What are fertilizers for indoor flowers. Fertilizers for flowering plants

Indoor flowers not only decorate the home, but also purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, excess moisture, and dust particles from it. Also, many home plants produce phytoncides - substances that kill pathogenic microbes. But the most important quality, because of which millions of people decorate their homes with various vegetation, is their beauty. Living greenery gives comfort to city apartments and helps to refresh the interior.

In order for green pets to thrive, it is necessary to apply fertilizers for indoor plants, since it is impossible to create indoors ideal conditions for their normal development. Complex schemes you should not choose top dressings, it is quite enough to support and stimulate growth with the help of inexpensive ready-made fertilizers, or simple home remedies that you cook with your own hands. Consider the most popular home flowers and how to feed them.

cacti

Despite the seeming unpretentiousness, succulents also need additional nutrition, no less than decorative flowering plants. If you create cacti good conditions, they will grow quickly, and bloom much more often. In addition to various complex fertilizers designed for succulents, they can be fed in various non-standard ways that give excellent results.

Feeding cacti with vitamins

• Vitamin-mineral complex for people (Complivit, Vitrum) - 1 tablet.
• Food alcohol, diluted with water 1:1–20 g.
• - 10 g.
• Sugar syrup - 10 g.

All components are thoroughly mixed and applied to the growing points of the cactus with a tissue swab. The solution is used only for cacti that have already had the first spines. Another way to use "human" vitamins as a fertilizer for houseplants is to water them on the ground before planting seedlings or "kids". For this purpose, solutions of vitamins B6 or B12 can be used.

decorative flowering

violets

These delicate indoor flowers can be found in any home. Compact forms and abundant flowering, neat appearance - these qualities made the modest violet the queen of home flowers. In order for it to constantly bloom and delight with its beauty, the plant must be fed. One of the best fertilizers for indoor plants, which is easy to prepare yourself from improvised means, is a banana infusion. He prepares like this:

• Two banana skins, previously dried on a radiator, pour 1.5 liters of cold water and leave for several hours. Then the resulting infusion is diluted with water 1: 2, and violets are poured over them during the appearance of buds.

roses

Abundant feeding and watering, nutritious soil and a permanent place on the south window - the fulfillment of all listed conditions contributes to the cultivation of beautiful miniature roses even in a city apartment, but caring for indoor plants that bloom for a long time requires the use of both root and foliar dressings.

For spraying (once a month or under stress), you can use the Epin stimulator, the ampoule of which is diluted in a liter of water, and the resulting solution is applied to the plant using a spray gun with low jet pressure.

Root top dressing can be done using any means for garden roses, only reducing the concentration of the working solution by half, from that stated in the instructions. Such preparations as "Pocon", "Fertika Kristalon", "Garden of Miracles" (Fart), "Good Force", "Weaving" have proven themselves to be excellent.

decorative leaves

This conditional group includes all domestic plants that are grown because of the beauty of their leaves. These are ferns, dracaena, dieffenbachia, aglaonema, asparagus, berseklet, dracaena, caladium, coleus, myrtle, ivy, cycads, ficus, chlorophytum, various types of lianas and palm trees, and many others. Among them there are plants that are especially often cultivated in home floriculture. Caring for indoor plants from this group is quite simple, so they are very popular.

Nephrolepis

Graceful small leaves sticking to the stems of the plant look great both in the home winter garden and on the windowsill. Nephrolepis is the most popular fern, which is used everywhere for landscaping. Especially often it can be found in public institutions - schools, clinics, kindergartens, in the foyer of cafes and theaters.

Caring for indoor plants, whose beauty lies in the leaves, is much easier than caring for flowers. But, they also need timely feeding, otherwise they will lose their decorative qualities. First of all, they need, which is responsible for the active growth of green mass. It can be delivered to the leaves directly using a foliar vitamin supplement. For preparation, they take B vitamins - B6, B5 and B12, which are perhaps the best fertilizers for indoor plants, diluted in water, and spray the leaves of nephrolepis with the resulting solution. Use this stimulating shower twice a week. The result will not be long in coming, the leaves will become saturated green coloring and healthy look.

Chlorophytum

This plant is well known to all flower growers. Lush green leaves, having an elongated lanceolate surface, grow over the entire area of ​​the pot, and beyond it, the so-called "kids" hang on long stems, which add decorativeness to the plant. Chlorophytum is not only beautiful, but also useful. It actively cleans the indoor air from carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, so it is recommended to grow it in the kitchen, as well as put pots with it on chipboard furniture.

Caring for indoor plants from the Chlorophytum family is simple. They are not capricious, can grow in conditions of limited light. They need feeding, first of all, in winter period, for supporting appearance. In addition to complex fertilizers, you can feed chlorophytum with aquarium water, diluted (1: 5) potato broth, water in which cereals were washed and soaked.

medicinal plants

Growing medicinal plants in the house is one of the domestic traditions. Most often they are perennials. Especially popular among the population of our country are such decorative medicinal plants as aloe and golden mustache.

