Top dressing of tomatoes (personal experience). Using coffee grounds for root dressing of tomatoes

For the normal development of seedlings, and then abundant fruiting, tomatoes constantly need moisture and nutrients. A huge amount of minerals is spent on the growth of the vegetative mass, and how much chemical elements fruits contain: salts of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, calcium, in small amounts sulfur, chlorine, there are traces of iodine, iron, copper, zinc, fluorine.

Tomatoes grow quickly and respond well to top dressing.

Top dressing of tomatoes in the greenhouse

Often, beginner gardeners have a question about how to feed tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse. In fact, there is no difference, a greenhouse made of polycarbonate, glass or film - no. Tomatoes are grown under a roof, protected from rain. What material protects them from precipitation and cold is not important to us. Top dressing in any greenhouse is the same.

Recall that we bring the first nutrition for tomatoes into the holes when planting seedlings. Classic recipe soil preparation for tomatoes:

• 200-300 g of ash, 20-25 g of ammonium nitrate, 25-30 g of potassium sulfate, 50-60 g of superphosphate

We give the seedlings a rest for two or three days, then we carry out a garter to the trellis. Then we take care as usual - after abundant watering around the tomato bushes, we loosen the soil so that a crust does not form, and if the soils are poorly cultivated, poor (sandy and sandy loamy), we mulch with humus. If the soil is well developed, it is enough to mulch the bushes with straw.

Feeding should begin two weeks after planting seedlings. The root system during this time increases approximately two times, the tops - two to three times.

Important: after planting seedlings, the first watering should be carried out with a solution of phytosporin. Don't forget that prevention is always more effective than treatment. It is necessary to dilute 1 tbsp. spoon (15 ml) of phytosporin per 10 liters of water, pour 1 glass per bush after watering, repeat every 5 days 3-4 times. Watering can be combined with fertilizing tomatoes.

The first top dressing can be carried out with organic matter, because the tomato bushes continue to gain vegetative mass, and the need for nitrogen is still significant. Classic recipe: mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 or chicken manure 1:20. Organics need to be insisted for at least a day, only then water the tomatoes. The consumption of the solution is 2-3 liters per bush.

Principles of feeding tomatoes

Gardeners have different points of view on the frequency of feeding tomatoes.

Some believe that you need to feed 3-4 times per season:

1. Two weeks after planting seedlings.
2. Before flowering.
3. With the appearance of ties.
4. As the crop matures.

But since the development of tomatoes does not always occur evenly, some gardeners rely on weekly alternation of dressings:

After the first root dressing, a week later - foliar, with a complex of trace elements, a week later again root, etc. Thus, an alternation of root and foliar dressings is obtained, each approximately once every two weeks.

In fact, not everything is so concise and simple here, the frequency of top dressing depends on the weather (temperature, humidity), and on the speed of tomato ripening, and on unexpected diseases. If the plants are weakened by diseases, root fertilizing should not be increased, but reduced, reducing their concentration by half. And foliar feed enrich with growth stimulants.

Top dressing of tomatoes in the open field

Top dressing of tomatoes open ground differs from top dressing in greenhouses in that we cannot control the temperature and moisture content of the soil (precipitation). At greenhouse cultivation we water the tomato as needed, as the earth dries out, and, according to a certain scheme, we apply top dressing.

Tomatoes in the open field are in more severe conditions if they begin heavy rains, nutrients need to be applied more often, since a significant proportion of them is washed out with sieges. In addition, there is the problem of foliar top dressing. The fertilizer application schedule for tomatoes is shifting, adjusting to weather conditions.

Foliar top dressing of tomatoes

The value of foliar top dressing of tomatoes can not be overestimated - nutrients enter directly into the tissues of the plant, this is especially important when the weather is damp, rainy (spray immediately after rain), when the seedlings are weak and root system unable to provide the bush with all the nutrients.

First of all, foliar top dressing allows you to make up for the lack of potassium, boron, magnesium, zinc, copper.

To prepare foliar top dressing for 10 liters of water, take:

• 1 g of potassium permanganate, 1 g of boric acid, 2 g of magnesium sulfate, 2 g of zinc sulfate, 0.5 g of copper sulfate

If you have no desire to make such mixtures of trace elements, you can feed the tomatoes with ready-made complex fertilizer.

In total, during the growth of tomatoes, 3-4 foliar top dressings should be carried out, with an interval of 10-15 days. The first foliar top dressing is carried out 10-15 days after planting the seedlings. Subsequent with an interval of 15 days when the ovary is formed.

Spray in the evening or on cloudy days to prevent leaf scorch.

During mass flowering tomatoes must be sprayed with a solution of calcium nitrate: 1st. dilute a spoonful of saltpeter in 10 liters of water. This will protect the tomatoes from blossom end rot. But the drug Kalbit S is more effective than calcium nitrate - if possible, purchase it - it contains a calcium chelate complex (in a form more accessible to plants). Do not mix fertilizers containing calcium with fertilizers containing phosphorus. The interval between spraying these drugs should be at least four days.

Root top dressing of tomatoes

Based on the fertilizers that you have in your arsenal, you can make various recipes top dressing of tomatoes and peppers. Each is designed for 10 liters of water, and the consumption is up to 1 liter of solution per bush:

• 1 recipe: 1 liter of mullein infusion, 15 g of nitrophoska (1 tablespoon)
• 2 recipe: 0.5 l of chicken manure solution (1:20), 20 g of superphosphate, 5 g of potassium sulfate
• 3 recipe: 1 l of mullein infusion, 20 g of superphosphate, 1 glass of ash
• 4 recipe: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of complex multi-component fertilizer
• 5 recipe: 1 tbsp. spoon of potassium humate, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of complex multi-component fertilizer
• 6 recipe: 2 tbsp. spoons of ash, 20 g of superphosphate, 0.3 g of manganese sulfate (on the tip of a knife)
• 7 recipe: 1 liter of green manure, 2 cups of ash, 2 g of copper sulfate (1/3 teaspoon)
• 8 recipe: 1 liter of green fertilizer, 2 cups of ash, 2 tbsp. spoons of superphosphate, 2 g of copper sulfate (1/3 teaspoon)

Need to choose more suitable option and carry out root feeding no more than 1 time in two weeks, based on the principle: “It is better to underfeed than to overfeed”.

