Spraying strawberries with boric acid during flowering. Fertilizing strawberries in spring with iodine and boric acid is the best fertilizer for increasing yield
Boric acid has been used in gardening practice for many decades. Its positive effect on the condition of cultivated plants has been proven by practice. Therefore, for many beginning farmers, the issue of proper use of this substance remains relevant. In the article we will tell you where and when boric acid is used as a fertilizer, and we will give recommendations for application.
The importance of boron for plant life
Boric acid is the easiest source of boron for plants. And this microelement plays a very important role in many physiological processes occurring in plant tissues:
- participates in the synthesis of phytohormones that regulate plant growth and development;
- directly involved in the formation of cell walls;
- participates in the formation of growth points of roots and shoots, in cell division;
- promotes normal absorption of calcium by plants;
- participates in the formation of flowers and ovaries, in the development of fruits;
- participates in the delivery of sugars from actively photosynthesizing leaves to fruits, increasing their sugar content.
Thus, boron promotes the formation of a powerful leaf apparatus and root system, increases the overall adaptation of plants to environmental factors, stimulates flowering and productivity, and improves the quality of fruits.
Boron (B) is necessary for the normal development of plants in all phases of the growing season.The need of different crops for boron
Plants of different species and families have different needs for boron. They can be divided into three groups:
This classification is very conditional, since the same plant under different conditions may need different amounts of boron. There is a direct relationship between boron requirements and soil conditions. For example, on carbonate soils or soils subject to deoxidation by lime, more boron is needed. The same applies to areas richly fertilized with nitrogen and potassium preparations.
Signs of lack or excess of boron in plants
Boron deficiency negatively affects plants. However, its excess also has harmful consequences:
| Signs of Boron Deficiency | Signs of excess boron |
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These symptoms are common to all plants. But each specific crop may have its own characteristic signs of a lack or excess of boron. For example, in beets, celery, radishes and other root vegetables, with boron deficiency, first a closed and then an open hollow is formed. Potato tubers become smaller and covered with small cracks. Cauliflower inflorescences turn black and die.
Preparing boric acid fertilizer at home
To prepare a solution for feeding plants, you need to follow the following instructions:
- Take a glass of clean water and heat it to a temperature of +45-50 0 C.
- Dissolve 1 gram of boric acid (1 level teaspoon) in hot water.
- Cool the solution and dilute it with clean water at room temperature to 1 liter.
Thus, the permissible concentration of the solution does not exceed 1 g of powder per 1 liter of water. For treating plants with a medium and low need for boron or when combining boron fertilizers with other mineral fertilizers, it is necessary to reduce the concentration by half - 0.5 g per 1 liter of water.
When preparing the working solution, the dosage must be strictly observed. Methods of feeding plants with boric acid
Irrigation at the roots with this preparation is carried out relatively rarely, only in cases of obvious signs of boron deficiency in plants and with exact confidence that the soil is poor in this element. In indoor plant growing, watering with boric acid is often replaced by spraying at the root. Experienced gardeners sometimes perform initial seed treatment with boron solution. According to numerous observations, such a procedure increases the resistance of seedlings to diseases.
Mistakes and rules for using boric acid
When using boric acid in crop production, it is important to avoid the following mistakes:
Mistake #1. Excess concentration.
A solution prepared in excess of the dosage can damage cellular structures and destroy plants.
Mistake #2. Incorrect preparation of the solution.
Boric acid powder dissolves only in warm water. If you dilute it cold, the crystals will remain in an undissolved state, will not be able to penetrate plant tissue and will only cause a burn.
Mistake #3. Incorrect distribution of the solution over the surface of the leaves.
Unlike elements with a high degree of mobility (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium), boron is not transported inside the plant in any direction. Once on the leaf, it either remains in place or is distributed acropetally (from bottom to top). Consequently, if during spraying only the top of the plant is covered with the solution, its lower parts will not receive the necessary element.
Proper use of boric acid consists in following the rules for preparing the solution and applying it to plants:
- spraying is carried out in cloudy weather or in the evening;
- when spraying, a fine spray is used, creating a fog effect;
- spraying of a plant area stops when fine dew appears on it and the formation of large drops is not allowed;
- processing is carried out along the lower surface of the leaf blades - in the locations of the stomata;
- Treatment of young plants is carried out over the entire surface area, of adults - over growths and young leaves.
