Content
Gardeners tend to use organic fertilizers the most. But when growing seedlings and indoor flowers, their use in an apartment is very problematic, because organic matter has a specific aroma.
Nowadays there are many chemicals that can be used indoors. For example, the Athlete product for seedlings of vegetable and ornamental crops. This fertilizer has been known to gardeners for over 50 years, but has not lost its relevance. Due to its properties, it not only replaces many fertilizers, but also prevents, according to experts, the overgrowth of seedlings.
What an Athlete is for
Gardeners are well aware that it is not so easy to create ideal conditions for growing seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cabbage and flowers. Most often, plants suffer from a lack of light and begin to stretch out. This process further negatively affects the yield.
The use of the drug Athlete from overgrowing seedlings, according to gardeners, has a positive effect on the development of plants, makes them more hardy, and improves immunity.
The seedlings are stretched out because the development of the root system lags behind the growth of green mass. The treatment of seedlings with an Athlete promotes the development of roots, and the shoots and stems temporarily stop their growth. In this way, a balance of the root and aerial parts of the plant is created.
Experts advise using growth regulator primarily for seedlings grown in greenhouse conditions, where there are high temperatures and humidity. It is these factors that make the plants stretch, and the root system does not keep pace with the growth of the aboveground part.
Advantages and disadvantages
Reviews about the drug Athlete for seedlings can be found on various forums of gardeners and gardeners. Mostly the opinion is good. What are the positive aspects of this top dressing, are there any negative points - all this is interesting to gardeners.
Let's start with the merits:
- plant development is regulated;
- immunity increases;
- there is no need to feed small plants with other fertilizers;
- seedling agent Athlete, according to gardeners, is environmentally friendly, non-toxic to humans and insects;
- the yield of processed vegetables increases;
- exceeding the dose does not harm the seedlings;
- each package contains instructions for using the Athlete for seedlings;
- affordable cost.
According to experts and gardeners' opinions, the disadvantage is the limited period of use of the product for tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, eggplants and flowers. After all, the main purpose of the drug is to water the plants at the seedling stage.
Description of the drug
In recent years, the Seedling Athlete has become a popular medium. It regulates the growth of vegetable and flower crops due to its ability to inhibit the gibberellin hormone, thereby stimulating the development of lateral roots. Due to this, the feeding area of the seedlings increases. The shoots do not stretch up, but thicken.
According to the description given by the manufacturers, fertilizer for feeding plants at the seedling stage is able to protect plants, helping them to accumulate the necessary nutrients. This is why the seedlings experience less stress during transplanting.
Analogues of the Athlete include such drugs that also contribute to the growth of the root system:
- Epin;
- Kornevin;
- Fitosporin and other drugs.
But unlike the Athlete, they do not stop the growth of the aerial part. And the athlete seedling product creates balance and harmony in the development of plants.
You can use a means to slow down the growth of seedlings:
- For foliar processing of vegetables and flowers with an aqueous solution. Cabbage is not processed by leaves!
- For watering the soil when cotyledon leaves appear.
It is not difficult to use the Athlete product for processing seedlings. It is available in 1.5 ml ampoules. One ampoule is diluted in one liter of water or in 150-300 ml, depending on the culture being treated. Detailed instructions are included with all packages.
Application features
It takes a lot of time and effort to get quality seedlings of vegetable or flower crops. The situation is especially difficult with lighting, creating a certain microclimate and feeding. The fact is that different crops require an individual approach, and it is difficult to do this in the same room where the seedlings are grown.
Experienced gardeners and gardeners resort to growth stimulants. One of them is the Athlete for seedlings, the instructions, according to gardeners' reviews, are written clearly.
The manufacturer of the product is the Green Pharmacy of Gardeners company, which has its own sign - a green drop on the maroon packaging. It also provides clear and detailed instructions on how to breed seedlings for specific crops. A small ampoule is dissolved in a large amount of water. With regard to the number of treatments, this indicator depends on the culture.
Let's consider the instructions in more detail.
Vegetable crops
Manufacturers recommend handling seedlings by the Athlete:
- tomatoes;
- eggplant;
- peppers;
- cabbage.
Tomatoes
And now about how to use a tomato seedling product. These plants are very demanding on light, so they quickly begin to stretch. It is necessary to dissolve 15 grams of the substance in 10 liters of water. Can be watered at the root or sprayed over the leaves.
To prevent the seedlings from stretching, they are processed no more than three times. The first time the tomatoes are sprayed when the plants already have 3 real leaves. Then twice more with a break of seven days. When watering at the root, one procedure is enough.
It is necessary to understand that a single use of a growth regulator will not give the desired effect. The plant will begin to grow vigorously in height, and the root system, stem and leaves will not receive proper development.
Eggplants and peppers
These vegetables also tend to overgrow. For processing, you will need to dilute the Athlete drug in the following proportion: one ampoule of the drug must be poured into 1 liter of water.
Eggplants and peppers are processed only once. When 3-4 leaves appear on the plants, water the seedlings of peppers over the leaves, and the eggplants only at the root.
Cabbage
This vegetable is watered three times with an interval of seven days, only at the root! Dissolve 15 grams of the product in ten liters of water. This solution is enough for 10 square meters.
When processing peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, no more than 50 ml of solution is consumed per plant.
After foliar treatment, white spots remain on vegetable seedlings. This is not dangerous because the Athlete product does not burn the foliage. After a while, the leaves will turn green again.
Means Athlete for growing strong seedlings:
Ornamental plants
Ornamental plants, both garden and indoor, are watered with a standard solution: one ampoule of the drug is diluted in a liter of water. Many gardeners are interested in whether it is possible feed petunia seedlings An athlete. The answer is yes. Petunia is watered under the root or sprayed with a solution if the plants begin to stretch. Top dressing is carried out twice with a break a week.
Safe or not
Fertilizer Athlete belongs to the third class of hazard. Therefore, when applying, you need to take some precautions:
- Plants need to be processed at a moderate temperature. Intense heat causes the solution to dry quickly and form white spots on the leaves.
- You need to work with the product in protective clothing: gloves, glasses and a respirator.
- After work or if the product gets on the body, be sure to wash your hands and face with warm water and soap. Before starting the dilution of the athlete, you need to make sure that it is not overdue.
- Expired and used ampoules are burned.
- During work, there should be no children or animals nearby.
- Since the drug is a chemical, it must be stored separately from food and animal feed.
- Storage temperature 0-30 degrees.
- Storage areas should be out of reach of children and animals.
Using the Growth Regulator The Athlete helps gardeners to obtain healthy and strong seedlings of vegetable and flower crops, even under unfavorable conditions. The chemical is used strictly according to the dosage and must take into account the number of treatments specified in the instructions.
I did everything according to the instructions, the tomato leaves turned yellow and turned white, splashed in the evening (there was no sun), 1 ampoule per liter of water, it was too late to transplant, I wanted to do better - now one disorder. +20 degrees, the manufacturer is silent about this, so such a reaction
In fact, the athlete can burn leaves and roots if the consumption rates are not followed or the solution is made more saturated. This I can say from my own experience.
Petunia seedlings do become more squat with a strong root system. The result is clearly visible after 5-10 days. Only here Epin, Kornevin and even more so Fitosporin have nothing to do with the Athlete - he is a retardant herbicide, inhibits the production of gibberelin by the plant, therefore, among other things, it delays the budding period by 10-15 days. And, of course, this is not any fertilization, there are no useful microelements in it, only the active ingredient is chlormequat chloride.