Aloe

This is a succulent (a close relative of cacti), with elongated thick leathery leaves, inside which contains a large number of juicy pulp. It is she who is used for various medicinal purposes. Aloe juice, squeezed from the pulp, is used to treat the common cold, sinusitis, various forms rhinitis. Due to its bactericidal properties, it is indispensable for rinsing an inflamed throat with sore throat, and other colds associated with inflammation in the nasopharynx.

Aloe is an antiviral, antifungal and bactericidal agent, which, unlike most industrial drugs, does not have side effects. Also, this miracle plant helps to normalize the metabolism in the body, removes toxins and toxins, radionuclides, and helps rapid skin regeneration in case of burns and injuries. Aloe leaf juice is used in cosmetology.

Growing aloe at home is quite simple if you provide it with the right soil composition and sufficient access to light. This plant prefers a loose, breathable substrate that can be prepared from turf or leaf ground, adding a small amount of expanded clay, sand and charcoal. Aloe is watered moderately, in winter every 3-4 weeks, in summer - as the earthen clod dries. In order not to overmoisten the soil, which entails rotting of the roots, it is best not to use a watering can, but to immerse the pot (in the bottom of which holes are made) in a container of water for several minutes (7-10).

Aloe is fed no more than once a month, and if a special plant was used for planting ready soil, then the first top dressing is carried out no earlier than 7-9 months after the plant is transplanted. If aloe leaves must be used for treatment, then top dressing is stopped 1.5 months before collection. For example, before autumn season colds, which peak in October - November, the plant has not been fertilized since mid-August.

The best fertilizers for indoor plants that are used in traditional medicine are various types of organic matter, as it is environmentally friendly. In urban areas, manure or bird droppings getting it is quite problematic, so you can use improvised means, for example, kitchen waste. Here recipe effective fertilizer for indoor flowers, and aloe, in particular:

By the way, aloe itself is very often used as a fertilizer for indoor flowers. This natural biostimulant is used by many gardeners to increase the percentage of seed germination. It can also be used for direct feeding of almost all houseplants. To prepare the solution, shoots are taken from a three-year-old plant, grind them with a blender, squeeze the juice through gauze, and dilute it with water, in a ratio of 1: 3. Use after a few days, after keeping the solution on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, as left at room temperature aloe juice begins to ferment.

Golden mustache

The second most popular medicinal plant grown at home is the golden mustache. An unsightly plant is a storehouse of useful properties, and has a noticeable therapeutic and healing effect in various diseases. The juice of fragrant callisia (the second name of the golden mustache) has a wound healing and antimicrobial effect. It is also used in the treatment of various fungal diseases. Tinctures with the use of a golden mustache are used for various types of radiculitis, arthrosis and arthritis.

Manifestations of eczema and dermatitis become less noticeable when using fragrant callisia infusion. But these healing properties of this medicinal plant are not limited. Preparations from the golden mustache are used both in folk and in official medicine for the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder, asthma, liver pathologies, various kinds migraine, with disorder nervous system with reduced immunity.

The high positive effect that preparations from this plant show in the treatment of various diseases is due to the rare substances that make up its composition. This:

1. pectins;
2. Tannins;
3. Kaempferol;
4. Quercetin;
5. glycosides;
6. Complex of microelements;
7. Vitamins A, B and C.

In order for this useful plant to feel good at home, it must be fed. It is best to use organic, for example, diluted or infusion from, as the plant will be applied with medicinal purposes. But, in winter time these top dressings are hard to get, so you can feed your mustache with complex mineral fertilizers every two months, for example, Agricola Green Belt for indoor flowers, or Sotka fertilizer for indoor plants and seedlings.

In order for the golden mustache to feel comfortable during the hot months, it can be taken outside. If this is not possible, the leaves of the plant should be sprayed with water from a spray bottle twice a week. In winter, callisia located on the windowsills begin to hurt. Their leaves become covered with red spots, dry and die. This is due to the fact that cold air from the windowsill gets to the roots of the plant, and they begin to freeze slightly. To eliminate this cause, it is necessary to lay a layer of soft fabric between the pallet and the window sill.

Miniature form of fruit trees

Growing a small tropical garden at home is a great hobby. Small oranges and lemons hanging from the branches of miniature trees are especially good when frosty window a blizzard is raging. Small winter Garden can be organized in almost any room, if you provide conditions in it that are as close to natural as possible.

Since our apartments in winter are mainly warmed by steam batteries, the humidity of the air is unfavorable for citrus fruits. Therefore, the main task of the home gardener is to provide required level humidity in the room for the entire heating period. To do this, containers with water are placed around the tub with plants, and their foliage is regularly sprayed with spray guns. Another prerequisite successful cultivation is permanence. It is highly not recommended to move the tub with the plant from place to place, since citrus fruits are real conservatives, and any change in their location plunges the plant into a protracted depression, often developing into a disease.