Look for signs of a mineral deficiency or excess

If the tomato leaves have curled inward and blossom end rot has appeared on the fruit, they are deficient in calcium. Spraying the bushes with a solution of calcium nitrate will help correct the situation.

If with reverse side leaves acquired purple- a clear lack of phosphorus. Be sure to include superphosphate in top dressing (up to 3 tablespoons per bucket of water).

If the leaves of tomatoes are pale, light green, the bushes do not grow, most likely, there is a lack of nitrogen - it is enough to feed with mullein (1:10). But if the tomatoes grow vigorously, gain a large leaf mass, but delay flowering - this is an excess of nitrogen, most likely you overdid it with organic matter. Eliminate fertilizing with mullein and all nitrogenous fertilizers (urea, ammophos, nitrophoska, etc.), include only phosphorus and potassium in fertilizers.

Tomato leaves can also turn yellow from excess phosphorus! Therefore, do not feed thoughtlessly, write down in a notebook what and how much feeding was carried out.

Most of all, tomatoes need potassium - with its deficiency, the leaves begin to dry out, and the fruits acquire a green-red variegated color - the coloring is uneven. But an excess of potassium is also harmful - the leaves become covered with dull spots, wither and fall off.

Complex fertilizers for tomatoes

Why do we need multicomponent complex fertilizers, where everything is in one bottle, because they are many times more expensive than one-two and three-component ones!

Indeed, for the first time it is not difficult to dilute a couple of spoons of superphosphate, a handful of ash, etc. in a bucket. But such compound fertilizers have three significant drawbacks:

• you need to weigh all the components and measure accurately, which is especially difficult when it comes to microdoses of 0.5-1 g
• powdered fertilizers are dusty and many of them are very toxic, for example, when measuring copper sulfate, you need to use a respirator so as not to inhale toxic dust.
• the exact composition of the fertilizer is not always known, for example, for ash we can only assume the amount of nutrients, since a variety of plant residues usually go into the furnace

If we use multicomponent complex fertilizers, we know what we feed - the manufacturer indicated exactly which minerals are included in the composition and attached instructions for use - how much to dilute and how much solution to pour under a bush or per 1 m2 of land. Fertilizers for tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are calculated according to the needs of these particular crops.

Attention: most complex multi-component fertilizers for vegetables contain high doses of nitrogen - be careful! Compare the nitrogen composition and take into account the NPK ratio if you applied it to the soil for tomatoes a large number of organics. It is better to use fertilizers designed for feeding tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

Fertika Kristalon for tomatoes NPK 8:11:37+5mg + micro - for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, outdoors and greenhouses. Composition: 8% nitrogen, 11% phosphorus, 37% potassium, 4.5% magnesium, 10% sulfur, 0.027% boron, 0.04% copper, 0.15% iron, 0.06% magnesium, 0.004% molybdenum, 0.027% zinc. Application: for tomatoes in the greenhouse 10-20 g / 10 l of water with each watering, for tomatoes in the open ground 10-20 g / 10 l of water 1 time in 2 weeks. For spraying: 10 g per 1 liter of water, repeat after 7-10 days. This is one of the most the best fertilizers for tomatoes (successful NPK formula - little nitrogen, all minerals are taken into account).

Fertika Universal 2, composition 12% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus, 14% potassium, 2% magnesium, 8% sulfur, 0.2% iron, 0.1% boron, 0.1% copper, 0.2% manganese, 0.01% molybdenum, 0.1% zinc. Application rate: 40-50 g per sq. m under tomatoes when planting in holes. In the process of growing tomatoes in greenhouses and open ground: Spread 20-25 g of fertilizer evenly over 1 m2, lightly mix with the ground and water abundantly. Two top dressings with an interval of 2-3 weeks. Not the most successful fertilizer, to be honest it is only suitable for planting seedlings.

Fertika Lux, composition: NPK 16-20-27 + trace elements (Fe -0.1%, B - 0.02%, Cu - 0.01%, Mn - 0.1%, Mo - 0.002%, Zn - 0 .01%). 1 st. Dissolve a spoonful (20 g) of fertilizer in 10 liters of water. For feeding tomatoes in protected ground once a week, in open ground - 1 time in two weeks. Can be used gives good results suitable for foliar application. Do not mix with organic!

Agricola for tomatoes №3. Composition: NPK 13-20-20 + MgO + trace elements. The consumption rate is 25 g per 10 liters of water, enough for 10-20 m2 of planted tomato ridges in a greenhouse or open ground. The manufacturer does not indicate the dosage of minerals, but the fertilizer is not bad, use only as an independent one.

Fertilizer Good Force No. 2 Vegetable for tomatoes, eggplants, peppers. Composition: NPK (3:2.5:6), trace elements Boron, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, cobalt; humic acids, vitamins: B1, PP; growth stimulant: succinic acid.

Aquarin Vegetable. Composition: 19% nitrogen, 6: phosphorus, 20% potassium, 1.5% magnesium, Trace elements,%: Fe 0.054; Zn - 0.014; Cu - 0.01; Mn - 0.042; Mo - 0.004; B - 0.02. Instructions: 1st top dressing 10-15 days after planting seedlings, 10-15 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. During the fruiting period, watering every 7-10 days: 15-25 g per 10 liters of water.

Fertilizer Zdravven "Your Farm Tomatoes". Composition: nitrogen 15%, phosphorus 20%, potassium 15%, magnesium 2%, sodium humate 2%; trace elements boron 0.03%, manganese 0.04%, zinc 0.02%, copper 0.02%, molybdenum 0.005%. Without chlorine! Consumption rates for irrigation: 15 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water, for spraying 10 g per 10 liters of water.

OMU Bogatyr for tomatoes, 300 ml - only for seedlings. Composition: nitrogen (N) 21 g/l, phosphorus (P2O5) 48 g/l, potassium (K2O) 72 g/l, Fe 60 mg/l, Cu 24 mg/l, Zn 50 mg/l, pH 3. Foliar top dressing: 1 cap (5 ml) per 1 liter of water. Root top dressing: 2 caps (10ml) per 1L of water.

Orton-vegetable for tomatoes, 20 g - complex water-soluble fertilizer with humate. Composition: NPK 7:19:21 + MgO + trace elements + 1.8% humic acids. Application: Dissolve 20 g of fertilizer in 10 liters of water. Water the plants 2-3 times per season during the periods of bud formation, flowering and fruiting.

