Secrets of experienced summer residents - spraying tomatoes with iodine: the purpose of processing and a step-by-step guide for its implementation

It may seem to novice gardeners that it is impossible to grow a rich, let alone an early harvest without the use of chemicals. However, experienced vegetable growers have been collecting organic tomatoes from their gardens and greenhouses for years. The secret of their success lies in the use of biologically active and safe substances and, in particular, iodine.

Does it help spraying tomatoes with iodinehow to prepare a solution for root and foliar treatment, what nuances should be considered when working with this tool - you will learn all this from our article.

The benefits of iodine for tomatoes

The main property of an alcoholic iodine solution is instant disinfection. The remedy is often used to cauterize open wounds.

Gardeners have long been using iodine as a fertilizer, but it has gained the greatest popularity among greenhouse owners. It is believed that this pharmaceutical product does not harm either the plant or people.

Iodine is an optional component for plant growth, but its lack negatively affects the development of ovaries and the formation of fruits. Young plants especially need this element.

Signs of iodine deficiency

Deficiency of a substance can be recognized by the following manifestations:

• plants have thin stems;
• leaves are weak and lethargic;
• mature plants do not enter the fruiting stage;
• a small number of ovaries;
• prolonged ripening of fruits;
• mass infection of seedlings with diseases - root rot, brown spot, late blight and the tobacco mosaic virus.

If the deficiency of the element is not eliminated, plants begin to suffer from a decrease in immunity and, as a result, the development of various diseases caused by pathogens. The tool serves as an additional top dressing soil, helps to accelerate the growth of seedlings and helps to save the harvest in case of disease.

The effect of iodine on seedlings

The active components of the element improve nitrogen metabolism, which makes it possible to fertilize seedlings without the use of nitrate. The pharmaceutical agent is also known for its fungicidal properties: experienced summer residents use it both as a prophylaxis for various diseases and for disinfecting seeds before planting. It has been shown to help fight fungal and bacterial diseases in tomatoes.

Tomatoes react actively to aggressive components of iodine. The effect of fertilizing and spraying is not long in coming - the plants begin to grow rapidly. In addition, the number of ovaries and fruits increases.

Cooking recipes and processing technology

When preparing an iodine-based spray solution, many growers use dairy products to enhance the effect. However, few people know that the aggressive components of the element destroy beneficial lactobacilli, so the benefits of adding whey and milk to the mixture are negligible.

The only thing dairy products help with is that they envelop the plants, preventing the solution from being quickly washed out. Milk forms a fatty film on the green mass, which fixes the substance to the leaves.

It was also noted that the mixture of iodine with the popular among gardeners "Fitosporin" is also ineffective.

How to dilute iodine so as not to burn the plant? Here are some popular recipes.

Folk remedy - milk with iodine

Milk solution with iodine used as prevention and treatment of fungal diseases. In 1 liter of warm water add 1 tbsp. milk and 5 drops of iodine. The mixture is suitable for treating the ground part of the plant from a finely dispersed spray bottle. The procedure is carried out in the morning or in the evening, spraying all the tomato leaves.

Important! To prepare the solution, you should take only low-fat milk.

Potassium permanganate with iodine and boric acid

For feeding, many summer residents use potassium permanganate, iodine and boric acid. These components provide disinfection, increase yields and protect against disease.

Top dressing is carried out in 3 stages with a break of 5-7 days:

1. The bushes are treated with a manganese solution - 4-5 g of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water. The solution is used for spraying and watering at the root, 0.5 l is enough for one bush.
2. Feeding with boron is carried out - 0.5-1 tsp is diluted in 10 liters of water. facilities. The solution is used for spraying.
3. Iodine treatment - 10 drops of alcohol solution for 5 liters of water. The product is carefully treated with the leaves of the seedlings.

Root dressing of tomatoes

Timing is important for root feeding. Seedlings especially need an element during development. The first iodine feeding is applied after the second pair of leaves appears on the plant. The soil is watered before the procedure.

Usually 1 liter of iodine feeding is enough for 1 plant. Low-growing varieties of tomatoes - 0.7 liters per bush.

Important! Cold water cannot be used to prepare solutions; it can chill the root system of plants.

Root feeding scheme:

1. 10 days after planting seedlings... You can use a simple solution - dissolve 1 drop of iodine in 3 liters of warm water. Top dressing is applied at the root when the topsoil dries out a little.
2. When a brush is tied in plants... The solution is prepared according to this recipe: 3 drops of iodine are needed for 10 liters of warm water.
3. During fruiting. In 10 liters of boiling water add 500 g of wood ash, cool the mixture, then dilute with water 1 to 2. Add 5 ml of iodine and 8-10 g of boric acid to the solution. The resulting concentrate is infused for a day, and then diluted in a ratio of 1:10.

Application against pests

Weevils, aphids and beetle larvae are afraid of iodine. As a prophylaxis, perennial plants are watered under the root with this composition: 10-15 drops of alcoholic iodine solution per 10 liters of water. 1 liter is enough for one bush.

To combat aphids, you can use the following recipe: add 0.5 cube of iodine to 100 ml of warm milk with a syringe, dilute the mixture with 1 liter of water. Spray the leaves of the plants with the solution. Also effective are preparations containing iodine, for example, a 10% solution of "Farmayoda".

Disinfection of seeds before planting

Seed processing has long been a mandatory preventive measure. Previously, seeds were soaked in potassium permanganate, but practice has shown that iodine can also be used for disinfection. It protects, enhances immunity and accelerates seed germination.

Recipe for seed treatment solution: dilute 1 drop of iodine in 1 liter of settled water. Do not increase the concentration of the product, otherwise it may burn the material. The seeds are soaked for 6-8 hours, then, without washing, they are dried and planted in a planting box.