Ready-made fertilizers are considered the best fertilizers for large-format indoor plants. These complex top dressing easy to dose, they do not have a specific smell and give a quick result. You can purchase ready-made agrochemicals, or you can cook them yourself by mixing one-component mineral top dressings. For citrus fruits, the following recipe is recommended:

Granules mineral fertilizer mix thoroughly with ash powder, pour a small amount of fashion, and beat the resulting mixture with a mixer. Then add the rest of the liquid, and mix thoroughly again. Leave for several hours, then produce the final mixing, and water the plants until the earthen coma is completely moistened.

Video: how can you feed houseplants?

Fertilizers for indoor flowers are a vital necessity, without them, flowers develop slowly, buds and inflorescences do not ripen, do not open in full force.

Today, specialized stores are overflowing with various organic fertilizers, each of which promises excellent results. But why pay big money for all these fertilizers, if at home there are a huge number of improvised means that will help give strength to plants and at the same time save money.

When Flowers Need Feeding

To indoor flower grew up strong, was beautiful and healthy, it is necessary know some feeding rules:

• the best option for fertilizing is the beginning of April and until mid-October. In winter, top dressing should be kept to a minimum. Preparation for reducing the amount of fertilizer should be gradual;
• it is necessary to apply fertilizer when thin stems with leaves stretching upwards begin to form on the plant;
• when the plant long time does not bloom;
• if the flowers sit in one place for a long time, or their growth has stopped abruptly;
• in the case when the plant itself began to drop leaves for no apparent reason;
• the houseplant has a sickly appearance.

Any home dressing should be applied only to moist soil, this is guaranteed to help avoid burns on the root of the plant. Deciduous and flowering plants need different fertilizers, so you should not prepare the same mixture for all flowers, as they may not help, but harm.

Experts say that regular feeding from the right fertilizers will help avoid such conditions in the plant, and the flowers will always delight with their flowering, strength and beautiful view. But you should also know! Flowers require feeding, not overfeeding. With an excess of fertilizer, the flower may stop developing, the uniform processes of growth and flowering will be disturbed, which will lead to the rapid death of the plant.

Myths about the benefits of some dressings

Many plant lovers have heard about the incredible benefits of coffee and tea grounds. This is a myth that will do more harm than good. The remains of tea leaves do not carry any nutritional benefit for the flower, but only help to loosen the soil a little. Coffee grounds significantly increase the acidity of the soil in a pot, which is not useful for the plant itself, but for flowering plants it is detrimental. Besides, There are some other myths:

• eggshell. Many believe that calcium, which is rich in the shell, will help the plant to develop and grow quickly. Indoor flowers practically do not need calcium, so the eggshell will act as a drainage and baking powder;
• meat water. Many believe that home flower from this will be saturated with protein. The water will actually be absorbed by the roots of the plant, while heating the soil at home will begin to emit an unpleasant odor that will attract flies rather than help them.

Homemade Recipes for Houseplants

If it was decided to feed the home flower in any of the listed ways, then it is necessary at the first stages to carefully observe the reaction of the plant.

Among the most popular and effective are the following recipes:

1. Dry yeast and cigarette ash.
2. Sugar and banana peel.
3. Onion peel and aloe juice.

The yeast itself is natural organic product, which is rich in a lot of nutritious vitamins and trace elements. You can feed dry yeast on any plant, including garden plants.

Dry yeast fertilizer should be prepared in the following way: 7-10 liters of warm water, 1/3 teaspoon of yeast and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. All this is well mixed and left for a day. The next day, the resulting solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5 and watered under the root of the plant.

It's important to know! The prepared mixture should be in an open container for a day, as the sugar and yeast will react, which will lead to the formation of gases.

Cigarette ash (ash)

For many, a unique fertilizer is known - ash. It is used by gardeners for plants on open field. You can feed an indoor flower ashes of cigarettes, such a fertilizer will not only give strength and energy for growth, but also help protect against the development of many diseases.

Feeding with ashes is easy - it is enough to pour it into a pot after a certain period of time so that it penetrates into the ground.

If it is possible to use the ashes from burnt firewood as fertilizer, then such a recipe can be made. 2 tablespoons of ash are placed per liter of warm water, the resulting mixture is infused for 2 days. This top dressing is used 2 times a month as watering.

Sugar and banana peel

Indoor flower needs a sufficient amount of glucose. It is necessary for correct formation molecules, for the energy of growth and development. Sugar supplement it is applied very easily: a small amount of sugar is poured onto the surface of the soil and a flower is watered on top.

Many people know about the incredible benefits of a banana for human body. It contains a fairly large amount of trace elements and vitamins. The same nutrients remain in the peel: phosphorus, potassium, magnesium. Indoor flower will perfectly perceive such fertilizer.

