If you apply mineral fertilizers on acidic soils, which themselves have an acidic reaction, this can lead to the loss of plants, and vice versa, applying organic fertilizers on slightly acidic soils helps to obtain a good harvest.
In order to neutralize the acid that enters the soil due to rain, mineral fertilizers, as well as as a result of the life of plants and the decomposition of organic matter, it is necessary to carry out liming.
For this purpose, slaked lime, fluff lime, dolomite and phosphate rock are used, wood ash, ground chalk or ground eggshells.
In this case, manure should not be added so as not to reduce the effect organic fertilizer. Liming is carried out every 3-4 years, during the autumn digging of the soil.
The addition of lime normalizes the pH and optimizes conditions for normal plant growth, while aluminum salts harmful to plantings become insoluble.
The attitude of plants to liming
It is necessary to take into account that plants have different attitudes towards soil liming, especially when lime is applied directly to plantings. Cabbage, celery, onions, parsnips and beets respond well to this procedure.
Moderately responsive - peas, cucumbers, lettuce, cauliflower and tomatoes. Carrots, parsley, radishes and zucchini react poorly to the application of lime in acidic soils, so it is better to sow these plants only after a year or two.
It is also not advisable to apply lime to potatoes in the form of calcium oxide or hydroxide, since they dramatically change the reaction of the soil. It is better to use dolomite flour for this crop.
Change in alkaline environment
You can change the alkaline environment with the help of mineral fertilizers, which have an acidic reaction. In the fall, potassium sulfate or colloidal sulfur is used, and in the spring, ammonium sulfate. This fertilizer is not applied before winter, as it contains nitrogen, which stimulates plant growth.
Potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, sorrel, parsley, zucchini, and radishes respond especially well to ammonium sulfate. Lack of microelements in alkaline soils can be reduced using metal chelates such as iron chelate.
To slightly reduce the pH of the alkaline environment, you can add acidic acids to the soil. organic materials- rotted pine needles, rotted sawdust, high-moor peat or oak leaves.
Medium acid soil is suitable for strawberries, gooseberries, potatoes,... To acidify the soil, add rotted pine needles or sawdust from coniferous trees and alder as fertilizer.
Needles, sawdust and bark can be used as mulch. Fresh sawdust pulls nitrogen from the soil. If you decide to use them, add nitrogenous fertilizers to the plants so as not to deplete the soil. Spent tea and coffee are also used as mulch. They not only retain moisture and fertilize the soil, but also protect plants from slugs.
Add oxalic or citric acid(2 tablespoons per bucket of water) and apple or wine vinegar (100 g per bucket). You can acidify the water with sulfuric acid or new, unused battery electrolyte. It must be borne in mind that the concentration of sulfuric acid included in the electrolyte depends on its density. Colloidal sulfur can also be used as an oxidizing agent.
In slightly acidic soils with a pH of 6, it is advisable to grow beans, dill, tomato, eggplant, corn, melon, zucchini, horseradish, spinach, radishes and rhubarb. Potatoes, peppers, sorrel, beans, and pumpkins can grow in moderately acidic soils with a pH of 5 to 6. All grow poorly in soils with a pH below 5 vegetable crops.
The development of plants on acidic soils is defective, since nutrients are in an inaccessible form. In soils with high acidity, pathogenic bacteria and pests actively multiply. Soil-forming bacteria are practically absent in such soils.
Several methods can be used to determine soil acidity. The most accessible method is to use litmus paper according to the instructions. If possible, you can order a soil analysis from an agrochemical laboratory.
If it is not possible to carry out an analysis or in a laboratory, you can determine an approximate indicator of soil acidity based on the weeds growing on the site. On strongly acidic soils they prefer to grow horsetail, fireweed, plantain, horse sorrel, and oxalis. Creeping wheatgrass, clover, coltsfoot, and dog violet grow on medium and slightly acidic soils.
A large number of gardeners face certain problems when caring for certain plants. Such problems are faced by those gardeners who begin to grow heather or fern crops. The fact is that these families require a certain amount of personal care if you wanted to see how your plant will grow and develop.
Also, fastidious plants include flowers such as lilies, hydrangeas, lupins and so on. The main mistake When caring for such plants, there is a lack of attention to the soil in which the flower grows; the fact is that all plants require a certain level of acidity. Such fastidious plants, which we talked about earlier, require the highest level of soil acidity, otherwise they may begin to die. When caring for such plants, it is necessary to measure the pH level; it should be at level 4 or lower.
