Content
Fertilizer application is a mandatory agrotechnical measure for gardeners who want to harvest a good cabbage harvest. Those who for some reason refuse to use chemicals use folk remedies, for example, yeast. However, even such “harmless” products can harm the crop if used incorrectly. Therefore, when planning to feed cabbage with yeast, you need to know in advance how to properly prepare the solution, at what stages of the growing season and how many times per season to apply fertilizers.
Is it possible to feed cabbage with yeast?
Yeast is an almost universal fertilizer for garden crops; only potatoes, onions and garlic react negatively to it. But for cabbage, such fertilizer, on the contrary, is very suitable, as for other Solanaceae, and any root crops. Therefore, it is definitely possible to feed it with yeast.
Although, from the point of view of specialists in the field of agronomy, this is not a fertilizer.The positive effect is due to the presence of Saccharomyces fungi - a natural “catalyst” for the decomposition of organic substances. As a result, after such fertilizing, the quality of the substrate in the cabbage bed improves significantly. And this, in turn, stimulates the development of plants; they absorb more minerals, which has a positive effect on the volume and quality of the harvest.
The experience of gardeners convincingly proves that “grows by leaps and bounds” is by no means a figurative expression
The benefits of yeast for cabbage
One of the undoubted advantages of this cabbage feeding in the eyes of gardeners is environmental safety. For the culture itself, its benefits are as follows:
- Yeast is a valuable source of protein compounds, as well as carbohydrates and B vitamins. Therefore, after such fertilizing, the process of plant development is noticeably activated. Heads of cabbage ripen faster by a week or a week and a half; they turn out very dense, but at the same time tender and juicy. And this leads to improved taste and greater shelf life.
- Fertilizing activates the work of beneficial soil microflora, “responsible” for the decomposition of organic matter. Plants can “pull” more nutrients from the soil. This has a positive effect on overall endurance and productivity.
- Yeast “inhibits” pathogens, which significantly reduces the risk of developing diseases to which the crop is very susceptible. Watering cabbage with yeast is also useful for protecting against pests.
- Dissolving in water, they form compounds that stimulate the growth of the root system. It not only ensures the active development of the plant, but also helps it recover from negative external influences.
- When feeding at the seedling stage, seedlings quickly adapt to the changed habitat after transplantation into open ground and begin to grow.
When using yeast as a fertilizer for cabbage, you need to take into account that the rapid rate of decomposition of organic matter in the soil is useful, but only in the current season. Next year it is necessary to “replenish” the resulting nutrient deficiency, otherwise nothing will grow on such depleted soil.
Another important nuance is that with regular yeast feeding of cabbage, the content of potassium and calcium in the soil gradually decreases. To “neutralize” this effect, it is necessary to apply suitable fertilizers 2-3 times per season.
When used correctly, yeast fertilizer is completely safe for human health and the environment.
Types of yeast
Yeasts are:
- bakery;
- wine;
- pubs;
- feed
Any type is suitable for feeding cabbage, but gardeners most often use the first. They, in turn, are divided into liquid, “live” pressed and instant dry. Liquid ones are almost never found in the “open access”, but dry and compressed ones can be purchased at any grocery store at an affordable price. Therefore, they become the “raw materials” for feeding cabbage and other garden crops.
Processing times and frequency
The fungi contained in yeast are “activated” only in sufficiently warm (from 10 ° C) soil.Otherwise, they simply die. Therefore, you cannot rush with such feeding. Fertilizers are applied from the end of spring, in some regions you even have to wait until mid-June.
For early and mid-season cabbage varieties, two feedings per season are enough. The first is carried out about a month after transplanting the seedlings into the ground, the second - after another 25-35 days. Mid-late and late varieties, especially if the plants are lagging behind in development, need a third feeding - approximately 2-3 weeks before the end of the ripening period of the heads of cabbage indicated in the description of the variety or hybrid.
Transplanted cabbage seedlings can be fed with yeast using the foliar method, reducing the concentration of the solution by 1.5 times compared to the recommended one. Next, the bushes are fertilized by watering at the root.
The norm for the first time is about 0.5 l of solution, then it increases to 1.5-2 l
It is strongly recommended not to overuse fertilizing, otherwise the effect will be the opposite of the desired one. An excess of yeast and their metabolic products in the soil suppresses the immunity of cabbage and other plants.