You can feed a flower with a banana peel in several ways - pour it with a glass of water and insist until foam appears on the surface. ready mix used as watering 2 times a month.

In addition, it is dried and ground in a coffee grinder. The powdered mixture is an ideal fertilizer during transplanting or immediately after.

Citrus and onion peel

Every housewife has onions, she regularly uses them to prepare fragrant dishes. The husk from this onion is an excellent bait for plants. It is enough to soak it in water for a few days and then water the plant. This option is ideal in winter, as it gives the plant a small amount of nutrients and helps to avoid overfeeding.

Garlic and aloe juice

The benefits of garlic are known to every gardener. Especially valuable is the bait in the summer from the arrows that the plant releases. These arrows or a head of garlic are crushed and insisted on 1 liter of water in a warm and dark place. within 3-5 days. The finished concentrate is filtered and diluted 1 tablespoon per 2 liters of water. This fertilizer can be used once a week. This is protection for the plant from various fungal diseases.

Aloe juice is simply necessary as a fertilizer for plants that develop poorly, have weakened leaves and stems.

Top dressing can only be made from a plant whose age exceeds 4 years. The cut castings are placed in plastic bag and placed in the refrigerator for 10 days. This makes it possible to remove the concentration of plant juice. After that, the leaves are ground, and juice is squeezed out of them. An indoor flower can be fertilized with a solution that is prepared from 1.5 liters of water and 1 teaspoon of juice.

Fertilizer is used 1-2 times a week as watering.

Great benefits come from recipes from components such as:

1. Aspirin and Castor oil.
2. Pigeon or quail droppings.
3. Decoctions of ferns or nettles.

Aspirin and castor oil

To increase the immunity of the plant, it is recommended to use aspirin water fertilizer. One tablet is diluted per liter of water, and the resulting liquid is sprayed onto the indoor flower from above.

In order for the color of the plant to be powerful, and the buds to be tied in large quantities, castor oil can be used. This top dressing is prepared from 1 liter of water and a teaspoon of oil. Everything is well shaken and watered during the ovary of the buds.

Pigeon or quail droppings

The main condition for fertilizer is a small concentration of nutrients so as not to harm the plant. Pigeon or quail droppings have such a concentration. Half a teaspoon of manure is poured on top of the pot and watering home flowers. This will help in growth, rapid development of buds and their flowering.

Aquarium water

It is in such water that a sufficiently large amount of nutrients is collected that stimulate the proper growth and development of the flower. In addition, this water has a neutral pH level, which favorably affects the houseplant.

Water from the aquarium is recommended to be used as top dressing, starting from early spring and ending in the middle of summer. It is during this period that the home flower actively grows, new leaves are laid, buds develop.

The main condition is watering in moderation. You should not transfer a home flower to watering with water from an aquarium, it should alternate with ordinary, purified and clean water.

Vodka and decoctions of nettle or fern

Withering or withered plants can be brought back to life with vodka. Enough to make fertilizer from 100 grams of vodka and 3 liters of water and water the plant. It will come to life in a short period of time and begin to grow faster.

Fern and nettle can be used not only for top dressing, but also during plant transplantation. They help improve the structure of the soil, make it more porous, airy, which is important for the proper development of the root system of the plant.

Nettle can become the basis liquid fertilizer. To do this, take dry nettles and fill with water and insist for a week. The resulting sourdough start in a ratio of 1:5 and is used for watering 2 times a month.

For the flower to grow healthy and beautiful

An indoor flower needs not only proper and timely feeding, but also a number of conditions that are vital for it.

The first thing that hostesses should pay attention to is proper lighting. No matter how you feed the home plant, and if it is not enough natural light out the window or no special lighting, then the normal development and proper flowering will never.

The best option for a houseplant will be on the windowsill. Here you need to make sure that in winter the flower does not see through, does not blow cold air during airing.

If the window faces the north side, then to enhance the light effect, you can use mirror surfaces. Mirrors are placed next to the flowers, and they reflect additional light.

The duration of daylight hours is very important for indoor plants. On winter days, it is necessary to additionally highlight the plants for 2-3 hours, for this you can use lamps that are placed above the plants.

Indoor plants need proper and timely care. And it is not necessary to buy expensive fertilizers in specialized stores, you need a little desire and home-made products that are always at hand. A properly fertilized plant will always delight with its beautiful appearance and flowering!

by Ouduff, photo: TopTropicals.com

Organic and inorganic - which is better?

organic fertilizers represent what is in past life was organic matter - animal dung, bird droppings (under the noble name "guano"), plant remains, compost, etc. They contain (more or less) all necessary for plants substances, because any organic fertilizer used to be a living cell, in which boron-iron-potassium-etc was also present.

Inorganics- everything is simplified here, it contains only the main components of plant nutrition.

Hence it is clear that organic - more "long-playing" fertilizers. They must still rot (and if the ground is cold, then this process can take a long time).

