How to make a bread infusion for feeding cucumbers

Bread infusion is the most economical of folk methods for fertilizing crops. It helps improve the fertility of plants without harmful chemicals, and its preparation requires no complex ingredients. The ingredients for the infusion can be accumulated during the cold season if you don't throw away leftover bread, but rather leave it to dry in a dry place.

Operating principle

Fertilizing cucumbers Bread infusion works on pre-prepared soil. It needs to be fertilized with organic matter to avoid nutrient deficiencies. When the raw material is soaked in water, bacteria begin to actively multiply. They will actively absorb all the micronutrients from the soil, which can cause cucumbers to become depleted. Once in the soil, the fungal starter begins to destroy all the residue left over from previous crops and fertilizers: husks, grass, and traces of organic matter.

As a result, the soil is enriched with decay products, stimulating the rapid development and strengthening of plant roots. When introduced into the soil, yeast fungi begin to actively release carbon dioxide, which plants need for healthy growth. After some time, on average 2-3 days, the substances reach the root system. This leads to vigorous leaf growth and improved cucumber health. Metabolism is normalized, fruit growth and development accelerates, and the harvest becomes more abundant and arrives several days earlier. This starter helps lagging plants catch up, lifting even weak and poorly growing crops.

This method of fertilization has its advantages:

• increase in the number of fruits;
• reduction in the number of barren flowers and cucumbers that are hollow inside;
• reducing the growing season by several days;
• restoration of weak, poorly growing crops;
• acceleration of the breakdown of nutrients entering the soil with fertilizers;
• improving plant metabolism;
• activation of microflora beneficial for plants;
• safety for humans.

One downside is that the bacteria in the starter actively destroy nutrients in the soil, which can cause nutrient deficiencies in poor soil. Fertilizers can help combat this and prevent the problem. Also, excessive watering combined with bread supplementation can increase soil acidity.

Preparing the infusion

Bread fertilizer can be prepared in a variety of ways. The choice depends on the condition of the soil and crops. The traditional recipe is universal and suitable for any occasion. Infusions with added ash, weeds, or iodine are useful for additional soil fertilization.

Traditional recipe

Bread fertilizer for cucumbers is easy to prepare. To prepare it, you'll need dried pieces of black or gray bread; coarser flour is used for these. However, a few pieces of white bread won't harm the fertilizer. If mold forms on the crusts, set them aside in a separate bucket. Then follow these simple instructions:

1. Pour warm tap water over the crumbled breadcrumbs.
2. Stir the mixture, weigh it down with something heavy, and set it aside. During fermentation, the starter may emit an unpleasant odor.
3. Leave the mixture to infuse in a greenhouse or shed for three days.
4. The infusion is ready once a white foam forms on the surface. This indicates the fermentation process that has begun in the starter.

Traditional feeding can be combined with herbal infusions for a more comprehensive effect. Decoctions of weeds, mullein, clover, and other beneficial plants are suitable.

Bread and ash

Another infusion option is more nutritious and suitable for feeding during flowering. It should be applied every two weeks immediately after the first flowers appear and is stopped only after the harvest. To prepare, you'll need a large container, at least 100 liters in capacity. Line the bottom with 4 kilograms of fresh, chopped weeds. Then add 1.5 kilograms of bread crumbs and 200-300 grams of ash. Mix the entire mixture and let it soak. Be careful not to add too much water. It's important to leave about a quarter of the mixture empty. Let it steep for a week. Dilute the concentrated infusion with water 1:5 and water the plants with the resulting solution.

Black bread supplement with iodine

This fertilizer is ideal for greenhouse cucumbers. It's important to follow the proportions, otherwise the iodine can burn the plant's roots and leaves. For the solution, you'll need one loaf of dried black bread, 30 ml of iodine, and 15 liters of water. Soak the bread crumbs in water overnight. Then add the iodine and mix until smooth. Strain the resulting mixture and use it for root feeding and disinfecting crops. It's best applied with a spray bottle, directly onto the cucumbers.