How to prepare a solution with yeast for feeding cabbage
Regardless of which yeast is chosen for feeding cabbage, it must be remembered that oxygen is needed to “activate” it. Therefore, the container in which the solution is prepared cannot be closed hermetically. It is impossible to indicate exactly how long the process will take - it mainly depends on the ambient temperature.
When determining whether the fertilizer is ready, it is recommended to focus on the bubbles that appear on the surface of the liquid
Dry yeast
Ingredients for “basic” cabbage feed:
- water – 10 l;
- dry yeast – 150 g;
- granulated sugar – 80 g.
To prepare the fertilizer, just mix all the components, preheating the water to about 40 ° C. Cover the container with gauze or cloth and leave in a warm place to ferment for 3-6 hours until ready. Then filter, pour another 10 liters of water into the “sourdough”, and again let it brew for 2-3 days.
If the solution is needed for root feeding of cabbage, it is not diluted with water. For spraying leaves, the concentration is reduced by diluting in a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4, depending on the age of the plants.
The main advantage of dry yeast compared to raw yeast is its sealed packaging, which minimizes the risk of spoilage during storage.
Raw yeast
Pressed yeast in briquettes “activates” on its own; for this, it does not need sugar. Therefore, the fertilizer for cabbage includes only:
- water – 5 l;
- pressed yeast – 1 kg.
To prepare the top dressing, add yeast to a container with warm water and stir vigorously until the briquettes dissolve. To speed up the process, they can be pre-cut into small pieces. The liquid is left to “ferment” for 6-10 hours, then stirred again and 10 liters of water are poured in. The fertilizer is ready for use in two days.
To feed cabbage seedlings, prepare a less concentrated solution - 10 g per liter. The liquid is infused for a day and filtered before use.
Pressed yeast does not last long without freezing - up to 7-10 days
Using yeast with other fertilizers
Yeast is successfully “combined” with most other folk remedies and store-bought preparations used to feed cabbage. But in any case it will not be possible to get by with them - it is necessary to compensate for the resulting deficiency of organic matter, potassium and calcium.
With ash
Wood ash is a universal folk remedy suitable for feeding any garden crops. It contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, zinc. All these macro- and microelements are necessary for normal growth and development of cabbage. In combination with yeast, wood ash activates the process of head formation, so this feeding is especially in demand when growing mid-late and late-ripening varieties.
To prepare the fertilizer you need:
- Add 300 g of sifted wood ash and 100 g of dry yeast to 10 liters of water. Mix well.
- Bring to a boil, cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Leave for 2-3 hours, shaking occasionally.
- Strain, add another 10 liters of water, stir. If the solution is planned to be used for foliar feeding, you can add a little small shavings of laundry soap so that it “sticks” better to the cabbage leaves.
Another feeding recipe:
- Pour a glass of sifted wood ash, 100 g of sugar and compressed yeast with water (3 l). Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes.
- Cover the top with a cloth and leave in a warm place for about 3-4 days.
- Before use, strain and dilute with water 1:5.
Only “environmentally friendly” ash is used for fertilizing.
With boric acid
With boron deficiency, cabbage heads set very poorly and turn out “loose”, which negatively affects keeping quality. Fertilizing with boric acid and yeast can be used both for watering bushes and for spraying leaves.
How to prepare a solution to pour yeast with boric acid over cabbage:
- Heat 5 liters of water to 40 °C, add boric acid (1 g) and pressed yeast (200 g). Mix well.
- Leave for 2-3 hours, strain before use.
Boric acid provides cabbage leaves with juiciness and a pronounced crunch.
With jam
Feeding cabbage with yeast in combination with fermented jam activates the growth process of the above-ground part and has a beneficial effect on immunity and overall stamina.
The recipe is simple:
- Pour 100 g of dry yeast into 3 liters of jam and mix well.
- Add 10 liters of water. Leave in a warm place for a week and a half, shaking daily.
- Before use, strain and dilute with water (a 10-liter glass of solution).
You can even use moldy jam to feed cabbage, after first removing the resulting “patina”
Conclusion
If you feed cabbage with yeast several times during the season at the right time, having correctly prepared the solution, this helps to increase the overall endurance of the plants, including resistance to pests and pathogenic microflora, and improves the quality of the soil.This fertilizer also has a positive effect on the quality of the heads of cabbage - they become more juicy and crunchy.
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