Content
Fertilizer from dandelions is not as well known as a vitamin salad from dandelion leaves, however, this does not negate its usefulness - not only fruit garden crops, but also ornamental plants respond well to such potassium fertilizing. In addition, like all weed-based solutions, dandelion fertilizer is an environmentally friendly product that cannot harm either humans or crops.
What properties does dandelion infusion have?
The benefits of feeding dandelion are due to the chemical composition of this plant. Its leaves and stems are capable of accumulating the following macro- and microelements in large quantities:
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- calcium;
- nitrogen;
- iron;
- manganese;
- molybdenum;
- boron, etc.
All these substances, to one degree or another, are involved in the growth, flowering and fruiting of various garden crops.There are many ready-made industrial mineral complexes that can be used as plant nutrition, however, they all have a big disadvantage - most chemical fertilizers cannot be used during fruit set and intensive fruiting. In this regard, liquid vermicompost based on dandelions and other weeds is much better than chemicals, however, the advantages of the fertilizer do not end there.
Application benefits
There are a number of reasons why, whenever possible, it is better to replace chemical fertilizers with natural ones. Dandelion fertilizer has the following benefits:
- All nutrients are absorbed by the plant very quickly and completely, which cannot be said about some components of mineral fertilizers. For example, when potassium nitrate is added to the soil, nitrogen is quickly washed out of the soil.
- In addition to micro- and macroelements, dandelion infusion contains many different microorganisms that participated in fermentation processes. Such fertilizing has an extremely beneficial effect on soil fertility.
- Liquid vermicompost is an environmentally friendly fertilizer that is absolutely harmless to both plants and humans if applied to the soil according to all the rules. A mixture that is too concentrated may damage plant roots, but that is where the possible harm ends.
- Due to the environmental friendliness of the product, it can be added to the soil even during the formation of ovaries.
- The leaves and stems of dandelions contain phytoncides, essential oils and other compounds that have a detrimental effect on many insects, including all types of aphids.Thus, spraying plants with dandelion infusion allows not only to fertilize the plantings, but also to carry out preventive treatment against pests. The solution is especially effective at repelling suckers and aphids.
- The raw material for the infusion is a very affordable material. Dandelions can be found in almost any area.
- The dandelion solution reduces the acidity of the soil in the area, so fertilizer can be used as a way to adjust the soil type.
It is also worth noting that such fertilizing is the most practical way to dispose of weeds. It is still burned after weeding or thrown away. Collecting mowed dandelions for fertilizer allows you not only to clear the plantings of weeds, but also to obtain a large amount of vermicompost, and completely free of charge.
What plants can be fed
The following crops respond well to fermented dandelion infusion:
- pepper;
- tomatoes;
- White cabbage;
- cucumbers;
- strawberry;
- roses.
In general, such fertilizer benefits almost all garden plants, however, there are a number of exceptions. It is better not to use the solution for feeding the following crops:
- onion;
- garlic;
- beet.
Substances contained in dandelion leaves inhibit the growth of these plants.
How to properly make plant food from dandelion
All parts of the plant are suitable as raw materials for feeding:
- flowers;
- stems;
- roots;
- leaves.
The main thing is to rinse everything thoroughly and shake off the soil from the roots before you start preparing the fertilizer. The infusion is prepared according to the following scheme:
- The green mass is poured into a basin, bucket or barrel.You can put either whole or chopped plants on the bottom. The ratio of raw materials and water should be approximately 1:2, however, the container cannot be completely filled. There should be at least 3-5 cm from the water level to the lid, since during fermentation a lush foamy cap begins to form on the surface of the infusion.
- The dandelions are stirred, the solution is covered with a lid and pressed down with pressure.
- In order for the mixture to breathe, 3-4 holes are made in the lid.
- In this form, the container with future fertilizer is left in the open sun for 1-2 weeks. In this case, it is better to place the solution away from residential buildings, because over time it begins to smell unpleasant.
- Approximately once every 4-5 days it is necessary to stir the infusion.
- When the fertilizer is ready, it is filtered. The cake is no longer required; the liquid is subsequently used to feed plants.
