To obtain good harvest, it is not enough to sow the grain and provide it with decent care. The earth is the womb in which the seed will develop, nourish and grow. And the yields will depend on how fertile and well-groomed it is. Often, many gardeners believe that it is enough just to periodically add fertilizer to the soil, and then it will be quite nutritious and will certainly give excellent harvest. But this is not always enough. Experienced gardeners and summer residents use another method of improvement - soil deoxidation. In spring or autumn, they add some additives to the soil that make the soil pH more neutral and at the same time saturate it with essential natural microelements. Why, when and how to do this correctly, we will tell you today. Let's look at five simple methods that are affordable and easy to use.

What is it for?

First you need to know that not all plants like acidic and alkaline soil. For example, they love sorrel and sour soil, but tomatoes, cucumbers and cabbage will not grow well on it. One country cottage area may have the same acidity over the entire area, or completely different. Therefore, before you decide to deoxidize the soil in the spring, you should determine what the pH level is in each part of your garden or garden, and what you plan to grow there.

Acidic soil is a paradise for fungi and pathogenic bacteria; plants simply do not have enough vitality, to overcome such a scourge, and therefore they often get sick, but there are few beneficial microorganisms in it. A lot of weeds grow on the ground, but cultivated varieties take root poorly, they develop poorly and often die for reasons unknown to the owner. High level pH indicates that the soil contains a lot of hydrogen ions. When the owner of the site tries to fertilize the soil and adds additional mineral (or any other) fertilizers, hydrogen reacts with them, causing them to transform, and the plant simply cannot use them for its own purposes. Soil deoxidation in the spring or fall will help reduce the level of aluminum and manganese, but other elements: magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, molybdenum and nitrogen will be present in required quantity and will be perfectly absorbed.

How to determine the acidity of the earth?

Of course, absolutely accurate results can only be obtained in the laboratory. This - good way, but not practical. That's why experienced gardeners found a few for ourselves simple options acidity recognition.

One of the simplest

Take two transparent containers and pour a teaspoon of earth into each. Add a little 9% vinegar and stir. If the solution foams, the soil is alkaline; if it foams just a little, it is neutral; no air bubbles have appeared at all - it is acidic.

Reading by plants

The acidity of beet beds can be recognized very simply. The plant will have green leaves, red petioles, and poorly developed root system if the earth is alkaline. On green leaves there are red veins - slightly acidic. But if the leaves have a rich beet hue, the beets grow large and well developed - the soil is acidic.

Weeds will finally be useful. Where wheatgrass grows - the scourge of many summer residents - the soil is slightly acidic. Woodlice loves sour, but bindweed and most vegetable crops- alkaline earth.

Soil deoxidation in the spring should be carried out based on the acidity of the soil: the higher it is, the more deoxidizers will need to be introduced. It is important not to overdo it and follow the dosage, because an excess of alkali will harm the earth even more than excessive acidity.

Lime or fluff?

The most common way to deoxidize the soil is in the spring with lime. This is one of the simplest and cheapest options. They use it for this purpose, add a little water to regular water and stir. It should become loose by reacting with water. She is often called “fluff”. Lime has the most pronounced neutralizing effect and is ideal for very acidic soils.

If you plan to deoxidize the soil in the spring, the norms for introducing ready-made fluff will be in the range of 50-150 grams per square meter area. The degree of soil acidification should be taken into account. After lime has been added to the soil, it should be mixed with the top layer of soil (depth 15-20 cm).

Dolomite flour

The soil is also deoxidized in the spring with dolomite flour. Such a material will be more expensive than ordinary lime, but if it is possible, then why not? also called calcareous (CaCO 3). It, like “fluff”, is undesirable to be introduced into the soil at the same time as saltpeter, superphosphate, urea or manure. So try to stop at just one thing. It is useful to introduce dolomite flour immediately before planting crops; unlike “fluff”, it does not burn the plant. It can be added to the ground at any time of the year, but usually it is autumn or spring.

It is entered according to the following norm (per square meter):

• slightly acidic - 300-400 g;
• medium acidic - 400-500 g;
• sour - 500-600 g.

