Boron for tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground: spraying, application

Boron for tomatoes is very useful because it ensures the formation of ovaries, increases productivity, and the resistance of bushes to diseases, pests and adverse weather factors. There is evidence that boron even improves the taste and aroma of tomatoes. To achieve good results, it is necessary to carry out regular feeding up to 5-6 times per season.

Why do tomatoes need boron?

Boron is a vital element that takes part in metabolic processes occurring in tomato plant tissues. It performs several functions at once:

1. Prevents the development of fungal infections and the active reproduction of pests - aphids, ants.
2. Increases the taste of fruits and their aroma (tomatoes become more sugary, their taste is noticeably enriched).
3. Improves the absorption of nitrogen compounds, due to which shoots and leaves grow better, and bushes quickly gain green mass.
4. Boron stimulates the development of tomato roots, which has a positive effect on growth.
5. Increases resistance to adverse weather and temperature changes.
6. The benefits of boron for increasing the number of tomato ovaries are well known - foliar treatment guarantees an increase in yield.
7. Improving pollination, which is important for varieties that need pollinators (especially when grown in a greenhouse).
8. Boron increases the shelf life of tomatoes, which increases their shelf life.

Symptoms of boron deficiency in tomatoes with photos

The lack of boron in tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground is quite easy to determine by external signs. Among the most characteristic manifestations are the following:

1. Falling of buds and ovaries: if it occurs en masse, it means that tomatoes have a severe lack of boron.
2. Fruits are poorly formed.
3. The apical young shoots are bent.
4. The color of the leaves at the base of the shoots changes.
5. The tops themselves remain green for a long time.
6. The leaves become deformed and become dome-shaped.
7. Shoots develop noticeably more slowly.
8. The bushes become weakened.
9. The color of the leaf blades takes on a light green or whitish tint.
10. The leaf veins darken, their petioles and stems become fragile and often break - this is the last stage of the lesion.
11. Dark spots appear on fruits, regardless of the stage of their development (beginning of fruiting, technical or biological ripeness).

Boron deficiency is potentially dangerous due to loss of yield, partial or complete death of the bush

Tomatoes become weak and may suffer from bacteriosis and various types of rot. The described symptoms develop especially clearly in hot and dry weather.

Sometimes yields simply drop, and summer residents attribute this to bad weather. But if not a single fertilizing with boron was carried out during the season, this is the reason.

When to spray tomatoes with boron

Watering and spraying tomatoes with boron is carried out several times throughout the season:

1. Treating the seeds one day before planting.
2. Watering the soil in a greenhouse or garden bed before transplanting seedlings.
3. Foliar treatment - at the budding stage.
4. Foliar treatment - during mass flowering.
5. Spraying - at the fruiting stage.

If obvious signs of boron deficiency are detected, you will have to carry out another watering at the root.

How to feed tomatoes with boron

Tomatoes should always be fed with boron in liquid form. There are two ways to do this:

1. Foliar – total spraying of the above-ground part of the plant, including ovaries, flowers and shoots.
2. Root - watering strictly at the root, so as not to touch the foliage and stems.

Since the fertilizer is applied in liquid form, you must first dilute the boron to spray the tomatoes. For example, in the case of boric acid, the sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Prepare hot but not boiling water (temperature 60-70 degrees).
2. Determine and measure the required amount of boric acid - usually 2 g per bucket.
3. Dissolve it in a small volume of water, for example, 1-1.5 liters.
4. To stir thoroughly.
5. Bring to a total volume of 10 liters (you can take water at room temperature).
6. Mix thoroughly and pour over the tomatoes or pour into a spray bottle and start spraying.

Fertilizers for tomatoes with boron

Many summer residents use boric acid as the main source of boron, which can be purchased in specialty stores and pharmacies.This is not the only remedy - several more fertilizers are described below that help replenish boron deficiency.

Borofoska

Borofoska is a complex fertilizer that contains not only boron, but also potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Produced in the form of granules, which are introduced into the soil during digging, deepening by 10 cm (consumption rate - 60-70 g per 1 m²).

It is better to apply borofoska during digging in the fall.

Organo-boron

Organo-boron is an organic fertilizer that is produced in the form of a liquid concentrate. The product is recommended for use on infertile soils, as well as in unfavorable weather, such as drought.

The drug improves development, accelerates sugar transport in plant cells, increases heat resistance

The standard consumption rate is 1.5 ml per 2 liters of water.

