How to fertilize the soil with ash in autumn
You are a novice gardener, and you have a question, do you need to fertilize the site in the fall? Today we will talk about whether it is possible to fertilize the garden with ash in the fall and how to do it correctly.
How to fertilize soil with ash
Why fertilize the soil with ash
Autumn, when nature is preparing to go into hibernation, is a good time to introduce slowly digestible fertilizers (including ash) into the soil. During the few months when the ground is covered with snow, the ash manages to saturate the soil with useful elements contained in it.
Why is it so useful to fertilize the soil on your site with ash for the winter?
Ash contains more than 30 substances useful for the soil: iron, silicon, potassium, phosphorus, etc. In addition, ash makes the soil fluffy, reduces acidity and accelerates the decomposition of organic matter.
Ash is obtained by burning wood, tops and grass. Attention! Do not use leaf ash that is infected with a fungal or other disease. After all, the smallest grains of unburned plants affected by the disease will get into the fertilizer.
You need to feed the soil with ash in the fall, before digging up the beds. This is necessary for the even distribution of trace elements over the fertile layer.
You can apply ash as fertilizer to all plants if your garden has acidic soil. This parameter can be determined in a chemical laboratory or independently, according to naturally growing (not planted) crops. An interesting fact: plantain, sorrel, buttercups, horsetail feel great on acidic soil. Therefore, take a closer look at the indigenous inhabitants of the garden.
Ash is most useful for the following plants:
- fruit trees;
- raspberries;
- currants;
- strawberries;
- potatoes;
- tomatoes;
- radishes;
- onions, garlic;
- cucumbers;
- pepper.
But if your site has alkaline soil, then for these crops, ash is an unnecessary fertilizer.
In addition, ash must not be added to the soil at the same time as nitrogen fertilizers (including manure)! In a chemical reaction, as a result of the combination of these substances, ammonia is formed, which burns the root system.
There are two ways to fertilize the soil with ash: with an aqueous solution and in dry form.
For dry distribution, take ash at the rate of 100 g per sq. m, scatter on the soil and dig up. This method is optimal when preparing the beds.
And for bushes and trees, feeding with a solution is preferable. To do this, stir 100 g of ash in a bucket of water. This amount of solution is enough to process 1-2 sq. m of the area of the root circle.
Ash is an environmentally friendly option for improving soil structure and increasing fertility.