Be sure to feed your tomatoes and cucumbers with bread and see what happens.

Bread fertilizer is an economical and effective way to increase the yield of garden crops. Moreover, the infusions are made using breadcrumbs, so you won't have to worry about where to put leftover bread.

Bread Fertilizer: Secrets Revealed

Regular bread contains many elements that have a beneficial effect on plant growth and development, as well as fruit quality. Yeast, a member of the Saccharomyces group of single-celled fungi, is considered the most beneficial.

Liquid, active dry, or compressed yeast are used for baking bread. When bread is soaked in water, fermentation begins, and microflora actively develops, breaking down organic matter. Through bacterial activity, beneficial elements are produced that promote root growth and boost plant immunity.

Yeast used for baking bread contains:

• biologically active microelements;
• acids: folic, para-aminobenzoic;
• B vitamins;
• vitamins D, H (biotin);
• phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc.

The production of nitrogen and potassium by bacteria improves the growth of vegetative parts of garden crops, while the amino acids and protein contained in the bread improve the quality and taste of vegetables. Fertilizing with breadcrumbs helps increase plant yields, and this is achieved without the use of chemicals.

For which plants is bread fertilizer suitable?

Bread fertilizer is not a universal fertilizer for all garden crops, as it is beneficial for some plants, but can be harmful to others.

A good effect is achieved by using a bread mixture for vegetables such as:

• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• melons;
• eggplants;
• pepper;
• strawberries, wild strawberries.

Breadcrumb-based fertilizer has a beneficial effect on the growth of flower crops, but it is not used for garlic, onions, or potatoes.

Recommendations for using fertilizer

Infusions of crackers (rye, wheat) are used throughout the growing season. A few helpful tips will help make the fertilizer more effective:

1. During fermentation, bacteria release nitrogen and potassium, but calcium is actively leached from the soil. To prevent a deficiency of this beneficial element, wood ash infusions are added to the grain simultaneously with the fertilizing.
2. Avoid overdosing on the formulations. Otherwise, it's quite possible to experience plant suppression instead of increased green mass and root growth.
3. It's preferable to use rye bread for making infusions, although wheat bread will also work. Pieces of rolls, loaves, and black bread are toasted before making the infusions.
4. Pieces of bread and crackers with mold on the surface are suitable for fertilizer. Mold is not harmful to vegetables or flowers, so such bread is perfectly suitable for infusions.
5. It is not allowed to use slurry, diluted cow dung or bird droppings simultaneously with grain fertilizer.
6. When bread ferments, a specific smell appears, so leave the containers in a remote place.
7. When using bread infusions on acidic soils, it is recommended to add chalk or dolomite flour to the fertilizer. This will neutralize the acidity and maintain the desired soil balance.
8. After the rusks have steeped, only the liquid is used as fertilizer. The resulting pulp is "consigned" to the compost heap and never thrown away.
9. It is not recommended to water weakened plants with infusion.
10. Fertilizers should only be applied to warm soil, in the late afternoon. Avoid watering tomatoes or cucumbers in hot weather, as this can burn the roots.
11. For crops growing in shade and partial shade, bread infusions are not used due to their poor absorption.

Folk recipes

All bread fertilizer recipes are based on the same technique: soaking breadcrumbs in water for a certain period of time. However, there are many variations, and everything depends on the ingredients added.

Basic recipe

The technology for preparing standard fertilizer is simple:

• prepared dried pieces of bread crumb or crusts are poured into a container (tank, bucket) to 2/3 capacity;
• pour warm water over the contents so that the crackers are hidden;
• close everything with a lid and press down with a weight;
• The bucket is removed to a far, warm corner for 10-14 days.

After the allotted time has passed, strain the mixture, discard the swollen breadcrumbs into compost, and dilute the liquid with clean water. The dosage of bread infusion varies for each vegetable or flower crop, and it's also important to adhere to the fertilizing schedule.

Recipe for bread infusion with nettles

Adding nettle or other weeds (comfrey, dandelion) to the fertilizer increases the nutritional value of the feed.

Recipe:

• 1/3 of chopped nettles are placed in a tank or barrel;
• add 1/3 rye or wheat crackers;
• fill everything with warm water;
• cover the contents with a lid of a smaller diameter than the top of the barrel;
• press down with a weight so that the crackers and grass do not float;
• insist for 8-10 days.

The resulting composition is diluted with water when applied.

Recipe with ash

Another popular option for preparing bread dressing:

• 1 kg of crackers are poured into a 100 liter barrel;
• add a couple of liters of sifted ash;
• fill all contents with warm water;
• cover with a lid and press;
• seal the barrel hermetically with polyethylene;
• put away in a warm place for a week.

After the mixture has steeped, carefully strain it and dilute it with water at a ratio of 1:5. The infusion is ready to use!

Recipe with jam

To prepare this dressing, in addition to bread crumbs and water, you will need jam and yeast:

• add 0.5 crackers to a 10 liter container;
• add 400-500 ml of jam (any);
• yeast is added there (150-200 grams);
• fill everything to the top with water.

Cover the container with a lid and let the contents steep for 8-10 days. Dilute the mixture with water: 1-2 cups of the infusion per bucket of water. Use for root and foliar feeding.

Infusion of iodine and bread

Another simple recipe for feeding plants during the seedling growing period:

• a bottle of iodine (30 ml);
• black bread (one loaf is enough);
• warm water.