At the same time, using inorganics, the result can be obtained much faster (not to mention the unaesthetic process of introducing noble guano into a cactus pot in the wife's bedroom - you can get it on the head with this cactus).

We do not use organic matter for indoor plants. In the garden, organic matter is applied not only as a fertilizer, but also to improve the structure of the soil (compost, for example). But we are categorically against the use of compost, humus, etc. in pots with plants.

Therefore, if you are not a fan of a healthy and organic lifestyle and buy cucumbers in a nearby grocery store, and not in a shop where they are grown using only a noble product (it is interesting that the fact that the level of cadmium in the kidneys of the manufacturer of this guano is off scale does not bother anyone), then put aside the foul-smelling liquid and take care of the inorganic. The only exception is the water from the aquarium: when changing the water in the aquarium, water the potted plants with it - this is an excellent fertilizer.

N-P-K: nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium

The composition of the fertilizer is characterized by the percentage of nitrogen ( N), phosphorus ( P), potassium ( K), or the formula N-P-K.

In the USA, for example, any fertilizer is required by law to have description N-P-K composition. We have long had and strengthened the suspicion that most fertilizers are taken from the same barrel, therefore, in principle, they are all the same, even if they differ slightly in composition.

Pay attention to the values N-P-K values. Fertilizers with formulas 6-6-6 and 12-12-12 are the same, only in the first case you buy less fertilizer and more filler. The first digit of the formula indicates the nitrogen content, which contributes to the formation of abundant green tops in plants. Phosphorus (second number) affects their flowering. If you applied fertilizer 22-4-4, then you will not see flowering in plants for a long time - green leaves will be trampled, and until all the fertilizer is "eaten" by the plant, it will not have flowers (we went through this).

For " general development"plants need to take fertilizer type 12-12-12, for flowering 12-30-12; moreover, the latter is soluble. In granules, a high content of phosphates is meaningless, since they will turn into an insoluble state on the surface of the earth. In general, phosphates are best applied deep into the soil.

Buy fertilizers with trace elements, magnesium and iron are especially important. Magnesium sulfate can be bought at a pharmacy. Its deficiency, like iron, causes chlorosis (leaf discoloration) in plants. The percentage of trace elements is not particularly important.

Micronutrients must be chelated, otherwise they (especially iron) are oxidized and become inaccessible to plants. This is one of the most common causes of chlorosis in potted plants - poor drainage, the roots at the bottom of the pot sit in water and cannot get iron; another reason could be high soil pH.

Do not store the diluted fertilizer solution for a long time - chelates, especially in the light, break down .

Various variations of "specialized" fertilizers (such as "palm fertilizer", etc.) are nothing more than a marketing gimmick.

It is better to put "long-playing" fertilizers in a pot with a plant, the granules of which swell and slowly "release" fertilizers into the ground. Long-acting fertilizers are more expensive, but really worth it. There are different types of them, differing in the percentage of elements and designed for different splitting times - 6 months, 9 months, etc. Great convenience - using them, you can not twitch due to a possible overdose of fertilizers.

If you are using conventional fertilizers and not "long-term", be careful with the dose of fertilizer so as not to burn the roots of plants with them. Below is written about nitrogen oxides and ammonia. It is better to apply a reduced dose of fertilizer, but more often. If the weather is cold or the plant is stressed, do not fertilize.

When planting plants in the garden, any fertilizer is suitable. If you do not grow wheat on thirty hectares, where the cost of fertilizer is important, then take fertilizer 12-12-12, 14-14-14 (or close to this ratio). If you overpaid for "unused" potassium, then this is not so important.

We buy some of the cheapest fertilizers, mix them, add additional iron and trace elements. We fertilize plants when it is very warm and good watering. The only subtlety: if the season has begun tropical rains, the usual fertilizer will be washed off very quickly. In this case, it is better to take a "semi-long-playing" one that will last for some time.
If you fertilize once a year at a dacha in the Moscow region, then it makes more sense for you to apply a “long-playing” fertilizer like Osmokot. If you, like us, live in the tropics, then Osmokot is throwing money away. Because of high temperature and climate humidity instead of 6 or 9 months written on the label, the fertilizer will "last" a month and a half.

To stimulate the flowering of plants, we sprinkle (or water them) with a loading dose of soluble fertilizer (20-50-20). Very useful for plants (hibiscus, etc.) spraying with soluble fertilizer.

On the packaging of the fertilizer, look at what the nitrogen in this fertilizer is obtained from - urea(ammonia - NH 3, ammonium ion - NH 4+) or nitrogen oxides. We consulted in detail with a professor at the local university, Murray Korman. In short: the leaves of plants "whistling" absorb ammonia, so you need to spray urea on the foliage. For the same reason, aquarium plants first eat up ammonium, and then oxides. Plant roots use only nitrogen oxides, ammonia is poisonous to them. Microorganisms in the soil process ammonia-ammonium into oxides. That's why if you apply fertilizer to the ground, then it is better - in smaller doses and more often. Otherwise, microorganisms will not cope and will not process anything - the roots of plants will be destroyed. If it is cold, then urea cannot be added - bacteria do not work in the cold. For the nitrate cycle, bacteria require oxygen - another argument in favor of soil with good drainage. As a result, it is best to apply a mixture of urea and nitrogen oxides - it is usually written on the fertilizer bag what nitrogen is obtained from.