When feeding plants with boric acid, it is important to follow the recommended treatment schedule, which will be given below.
Advice# 1. The acropetal type of distribution of boron in plant tissues and its low mobility is characterized by the fact that the old parts contain more of it, while the young parts may contain critically little. Therefore, when repeated feeding, special attention should be paid to growths and young leaves.
Boric acid has a cumulative effect (can accumulate in tissues). It is unacceptable to overfeed the plant with boron. Schedules for the use of boron fertilizers for different crops
Typical plant feeding schemes differ depending on the needs of the crops. As a rule, spraying with boron solution is used two or three times during the season.
| Culture | Method and timing of fertilizing |
| Tomatoes | Foliar feeding:
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| Cucumbers and other cucurbits | Foliar feeding:
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| Peppers | Foliar feeding:
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| Roots | Watering at the root:
Foliar feeding:
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| Garden strawberry (strawberry) | Watering at the root:
Foliar feeding:
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| Stone fruit trees and berry bushes | Foliar feeding:
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| Pome fruit trees | Foliar feeding:
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| Cabbage of all types | Foliar feeding:
Watering at the root:
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| Grape | Foliar feeding:
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| Potato | Foliar feeding:
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| Decorative flowering plants | Foliar feeding:
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Advice#2 . If plants are treated with boron solution for preventive purposes, it is better to use a lower concentration (0.5 g per 1 liter of water).
To feed indoor flowers, the concentration of the solution is 0.2 g per 1 liter of water, and spraying is carried out once a month. Boric acid and other boron-containing fertilizers
The modern agrochemical industry produces complex mineral fertilizers containing boron. Among them, the drug “Fertika Lux” can be noted. With its help, you can give plants a balanced mineral composition without fear of an overdose of one or another element.
A good option is the phosphorus-potassium complex with boron “Borofoska” . This composition is applied directly to the soil, increasing its fertility. When “Borofoski” and peat are simultaneously added to the soil, an increase in the content of humus by 20% is observed.
As for other boron-containing fertilizers, you can find various preparations on sale that differ from boric acid in the percentage of boron in the composition:
Unlike pure boric acid, other preparations are a mixture of various salts, which makes their use in a summer cottage difficult for the average plant grower. Adding them to the soil without a preliminary chemical analysis of the soil is impractical.
Boron fertilizers in chelated form are convenient for use by beginning gardeners. Boric acid manufacturers: comparison
In Russia, boric acid intended for crop production is produced by many agrochemical enterprises. There are no qualitative differences in boric acid preparations produced by different enterprises. For example:
Current issues of feeding plants with boric acid
Question No. 1. Is it possible to make boric acid at home with your own hands?
It is possible if you have a chemical laboratory at home. Boric acid is produced by exposing borax to hydrochloric acid while heating it. The precipitate formed as a result of the reaction must be properly separated and purified. In order to perform such manipulations, you need equipment and special knowledge. Given that boric acid is commercially available and inexpensive, all these difficulties have no practical meaning.
Question No. 2. Does it make sense to spray almost ripe fruits with boric acid to improve their quality?
If the fruits are at the stage of technical ripeness or close to it, treatment with boric acid can only have an antiseptic value - for the prevention of fungal infections. Spraying in this phase will no longer have an effect on the quality of fruits, their keeping quality and sugar content.
Question No. 3. Is boric acid harmful to humans?
According to the accepted classification, boric acid has hazard class IV. This means that this substance is practically safe for humans if all rules of use are followed. A properly prepared solution does not burn the skin and does not cause allergies. The breakdown of the active substance in the soil and on the surface of the fruit occurs quickly, before harvesting begins.
Question No. 4. Can boric acid be used to kill ants?
Yes, boric acid behaves like poison for ants. It takes quite a lot of time (up to a month) to get rid of them, but this product does not harm the environment. To prepare it, you need two boiled egg yolks and half a teaspoon of boric acid. The components are ground together, and the resulting mass is rolled into small balls, which are placed in areas where ants are active. Eating the bait, the insects gradually die.
