Wood ash is an excellent source of minerals and helps plants fight pests and diseases, promotes the rooting of planted seedlings, improves properties acidic soil. Thanks to the burnt residues, soil microorganisms quickly decompose organic matter that supplies crops with the necessary nutrients. We will tell you more about everything below.
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Ash types
There are two types of ash, and only one of them is useful for use on the site:
- Residues after incineration of household waste. Burnt varnished boards, newspapers, books with chemical impregnations and dyes. Due to the high content of chemical harmful substances, this type of ash is not used in horticulture.
- Burned wood residues as well as grass, twigs and vegetable peels are ideal for use.
Useful properties of ash
Wood ash is the best natural food for cultivated plants. The storehouse of chemical elements contained in it confirms this fact. Magnesium, sulfur, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, iron, boron, manganese and many other vital components of fertilizer in an easily accessible form and ideal proportions are indispensable for horticultural crops.
List of the main useful properties of ash:
- Accelerates metabolic processes.
- Promotes abundant flowering.
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Improves soil uniformity.
- Regulates water balance.
How to use wood ash
With the help of an organo-mineral fertilizer - ash - root and foliar dressing is carried out in the garden. When fertilizing crops with ash, it is important to focus on the basic needs of each plant species.
Instructions for using ash on site:
- Fertilize if the soil is acidic. In the fall, they dig up a vegetable garden together with fertilizer.
- Introduce when planting seedlings and bulbs.
- Used when feeding adult plants. Root feeding is always combined with watering.
- Ash tincture is used as a growth stimulant. For this, 4 tbsp. l. ash is dissolved in a liter of water and infused for 7 days. Dilute with water in a ratio of 1: 3 and soak the seeds for a day.
- With a mixture of ash and soap, they protect plants from caterpillars, aphids, onion and carrot flies, moths, sawflies and other pests. Spray the culture with a solution consisting of 4 tbsp. l. fertilizers, 2 tbsp. water and half a grated bar of laundry soap, dissolved in 2 liters of warm water.
- Spread under plants attacked by snails and slugs. These pests cannot move on dusty surfaces.
Attention! Ash is not mixed with organic and ammonia fertilizers (the elements stop each other) and water-soluble phosphorus (interferes with the absorption of phosphorus).
What garden and horticultural crops are best suited for burnt residues
Ash is ideal for all garden crops, but it is most appropriate to nourish vegetables such as:
- potatoes;
- tomatoes;
- Bell pepper;
- eggplant.
In the fall, sprinkle with fertilizer and dig up the area prepared for the spring planting of dill and onions.
Fruit trees and shrubs also like tree ash feeding. Usually trees are fertilized with ash when planting. To do this, you need to put about 1 kg of substance in each well.
Wood ash fertilizers are great for garden flowers. Root feeds will be especially appreciated by roses, lilies, peonies, clematis and gladioli. Each bush requires no more than 10 g of ash, which is abundantly watered with water.
When ash is not needed
Ashes can be harmful if:
- Plants need acidic soil.
- The soil on the site contains a large amount of alkali.
- Manure, urea, bird droppings or ammonium nitrate have already been introduced into the ground.
Be careful and careful, even a universal fertilizer such as ash can harm plants if used improperly.
Do you feed the plants with wood ash?
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