Probably, many gardeners have encountered the problem of acidity in the soil, but a large number of people have fought to reduce it. All this lies in the fact that almost all vegetables, berries, fruitful trees and other greens require a weak pH level or neutral. In some cases, even alkaline soil is required.
And when gardeners are going to grow heather families or other similar plants, such crops require a certain level of acidity in the soil. Before you start acidifying the soil, you need to find out what kind of soil you have in order to select the most good soil for your plant.
There are several options for determining the acidity level of your soil:
Laboratory method
The first level of determination can be attributed to laboratory methods. If you want to get accurate data on your pH level and will not regret it certain money. Then you need to contact special laboratories.
These laboratories are called soil science laboratories. Specialists will take the necessary samples from your site, using this material they will be able to conduct a multifaceted study and give you accurate results of the acidity level throughout the entire territory of the land.
At home
The second option is to determine the acidity level at home. But using this method you will not be able to determine the exact acidity level of your soil. This method will help you save money and roughly determine your acidity level. In order to determine the level, you need to do the following:
Litmus paper method
You will need litmus paper and a soil solution. The solution should be settled and well mixed. To determine the acidity level, you need to dip litmus paper into this solution and watch how the paper changes color.
If the paper has a blue tint, then the soil is alkaline. If a red color begins to appear on the paper, then your soil is at a predominant acid level. If a yellow-green tint appears on the table paper, then we can safely say that in your soil the two environments are equal and the soil is a neutral environment for plants.
You can also roughly determine the level of acidity and alkalinity, then you should look at the contrast of the color that appears on litmus paper. For example, the brighter the red color, the higher the acidity level of your soil. Also with alkaline pH.
Using specialized tests
For the next method, we will need special tests, which can be purchased at many gardening stores. This method is the most accurate of all home tests. You can find out everything you need to carry out the test in the test instructions.
Method from scrap materials
The last method, but no less effective. To carry out the test, we don’t have to do anything complicated, nor do we have to buy anything. Since almost everyone has all the necessary things in their home. For the test we need soda and acetic acid.
This method will not cause you any difficulties. To determine the environment, you will also need to take some soil from your site. Divide it into two parts, pour a little vinegar into one of them, and add a pinch of soda to the other and watch the reaction. If the soil into which you poured vinegar begins to bubble and hiss, it means that the soil is in an alkaline environment. Also, if the reaction begins to appear in contact with soda, it means that an acidic environment predominates in the earth.
Determine the pH level of water
If you do not want to do any research, then this method is suitable for you. To do this, you need to find out what the pH level of your water is. You don't need anything for this. Well, besides, what kind of water do you water your land with?
If you water your soil with piped water, then most likely your soil is alkaline. Since the pipeline uses alkali to disinfect water. In this case, your soil needs to increase its acidity level a little.
It is best to water the soil with filtered water, since after such water your soil will be as close as possible to a neutral environment. But this watering method is considered very expensive, since it will be necessary to water a large number of plants and this will require a lot of filtered water.
For those who are not particularly versed in the pH indicator, we will now tell you a little. The pH level ranges from 0 to 14 points. The higher the pH level, the more alkaline the environment. Also in reverse order. For example and better understanding, acetic acid has a pH of 0, and household products have a pH of 14.
How to increase soil acidity
Before you start oxidizing the soil in your garden, you need to find out its mechanical composition. The composition of the soil will directly determine the method that will need to be used to increase acidity.
The first method is perfect for fairly loose soil. IN in this case the best way will add large amounts of organic matter to the soil. The best of organic products there will be compost, manure or sphagnum moss. As the humus process takes place, the pH level in your soil will begin to drop significantly to make the process more efficient and noticeable. A large amount of organic matter will be needed.
The second method is only suitable for dense and heavy soil, such soil is generally called clayey. In this case, you will need a lot of time and much more effort to increase acidity. If you decide to use the first option with such soil, then nothing good should be expected. Since with the help organic compounds you will only increase the alkaline level of the soil.
- One way you can increase soil acidity is by adding sulfur to the clay rock. Over time, the soil's clay medium will begin to turn into sulfuric acid. In order to lower the pH from 7 to 4.5. You will need about a kilogram of sulfur for a flowerbed of soil measuring three by three meters. Earlier we said that the process of increasing acidity takes a long time, in this method it manifests itself in the best possible way. Since the effect of this manipulation will be visible only after a year.
