slugs, mites. Improves the ability to adapt to adverse weather conditions.

Nettle infusion is indispensable for treating weak plants. Cucumbers with weak vines, pale or yellow leaves need urgent watering and spraying with liquid fertilizer. Plants quickly respond to such help, gain strength, acquire a healthy appearance, and accelerate their development.

Regular fertilizing with nettles stimulates the active flowering of cucumbers, the massive formation of ovaries, and the friendly ripening of greens.

Nettle for protection against slugs

But some see nettle as an ally in obtaining a higher and better harvest. There are several ways to use nettle in the garden. For example, it is used to fight slugs.

To do this, the “ally” is first crushed and then used to mulch the beds with tomatoes (read about growing tomatoes here), strawberries and other crops eaten by these pests. The prickly, burning mulch is an insurmountable barrier for slugs with their delicate bellies.

Nettle ash for fertilizing the soil

Nettle can also be used in the garden in the form of ash. It is light, volatile, bluish in color, contains more than thirty trace elements and just under 40% potassium.

By the way, in terms of the latter indicator, nettle ash is many times superior to wood ash. To prepare this storehouse of substances useful for plants, nettles are first cut, dried for several days, and then burned, moreover, in the evening.

By morning the ash will have cooled down and is placed in a container for storage. Use as needed. Nettle ash is used in the same way as wood ash. Try at least one nettle fertilizer in practice and I bet you will never be able to refuse it.

Let's sum it up

With a good owner, weeds are also beneficial. Thus, nettle is used as a fertilizer for cucumbers in the form of infusion and mulch. Root feeding and spraying cucumbers with liquid fertilizer give quick results, improve the taste of cucumbers, improve plant health and increase productivity.

Learn more about fertilizing cucumbers with nettles in this video:

Any person tries to get around the dense thickets of nettles, because its “bites” are very painful, and after them redness and itching remain for a long time. On the other hand, such an “evil” pungency indicates a high content of biologically active substances that can be of great benefit in the garden, in the variety of home menus and in promoting health.

First, a few words about the plant itself and its basic properties.

Nettle (Urtica) is a genus of annual or perennial herbs, numbering about 40-50 species. On the territory of Russia, perennial stinging nettle (U. dioica) is almost ubiquitous; annual monoecious stinging nettle (U. mens) is somewhat less common. These plants are considered weeds, since they actively grow thanks to creeping rhizomes even in unfavorable conditions (on scree, ruins, forest edges, in ditches, etc.), on almost any type of soil. Nettle belongs to hemicryptophytes (from the Greek hemi - semi- and kryptos - hidden) - a life form of plants in which, during periods unsuitable for vegetation, renewal buds remain at soil level (or slightly above) and are protected by scales, fallen leaves or snow. cover.

Perhaps not many people are familiar with the concept of “hemicryptophytes,” but in practice every summer resident constantly encounters them. In addition to nettles, these are “indestructible” dandelions, creeping tenacious, certain types of buttercups and other herbaceous plants of mid-latitudes.

Nettle thickets are formed in small clumps (“islands”) and can be recognized from afar by the characteristic shape of the leaves (long-pointed with a rounded or heart-shaped base), their large serrated edges and their opposite, that is, opposite each other, arrangement on the stems.

The main natural “weapon” of nettles, which protects the delicate sweetish greenery from animals and insects that would not mind eating it, is the stinging glandular hairs covering the stems and leaves. They contain a caustic liquid (formic acid), which, when it gets into wounds on the skin caused by punctures with the sharp edges of broken hairs, causes a painful burning sensation and sometimes allergic reactions. Formic acid has a pronounced antibacterial effect; in addition, the leaves contain a large amount of useful, biologically active substances. Thanks to these properties, nettle is widely used in amateur gardening and agriculture.

Method 1. Fertilizer

The main feature of stinging nettle is that it is able to accumulate nitrogen and its compounds (including nitrates), as well as a whole complex of microelements. In terms of nitrogen content per unit mass, fresh nettle is superior to most traditionally used organic fertilizers: bird droppings, cow and pig manure, peat, any mown grass or straw.