How to prepare green manure for tomatoes

Fill a plastic barrel with a capacity of 20 liters for 3/4 of the volume with mowed grass: nettle, dandelions, goutweed, clover, casting vegetables, tops, pour water, cover with a transparent film, and leave to wander in the sun for 7 days. Important: use only healthy cut leaves!

Strain the fermented green manure. It is concentrated, you need to use it after dilution with water: 1 liter of green manure per 9 liters of water.

Feeding tomatoes with boron

Boron is necessary for all flowering and fruiting plants, vegetables and berries - it increases the number of buds, flowers, improves the nutrition of the ovaries, and helps to increase the yield and improve its quality (increases sugar content).

Boron can be applied with watering and as a foliar top dressing. When spraying, boron is absorbed several times faster: after watering, wait a week and a half for the result, and when spraying, 2-3 days.

Of course, the result of feeding with boron is noticeable only when there were acute signs of its shortage: the tops of the bushes in tomatoes acquire a light green color, as with a lack of nitrogen. But do not confuse the two deficient conditions: with a lack of boron, the most upper leaves, the tip of the escape. The leaves are twisted, deformed, petioles become brittle, growth points die off. If the fruits have already formed, they grow crooked, covered brown spots. This is already a difficult stage, this should not be allowed to happen.

To prevent boron deficiency, it is necessary to spray with boric acid at the rate of 1 g of acid per 1 liter of water, or 10 g per 10 liters of water.

Boric acid must be poured a small amount boiling water, stir until completely dissolved, then bring to the desired volume with water. The resulting solution should be warm.

Do not spare boron, dilute a large volume and spray not only tomatoes, but also cucumbers, as well as all berry crops: strawberries, currants, gooseberries, raspberries.

• It is necessary to spray with boron during the mass flowering of tomatoes. But, once - you do not need to repeat top dressing. One spray is enough!

Top dressing of tomatoes (tomatoes) with iodine

Feeding tomatoes with iodine is not only additional nutrition, but also protection of vegetables from late blight and other fungal and bacterial diseases.

You can spray with iodine every two weeks, the first time starting with the planting of tomatoes in greenhouses (made of polycarbonate, glass, film) or open ground. It is important that spraying be at temperatures above 18 ° C and in cloudy weather, or in the evening.

To protect tomatoes from late blight, dilute 5 drops of iodine in 10 liters of water. Measure iodine with a pipette or syringe, do not increase the dose.

There are recipes for spraying tomatoes with iodine and whey - this is a completely useless undertaking. Whey contains beneficial microorganisms (lactic acid bacteria, lactobacilli, etc.) and the purpose of whey spraying is to populate beneficial microflora on vegetable leaves so that they displace pathogenic microorganisms, for example, pathogen powdery mildew. But if you add iodine to whey, you will kill them, the meaning of the whole idea is lost. For the same reason, it is impossible to combine spraying with iodine and phytosporin. You will have to choose one.

But you can and should add low-fat milk to the iodine solution! Only for a different purpose - so that the solution sticks to the leaves better, add a glass of milk to a bucket of water.

There is another option for using iodine on tomatoes, it is only suitable for growing tomatoes in greenhouses - hanging vials of iodine. For one greenhouse 3 m long, at least 6-8 vials of iodine are needed. Remove the lid, hang the vial between the bushes. Iodine vapors disinfect the air in the greenhouse and prevent phytophthora pathogens from roaming. Important: you can’t stay in a greenhouse for a long time, where jars of iodine are suspended, you can get poisoned by its vapors.

To feed tomatoes with iodine in the open field, you need to take 10 g of iodine per 10 liters of water and pour half a liter of solution under each bush.

When growing tomatoes in open ground, it is very important to give Special attention top dressing. Fertilizing tomatoes in the open field has several distinctive features. Proper feeding performed with a certain frequency and certain substances.

Proper fertilization of tomatoes in the open field is the key to obtaining good harvest- the fruits will be juicy and tasty. Fertilizer is a very important factor in growing tomatoes, but many gardeners neglect it and thus become dissatisfied with their crop.

The mistake of many vegetable growers is that they do not know what this or that top dressing is for. But sometimes it happens that in some conditions top dressing is even harmful.

Types of fertilizer for tomatoes

The balance of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium guarantees a good tomato crop.

Meaning nutrients:

• Potassium - prevents diseases of tomatoes, gives them growth. Without potassium, the plant is weak and grows slowly. Sand or wood ash will help compensate for the lack of this component.
• Nitrogen - gives vital energy tops. Its yellowness indicates a lack of nitrogen in the soil. It is found in compost, sodium and calcium nitrate, ammonium sulfate.
• Phosphorus - forms a rhizome and has a positive effect on the seed. Promotes early redness and ripening of fruits. Raise the level of phosphorus: superphosphate, humus, bone meal.

Exist the following types fertilizers:

• Complex - a composition that contains the elements of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. (Nitroammophos, Nitrofoska, Calcium nitrate, Universal, Ammophos and others)
• Organic fertilizers - humus, manure, peat, wood ash.

Organic fertilizers include: bird droppings, peat, mullein, humus, sapropel, straw, household and industrial waste, and more. Poultry droppings, compost and tomato manure are ideal. Must be used in autumn period, to organic compounds had time to decompose and act on the soil.

• Mineral fertilizer - phosphorus-potassium, nitrogen.

Foliar application of fertilizers for tomatoes in open ground

In addition to a strong root system, the leaves of tomatoes can absorb nutrients well. The foliar method of feeding plants is based on spraying the leaves with nutrient mixtures. This is a highly efficient method because trace elements reach the goal faster. The lack of basic phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen can be replenished urgently. But the method is considered unsafe. It is important to remember that the concentration of fertilizer in foliar spray solutions must be very low so as not to harm the leaves and especially the fruits. The scheme and schedule of foliar top dressing are similar to watering fertilizers under the root. To stimulate growth, seedlings are sprayed with a solution of urea, not more than four tenths of a percentage. Next, use nutrient solutions of nitrophoska. For obvious reasons, all spraying is best done in the evening so that the nutrient solution does not evaporate under the sun, but fully works for the crop.

