To obtain a rich crop of plants need to provide the necessary minerals in time. But today, not everyone can afford to buy ready-made complex fertilizers, which is why we have to remember about cheap, long-known, but forgotten drugs. And one of them is boric acid.
The benefits and harm of boric acid
Cucumbers are particularly acutely affected by a shortage of soil boron in dry periods. To identify the lack of this element is quite easy by inspecting plants and fruits.
With a shortage of boron, the plants develop poorly, there are few flowers and ovaries, the young leaves become dense, and their edges are wrapped down, cork-like spots are visible on the fruits. If the boron deficiency is large, then there is a fall of flowers and ovary, and the roots have an orange color.
Important! In addition to all the obvious problems caused by boron deficiency, cucumber resistance to fungal diseases, such as dry rot, bacteriosis, and brown rot, is significantly reduced.
If you find even two of the above symptoms in your cucumber bed you need to help the plants and provide them with the missing substance. 
Boric acid for plants with the right dosage will bring indisputable benefits:
- It will be better to develop the root system.
- The intensity of flowering and, accordingly, the amount of the ovary will increase.
- The leaves will be healthy due to the acceleration of the process of photosynthesis.
- The taste of the fruit will be improved by increasing the amount of sugar.
- Shoots will be strong and healthy.
- Fruits are better preserved.
However, boron refers to the feeding that can not be made in advance, just in case. Its excessive content in the soil leads to burn of the leaves. This is clearly visible on the old and lower leaves that turn yellow, their edges dry and the leaves fall off. In addition, the use of boron-fed cucumbers can harm human health, especially it is dangerous for people with diseased kidneys.
Important! Chernozem contains a sufficient amount of boron, and additional feedings are not required. But peaty and sod-podzolic soils often lack this element.
Terms of use
When processing seeds and conducting dressings, it is imperative to observe the permissible concentration of the substance, not exceeding it. Boric acid for cucumbers has found its use in pre-sowing seed treatment and as foliar top dressing. 
Seed treatment
Bor promotes improve seed germination. Processed by potassium permanganate seeds soaked in solution for a maximum of 12 hours. To prepare such a stimulator, 0.2 g of acid powder and 1 liter of hot water will be needed. Dissolve the powder, wait until the water cools, and put the seeds in it, wrapping them in gauze or a rag.
With the help of boric acid, you can get rid of ants and hornets in the area.
Spraying
When preparing solutions with boric acid, you need to follow this rule - the powder is diluted in hot water, and then topped up with cold.
Standard solution of boric acid for cucumbers during the spraying prepare in this way: Dissolve 5 g of boron powder in 2 liters of hot water, and then add cold water to 10 liters.
Did you know? Boron is useful not only to plants. The human body needs it to normalize the amount of testosterone and estrogen in the blood, and it also helps maintain bone density.
If you add 100 grams of sugar to a standard solution of boric acid, it will help attract insects, which contributes to an increase in the number of ovaries on the pollinated varieties.
Spraying Cucumber Boric Acid spend not only to increase the ovary, but also to prevent the fall of flowers, in particular, female. To do this, dissolve potassium permanganate and boron powder in a bucket of water - 2 g of each product. The treatment is carried out at the beginning of flowering. If you add another 40 drops of iodine, you get an excellent tool for the prevention of bacteriosis, powdery mildew, root rot. 
Spraying of beds is carried out in windless dry weather, preferably early in the morning or after sunset, and they do it three times per season: during the period when buds appear, during flowering and when fruiting has begun.
What else can be sprayed with boric acid
Boric acid is useful not only for cucumbers, but also for increase ovary on the bunch of grapes. Strawberries and strawberries will have more sweet and fleshy berries if they are sprayed twice or seasoned with boric solution. Planting tomatoes, potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, cabbage, as well as apples, plums, cherries, pears, gooseberries, raspberries, and currants can be processed with this solution.
Did you know? Upon contact with skin, boric acid does not cause allergies, but once in the body, it is very slowly excreted. Lethal dose for humans is 20 g.
Boric acid is not a fertilizer substitute, but a necessary element for the normal growth and development of fruit and vegetable crops. Cucumbers will be especially grateful to you for such dressing, and you will get sweet, crunchy and beautiful fruits.