Boric acid

Boric acid is a classic option. It is sold in tablet and powder form. The second type is most convenient because it contains a pure substance. The powder does not need to be crushed - it is immediately placed in hot water and thoroughly mixed until completely dissolved. The finished solution is cooled and the processing of tomatoes begins.

Mag-Bor

Mag-Boron is a useful fertilizer consisting of a chemically pure substance and magnesium in the form of oxide (MgO).

Used for root and foliar feeding

Consumption rate – 10-12 g per 1 m². Also used for treating seeds before planting (mixed with talc 1:1).

Methods for fertilizing tomatoes with boron

There are two types of fertilizing tomatoes with boron - root and foliar. In both cases, you need to prepare a solution, bring it to the required volume and begin processing. Boron-containing agents are also used to treat seeds.

Root method

For irrigation, you need to prepare a solution, for example, 2 g of boric acid per 10 liters of water. They water the soil at least twice - before planting seeds for seedlings or in open ground, and then the day before transplanting them into beds or into a greenhouse.

Watering may be necessary one more time when obvious signs of boron deficiency are detected, for example, falling ovaries or curling leaves. Then prepare a new solution and water it at the root, based on the calculation of no more than 10 liters per 1 m².

Foliar method

To spray tomatoes, follow the boron consumption rate described in the instructions for the preparations. For example, if you use boric acid powder, take it in an amount of no more than 2.5 g per standard 10 liter bucket of water. Foliar treatment is carried out several times:

• immediately after transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse or into the ground to prevent fungal infections;
• during the formation of buds;
• during mass flowering (inflorescences must be fully open);
• during the fruiting period.

Spraying with boron is carried out during budding, flowering and fruiting of tomatoes.

In all cases, use the standard concentration of drugs specified in the instructions. But if it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment, the amount of boron is increased by 4-5 times. For example, instead of the standard 2-2.5 g of boric acid powder, take 10 g at once and dissolve it in a bucket of water (10 l), and then begin to completely spray the plantings. This measure helps in the prevention of late blight, a fungal infection to which many varieties of tomatoes are predisposed.

Seed dressing

Treating seeds allows you to increase their germination by activating growth processes.Thanks to this, there will be more healthy seedlings, and a significant part of the seedlings will take root normally in the new place, which means there will be more harvest.

For etching, it is necessary to prepare a standard solution of boric acid based on the amount of 0.2 g of powder per 1 liter of water. First, the liquid should be hot, and after it has cooled to room temperature and the powder has completely dissolved, tomato seeds are placed in it. They should be kept for no more than 24 hours, after which they should be sown in the ground.

Pre-sowing seed treatment increases the percentage of germination

Excess boron in tomatoes

It should be understood that an excess of boron in tomatoes is no less destructive than its deficiency. Such bushes experience stunted growth and burns of the lower, older leaves. The tissues die along the edges - necrotic zones form.

Signs of excess also include yellowing, wilting and falling leaves. But these processes can also occur due to a lack of nitrogen, as well as other microelements. General symptoms of an excess of the element include:

• deformation of sheet plates (twisting);
• yellowing and dying;
• necrosis of the edges;
• delay in growth processes;
• decrease in yield.

Exceeding the boron norm in tomatoes leads to the following consequences:

• light brown spots appear on the edges of old leaf blades;
• Concentric rings diverge around these areas;
• the sepals dry out,
• seedlings turn pale and lose their intense green color.

If such symptoms are detected, fertilizing with boron must be stopped for 1-1.5 months, often until the next season. As soon as the plants have recovered, you can feed the tomatoes with boron again, but first in a small concentration (for example, 2 times less).

Features of application

Using boron for tomatoes is quite simple, the main thing is to follow the described timing and dosage. Experienced gardeners recommend adhering to the following rules:

1. Feeding should be carried out regularly, i.e. throughout the season. The fact is that the element cannot move from old foliage to young foliage.
2. After foliar feeding of tomatoes with boron in the greenhouse, the room must be ventilated to prevent stagnation of moist air. If the temperature at night does not drop below 14-15 degrees, doors and vents are left open around the clock.
3. The prepared solution of boric acid or other preparations cannot be stored for long periods of time. It needs to be used up in one go, a maximum of a week. Should be kept at room temperature, in a dark place.
4. It is better to carry out foliar treatment (spraying) in the early morning or late evening. If tomatoes grow in open ground, there should be no rain or strong winds outside.

After spraying, the greenhouse must be ventilated

Conclusion

Boron is vital for tomatoes. With a deficiency of this element, productivity is significantly reduced, plants may suffer from diseases, pests and unfavorable weather. Therefore, spraying and watering should be carried out regularly.

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