Composition for spraying tomatoes with iodine. How to properly prepare a solution and treat tomatoes with iodine against late blight

Successful ways to combat tomato late blight concern almost all gardeners. Spraying plantings with solutions of milk with iodine is a practical and reliable folk method that is used not only for the prevention, but also for the treatment of this disease.

Iodine is essential for all living things. This is a microelement with the help of which plants better absorb nitrogen compounds from the soil - one of the most important for their nutrition and development.

The need for iodine is different for all vegetables. But it is tomatoes that need such fertilizing, especially if the soil of the site is podzolic, peaty or gray soil, in which this substance is insufficient.

The main advantage of iodine is its antibacterial and antiseptic effect. Disinfecting, destroying fungi and microorganisms, it:

  • enhances the resistance of tomatoes to diseases;
  • increases the shelf life of the crop;
  • fights the appearance of rot.

Iodine is effective against many infections, but most importantly, it can prevent and in some cases control the development of late blight, a disease that can destroy a significant portion of the tomato crop.

In tomatoes, thanks to iodine:

  • the ovaries are actively developing;
  • productivity increases;
  • the crop ripens faster;
  • healthy fruits grow.

If you treat tomato seeds with a 0.1% iodine solution, the risk of infection of future plants will be significantly reduced. Iodine helps tomato seeds germinate quickly, and seedlings develop fully and take root well after transplantation.

To protect tomatoes from infection, before transplanting, the soil is spilled with water with the addition of iodine - 3 drops per bucket. In some cases, a stronger solution is used - a drop of iodine per 3 liters of water.

You can periodically place open vials of iodine solution in the greenhouse. This will maintain the required concentration of vapors of this substance in the air.

The presence of a sufficient amount of iodine in ripe tomatoes also has a beneficial effect on human health. Therefore, an aqueous solution of iodine (5 drops per liter) is periodically applied as a fertilizer under the root of each bush.

Treatment and feeding with iodine solutions - subject to the required concentration - are safe for both vegetation and people.

After preparation, the iodine solution is used immediately, since this substance evaporates easily.

The importance of milk feeding

Milk contains almost all the minerals necessary for plant life:

  • calcium and potassium;
  • phosphorus and sulfur;
  • magnesium and sodium;
  • phosphates and chlorides.

Dairy products contain a lot of amino acids that help the rapid growth of stems, leaves and fruits.

Under the influence of milk feeding:

  • nutrients are more actively absorbed;
  • the taste of fruits improves;
  • The acid-base balance of the soil is leveled.

A milk solution sprayed on the leaves prevents the spread of bacteria. Kefir, yogurt, and whey are even more effective. The fact is that fungal spores die in an acidic environment.

As they decompose, dairy products become organic fertilizer for tomato bushes and ripening fruits.

You should not take milk that does not sour for a long time even in the refrigerator, because the desired effect from processing with such a product will not be obtained. Raw milk contains the most beneficial ingredients. But pasteurized dairy products, although they lose some of the necessary properties during processing, are also effective in use.

Whey has a very beneficial effect on tomatoes. It is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3 and sprayed on tomato bushes in pure form or with the addition of grated laundry soap. This composition does not drain from the leaves longer, maintaining a protective film.

Whey is formed during the separation process of sour milk. The process can be speeded up by heating the curdled milk over low heat.

Milk with iodine

By combining milk with iodine to fight fungi and microorganisms, gardeners several times increase the effectiveness of each of these substances taken separately. During treatment, the treated plants become protected from viral diseases.

A mixture of milk and iodine repels tomatoes and some pests, such as aphids.

For tomatoes, spraying with this solution is absolutely harmless. The gardener carrying out this work does not need protective equipment, and the soil is not contaminated with pesticides.

Cooking recipes and proportions

It is better to treat with milk and iodine regularly throughout the season.

Milk-iodine fertilizer is especially useful in July, when plants require amino acids to grow.

Three-stage feeding for strengthening tomatoes:

  1. The grown seedlings are watered once with a warm solution: a bucket of settled water, 15 drops of iodine, a liter of milk (yogurt). Only pour on the ground, not on the sprouts.
  2. Re-fertilize after planting on the site with a stronger solution: add 10 drops of iodine and a liter of milk (yogurt) to half a bucket of water. This is done no earlier than 10 days after planting, but before flowering begins, pouring about half a liter of the composition under the bush.
  3. As the fruit begins to ripen, this solution can be added to other fertilizers twice a week.

During the summer, it is useful to spray tomatoes every 2 weeks with the following mixture:

  • water - 10 l;
  • iodine tincture - 15 drops;
  • milk - 1 l.

Everything is thoroughly mixed and applied to the leaves and fruits using a spray bottle.

Spraying with unpasteurized whey:

  • warm water - 9 l;
  • whey - 1 l;
  • iodine - 20 drops.

To enhance the effect, you can add a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide to this mixture.

The following composition is effective for combating microorganisms and feeding:

  • milk - 1 l;
  • iodine - 15 drops;
  • water - 4 l.

This is the norm for one tomato bush.

How to properly process tomatoes

After planting tomatoes in a greenhouse, they need to be given time to adapt, so iodine-based products are used no earlier than 10–14 days later.

In the future, you should adhere to the following rules:

  • Tomatoes need to be processed regularly once every 2 weeks;
  • any actions with solutions containing iodine are carried out after preliminary watering of the soil;
  • do this in dry weather strictly in the morning or evening, when the sun has not yet risen high or has already begun to fall;
  • spraying can only be done in calm weather;
  • in a greenhouse such compositions are used less often than in open areas;
  • After working with water and its solutions, the greenhouse must be ventilated.

The optimal air temperature when working with such solutions is 18–20 degrees.

Prevention of late blight

Phytophthora is a fungus that causes the death of tomatoes. The disease develops towards the end of summer, when the air becomes cool and humid and night temperatures drop below +10 degrees. If measures are not taken, the disease will spread to all tomato bushes, the tomatoes will turn black and become inedible.

To prevent late blight disease, and even more so when its first signs appear, tomatoes are sprayed every evening for 10 days with the following composition:

  • whey - 1 l;
  • iodine - 40 drops;
  • hydrogen peroxide - 1 tbsp. l.

At the initial stage of late blight disease, use a solution:

  • water temperature 20 degrees;
  • iodine - 40 drops;
  • whey - 1 l;
  • hydrogen peroxide - 20 ml.

To obtain a more acidic solution, you can make a mixture without water:

  • iodine - 10 drops;
  • milk (yogurt, whey) - half a liter.

You can spray weekly with kefir:

  • water - bucket;
  • iodine - 10 drops;
  • kefir (rested for a day in a warm place) - 1 liter.

The action of this mixture will prevent harmful microbes from developing.

A three-step method of protecting tomatoes from late blight:

  1. The first time the ground under the tomato bushes is watered with a solution: warm water - 10 liters, sour milk - half a liter, iodine - 2 ml. Half a liter of this composition is applied under the plant.
  2. After 2 weeks, take the same amount of iodine for the same amount of water, but 1 liter of milk. And more solution is already poured under the bush - a liter.
  3. Half a bucket of solution is left for spraying. To do this, it is diluted with an equal amount of water. Treatment is carried out immediately.

A method tested by many gardeners for processing tomatoes growing in film greenhouses:

  • warm water - a bucket;
  • milk (whey) - 1 l;
  • iodine - 20 drops;
  • boric acid - 5 g (pre-dissolve in a glass of water).

It is better to spray tomato bushes twice, with a break of 2 weeks.

If signs of late blight appear, to achieve the maximum therapeutic effect, tomatoes are treated with a solution of milk with iodine every 3 days for a month.

Sometimes spraying with iodine needs to be done daily. This is especially true in rainy weather for tomatoes planted in open ground, since in such weather milk and iodine are quickly washed off from the leaves and fruits.

If the tomatoes are healthy, and it seems that there are no prerequisites for diseases, the tomatoes should still be processed for prevention. And it’s better to do this every month.

Fermented milk products prevent the development of most viruses and fungi that affect the tomato crop. In combination with iodine, this mixture not only has a preventive effect, but also fights the disease that has already begun.

To increase the productivity of garden plants, not only well-known fertilizers are used. Microdoses of the most common drugs used in everyday life can make a significant contribution to the success of growing many crops. For example, iodine tincture has a positive effect on the vital activity of tomatoes and their productivity.

Why and when do you need to treat tomatoes with iodine?