How to properly handle tomatoes

Iodine is used for both root and foliar dressing, they are equally effective. Experienced gardeners alternate types of treatments to achieve maximum results. Iodine-based fertilizers are usually applied during watering.

Basic rules for watering tomatoes:

• after transplanting, you cannot water the seedlings for one week;
• it is not recommended to water the beds in cool weather, as this contributes to the development of fungal infections;
• water only at the root, avoiding moisture on the leaves of the plant;
• watering is preferable in the morning or evening;
• use warm water.

Feeding with iodine is done twice a month. It is best to postpone the procedure until the onset of cloudy weather with an air temperature of more than + 16 ... + 18 ° С.

How to spray seedlings with iodine? During the procedure, be careful - you should not spray the solution in large drops, it is better to make the spraying foggy. It is impossible to increase the concentration of iodine, otherwise it can lead to burns of the leaves.

Important! Excessive iodine treatment leads to deformation of the brushes and fruits.

How to use outdoors

There are several nuances in using iodine:

• the product is measured with a pipette;
• for solutions use water without chlorine;
• the temperature of the water for spraying must not be lower than +25 ° С;
• processing is carried out in calm weather;
• when setting fruits, feeding with iodine is suspended;
• before the first treatment, the soil is preliminarily watered with a solution with a weak iodine concentration.

Important! Top dressing should not fall on the root collar of the tomato.

How to apply in a greenhouse

Iodine is used to disinfect soil and greenhouse structures. Usually, processing is carried out twice a year - after harvesting and before planting seedlings. Prophylaxis against pathogens can be started when the air warms up to + 10 ° C.

Important! Disinfection of the greenhouse with iodine is carried out in a respirator and goggles, opening all the vents and doors.

For disinfection, you can use the drug "Pharmayod" - 10 ml of water will be needed for 10 liters of water. 10 sq. m is enough from 1 to 3 liters of solution, depending on the diseases in the last season. You can also treat the soil with this solution before planting. If in the past season tomatoes were sick with late blight, the concentration of the drug is increased to 30 ml.

Iodine treatment in the greenhouse not only destroys phytophthora, but also reduces the number of thrips, nematodes and ticks.

Spraying time

Experienced summer residents are spraying the beds for a young month. During this period, the green mass assimilates useful substances as much as possible.

The first spraying is carried out 2 weeks after transplanting. The procedure is especially necessary in the first phase of tomato growth, as a rule, it falls in July. Then you can spray the plants once every 15 days.

Some gardeners treat seedlings with iodine before planting. For 10 liters of water, you will need 1 liter of milk and 15 drops of iodine.

Processing is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening in calm weather. Practice has shown that nutrients are better absorbed in the morning. If carried out after sunset, the product can be washed off with night dew. The optimum temperature for the procedure is +18 ° C.

You should also pay attention to the weather in the days following processing. If the forecast is rain, it is better to postpone the procedure until the next time. The precipitation will wash away the milky film, so the benefits of spraying will be reduced to zero.

Combination of foliar dressing with late blight treatment

Treatment with iodine solution will not only saturate the plants with the necessary components, but also protect against late blight... For the prevention of the disease, the usual recipe for spraying with milk is used.

Plants can be sprayed daily if the concentration of dairy products is increased. For 1 liter of water, you will need 1 liter of milk or whey. This solution will increase the growth of tomatoes and provide them with nutrition.

In the fight against late blight, a solution of iodine and milk is used for a month, spaced between treatments in 3 days. For preventive purposes, you can spray the beds once a quarter.

Useful Tips

Iodine has been used in the garden since Soviet times. During this time, gardeners figured out how to enhance its effect and during what period it cannot be used:

1. You can enhance the effect of the substance by preparing a solution based on it with the addition of 8-10 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium salt... Such feeding is considered complex. Its consumption will be much lower - instead of 1 liter, 400-500 ml can be poured under a bush.
2. The product stimulates the flowering of tomatoes... During this period, you can prepare a spray solution using iodine, boric acid, urea and humate.
3. Do not use iodine solution if less than 10 days have passed since the planting of the seedlings.
4. If iodine is used in plant nutrition, it is not necessary to add pharmaceutical preparations "Trichopol" and "Aspirin" to the solution for processing».
5. Iodine treatment can be alternated with boric acid and hydrogen peroxide... These funds should be used 4 days after iodine feeding.

Reviews of vegetable growers

The opinion of experienced summer residents about the use of iodine is ambiguous - many are satisfied with such feeding, but there are also those who have had negative experience with the use of this pharmaceutical product.

Opponents of iodine claim that it does not have a pronounced effect. And its use in the treatment of diseases can lead to an advanced form of the disease, when not a single chemical can save the plant.

Anna, 52 years old: “I use top dressing with iodine a week after planting. I try to choose a time when the earth dries up a little - so the plant receives not only iodine, but also water. "

Dmitry, 65 years old: “I noticed that one treatment with iodine is enough to protect plants from fungal and bacterial diseases. Spraying with iodine is a good preventive measure. "

Svetlana, 73 years old: “I have been using iodine for many years. This cheap pharmaceutical product increases the yield by 10%, and the tomatoes themselves are large and juicy. "

Conclusion

It is real to grow organic tomatoes without the use of chemicals! A budgetary pharmacy tool that helps more than one generation to grow a rich harvest has still not lost its relevance. When working with iodine, it is important not to exceed the proportion and carry out the processing in a timely manner. Iodine solutions can be used for seed disinfection, root, foliar treatment, disease and pest control. The tool helps to grow large, juicy fruits without much cost and effort.