Foliar top dressing is carried out with a solution of ammonium nitrate:

40 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water after planting tomato seedlings in the ground;

60-70 g per 10 liters of water in the flowering phase;

80-90 g per 10 liters of water in the fruiting phase. The combination of foliar dressings with root dressings gives the greatest effect. with fertilization in the wells.

For tomatoes, foliar top dressings with trace elements are useful, which accelerate the ripening of fruits. For these purposes, boron-manganese fertilizers are used.

During the period of mass flowering in the evening, the plants must be sprayed with a solution of boric acid (10 g of the substance per 10 liters of water).

Root fertilizer for tomatoes planted in open ground

1. Spend on the twentieth - twenty-second day after planting tomato seedlings on the beds. The recommended composition of the solution (introduction of organic matter and mineral fertilizers): dilute liquid mullein (half a liter) and 15 ml of nitrophoska in a bucket of water. Consumption - half a liter for each bush.

2. Fertilization time is approximately twenty days after the first (the best moment for the second top dressing is the budding of the second color brush). Composition for irrigation: chicken manure (0.4 kg), superphosphate (1 tablespoon), potassium sulfate (1 teaspoon) in a standard bucket of water. Consumption - 1 liter for each plant.

3. Fertilization time is approximately 1-2 weeks after the second, when the third bunch of tomatoes begins to bloom. Composition for irrigation (fertilizing with mineral fertilizers): nitrophoska (15 ml) and potassium humate (15 ml) in a bucket of water. Consumption - 5 liters per square meter of your garden.

4. Fertilization time 11-14 days after the third. At this stage, plants only need a solution of superphosphate: a tablespoon of the composition per 10 liters of pure water. Consumption - a bucket for each square. meter.

Fertilizer tomato yeast

Fertilizing a tomato with yeast - this method has long been known. It is simple, low-cost and, most importantly, absolutely safe. On a bucket of settled warm water enough twenty grams of yeast, dissolved with a spoonful of sugar. The solution is left to wander in the warmth for a day, then poured into a barrel with a capacity of one hundred liters, and the positive effect of "growth by leaps and bounds" will not take long. There are creatives who prepare cocktails from yeast and rotten apples, old jam and banana peel. Just imagine the taste of tomatoes after such feeding.

Fertilizer tomato with chicken manure

It is carried out in combination with drugs such as Kemira-universal, solute. Such top dressing should be carried out during the period of harvesting the first harvest, after 12 days top dressing can be repeated. In the event that the branches of tomatoes begin to grow too quickly, but there are still no flowers, then you should replace this fertilizer with others. which contain nitrogen and superphosphate.

Fertilizing tomatoes with ash

It will not be able to provide full-fledged fertilizer for plants. It can only be a great addition if necessary, for example, if the plant begins to grow poorly. It also has thin stems. Then in this case it is necessary to carry out foliar top dressing with ash.

Fertilizer tomato with iodine

In order for tomatoes to develop properly, they need to be watered with iodine-containing fertilizers. If the plant is deficient in iodine, the growth of the bush is inhibited and the ripening of the fruit slows down. Also, iodine deficiency in a tomato leads to morbidity. planting material. It is effective to spray a tomato with an iodine solution, or to feed the plant with mineral fertilizers, which include iodine. The first top dressing is performed when the first brushes bloom, repeated after a two-week period. A popular recipe for feeding tomatoes is an iodine solution, which includes a kilogram of iodine potassium and five liters of water. If it is not possible to find such potassium, you can use tincture of iodine. For one liter of water, add a glass of skimmed milk and five drops of iodine. Every nine meters of tomatoes must be treated with two liters of solution. Once you have prepared the solution, start processing and ration the fertilizer so as not to overdo it.

Latest articles about gardening and gardening

Fertilizer tomato manure

Manure seems to be an extremely excellent fertilizer. Usually manure contains a lot, a lot the most useful substances. What are required for growing up, the formation of seedlings (of course, and tomatoes).

In addition, manure improves physiological, and biological properties earth. The manure will help improve the characteristics of the land. Manure promotes the reproduction of beneficial microflora.

Tomatoes begin to feed with manure after twenty days after transplanting them into the ground. Mix 500 grams of mullein infusion in a bucket with water. And add nitrophoska - a tablespoon. Consumption of infusion - 500 grams per tomato. Of course, when the second flower tassel blooms, it is necessary to feed again. And the third, last top dressing is done during the flowering period of the third brush.

How often should fertilizing be done?

Usually they ask the question, how often should I fertilize tomatoes with mineral or organic fertilizers? The short answer is not very often. And, more precisely, both root and foliar in 10-15 days. That is, about 2-3 times a month. Once - foliar top dressing, the next time - feed your tomatoes under the root.

Foliar fertilizer (spraying) should be done in the first half of the growing season, that is, as soon as I noticed that the first fruits had poured, they began to turn white, I stop feeding, and the root should continue to be done throughout the entire growing season (development) of tomatoes.

The first time you should feed the tomatoes 10-12 days after planting the seedlings. When the flowering of tomatoes begins, do not miss the deadlines - the number of ovaries and the harvest will depend on this.

In open ground, fertilizer is carried out in the following way. Each plant needs to be fed individually. If the soil under the plants is dry, then before feeding it is necessary to slightly moisten the soil. Watering the tomatoes clean water, the temperature of which is not lower than 20-22ºС. When watering in a greenhouse, try not to get water on the leaves - excess moisture is useless there. Water in the morning, and after watering, pour half a liter of nutrient solution under each tomato bush.

Try to do foliar top dressing of tomatoes in the open field in the morning so that the nutrient solution is absorbed by the evening. Plants should be dry at night.

You can get a rich and tasty crop of tomatoes only by properly feeding tomatoes. Some summer residents ignore the process of feeding crops and, as a result, they get far from the best harvest.

