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Cucumbers are the most sought after vegetable. They are eaten fresh, pickled, salted, and snacks are made with them for the winter. Cucumbers are valued not only for their unique taste and aroma, but also for the presence of vitamins and trace elements necessary for human health in them.
It is not difficult to grow cucumbers, but the harvest is not always excellent. Due to diseases and lack of nutrients, plants feel depressed, ovaries appear, but do not develop, but dry up. This is due to micronutrient deficiencies in the ground and green mass of cucumber. Plants can be saved in time feeding cucumbers with boric acid... We will try to tell you about the role of boron in the cultivation of cucumbers and the rules for its use.
What is boric acid
Boric acid is a medicine, an excellent antiseptic with disinfecting properties. With its help, a person treats skin and mucous membranes. She found wide application in horticulture. Boron is necessary for plants, as well as for humans. It goes on sale in the form of a white powder or solution. In the photo there are pharmaceutical preparations.
The drug is also sold as a fertilizer in household or specialized stores.
In agricultural technology, for feeding cucumbers, not only the acid itself is used, but also boron-containing fertilizers. For example: Borosuperphosphate, Ceovit Mono Boron.
Benefits for cucumbers
In order for plants, including cucumbers, to develop normally and give a rich harvest, they need nutrients and trace elements. It is clear that fertile soil is being prepared for the cultivation of cucumbers. But not always there is enough boron in it.
To compensate for the lack of a trace element in cucumbers, you can use ordinary boric acid, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.
The role of boron in plant development
What does regular feeding of cucumbers with boron give:
- Increases the oxygen content in the soil.
- Stabilizes nitrogen synthesis. Cucumbers need this element throughout the growing season.
- Saturates cucumbers with calcium.
- Enhances the formation of chlorophyll, this can be seen in the rich green color of leaves and cucumbers.
- Improves the metabolism of the plant, and this has a positive effect on the taste of the fruit.
Fertilizer application at different stages of development
Gardeners who have been cultivating cucumbers for more than a dozen years speak well of feeding cucumbers with boric acid. She is always in their "arsenal". Boron is one of the elements needed by plants, especially cucumbers.
Presowing seed treatment
It's no secret that the development of a healthy plant begins with the seed. Therefore, the seeds of cucumbers must be processed before sowing. There are many options for seed treatment: in potassium permanganate, ash, aloe juice. Boric acid is also used by gardeners quite often. After pickling the seeds of cucumbers in any known way, they must be soaked in a boron solution for no more than 12 hours.
Gardeners use different options for preparing a nutritious liquid for cucumber seeds. Let's consider two, the most common:
- To prepare the solution, you will need one liter of hot water and 0.2 grams of white powder.After complete dissolution, cucumber seeds are placed in the container. Since they are very light and float when cut, it is best to soak them in gauze or a piece of cotton.
- It is possible, on the basis of this drug, to compose a complex fertilizer for soaking cucumber seeds. Onion peel is infused in a small amount of hot water for 4 hours. In a separate container, a solution of wood ash is prepared in the same amount of water. After that, these two components are poured into a liter jar, top up the container and add baking soda (5 g), potassium permanganate (1 g), boric acid (0.2 g).
Boron when growing seedlings
If the vegetable is grown in seedlings, then they can be treated with boric acid before planting in the ground. Cucumbers, which were planted with seeds immediately in the ground, also need to be sprayed after the appearance of 4-5 true leaves.
During fruiting
Watering cucumbers with a solution containing boron helps to strengthen the root system, and this, in turn, has a positive effect on the growth and development of the plant itself. The immune system of the cucumber is getting stronger. He can tolerate a short-term drought or a sharp drop in air temperature is not so painful. The development is almost not reflected.
Root feeding of cucumbers is carried out twice a season:
- when planting seedlings in the ground;
- when the first flowers appear.
But most of all, plants need boron at the time of fruit setting and fruiting. At this time, root and foliar dressing with acid is carried out. You can spray cucumbers up to three times during the growing season.
Foliar dressing during the fruiting period relieves the plants of unset fruits, allows you to increase the number of ovaries. Cucumbers grow faster, taste improves, aroma intensifies. In addition, their sugar content increases.
Acid feeding is especially important for cucumbers, in which several ovaries form in one bosom at once. If such plants are not sprayed with boron, then some of the ovaries will remain at the embryonic stage.
Many novice vegetable growers are interested in whether the acid will harm the ovaries and fruits when foliar feeding. The answer is no. This spraying of cucumbers, on the contrary, is beneficial. The plant becomes more hardy, the ovaries fill up faster, and the fruits become tastier and more aromatic.
On the role of boric acid for plants:
Boron deficiency signs
Boric acid stimulates the growth of cucumbers and is, in fact, the guarantor of a good harvest. In the ground, boron retains its strength for a long time, nourishes plants. Experienced vegetable growers can easily recognize when to feed cucumbers with boric acid. Beginners may have difficulties. Let's find out what signs signal a lack of bromine:
- The leaves were crushed, and yellow dry spots appeared on them.
- The plants themselves have lost their emerald color, faded.
- Growth slows down, although ovaries are formed, but in small quantities. Most often they wrinkle and fall off. And those that grow take on an unattractive appearance: curves, bent.
- Cucumbers have virtually no whiskers.
If at least two signs coincide, it is necessary to urgently carry out resuscitation with the help of dressings with boric acid. If the first feeding did not change the appearance of the cucumbers, it must be repeated after 7 days.
Solution preparation rules
And now about how to properly dilute the acid for feeding cucumbers:
- A ten-liter bucket of water requires only 5 grams of white powder. First, it is diluted in hot water until completely dissolved, and then poured into the water.
- The acid can be used in combination with other trace elements, for example, with potassium permanganate. In this case, it is reduced by half for boron.
The prepared solution is used without delay.
What is the bottom line
The alternation of root and foliar dressings, adherence to agrotechnical standards allows you to get a rich harvest of cucumbers. Boric acid can be used without fear. The main thing is to follow the recommendations. Exceeding the dosage may cause leaf burns.
Good day. This year, this year alone, I started to do cucumbers in general. Circumstances did not allow. Right now I planted it on the balcony and study. The garden will be useful for everything. Found only boron could splash during flowering.