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Growing cucumbers in your home garden is a joy – crisp, juicy fruits are the reward for daily care. However, to make sure cucumbers grow healthily, flower abundantly and bear fruit well into autumn, it’s worth giving them more than just plain water. A proven solution is natural fertilizer that you can easily prepare yourself from ordinary ingredients.
This simple home recipe will ensure your cucumbers are strong, with firm roots, resistant to stress and diseases. And most importantly – they’ll supply you with a harvest even until the first frosts.
Why choose a natural fertilizer from nettles and dandelions?
- It contains nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and other trace elements that support the growth of green mass and fruit setting.
- It improves soil structure and supports the activity of beneficial microorganisms, which is key for a rich harvest.
- It helps increase plants’ resistance to diseases, heat stress and short-term water shortages.
Moreover, it’s a completely natural fertilizer, chemical-free, and almost free – you can find everything around your house or in a meadow.
What you’ll need?
- 1 larger container (approx. 20 l)
- Fresh nettles – you can pick them with your bare hands
- Dandelion parts – leaves, stems and flowers
- 10 tablespoons of granular manure
- Water at a temperature of approx. 50–60 °C
How to prepare the natural fertilizer?
- Fill the container two-thirds full with chopped nettles and dandelions.
- Add 10 tablespoons of granular manure and mix well.
- Top up with warm water, stir and let stand for 5–7 days, stirring occasionally.
- As soon as the mixture ferments and darkens, strain it through a sieve and store it in the shade.
The concentrate prepared this way is a ready-made home elixir for cucumbers (but you can also use it for tomatoes, zucchinis or pumpkins).
How and when to use this infusion?
- Dilution: 1 liter of infusion to 10 liters of water.
- Watering: only to the roots (never on the leaves), about 2 liters per plant.
- Frequency: every 10 days.
Thanks to this, the plant will maintain its vitality and will bear fruit until autumn.
Tips for maximum success
- Harvest cucumbers regularly, every day or every other day. The plant continues to set new flowers and fruits.
- Water preferably in the morning or evening, when there’s a lower risk of leaf burn.
- Remove damaged or older leaves – you’ll improve air circulation and reduce the risk of fungal diseases.
- Cover the soil under the cucumbers with mulch – it helps retain moisture and limits weeds.
Why does this homemade preparation work?
- Nettles and dandelions provide nitrogen and minerals for the green mass and flowers.
- Granular manure enriches the soil with phosphorus and potassium, key for fruit formation.
- The fermenting process additionally activates the microflora that cares for a healthy environment in the root zone.
Conclusion: a healthy home garden without chemicals
Using this natural fertilizer every 10 days will ensure your cucumbers grow literally like they’re on water – deep green, juicy and tasty. And you can enjoy a plentiful harvest well into late autumn.
Forget artificial fertilizers and try this home recipe. Your cucumbers, and indeed your entire home garden, will thank you for it.