Strawberries are one of those crops that react acutely to the lack of boron they need in the soil. One way to increase the content of this valuable element is to feed with boric acid, which, in addition, also has properties that help fight against diseases and pests. Therefore, it is worth considering in what cases and how exactly boric acid is used for strawberries.
Signs of boron deficiency and excess
The role of boron in the metabolism of strawberry bushes is that without a sufficient amount of it, many nitrogenous compounds necessary for the normal development of the plant cease to be synthesized correctly. When a crop receives enough boron, the amount of chlorophyll in its foliage also increases, which, in turn, increases the growth rate of the bush and increases its yield.
The lack of this element in the soil gradually manifests itself in the form of deformation and subsequent death of strawberry leaves. If measures are not taken in time, boron starvation can even lead to the death of shoot tissue. And when the plant does not receive enough of this element during flowering, the ovary of berries is formed from the flowers extremely reluctantly, which significantly reduces the expected yield. Well, in cases where boron deficiency overtakes a plant during fruiting, it can be noticed by the following signs:
- there are fewer berries than usual;
- even set fruits ripen unevenly;
- the size of a fully ripe berry is significantly smaller than the average for the variety;
- The taste of ripe fruits is characterized by a lack of sugar and increased water content.
Thus, disturbance of the boron balance of the soil primarily affects the quality and quantity of the crop. Therefore, it is important to fertilize at the first signs of boron deficiency to replenish its reserves in the soil. One of the simplest and most effective means for such treatment is boric acid, which can be bought without a prescription in almost any pharmacy.
Separately, it is worth considering cases when the soil, on the contrary, contains an increased amount of boron. This situation has the following effects on strawberries:
- the development of lashes and roots of the bush occurs noticeably slower than expected for the variety;
- characteristic damage appears on the lower edges of the leaves, which are essentially chemical burns;
- along with damage, “twisting” of the leaves occurs, as a result of which they take a spiral or dome-shaped shape;
- in the advanced stage, some leaf tissue dies off, which begins with yellowing of the edges.
Most often, this situation occurs when the dosage of fertilizers is incorrect. In such cases, fertilizing with compounds containing boron is stopped immediately, and the soil is regularly washed with clean water.
It is necessary to wash until the cases of new symptoms appearing on strawberry leaves completely disappear. In the most advanced cases, you will either have to transplant the bushes into unspoiled soil or sacrifice them.
Benefits and harms
The use of boric acid in cases of established boron deficiency in the soil eliminates the negative effects of such a situation. After such feeding, the ovary forms much more actively, flowers stop crumbling even with noticeable gusts of wind, leaf deformation and necrosis slow down, leaves acquire a more saturated green color (which indicates an increase in chlorophyll content).
If you feed strawberry bushes with boric acid during their fruiting at the first manifestations of boron starvation, the size of the fruits increases, the excess moisture content in them is noticeably reduced, and the taste becomes much sweeter and more pleasant. The total yield of garden strawberry plantations treated with this simple product can increase up to 20%. Restoring the balance of boron in the soil allows plants to withstand unfavorable weather much better - heat, drought, frost and sudden changes in temperature.
Boric acid affects not only the boron content in the soil. It can also be used to combat various pests, among which it is especially effective for eliminating ants. At the same time, the destruction of ants, in turn, reduces the number of aphids. These insects are in a symbiotic relationship - the ants protect the aphids from natural enemies, since they secrete substances edible for the ants on the surface of their shell.
And if you water strawberry bushes with a weak aqueous solution of boric acid, you can also get rid of pests living in the soil - various worms and insect larvae.
Finally, boric acid also has a noticeable disinfectant and fungicidal effect. This allows us to recommend it for the fight against strawberry diseases of both bacterial and fungal nature. This remedy is especially effective against various rots (especially dry and brown), which often affect bushes growing in conditions of high humidity.
Another great advantage of boric acid over more complex boron-containing compounds is its weak effect on the human body. A few drops of this substance on the skin are unlikely to cause any unpleasant consequences. However, it is still better to observe safety precautions when handling it.