For adherents of organic farming, nettle is an excellent natural alternative to “store-bought chemicals” that can stimulate the growth and improve the immunity of other plants. Fertilizer from it is prepared in the form of a concentrated infusion, which contains a lot of useful substances, and during the process of natural fermentation it is additionally enriched with enzymes. Almost all garden crops growing in most summer cottages respond gratefully to nettle fertilizing: cucumbers and tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, strawberries and currants. This list can be continued, but it’s easier to say that nettle fertilizers are not recommended for legumes, garlic and onions.

Technology for preparing concentrated nettle fertilizer

To prepare nettle fertilizer, take young shoots with leaves, crush or crush them in any convenient way so that they fit well and fit tightly into the prepared container.

The container is tightly filled with grass to 2/3 of the volume, filled with water (if warm, the fermentation process will begin faster) almost to the very top and covered with a lid. To stimulate intensive fermentation, some gardeners add a little yeast, bread or Baikal biofertilizer to the herbal slurry. The infusion is left for 7-10 days in a warm place, or in the open sun. Twice a day it needs to be mixed well, ensuring the release of accumulated gases. The liquid will gradually become darker and acquire an unpleasant odor. When gas bubbles stop forming foam, the fertilizer is ready.

You can learn more about preparing the infusion from the following video:

Using nettle infusion

The concentrated infusion is diluted with water in the following proportions:

• 1/10 – for root feeding;
• 1/20 – for foliar feeding (per leaf).

For foliar feeding, make the solution weaker so as not to burn the leaves, filter and spray the plants with it once a month. A nutrient solution is applied under the roots 2-3 times a month, 0.5-1 liter for each plant. It is advisable to fertilize in cloudy weather or in the evening, after rain or heavy watering. Nettle, like any other nitrogen-containing fertilizer, should be used mainly in the initial stages of the growing season (during the period of growth and flowering). Then, the active growth of green mass is undesirable; it will distract the plants from bearing fruit, which will lead to a decrease in yield indicators.

Nettle is successfully used as a fertilizer not only in its “pure” form, but also added to compost, which it enriches in composition with its complex of vitamins and microelements. If there is a large amount of nettle, you can burn it, and then feed any plants with the resulting ash.

Nettle makes an excellent ash fertilizer. To obtain it, the cut plants are dried in the sun for 3-4 days, then raked into a heap and burned. The result is thin, light, homogeneous ash of bluish color. It contains almost 40% potassium and many trace elements necessary for plants. For comparison, “wood” ash, which is widely used as a potassium fertilizer, has a much “coarser” consistency, and the amount of potassium in it does not exceed 14-15%.

Method 2. Nutritional “cushion”

Many gardeners and vegetable gardeners advise planting nettles in the soil before planting various popular crops, primarily cucumbers. According to their reviews, a layer of grass placed in prepared holes or ditches provides the seedlings with adequate nutrition, stimulates their growth and protects them from diseases and pests.

It is recommended to pre-chop the greens and pour plenty of water so that they rot faster and enrich the soil with useful and nutrients that are well absorbed by young plants. The nettle “cushion” is sprinkled with earth (a layer of 8-10 cm), seedlings are planted in it or seeds are sown and watered again.

Nettles are not only planted in beds, that is, they are used as green manure. It successfully mulches the soil. The crushed stems and leaves can be spread in a very thick layer, since nettle greens have one excellent quality - they decompose quickly. As a result, the mulch layer is light and loose. Water and nutrients penetrate down, and the layer itself remains moist for a long time, protecting the plant roots from drying out. There is evidence that the use of nettle mulch significantly increases the productivity of berry bushes (raspberries, currants, etc.) and allows for increased potato yields. Among flowers, nettle mulch is especially appreciated by lilies.

Method 3. Disease prevention

The organic acids, tannins and phytoncides contained in nettle suppress the activity of some pathogenic microorganisms. For example, pathogens of late blight and powdery mildew. To combat late blight, use an infusion prepared from 1 kg of grass (per 10 liters of water), left for a week in a warm place. In order to prevent various diseases and strengthen the immunity of plants, make a weakly concentrated instant infusion: 1 tbsp. l. dry herbs are poured into 1 liter of hot water and allowed to brew while cooling. Eco-friendly nettle treatments, unlike chemicals, can be used at any stage of the plant growing season, including during fruit filling and ripening.