Today, there are many rules for the successful feeding of tomatoes in the open field. Here are some of them:

1. It is necessary to carry out the procedure for fertilizing crops only in the morning or in the evening. You can't feed vegetables during the day.
2. During the season, you need to carry out up to 6 fertilizers of vegetables. After all, tomatoes need various substances throughout their development.
3. For the first time, you need to fertilize with nitrogenous substances that promote the growth of green mass. The first fertilizer period is easy to determine independently, taking into account the condition of the plants. But it is worth considering that it is impossible to feed the culture earlier than 21 days after planting. If the seedlings wither before our eyes, then it is not necessary to wait 3 weeks.
   After a few days (3-4), the plants can be watered with a solution of urea, diluting it in a ratio of 1 tablespoon per bucket of water. Watering with a solution is under the root of each bush. If the seedlings are well accepted, then excessive care is also undesirable for her. In particular, one should not strive to fertilize vegetables with nitrogen, as tomatoes can become “fatty”.
4. After 21 days of crop growth in open ground, tomatoes should be poured with a solution of mullein and chicken manure at the rate of 0.5 liters per bucket of water. You can also add a tablespoon of urea to the mixture.
5. The next fertilizer is carried out when the first flowers appear, when the plants need potassium. You can use tree ash as a raw material. Holes are made along the beds, where they fall asleep, and then they bury the ashes. Such top dressing is insufficient for tomatoes. It is advisable to organize additional watering with a solution of chicken manure (half a liter of manure per bucket of water).
6. It is necessary to feed vegetables in the open field for the third time when a brush of flowers appears. The ideal raw material for feeding is potassium humate.
7. The fourth feeding of plants occurs two weeks after the third with superphosphate. On the square meter area accounts for a bucket of ready-made solution.
8. All top dressing of tomatoes described above are required. The next two can be done during fruit formation. But most of the time they are not needed.

top dressing

There are root and foliar top dressing for tomatoes in the open field.

Plant nutrition under the root is quite popular among summer residents. After all, such a feed saturates tomato bushes with minerals through the root.

Foliar type fertilizers imply the saturation of vegetables with minerals in the leaves and branches of the bushes. The advantages of this type of top dressing are: fertilizer savings and fast efficiency. In addition, this type of feeding is used to help a plant suffering from a deficiency of a certain trace element.

Foliar dressings are less saturated than root dressings. In addition, the raw material for fertilizing through the green parts of the plant does not contain chlorine.

Top dressing of tomatoes in the soil provides for the beginning of the growing season, the alternation of two ways of feeding. In the second half of the development of the culture, it is better to use the root method.

• Milk or whey, iodine and water (in a ratio of 1:10 drops:9);
• Preparations "Health" and "Fitosporin" (dosage according to the instructions);
• 2 liters of whey, half a glass of sugar, 8 liters of water, 15 drops of iodine;
• Birch mushroom, diluted in water until dark in color;
• Boric acid, blue vitriol, magnesia, manganese, grated laundry soap dissolved in a bucket of water;
• 10 tablets of Trichopolum, a bottle of brilliant green, a bucket of water;
• Non-concentrated manganese solution;
• Whey and half a glass of sugar.

All these fertilizer options are very effective in combating diseases of various nature, including fungal. But they should be used sparingly and wisely. After all, only proper care will bear good fruit.

When root dressing, it is advisable to water the tomatoes with clean water, preferably rain or at least settled. The first time to fertilize is after 10 days of "life" of the plant in the open field.

Re-feeding in the open field is desirable half a month after the first. The third feeding of the culture should be carried out when the first flowers appear. Compliance with feeding regimes will ensure proper care for vegetables.

Root fertilizer options are as follows:

• A tablespoon of ammonia saltpeter (tincture of chicken manure or cow dung) in a bucket of water.
• Half a liter of chicken manure, a couple of spoons of superphosphate and a spoonful of potassium sulfate in a bucket of water. Superphosphate is poorly soluble in water. Therefore, it is worth starting its preparation 24 hours before use.
• Half a liter of chicken manure solution or cow dung mix with a spoonful of potassium sulfate and seven grams of boric acid. This mixture must be diluted in a bucket of water.
• After half a month, tomatoes need to be fed with an infused solution of a glass of ash in a bucket of water. This fertilizer contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other trace elements.

Video “How to fertilize tomatoes. Top dressing in open ground”

A video about how and how to fertilize tomatoes in the open field.

Common Mistakes

Often summer residents make mistakes when growing tomatoes. The reason for this is wrong actions from a lack of knowledge. What are typical mistakes gardeners making vegetable care ineffective?

1. Wrong choice of variety and seeds. Practice proves that it is best to grow tomato hybrids. They are less susceptible to disease, and yield more than the usual crops.
2. The wrong place to plant a crop. Under no circumstances should it be planted in open ground varieties intended for greenhouses, and vice versa.
3. Round-the-clock thermal and light modes. Vegetables should receive heat and light in a dosed manner, without "kinks".
4. Incorrect planting procedure, in particular planting seedlings with flowers.
5. Daily watering of a tomato, which is contraindicated in culture. Watering should be sufficient, but not frequent.
6. Untimely stepchildren. Remove "extra" leaves and side shoots needed on time.
7. Promoting the "fatting" of vegetables to the detriment of the formation of fruits.
8. Ignoring disease prevention. Proper care is based on prevention. After all, any disease is easier to prevent than to treat.
9. Seed preparation hybrid varieties. Harvesting seeds of hybrids gives zero results.

As for the mistakes in fertilizing vegetables, there are also a lot of them. In particular, a mistake when feeding a crop in the open field is the gardeners' ignorance of the purpose of the raw materials for a particular top dressing.

Often there is also improper use of fertilizers. Indeed, depending on the conditions, top dressing can even be harmful to plants.

The mistake is also non-compliance with the dosage. So excessive or insufficient feeding will bring little benefit to the culture.

Often, guided by the best intentions, gardeners prepare folk dressings on one's own. But, unfortunately, not everyone does it right. As a result, such top dressing causes irreparable harm to the vegetable.

Do not be upset if you did not immediately manage to grow tomatoes. Because these plants need special care. Even experienced gardeners do not always achieve their intended goals when growing crops. Feeding is an important part of growing vegetables. Without this procedure, plant care will not give the expected results. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out top dressing, observing all the rules and recommendations.

Video “Feeding tomatoes in a greenhouse and open field with green nettle fertilizer”

Growing a good crop of healthy and tasty vegetables on your site is not an easy task. Only those who strictly observe the rules of agronomic work wisely use the scientific and scientific knowledge accumulated over the centuries. practical experience, works according to an algorithm verified to the smallest detail, and does not invent the wheel, they achieve enviable results in a noble gardening business. In the list of the most favorite vegetables of farmers, a place of honor belongs to tomatoes and cucumbers. So: what fertilizers for tomatoes in open ground (and not only) will help get a good harvest? About everything - further.