With all these advantages, this substance also has disadvantages. The most important of them is the likelihood of excess boron in the soil after using this product in the wrong dosage. This is important to consider in cases where the indication for the use of this remedy is an invasion of pests or plant diseases, and not a lack of boron.
Another potential danger of boric acid is that if the dosage is significantly exceeded, it is not completely absorbed by the plant and begins to accumulate in its fruits. Eating such strawberries can be harmful to human health.
Dosage and rules of use
To avoid excess boron or the accumulation of boric acid in fruits, it is important to correctly select the proportions of the solutions used. It is worth considering that fertilizing and pest control are carried out differently. At the same time, boric acid itself is available in two forms - powder and alcohol solution. In the recipes below, the dosage will be given for the powder form.
The required amount of alcohol solution can be calculated using the concentration indicated on the package. For example, 100 grams of a one percent solution of boric acid contains 1 gram of active substance. Dilution of boric acid should be done exclusively with warm, not cold water. Of course, the water should not be tap water, but purified.
For fertilizer
There are two main methods to fertilize strawberries with boric acid solutions: spraying and watering. In this case, it is preferable to apply the solution into the soil - this will avoid damage to the bushes. In addition, spraying strawberries with boric acid when fruiting has already begun is strictly prohibited.
The most popular root feeding recipe, which is usually used in the spring:
- 5 liters of water;
- 1 g boric acid.
Sometimes 1 g of potassium permanganate is also added to this mixture.
A more comprehensive spring composition that allows you to replenish not only boron reserves, but also other substances useful for strawberries, including manganese:
- 5 liters of water;
- 1 g boric acid;
- 2 g potassium permanganate;
- 1/2 cup ash.
Ash is included in the recipe because it contains almost the entire spectrum of elements necessary for strawberries - boron, potassium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium and many others. And potassium permanganate helps add the manganese needed for strawberries to the soil.
During the beginning of fruiting, you can treat the soil around the bushes with the following composition:
- 5 liters of water;
- 2 g boric acid;
- 2 g potassium permanganate;
- 50 g ash;
- 10 g urea.
You can also add iodine to the solution, because its lack reduces yield, delays the onset of fruit formation, and promotes the development of gray rot and powdery mildew. In this case, the recipe will look like this:
- 5 liters of water;
- 1 g boric acid;
- 15 drops of iodine;
- 1 tablespoon of ash.
A good effect is achieved by a combination of boric acid and superphosphate fertilizers, which are used exclusively during the formation of the ovary. His recipe:
- 5 liters of water;
- 1 g boric acid;
- 5 g superphosphate.
The dosage of all these recipes when applied to the soil should be from 200 to 250 ml (about a glass) per 1 strawberry bush.
Spray feeding is carried out before flowering begins, the composition is prepared in the following proportions:
- 10 liters of water;
- 5 g boric acid.
For pest control
To get rid of pests, just spray the strawberries with a solution of boric acid. Treatment in this case is carried out mainly foliar, using a sprayer. In this case, it is better to use the same solution as for fertilizing. Even those insects that do not die immediately will avoid bushes treated with such a solution for a long time.
But to combat ants, it is most effective to make sweet baits containing boric acid. The simplest and most effective recipe is to dilute 5 grams of the substance in a glass of warm water and add 2 tablespoons of sugar or honey to it. After this, the composition is diluted in another half liter of cold water. You can pour this product into an anthill, water it around the bushes, or place small containers with the composition around the strawberry bed.
There is also a recipe with jam, the proportions in it are 10 g of boric acid and 1 tablespoon of jam per glass of warm water.
Finally, meat bait in the form of balls made from 4 tablespoons of any minced meat and 10 g of product is also used against ants.
Processing time and terms
Since boron deficiency mainly affects the formation of the ovary, the best time to start treatments is spring. It is important to remember that flowering strawberries are fed exclusively by watering, while spraying is best applied before the start of the flowering season. At the same time, any spring feeding of strawberries with boric acid is carried out only once, so you should carefully consider the choice of composition and time of application of the drug.
You can feed strawberries with this substance a second time in early autumn. The third and last treatment of the year is carried out when the bed is being prepared for wintering.