Soil acidity is also very important. At high pH, ​​iron will not be available to plants. Any inscriptions that fertilizer acidifies the soil are nonsense. If there are a lot of carbonates in the soil (for example, limestone, which will bind "acidity"), then the soil can only be acidified with a wagon of hydrochloric acid. Adding sulfates will only help for a couple of days. If you have alkaline soil, it is better to mix it with peat.

What fertilizer to choose for potted plants?

If you are a busy or forgetful person, then it is best for you to use "long-lasting" fertilizers for plants. If you devote two hours a day to caring for flowers (like Nero Wolfe), then use two types of soluble fertilizers:

1. "For general development"- 12-12-12 (approximate numbers) with trace elements. Water according to instructions once a week. It is useful to spray plants with this fertilizer.
2. "To bloom"- use a fertilizer with a high phosphate content (eg 10-50-10). Water flowering plants with this fertilizer once a month or more, alternating with the first fertilizer.

That's all you need to know when choosing fertilizers.

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Flowers - what could be more beautiful? Perhaps that is why we, summer residents, grow them not only in our garden plots, but also at home. It is especially pleasant when snow sweeps outside the window, and beautiful flowers bloom on the windowsill in the room, isn't it?

Today I propose to talk about an important nuance, without which it is problematic to grow healthy, beautiful ones - about natural dressings. And if in the country we always fertilize the plantings, then when it comes to home flowers, some top dressings are neglected. But in vain.

When to feed

Home flowers should be fed much more often than we sometimes think. This need is caused, first of all, by the limited area of ​​plant nutrition. And even if your flowering pet grows in a large, spacious pot, this does not mean that it lacks minerals. The plant in any case strongly depletes the earth, therefore, it needs additional feeding.

Part of the way out of the situation will be a periodic transplant into a new nutrient soil substrate. But stock useful substances contained in this very substrate will last for about two months, but not for six months or a year, as many beginner flower growers believe. And after these very two months, the plant, especially if it begins to bloom or actively grow, must be fed. The only exception will be specimens that have entered a dormant period: they temporarily do not need additional nutrition.

The signal that you need to urgently start feeding home flowers will be the following signs:

• slow growth;
• weak elongated stems;
• pale, slightly colored, excessively small, drooping leaves;
• unwillingness to bloom;
• low resistance to diseases, yellowing and dropping of leaves, the appearance of various spots on them and other signs of ill health.

Of course, it is better not to bring green pets to such a state. Therefore, let's talk about what natural fertilizers we can use for our pets, and how exactly.

Sugar

Perhaps the most popular natural fertilizer for feeding indoor flowers is ordinary sugar. Yes, yes, it is sugar, I did not make a reservation!

Who first guessed to use it as a fertilizer for plants, history is silent, but we can successfully use it to feed our own flowers.

What are the benefits of sugar supplements?
We remember from chemistry lessons that sugar breaks down into fructose and glucose. The first one is useless to us, but the second, that is, glucose, performs 2 functions at once. First of all, it serves as a source of energy for all life processes of plants (respiration, absorption of various nutrients, and so on); secondly, glucose is a building material necessary for the formation of complex organic molecules.

True, there is one caveat: glucose is an excellent builder only if it is well absorbed, which, in turn, requires carbon dioxide. With insufficient concentration carbon dioxide sugar from a builder will turn into a food source for mold, root rot, and so on. Therefore, along with sugar supplements it is highly desirable to use one of (for example, "") - such a combination will be 100% good.

How to feed plants with sugar?
To prepare top dressing, dilute 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar in 0.5 liters of water, or simply sprinkle sugar on the ground in flower pot and then water.

How often can you use sugar for top dressing?
Such top dressing of home flowers should be resorted to no more than once a month, so do not overdo it.

When feeding house plants, do not overdo it-everything is good in moderation

Sugar or glucose?
Instead of sugar, you can also take ordinary glucose, which is sold in a pharmacy - such top dressing will be even more effective. One tablet of glucose should be diluted in a liter of water. It is also necessary to water or spray the plants with “glucose” water no more than once a month.

drunk coffee

An excellent fertilizer for all home (and not only) flowers - it is all the more convenient that it does not need to be specially prepared. Simply, after drinking a cup of fragrant drink, do not pour out the coffee grounds, but mix it with the ground in a flowerpot.

Thanks to this simple technique, the soil will become looser and lighter, the acidity of the soil will increase, and there will be more oxygen in it.