- In the next method we will need ferrous sulfate. This method is also the fastest that is possible with clay soil. For this method you will need one kilogram of ferrous sulfate per 15 square meters land. With this method, results will be visible within a few weeks. This speed is due to the fact that this substance is much smaller than sulfur, and the temperature of the environment also affects this.
- The final method is to use urea or other fertilizers with a high ammonia content. The main thing in this method is that in no case should you use various mixtures that contain calcium and potassium nitrate.
How to maintain the required acidity level
When you reach the required pH level, you should not immediately relax, since only half of the difficult path has been completed. In order for your plants to begin to grow properly, it is necessary to maintain this level of acidity. Since minor deviations from the required pH level require emergency measures, otherwise you can say goodbye to your plant.
One of emergency measures is the use of sulfur, this substance is the most optimal for your plant, since it will not harm it in any way, and it will also gradually lower the pH level so that your plant does not face stressful situations. In order not to harm the plant as much as possible, it is necessary to add sulfur only in wet soil and do not touch the roots of the plant.
Natural acidifiers are also excellent, as they do not harm the soil in any way and have a long-lasting effect. Such substances are leaf humus and cotton seed cake.
Under no circumstances should you use acetic acid; it will certainly give a quick and visible effect. But not only will this effect not last long, but after acetic acid, all beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil will die and will not appear again.
The most effective way is the addition of aluminum sulfate to the groundbait layer; this manipulation must be performed once a year. But when you add sulfate, make sure that the plant's roots remain intact.
What do we know about soil acidity and why do we need this knowledge? This question constantly arises among novice flower growers and gardeners when they come across this term in recommendations for growing a particular plant. It arises, and in most cases, is ignored... Beginners consider this knowledge unnecessary and superfluous. This is aggravated by the fact that it is very difficult to determine the acidity of the soil at home. After all, for this it is universally recommended to use an acidity tester or litmus paper. And not even every professional has them, let alone amateurs. So plants are planted without taking into account this most important indicator of soil quality. Various plants For optimal growth, flowering and fruiting they need one or another acid-base environment. pH affects the availability of nutrients in the soil and the solubility of toxic elements. How can you tell if your soil is acidic or alkaline right now?
What is acidic and alkaline soil?
Without going into scientific terms, acidity is the ability of soil to exhibit the properties of acids. Soil pH indicates its relative acidity or alkalinity. An acidic environment is typical for podzolic, soddy-podzolic, gray forest and swampy soils, neutral – for chernozems, alkaline – for chestnut soils and solonetzes. The pH value is measured by the ratio of positive hydrogen ions (H+) and negative hydroxide ions (OH-) in a water molecule. Depending on the pH level, the following groups can be distinguished:
- pH above 7 – alkaline soil reaction;
- pH 7 – neutral reaction;
- pH 5.6-6.9 – slightly acidic, closer to neutral;
- pH 5 – slightly acidic;
- pH 4.6-5.0 – medium acidic;
- pH 4.1-4.5 – highly acidic;
- pH 3.8-4.0 – very acidic.
A few cultivated plants prefer acidic soil, including heather, hydrangea, lupine and rhododendron. Most garden and vegetable crops weaken in such soil, their roots die, and the above-ground part is more often affected by diseases.
The ability to determine the acidity of soil in the garden or garden plot will help increase crop yields.
A pH range of 6.5-7.5 is optimal for most crops, in which case the necessary nutrients are easily soluble and accessible. When soil acidity is less than 5.5, there is a calcium or magnesium deficiency and plants are stunted. At a pH greater than 8.4, organic matter may dissolve in the soil, resulting in unfavorable conditions for plants.
Why does the soil become acidic?
Increased soil acidity is a common occurrence, and there are many reasons for this:
- High humidity in areas where more than 500 mm of precipitation falls per year, as well as melt water promote leaching and leaching of easily soluble alkaline salts from the ground.
- In areas with poor ecology, sulfur and nitrogen oxides dissolve in precipitation with the formation of acids, which then fall as “acid rain”. Fortunately, this is not a common occurrence.
Often, gardeners themselves provoke an increase in acidity by:
- Watering with a hose leaches the soil. Abundant watering from a hose washes away necessary salts. Water under pressure with water from a hose.
- They do not replenish calcium taken up by plants after harvesting.
- Mineral fertilizers are used uncontrollably.
- They are too keen on natural nitrogen-containing fertilizers (manure, droppings).
- Use raw peat.
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Determination of soil acidity
As a rule, people contact the laboratory when they want to receive a detailed, detailed report on the quality of the soil on the site. In addition to the pH level, you can also determine the microelement composition, the level of contamination with heavy metals, radionuclides, and petroleum products.