Basic errors and precautions when working
Gardening is a rather complex science, so any treatment with boric acid must be carried out in compliance with a number of rules. The most important thing is to follow the following safety rules:
- the substance must be stored in a cool (but not less than 0°C), dark place, protected from the risk of ignition;
- Boric acid can only be diluted in a room with good ventilation;
- any manipulations with the solution, including watering, must be carried out only with gloves;
- When spraying, you need goggles and a respirator.
In no case should you use undiluted powder or alcohol solution of boric acid - powder scattered on the surface of the soil will be absorbed into the soil very slowly, and contact of concentrated powder or solution with a plant can cause chemical damage.
Boric acid should not be added not only to soils that already contain excess boron, but generally to any soils with excess acidity. Also, do not carry out any treatment with this substance during heavy rains.
If the treatment does not immediately produce a noticeable effect, do not rush to do it again, this way you can easily achieve an excess of boron.
A typical mistake when fighting ants is exceeding the concentration of the substance for a greater “killer effect.” It is important to remember that the main way to get rid of ants is to destroy the queen. But even pouring a solution of boric acid into an anthill may not solve this problem - the queen cell is placed so that it is the last to be flooded. This is why baits are used - worker insects must bring them into the anthill and treat the queen with poison.
To learn that boric acid is the main secret of the strawberry harvest, see the following video.
Boric acid is a white crystalline powder, tasteless and odorless, easily soluble in warm water. Boron is included in many ready-made fertilizers, primarily used for seedlings, as it improves their nutrition and more complete absorption of nutrient organic and mineral substances from the soil, thereby creating a good basis for the further development of plants. Boric acid is very effective in combating late blight. actively affects the flowering of plants, enhancing it; promotes the formation of ovaries and prevents their shedding; prevents tomatoes from rotting due to excess moisture; increases the flow of sugar to fruits and seeds.
Boron as a microelement is necessary for plants to improve calcium absorption, enhance root respiration and synthesis of biologically active substances. Boric acid, or simply boric acid, or boric acid, is the most affordable and fairly effective microfertilizer with boron.
In its pure form, boric acid is a white, finely crystalline powder. It dissolves poorly in cold water; in a hot place over 70 degrees – good. Acid properties are very weak. The hazard class for humans is the lowest, 4th. However, boric acid in the body of humans and animals has a cumulative effect, so it is impossible to overfeed plants with it, even those that tolerate a large excess of boron: the accumulation of boron in the body of a consumer of plant products can cause severe chronic diseases. The peculiarity of boron ions is that they practically do not migrate in plants, and grains of boron can cause local chemical burns of leaves, stems, branches and trunk.
Boric acid, as a fertilizer, is used mainly in the form of foliar feeding by spraying with strict adherence to the rules of this operation: on open ground, treatment is carried out in the evening, preferably on a warm cloudy day, from a high-quality sprayer that produces a misty drizzle, but not visible splashes; Spraying of the next section of the bush/crown is stopped as soon as fine dew settles on the leaves/branches. The appearance of rolling drops is unacceptable.
Need spraying: tomatoes; cucumbers; cabbage; strawberry; raspberries; currant; grape; gooseberry; onion; beet; carrot; cherry; plum; Apple tree; pears; flowers (roses, gladioli, chrysanthemums, dahlias).
The standard schedule for vegetables, stone fruits and berries is 2-fold spraying at the beginning of the opening of the buds and 5-7 days later, when the ovaries begin to form. For pome fruit trees (apple, pear, quince) – 3-fold treatment: at the beginning of the phases of budding, flowering and fruit filling (withered corollas of flowers fell off). Watering under the roots is carried out in emergency cases when there are signs of starvation on the boron.
Before planting, it is better to soak the seeds for 10-12 hours in complex boron-containing solutions (the ingredients are dissolved/mixed in the specified sequence). It is carried out to stimulate growth and prevent diseases during the germination period. A solution of a certain concentration is prepared. Dissolve 0.2 g of the substance in 1 liter of water. The seeds are soaked for 12 or 24 hours. 12 hours is enough for cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage. For 1 day, soak the seeds of carrots, beets, onions, and tomatoes. If it is planned to sow a large number of seeds, before placing them in the ground, they are dusted with a mixture of talc and the preparation. Before planting, you can soak the seeds for 10-12 hours in complex boron-containing solutions (the ingredients are dissolved/mixed in the specified sequence):
Water – 1 l.