What flowers love coffee?
When using spent coffee as a top dressing for home flowers, remember: not all plants have a good effect on increasing the acidity of the soil. And do not forget about the green pets in the flower garden: this fertilizer will benefit:

• all kinds;
• and other evergreens.

Not just coffee...
For dressing home flowers, they often use not only sleeping coffee, but also tea brewing. Unfortunately, it can give not only a positive, but also a negative effect. Undoubtedly, such additives will make the soil in the flower pot looser, but do not forget that black flies (sciarids) simply “adore” tea leaves in the soil, so be careful.

Citrus and other fruits

The peels of tangerines, oranges and bananas can turn into an excellent fertilizer for houseplants. True, for this they will have to “conjure” a little.

To prepare fertilizer from citrus fruits, their peel must be crushed, filled by about a third liter jar and top up with boiling water. After insisting such a “citrus” fertilizer for a day, we take out the peels, again bring the water in the jar to a liter in volume, adding clean water, and water our flowers.

Fertilizer from banana peels is prepared in approximately the same way: grind them, fill a liter jar to half and fill it to the top with water. We insist for a day, after which we filter, discard the peel, and again fill the jar to the top with clean water.

Unlike citrus fruits, it can also be mixed directly into the ground substrate. When transplanting house flowers, add some pre-shredded and dried banana peels to a pot of nutrient soil. Over time, they will rot and feed the plants with microelements, which will favorably affect the growth of green mass.

And from the zest of citrus fruits and banana peels, you can prepare a nutritious mix for feeding plants. For this, chopped zest and banana peel(in equal proportions) fill a third of a three-liter jar. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar, pour everything warm water, let it brew for 3 weeks in a warm place. From time to time, the nutritional mix needs to be shaken, but don't worry - a very decent aroma comes from it :) After the specified time, you will get a light yellow cloudy liquid that is perfectly stored in the refrigerator. For top dressing, it must be diluted with plain water 1:20 and safely used once a month.

Ash

The benefits are underestimated by many, but in vain. After all, it contains potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc and even sulfur.
Moreover, potassium and phosphorus are in a form easily accessible to plants, which makes ash one of the best fertilizers for flowers.

How to use ashes for dressing home flowers?
To feed the flowers, the ashes can simply be mixed with the soil when transplanting plants. So you will not only make the soil substrate more nutritious, but also disinfect it, so that the roots damaged during transplantation will definitely not rot. And you can also prepare liquid top dressing from it: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ash is diluted in a liter of water.

Yeast is an excellent growth stimulant for house flowers

Did you know that yeast can be used not only for making delicious kvass and yeast dough? It turns out that they can be used to make an excellent stimulating solution for plant nutrition.

Yeast-natural growth stimulator

By the way, unlike most home-made fertilizers, they have been repeatedly studied by scientists. As a result, it was proved that thanks to them, the activity of microorganisms in the soil increases sharply, there is a rapid mineralization of organic matter and the release of carbon dioxide is significantly enhanced. Therefore, top dressing of plants with a yeast nutrient solution is equated to top dressing with a complete mineral fertilizer.

How to prepare a nutrient solution from yeast?
To prepare top dressing, dissolve 10 g of yeast and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar in 1 liter of slightly warm water. If there is no ordinary yeast at hand, you can also use dry ones, taking 10 g of dry yeast and 3 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar per 10 liters of water. Regardless of which yeast you use to prepare your nutrient solution, let it sit for about 2 hours before using. Then dilute with clean water in a ratio of 1:5 and water the plants.

onion cocktail

Such a familiar and beloved onion, without which it is simply impossible to imagine our cuisine, can be successfully used not only in cooking. A "life-giving" cocktail made from will favorably affect the growth of all domestic plants without exception - after all, it contains a complete set of trace elements.

How to make an onion cocktail?
There is nothing complicated in preparing an onion peel cocktail, the only nuance that needs to be taken into account is that it cannot be stored for a long time, so this top dressing must be prepared anew each time. So, to prepare an onion cocktail, you need about 50 g of onion peel, pour 2 liters hot water, bring the broth to a boil and, after boiling for about 10 minutes, let it brew for three hours. After the broth has cooled, strain it and spray the plants.

Humus

- truly universal fertilizer, which is used with equal success both for feeding plants in the garden, and for feeding indoor flowers. That is why many flower growers rightly believe that you simply will not find a better fertilizer: nutritious and easily accessible, it has a lot of advantages.

However, humus is different from humus: if the main qualities of the varieties of this fertilizer are approximately the same, then different house plants prefer strictly certain types as top dressings. For example, palm trees, citrus fruits, and love humus based on bird droppings, the effect of which is much higher than that of fertilizing with mullein. This is due to the fact that bird droppings are several times more nutritious than mullein. That is why it should be used very carefully to fertilize most indoor plants, using only for large and fast-growing species.

