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

It may seem to novice gardeners that it is impossible to grow a rich, much less an early harvest, without the use of chemicals. However, experienced vegetable growers have been collecting organic tomatoes from their beds 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 iodine, how to prepare a solution for root and foliar treatment, what nuances should be taken into account when working with this product - you will learn all this from our article.

Benefits of iodine for tomatoes

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

Gardeners have long used 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 has a negative effect on the development of ovaries and the formation of fruits. Young plants especially need this element.

Signs of iodine deficiency

Substance deficiency can be recognized by the following manifestations:

• plants have thin stems;
• leaves are weak and limp;
• adult plants do not enter the fruiting stage;
• a small number of ovaries;
• delayed fruit ripening;
• mass destruction of seedlings by diseases - root rottenness, brown spotting, late blight and tobacco mosaic virus.

If the deficiency of the element is not eliminated, plants begin to suffer from decreased immunity and, as a result, the development of various diseases caused by pathogens. The product serves as an additional feeding soil, helps accelerate the growth of seedlings and helps save the crop 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 product is also known for its fungicidal properties: experienced summer residents use it both as a preventive measure for various diseases and to disinfect seeds before planting. It has been proven to help fight fungal and bacterial diseases of tomatoes.

Tomatoes actively react to aggressive iodine components. 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 vegetable growers use dairy products to enhance the effect. However, few people know that the aggressive components of the element destroy beneficial lactobacilli, so the benefit of adding whey and milk to the mixture is insignificant.

The only way dairy products help 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 on the leaves.

It has also been noted that a mixture of iodine and Fitosporin, popular among gardeners, is 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 a prevention and treatment of fungal diseases. Add 1 tbsp to 1 liter of warm water. milk and 5 drops of iodine. The mixture is suitable for treating the above-ground parts of the plant using a fine spray bottle. The procedure is carried out in the morning or evening, spraying all the tomato leaves.

Important! To prepare the solution, use 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 productivity and serve as protection against diseases.

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

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

Root feeding of tomatoes

It is important to choose the right time for root feeding. Seedlings especially need the element during the development period. The first iodine supplement is applied after the second pair of leaves appears on the plant. The soil is watered before the procedure.

Usually 1 liter of iodine supplement is enough for 1 plant. For low-growing varieties of tomatoes - 0.7 liters per bush.

Important! Cold water should not 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.Fertilizer is applied at the root when the top layer of soil dries out a little.
2. When plants become tasseled. The solution is prepared according to this recipe: for 10 liters of warm water you will need 3 drops of iodine.
3. During the fruiting period. Add 500 g of wood ash to 10 liters of boiling water, cool the mixture, then dilute it 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 chafer larvae are afraid of iodine. As a preventive measure, perennial plants are watered at the root with the following 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 cubes of iodine to 100 ml of warm milk with a syringe, dilute the mixture with 1 liter of water. Spray the leaves of plants with the solution. Preparations containing iodine are also effective, for example, a 10% solution of Farmayod.

Disinfection of seeds before planting

Processing of seed material has long become 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, improves 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 process tomatoes

Iodine is used for both root and foliar feeding; 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 transplantation, do not water the seedlings for one week;
• It is not recommended to water the beds in cool weather, as this promotes the development of fungal infections;
• water only at the roots, avoiding moisture getting on the leaves of the plant;
• It is preferable to water 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 °C.

How to spray seedlings with iodine? During the procedure, be careful - do not spray the solution in large drops, it is better to make the spraying misty. You cannot increase the concentration of iodine, otherwise it can lead to burns of the leaves.

Important! Excessive treatment with iodine leads to deformation of the clusters 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 should not be lower than +25 °C;
• processing is carried out in calm weather;
• When fruit sets, feeding with iodine is stopped;
• Before the first treatment, the soil is pre-watered with a solution with a weak concentration of iodine.

Important! Fertilizing should not get on the root collar of the tomato.

How to use in a greenhouse

Iodine is used to disinfect soil and greenhouse structures. Typically, treatment is carried out twice a year - after harvesting and before planting seedlings. Prevention against infectious agents can begin when the air warms up to +10 °C.

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

For disinfection, you can use the drug “Farmayod” - for 10 liters of water you will need 10 ml of the product. For 10 sq. m, 1 to 3 liters of solution is enough, depending on the diseases in the previous season. This solution can also be used to treat the soil before planting. If tomatoes suffered from late blight last season, the concentration of the drug is increased to 30 ml.

Iodine treatment in a greenhouse not only destroys late blight, but also reduces the number of thrips, nematodes and mites.

Spraying timing

Experienced summer residents spray the beds for the new month. During this period, the green mass absorbs nutrients as much as possible.

The first spraying is carried out 2 weeks after planting the seedlings. 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.

The treatment is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening in calm weather. Practice has shown that beneficial substances are better absorbed in the morning. If you carry out the procedure after sunset, the product may be washed away by night dew. The optimal temperature for the procedure is +18 °C.

It is also worth paying attention to the weather in the days following treatment. If there is rain in the forecast, it is better to postpone the procedure until next time. Precipitation will wash away the milk film, so the benefit of spraying will be reduced to zero.

Combination of foliar fertilizing with late blight treatment

Treatment with a solution containing iodine will not only saturate the plants with the necessary components, but also protect against late blight. To prevent the disease, use the usual recipe for spraying with milk.

You can spray the plants daily if you increase the concentration of dairy products. 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, with intervals between treatments of 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 should not 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. This type of feeding is considered comprehensive. Its consumption will be significantly lower - instead of 1 liter, you can pour 400-500 ml under the 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 seedlings were planted.
4. If iodine is used in plant nutrition, there is no need to add pharmaceutical drugs “Trichopol” and “Aspirin” to the treatment solution».
5. Treatment with iodine can be alternated with boric acid and hydrogen peroxide. These products should be used 4 days after iodine supplementation.

Reviews from vegetable growers

The opinions of experienced summer residents regarding the use of iodine are ambiguous - many are satisfied with this supplement, but there are also those who have had negative experiences with 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 no chemical preparations can save the plant.

Anna, 52 years old: “I use fertilizing with iodine a week after planting. I try to choose a time when the soil dries out a little - this way 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 means of prevention.”

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 turn out large and juicy.”

Conclusion

It’s possible to grow organic tomatoes without using chemicals! A budget pharmacy product that has helped more than one generation grow rich harvests has still not lost its relevance. When working with iodine, it is important not to exceed the proportions and carry out treatments in a timely manner. Iodine solutions can be used for seed disinfection, root and foliar treatment, and disease and pest control. The product helps to grow large, juicy fruits without much expense or effort.