Crystalline boric acid – 0.5 g.
Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) – 1 g.
Copper sulfate (copper sulfate) – 0.5 g.
Zinc sulfate – 0.5 g.
or:
Infusion of onion peel (1 glass) – 0.5 l.
Wood stove ash extract – 0.5 l.
Crystalline boric acid – 0.2 g.
Baking soda (calcium bicarbonate) – 5 g
Potassium permanganate – 1 g.
First, a boric stock solution is prepared: a sample is dissolved in 1 liter of water heated to 70-80 degrees to produce steam. It is better to pour a portion of boron in advance into a bag made of thick fabric (not wool or synthetic!) and hang it in hot water. In cooled water, boric acid does not precipitate, so the mother solution is poured into the container in the order of preparing the working solution. To prepare the solution, you must observe some subtleties and follow the instructions for use and use. Dilute boric acid powder (approximately 0.5 level teaspoon) in a glass of hot water to quickly and completely dissolve it, and then add it to 10 liters of water, stir, and spray the tomatoes with this prepared solution. Typically, a sachet contains 10 g of boric acid, and a standard teaspoon holds half of the entire serving - 5 g. Be careful when working with boron and, if possible, use a spoon that is not suitable for food (or wash the spoon thoroughly after measuring substance. To measure 1 g of suspension, lay a sheet of paper on the table and carefully pour 1 teaspoon of boric acid onto it. Then, using, for example, a knife or a flat stick, divide the powder into 5 equal parts. Leave one part (this is there is 1 g), put the rest in a bag.
During the entire growing season, fertilizing is carried out several times. Even before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a nutrient solution for a day. To do this, 0.2 g of powder must be diluted in 1 liter of very warm water - 50-55 degrees (in cooler water, boric acid powder takes a long time to dissolve and does not completely). The seeds are placed in the solution in a gauze bag so that they do not float to the surface.
This seed treatment significantly increases their germination rate, strengthens the seedlings, facilitating a more complete supply of nutrients, and protects against diseases even at high humidity.
Subsequent spraying is carried out 3 more times: during the formation of buds; period of mass flowering; at the beginning of fruiting; watering the bushes with a solution at the root (for tomatoes and cucumbers).
A minimum of ten days should pass between feedings. If the plants responded well to the first treatment, it is advisable to carry out subsequent ones, and if not, it is better to refuse
To spray tomatoes, depending on the purpose of treatment, different proportions are used:
To prevent the ovaries from shedding, 1 g of boric acid is dissolved in 1 liter of hot water. After the solution has cooled, spray the tomatoes with a spray bottle.
To combat late blight, add 1 teaspoon of powder to a bucket of warm water and treat the plants. To achieve better results, it is recommended to spray the tomatoes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate a week before, and a week after treatment with boron - with a weak solution of iodine.
Spraying bushes with boric acid does not require any special skills. Produced using a spray bottle through a fine sprayer. The plant is processed in calm, sunny and dry weather. It is recommended to do this early in the morning or at sunset. When the sun appears, there should be no drops of moisture on the plant. First, the solution is prepared, and after it has cooled, spraying is carried out in the usual way. The solution consumption is 1 liter per 10 square meters. meters. Solutions are diluted in different proportions depending on the purposes of processing. You can purchase a ready-made solution; you only need to dilute it in water.
Preparation of a solution for spraying: dilute 1.5-2 liters of wood ash and 10 g (1 sachet) of boric acid in 5 liters of boiling water, mix thoroughly, cool, then add water to the solution to make 10 liters;
pour 1 bottle of iodine into the solution and leave the mixture to infuse for a day;
Before use, dilute 1 liter of infusion in 10 liters of water to obtain a working solution.
Application rate: 1 liter per bush. Such fertilizing will not only speed up fruiting, but also increase the resistance of tomatoes to late blight.