In the southern regions, tomatoes are grown in open ground. Where the climate is more severe, greenhouses and greenhouses are built. Landless, i.e. homeless city dwellers, who cannot drown out the call of their ancestors, adapt the balconies and loggias of high-rise buildings for mini-gardens and get amazing tomato crops.

Growing conditions for a good tomato crop

Before starting any work, the first question is: do the conditions allow you to do well what is planned? Necessary and obligatory initial conditions to obtain a crop of tomatoes are the presence of light and heat, sufficient moisture and fertilizer for the soil and leaves. The deficiency of these components at any stage of plant development negatively affects the growth, flowering, setting, ripening of fruits and their taste qualities. Although for light, moisture and heat-loving tomatoes, the absence of these components, as they say, is a matter of life and death, one should not belittle the importance of timely introduction necessary fertilizers. To do this, we will find the answer to the question of what kind of fertilizers are needed for tomatoes in the open field, and which ones are needed in greenhouses and greenhouses. When and how is it more efficient, and most importantly, is it safer to feed tomatoes and which is better - organic or chemistry?

One thing is certain - you need to know when to stop so as not to get a store of nitrates instead of healthy vegetables.

Fertilizers at the stage of seed germination

If earlier the method of soaking in settled warm water was used to germinate seeds, now they are increasingly resorting to drugs that stimulate growth. Ecologically harmless "Guamat", "Zircon" and "Epin" are especially popular among farmers. Solutions with them are not only effective in stimulating growth, but are also a source of beneficial trace elements for tomato seeds. According to the instructions, the temperature of the solution should be about twenty degrees. For a better effect, the seeds do not need to be completely flooded, it is enough to put them on a pre-ironed towel well moistened with a solution and place them in a warm place for a day or two.

It is important not to miss the moment of germination. Fragile roots can dig into the fabric, and the extraction process, even with tweezers, harms them. At the first stage, the use of potash fertilizers and solutions of mineral salts, for example, an ash solution, which have a depressing effect on seeds, is strictly prohibited. In general, experienced farmers warn beginners that in the matter of fertilizers, in general, “it is better to under- than over-”.

Soil fertilizer for seedlings

If the seeds are selected, prepared, disinfected, germinated according to the rules, then the quality of the crop is laid down at the stage of growing seedlings from them. For this, a special nutrient substrate is prepared. Fertilizer for tomatoes and cucumbers at the first stage of soil preparation is applied the same. The main components are humus or biohumus, decomposed peat, river sand.

They can be taken in equal proportions, you can increase the proportion of humus or peat. It all depends on what is easier to get.

As a fertilizer for tomatoes and cucumbers, add (per bucket of nutrient mixture): a glass of ash, thirty grams of superphosphate and ten grams of potassium chloride.

In the composition, where peat and humus are equally divided, add two glasses of ash, sixty grams of superphosphate and twenty potassium sulfate.

Another recipe from the piggy bank experienced gardeners: peat, sod land and the mullein is taken in percentage respectively seventy-five, twenty and five. Fertilize ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride and superphosphate. They are taken to a bucket of the mixture, respectively, fifteen and forty grams.

Some farmers believe that at the stage of seedling germination mineral fertilizers and fertilizer with ashes of tomatoes are not needed. It is better to take as the main component garden soil where nettles have grown for many years. Peat should rot well, sand is better than river sand, and to maintain calcium balance, add a glass of finely crushed shell to the nutrient mixture chicken eggs. But fertilizing a tomato with yeast in the early stages will not give an effect. It is recommended to disinfect the soil for seedlings. This can be done by watering the seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, easier - potassium permanganate.

A more troublesome way is to steam the nutrient mixture in a bucket on a fire or in an oven.

Soil preparation for planting seedlings in the garden

Sandy, light loamy, moderately acidic soil types are good for tomatoes. All vegetables of the nightshade family (and these are potatoes, peppers, eggplants and tomatoes) deplete the soil, taking all the nutrients from it in the process of growth. Therefore, planting them on the same bed for more than two years in a row is dangerous for the crop. And they are bad neighbors, because they have the same pests and similar diseases. Tomatoes grow well after zucchini and cucumbers next to carrots, onions and spicy herbs. Before planting hardened seedlings, it is necessary to introduce into the soil organic fertilizers for tomatoes in open ground. It is prepared from a bucket of humus, half a liter of infusion wood ash and a teaspoon of urea. This amount is enough for a plot of one square meter. Fertilizer is scattered and the bed is dug up.

Fertilizers at the stage of formation of ovaries

After about two weeks, when the seedlings take root on open beds, make potash and phosphorus fertilizer for tomatoes. At the stage of formation of ovaries, nitrogenous dressings should be discarded. They cause a strong growth of green mass at the expense of flowering. To stimulate the formation of ovaries, a universal fertilizer for tomatoes without chlorine "Sudarushka-tomato" is well suited. An aqueous solution is prepared: for ten liters of settled water - a teaspoon of the product. Up to half a liter of solution is poured under each bush.

At the stage of formation and ripening of tomato fruits, a balanced top dressing is necessary. Among gardeners, only the lazy one does not know about the solution of nitroammophoska. The fertilizer does not contain nitrates. Dissolve two tablespoons of the substance in a bucket of water. This nutrient fluid is enough to water the soil under the roots of ten tomato bushes.

Soil fertilization in greenhouses

At the stages of seed germination, preparation and planting of seedlings, the means and methods of fertilizing for tomatoes in a greenhouse are similar to the descriptions for open area. The problems that greenhouse owners often face begin when they are waiting for the ovaries. Tomatoes bloom profusely, but there is no fertilization. The root cause of the lack of ovaries in greenhouse tomatoes may be air stagnation in the greenhouse. Under such conditions, self-pollination is impossible. So you need, firstly, to ventilate the greenhouses well, and secondly, to help pollen scatter - gently shake the inflorescences in the morning. If with lighting, temperature regime, there were no problems with watering, if they did not overdo it with nitrogenous fertilizers in the early stages, then more phosphate fertilizers for greenhouse tomatoes. Good feedback about the concentrated potassium compound KH 2 RO 4, from which a solution is prepared at the rate of ten grams per bucket of water.