Dolomite flour is not used for soils on which gooseberries, sorrel, blueberries and cranberries grow. Treatment with such a deoxidizer should be carried out every three years.

Chalk

It will be useful to deoxidize the soil with chalk in the spring. This additive is more neutral and is well suited for soil with weak acidity. Chalk grains should be small, no more than 1-2 mm.

The soil is deoxidized according to the following calculations (per square meter):

The earth is sprinkled with chalk and then mixed upper layer soil.

Ash

Ash - excellent fertilizer, loosens well, and also deoxidizes the soil. The only thing that can cause inconvenience is that you will need three times more of it than, for example, lime flour. It has minor properties. So, per square meter of alkalized land you will need 1-1.5 kg of ash. It is added during spring digging in dry, crushed form. If you have a large plot and the soil is highly acidic, rational decision will use lime.

Phacelia

Another easy-to-use method, and most importantly - completely natural, and beautiful too! This plant is planted throughout the site, then mowed and distributed on the ground. This can be repeated several times; phacelia grows very quickly - in 20 days.

Every experienced gardener knows that you shouldn’t throw it away. It is collected, dried, crushed and added to the soil. This way the soil receives a lot of useful microelements, and at the same time its acidity decreases.

Here are some simple and useful tips for those who love and practice growing tasty and healthy products on your site. All these examples are quite simple and will not take much time. It is enough to carry out such refining once every 3-4 years. The earth will certainly thank you for your efforts - it will give you an excellent and rich harvest.

In chemistry, pH is an index that shows how acidic or alkaline a certain substrate is. pH values ​​range from 0 to 14: if the pH value is approximately 0, it indicates a very acidic environment, if it approaches 14, it indicates an alkaline environment. A pH value of 7 indicates neutral environment. In gardening and horticulture, the pH of the soil in which plants are grown can have a major impact on plant growth and health. Although most plants grow well at a pH of 6.5-7, there are some species that grow much better at certain soil acidities, so serious gardeners should learn the basics of managing soil acidity. Start with step one and you will learn how to lower the soil pH in your garden.

Steps

Part 1

Determination of pH level

Check your soil's pH level. Before you add anything to the soil to change its acidity level, be sure to check how far the pH is from what you need. You can purchase a DIY pH test kit from a gardening supply store, or see if you can have your soil tested by a professional.

Dig 5 small holes in the area. The easiest way to determine the pH of the soil in your area is to use special set to determine pH. These kits are usually inexpensive and are available at many hardware and gardening stores. Start by taking soil samples from the area where you want to test the pH. Dig five small holes, 15-20 cm deep. The location of the holes should be random within the site - this will give you an “average” pH value for your soil. You won't need the soil you took out of the holes now.

• Please note that in this section we present only the most general instructions– You will need to follow the instructions that came with your pH test kit.

1. Take a soil sample from each hole. So, take a bayonet or shovel and cut out a narrow “slice” of soil from the side of each hole. This "slice" should be half-moon shaped and 1/2 inch thick. Place the samples in a clean, dry basket.

   • Try to take sufficient quantity soil from each hole, so that the total sample volume is approximately 0.94 liters or even more. For most methods this is sufficient.

2. Mix the soil in a basket and spread thin layer onto newspaper to dry it. Let the soil dry until it feels dry when you touch it.

   Use the kit to determine the exact pH level of your soil. The determination method will depend on your specific test kit. For most kits, you need to place a small amount of soil in a special test tube, add a few drops of a special solution to it, shake thoroughly and let the resulting suspension settle for several hours. After a certain time, the color of the solution should change, and comparing the resulting solution with color chart, included with the test, you can determine the pH of your soil.

   • There are other soil pH test kits available, so follow the instructions that came with your kit. For example, some modern electronic devices for determining pH measure the indicator almost instantly, using a metal sample.

3. Lower the pH for flowers such as petunia or begonia. Many bright flowering plants, such as petunia and begonia, grow best in acidic soils. For some of these colors the acidity changes from slightly acidic before Very acidic can lead to a visible change in flower color. For example, if you grow hydrangea in an area where the soil pH level is 6.0-6.2, then the plant will bloom pink flowers. If you lower the pH to 5.0-5.2, then you will grow flowers with blue or purple petals.

   Lower pH levels for evergreen trees. Many evergreens coniferous trees grow on slightly acidic soils. For example, spruce, pine and fir thrive if the soil pH level is 5.5-6.0. Some ferns can even tolerate acidic soils where the pH level is 4.0.

   Find specific sources of information for gardeners and gardeners to get detailed list plants that prefer acidic soil. The list of plants that can or prefer to grow in acidic soils is too extensive to include in this article. For more complete information

• we can refer to special botanical reference books. They can usually be found in gardening stores or purchased in the special section of any bookstore. Alternatively, you can find information on the Internet. For example, the official website of The Old Farmer's Almanac magazine contains a table that shows soil acidity preferences for many plants (you can find it).
• Some soil amendments are sold in spray form. It is very important not to overdo the amount of soil amendments used. They have a long-term effect on the soil and environment
• Plants grown in soil with an inappropriate pH cannot grow well because some nutrients may be present in the soil in bound form, and thus inaccessible to plants.
• The effect after adding natural sulfur will last for several seasons.
• It is best to add sulfur in early spring Once the plants are already planted, it is very difficult to add sulfur to the soil.
• Soil pH is affected by many factors, from how well the area drains to how quickly the erosion process occurs.
• If possible, use natural compost. This is very beneficial for plants because it provides them with many nutrients. You can even make compost from kitchen scraps and lawn clippings.
• Sulfur and compost create conditions for biochemical reactions in the soil, while aluminum and iron sulfates undergo chemical interaction.

Warnings

• Too much aluminum sulfate can poison the soil.
• If you have sprayed urea, aluminum sulfate or sulfur and it gets on your plant leaves, wash them off with plenty of cool water. If you leave these chemicals on the leaves, they will “burn” the leaves, causing unsightly spots.

Soil reaction plays a very important role in plant growth and development. Soils are acidic, alkaline and neutral.

Soil acidity is determined by the pH value. When acids are added to water, this value begins to decrease, and alkalis begin to increase.

Most soils middle zone Russia, especially in regions with high rainfall, are slightly acidic or neutral (pH 5.5-7). In places where there is little rainfall, the soils are most often alkaline (pH 7-8).

If the soil in the garden is acidic, it is brought to a state close to neutral. On acidic soils, plants are inhibited: they grow poorly, the roots branch poorly, and productivity decreases. Plants are especially sensitive to increased soil acidity at the beginning of growth, immediately after germination. They do not absorb nutrients well from poor and structureless soil. A large amount of salts accumulate in them, which leads to salinization.

Acidic soils (pH 3.5-4) mainly include soddy-podzolic soils, while strongly acidic soils include peaty soils. They are poor in nutrients and lack structure.

Most crops require neutral or slightly acidic soil. Thus, endive lettuce, radishes, radishes, and sorrel grow well at pH 5; carrots, cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, tomatoes, kohlrabi, rhubarb - at 5.5; cabbage, lettuce, eggplant, horseradish, garlic - at 6; asparagus, beets, celery, onions, peppers, spinach, parsnips - at pH 6.5.

How can you find out what is the acidity of the soil in your area? If beets and cabbage grow well in the garden, then the acidity of the soil is close to neutral; if it’s bad, then the soil is acidic. Strong development of weeds such as creeping buttercup, pickleweed, horsetail, Ivan-da-Marya, pike and whitefish, also indicate that the soil in the area is acidic.

Soil acidity can also be determined by the simplest analytical method: using indicator paper. Take about 20 g of soil, add 50 ml of water, shake well and leave for 1 day to settle. Carefully, so as not to shake, pour the clear infusion into a bowl and dip in purple litmus paper.

If she doesn't change original color or changes to blue-blue, then the soil has a reaction close to neutral. If the paper turns red, it means the soil is acidic. Of course, such an analysis is not very accurate: it only general outline characterizes acidity and does not indicate its degree at all.

Or you can use the “old-fashioned” methods. Take 3~4 leaves of black currant (or bird cherry) and brew in 250 ml of boiling water. The broth is cooled and a lump of soil is dropped into it. If the water gets reddish color- soil reaction is acidic, greenish - slightly acidic, bluish - neutral.

There is another, but also simple way.

Take 2 tbsp. spoons (with the top) of soil and pour into a bottle with a narrow neck. 5 tbsp is poured there. spoons of water at room temperature. Wrap 1 teaspoon of crushed chalk in a small piece of paper (5x5 cm) and push it into the bottle. Roll up the rubber fingertip and place it on the neck of the bottle (the fingertip remains flattened). Wrap the bottle in newspaper to prevent it from getting warm by hand, and shake vigorously for 5 minutes.

If the soil is acidic, then when it interacts with chalk in the bottle, a chemical reaction will begin with the release of carbon dioxide, the pressure will increase, and the rubber fingertip will completely straighten. If the soil is slightly acidic, it will straighten by half; if the soil reaction is neutral, it will not straighten at all.

You can distinguish acidic soils from others by external signs. Thus, they have a thin, dark-colored humus layer, which at a shallow depth is replaced by a clearly defined white podzolic horizon 10 cm or more thick.

❀ Attention: the soil in different parts of the site may have different acidity, which changes from year to year, so it cannot be determined once and for all.

To more accurately determine the acidity of the soil on the site, use the services of the nearest agrochemical laboratory. In laboratory conditions, such an analysis is simple and, accordingly, not very expensive.

If the soil on the site turns out to be acidic, then the acidity can be reduced by adding lime. On strongly acidic soils, 50-70 kg of lime are added per 1 hectare of land, on acidic soils - 35-45, and on slightly acidic soils - 25-30 kg. Newly developed soils with a light or light brown color also need liming.

With the same acidity on heavy, clay soils the dose of lime should be higher than on loamy and sandy loam soils that are lighter in mechanical composition.

Lime is applied in the fall by spreading it evenly over the surface of the soil before digging it. The better the lime is mixed with the soil, the faster the acidity decreases.

Lime moves very weakly in the soil, so it must be mixed well with the soil.

❀ Attention: Excessively high doses of lime are harmful. On such soils, plants absorb potassium and many microelements worse, which, in turn, worsens the wintering of plants.

Lime is characterized by a long-term effect: when applied in the indicated doses, the need for repeat liming arises only after 7-10 years. Sometimes liming is carried out in smaller doses, but then, naturally, the acidity of the soil decreases more slowly, and the need for re-treatment occurs faster.

On acidic soils, after liming, due to a decrease in acidity, crop yields can increase - just like after applying a good dose of complete fertilizer.

For liming, limestone flour (ground limestone), slaked and quicklime, calcareous tuff, lake lime, marl, and dolomite flour are used.

It is better to gypsum the soil rather than lime it: that is, instead of lime or wood ash, gypsum, alabaster, chalk, crushed dolomite are used to deoxidize the soil old cement, plaster (including dry) or eggshells.

The fact is that lime and wood ash are strong alkalis. The calcium they contain completely and quickly dissolves in water. Getting into the soil, especially immediately into large quantities, they sharply increase the soil pH to 7, sometimes to 8-10.

At the same time, those located in the soil chemical elements, including phosphorus and potassium, enter into chemical compounds that are insoluble in water, due to which they become inaccessible to plants - the suction power of root hairs is not enough to absorb these elements from chemical compounds.

Plants begin to starve and stop developing. Over time, natural acidification of the soil occurs, including due to acid rain occurring near large cities. The soil reaction changes, the pH decreases and everything returns to normal, but a whole season may pass until this moment. Thus, liming makes the soil unsuitable for growing plants for some time. That is why it is recommended to apply lime in the fall and not to use fertilizers at the same time.

If the soil is deoxidized with chalk, gypsum, etc., this does not happen. The fact is that all of the above are insoluble in water, and acid is required to dissolve them in the soil. If the soil is acidic, the dissolution of gypsum materials occurs, reducing its acidity, but as soon as the soil reaction reaches a pH value that is most suitable for most plants, the chemical deacidification reaction will stop and no further increase in pH will occur. Moreover, the unused part of the deoxidizers will not be lost, but will remain in the soil, since they are not soluble in water.

