Deterioration in the growth of vegetables and berries, a decrease in yield, the appearance of moss and biting midge indicates an increased acidity of the soil. This is a serious problem that contributes to the deterioration of nutrition, the neutralization of the necessary bacteria, trace elements for the growth and fruiting of plants. But any problem can be solved with its timely detection; there are several ways to determine acidity and subsequent normalization of the soil state.
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There are several ways to deoxidize the soil.
Deoxidation is carried out in autumn or spring, with separate deoxidizers for each season. Experienced gardeners know how to deacidify the soil on the site correctly and on time. Some deoxidizers can help with this.
Lime (slaked, key, carbonic) is an aggressive product; after using lime, the plant is unable to assimilate phosphorus fertilizers for some time. Therefore, it is recommended to apply lime at the time of the autumn digging of the site, which will allow the chemical processes to reach equilibrium for the spring planting of plants.
Dolomite flour is applied at the time of planting or digging up ridges in the spring. The composition of the flour is rich in magnesium, which is necessary for light soil with a lack of a trace element. Useful properties of dolomite flour are loosening of clay soils, improving the composition and structure of the soil.
Wood ash is not only an effective deoxidizer, but also a natural fertilizer. Ash should be used with caution, because its composition is influenced by some parameters (tree species, its age, the place where it grew, etc.). This affects the content of calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace elements in the ash.
Gypsum is the best option for deoxidation because it dissolves using acid rather than water. It begins to act on the soil immediately after application, acting on the acidic soil, thereby lowering the pH level, bringing the composition soil to normal, ceases to affect, but persists for a long time, resuming its effect upon acidification soil.
Chalk is introduced in the autumn in a powdery state. Store chalk in dry rooms to avoid caking and lump formation. When applying, the soil is thoroughly mixed until the most homogeneous state is obtained.
Determination of acidity
It is recommended to determine the condition of the soil before planting plants on the site, this will save you from pointless investments and wasted time, subsequent disappointment due to lack of harvest.
There are areas where the pH is initially neutral, but this is a temporary phenomenon, gradually the soil is depleted, as a result, the composition of the soil changes.
To help gardeners, there are methods that help determine the acid composition of the soil:
- Litmus paper - sold in a pharmacy; by staining the paper, you can determine the condition of the soil.
- 9% vinegar - every housewife has, the presence of foam will show the condition of the soil, alkaline or acidic.
- The most common red beet - the color of the tops will show the condition of the soil, red tops - acidic soil, green leaf with red veins - slightly acidic, green leaf with red stem - neutral acidity.
Crops and plants that prefer to grow in acidic soil
In the event that neither method helps to achieve a neutral level of acidity, it is possible to select plants that can grow in an acidic environment. The list of such crops includes more flowers, berries, conifers, allowing you to create a small garden, but there are very few vegetable crops.
Sample list:
- flowers - azalea, hydrangea;
- berries - lingonberry, blueberry, strawberry, cranberry;
- vegetable - potatoes, carrots, radishes, turnips, tomatoes, pumpkin, sorrel;
- heather, fern, rhododendrons, conifers, etc.
Using decorative plantings that prefer an acidic environment, it is possible to create a small front garden in front of the house with various flower beds.
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