Use of boric acid for plants: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other crops

Boric acid for plants in the garden and in the garden is used as an algicide, fungicide, herbicide and insecticide. This means that boron damages many types of pests, weeds, fungi, and mold. In addition, the compound promotes the formation of ovaries in tomatoes, cucumbers and other plants.

The effect of boric acid on plants

Boric acid is a unique fertilizer that solves many problems in the care of cultivated plants. In low concentration, the acid acts as a nutrient.

Properties

Boric acid and sodium borate salts are pesticides that can be found in many foods. These compounds contain boron, oxygen and hydrogen. Boric acid crystals are white, odorless and almost tasteless. The substance looks like fine table salt or baby powder.

Borates is a general term for boron compounds such as borax and boric acid. They are mined from dry salt lakes of deserts and arid regions (Death Valley, California, Turkey, China) and other regions that are rich in similar deposits (Andes Mountains in South America).

Effect

Boron is a trace element necessary for plant growth... Without enough boric acid in the soil, plants may appear healthy but won't flower or bear fruit. Water, organic composition and soil structure are factors that affect the amount of boron in the soil.

Boron controls the transport of sugars in plants. The concentration of boron in the soil is negligible, but among micronutrients, boron deficiency in plants is the most widespread. Over-watering reduces the boron concentration in the soil by leaching nutrients from the roots.

Important! A high concentration of boron in the soil is toxic to plants.

What does boron deficiency and excess lead to?

The first signs of boron deficiency in plants are manifested in growth and development: the leaves turn yellow, the growing shoots wither. The fruits, which is especially noticeable, for example, on strawberries, become bumpy and deformed. The yield is falling.

When the level of boric acid in the soil is too high, a burn of the lower leaves occurs, marginal necrosis occurs, the leaves are taken out and fall off.

Application for vegetables

Toxic in high doses, boric acid can kill insects, fungi and weeds, making it an ideal tool for gardeners.

Pepper

Peppers are fed with boron acid, watered at the root, but only when signs of a lack of a trace element have become noticeable. Boron strengthens the roots of peppers: they grow faster, develop, give strength for the growth of young shoots. Boron is used as an antiseptic: it prevents root decay in high humidity.

Attention! To avoid boron deficiency, start seed treatment before planting. The seeds are soaked in a boric acid solution for a day, and then planted in the ground.

Treatment with boric acid and potassium permanganate protects peppers from damage late blight... As a preventive measure, in mid-June, they are sprayed with potassium permanganate, after 7 days the plants are treated with a boron solution (1 tsp per bucket of water), and after a week they are sprayed with iodine solution. Such measures will protect pepper and other plants from late blight until the end of summer.Preferably, the boric acid spray treatment of the pepper is carried out several times during the ripening of the fruit.

Tomatoes

Experienced gardeners know that tomatoes do not need more top dressingif planted correctly. However, even if you apply fertilizer when planting seedlings, it is not possible to control the boron content in the soil.

If tomatoes planted in open ground lack boron:

• the leaves will lose their normal color, although the top of the plant will still be green;
• dark streaks will appear on the leaves, the leaves will gradually curl up;
• the stem of the tomatoes will become brittle;
• stains will appear on the fruit.

Cucumbers

Spraying cucumbers with boric acid not only increases ovaries, but also helps to avoid color fading. To prepare the solution, mix 10 g of boric acid and 2 g of potassium permanganate in a bucket of hot water. Processing is carried out at the beginning of flowering. If you add 40 drops of iodine, you get an excellent remedy for the prevention of bacterial diseases.

Other benefits of using boric acid solution for cucumbers:

• strengthens the plant;
• increases the amount of sugar;
• protects against parasites.

Application in the garden

Boric acid is recommended as a home remedy for ants and silverfish and as a herbicide in the garden. Boron is necessary for the growth of fruit trees and shrubs, but only in small quantities. Excessive fertilization is toxic to plants and will remain in the soil for a long time.