You can increase the efficiency of fertilizers using a concentrated solution of the drug “Gumat-Baikal”. Recommended solution proportions are 30 g per 100 liters of water. A small amount of such a stimulating additive can greatly enhance the biological activity of the infusion. Firstly, it will be easier for plants to absorb nutrients. Secondly, humates neutralize heavy metals and pesticides.
There are other options for dandelion fertilizer:
- With the addition of urea or other nitrogen fertilizer. 50-100 g of the substance is poured into the solution in order to speed up the fermentation processes.
- Infusion for spraying with laundry soap. 2 tbsp. dandelion shoots are poured into 10 liters of boiling water and left for 2 hours. After this, add 1/3 of a piece of laundry soap to the solution.This fertilizer is used to spray plants before flowering.
- Nourishing infusion of dandelion for spraying. About 1-2 kg of plant roots and shoots need to be filled with 10 liters of water. This solution is infused for 2 weeks, decanted and applied to the soil without additional dilution with water.
Advice! Insecticide fertilizer is made from dandelion roots and leaves. To do this, you need to take 300 g of raw material and fill it all with 10 liters of water. After 2 hours you can spray the plantings.
How to prepare dandelion fertilizer in combination with other herbs
Dandelions can be effectively combined with a variety of other weeds. Good fertilizer is obtained by combining the original raw materials with the following herbs:
- sagebrush;
- comfrey;
- yarrow;
- chamomile;
- shepherd's purse;
- coltsfoot;
- nettle;
- valerian;
- calendula;
- mint;
- bindweed.
In addition, tomato shoots and overgrown green crops can be added to the fertilizer: spinach, mustard greens, lettuce.
In combination with other herbs, the infusion is made as follows:
- All plants are picked before they form seeds.
- The raw materials must be crushed and dried.
- Then the green mass is filled with water to 1/8 of the total volume of the container.
- At the end, you can add a diluted solution of humate (1 tsp of the drug per 10 l of water) or wood ash (10 g per 10 l of water).
- After this, the barrel, bucket, tank or other container is tightly closed with a lid. The solution will be ready in 5-8 days.
How to determine the readiness of a solution
The readiness of the potassium solution from dandelions is calculated not only by time - sometimes the weed is infused longer than indicated in the recipe, or even completely ahead of all preparation times. Fertilizer that is insufficiently infused or, conversely, left in the sun, is not very suitable as a full-fledged fertilizing.
The color of the solution, its smell and fermentation processes are of great importance. If the fertilizer is infused according to the rules, taking into account all the recommendations, then after 2-3 days the solution begins to ferment. Its color turns dirty green, and the herbaceous mass bubbles violently. Finally, the fertilizer begins to give off an extremely unpleasant smell of fresh cow manure.
5-7 days after filling with water, fertilizer can be applied to open ground.
How to use correctly
The resulting infusion of dandelions is not recommended for use in its pure form, as it is too concentrated. Usually it is diluted in a ratio of 1:10, and it is advisable to use warm water that has stood in the sun. If this is not done, the fertilizer will most likely burn the roots of the plants.
An infusion of dandelions is applied to the soil at the root or sprayed on the leaves of garden crops. In the second case, it is better to fertilize early in the morning or in the evening, when there is no scorching sun. In general, fertilizer is better absorbed if you feed the plants after heavy watering or rain.
Fertilizing is carried out once every 3 weeks, in the period before flowering. When fruits begin to set, the frequency of fertilizing is reduced to once every 2 weeks.
The peculiarities of using dandelion infusion also include the rules for its storage. The most important thing is that there is no need to prepare fertilizer in reserve. They insist exactly as much as is spent on planting. This is explained by the fact that the solution very quickly loses its beneficial properties, especially if left in an open container in the sun. The maximum shelf life of dandelion fertilizer is 4-5 days, and then only if the tank or bucket is placed in a cool, dark place and tightly closed.
Conclusion
Dandelion fertilizer can compete with many ready-made chemical products for plant nutrition. It is available, cheap and, most importantly, an environmentally friendly solution. In combination with concentrated humates, dandelion fertilizer makes it completely unprofitable to use chemicals on the site - you can safely refuse it.
The only drawback of the potassium solution is the lower intensity of the effect. Dandelion fertilizers are somewhat weaker than industrial mineral mixtures, so you will have to apply fertilizers more often to get a lasting result.
You can learn more about dandelion fertilizer from the video below:
