Cucumber is one of the most popular vegetables among gardeners and farmers. In greenhouses, it is grown year-round, and in the open field it is able to produce two crops during a warm period. Good results can be obtained using universal fertilizer - urea. This top dressing helps in the cultivation of cucumbers.
What is urea supplementary nutrition for?
Urea (industrial name - urea) is a diamide of carbonic acid. It is a white, granular, odorless substance. The main component of urea is nitrogen (almost half of it in granules). From this it follows that this top dressing helps plants in growth and development. With the stable receipt of such an additive during the growth process, the cucumber bushes have a healthy appearance and bear fruit well.
Did you know? Urea can be produced by the human liver when ammonia is broken down. A urinalysis determines the content of this substance and helps diagnose impaired liver and urogenital system.
Growing cucumbers with urea fertilizer receive the necessary elements for the formation of powerful ovaries and the formation of large, high-quality fruits. During the fruiting period, urea supplementation should be stopped by switching to supplements of magnesium and potassium sulfate.
The pale color of the fruits and leaves of the bush indicates a lack of nitrogen and phosphorus recharge.
Urea Benefits
The benefits of this fertilizer for cucumbers are undeniable. In order for the plant to have a healthy appearance and enjoy a good harvest, the introduction of nitrogen fertilizing is simply necessary.
- Useful properties and qualities of this substance:
- when spraying does not cause burns to the leaves;
- quickly absorbed by plants;
- in dissolved form helps in pest control;
- increases crop yields;
- universally applicable - can be applied under the root of the granule or sprayed with an aqueous solution of foliage and stems.
Important! All the advantages of using urea can easily be turned into minuses if you do not follow the formula for the preparation of fertilizing or the instructions on the package of fertilizer.
The recipe for the solution
Basal top dressing is performed with a concentrated solution, which must be applied under the stem of the plant.
Liquid fertilizer for watering or spraying should be prepared in the following dosage:
- water - 10 l;
- urea - 15 g;
- superphosphate - 60 g.
For processing plant additives in the greenhouse, a slightly different composition is used.
Here is the recipe for how to dilute it:
- water - 10 l;
- urea — 15 g;
- superphosphate - 20 g;
- potassium chloride - 15 g.
When and how to process cucumbers with urea
Foliar irrigation, or spraying of foliage with an additive, can be carried out both in the form of a treatment for diseases, and in the form of prevention. In this case, it all depends on the concentration of fertilizer.
Did you know? Urea is useful not only for cucumbers, but also for human skin. A cream with this substance has a rejuvenating and moisturizing effect.
Disease treatment and protection
Urea is able to withstand the main pests of garden crops - aphids, weevils, coppers. To prepare a solution for protection against insects, you need to dissolve 0.5-0.7 kg of granules in 10 l of water. The resulting liquid must be sprayed with affected plants. The same drug is used to combat diseases, for example, gray rot, late blight, scab.
As a top dressing
Nitrogen fertilizer is used when sprouting on the first true leaf and before fruiting. Such top dressing must be prepared in accordance with the above recipes for open ground and for greenhouses coated with glass, film or polycarbonate. After watering the culture with a nutrient solution, it will be useful to sprinkle ash on the moist ground near the stem.
Precautionary measures
Urea is not toxic to humans. However, in some cases, it can cause rejection or an allergic reaction. Therefore, all manipulations with this fertilizer should be carried out in personal protective equipment - a plastic mask, a respirator, gloves. If the solution enters the mucous membrane of the eyes, rinse them with plenty of running water.
Storage containers with granules should be stored away from children, incapacitated adults, and food storage facilities. Unused pellets should be stored in carefully packaged form.
Important! After processing carbamide of vegetable beds of any area, it is necessary to ensure that they are not accessible to children, pets or casual passers-by.
So, processing cucumbers with urea will help to grow a good crop of these vegetables. If you do not exceed the norms for fertilizing the bushes with fertilizer, then the plant will delight you with delicious and crisp fruits for a long time.