Using ash as fertilizer. Wood ash as fertilizer: how to use it in the garden

Content of the article

Undoubtedly, ash residues are the oldest form of fertilizer, proposed by nature itself to the once observant farmers. After all, the blackened forest and steppe fires by the spring invariably become covered with lush green grasses, and the seeds that have fallen from the trees rush to hatch after them. On the incinerated earth, after the first rains, all living things start to grow together. In this sense, only natural forest compost from fallen leaves and twigs can compete on equal terms with the fertile product of fire.

Good old wood ash as a fertilizer will easily and naturally replace any artificial potassium-phosphorus mixture with the same natural ingredients. It has a high calcium content. There is a rich palette of trace elements: magnesium, molybdenum, sulfur, copper, boron, iron. There is almost everything you need cultivated plants, only nitrogen is missing. This is the uniqueness of ash as a fertilizer.

This natural product is especially valuable for the complete absence of harmful chlorine.

Leave to rest on the shelves of branded garden centers mineral mixtures created in chemical plants. In this case, agricultural technologies of the Stone Age are not a vector of regression. Today, in the 21st century, the use of ash as fertilizer is again widely practiced. This grandfather technology is now respectfully called organic farming.

Invisible differences

Interesting that Full description The composition of the ashes was once compiled by an inquisitive young scientist Dmitry Mendeleev. It was he who determined that organic substances, when burned, form very different compositions of trace elements. For example, incinerated clover and the ashes of burnt oak wood differ greatly in their structural content.

Agronomists use this work of the great scientist to this day.

Further research on the edge organic chemistry and botanists have laid out information on the shelves - how to fertilize with ash, which plants are most useful for this or that kind, and which plants do not accept it at all. Ash feeding can harm them.

firewood used in stoves, fireplaces, barbecues; green and dry vegetation (weeds, shrubs, cut grass, leaves).

It is such a treat that will be loved not only garden planting but also fruit trees.

The richest in microelements is the product from burnt vines of grapes, quinoa, sunflowers. Such ash as fertilizer is most readily available to the roots looking for food. It has a unique structure that resembles the finest dust.

In the product left on the fire after burning willow, pine, poplar potassium is several times less than in the ashes from the wood of fruit trees.

Ash of the burnt coal is also not rich in potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Some people consider these stove products useless and even harmful. This is a wrong judgment. After all, coal ash is not so poor. It is dominated by silicon oxides. It is good for use as a nutritional and loosening additive in heavy soils with a lot of dense clay.

For some plants, wood ash may not be enough as a complete top dressing. For example, raspberries also require nitrogen.

Ash dressing recipe

Here is a recipe for some common dressings. summer cottages plants:

Potato

When planting: one glass per tuber hole. You don't need to stir. Just lay the material on the ash base and bury.

After two weeks, when hilling, add 2 kg per 1 sq. M. It is useful to repeat the procedure after a month. Powder the leaves after every rain.

What is the result? Great benefit:

Colorades will disappear or the damage caused by beetles will be minimal; potatoes will add several record kilograms from a bush to the harvest; there will be a lot of starch in the tubers.

Tomatoes and cucumbers

Pre-planting processing. A couple of weeks before planting seedlings, loosen the beds, dig holes. Add half a glass of fertilizer to each, mix with the ground, pour. If the soil is heavy, add a glass of sand each.

Surface dressing. During the growing period of the bushes, regularly clear the root space from weeds. Once a month, it is necessary to fertilize with ash (half a glass per bush). Loosen carefully (superficial roots), water the powder.

Root watering. Prepare a solution of ash and water (1: 1). Leave the container in a sunny place in the garden, leave for two weeks. Then water the tomatoes and cucumbers at the root in the evening. Dilute the concentrate warm water(1:10). After "vitamin" watering, cover the beds with cut grass mulch.

Onion

Powder the seedling furrow generously. Young onions love ash. Arrange the onions - seedlings, water and sprinkle with earth 2-3 cm.

Peas, beans

It is a good idea to use ash as a fertilizer for legumes. They love ash feeding and respond gratefully to them. When planting seeds, add 100-150 g of ash to the holes, mix with the ground, water, mulch. In a few days, friendly shoots will appear. For climbing varieties install the supports immediately so as not to tear the roots later.

Grape

Grapes are a child of the sun and ash. The best varieties grow on the slopes of dormant volcanoes covered with a multi-meter ash layer formed by ancient eruptions. Feel free to add this substance and you (on a well-developed bush - three kilos).

This method is universal. Its use is not limited to nutritious plant nutrition. The soil becomes loose, unwanted fungi and other bacterial animals are inhibited. And also - the resistance of plantings to frost and disease is noticeably increased.

Gardeners and gardeners use ash and how effective remedy plant pest control.

What is the soil on your site?

Any fertilization serves primarily to enrich and structurally change depleted soil, from which root system scoops up the necessary substances.

Therefore, for a competent, conscious process of enriching the land with ash, it is necessary to determine what kind of soil is in your garden and under garden trees, Whether he "likes" one or another plant. In various soils, ash fertilizer lasts from two to four years.

You can carry out a fairly accurate analysis yourself, without resorting to the services of specialists.

Koloboks, sausages and rings

Sandy and peaty soils are light, crumbly. They are easy to identify by touch and eye.

Here's an easy way to identify other common soil structures.

Moisten a lump of earth, form a ball. Then in the palms of your hands, roll the bun into a thin sausage (about the thickness of a pencil or even thinner). Try to roll it into a ring. Now compare with the determinant list. The parentheses indicate what your soil needs:

Sandy loam. The gingerbread man turned out, but the sausage fell apart. Root crops develop well, ground vegetables - poorly. (Enrich with peat, clay, compost).