Cucumbers are fed according to the same scheme as tomatoes, the solution concentration is 0.05% (5 g of boric acid per 10 liters of water). Boron improves the taste of cucumbers, stimulates the formation of ovaries and the development of fruits. This microelement also improves frost and drought resistance of plants, and also helps strengthen the root system of cucumbers.
Fertilizing strawberries with boric acid
The first feeding is carried out in early spring: 1 g of boric acid is dissolved in 10 liters of water (previously filled with a small amount of hot water) and 1 g of potassium permanganate, and the strawberry beds are watered, using the solution for 30-40 bushes. The second feeding is carried out before flowering, at the stage of bud extension. Plants are sprayed with a mixture prepared according to this recipe:
prepare an extract from wood ash (pour 1 glass of ash into 1 liter of boiling water, stir and leave for 24 hours, then strain the infusion);
in 10 liters of water add 2 g of boric acid (previously dissolved in a small amount of hot water), ash extract and 2 g of potassium permanganate.
Consumption – 0.3-0.5 l per 1 bush. This solution is also used for obvious signs of boron deficiency in strawberries.
Boron is indispensable not only in the vegetable garden, but also in the flower garden. Ornamental plants are also fed with a solution of boric acid. The optimal concentration for spraying most types of flowers is 0.5 g per 10 liters of water. For root feeding, prepare a “stronger” solution: 1-2 g per 10 liters of water.
Boric acid for ants (against ants)
Boric acid will help control ants on the site. Here are a few bait recipes:
Grind 0.5 tsp. boric acid and 2 egg yolks. Roll the mixture into small balls (no larger than a pea) and place along the ant trails.
Grind 3 boiled potatoes (in their jackets) with 3 egg yolks. Add 1 tsp. sugar and 10 g of boric acid, mix. Roll balls and place them in ant habitats.
Mix 2 tbsp. l. glycerin and 1 tbsp. l. water, add 1.5 tbsp. l. sugar, 1/3 tsp. boric acid and 1 tsp. honey Form into balls.
Many gardeners grow strawberries and wild strawberries on their plots. Each of them dreams of a rich and healthy harvest, without the use of chemicals. After all, these berries are the most delicious. And this is far from a myth. To get a tasty harvest, it is not enough to plant strawberries, water them and remove weeds in a timely manner. It is very important to feed the plant on time. In this case, you can do without the use of chemicals by preparing complex fertilizers yourself.
How and when to fertilize
You should start caring for it after the snow melts. Again you will need to remove the insulation and old foliage. Then it is recommended to loosen the soil and only then is feeding carried out.
The timing of fertilizer application depends on the region where a person lives. Here it is very important to correctly guess the time so that the fertilizer is beneficial. If you feed too early, then all the nutrients are consumed before flowering and fruit set. And if fertilizing is done late, the harvest will be small.
How to properly feed strawberries
In one season Feeding should be carried out in three stages. Their time should be chosen depending on the development of the bush.
In spring, fertilizing is mandatory, since the plant on its own will not be able to cope with diseases in order to produce a good harvest. During flowering, healthy and tasty fruits will not form.
There are a huge number of options for substances that can be used to feed strawberries. But from the best side of yourself boron and iodine were recommended. Each of them will be discussed below in more detail.
Spring feeding with boric acid
Boron is one of the microelements that are most important for fruit and berry crops. With a sufficient amount of this substance, the fruits become less viscous and sweeter. But boron also helps to improve the ovary and the keeping quality of fruits. Many soils, due to the specifics of their composition, very quickly lose boron and when growing strawberries, there is a deficiency of it, so you should monitor your plants and promptly provide the crops with this useful microelement.
How to determine boron deficiency in soil
Naturally, the most accurate way to determine A lack of boron in the kidney is a laboratory test, but not everyone has the opportunity to conduct it. You can determine the lack of this microelement by the appearance of the strawberry bushes:
You can replenish the boron content in the soil using special fertilizers that contain boric acid, or you can prepare useful compounds yourself. Boron-containing substances can be added two times:
- When planting strawberries, use boron fertilizer.
