How, when and what to feed pepper and tomato seedlings to get a rich harvest

Vegetables need not only comfortable conditions to grow, but also food. Immunity, productivity, speed of ripening and quality of fruits depend on the completeness of the diet and the timeliness of fertilizing. It is better to organize proper nutrition for the plant from young roots.

How and what to feed seedlings of peppers and tomatoes, what substances are required at different stages of “growing up” - we will tell you in this article.

What does fertilizing provide for tomato and pepper seedlings?

The soil does not always contain all the necessary microelements and nutrients for adequate nutrition of seedlings. Therefore, this deficiency is filled from the outside. Fertilizers also help increase crop yields, improve the taste of fruits, resist pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Timing and frequency of fertilizing

As soon as the peppers have two leaves, they begin feeding. Then they continue to fertilize every 7-10 days, and so on until transplanting into open ground. Before picking seedlings, the soil is “filled” with organic and mineral fertilizers.

The next feeding will be 1-2 weeks after planting - depending on the adaptation of young bushes. The better they develop, the sooner it is worth feeding them again.

Next stage - period of active bush growth. Then fertilizers are applied three more times: during flowering, during fruit set and in the active stage of fruiting. Two weeks before harvesting, stop any feeding.

Important! Feed the plants at least once a month and remember that each phase of development requires different elements, so one type of fertilizer is not enough.

How to feed seedlings of peppers and tomatoes

Let's take a closer look at the existing types of fertilizers.

Folk remedies

A common and favorite type of fertilizing is folk fertilizers. Their easy to prepare at home:

1. Yeast. An ideal option for feeding seedlings. Yeast makes the root system more powerful and tends to retain moisture in the soil. Therefore, you don’t have to worry if you forgot to water the plants. The seedlings will take root in the garden bed and grow faster, since yeast is a powerful growth stimulator. Use both fresh and dry yeast. We dilute fresh ones in a ratio of 200 g per 3 liters of water and leave for 3 hours. Then we dilute one part of this concentrate with 10 parts of water and immediately apply it to the soil. Dry yeast: dilute two bags in a bucket of warm water, adding 0.3 tbsp. l. Sahara. We insist for 3 hours. Before applying to the soil, dilute it in a ratio of 1:5.
2. Iodine. This readily available fertilizer will not only speed up fruit ripening, but also increase yield. Also feeding with iodine will help in the fight against the development of fungal diseases of the plant. It’s easy to prepare the solution: dilute 2 drops of iodine in 1 liter of water. You can immediately water the seedlings.
3. Coffee grounds suitable for enriching the soil with nitrogen and other microelements before sowing seeds. Just mix it with soil.
4. Banana peel. It contains potassium, which is necessary at almost all stages of growth of tomatoes and peppers. The peels are simply buried in the holes, or an infusion is prepared: take the peels of 2-3 bananas per 3 liters of water and leave for 3 days.
5. Ash. The ash contains a high content of microelements and improves the taste of the fruit.Use it dry, pour it into holes, or prepare an infusion (a glass of ash in a bucket of water). It is important that the ash is from clean wood that has not been painted.
6. Bird droppings. 1.5 kg is diluted in a bucket of water and left for 5 days. Then potassium permanganate can be added to the solution.
7. eggshells used when picking seedlings. Place it on the bottom of the pots as drainage, or make an infusion: take half a bucket of shells in a bucket of water and infuse for 3 days.
8. Onion peel. Useful in pest control. It is used both in the form of an infusion (10 g of husk per 1 liter of water, leave for 5 days) and in dry form (bury in the soil or spread under bushes).

It can be useful:

How to feed tomatoes with boric acid, iodine and ash

Spraying tomatoes with milk with iodine and boric acid

Spraying tomatoes with iodine serum

Purchased fertilizers

Ready-made mineral fertilizers are available in any specialized store. Here are some proven remedies:

1. "Ideal". It contains nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, humic acids (easily digestible trace element compounds). Used mainly on acidic and slightly acidic soils. “Ideal” accelerates the growth of green mass, increases soil fertility, protects plants from diseases and improves their immunity.
2. "Kemira-Lux". Suitable for feeding at the fruiting stage. The composition is dominated by potassium - the main element for the development and ripening of fruits.
3. "Orton Micro-Fe". It contains microelements such as iron, boron, zinc, manganese, etc. They are used for spraying bushes at an early stage. Protects against fungal diseases, enhances photosynthesis.
4. Mixture "GUMI Kuznetsova". Designed for spraying and watering seedlings.The composition is dominated by humates (60%), the rest are micro- and macroelements. Accelerates the growth of green mass, strengthens the root system, makes the bushes thicker, stronger, and resistant to diseases.
5. "Crystalon". It contains the main trio of elements - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as sulfur, copper, molybdenum, boron. An important nuance is the absence of chlorine in the composition, which makes the drug more natural and safe. There are several types of “Kristalon” for each stage of plant development.

Read the purpose and composition on the packaging and follow the instructions.

During what period what fertilizers should I use?

Fertilizing is alternated to obtain a better harvest.. Let’s figure out which of the above should be added to the soil in what period.

At the beginning of seedling growth and until planting in open ground or greenhouse Peppers and tomatoes require three essential elements: phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) and potassium (K). They help seedlings take root and develop faster. For this period, a ready-made NKP mixture is suitable.

During flowering and fruit set, bushes need potassium and phosphorus, but it’s better to give up nitrogen - it’s time to use organic fertilizers.

At the fruiting stage, the last feeding is carried outto speed up the ripening and improve the taste of vegetables. Necessary elements: boron, manganese, potassium and iodine.

How to apply fertilizers correctly

If you do not comply with certain fertilizer conditions, you can get the opposite result.. For example, a bush will develop well, but at the same time devote all its energy to greenery, and the fruits will never ripen.

To avoid this, follow the rules:

1. When feeding seedlings, make sure that the fertilizer does not get on the leaves. Try to fertilize the plant at the root.In case of contact with leaves, wash them with water.
2. In the period between fertilizing, the soil is loosened.
3. The soil is moistened before applying fertilizer.
4. Before application, the prepared solutions are slightly heated to a warm state.
5. It is best to apply fertilizer to the soil in the morning so that the soil remains dry at night. Otherwise, fungal diseases may develop.

Read also:

Why treat tomatoes with brilliant green and iodine?

How to feed peppers in open ground for growth and thickness

Advice from experienced vegetable growers

A few simple tips from practitioners that will help you reap a rich harvest:

1. Peppers don't like fresh cow manure, so don't overdo it when preparing your beds.
2. After preparing the eggshell solution, place it to infuse next to the seedlings. This will also have a beneficial effect on the ripening of the bushes.
3. If pepper leaves curl, this indicates a lack of potassium in the soil.
4. It is better to slightly underfeed the bushes than to overfeed them. Excess fertilizers can only do harm.

Conclusion

Treat growing and feeding peppers and tomatoes with love. Follow the seedlings and bushes at every stage, and they themselves will tell you how to act.

If the seedlings are strong, green, the fruits are beautiful, plump and without damage, then there are enough nutrients in the soil and there is no need to feed them. If you don’t like something about the appearance of plants, read our article and follow the advice. And then, even without experience, you will grow a large harvest of healthy and tasty vegetables.