When the natural process of soil acidification reduces the pH to 6, they will return to chemical reaction, reducing soil acidity. Since the pH during gypsum does not decrease below the permissible value, nutrients, including phosphorus and potassium, remain in a form accessible to plants.

IN North-West region It is best to deoxidize soils with dolomite flour, which contains not only calcium, but also magnesium.

However, when there is an excess of the latter in the soil, phosphorus is poorly absorbed by plants. So too much magnesium is just as bad as too little.

Gardeners should also know that phosphorus in the soil is available to plants only if its acidity is in a small pH range: 5.5~6.5.

Eggshell "delicacy"

Egg shells increase soil fertility and bring considerable benefits. First of all, as a means of reducing its acidity. As already mentioned, excessive acidity reduces the fertility of the soil and negatively affects the development and productivity of many plants.

Typically, lime, chalk and other ground lime waste are used as liming materials. But you shouldn’t give up eggshells either. It contains about 94% potassium carbonate salts, 1.3% magnesium, 1.7% J phosphates, 3% organic matter. Ground eggshells are a unique fertilizer, which, in addition to the indicated elements, includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other microadditives.

Collect the shells carefully. You can fold it into small carton boxes and dry on heating battery. In 1~2 days the shell dries and does not emit bad smell. After this, the shells are kneaded and then passed through a meat grinder.

For better digestibility by plants, a small amount of shell is ground in a coffee grinder. In this case, egg flour is obtained from the shell. This “delicacy” is added directly to the holes before planting. Coarse shells are mainly used when digging up the ground.

Let's remember chemistry

Many people remember from a school chemistry course that the reaction of a medium depends on the content of hydrogen ions in it. Chemists designate them with the symbol H, and the quantitative parameter characterizing their concentration is pH. Without going into too much detail, let us remember that a pH equal to 7 is considered a sign of a neutral environment, 6-5 is a weakly acidic environment, and less than 4 is a sign of a highly acidic environment.

At pH above 7 the environment becomes increasingly alkaline. Soil reactions above pH 9 practically do not occur in nature.

Active hydrogen ions react with salts of potassium, phosphorus, and trace metals dissolved in the soil and make them inaccessible to plants. As a result, plants starve and grow poorly, although there are enough nutrients in the soil.

also in acidic environment Toxic and easily digestible compounds of iron, manganese, aluminum and some other microelements are formed, which under normal conditions are necessary for life. Plants begin to get sick, and their resistance to diseases and pests sharply decreases.

Alkaline soil is also not very favorable for most plants. It contains a lot of lime, but few nutrients and trace elements. Soils with a pH above 8 are unsuitable for agriculture.

Peat bogs and limestones

Typically, many hydrogen ions appear in an environment where decomposition reactions of organic matter occur with an insufficient supply of oxygen. These are soils with a constant excess of moisture, dense, and poorly permeable to air.

A classic example of soil with a highly acidic environment is swamps and peat bogs.

To a lesser extent, acidity is typical for areas with close standing groundwater flooded floodplains, lowlands. Compost that has matured without sufficient access to air in dense piles may have an acidic reaction.

Clay and loamy soils are also prone to acidification, especially in humid areas.

Alkaline soils often form near deposits of limestone and dolomite. They are usually light in color due to their high lime content.

The grass will tell you what acidity your soil has...

The exact pH of the soil can be determined in the laboratory. But in most cases, it is enough for gardeners to know the approximate value of acidity.

Take a closer look at natural vegetation. If horsetail, creeping buttercup, large plantain, field mint, and sour sorrel grow abundantly on the site, then the soil is acidic. Neutral soils they love common coltsfoot, common cornflower, popularly called chamomile, different types clover. Wild poppy, bindweed, and white doze grow on alkaline soil.

Assess the composition of the soil, its water permeability, and the proximity of pound water. If the soil is clayey, dense, or the area is swampy, then the acidity is probably increased. If the soil has more noticeable inclusions of peat, then its reaction can be moderate to strongly acidic.

Apply vinegar solution to the soil clump. If bubbles appear, the soil is neutral or slightly alkaline. If no reaction occurs, then the soil is acidic.