A lack of iodine in the soil negatively affects tomato yields in regions where there is not enough heat and sunlight, but this element is also useful in other situations. We can talk not only about unprotected soil, but also about greenhouse cultivation of vegetables. Micro amounts of iodine support the vitality of plants throughout their life: from growing seedlings to fully ripening the crop.

Already at the seedling stage for tomatoes, it is worth sacrificing a few drops of pharmaceutical iodine tincture

Timely spraying of tomatoes with weak iodine solutions helps:

  • increased growth of bushes;
  • increase in green mass, including leaves necessary for plant nutrition;
  • accelerating crop ripening;
  • enlargement of fruits.

In addition, the use of iodine protects tomatoes from many diseases and pests. At the same time, experienced gardeners use iodine tincture when preparing seedlings, believing that they grow stronger and more stress-resistant. During the life of the bushes in the beds, iodine is used several times over the summer, the first time a couple of weeks after planting the seedlings, the last time in mid-August. However, if no obvious signs of iodine deficiency are noticed, this should be truly “symbolic” feeding, using very small doses of the element.

  • At the same time, there are situations when the urgent use of iodine in the beds is urgently needed, for example:
  • seemingly unreasonable decrease in yield;
  • delay in the onset of fruiting;
  • sickly appearance of the bushes, their weakness;

infection with mosaic, brown spot or late blight.

Iodine treatment is often used for preventive purposes and for seeds before sowing them for seedlings.

Video: iodine to speed up the ripening of tomatoes

How to feed tomatoes with iodine

To feed tomatoes, use very weak aqueous solutions of iodine. Fortunately, iodine, both crystalline and in the form of a readily available alcohol tincture, is perfectly soluble in water (at least in the required doses: potassium iodide is also added to obtain concentrated aqueous solutions). When feeding seedlings, take just a drop of pharmaceutical tincture into a three-liter jar of water; for the first time in the garden, tomatoes are fed with a slightly more concentrated solution, but still we are talking about only a few drops.

Relatively strong solutions are used at the stage of fruit ripening and when diseases occur. So, if events go well, when the first tomatoes turn red, a concentrated solution is prepared. 10 g of boric acid and 10 ml of iodine tincture are dissolved in a liter of warm ash infusion. Then let it sit for a day and immediately before use, this solution is diluted with water 10 times. Such a strong solution is only suitable for root feeding. When late blight appears, iodine is added to more complex formulations.

Iodine is included in complex solutions for treatment, including those based on whey

During the fruiting period, not only root fertilizing is used, but also spraying the plants with a spray bottle.

For foliar feeding, 1 liter of water is mixed with 200–250 ml of low-fat milk and 5 drops of iodine tincture are added. At the same time, the consumption is relatively small: to spray a bed with an area of ​​10 m2, 1.5–2 liters of working solution are enough. Spraying is carried out in the morning or evening.

Tomatoes are grown in open and closed ground at their summer cottage. This crop is very popular among Russian gardeners, as many want to enjoy fresh, natural tomatoes. During rainy periods, this plant is often affected by late blight. Instead of dangerous chemicals, ordinary iodine from a pharmacy will help in the fight against the disease. Means for combating late blight on tomatoes are prepared from a 5% iodine solution

. It looks like a red-brown liquid with a characteristic odor. The product is used for external use and is sold in 10 ml dark glass bottles.

Prices for the solution vary, depending on the manufacturing company and the policy of the pharmacy chain. On average, it can be purchased for 9-55 rubles.:

  • The product has the following effects
  • antiseptic;
  • antimicrobial;
  • annoying;

bactericidal. Iodine is used to treat the skin for inflammatory and infectious lesions, wounds and cuts. Often.

the solution is taken orally to prevent atherosclerosis

Mechanism of action

Iodine has an antiseptic effect; when it gets on the foliage of plants, it forms iodamines, which destroy fungi that cause late blight.

When to start using?

It is important to start treating tomatoes as quickly as possible, then you will be able to get rid of the disease in a short time without losing the plant.

  • elongated dark brown spots and stripes on the shoots and petioles of bushes;
  • grayish-brown spots on the foliage;
  • brownish-white hard spots on fruit;
  • the flowers turn black and gradually dry out.

The disease begins to spread throughout the tomatoes from the lower tiers of foliage, rising higher and higher. During dry periods, the affected parts of the bushes dry out, and during wet periods they rot.

