Rules and features of feeding cucumbers with nettles

Feeding cucumbers with nettles isn't a new idea for modern gardeners; the effectiveness of homemade organic fertilizers has been proven over time. The plant is used to make infusions for watering the tops and fertilizing the soil, and it's used fresh or slightly "dried" as mulch. This type of treatment can help you obtain a bountiful harvest, prevent pest infestations, and increase resistance to pathogenic microorganisms and adverse climatic influences.

Nettles in the garden

Natural organic matter increases the nitrogen content of the soil and inhibits the activity of pathogenic microorganisms that cause white and gray mold. Nettle infusion is inexpensive, easy to make and use, and has no negative impact on human health—unless you are allergic to the plant.

Fertilizing the soil and watering cucumbers:

• increase the survival rate of seedlings and facilitate rooting;
• protect the root system from damage, and the shoots from fungal diseases and pest infestations;
• accelerate growth;
• improve the taste of cucumbers.

The plant contains:

• B vitamins, ascorbic acid, biotin, retinol, tocopherol - improving metabolic processes;
• nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus - stimulating metabolism at the cellular level;
• phytoncides are substances with antibacterial action;
• Organic acids - increasing the plant's own protective powers.

Decoctions and infusions used to fertilize and feed cucumbers contain beneficial substances in the most accessible form.

The most useful types of "weed"

Biologists have described 54 species of the plant, but the most common are stinging nettles, stinging nettles, and hemp nettles. The latter have lobed leaves, are not painful to the touch, and are inferior in vitamin and mineral content to herbaceous shrubs with increased stinging properties.

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Dioecious nettle is a succulent plant with moderate pungency, large leaves with patterned edges, and contains high amounts of essential oils and vitamin K. Stinging nettle has smaller leaves and is comparable to dioecious nettle in its beneficial properties. These species are used by gardeners to make organic fertilizers for plant nutrition.

Harvesting nettles and infusion recipes

Before flowering, cut whole stems at the root, free of mechanical damage and signs of disease. It's best to choose specimens with rich green leaves. Harvesting is done in cloudy, dry weather or when the sun begins to set. Dry, or rather "wither," in the sun, spread out in a single layer, or hang in bunches.

A container with slightly warmed, settled water should be prepared in advance. An oak barrel is ideal, but enameled metal or food-grade plastic can be used. It's a good idea to install a drain tap in advance to avoid straining the water. Straining is an unpleasant task, as nettle fertilizer has an unpleasant odor. If there's no tap, place the bio-raw material in a plastic mesh bag before immersing it in the liquid for easy removal.

To speed up fermentation, place the container in the sun or add a starter culture or yeast. These ingredients not only speed up the process but also have beneficial properties for the cucumbers themselves. Yeast is high in vitamin B.

Nettle infusion recipes:

1. Universal composition. Suitable not only for spraying and fertilizing cucumbers Nettle infusion is also used for tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, and fruit trees. It is not used for onions and legumes. Place the prepared organic raw material in a container with water, pressing it down with a pestle until it's 4/5 full. To speed up the process, add granulated sugar or molasses at a ratio of 100 g per 10 l. Leave for 5-7 days. The nettle infusion for feeding is ready when fermentation is complete, the contents in the container have acquired a rich brown color and a silage-like smell.
2. A multi-component composition. Made from a blend of herbs. Dried dandelion leaves and stems, alfalfa, cornflower, comfrey, plantain, and coltsfoot are added to the nettle. The main ingredient makes up two-thirds of the total volume. It is infused as a multi-component composition.
3. With bread or kvass. The preparation is the same as for universal nettle fertilizer for cucumbers, but 1/4 of the barrel is filled with crackers, preferably black bread, and fresh or spent kvass starter. It can be used in 3-5 days—the yeast accelerates fermentation.

The finished organic fertilizer can be stored for 1.5 years. In winter, the container is moved indoors or to a cellar and insulated to prevent the contents from freezing.

Ways to use nettles in the garden

In cold regions, the plant is used not only as a fertilizer or spray solution, but also for preparing garden beds. In areas with short, cold summers, it's common to grow cucumbers on nettles.