I'm being held root top dressing during the flowering of tomatoes. According to experienced greenhouse growers, solutions of any fertilizer for their vegetables should be less concentrated than for soil rocks, because. in humid greenhouse conditions, the absorption of trace elements occurs faster and more completely.

Foliar fertilizer application

In addition to a strong root system, the leaves of tomatoes can absorb nutrients well. The foliar method of feeding plants is based on spraying the leaves with nutrient mixtures. This is a highly efficient method because trace elements reach the goal faster. The lack of basic phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen can be replenished urgently. But the method is considered unsafe. It is important to remember that the concentration of fertilizer in foliar spray solutions must be very low so as not to harm the leaves and especially the fruits. The scheme and schedule of foliar top dressing are similar to watering fertilizers under the root. To stimulate growth, seedlings are sprayed with a solution of urea, not more than four tenths of a percentage. Next, use nutrient solutions of nitrophoska. For obvious reasons, all spraying is best done in the evening so that the nutrient solution does not evaporate under the sun, but fully works for the crop.

natural fertilizers

Fertilizing a tomato with yeast - this method has long been known. It is simple, low-cost and, most importantly, absolutely safe. For a bucket of settled warm water, twenty grams of yeast dissolved with a spoonful of sugar is enough. The solution is left to wander in the warmth for a day, then poured into a barrel with a capacity of one hundred liters, and the positive effect of "growth by leaps and bounds" will not take long. There are creatives who prepare cocktails from yeast and rotten apples, old jam and banana peels to water their pets. Just imagine the taste of tomatoes after such feeding.

Tomatoes are one of the most beloved crops by gardeners. This is annual plant belonging to the Solanaceae genus. You can grow them outdoors, but the best option are the greenhouse and film shelters. To receive high yield requires regular feeding and good lighting. However, not all gardeners know how to feed tomatoes, and in what period it needs to be done for the full growth and development of tomatoes.

Fertilizers for open ground and greenhouses

Top dressing of tomatoes in the open field, namely when transplanting seedlings, is an important point that many gardeners miss and suffer from the resulting poor-quality crop. Initially, you need to treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect it. The answer to the question of how to feed tomatoes when planting in the ground is ordinary saltpeter. It is brought directly into the hole for 1 tbsp. spoon. This procedure is carried out in order to also facilitate the engraftment of seedlings.

Advice. Also, a complex of fertilizers can be added to the hole: superphosphate, ash and compost. Organic fertilizers are applied in a glass, superphosphate 20 g.

When planting tomatoes in a greenhouse, it is also desirable to feed them. How to feed tomatoes in this case and what to use for this? Here you can use ordinary dry yeast. The tool is prepared as follows: for 3 bags of yeast, 2 tbsp. a spoonful of granulated sugar, 0.2 kg of ash and 1 liter of liquid mullein. All components are dissolved in 1 bucket of water. The infusion is concentrated, so it must be diluted (1 liter per 10 liters of water).

Tomatoes

Further feeding of tomatoes

The first top dressing is needed as soon as the tomatoes are planted. How to fertilize tomatoes during this period? Top dressings are root and foliar. Most often, gardeners use the first type, completely forgetting about the second, considering them useless. And completely in vain, since they have a better effect on the growth of tomatoes and fruiting.

Foliar top dressing of tomatoes is extremely useful. Fertilizer falls directly on the leaf, is absorbed by it, and the plant receives additional nutrition much faster than if you apply top dressing at the root. But the benefits of root dressings are also obvious, the main thing is to produce them on time and use suitable means.

foliar top dressing

The first dressing of tomatoes is done 10 days after picking. For further fertilization, the instruction is as follows: feed 1 time in 10 days. Under this regime, the plants will be resistant to diseases, easily resist pests, and the yield will be greater.

First dressing

During the period of seedling growth, special ready-made dressings are most often used. For example, it can be Zdraven for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers or universal. Breeding is recommended in accordance with the instructions.

After the tomatoes were planted on permanent place, the type of fertilizer changes. It depends on the fertility of the soil. If it is poor in nutrients, then organic and mineral fertilizers should be applied.

From organic matter, mullein infusion or bird droppings. Sprinkling the earth with ash with the next watering also has a positive effect. You can make an infusion of grass, let it ferment and use it as a top dressing.

From mineral fertilizers with little fertile soil nitrophoska and other complex fertilizers are suitable, if the soil is fertile, then potassium sulfate or potassium magnesia. The consumption of all these types of fertilizers is 1 tbsp. spoon for 1 bucket of water. Watering is carried out under the root.

Second top dressing

The second feeding coincides with the flowering period of the second brush and the beginning of the formation of ovaries on it. How to feed tomatoes during this period?

During the second feeding, a whole complex of organic and mineral fertilizers is used. Prepare the following composition:

• 10 l of mullein solution (can be replaced with a solution of chicken manure);
• 1 st. a spoonful of any mineral fertilizer;
• 3 g of copper sulfate;
• 5 g of potassium permanganate.

The resulting solution needs to feed the tomatoes at the root. The consumption of the solution is:

• undersized tomatoes - 1 l;
• determinant tomatoes - 1.5 l;
• tall tomatoes - 2 l.

You can also make top dressing that promotes the formation of ovaries. For these purposes, superphosphate has proven itself well (1 tsp per 5 l hot water, stir and set aside). The solution is intended for root top dressing.

Tomatoes during this period are also very responsive to foliar feeding, when 1 g of boric acid and magnesium sulfate are diluted in 10 liters of water. Plants are sprayed with the solution.

The simplest and most affordable fertilizer during this period is ordinary ash, which is scattered on the soil surface. You can also prepare an infusion (10 teaspoons of ash per 10 liters of water, leave for 7 days). Such top dressing, applied with watering, accelerates the growth of fruits.

Important! The introduction of boric acid is necessary if its deficiency is observed. You can notice by the appearance of the plant: the growth of the bush slows down, the ovaries form poorly, and the fruits have an irregular shape.

Third top dressing

The third feeding coincides with the period of active fruiting. Use the same composition as for the second top dressing, but you must definitely pay attention to appearance tomatoes. If there are few fruits, and there is a lot of green mass, then the nitrogen part is excluded from the composition of the fertilizer or simply fertilizing with ash.