The boric acid solution is sprayed twice during the growing season. The last processing is performed to increase the sugar in the fruits, this will improve their taste. The solution is prepared in a proportion of 10 g of substance per 10 l of water. Depending on the culture, the concentration may vary. It is advisable to perform the procedure in the evening to avoid burns on the leaves.

For preventive purposes, spraying the crown is recommended at the beginning of flowering, then the procedure is repeated after a week. Treatment solution prepared at the rate of 20 g of powder per 10 liters of water.

Attention! Using a small amount of boric acid in the garden will benefit apple, cherry, pear. But over-application will reduce the quality of the soil and may interfere with plant growth for several years.

How to properly prepare a solution

To make the solution useful for plants, adhere to the established proportions and follow safety rules.

Proportions

Mix boric acid powder, sugar and water: 2 tbsp. l. boric acid and 2 glasses of sugar for each glass of water. Sugar will attract insect pests, including ants and cockroaches, while boric acid will kill them.

Advice! Use hot water to dissolve the acid quickly.

Recipes

Boron has disinfectant properties. In the fight against late blight, gardeners use an antiseptic solution to treat bushes: 10 g of the drug are dissolved in 10 liters of hot water and add 20 drops of iodine... The solution is sprayed onto the stems and leaves.

Folk remedies will saturate the plants with potassium and help get rid of bacterial and putrefactive diseases such as black leg, root rot. Take 2 g of boric acid, 1 tbsp. l. urea, 2 g of potassium permanganate, half a glass of ash, dilute in 10 liters of water and water the plants. Potassium permanganate will help sterilize the soil from the harmful flora, ash deoxidizes the soil well.

How to properly spray plants

Boron in horticulture is used to accelerate the growth of vegetable crops and increase germination. It is recommended to place the seeds in a gauze bag before planting and soak them in a boric acid solution for 2 days at the rate of 0.2 g per 1 liter of hot water.

Step-by-step instruction

The spraying time depends on the characteristics of the pathogens, the nature of the disease, the phase of plant development and weather conditions. For 1 m2, 1 liter of solution is used. Procedure:

1. Before spraying plants with boric acid solution, make sure it is non-toxic.
2. Spray the plants at a distance of 20 cm by smoothly moving the spray bottle.
3. In the process of spraying, monitor the homogeneity of the solution, stirring it periodically
4. Make sure that the solution covers the entire area evenly - stem, foliage and fruit.

Precautions

When preparing a solution, it is important to follow safety rules:

• do not carry out the procedure for preparing the solution and spraying without rubber gloves;
• spray plants with a spray bottle;
• the plant may die from hypothermia, so make sure that the water temperature is not below 20-24 ° C;
• do not spray plants in direct sunlight, as water can quickly burn the foliage of the plant;
• do not spray plants during flowering.

Frequency and abundance of processing

The first spraying is done at the time of bud formation. The second spraying is carried out in the phase of maximum flowering of the plants. It is important that during this period the spraying is not abundant. The third spraying occurs at the time of mass fruiting.

If the concentration of boric acid is too high (more than 10 mg per 1 liter), then the solution may harm the plant. This is because the absorption of boron by plants is not controlled.

Advice from summer residents with experience

Experienced gardeners use boric acid for different purposes and give recommendations:

1. Boric acid is added during the growth of vegetables, because boron is not transferred to new shoots.
2. If the soil is swampy, with a high carbonate content, supplementation with boric acid is required.
3. For use in the garden, it is better to buy boric acid at a pharmacy or a specialty store for gardeners. The technical boric acid for pickling cockroaches or cleaning glass is not cleaned sufficiently. It contains substances harmful to the plant.

Boric acid in the garden is introduced throughout the vegetative process, since it is not transmitted from the grown stems to young ones and constantly requires renewal. Plants on swampy soils with a high carbonate content especially need boron. The element is required in soil with high acidity after deoxidation with lime or other alkaline substances.

Conclusion

Use acid in the right amount - excess can damage the plant. With the correct application of boric acid solution, the yield can be increased several times. Boron is ideal for spraying and root feeding. It is important not to neglect the safety rules during the preparation of the solution and spraying.