Loam. The sausage rolls up into a ring, but it cracks. This soil is from the category of heavy, it is quite productive, but requires constant feeding with organic matter. (Add compost, coarse sand, coal ash, peat, humus).

Alumina. The ring curled up without cracks. The substance is dense, heavy. Water and air do not penetrate well to the roots. Root crops develop poorly, grow small. (Dig up regularly, add sand, peat, ash, other organic matter, cover with mulch).

Acidity

Few garden and horticultural plants (cranberry, sorrel, turnip, radish, decorative heather, boxwood) develop well in acidic soils. They are contraindicated for most vegetables. For example, cabbage under such conditions will certainly get sick with keel. Knowing how to use ash can effectively reduce acidity. Peat ash is especially good for these purposes. It is rich in lime, perfectly deoxidizes and alkalizes the soil. But there is little potassium in it.

There are clear rules for the introduction of wood ash.

If there is heavy soil on the site, it is brought in in the fall, for digging. If it is light, the work is carried out in the spring so that snow and rains do not carry trace elements into the porous layers lying below the surface root system of most vegetable crops.

Ash additives are often added when digging a vegetable garden. But it is better to fill them in the already formed beds or seedling holes. In this case, the components must be thoroughly mixed with the ground.

These wonderful additives are suitable for all types of soil and for all types of vegetable and berry crops... But their excess can be harmful, observe the recommended proportions. Plants love measure.

Caution, dangerous poison!

Some summer residents are too lazy to take out garbage and burn it right on the site. Go to the fire plastic bottles, foam packaging, cellophane bags, construction and household waste. They also put cardboard and newspapers there - so that it burns out better.

This barbaric practice not only poisons you and your neighbors with highly toxic smoke. Combustion products contain extremely dangerous substances - carcinogens. Once in the lungs, they are quite capable of provoking cancer.

Carcinogenic compounds at a relatively low temperature of the fire flame are not destroyed, but only multiply when heated. O nutrients ah in the burnt remnants of the garbage it is not necessary to speak.

Of course, nothing can be "fertilized" with such a poison. It will cause irreparable damage to the crop.

How to procure and store

Collect the contents of the ash pan or fireplace insert carefully and store in a dry, draft-free place. Moisture deprives many trace elements of valuable food for gardeners: they are either destroyed or washed out.

Use waterproof bags for storage. Convenient to use for large storage plastic bottles from under the water with screw caps.

Ash for the garden is collected and stored separately: wood, grass, straw, grape, peat. It is useful to sign each package used, indicating the origin and composition of the ash.

A specially folded brick hearth for burning wood residues will regularly replenish stocks. It is possible to adapt an iron barrel for a roomy "stove-stove".

Avoid burning wood affected by fungi, mold. In general, it is better not to use low-quality wood. In the city, dried branches of trees are often cut down, but they should not be collected either: such firewood is soaked through with the toxic exhaust of car engines.

Weight and volume

Finally, for the convenience of gardeners, we present some useful metric data. They will come in handy if you need to more accurately measure the amount (weight or volume) of an ingredient to “feed” tender seedlings or create a complex fertilizer with your own hands.

So, how much dry ash is contained in common improvised measures:

in one tablespoon with a top - 7 grams; in a 250-gram glass beaker - 100 grams; in a half-liter jar - 250 grams; in a liter dish - exactly half a kilo.

It is convenient to plan the use of ash as fertilizer for large areas in buckets. But nowadays they are very different in terms of volume.

Weigh the selected empty bucket on the balance wheel, then fill and weigh again. Subtract the first number from the second. The result is the weight of the contents of your bucket. Now the ash fertilization will be precise and verified.

Wood ash has been used as a fertilizer for a long time. This substance is rich in various trace elements necessary for plant growth. Let's figure out how to properly apply ash on the site.

Wood ash - budget and affordable option fertilizer, which contains about 30 minerals necessary for the proper development of plants. It neutralizes soil acidity and makes garden crops unattractive to pests. In addition, ash has a positive effect on the air permeability of the soil - it makes the soil looser, which contributes to the development of the root system of plants.

Wood ash is a natural mineral fertilizer based on organic matter.

Wood ash composition

Depending on the type and age of the plant that is burned, the composition of the ash changes. But there is a general formula derived by Mendeleev, from which you can find out the approximate percentage of the substances contained in 100 g of ash.

As you can see, the composition of ash contains elements useful for plants such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium. Without them, our green pets will not be able to fully develop and bear fruit.

So, calcium carbonate improves metabolic processes and accelerates the growth of vegetative tissues. This substance is especially important for flowering plants, as it promotes more lush flowering.

Calcium silicate"glues" plant cells and helps the green body to absorb vitamins. Onion reacts very sharply to the deficiency of this compound: the bulbs of such plants exfoliate and dry out.

Calcium sulphate Is a calcium salt of sulfuric acid, which is part of such a popular fertilizer as superphosphate.

Calcium chloride – necessary element for fruit and vegetable crops (especially cucumbers, pumpkins and zucchini). It promotes the formation of enzymes, participates in photosynthesis, helps transport nutrients, increases the winter hardiness of plants and their immunity to many dangerous diseases(in particular to rot), and also maintains the uniformity of the soil.

Potassium orthophosphate helps to regulate the water balance of plants. With a deficiency of this substance, ammonia accumulates in the leaves and roots, which inhibits plant growth. And this substance also helps to increase the winter hardiness of heat-loving crops and creates a favorable alkaline environment for roses, lilies and chrysanthemums.

Magnesium compounds along with potassium, they participate in the production of energy by the plant, in the formation of carbohydrates, which become building material for starch and cellulose.

Sodium compounds(sodium orthophosphate and sodium chloride) improve the water balance of plants and activate their enzymes. Sodium is especially needed in tomatoes.

