Every plant needs nutrients to grow healthily and produce fruit. And then there are those who need a lot of it. The cucumber is also one of these so-called heavy feeders, which you should consider when choosing fertilizer and the frequency of application. The good news is that there are products on the market that are tailored to the needs of these plants so that you can provide your cucumber plants with everything they need. But in addition to this, you can also pamper the plants with some natural products. We'll show you what is suitable as cucumber fertilizer.
Which fertilizer for cucumbers?
Organic fertilizer is in any case the better choice because, depending on the material used, you get a long-term fertilizer (for coarser material) or an immediate fertilizer (for finer material or liquid fertilizer) as needed. This type of fertilizer improves soil quality because it nourishes the microorganisms and naturally loosens the soil. It would be particularly advantageous if you combined long-term and instant fertilizers to supply the plants immediately over a longer period of time.
Organic fertilizer for cucumbers – what should it contain?
If you want to fertilize cucumbers properly, it is important to know which nutrients the product should contain. On the one hand, potassium is important for cucumbers, which is why it should be contained in as high quantities as possible. This is important so that the fruits are supplied with enough water. It is also not uncommon for cucumbers to suffer from a magnesium deficiency, which is why you should make sure you get enough of them. The plant needs this trace element in order to be able to set fruit.
Can you fertilize cucumbers with tomato fertilizer?
Use special cucumber fertilizer or so-called complete fertilizer as a base. There aTomatoes, which are often found in home vegetable beds like cucumbers, are also heavy feeders and contain the same nutrientsneed, you can also use tomato fertilizer for cucumbers respectively. The same applies to vegetable fertilizer. They are also a very popular addition from the tradeHorn meal or horn shavings for tomatoes and cucumbers as a long-term fertilizer in combination with normal cucumber fertilizer.
Here you will finda recipe for homemade cucumber fertilizer made from various organic materials.
The variants listed below are also suitable for additional use on your tomato plants.
Make your own cucumber fertilizer using home remedies
There are natural products that you can find in the house, garden or nearby meadow that you can use to make your own fertilizer for cucumbers. However, keep in mind that none of them offers an optimal composition and should be combined or supplemented. You can consider the following cucumber fertilizers from home remedies.
Prepare your own nettle manure to combat pests and diseases
A home-made oneNettle manureis a wonderful product that you can give your cucumber plants in addition to normal cucumber fertilizer. It provides the plants with additional nutrients that strengthen them, which automatically makes them more robust against diseases and pests. It is advisable to dilute the nettle manure for cucumbers in a ratio of approximately 1:15 and then use it as irrigation water. If you only want to use the manure as fertilizer, you should also enrich it with stone dust to guarantee a good supply of potassium and magnesium. Calcium and manganese are also added to the fertilizer.
In addition to nettles, the following plants are also suitable if you want to make natural fertilizer for cucumbers:
- Beinwell
- Lungwort
- green manure plants
Simply leave a kilogram of the selected plants covered in 10 liters of water for a few days, ideally two to three weeks. As already mentioned, use the manure diluted.
How often do you apply nettle manure?
Once a week in addition to normal cucumber fertilizer is sufficient. You can use it as a liquid fertilizer for cucumbers by simply watering the plants.
Fertilize cucumbers with coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are a really popular home remedy when it comes to plant care and have actually been used for pest control and as a fertilizer. Not only the extremely important potassium is contained here in good quantities. Natural household waste also scores with a good content of phosphorus and nitrogen. However, the whole thing also comes with a disadvantage: coffee grounds have an acidic pH value, which affects the soil in the long term. This is so that you don't accidentally over-acidify itUse of this remedyonly recommended in moderation.
This means nothing other than that you should combine it with other organic materials and balance it out. For example, it is ideal for mulching by mixing it with lawn clippings. Over time it will gradually decompose and can slowly release its nutrients.
Natural cucumber fertilizer: what about the eggshells?
Although eggshells are very suitable as fertilizer for many plants, this is not the case with cucumbers, among others. If they are added directly to the plants, it can even harm them because they react sensitively to the lime. If you want to supply the plants with lime, it is better to work it into the still empty beds in the fall.