It is recommended to “clean” the soil in areas infected with late blight, as well as in greenhouses, with nettles, adding drops of it for the winter. To do this, prepare shallow trenches in the fall, lay a layer of grass (fresh, withered or dried) 8-10 cm thick in them and sprinkle with earth. Nettle, decomposing, turns into vermicompost, further structuring the soil, making it looser.

Method 4. Pest control

The stinging stems and leaves can also be used as a natural repellent to repel various insects, in particular aphids, and mollusks (garden snails, slugs).

A good effect in the fight against aphids is obtained by spraying plants with a nettle solution (1 kg of grass per 10 liters of water), infused for 24 hours. From crawling pests, it is best to simply spread nettles under the roots of plants and update the mulch layer with fresh grass from time to time.

Method 5. Preparing feed

If there are animals or poultry in the household, nettle is used as fresh food and when preparing hay and silage for long-term storage, since formic acid slows down the processes of decay and rotting.

Experienced owners know that young nettle, introduced into the diet of birds and animals, protects them from many diseases, increases appetite and promotes the absorption of nutrients. In chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and quails, it stimulates egg production and improves the incubation quality of eggs. At the same time, the taste characteristics of meat and eggs and their biological value increase significantly. In industrial poultry farming, feed with the addition of dried nettle and nettle flour is widely used, which contains:

For the preparation of fresh green food, young nettles from the spring harvest (before and in the budding stage) are recommended, since the level of biologically active substances and the concentration of carotenoids after flowering are significantly reduced, and the amount of fiber increases. Young nettle, compared to traditionally used alfalfa, contains 3 times more manganese and iron, and 5 times more zinc and copper. It is better to feed the crushed herbal mass to birds immediately after preparation; for ducks, geese and turkeys it is usually mixed with feed or moistened bran.

After flowering, only plant tops, young shoots and leaves should be collected for green food. For silage, nettle grass is mowed during the period from the beginning to full flowering.

In the old days, nettle saved many people from hunger. In terms of nutritional value, it was compared with legumes, and in terms of the content of essential amino acids - with black currant, sorrel, sea buckthorn, green onions and carrots combined. Nowadays, few people use nettle for culinary purposes in their kitchen, but salads, soups, and various drinks prepared from it cleanse the blood well and promote weight loss, so they can easily serve as part of a healthy and dietary menu.

In little Denmark, any piece of land is a very expensive pleasure. Therefore, local gardeners have adapted to growing fresh vegetables in buckets, large bags, and foam boxes filled with a special earthen mixture. Such agrotechnical methods make it possible to obtain a harvest even at home.

It is believed that some vegetables and fruits (cucumbers, stem celery, all varieties of cabbage, peppers, apples) have “negative calorie content,” that is, more calories are consumed during digestion than they contain. In fact, only 10-20% of the calories received from food are consumed in the digestive process.

Tomatoes have no natural protection against late blight. If late blight attacks, any tomatoes (and potatoes too) die, no matter what is said in the description of the varieties (“variety resistant to late blight” is just a marketing ploy).

Compost is rotted organic remains of various origins. How to do it? They put everything in a heap, hole or large box: kitchen scraps, tops of garden crops, weeds cut before flowering, thin twigs. All this is layered with phosphate rock, sometimes straw, earth or peat. (Some summer residents add special composting accelerators.) Cover with film. During the process of overheating, the pile is periodically turned or pierced to bring in fresh air. Typically, compost “ripens” for 2 years, but with modern additives it can be ready in one summer season.

“Frost-resistant” varieties of garden strawberries (more often simply “strawberries”) need shelter just as much as ordinary varieties (especially in those regions where there are snowless winters or frosts alternating with thaws). All strawberries have superficial roots. This means that without shelter they freeze to death. Sellers’ assurances that strawberries are “frost-resistant,” “winter-hardy,” “tolerates frosts down to −35 ℃,” etc. are deception. Gardeners must remember that no one has yet managed to change the root system of strawberries.

