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Gardeners plant potatoes on their plots to get a bountiful harvest. Of course, the choice of variety is critical. But tubers not prepared in a special way are not able to please vegetable growers. It is no secret that potatoes are attacked by pests during the entire vegetative period, and diseases do not bypass it.
Gardeners have a lot of secrets in store for preparing seed potatoes before planting. One way is to treat the tubers with copper sulphate.
The value of processing before planting
There are many ways of pre-sowing treatment of potato tubers, but their blind use will not work. Beginning vegetable growers should clearly understand the significance of the upcoming work, and not blindly follow the advice and recommendations:
- First of all, the preparation of tubers allows you to get up to 9 strong sprouts, which is at least 15 potatoes in each bush.
- Secondly, the processing of tubers saves a third of the crop from various potato diseases.
- Treatment with vitriol increases the vitality of the plant, stimulates the growth of stolons, therefore, potatoes will produce healthy root crops.
Physical properties of vitriol
It is a poisonous powdery blue substance. The healing properties of vitriol for humans and plants have long been known. The powder contains many small crystals that are highly soluble in water. It is dyed blue.
Video about the properties of vitriol:
Features of vitriol processing
The processing of potato tubers before planting does not begin with copper sulphate. Rather, they complete all the preparatory work.
How to prepare potatoes:
- Before treating the tubers with a solution of vitriol, the planting material is germinated. In a bright room under the influence of sunlight, the potato changes color, becomes green. This is already protection for future plantings from pests.
- But it is not yet the time to start treatment with copper sulfate. There are special products that stimulate plant growth. Processing with vitriol is carried out directly in containers where potatoes are germinated. You can make an extract from stove ash and spray the tubers.
- After 20-30 days, the sprouts become strong, green. There are 2-3 days left before landing. This is the time to treat potato tubers with a solution of vitriol.
The use of vitriol
During preplant preparation, it is important to treat seed potatoes from fungal diseases, late blight. Copper sulfate is the best remedy.
The solution can not be stored, it must be used after preparation no later than ten hours.
There are several options for using vitriol solution for processing potatoes. Let’s consider them in more detail.
First composition
You need to pour 10 liters of water into a bucket, add a teaspoon of powdered copper sulfate. The water will turn blue. Then the same amount of potassium permanganate and boric acid.
Sprouted tubers are carefully folded into a net so as not to damage the sprouts and dipped in the prepared solution for a quarter of an hour. While the tubers are raw, they are sprinkled with dry wood ash. She sticks well. This is a kind of additional fertilizer.
Second composition
This solution will require a matchbox of copper sulfate, one gram of potassium permanganate. They are dissolved in 10 liters of water. The solution can be sprayed on the tubers before planting or lowered into a bucket for a few minutes. You can also roll in the ashes.
Third squad
The next composition, which also processes the seed material, is more saturated. Apply it before preparing the tubers for germination. The presence of a fertilizer complex in combination with copper sulphate destroys possible potato diseases and gives strength for the full development of sprouts.
The solution consists of:
- 60 grams of superphosphate;
- 40 grams of urea;
- 5 grams of copper sulfate;
- 10 grams of boric acid;
- 1 gram of potassium permanganate;
- 10 liters of hot water.
Mix all ingredients. They dissolve well in hot water. When the solution has cooled, you need to lower the seed potatoes into it, let it stand for 30 minutes. After the tubers dry out, they are laid out for germination.
Bordeaux liquid
For the preparation of Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate is used. This solution can have different concentrations: it all depends on the application. For processing seed potatoes, a one percent composition is required.
To prepare the product, you will need 100 grams of vitriol, the same amount of quicklime per 10 warm water. The solution is prepared in two containers, dividing the water in half. Lime is quenched in one, blue powder is dissolved in the other.
This process is clearly visible in the photo.
Bordeaux liquid destroys:
- black scab;
- black leg;
- fungal diseases.
The Colorado potato beetle, the wireworm, does not like tubers treated with a solution.
Bordeaux liquid is a low-toxic drug, safe for humans.
How to process tubers before planting, many beginner gardeners are interested. Immediately before planting, the germinated potatoes are laid out in one layer on a large piece of cellophane and each tuber is simply sprayed. Work, of course, you need to wear protective clothing.
burgundy liquid
Unfortunately, with the advent of the latest chemicals, the s forgot about one effective remedy – Burgundy liquid. In addition to protection, it provides the treated plants with calcium.
For cooking, you will need ingredients available to every :
- powder vitriol – 100 grams;
- liquid soap – 40 grams. You can take laundry soap (an excellent antiseptic), grate it and pour water over it;
- soda ash – 90 grams.
The ingredients are designed for 10 liters of water. We split it in half. In one vessel, vitriol is diluted, in another soda and soap. The blue solution is poured into the soda solution. Treat seed potatoes with vitriol solution 7 days before planting.
Don’t forget about safety
Copper sulfate belongs to the third hazard class due to toxicity.
Before use, you must carefully read the instructions. It should be noted that there is no resistance – there is no addiction of plants to the drug.
When working with the drug, small children and animals should be removed from the premises. In addition, you can not eat food, smoke.
Personal protective equipment is needed. Try to cover all parts of the body, wear goggles over your eyes, use a protective mask. Rubber gloves should be worn when working with a solution of copper sulphate.
In no case should you dilute the solution of vitriol in the dishes that are used for cooking. After completing the work, you should thoroughly wash your hands with laundry soap, rinse your face. Since the solution evaporates, be sure to rinse your mouth and nasal cavity. You can’t wear work clothes.
In the room where pre-sowing processing of potatoes is carried out, it should not be higher than 25 degrees. If you work with blue vitriol on the street, choose calm weather.
If poisoned…
If, despite precautions, vapor poisoning does occur, you need to leave the room, breathe in fresh air. The mouth is rinsed, hands and face are washed. The help of a doctor in this case is necessary.
The solution is well absorbed into the skin, especially if the body is sweaty. If you accidentally splash liquid on your skin, you should immediately dilute the soap in warm water and thoroughly rinse the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe body. Washcloth is not recommended.
If a solution of copper sulfate is splashed into the eyes, they are washed with plenty of water to reduce the concentration of copper sulfate to a minimum.
If a person did not follow the rules for safe work with a solution of copper sulphate when processing potato tubers before planting, he worked without a protective mask, he can inhale toxic fumes. You need to get outside quickly.
A good antidote is cold milk, egg yolks. As an addition – activated carbon. First they drink milk or eggs, then coal. Plentiful drinking is required.
When contacting a medical institution, the doctor will conduct a complete examination and prescribe treatment. It is impossible to independently select medicines after poisoning with copper sulphate!