- During the growing season, apply liquid fertilizer.
Signs of excess boron in strawberries
Don't get carried away with boron-containing fertilizers, since an excess of this microelement will not lead to anything good. Excessive content will slow down the growth of the plant and root system, and will also result in burns on the foliage. Signs of necrosis may also appear on the foliage, and they will begin to curl into domes. Therefore, boric acid in large quantities can be harmful for strawberries.
Fertilizers containing boron
Plant growers most often use boron-containing fertilizers. Every season, new and new options appear, as modern production does not stand still and more effective ones arrive on the shelves. and improved options.
- Before active growth begins;
- 10-12 days before the start of ovary formation.
- Before flowering, so that during flowering the formation of good and large fruits occurs.
Timely application of compounds containing boric acid will allow you to get an excellent harvest. Here are some homemade options:
- When planting seedlings, a composition of boric acid, iodine and wood ash is perfect. For a bucket of water (10 liters) take 20-25 drops of iodine and 10-15 g of boric acid.
- To increase the number of ovaries and the volume of the harvest, you can use a solution of boric acid and potassium permanganate. 2 grams of each component are taken per 10 liters of water.
- At the stage of ovary formation, you can use a complex fertilizer made of superphosphate and boric acid. You will need 2 grams of these components per bucket of water.
Iodine when growing strawberries
Everybody knows, that iodine is an antiseptic and is successfully used in human treatment. But few people know that it can be used in growing strawberries. This drug will help strawberries cope with a huge number of diseases, including the formation of rot on the leaves and the measles system. Iodine can be used both for spraying and for root liquid feeding. A 5 or 10% solution of the substance, which is freely sold in pharmacies, is suitable for this.
As already noted, subcortex application with iodine can be either root application or spraying. For foliar feeding, the solution is taken much weaker so as not to cause burns on the foliage. There are several types of processing.
Such substances, like boron and iodine, have been proven in practice for many years that they are an excellent fertilizer and help to obtain an excellent harvest.
Boric acid is often used by summer residents to get the maximum yield of strawberries. In some cases, fertilizing is forced if the plants do not have enough boron. A lack of a microelement can be recognized by yellowing of the edges, dying, curling of leaves (necrosis), as well as the formation of a large number of asymmetrical berries.
With a lack of boron, the root system begins to rot, as a result of which the plant does not receive sufficient nutrients and water from the soil.
Boron is involved in the movement and accumulation of sugars in a number of fruit and berry crops, including strawberries. It promotes better absorption of calcium from the soil by the plant, improves and restores the root system of garden strawberries.
In sandy and sandy loam soils, this important element is washed out of the ground by 85%. When grown in such soil, strawberries will almost certainly need boron.
Boron deficiency most often occurs during rainy seasons. The level of boron in the soil also decreases each time after the liming procedure.
Typical signs of boron starvation:
- Stopping the development of ovaries.
- The appearance of necrosis on the shoots.
- Grinding berries.
- Noticeable reduction in yield.
- Uneven ripening of berries.
- High water content and low sugar content of fruits.
When and how to process?
Boron is well absorbed by strawberries in solid and liquid form. It is advisable to treat garden strawberries with boric acid shortly before flowering, when buds begin to form.
Dissolve 2 g of boric acid in a 10 liter bucket of water. Water at the root on pre-moistened soil. 200 ml of working solution is poured under each bush.
For better dissolution, first dilute the specified amount of acid in a small volume of hot water. Mix the resulting composition with the remaining volume of water at a lower temperature (warm or room temperature).
When foliar feeding, the concentration of boric acid in water is reduced by 4 times, to 0.5 g per 10 liters of water. The first spraying is also carried out during the period of active budding, the second - at the time of flowering, and the third - during fruiting.
This microelement is very well absorbed by strawberries through the leaf blades.
The application of boron can be done in conjunction with fertilizing with other mineral and organic fertilizers.
Processing result:
- Increase in berry yield by 20%.
- Increased resistance to disease.
- Improving the taste of berries, reducing their wateriness. The fruits become sweeter.
- Formation of more ovaries.
- Increased resistance to adverse weather conditions (heat, cold snaps, temperature changes).