An excess of microelements in the soil is just as detrimental to plants as their deficiency. Therefore, wood ash cannot be used if crops suffer from excess calcium or potassium. This can be determined by the excessive growth of leaf rosettes, the death of shoots along the entire length, the browning of the fruits, premature fall of leaves, as well as a change in their color (they turn white).

How to collect ash?

Ash happens stove(from burnt wood) and vegetable... The first one is simply carefully taken out of the oven, and to prepare the second, it is necessary special device... A metal box can be used (preferably with a lid and a pallet). In this case, holes must be made in the bottom of the container through which the ash will pour into the pan.

Any plant residues are burned in the box: tree branches, hay, straw, tops, weeds. But for this purpose it is better not to use trees that have grown near highways: such ash will contain a lot of lead and other heavy metals. Also, ash after burning polymers cannot be used as fertilizer, household waste, rubber, glossy magazines, colored paper and synthetic materials... Such ashes will not fertilize, but will poison the soil in the garden.

Ash from deciduous trees contains more potassium. And coniferous ash is more phosphorus.

What plants and how to fertilize with wood ash?

Some plants are especially fond of wood ash. Therefore, it is quite capable of replacing chemical fertilizers.

Under cucumbers, zucchini and squash make 1 glass of ash while digging the soil, 1-2 tbsp. in each hole when planting seedlings, and on depleted soils during the growing season, they additionally fertilize the plants during watering: use 1 glass of ash per sq. m.
Under tomatoes, peppers and eggplant while digging the soil, 3 glasses of ash per square meter are brought in, and when planting seedlings of these crops - a handful per hole.
Under cabbage different types when digging 1-2 glasses of ash per square meter, when planting seedlings - also a handful in the hole.
Under onion and winter garlic during autumn digging, 2 glasses of ash per square meter are introduced into the soil, and in spring (as fertilizer) - 1 glass per square meter.
Before sowing peas, beans, lettuce, watercress, radish, dill, carrot, parsley, radish and beetroot 1 glass of ash per 1 sq.m. is embedded in the soil.
When landing potatoes mix with the ground 2 matchbox ash and bring under the tuber in each hole. In spring, during digging, 1 glass of ash per sq.m. is used. During the growing season, wood ash is also used as top dressing: during the first hilling of potatoes, 1-2 tablespoons are added under each bush. ash, and with the second hilling (at the beginning of budding), the rate is increased to 1/2 cup under a bush.

In order for potatoes and garlic to be better stored in winter, you can sprinkle them with sifted ash. This will give them additional protection from decay.

Grape They are fed several times a season: in the evening, an infusion of ash is sprayed onto the leaves of plants (1 kg of fertilizer is dissolved in 3 buckets of water, and before use, it is additionally diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 5).
When growing roses wood ash is brought in during the autumn digging to normalize the acidity of the soil. From the second year, roses are fed in the spring (100 g per 10 liters of water). Also apply foliar feeding: an infusion prepared from 200 g of ash and 10 liters of water is sprayed on the leaves of plants.
When landing seedlings up to 1 kg of ash mixed with the ground (under fruit trees) can be added to the pit, up to 500 g - under berry bushes.
When growing seedlings Ash can also be added to reduce the acidity of the soil. The amount is calculated individually, depending on what kind of soil you used when preparing the soil, and what plants you plan to sow. But the average proportion is 1 glass of ash per bucket of earth.
Some gardeners bring ash into the tree-trunk circles of trees and shrubs for digging every two to three years. And gardeners alternate feeding vegetables with organic fertilizers and ash infusion at the root in the proportion of 1 glass of ash per bucket of water.

Some gardeners use fly ash as an organic stimulant to help germinate seeds. To do this, the seeds are wrapped in a piece of cloth moistened with an ash solution and left for several hours. In the future, they are dried and sown.

Ash slightly reduces the acidity of the compost, creates favorable conditions for the development of beneficial microorganisms and the work of earthworms.

Ash application on different types of soils

Wood ash is not used to fertilize soils with a high alkali content, as the ash alkalizes the soil. In such a soil, plants cannot develop properly. And when adding wood ash to acidic soils on the contrary, their reaction becomes neutral, which creates favorable conditions for cultures.

The only exceptions are plants that initially prefer acidic soil (radishes, melons). Therefore, they need to be fed with ash with care to prevent alkalization of the soil.

On sandy soils, ash is brought in only in spring, and on heavier soils, it can be used during autumn digging. On loamy and clayey soils, it is enough to add only 300-500 g of ash per 1 square meter - this will improve the fertility and structure of the earth. And even after a single application of such fertilizer, the positive effect can last up to 4 years.

Ash as a pest control

Wood ash is not only an excellent fertilizer, but also an effective means of combating fungal diseases (in particular) and insects that damage garden and vegetable crops.

When 2-3 true leaves appear on cabbage, radishes, radishes and rutabagas, the plants are powdered with a mixture of ash and tobacco dust (in equal proportions). This will protect the vegetables from cabbage flies and cruciferous fleas.

Before planting in the ground, potatoes are powdered at the rate of 1 kg of ash per 30-40 kg of tubers. After such a procedure, the potatoes become unattractive for. And many gardeners also note that the regular addition of ash to the ground helps to exterminate.

Dusting wood ash tops of carrots, onion feathers and sprouts of cabbage, radishes and other cruciferous plants helps to fight carrot and onion flies, as well as cruciferous flea. Processing cabbage leaves with sieved ash dissolved in water (1 glass of ash per bucket warm water), according to some gardeners, also reduces track damage.

Ash infusion is effective when used in the fight against. It is prepared simply: 12 liters are thoroughly mixed cold water, 110 g each laundry soap and ash, 20 g of urea and infused for 2 days.

To protect the strawberries ( garden strawberries) from gray rot, during the ripening period of berries, you can sprinkle the plants with ash (2 tablespoons per bush).

Ash as fertilizer contains many elements from the periodic table, the main ones are phosphorus, potassium, calcium, silicon, magnesium, iron, as well as trace elements: boron, manganese, copper, zinc, molybdenum and others. All these substances are necessary for the development and health of plants, therefore wood ash is considered the most complex mineral fertilizer. Many throw away dry grass, tops, branches after pruning the garden, dry leaves, but you can burn all the plant debris and get valuable fertilizer for plant nutrition - ash.

The content in the ash of the main elements of plant nutrition - phosphorus, potassium and calcium, depends on which plant residues were burned. For example, when burning hardwood firewood, ash contains about 5% phosphorus, up to 10-15% potassium, and up to 40% calcium. If we compare the ash obtained after burning tops, straw and grass, then potassium in it can reach 30%, while calcium, on the contrary, is half as much, about 20%.

Another significant factor in favor of using ash as fertilizer is that it does not contain chloride compounds, to which many plants are sensitive - potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, strawberries, raspberries, currants.

Ash has a beneficial effect on the composition and structure of the soil, it loosens it and neutralizes excess acidity. It is useful to bring ash into acidic and swampy soil, but in order to deoxidize clay or peat soil, it will be necessary to add twice as much ash than, for example, lime, about 1.5 kg of ash per 1 sq. M. As a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, it is enough to add 100-150 grams of ash per 1 sq. M ..

Ash is brought in for digging in autumn or spring, you can also bring it into holes, furrows, planting holes before planting, just mix the ash thoroughly with the soil so as not to burn the plant roots.

Ash should not be applied together with mullein or nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers, since nitrogen reacts, turns into ammonia and volatilizes. Also, phosphorus fertilizers do not work together with ash, since ash creates an alkaline environment in which phosphorus compounds become inaccessible to plants.

For plants that love acidic soil - heather, hydrangea, coniferous trees, ash as fertilizers and top dressing should not be applied. However, it is recommended to feed potatoes with ash. When dusting seed tubers with ash, they germinate better. It is effective to add ash when planting potatoes to each hole. For potatoes, ash is the best potash fertilizer, at which the yield increases, and the starch content in the tubers increases.

Ash as fertilizer weighing 1 kg will replace about 220 g of superphosphate or 240 g of potassium chloride or 500 g of lime. To fertilize 10 acres, you will need about 10-12 kg of ash.

During the period of plant growth and harvesting, liquid fertilizing with ash can be carried out, for this, 50-100 grams of ash are diluted in a bucket of water, about half a glass is a glass and the plants are watered with this solution.

Yet ash is an effective agent for the control of plant pests and diseases.

When sowing vegetable seeds for seedlings, soak them in water with ash, then the seedlings will be friendly and strong. Ash is excellent protective agent from blackleg, a common seedling disease. Sprinkle ash on the ground in the seedling crates and the blackleg will recede.

Very often gardeners use ash and soap solution for the fight against aphids, flea beetles, scoops, whites. To make an ash-and-soap solution for spraying plants, pour 300 g of ash with 10 liters hot water... After a day, strain the solution through cheesecloth and dissolve 30 g of laundry soap in it. Spray the plants in the morning, evening or cloudy weather with an ash-and-soap solution so as not to burn the leaves. Repeat spraying after 10-14 days.

There is an easy way to control pests with ash. For example, dusting cabbage, radish, radish with ash can scare off cruciferous flea and cabbage fly, also dusting with onion ash will protect it from onion fly... By sprinkling the soil around the plants with ash, they create an obstacle to the movement of slugs and snails.

Top dressing perennial plants ash should be done in the fall in order to increase their cold resistance in the coming winter.

Ash can be stored for a long time, it does not lose its properties. The main thing is to keep it in a sealed container or plastic bag in a dry place to protect it from moisture.

Wood ash has been used as a fertilizer for a long time. She is one of the most valuable sources calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium, as well as other substances necessary for the full growth and development of plants.

The exact chemical composition of this substance of natural origin cannot be determined, since it changes depending on the type and age of the plant that was burned. However, even Mendeleev deduced a general formula, which indicates the approximate percentage of elements in 100 grams of ash.

Ash formula

This organic fertilizer is rich in various trace elements. Some of them catalyze growth and development, while others help fight various diseases. The concentration can be higher or lower than stated. The formula below can be guided by to understand what substances in the approximate ratio are contained in this organic fertilizer.

Wood ash composition:

CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) - 17%
CaSiO3 (calcium silicate) - 16.5%
CaSO4 (calcium sulfate) - 14%
CaCl2 (calcium chloride) - 12%
K3PO4 (potassium orthophosphate) - 13%
MgCO3 (magnesium carbonate) - 4%
MgSiO3 (magnesium silicate) - 4%
MgSO4 (magnesium sulfate) - 4%
NaPO4 (sodium orthophosphate) -15%
NaCl (sodium chloride) - 0.5%

It can be seen from the presented formula that wood ash as fertilizer contains one of the essential elements plant nutrition - calcium... It is necessary for the normal growth of green mass at the initial stage of development, and provides balanced diet throughout the growing season. This is especially important for garden crops, which form a large aerial part, for example, tomatoes, pumpkins,.

Table: variations in ash composition, depending on the type:

Calcium carbonate

When ash is used as fertilizer, active growth is observed, and more compact (in terms of time) ripening of such representatives of the Solanaceae family as tomatoes. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) affects the activity of metabolic processes. It enhances the speed of movement of substances through the cells of the plant organism, and normalizes the course of biochemical processes. This property makes it possible to use ash as fertilizer. This element is especially useful for flowers, as it affects the size and splendor of the buds.

Fertilization of cucumbers with ash, which contains a large amount carbonate compounds calcium helps them to develop fully. This plant is distinguished by the continuous growth of vegetative tissues, and Ca serves as a link in the transport of nutrients into cells.

Calcium silicate

Calcium silicate (CaSiO3) is a substance that, when combined with pectin components, glues cells together, holding them together. Helps to actively assimilate vitamins. For example, it reacts very sharply to the lack of CaSiO3. Drying and stratification of the bulb occurs. This situation can be corrected by watering the plant with an infusion of ash.

Calcium sulphate

Calcium sulfate (CaSO4) is a calcium salt of sulfuric acid. It is part of one of the most popular mineral fertilizers. When used in the composition of ash, it has a less strong, but more long-term effect on plants than in the composition of mineral dressings.

Calcium is especially important for seedling growth, during the formation of green mass, for example, for flowers and herbs, onions and parsley. With age, this element accumulates in the stems and leaves, and after its death it returns to the soil.

Calcium chloride

Calcium chloride (CaCl2). Many sources claim that wood ash does not contain chlorine. But, in accordance with the formula, we see that it contains calcium chloride. Is it dangerous for plants? It's safe to say no. The two ionic elements that are included in this compound, on the contrary, are of great importance to healthy eating fruit and vegetable crops.

Almost all flora known to science uses chlorine to stimulate growth throughout the growing season. It is constantly contained in the green mass of fruit and vegetable crops in the amount of up to 1% of their total weight... In grapes and tomatoes, its content is slightly higher.

Calcium chloride activates the formation of enzymes, as well as photosynthesis, helps to transfer nutrients. Rock salt helps to fully utilize a small supply of these substances if wood ash is used as fertilizer.

One more useful property of this chloride - it increases the winter hardiness of fruit trees and grape vines, which makes it possible to grow this thermophilic crop even in rather cold regions (Pskov, Leningrad region). It helps to maintain uniformity of the soil by avoiding swelling, which helps to protect the roots from the penetration of cold air.

CaCl2 helps to cope with the following plant diseases:

Rotting apples in storage.
Blackening of fruits in tomatoes.
Cracking.
Blackening and rotting, both during growth and during storage.
Premature fall of grapes.
Mold on re-harvest.
The appearance of a "black leg" in roses.

Due to its "drying" property, CaCl2 helps to defeat a variety of crop diseases caused by horse and stem rot. It is very beneficial for roses. Thanks to this element, ash infusion can be used not only for gardening, but also for indoor plants, to improve the land and prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms.

The presence of CaCl2 in the soil allows the conversion of ammonium nitrate to salt nitric acid, which is very useful for the life of plants. This is a very important aspect when fertilizing cucumbers with ash, as they are sensitive to a lack of nitrogen.

Rock salt

Rock salt, which is part of the ash, is a growth catalyst for plants such as cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini, as it allows cells to retain water, accumulating and applying it in case of drought.

Potassium orthophosphate

Potassium orthophosphate (K3PO4). This substance helps regulate the water balance of the plant. With a lack of this substance, ammonia accumulates in the leaves and roots, which inhibits growth. Also, the potassium salt of phosphoric acid helps to increase the winter hardiness of heat-loving plants, such as grapes. Potassium also creates an alkaline environment for garden flowers such as roses, lilies and chrysanthemums.

Magnesium

Ash belongs to fertilizers, which include three magnesium compounds, acting in aggregate on various processes metabolism in fruit and vegetable crops as well as in cereals. This element, in some way, is a "partner" of potassium, they together participate in the production of energy by the plant organism.

Magnesium sulfate is involved in the formation of carbohydrates, which become the building blocks of starch and cellulose. For the tap root system (for a rose, for example), the presence of magnesium in the fertilizer is very important, since it consumes it in a larger volume than the ground part.

Sodium

The last item on the list, but not the last in importance. It activates a number of enzymes that do not react with other substances from chemical composition ash. For example, tomatoes are natriefil, plants that respond positively to sodium, especially when they are not supplied with potassium. He improves their water balance.

When is it necessary to use ash?

Various chemical trace elements that should be included in the composition healthy plants contained in this organic compound... Their lack negatively affects development and growth, and leads to the occurrence of diseases.

As we found out above, the main element that is contained in ash in various compounds is calcium.

Signs lack of calcium:

Depigmentation of leaves in indoor plants (they become white in color).
Deformation of the leaves (the tips are bent down, the edges are curled up).
Peduncles fall on nightshades.
Dark spots appear on tomato fruits.
The upper parts of the shoots die off, the taste of the fruits deteriorates.
Patches of dead tissue form on the tubers and stems of potatoes and onions.

The second most important substance that must be used for the normal life of plants is potassium. It is contained in ash in a much smaller volume than calcium, but in sufficient quantity to normalize metabolic processes in a plant organism. If it is not enough, then this can be understood by certain changes in appearance.

Signs lack of potassium:

On fruit trees leaves wither prematurely, but at the same time firmly adhere to the branches.
Roses stop smelling.
On potatoes and nightshades, the edges of the leaf begin to dry, then it rolls up into a tube.

Another element from the composition is magnesium. It is a forming element that allows the production of carbons. With its lack, the plant is inhibited, and its active development stops. With its lack, the same symptoms appear as with a lack of potassium. Sodium is a conditionally useful substance, therefore, its small amount in the fraction, when using wood ash as fertilizer, can be ignored.

A few examples when the use of ash is contraindicated

An excess of fertilizers, even organic ones, can lead to no less negative consequences than a lack of them. The use of wood ash as a fertilizer should be avoided on soils with high alkalinity. Increased pH can be indicated by the following plant changes:

Signs excess calcium:

Overgrowth of leaf rosettes in grapes and apple trees.
Dying off of shoots along the entire length of the tomato whip.
Falling leaves of garden flowers.
Interveinal chlorosis with whitish spots in rose bushes.
Leaf depigmentation (they turn white).

Signs excess potassium:

Browning of the pulp of apples and pears.
Bitter pitting of fruits.
Premature fall of leaves of garden and indoor plants.

Video: a film for gardeners about wood ash

Ash in the garden - what, when and how to feed it?

Let us dwell on the plants, which are best shown to use ash as a top dressing.

Cucumbers

This melon crop, successfully zoned in middle lane, consumes many different nutrients throughout its growth and development. Calcium and potassium, which help to fertilize ash, are responsible for the formation of lashes and ovaries. It is these substances that help retain water in the cells. Fertilization of cucumbers with ash is necessary, since this is a plant that constantly needs a normal water balance.

How to fertilize cucumbers?

The first way to make fertilizer from ash is to sprinkle a thin layer of this substance on the garden bed before watering. All useful substances are subsequently absorbed along with water. The second method is more laborious, but it allows you to create a composition in which there will be more nutrients. This is an infusion of ash, which is done like this: 3 tablespoons of the powder are poured with a liter of water and insisted for a week. After that, they are applied under the plant, followed by abundant watering. The consumption rate of the solution when fertilizing cucumbers with ash is 0.5 liters per one bush.

Onion

This crop is prone to root rot. Ash refers precisely to those fertilizers that prevent the growth of putrefactive bacteria in the soil. Onions can be fertilized in the same way as cucumbers, pollinating the ground before watering, or using an infusion of ash (prepared in the same proportion as for feeding cucumbers).

Top dressing should be applied no more than three times per season. You can also apply this fertilizer before digging the garden in the spring. This will protect the onion from diseases at the initial stage of growth, and help it to stock up on the necessary further development microelements.

There is another way to add this top dressing. It is very convenient to use it on onion beds... These are grooves that are made with a hoe along the rows of bows. Ash infusion is poured into them, and immediately covered with soil.

Tomatoes

If wood ash is used as fertilizer for feeding the bushes, then within a week after application one can observe the activation of their growth. These plants love calcium and potassium. They need them for the formation of moisture reserves in the fleshy stems, and the formation of full-fledged juicy fruits.

How to fertilize tomatoes with ash?

Pre-landing method

This organic fertilizer is applied to the soil in the spring, a couple of weeks before the tomatoes are planted. Consumption rate - 1 glass per well. It is advisable to feed when the earth warms up to at least 15 degrees Celsius.

Feeding tomatoes as they grow

Ash is a fertilizer that can be applied throughout the growing season. Therefore, tomatoes can be fed superficially. For this, the earth is sprinkled in the hole, before watering, followed by loosening.

The ash improves the taste of tomatoes, they become juicy and sweet. Potassium, which is part of it, enters a series chemical reactions, thanks to which the fruit sugar, fructose, is formed.

Grape

Foliar dressing of grapes

Held several times per season, in the evening. The liquid is sprayed directly onto the leaves using a herbal broom, or through a specialized spray bottle with oversized nozzles. If there is no such equipment, then you can do it yourself.

How to make a device for spraying ash infusion?

For this we take a standard atomizer and a medium-sized needle. We heat the spoke on an open flame ( gas stove will do), and pierce new holes of a larger radius. Do not forget to shake the container before spraying, then the suspension will be evenly distributed over the leaves of the grapes.

In autumn, a large number of old vines accumulate in the vineyard. They are ideal for incineration. This ash is used to prepare a specific top dressing, which takes into account the seasonal needs of grapes in various nutrients.

For the complete dissolution of all nutrients in water, it takes about three days, this is the approximate time for the dissolution of magnesium. About 1 kg of ash is poured into 3 buckets of water, and this suspension is mixed several times every day. The resulting composition can be stored in cool place within a month.

For use, it is diluted with water in a proportion of 1 part of the working solution to five parts of water. For better adhesion to grape leaves, you can add shavings of laundry soap to the resulting suspension.

Roses

In the first year of her stay in a new place, the queen of the garden does not need feeding. But the soil before planting can be prepared in advance by adding wood ash as fertilizer during the autumn digging, to normalize the acidity of the soil.

Starting from the second year, the successfully overwintered rose begins to be fed. This is mainly done by applying ready-made organic fertilizers. But you can also make fertilizer from ash.

For a rose, both root and foliar dressing are used. For the first, the concentration of the substance in an aqueous solution is below - 100 g. powder per 10 liters of water. For foliar feeding, when the liquid is sprayed over the leaves of the plant, a concentration of 200 g is used. for 10 liters of water.

It is better to feed roses in the evening, during the day you can burn leaves and flowers under the rays of the scorching sun. A herbal broom is used for spraying.

Ash infusion, during use, must be constantly stirred. The fact is that the phosphorus contained in this organic fertilizer tends to quickly settle at the bottom of the container. If this happens, the plants will not receive it, and this is an essential trace element.

Houseplants

Wood ash is used as a fertilizer for both garden and indoor plants. For example, it helps fight root rot in tuberous begonias.

Cyclamens, geraniums and fuchsias react well to the substances that make up it. It must be added when transplanting these plants, based on their proportion of 2 tbsp. spoons per 1 liter of ready-made soil.

You can also make fertilizer from ash for indoor plants using sleeping tea. It stimulates growth in winter period time, helps to maintain the color of the leaves, and maintain flowering. Following this recipe, you need to mix 1 part ash with 1 part pressed tea leaves.

The use of ash as fertilizer is beneficial for most horticultural crops. The set of microelements included in its composition ensures the growth and nutrition of the plant.

But this substance can be used not only as a top dressing. It helps to fight big amount insect pests. When dusting or spraying crops with ash, you can observe the rapid death of such garden antagonists as larvae colorado potato beetle(2 days), slugs, cruciferous fleas.

Another strong argument for using ash is its availability. Every autumn on garden plot there is something to burn from plant residues(tree branches, hay, straw, tops). Some amateur gardeners adapt old barrels for the oven, then the production takes place without losing the ash fraction.