We increase the fertility of garden soil

Liming is the most known method To reduce the acidity of the soil, add chalk, lime, and dolomite flour to it during spring and autumn digging. Consumption: 0.5 kg per 1 sq. m for slightly acidic and up to 1.5 kg per 1 sq. m for highly acidic soils. You can bury ground grass directly into the beds. eggshells– an excellent source of calcium.

Add sand and humus to heavy clays, create a drainage layer under the beds from chopped branches, hay, and straw.

Carry out reclamation in wetlands and create a drainage system.

On the contrary, add peat, compost, clay to alkaline soil, water with a weak solution of vinegar, citric acid, potassium permanganate.

However, before reducing the acidity of the soil, pay attention to what crops grow in your area. Some plants like sour peaty soil. These are all types of rhododendrons, heathers, garden forms of blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries, and many decorative conifers.

Nightshade crops prefer a slightly acidic reaction: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes. If the potato area is limed too much, the plants lose resistance to scab and Verticellium wilt.

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Many gardeners face the problem of soil acidity. In excess acidic soil there are no conditions for the life of microelements and important bacteria. The trouble is that with high acidity and abundant fertilizer soil, the plants still do not receive the necessary substances for nutrition and a good harvest.

How to analyze soil acidity

Even if, before planting the first plants, a check land plot the acidity test showed a neutral pH, then in the future an increased level of acidity can unpleasantly surprise the summer resident. The good news is that now there is no need to resort to specialists and complex technologies to carry out analysis. Eat simple ways studying the acidity of the site yourself.

1. Soil analysis using litmus paper. Having collected half a spoonful of soil from different places on the site, you need to put each test material in a jar with clean water in proportions of 1 to 1. After five minutes, litmus paper, previously purchased at the pharmacy, should be lowered into each container for 1 second. By checking the instructions, you can understand what pH corresponds to each piece of paper that has changed color.
2. Studying the acidity level with vinegar. You need to place the glass on any dark surface, pouring a spoonful of earth on it from different places in the garden. When watering each handful of soil with 9% vinegar essence, you need to watch for the appearance of foam. In case of strong foaming - there is no acid in the ground, a little foam - good indicator, and if there is absolutely no reaction, the earth is acidic.
3. Observing the color of beet leaves. If you plant beetroot on various areas dachas, then when large leaves appear, you can find out the acidity of the soil on which the beets grow. If the entire leaf of the plant has a red filling - the acidity is high, there are red veins on the leaf - a weak indicator of acidity, green color leaf – permissible pH.

Methods for soil deoxidation

Independent soil deoxidation is not particularly difficult; fortunately, all the ingredients for this can be taken from Sortsemovoshch, at the market, or done directly on the site. By being especially careful and having carefully studied the methods, you can begin the procedure.

Application of lime

Deoxidizing the soil with lime gives an effective result, but at the same time deprives plants of the ability to absorb phosphorus for a long time. Considering the aggressive nature of lime, it is best to apply it in the fall, leaving time for normalization before spring sowing chemical processes in the soil.

Slaked lime is added as follows:

• especially acidic soil - half a kg per 1 sq.m.
• medium acid – 300 g per 1 sq.m.
• small acid – 200 g per 1 sq.m.

Dolomite for deoxidation

Dolomite can be sprayed on the site before planting and in the fall, as it behaves quite neutrally towards plants, at the same time saturating the soil with magnesium.

The proportions of dolomite flour are as follows:

• acidic soil - half a kg per 1 sq.m.
• medium acid – 400 g per 1 sq.m.
• low acid – 300 g per 1 sq. m

Treating the area with ash

By using ash, the gardener not only deoxidizes the soil, but also fertilizes it with potassium, essential phosphorus and useful magnesium.

True, the consumption of ash is high:

• wood ash - more than one and a half kg per 1 sq. m
• weed ash – 2.5 kg per sq.m.

Gypsum and chalk soil deoxidation

Gypsum, like chalk, can be called a soil acidity controller. After these drugs enter the soil, they begin their work, interacting not with water, but with acid. Having normalized the pH of the soil, these deoxidizers remain in it in a passive position until the acidity rises again. As a result, these substances added to the soil regulate and reduce acidity for a long time.