Convenient Android applications have been developed to help gardeners and gardeners. First of all, these are sowing (lunar, flower, etc.) calendars, thematic magazines, and collections of useful tips. With their help, you can choose a day favorable for planting each type of plant, determine the timing of their ripening and harvest on time.

Natural toxins are found in many plants; Those grown in gardens and vegetable gardens are no exception. Thus, the seeds of apples, apricots, and peaches contain hydrocyanic acid, and the tops and peels of unripe nightshades (potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes) contain solanine. But do not be afraid: their number is too small.

In Australia, scientists have begun experiments in cloning several varieties of grapes grown in cold regions. Climate warming, which is predicted for the next 50 years, will lead to their disappearance. Australian varieties have excellent characteristics for winemaking and are not susceptible to diseases common in Europe and America.

Summer residents have long noticed: where nettles grow, there is fertile, healthy soil on which all crops, including decorative ones, grow well. You can plant your plants in such soil without any fertilizers and they will grow very strong and strong.

Benefits of soil under nettles

When decomposing, the leaves, stems and roots of nettle form neutral, thin humus. Next to or after nettles, the plants are very disease resistant. Many fragrant plants, under its beneficial influence, enhance the aroma (for example, mint - almost doubled), attracting beneficial insects that pollinate and destroy pests.

The ideal mulch is made from nettles

Nettle is rich in microelements, primarily iron. Even a small amount of nettle leaves significantly improves the quality of the compost. The positive experience of English gardeners using nettles as mulch is noteworthy: vegetable plants develop better and are reliably protected from slugs, aphids and snails.

Liquid fertilizer from nettles

The experience of European gardeners using nettle infusion as a liquid fertilizer is interesting.

Fill 0.5 volumes of finely chopped nettle into polyethylene, wooden (but not metal) containers, add water to a level 10 cm below the top edge of the container, cover and place away from housing (an unpleasant odor is released during fermentation).

After two weeks, the infusion is ready. For foliar feeding, it is diluted 20 times and sprayed on the plants, for watering at the root - 10 times.

Nettle infusion promotes the growth and development of most plants and heals the soil. But there are exceptions: garlic, onions, beans and peas do not like nettles.

In addition to nettle, infusions of a mixture of herbs are very effective: chamomile, shepherd's purse and horsetail (infusions of these herbs are rich in microelements), and comfrey quickly compensates for potassium deficiency.

Nettle will protect plants from aphids

The number of aphids increases sharply in dry summers. Fresh nettle leaves (1-2 kg per bucket of water) are infused for a day, after which the affected plants are treated with undiluted infusion - the aphids die from the effects of formic acid contained in the stinging nettle hairs.

Protection against late blight of tomatoes

It is known that spraying tomatoes with fermented nettle infusion (1 kg per bucket of water) prevents late blight outbreaks. Nettle can transform uncultivated, abandoned soils into suitable soils for crops.

Vitamin value of nettle

Nettle also heals humans. It saves you from a lack of vitamins in early spring: young leaves and shoots are used to prepare green cabbage soup, salads, purees, and side dishes. For the winter, nettles are salted, fermented, or powdered from dry leaves.

Young nettles are used to make pies filling

(preferably in a 1:1 mixture with sorrel). Cocktails with carrot and lemon juice are prepared from fresh juice. Nettle juice has long been used as a nourishing and healing agent in cosmetics; it is included in many creams, shampoos and balms.