This fertilizer is of organic origin, which is very important for many gardeners. Using it, you can not be afraid for your health and the health of your loved ones. Perhaps this is one of the most important arguments when choosing wood ash as a fertilizer.

Video: using ash as fertilizer

Ash is absolutely affordable and highly effective phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, containing a lot of substances and microelements necessary for the development and growth of plants. You do not need to buy it, you do not need to use transport for transportation - such fertilizer can be made on your own. The availability and benefits of ash are undeniable! Although it should be noted that quality characteristics and mass fraction certain trace elements can vary depending on the raw materials used to obtain the ash.

Important! When using ash as a fertilizer, it should be remembered that when the raw material is burned, nitrogen evaporates; accordingly, its shortage must be compensated for with any nitrogen-containing additives.

Average indicators of the main elements in ash after combustion:

Potassium

Wood:
- conifers - about 8%;
- deciduous - 14%;
- grape vine - 40%.
Herbaceous raw materials:
- straw - about 20%;
- potato tops - 40%;
- sunflower (stem, leaves and head) - 40%;
- dried grass (nettle, quinoa, thistle, etc.) - 30%.
Buckwheat, sunflower husk - 35%.
Peat - 10%.
Slates - no more than 2%.

Phosphorus

Wood:
- conifers - 6%;
- deciduous - no more than 10%.
Herbaceous raw materials - 1%.
Peat - 1%.
Slates - 1.5%.

Calcium

Wood - 45%.
Herbaceous raw materials - 10–20%.
Peat - 20-50%.
Slates - about 70%.

Important! In no case should ash after incineration be used as fertilizer: polymers, household waste, rubber, colorful glossy magazines, colored paper and synthetic materials. When using such a "fertilizer" you can forget about the harvest altogether - the land will be poisoned for many years.

Ash use on different types of soils

Agricultural technicians do not advise using ash as fertilizer on soils with high alkalinity. This is due to the chemical characteristics of ash prepared from any raw material - it additionally alkalizes the soil, which can significantly complicate plant nutrition.
Loamy and clay soils- adding only 300-500 g / m² of ash, significantly improves the fertility and structure of the earth. Even after a single application of fertilization, the positive effect can last up to 4 years.
Acidic soils - when wood ash is applied as fertilizer, a certain balance is created between the natural reaction of the earth (acidic) and an alkaline component (ash), which has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of plants. The exception is crops that initially prefer acidic soil: potatoes, radishes, melons and some others, as a result of which these plants must be fertilized with ashes very carefully, after weighing the possible benefits and probable harm.

Methods of using ash as fertilizer

In practice, ash as fertilizer is used in 3 ways:

Dry scattering in tree trunks, under bushes, between rows of garden crops and in holes before planting seedlings.
Spraying or watering plants with a concentrated solution and / or infusion prepared from plain water and ash.
Bookmark in compost heap(2 kg / m³). Subsequently, the compost is used traditionally.

How to use ash as fertilizer?

How much ash is needed for a particular crop?

How to properly prepare an ash solution for watering and spraying?

Familiar questions? Well, experienced gardeners and agronomists recommend:

Advice! Ash diluted in water, when watering, must be constantly slightly shaken or stirred in order to prevent it from settling to the bottom.

Before planting tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings, add 5 dessert spoons of ash to each hole and mix it slightly with the ground or add it while digging at the rate of three 200-gram glasses per 1 m².
Lawn grass - before sowing seeds, add top dressing to the selected area, 300 gr. for 1 m². It is not recommended to sprinkle already sprouted seeds.
Fertilization with ashes of cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage during the growth period can be carried out with a pre-prepared solution: 100 g / 10 l (ash / water), after mixing the ingredients, the infusion is ready after 24 hours. Pour 500 ml of infusion under each plant or make longitudinal grooves and shed them evenly.
For a good harvest of cabbage, it is recommended to apply fertilizer several times, and every 10-12 days. The procedure should be carried out during the entire period of growth.
For trees, it is useful to apply top dressing at least once every 3 years:
- adults - 2 kg for each tree, bring it into the area of the trunk circle in a pure form, you can make a special groove (deepening 10 cm) around the circumference and apply top dressing there. In dry weather, subsequent abundant watering is required;
- seedlings - pour 1 kg of ash into a pit prepared for planting, where to mix it with the ground, then planting is done traditionally.
Fertilization with ashes of indoor plants is also widely used. For this, the agent is poured into flower pot(1 tbsp. L. 5 l. Earth) or preparing an infusion (2 tbsp. L. 6 l. Water), which is used for irrigation.

Advice! You can feed trees and rooted seedlings with an infusion prepared from 1.5 kg of ash and 12 liters of water. The resulting composition is simply poured evenly around the plant, no further than 0.5 m from the trunk.

The use of ash for plants as protection against diseases and pests

The use of ash for plants comes down not only to fertilizing the soil, it is also an excellent remedy against many pests and diseases:

Cruciferous flea beetle treatment - mix ash and tobacco dust in equal proportions and pollinate the resulting composition of the plant.
Ash infusion is very effective when used in the fight against powdery mildew as well as aphids. It is prepared very simply, for this they mix: 12 liters. cold water, 110 g each of laundry soap and ash, 20 g of urea. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed and infused for 2 days.
It is believed that the regular addition of ash to the soil of the garden contributes to the extermination of the wireworm.
As a prophylaxis for various fungal diseases, plants are also pollinated with ash.

Advice! Spray the ash only when it is completely calm outside, this will guarantee that the product will fall on exactly those plants that were planned. The best results are obtained by pollination in the early hours, when the dew has not yet subsided.

