Processing strawberries with ammonia in the spring

Every self-respecting gardener and gardener grows strawberries on his plot. This is the most favorite berry not only among children, but also among adults. To grow a rich harvest of fragrant and healthy fruits, efforts will have to be made. First of all, this concerns high-quality dressings of garden strawberries. But in the people it is more often called strawberries. Often, top dressing is simultaneously a preventive means of protection against diseases and pests.

You can use chemicals. But most gardeners have recently wanted to receive environmentally friendly products, including strawberries, so they refuse chemistry. They prefer safe drugs. For example, ammonia for strawberries is a fertilizer that supplies plants with easily digestible nitrogen and a kind of protection against diseases and pests.

The benefits of ammonia

No matter how strange it may sound, it is ammonia (ammonia, ammonia) that is one of the important pharmaceutical preparations used by gardeners. Beginners who have started growing strawberries are skeptical about such fertilizer. We will try to dispel their doubts by talking about the benefits of ammonia. Ammonia for strawberries is essentially a concentrated nitrogenous fertilizer. You can buy the drug at any pharmacy.

Nitrogen is one of the important trace elements necessary for the growth of strawberries, especially at the beginning of vegetative development. This element is contained in the soil, but plants cannot take full advantage of it due to the difficulty of assimilation. And without it, the green mass of strawberries grows weakly.

Top dressing with nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers is often not an option. Since gardeners do not conduct laboratory soil tests, top dressing can lead to an excess of nitrogen. This is fraught with the accumulation of nitrates in the finished crop, which, in turn, is harmful to human health.

Nitrogen for strawberries and other garden plants is indispensable. Top dressing with ammonia does not lead to the accumulation of nitrates either in the soil or in the fruits of plants. Agricultural products are safe.

What is ammonia for strawberries

1. Firstly, ammonia is not just a useful nitrogen-containing fertilizer, but also a means of protection against pests. On beds watered with ammonia, the larvae of the May beetle, the most important and harmful pest of strawberries, die. Pests such as garden ants disappear. Wasps do not fly up to strawberries and do not spoil them.
2. Secondly, thanks to ammonia, there are no signs of nematodes and other fungal diseases on strawberries.
3. Thirdly, watering strawberries with ammonia allows you to quickly increase the green mass.

Pest control:

Features of preparation of a solution

Since ammonia is a volatile compound, the prepared solution must be enriched with fatty acids. In this case, it lingers longer on the green mass of plants, which increases the treatment effect several times. You can use any liquid soap for these purposes, but it is best to take laundry soap (72 percent) dissolved in water as a basis. It will not only create a strong film on strawberry leaves, but also serve as protection against diseases. In fact, this soap is an excellent safe antiseptic.

Soap solution preparation:

1. Grate one signet of soap, pour a small amount of hot water. Stir the soap solution until completely dissolved.
2. Pour into the water in a thin stream while stirring constantly. There should be no gray flakes left in the finished solution, and iridescent bubbles should form on the surface.
3. After that, ammonia is poured strictly according to the recommendations.

As a rule, strawberries are watered with a solution of ammonia no more than three times. This is enough for the normal growth of the plant and abundant fruiting. On garden strawberries during the growing season, rot and spotting are not observed. Bypass the beds watered with ammonia, pests.

Top dressing and processing of strawberries in the spring with ammonia:

Stages of watering strawberries and dosage

Fertilizing strawberries with ammonia is one of the important points when growing strawberries. Experienced gardeners most often do not use any mineral fertilizers after such processing of strawberries.

First watering

The first time strawberries are treated with ammonia in early spring. Before this, the beds are preliminarily cleaned from old leaves. This top dressing is very important for overwintered strawberries. It is during this period that the plant needs nitrogen to build up green mass. The solution is prepared as follows: a full bottle of ammonia (40 ml) is poured into a ten-liter bucket of water.

For watering use a watering can with large holes. Look at the photo below. On the watering can is the correct nozzle that allows you to quickly pour out the solution. The ammonia does not have time to volatilize, completely settles on the leaves and soil.

Second processing

For the second time, strawberry beds are treated with ammonia immediately after flowering. At this time, the solution should have a lower concentration. As a rule, gardeners add 2 or 3 large spoons of the drug to the watering can. This is not just top dressing with nitrogen, but also protection from pests.

Second treatment with ammonia:

The third top dressing

As for the third processing of strawberries, it is carried out after the last berry is harvested. During the fruiting period, the plants have exhausted all their resources, and in the winter the strawberry bushes should leave full of strength, ready to successfully bear fruit next year. The norm of ammonia is the same as in spring – a vial of 10 liters of water.

Instead of a conclusion

Since ammonia is a toxic substance, when working with a solution, you need to think about your safety.

1. You need to water the beds in a respirator or mask. Hands must be covered with rubber gloves.
2. It is forbidden to add other drugs to the ammonia solution.
3. If a solution of ammonia gets into open areas of the body, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
4. In case of poisoning, you need to drink a glass of milk and consult a doctor.

Ammonia solution is prepared only on the street. When processing plants in a greenhouse, it is necessary to open windows and doors.