Before using humus with bird droppings, it should be diluted with water (10 g per 3 liters of water) until a liquid of a faint, cloudy greenish tint is obtained, and before fertilizing the flowers, the potted soil should be slightly watered with ordinary water.

To feed the rest of the indoor flowers, it is best to use it, for example, by adding it to the ground substrate during plant transplantation. Leaf humus contains a number of elements necessary for plant nutrition. In addition, it significantly affects the structure of the soil, improving it at times.

You can also feed the flowers with humus based on cow (pig and so on) manure, for which 100 g of humus is diluted in 10 liters of water.

Using humus for feeding home flowers, be prepared for the fact that for some time a not very pleasant smell will come from the pots, which will disappear within a few hours. There will be no smell only if you use humus prepared using accelerated technology, which does not contain weed seeds and pathogens. True, it is not recommended to use it as liquid top dressing, it is better to mix it with the ground during plant transplantation, using it as a baking powder for heavy soils.

Vegetable decoctions

The use of decoctions fresh vegetables for top dressing it is doubtful enough, but many believe in the miraculous effect of such an unusual fertilizer, arguing that a decoction of vegetables is very nutritious for domestic plants and can only benefit them. Whether this is so, I personally can’t say - this top dressing did not affect my flowers in any way, but I could be wrong. I will be glad if you convince me.

aquarium water

Ordinary aquarium water can be an excellent alternative to purchased fertilizers. It contains a large number of substances that perfectly stimulate plant growth, it is very soft, with a neutral pH. But it is recommended to use it for top dressing only in spring or early summer - when the plants begin to actively grow leaves and shoots. But starting from the middle of summer, it is better not to use aquarium water for fertilizing home flowers.

Again: everything is good in moderation, so you need to feed the plants with aquarium water no more than once a month, otherwise a lot of microscopic algae, once in the soil of a potted flower, will multiply greatly, as a result of which the soil will turn green and sour.

succinic acid

Succinic acid is obtained after processing natural amber, it has a lot of useful qualities, due to which it is widely used, including for feeding home flowers.

To prepare a nutrient solution, dilute 1 g of the drug in 5 liters of water. This liquid can not only be watered, but also sprayed with houseplants. Especially love such dressings, citrus fruits, ficuses, haworthia, prickly pear and fat women. Please note: use succinic acid for dressing home flowers, you can do it no more than once a year, otherwise you risk getting the opposite effect.

In addition to the 10 most popular fertilizers for home flowers, there are several other options that are used less often, but, according to their proponents, are no less effective:

• filtered water left after washing meat and fish, is also considered a good flower fertilizer. Truth, scientific confirmation I have not been able to find this fact. Maybe you are luckier? If you are already convinced of the miraculous power of such dressings, please tell us about it in the comments;

• some flower growers use to feed home flowers cereal washing water: buckwheat, rice, millet and so on which contains iron, silicon, phosphorus and magnesium;
• eggshell, according to many lovers of home flowers, is also very useful. It is buried in the soil during plant transplantation, the water that is used for irrigation is insisted on it, but whether it is actually top dressing is a question. Yes, it contains a large amount of calcium, but it is practically inaccessible to plants, and then what is the use of it? Moreover, a very limited number of indoor flowers differ in love for calcium, and its excess in the soil only contributes to the fact that chlorosis begins in plants. So it turns out that the benefit eggshell as a fertilizer is very doubtful, except that it can be an excellent drainage;

• toothpaste and tooth powder can also become fertilizers for house flowers. To prepare a mix with tooth powder, you need 3 tbsp. spoons of powder, 3 tbsp. spoons of wood ash and 1 tbsp. spoon blue vitriol dilute in a liter of water. It is not required to insist this fertilizer, it can be applied immediately after preparation. You can make fertilizer with toothpaste very easily and quickly: dissolve a third of a tube of toothpaste in 1 liter of water. Such top dressing will give nutrition to the roots of flowers, as a result of which the plants will acquire a healthier appearance.

And the last thing: before using fertilizers for home flowers, remember a few simple rules:

• do not feed plants transplanted into new soil earlier than after 2 months, because fresh soil also contains nutrients, an excess of which will only lead to the death of a green pet;
• before fertilizing, spill the soil with plain clean water, this will help you not to destroy them if the fertilizer is concentrated;
• all weakened or diseased plants must be fed very carefully, using a fertilizer solution of a much lower concentration for this purpose;
• no need to fertilize all year round, home flowers need fertilizer only in the spring-summer period.

Using various fertilizers for home flowers, try not to overdo it, because everything is good only in moderation, and an excess of nutrients will disrupt the uniform development of your plants and can cause their death. That is why top dressing should be correct and as balanced as possible, only in this way they can be beneficial.

Well, it seems that I have listed all the most popular natural top dressings for home flowers, although I may be wrong. Maybe I did not mention the fertilizer that you successfully apply? Please tell us what you use to feed your houseplants, and why?