Wood ash as fertilizer - video

glav-dacha.ru

Feeding cucumbers with ash

Cucumbers are almost entirely water. They contain a very small amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates and many useful enzymes and minerals for the body. In particular, vitamins C, B1, B2, P and A. Eating fresh cucumbers has a beneficial effect on the health of the human body. But to get good harvest it is necessary to properly care for the plant and fertilize on time. Especially useful is the feeding of cucumbers with ash. Let us consider in more detail how often and in what quantities it is necessary to feed the plant.

How to feed ashes to cucumbers?

In pursuit of the desire to harvest a rich harvest of cucumbers, the main thing is not to overdo it. Throughout the entire growth period, the plant needs to be fertilized only 5-6 times. Let's talk in more detail about how to feed the cucumbers with ash. The first stage can be performed even at the stage of plant formation, when the second leaf appears on the stem. The second stage of soil cultivation with fertilizer must be carried out at the time of the beginning of flowering. Then, when the plant begins to bear fruit, fertilization with cucumber ash is done about once every two weeks. It is necessary to feed the plants only during warm weather and after abundant watering. Otherwise, when cultivating dry land, fertilizers can harm the root system of the plant.

Ash treatment of cucumbers is not the only fertilization method. You can also feed the plants with various complexes of mineral or organic fertilizers, dissolving them well in water in advance. However, wood ash for cucumbers is one of the best and most invaluable fertilizers. It contains all the essential minerals that the plant needs during its formation and growth.

If we talk about how to fertilize cucumbers with ash, then there are several possible options... You can treat the soil with dry ash just before watering. And you can prepare in advance a special infusion of ash and fertilize the earth with it. This infusion is very simple to prepare. For 1 liter of water, you need to put 2 tablespoons tablespoons of wood ash and leave for a week, stirring occasionally.

If you are wondering if it is possible to feed the cucumbers with ash, then the answer will definitely be in the affirmative. One of the main advantages of this fertilizer is the absence of chlorine in the composition, which is found in many others. mineral fertilizers... It is also worth remembering that the composition of ash directly depends on which plant burns it up. Hardwood contains a lot of calcium, ashes of bark and straw are rich in phosphorus, and when burning meadow grass, ash with a high content of potassium can be obtained.

womanadvice.ru

what is fertilized with ash from the trees

Kostenko Sergei

wood ash is a universal fertilizer containing the main ash macroelements (P, K), many microelements, as well as calcium and magnesium. water solution has an alkaline reaction. It can be used on any crops as a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer with a high content of trace elements. mainly applied in autumn or spring when digging. it is possible to use the infusion of wood ash in the second half of the growing season for watering and spraying on the leaf.
I repeat - you can use the floor of any crop, but not on any soil - on alkaline it is necessary in combination with lime

Hedgehog

Everything _ is an excellent potash fertilizer

Tatiana Vedenina

Everything can be fertilized with ash, spraying, or diluted in water.
And it also well destroys pests on radishes, turnips, radishes !!!

margarita karikh

This is a frustrating potash fertilizer, no chemicals. In order for root crops (carrots, beets, etc.) to be sweet, it directly depends on the potassium content in the soil.

Natalia Belousova

Any ash that forms when burning wood, dry leaves and grass is the most useful fertilizer for plants at any stage of their development.

Sergey

acidic soils. on alkaline even alkalizes ... potassium-loving crops. like potatoes

Lady with hat

This is very good fertilizer for stone fruits - plums, cherries, peaches, cherries .... Add to trunk circle in the fall, since fruit buds are laid in the winter

Can you tell me if it is possible to fertilize the ground with ash?

Lucy Lucyao

Ash is a non-combustible residue of mineral impurities. herbaceous plants or wood with their complete combustion. Ash (woody, vegetable) contains potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and a large set of trace elements, therefore it is considered a good alkaline potassium-phosphorus complex fertilizer. It is important to remember that ash retains its properties only when stored dry. Ash is added to the substrate before planting indoor plants, mixing well with the soil, at the rate of 1 part of ash to 40-50 parts of soil. In addition to adding ash to the soil in a dry form, ash infusion is used to fertilize plants. To obtain an infusion, the ash is poured with water (25 g of ash per liter of water) and infused for about a week, stirring occasionally, so that readily soluble substances from the ash pass into the water, and then the resulting infusion is used for fertilizing watering of plants.
A very valuable thing for a florist is charcoal (preferably birch, aspen), small pieces of which (0.8-1 cm in diameter) are a desirable part of the substrate for orchids, aroids, cacti and succulents (3-8% of the substrate volume). Charcoal makes the substrate friable and permeable, and also works in the substrate as an antiseptic, protecting the roots from decay. Powder charcoal used to treat plant wounds - the result of treatment or vegetative propagation.
Many growers in the fall scatter the ash obtained from burning plant residues throughout the site (the rate of application is 100-150 g of ash per square meter), and together with the rains nutrients from the ash fall into the ground. Ash-strewn soil warms up faster in spring. In the spring, ash is brought under all garden crops in holes or rows.
Ash also helps to ward off pests (cruciferous fleas) from plants of the cruciferous family (cabbage, watercress, radishes and others, as well as flowers: alissum, lunaria, noctuaris and others), which especially annoy plants in spring and are able to completely destroy seedlings. The beds and leaves of plants attacked by pests are powdered with ash (for better adhesion of ash, you can first sprinkle the leaves with water). For ease of dusting the plants with ash, take an empty canning or plastic can, make many holes at the bottom, pour ash into the can and, slightly shaking the can over the plants, evenly cover them with fine ash powder.

Rustam _

of course yes)

musya

Yes, it's very well.

lor1 888

not possible, but necessary. just don't overdo it.

nina vandium

If before that it was fertilized with manure, then it is very good.

Black wolf

it is even necessary

Galina Guseva

You can and should ..

Leon

Of course, especially trees need to be fertilized with ash from worms helps !!