Place the crackers in a bucket, add water (9 liters), add iodine, stir gently, and seal tightly. The infusion is left to sit for a week, then poured into plastic bottles and screwed on the lids. When using, dilute with water: use a bucket of water for every liter of infusion with iodine and bread.

In hot weather, the fertilizer is prepared more quickly; in cooler weather, it will take longer. Fertilizers made from wheat crackers also take longer to ferment, while rye bread ferments quickly.

How to apply black bread fertilizer

To ensure that your efforts in preparing bread fertilizer are not in vain and that the compositions are effective, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of each garden crop and apply fertilizer correctly.

Feeding cucumbers with bread

During flowering and the formation of the first fruit ovaries, cucumbers require intensive feeding. Bread fertilizer is ideal, as it does not contain any chemicals that tend to accumulate in cucumbers, while still having a beneficial effect on the plants.

All recipes with bread are suitable for root feeding of cucumbers:

• with ash;
• with nettles;
• with jam.

Before use, dilute the infusion in water, using 1 liter of fertilizer per bucket of water. First, lightly water the cucumbers with plain water, then add 500 ml of fertilizer per bush, and then water the plants again.

The intervals between grain fertilizer applications are 8-10 days. Feeding begins when the first buds appear and continues until fruiting ends.

Result:

• strengthening of plants;
• increasing endurance to adverse conditions;
• growth acceleration;
• increase in the number of ovaries;
• increasing immunity to diseases.

Feeding tomatoes with bread

For tomatoes, 2-3 feedings with bread are quite sufficient, and it is advisable to carry them out from the moment of flowering until the beginning of fruiting.

Use mixtures containing breadcrumbs and ash, nettles (for root feeding), and iodine for spraying. Water tomatoes once every 7-10 days, preferably in the evening. At this time, the soil is warm, which is important for normal bacterial activity, and there is less moisture evaporation from the soil.

The infusion is diluted in the following ratio: one liter of bread slurry is taken per 10 liters of water.

Result:

• resistance to infections is developed;
• the tops remain green for a long time and do not turn yellow;
• the number of ovaries increases;
• improves the taste of tomatoes.

It is advisable to use infusions in combination with other fertilizers, keeping in mind that the effect is only achieved with the correct application of fertilizers.

Feeding flower crops with bread

Gardeners successfully use bread fertilizer as a fertilizer for flower crops. These nutritious "meals" stimulate lush and prolonged flowering and boost plant immunity to disease.

Feeding peonies, chrysanthemums, and roses—that is, ornamental plants with well-developed vegetative growth—with bread produces good results. After fertilization, the foliage turns green, and the number and size of buds increases.

Flowers are fed twice per season:

• the first time in spring, when the plant began to grow;
• the second time - at the moment of budding and the beginning of flowering.

The infusion is used by first diluting it in water: 10 liters of water per liter of fertilizer.

Bread fertilizer for seedlings

In temperate climates, crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and sweet peppers are grown from seedlings. Healthy and strong seedlings guarantee a bountiful harvest, and the same grain-based fertilizer helps achieve this.

For watering seedlings, fertilizer barrels are not needed, so the recipe will be different:

• a loaf of black bread is crushed (or an approximate amount of crackers), poured into a large saucepan or container;
• fill with warm water (5 liters);
• cover with a lid and put in a warm place;
• the pulp is squeezed out and removed;
• the remaining infusion is filtered;
• To feed seedlings, dilute with clean water: one liter of infusion per 8 liters of water.

Plants in boxes or containers are watered twice, 10 days apart. Tomatoes are fertilized only after transplanting into individual containers.

Bread infusion against weeds

Another use for the breadcrumb infusion is against vexing weeds. It's prepared in the fall, after harvesting, and can be used immediately after fermentation in the garden beds.

A classic recipe for soaking crackers in warm water for 10-14 days will work. After the crackers have soaked, the mixture is poured onto the soil in the area where cucumbers, tomatoes, and melons are planned for planting next season.

The beds are then covered with a thick plastic film, reinforced with stones and boards. After watering, weeds begin to grow vigorously under the film, and as soon as the first frost sets in, the plants freeze. In the spring, their numbers will be noticeably reduced.

An inexpensive and effective fertilizer made from bread is available to all gardeners. Proper fertilization will allow you to get a good harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, without the use of chemicals in the garden.

Reviews

Ekaterina, Pskov

About five years ago, I read about feeding my cucumbers with bread in a gardening magazine. I immediately tried it on my cucumbers and was pleasantly surprised by the results. Most importantly, even in poor weather, the ovaries set well, and much earlier.

They water the plants all summer, about once every 10 days. I call this fertilizer "kvass"; I think my cucumbers really like it. I haven't watered the tomatoes, so I don't know the results.

Evgeniy, Kineshma

I used the breadcrumbs to feed tomatoes, cucumbers, and peonies. For the cucumbers, I mixed some weeds (dandelion and nettle) in a bucket with the breadcrumbs, adjusting the proportions by eye. I poured hot water over the mixture, let it sit, then diluted it and watered it. I do this twice a summer, and not a single plant gets sick; they grow just fine.

I watered different flowers, but the result is most noticeable on the peony bush: the flowers are large, the colors are bright, and they bloom for a long time.