- 1 way. Dig 2-3 holes in the area, put a strip of test there (pH litmus indicator) and press it to the ground so that it gets wet. The indicator on the strip will change color. Compare the average value of the three stripes with the sample on the package, this will be an approximate result.
- Method 2. Take several handfuls of soil in different places on the site. Then mix this soil with melted or distilled water, wait until the water settles and lower the strip into it. Check the resulting color with the sample on the package.
Why is acidic soil dangerous?
There are more acidic soils in our country than alkaline ones, especially in middle lane. Alas, although some plants thrive on them, for most, acidic soils are dangerous, since the water, carbon, protein and nitrogen balance of the soil is disturbed, which entails many problems.
When snow melts, moisture is poorly absorbed, and a crust quickly forms on the surface, which prevents the penetration of not only water, but also air into the soil (that is, the earth “does not breathe”), as a result of which some of the plants unadapted to these characteristics die, and the remaining ones grow weak and produce very little yield.
Lack of many micro- and macroelements, needed by plants(e.g. nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus). Firstly, there are fewer of them in acidic soil than in neutral or alkaline soil, and secondly, even with abundant application of fertilizers, these elements are quickly converted into a form that is poorly absorbed by plants.
Increased content of iron, copper and zinc leads to inhibition of plant growth, and in saline soils it can sharply increase soil toxicity. Transparent watery spots appear on the lower leaves and the leaves soon fall off.
Beneficial bacteria that improve the structure and cleanse soils with lower acidity do not survive here, but pathogenic microflora develop actively, so many acidic soils are often “sick”, infecting plants.
The presence of toxic substances that are not washed out or neutralized naturally in acidic soil inhibits the development of the root system and leads to plant diseases. Thus, heavy metals quickly accumulate in acidic soils, which then penetrate into plant tissue. A number of elements that are generally beneficial for plants (aluminum, iron, manganese) form toxic compounds in acidic soils and harm plants.
Plants that prefer acidic soil
Annuals: Clarkia, Godetia, Nemesia. Perennials: foxglove, lupine, molinia, cyanosis. Shrubs: palmleaf maple, Canadian dogwood, hydrangea (G. paniculata grows well on neutral soils), Swiss and hairy willows, Japanese schizophragma, Berkwood viburnum. Let us especially mention rhododendrons, ericas and heathers, varietal diversity which allows you to create stunningly beautiful heather gardens with smooth transitions from one color range to another. Conifers, which thrive in acidic soils, will fit well here.
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You probably noticed that Special attention is given specifically to the definition of “acidic soil or non-acidic” and almost nothing about alkaline soils. The fact is that alkalization of the soil in country houses and personal plots occurs extremely rarely and mainly has to be dealt with high acidity
Annuals “cannot live” without lime: amaranthus, Chinese aster, Chinese clove, mignonette; perennials: meadowsweet yarrow, lavender, anemone, alpine aster, aubrieta, gypsophila, leftover, white ash, lumbago, thyme, prickly yucca and soapwort. Among the bulbous plants, tulips and onions respond well to the application of lime. Trees and shrubs that prefer a slightly alkaline reaction of the environment are honeysuckle, deutia, boxwood, oleaster, forsythia, bush cherry, hazel, mackerel, and lance-shaped willow.
Alkaline soil is an excellent environment for Korean onions (up to 1.5 m, June-July), it prefers the sun, like most garden chrysanthemums. Korean and Japanese chrysanthemums (40-60 cm, September-October) boast a wide range of colors, and prefer to winter under light cover.
Plants for alkaline soils are the familiar irises and irises (up to 1 m, May-July), with their rainbow shades. At the same time, weigela blooms (up to 1.5 m, May-June) - a sun-loving deciduous shrub that requires shelter for the winter.
Rose stock grows well on alkaline soils, or mallow (up to 2 m, June-August) forms dense thickets; this plant has many varieties, including double ones. An unpretentious bloodroot (up to 1 m, June-October) can be placed in the sun. By the way, only some species are medicinal.
Alkaline soil is significantly improved by planting green manure plants, which are an excellent source of biological nitrogen. As green manure crops, crops such as lupine (contains a large amount of protein substances) and other plants of the legume family, as well as seradella, clover, sweet clover, white mustard, rye and buckwheat.
In practice, to improve soil alkalinity, farmers sometimes use waste from the phosphorus mining industry, that is, phosphogypsum, which in addition to calcium sulfate contains impurities of sulfuric acid and fluorine.