Foliar top dressing for diseased tomatoes

What fertilizers are needed for foliar top dressing if the plants do not feel very comfortable in the open field?

If there is a slowdown in the growth of tomatoes, pallor of the leaves and weakness of the stem, then urea is used. To do this, 1 teaspoon of fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water and sprayed.

Important! Top dressing is also good because it is suitable for processing from pests and diseases.

When flowers fall, it is used boric acid(per 10 liters of water 1 teaspoon), and in case of insufficient lighting, calcium nitrate will help out (per 10 liters of water 15 g).

Boric acid

If the plant looks weak, depleted, then after nitrogen top dressing, foliar top dressing is carried out with urea and calcium nitrate (10 g of urea and 15 g of nitrate per 10 liters of water).

The best fertilizers for tomatoes

As indispensable assistants in the cultivation of tomatoes, many gardeners note the following fertilizers.

Borofoska

This tool is used in rainy weather, when nutrients are washed out of the soil, on sandy soils, and also if crops that absorb large amounts of phosphorus and potassium were previously grown at the planting site of tomatoes. It is allowed to use as top dressing throughout the summer. Allows tomatoes to make up for the deficiency of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. The benefits are obvious: the yield increases by 20%, the fruits become larger, flowering is longer. At the same time, the soil retains a supply of nutrients for the next season.

Note! Borofoska (application specifically for tomatoes) is the most common fertilizer among gardeners.

Ammophoska

Universal fertilizer that can be used everywhere. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. It is especially necessary to make it on sandy, clay and marshy soils.

Important! Together with ammofoska, organic fertilizers can also be used, from which the result will only improve.

Ammophoska as a fertilizer (application for tomatoes, peppers and cabbage) is justified in various terms. So, when the question arises of how to fertilize tomatoes when planting in the ground, you can safely answer, Ammophoska. It helps plants to better transfer the transplant. Since it contains potassium, it can be safely applied during the periods of flowering and fruit set, because it is at this time that tomatoes need potassium fertilizers.

Ammophoska

Fertik

For infertile soils, you can buy a Fertik. This is a relatively young drug that is produced on the territory of the Russian Federation, but Finnish raw materials are used. The product is available in small granules of pale red color and in the form of a concentrated solution. The fertik is dissolved in the required volume of water, according to the instructions, and top dressing is carried out at the root. You can also apply from autumn.

Zircon

The Zircon preparation is very important when growing tomatoes. But it is not only a root former, in connection with which it is used as a fertilizer for tomatoes during transplantation, but also increases resistance to diseases and is a growth regulator. Good for seed germination.

baby

The Malyshok preparation is recommended to fertilize the soil both for seedlings and for an already adult plant. It contains all the elements needed for good growth nightshade. Its use has a positive effect on the growth and root formation of the plant, rapid fruiting and helps tomatoes adapt to stressful conditions.

Baikal

Do not lose sight of biofertilizers, one of which is Baikal. In practice, it has been proven that when growing tomatoes using this preparation, you can get a rich harvest (from one bush up to 150 kg). In order to achieve such success in your area, you need to act strictly according to the scheme:

1. A container without a bottom is made from a barrel or boards for planting tomatoes with a volume of about 1 m².
2. Holes are drilled along the perimeter of the container for oxygen access.
3. A 10-centimeter layer of urgasy is laid out at the very bottom.
4. On it is the same layer of soil mixture, which consists of turf, Baikal biofertilizer, ordinary earth and EM compost, taken in equal proportions.
5. At the beginning of May, 1 tomato seedling is planted under a film shelter in a prepared container.
6. The lower leaves are cut off and, after drying, another 10-centimeter layer of soil mixture is added.
7. This procedure is carried out as the plants grow until the container is completely filled.

What will the gardener get from growing tomatoes in this way:

• the bushes will have a very powerful root system;
• such a plant does not need to cut off stepchildren, so a real giant grows - a whole tomato tree;
• the first collection will be a little late, not earlier than mid-July, but the fruiting will be long (until mid-October), since such bushes are resistant to cold snaps.

Folk remedies

Not only mineral fertilizers for tomatoes are used on household plots. Folk natural dressings are very popular. They contribute to proper development and long-term fruiting.

Iodine

Ordinary medical iodine is widely used for growing tomatoes. It contributes more rapid maturation fruits.

Important! Iodine is a prophylactic against late blight, which causes great harm to tomatoes.

It can be used both indoors and outdoors. As soon as the landing is made on a permanent place, 2 weeks after the first dressing of the seedlings is carried out. In the future, it can be carried out every 2 weeks. In 1 bucket of water, dissolve 4 drops of a medical preparation and water the plant under the root. For 1 plant, up to 2 liters of solution will be required.

Nettle

Top dressing of tomatoes in open ground is very important. Nettle infusion is well suited for this. It contains many nutrients: potassium, magnesium and calcium.

To make it, you need young nettles before they bloom. The greens are put in a bucket, compacted and filled with water. In this form, it should stand for 2-3 weeks. The container can be placed in the sun to speed up fermentation. Every 2-3 days the infusion should be stirred.

Such top dressing can be used weekly, after its introduction, mandatory watering is required. If you do not like the smell of nettle fermentation, then you can add valerian root to the container with the solution.

Nettle as a fertilizer

Tomato diseases and their prevention

In the process of caring for tomatoes, you need to not only think about how to feed the tomatoes, but also how to protect them from diseases and pests.

Tomatoes are most susceptible to such diseases:

• mosaic;
• late blight;
• top rot;
• leaf curl.

This list can be continued for a very long time. The main thing to understand is that the plant hurts less, proper care is very important. And in order to prevent the development of diseases, it is important to detect the first signs in a timely manner and either begin treatment or destroy diseased bushes.

Disease prevention also plays an important role. For these purposes, copper oxychloride, homa, are suitable, which are diluted as a solution of the required concentration and sprayed on plants. You can combine this procedure with foliar top dressing. Is an effective tool to combat late blight, spotted rot and macrosporiosis - the main diseases of tomatoes.

Which of the above means - a special one ready from a store or a folk one - to choose, each gardener decides for himself. Some are sure that they have not yet come up with anything better than complex ones and give preference to them, others do not want to water the garden with “chemistry”, therefore, according to the old-fashioned method, they use ash and chicken droppings. Both have pros and cons, which must be weighed before applying under the root or spraying the bush.