The most unloved weed plant of all gardeners is nettle. It grows quickly, it is quite difficult to remove it completely, and it also burns. But, if part of your plot is overgrown with nettles, then you should not immediately show dissatisfaction with this fact, which at least indicates that you have got fairly rich soil. Experienced and competent gardeners have long found ways to transform this burning weed into the first friend of their noble neighbors. You can use nettle as a beneficial substance in different ways:

1. As mulch
2. Prepare fertilizer
3. As a herbicide,
4. Like a pesticide
5. Fertilizer for indoor plants.

Preparation and use of mulch

The benefits of mulch are undeniable, but here nature itself makes it possible not to bother searching for organic material - nettles can be mowed up to 3 times over the summer. Several reasons motivate summer cottage owners to use a free but very useful lotion in the form of cut nettles:

1. Mulch provides roots with nutrients for growth and harvest;
2. A layer of nettle weed becomes a barrier to the sun, which keeps the soil from overheating;
3. A large layer of nettle prevents moisture from evaporating, retaining it in the soil for a long time and nourishing the plants;
4. Mulch prevents weeds from hatching, which means you won’t have to weed the beds often;
5. Under the layer of nettles, worms and other living creatures useful to the garden actively reproduce;
6. They do not like the stinging plant and slugs and snails, as well as aphids.

The mown grass is placed between the rows of useful crops. During the decomposition process, nettle stems and leaves release huge amounts of nitrogen, which enriches the soil and prevents plant disease. Nettle also contains a lot of iron, which is necessary for the rapid growth of any crop. The only drawback is that after a couple of weeks you will have to repeat the mulching, since nettle decomposes very quickly under the sun and the effect only lasts for 10-14 days.

If it's rainy, a thick layer of nettle mulch may become moldy. The way out of this situation is to chop the nettles and use them in a thick layer. It's convenient, and crushed nettle smells nice.

Use as top dressing and fertilizer

Nettle ash

As is known, the ash obtained by burning herbaceous plants is the most valuable. The value of nettle ash is determined by the presence of more than 30 microelements in it (after all, nettle grows exclusively on rich soils) of which 40% is potassium. The ash contains: 10 – 20% of the volume of ash obtained from burning nettles is potash. But what it does not contain is chlorine. A very useful quality when growing crops sensitive to chlorine, let me remind you that these are: potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, gooseberries, red currants, alfalfa, cotton, wheat, sunflower, onions, tobacco, linden, maple, pine .

The rich composition of nettle ash makes it an excellent fertilizer. Poor sandy, soddy-podzolic, swamp soils can be significantly improved by adding no more than 100 g of ash per 1 m2, microelements will do their job. Remember? Up to 20% of the volume of nettle ash is potash - an alkali that perfectly neutralizes the acidic environment, which means nettle ash can be successfully used to correct acidic soils, it will take approximately 600 - 700 g/m2. In the future, in smaller quantities, they are used when planting seedlings and as fertilizing for various crops.

Infusion for feeding plants

Today there are many known recipe options for making liquid nettle fertilizer. This fertilizer is suitable for both garden and house plants. After watering and spraying with the prepared tincture, indoor flowers and fruit crops become strong, acquire bright foliage, and become immune to all diseases.

Indoor plants respond to such nutrition within three days. This immediately becomes noticeable in the color of the leaves - they seem to be filled with greenery, and the stems become thicker. Such “well-fed” flowers bloom profusely and many times. Their root system develops and gets stronger. Young shoots gain strength and produce a lot of leaves.

Let's talk about some liquid fertilizers, such as herbal brew, infusion of nettles and dandelions, and a simple liquid fertilizer.

For all three recipes we need a lot of nettles and a wooden barrel. Any large-volume vessel that is not made of metal can be used as a barrel.

Simple liquid fertilizer

To prepare this fertilizer, you need to take nettles and water. Nettles must be mowed before they produce seeds. Make sure all plants are healthy and undamaged. Cut the plant, put it in a barrel or any container of your choice so that there is more than half of the nettle in it. You can first rinse the nettles with boiling water or dry them a little in the sun to avoid burns. And fill with warm water to the very top of the container. Cover with gauze or film so that midges and direct sunlight do not penetrate inside. During the fermentation process, gases are released. It should leave the container freely. But at the same time, the vessel must be placed on the sunny side of the site. Once every three to four days, you need to carefully stir the fermented potion.

Be aware – a strong smell is inevitable. As an option to combat it, you can use valerian root, which is added to the barrel.