The plant is harvested in the first months of summer and dried in a ventilated area. After the summer season ends, old shoots are removed, the soil is dug up, and the area where it usually grows is saAfter harvesting cucumbers, dig trenches a spade deep at the distance between rows. Chop the prepared organic matter with a hoe and pour it into the bottom, filling it approximately halfway. Mix the sod with rotted manure or finished compost, and cover the trenches. Sprinkle mulch on top—straw, spruce branches, or agrofibre. Cucumbers, tomatoes, or cabbage can be planted in these warm beds. Early strawberry varieties are often planted "on nettles."

Mulching

Fresh or dried shoots are sprinkled between rows and beds in early spring to protect the roots of newly planted plants from frost, or in summer to conserve precious moisture and protect from the hot sun. In preparation for winter, mulch is used to cover "warm" beds, perennials, and the roots of fruit trees.

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Compost

Dried stinging nettles are used to make compost. Adding this fertilizer to the soil increases the nitrogen content, which is essential for photosynthesis. A layer of chopped nettles, young or dried, is added to a compost bin or pit (preferably harvested before seed formation). Top with sod, paper (not waxed), straw, food scraps (not meat), more soil, and nettles, stirring occasionally. The rotted mixture doesn't smell as unpleasant as a strong infusion, but it's still worth adding 3-4 sprigs of valerian. Snapdragons, tansy, horsetail, and clover can be added to the green mixture.

Using nettle tincture

Regardless of the treatment method—watering the cucumbers at the roots or spraying—choose cloudy weather or a time before sunrise or after sunset. Dilute the infusion at a ratio of 1:10-1:15 for spraying and 1:2-1:5 for fertilizing the soil. The ratio of the working solution largely depends on the concentration of the infusion. To avoid harming the plant, you can test its effect on the bush. To do this, spray 2-3 vines with the solution at varying concentrations and observe the leaves after 24 hours for burn-like spots. If all is well, dilute the solution at the chosen concentration.

Spraying is done twice a month for weak plants and once a month as a preventative measure to prevent the development of diseases such as late blight, gray mold, and white mold. However, if symptoms indicating infection have already appeared on the leaves or shoots, nettles won't help. Chemical treatments are needed.

Root feeding should be done once every 10-14 days. Watering more frequently is not recommended, as this promotes vigorous foliage growth but slows fruit formation.

To prevent pest infestations (aphids or spider mites), add 20 grams of laundry soap per bucket to the spray solution. This increases the durability of the film that forms on the leaves, preventing insect reproduction.

To protect against slugs, place freshly cut nettles between the rows. These pests will be deterred from crawling into the protected beds; contact with the stinging nettles' poison kills them.

Once the plants have dried out, they can be used to make compost or liquid organic fertilizer.

Reviews

Ivan, 25 years old, Berezniki:

"My parents went on vacation and left me in charge of the cucumber beds. I forgot water on timeThe leaves had lost their turgor. A neighbor helped solve the problem by sharing some nettle infusion. Following his advice, I diluted it 1:20 with water and sprayed the beds three times a week. The fertilized vines turned green again."

Natalya Vitalievna, 70 years old, Volzhsk:

"My cucumbers are planted in a plot where I added a mixture of nettles and compost back in the fall. Almost all the seedlings are taking root, though I do have to thin them out. And I use nettle infusion not only in the garden but also indoors for my flowers."

Mikhail Arkadyevich, 64 years old, Dmitrov:

"I always have 20-30 liters of nettle infusion in the cellar. I strain as much as I need and water the garden. The cucumbers are delicious, crisp, and juicy. We've had no problems with late blight or aphids for two years now. The only problem is that slugs still bother me, so I pick them by hand. I don't want to use chemicals."

In addition to the infusion of the scaly-leaved plant, you can also use its ash for plant nutrition. Dried stems are burned on a metal sheet, and the ash is collected and used to feed cucumbers, just like the woody version. Incidentally, this product contains 40% pure potassium. This macronutrient accelerates flowering and stimulates fruit formation, extending the shelf life of the harvest.