How to dilute - preparing the solution

A standard solution is prepared and used according to the following procedure:

  1. 5-10 drops of iodine are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
  2. The product is immediately used for spraying plantings; it cannot be stored for a long time.
  3. The resulting volume is enough to process 1 hundred square meters.

How to process it correctly?

Processing rules:

  1. Choose a dry and calm day.
  2. Remove all affected leaves, remove bushes that can no longer be saved, and burn.
  3. In the morning or evening, prepare the solution and start spraying the plantings.
  4. Repeat the procedure after another 4 days.
  5. For preventive purposes, spraying can be done once every 2-3 weeks.

With wood ash

To prepare this product, mix:

  • water – 10 l;
  • wood ash – 250 g;
  • iodine – 10 drops.

Before treatment, plants are watered abundantly with warm, settled water. This must be done so that the active solution, absorbed into the soil, does not burn the roots of the tomatoes.

The prepared “medicine” is watered on the ground in the circle of bushes around the trunk. I use about 0.5 liters of product per plant. Iodine will disinfect the soil and destroy fungal spores, and the ash will nourish the crop with useful microelements, strengthen the immune system and increase resistance to disease.

With dairy products

Milk and dairy products contain large amounts of microelements that plants need for healthy growth and fruit formation. Drinks create an impermeable film on the surface of leaves and shoots, so the fungi die due to lack of oxygen. And lactic acid bacteria speed up the process by infecting spores.

Use one of the solution preparation options:

  1. Combine a liter of whey with 40 drops of iodine, add 15 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide and dilute in a bucket of water.
  2. Pour a liter of skim milk and 20 drops of iodine into 10 liters of water, then mix thoroughly.
  3. Add half a liter of kefir, yogurt or sour milk to a bucket of water along with 10 drops of iodine.

Spray the plantings thoroughly with one of the solutions so that the composition gets onto all parts of the plants. The procedure can be performed once every 10-14 days.

It is better to use natural farm products. They will show higher efficiency than store-bought milk.

Greenhouse treatment

Many gardeners think about the likelihood of late blight in advance and, for the sake of prevention, treat greenhouses with iodine solution. The same product can be used to spray a greenhouse if the disease does appear.

Mode of application:

  1. 60 drops of iodine are diluted in 20 liters of water.
  2. Half of the solution is sprayed on the walls of the greenhouse, and the soil is treated with the remaining volume.
  3. One procedure is enough, but if the damage is severe, you can repeat it 2-3 more times with an interval of 2 weeks.

Priming

Iodine can damage the root system of plants, so soil treatment is usually done before planting (2-3 weeks before) or after harvesting, at the stage of autumn preparation of the bed.

For prevention:

  1. Dilute 10 drops of iodine in a bucket of water.
  2. Water the soil generously and dig up.

The procedure is best carried out in sunny and dry weather.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any product, iodine-based solutions to combat late blight have their advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

  • safe for humans, the environment and pets;
  • when used correctly, it gives decent results;
  • low cost;
  • easy to prepare;
  • does not contain hazardous chemicals.

Flaws:

  • less effective than commercial fungicides;
  • may harm people with hypersensitivity to its components.

Precautionary measures

Iodine belongs to hazard class 2, it is toxic and flammable, but can only cause harm in higher concentrations than the solution available in pharmacies.

However, it is worth understanding that the product has an irritating effect:

  • on the respiratory tract;
  • eyes;
  • mucous membranes;
  • skin (causes cauterization and dermatitis).

For protection when preparing and using iodine-based mixtures, it is enough to use gauze bandages and rubber gloves.

After what time can you harvest tomatoes?

Iodine disintegrates quickly and is not dangerous in small concentrations. Therefore, you can harvest and eat it immediately after processing. In addition, such the procedure will disinfect the skin of tomatoes, which will extend their shelf life.

For prevention

Gardeners often use the compositions discussed above for preventive purposes. They increase the resistance of tomatoes to various diseases, repel pests and nourish the sprouts with useful substances.

Treatment is carried out once every 3 weeks or only after planting; the soil and greenhouse are treated before placing the crop.

What to replace?

There are remedies similar to iodine in the principle of action. These include:

  • mustard powder;
  • hydrogen peroxide;
  • potassium permanganate.

These components can replace iodine in some recipes, as they fight pathogenic fungi in a similar way and also have a disinfectant effect.