After 14 days, the feeding is ready. But since this is a concentrate, dilute the tincture with water to use. Take 1 liter of mixture per bucket of water. This infusion can be used for all plants except the legume family, garlic and onions. Feeding vegetable and berry crops is allowed once every 14 days.

Herbal mash

The process described below is similar to making bread kvass. Only in our case, the drink will be consumed by your favorite plants. This recipe is described on the website Supergardener.ru. Place the crushed nettles in a barrel, filling the volume 2/3. For quick fermentation, crumble several loaves of rye bread, add crackers, leftover kvass, pieces of bread, or add two or three packets of dry yeast. Fill all this with warm, settled water, so that at least 10 cm remains to the edge. The swollen mass seriously increases in volume. Experienced gardeners, in order to avoid a terrible smell, add an infusion of valerian purchased at the pharmacy. After 5-7 days the mash is ready. This will become clear from the foam that has formed and the significantly lighter shade of the solution.

For 1 liter of mash you need to take 10 liters of water. By mixing the concentrate and water, we obtain a nutrient liquid. Tomatoes and strawberries love this fertilizer. Before watering the beds with fertilizer, water thoroughly. This way, the benefits from the tincture will last for a longer period of time for plants. Use fertilizer as needed, no more than once a week.

Nettle-dandelion infusion

This recipe is considered both the most difficult and the most useful. Dandelions and nettles are harvested before the seeds appear. The crushed plants are placed in a barrel, approximately ¼ of its volume. Prepare the filling: mix the humate solution with water: 1 tsp. for 10 liters. The resulting mixture is poured onto the plants. For greater benefit, you can add ash or ready-made organic fertilizers from the store to the solution. This way, the infusion will become more effective for all fruit and vegetable crops and will provide maximum nutrition to the roots and stems. The fertilizer needs to be infused for 4-5 days.

The resulting liquid can be fed, among other things, to garden flowers and capricious indoor plants. Liquid fertilizer from nettles and dandelions helps accelerate the fruiting of berry crops such as currants, strawberries, and wild strawberries.

Nettle infusion as a herbicide

With the help of a weed, it is quite possible to successfully clear the soil of... weeds! And the main assistant in this, again, is nettle. It is already clear that nettle makes good mulch and mulch is an excellent preventative measure in the fight against weeds. In addition, Professor N. Sokolova writes in her articles that nettle infusions are good to use as a strong herbicide against weeds.

Due to the high nitrogen content in a liquid concentrate, such as grass mash, you can successfully control weeds. When watering soil with weeds with undiluted concentrate, the roots and stems are burned. This method allows you to completely clear the soil of all living things. A significant drawback of this method: nothing will grow on the burned area until next year.

Disease and pest control

To combat the well-known disease of tomatoes - late blight, experienced gardeners use the following method: at the end of fruiting of tomatoes, after cutting the tops, it is necessary to dig narrow grooves about 7-10 cm deep. Place the cut nettles in the grooves and sprinkle with soil. According to Professor N. Sokolova, this procedure will give fresh seedlings strong immunity against all garden diseases in the spring. If you infuse 1 kg of herb in 20 liters of water, then this solution can cure tomatoes that are already infected with late blight. Spraying tomato bushes will give a positive result.

The infusion (2 cups of ash per 10 liters) is used as a prophylactic against gray rot that affects strawberries.

A solution that helps in the fight against powdery mildew on gooseberries, currants and cucumbers is prepared as follows: add 300 g of ash to 3 liters of water and boil over moderate heat for 30 minutes, filter the settled solution into a 10 liter bucket, add 40 g of soap and add water until full. I spray the plantings with the resulting solution.

Nettle ash contains potash (as previously revealed, from 10 to 20%), it has long been used as a substance that prevents the proliferation of pests. Accordingly, nettle ash is not only a top dressing, but also, to some extent, a pesticide.

So, a solution of nettle with water in a ratio of 1 kg to 10 liters, infused for 24 hours, will save you from an aphid invasion. Formic acid contained in the stinging hairs of the plant passes into the water. The infusion must also be diluted in the following proportions: 1 liter of solution per 5 liters of water and sprayed on fruit crops affected by aphids. The aphid will die.