Sourdough with nettles

This infusion is more nutritious. It's made from nettles, yeast, and bread. Fill a large container two-thirds full with nettles, then add crumbled bread and yeast. Fill the remaining space with room-temperature water. Let it steep for a week. Dilute the resulting concentrate with water at a ratio of 1:8. Apply the fertilizer to the roots, pouring a liter of the solution under each plant.

How to feed cucumbers with bread infusion

All starters should be filtered and slightly diluted with clean, warm water before use. You can water the plants with the resulting infusion using a watering can with a long spout. It's best to apply the fertilizer right to the roots of the seedlings. Each plant will require 0.5 liters of liquid.

Be sure to strain the mixture with the soaked bread crumbs to avoid contaminating the beds. The infusion shouldn't be cold; the optimal temperature is 30°C. Avoid getting the liquid on the green parts of the plant. On average, cucumbers are fertilized four times per season, at different stages of growth. The first time, the seedlings are watered before planting in the ground, after the third pair of leaves appears. The second time is during inflorescence formation. The third and fourth time, cucumbers are fertilized during fruiting and during harvest.

You can combine sourdough starter with other fertilizers and mineral complexes. These help replenish potassium and calcium, which are readily absorbed by bacteria. Bone meal, wood ash, and finely ground eggshells are all good options. A deficiency of potassium and calcium leads to deformed fruits, weak stems, and bitterness in cucumbers.

When planting cucumbers in a greenhouse, be sure to fertilize the soil with organic matter. Bird droppings diluted with clean water at a ratio of 1 to 15 are suitable for this purpose. Water the soil generously with the resulting mixture, then loosen the soil after a few days to aerate it. It's important to practice crop rotation and avoid planting cucumbers in the same spot several times in a row. If the soil is well-rested and rich in nutrients, adding grain fertilizer won't harm it and will increase yields.

Watering times

If temperatures are below 15°C, nutrient absorption is impaired. Therefore, cucumbers should be fertilized after planting in warm, preheated soil. In a heated greenhouse, this can be done year-round, but in open ground, only during the warm season.

Fertilizing usually begins in the spring, while the seedlings are growing. Therefore, it's important to prepare the nutrient solution in advance. The seeds are watered with the starter culture two weeks after germination. Fertilizing should not be done more than once every 12 days. Considering that the average cucumber growth cycle is 40 days, this equates to exactly four waterings per season. Outdoors, you can apply bread fertilizer when the soil warms up to 20°C. Before spraying or watering, the soil should be thoroughly moistened and loosened to allow the roots access to air. In a greenhouse, it's essential to not only water but also ventilate the room beforehand.

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Reviews

Ilona, ​​34

For fertilizing, I recommend making a green infusion with bread, ash, and finely chopped herbs. Cucumbers grow quickly and vigorously, and the soil retains its nutritional value. In a greenhouse, be sure to ventilate the room and water the plants before applying the solution.

Zakhar, 56

If you want to increase your harvest, quickly feed your cucumbers with a healthy infusion. Bread starter is inexpensive and easy to make, but very effective. I prepare it in advance from the crusts and breadcrumbs I've accumulated over the winter. Black bread is best. I dilute the supplement with mineral fertilizers, and during cold weather, I mulch the soil to warm it up.

Philip, 48

I love bread infusion for its affordability. It's made from scraps, making it very eco-friendly. I compost the leftovers from the strained starter to make the production completely waste-free. Cucumbers produce better fruit, and the harvest is a couple of days earlier.

Sourdough is a useful addition to a fertilizer regimen. While it won't produce impressive results on its own, when combined with mineral fertilizers, it will accelerate plant growth and increase fruit production. Traditional recipes call for the use of herbs, bone meal, and ash. This compensates for any lack of nutrients in the soil and makes the fertilizer even more effective.