Mullein infusion: the secret to a good tomato harvest

Cow manure is considered one of the most common fertilizers. It is used to grow fruit trees, berry bushes, and vegetables, including tomatoes. The additive increases the humus level in the soil, which improves soil fertility.

After watering with mullein, tomatoes grow more intensively, ovaries form quickly, and fruiting occurs several days earlier.

Composition and properties

Mullein is a waste product of livestock. It has been known and used as a fertilizer for a long time. Its composition includes:

Nitrogen compounds

They are responsible for the formation and development of new shoots and healthy leaves;

Potassium

The substance affects the amount of the future harvest, improves the taste characteristics of the fruits, and is also responsible for their color and shape;

Calcium

The element is necessary for the normal development of the root system, makes the stem strong, and tomatoes healthy;

Magnesium

It is considered an essential substance for the process of photosynthesis and contributes to the formation of juicy pulp.

This micronutrient composition has an immediate effect on the crop. Even after the first application, tomatoes show a positive effect. The fertilizer can be purchased in villages or on summer cottages where livestock is kept. Despite its unpleasant odor, demand for mullein never wanes. Gardeners love this fertilizer for a number of benefits:

• Natural origin:

Unlike many effective fertilizers produced through chemical reactions, cow manure is produced naturally and, when used correctly, does not harm plants.

• Good soil absorption:

The supplement is well absorbed and quickly breaks down into many useful components that begin to act immediately.

• Improving immunity:

In addition to nutrition, mullein helps strengthen the protective function of tomatoes.

• Low cost.

Types of mullein and its uses

As you know, fertilizer can be liquid, solid, concentrated, or diluted. Each fertilizer has its own characteristics, so it's important to carefully study them before using.

Litter mullein

The substance contains solid cow excrement and particles of peat, straw, and hay. The main element is nitrogen. It is represented by ammonium ions, which are better absorbed by tomatoes. Litter manure is used to prepare the soil in the fall and in the spring before planting tomatoes. Four to five kilograms of fertilizer are applied per square meter of soil and evenly distributed. The soil is then tilled.

Cow manure can be used as a mulch after watering. It helps retain moisture in the soil and prevents tomato roots from freezing during spring frosts. Dried cow manure can be mixed with other additives, such as ash, crushed chalk, or eggshells.

Liquid fertilizer

The liquid substance is absorbed into the soil better and faster than the solid one. However, due to its high reactivity, the additive should be handled with care and caution. For example, an overly concentrated solution can cause crop burns.

The best time to apply the fertilizer is late spring and early summer. At this time, tomatoes especially need mineral and organic elements. Cow manure is typically applied to the plant's stems. The method is simple: use 4-5 liters of water per kilogram of fresh manure. Stir the mixture and leave it in a warm place for 5-6 days. Gas bubbles will appear on the surface—uric acid is being released. This acid is the main cause of root burn, as it is chemically aggressive. The mixture will become lighter and lighter each day, eventually taking on a greenish-white hue.

After about a week, dilute the liquid fertilizer another 5 times with water, pour it into a watering can or bucket, and then water the bushes with the infusion. Up to 10 liters of water is needed per meter of planting. The average watering rate per bush is 1 liter. Fertilize once every 10-14 days. Over the summer, the number of applications can reach 4-5.

To reduce unpleasant odor, you can add a teaspoon of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water. This will reduce the odor and also strengthen the seedlings' immune system. Copper sulfate prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi.

Concentrated supplement

In gardening stores, you can sometimes find cow manure packaged in plastic bottles. It's produced in a special factory and goes through a purification process, so the additive doesn't have as strong a smell as homemade manure. During production, the concentration of minerals and organics is significantly increased, enhancing the additive's effectiveness. Compared to a standard diluted mixture, the concentrate is five times more potent than liquid cow manure.

The concentrated supplement should be diluted and used according to the instructions on the packaging. This fertilizer is convenient because it doesn't take up much space and doesn't require time to steep. Its ease of use and effectiveness have made the concentrate a favorite fertilizer for most gardeners.

Recommendations for use

It's best to use a general-purpose fertilizer before fruiting begins. The first application is two weeks after transplanting the seedlings to their permanent location. The second application is before flowering. Add a teaspoon of potassium sulfate to liquid cow manure. Repeat the application after flowering. Then, when the tomatoes begin to ripen, you can apply another application to ensure a bountiful harvest.

If you're already using cow manure as a fertilizer, adding other similar fertilizers (such as horse manure or chicken manure) is unacceptable. There's no need to use complex fertilizers, which also contain minerals and organic matter. Excessive fertilizers are detrimental to plants, causing tomato plants to wither, and poor fruit set and ripening.

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Sometimes inexperienced gardeners complain: they've applied fertilizer, but there's still no effect. This can be caused by several reasons:

• Poor quality of the mullein. The fertilizer may have already deteriorated due to being stored for too long;
• Insufficient fertilizer concentration. Watering with a weak solution will definitely have an effect, but it will take a long time;
• Applying the supplement too early. If you water tomatoes with cow manure immediately after planting, their development will be delayed for several days. Transplanting is stressful for plants, and fertilizing them increases this stress.

If you follow all the recommendations for preparing the supplement and adhere to the advice, cow manure will be a great help in growing tomatoes. Its use is not difficult, but the results will exceed all expectations. Even today, cow manure poses serious competition to many modern supplements with powerful chemical compounds. Demand for it remains high year-round, but during the season, cow manure is difficult to find.