Many summer residents are faced with the fact that cucumbers grow crooked, taste bitter, or quickly turn yellow right in the garden. In fact, the reason most often is not bad weather, but a lack of nutrition when the vines are actively bearing fruit. During this period, plants urgently need potassium and calcium so that the fruits are strong, and boron and microelements prevent the ovaries from falling off from the heat. Without such support, cucumbers take on excess water, lose their taste, and easily contract diseases.
Experienced summer residents often write on forums that regular watering and occasional fertilizing are not enough to prevent cucumbers from becoming bitter. It is the infusion of ash with iodine and boron that is considered the “gold standard” by them. It acts carefully, does not spoil the soil and does not burn the roots, working as an excellent natural fertilizer.
What is needed for feeding and why?
To prepare the solution, it is important to follow simple proportions:
- Wood ash (sifted) – 1 cup. Gives cucumbers potassium and calcium for sweetness and strength.
- Warm water – 1 liter. It is necessary for the ash to release everything useful into the water.
- Boric acid – 5 grams. Helps flowers turn into ovaries and not fall off.
- Pharmacy iodine – 10 drops. Protects against diseases and helps plants better absorb nutrition.
How to cook and water correctly
In order for fertilizing to be beneficial and not harmful, do everything in order:
- Preparing the infusion: Pour warm water over the ash and leave for 3-4 hours. First dilute boric acid in a glass of hot water (it will not dissolve in cold water), then pour it into the ash and add iodine.
- We insist: Leave the mixture in a dark place for a day so that everything combines well. Before watering, dilute this concentrate with clean water 10 times (for 1 part of infusion – 10 parts of water).
- Watering correctly: First, water the beds well with plain water. This is very important. If you pour fertilizer into dry soil, you can burn the roots.
- Dosage: An hour and a half after watering, pour 300–500 ml of the prepared solution under each bush. Pour strictly at the root so that drops do not fall on the leaves. It is better to do this early in the morning or on a cloudy day.
What will be the result
Within a week after the first watering, the leaves will turn dark green and the vines will begin to actively grow. By mid-summer, the cucumbers will be tied in even bunches and will remain crunchy and sweet, even if the heat is intense and it is not possible to water the beds frequently.
