2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Someone dreams of planting an apple orchard, others prefer cherries, and still others love raspberries and strawberries. But sometimes plants for some reason do not take root or refuse to bear fruit, although we adhere to all the rules of planting and caring for our pets. The reason for such a nuisance may lie deep in the ground, namely, in the acidity of the soil. The fact is that different plants require different soil pH levels, and when this indicator is exactly the opposite, then one should not expect high yields
Soil acidity and garden plants
Let's take a closer look at which garden plants prefer soils for themselves:
• Cherry, sweet cherry - grow best on soil with a neutral reaction (pH 6, 7-7, 1);
• Pear, apple, currant - prefer slightly acidic soil (6, 2-6, 7);
• Strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries - they love the earth sour (5, 5-6, 2).
How to find out what kind of land on your site? To do this, take a look at those weeds that grow here:
• On acidic soil, woodlice or canary grass, plantain, horse sorrel are preferred (the latter may also indicate not so much an acid reaction as a high iron content in the soil);
• Slightly acidic soil is preferred by cornflowers, the ubiquitous wheatgrass, dandelion, clover, coltsfoot, chamomile, bell;
• Neutral acidity is indicated by the presence of nettle, quinoa, shepherd's purse;
• Alkaline medium is given by field bindweed, sparrow, chicory, thyme, bergenia.
Chemical experiments at home
But what to do when you are such a zealous gardener that you do not allow the appearance of weeds in your suburban area, or the dacha was bought closer to winter, and there was no trace of such vegetation, and your hands itch unbearably to start planting trees and shrubs as soon as possible? Well, then you will have to remember your chemistry lessons and try to find out on your own the acidity level of your land.
The easiest way to determine the acidity level is using a set of litmus paper and a special color scale. To do this, pour a handful of earth with a glass of water and thoroughly stir the contents thoroughly. Before the experiment to determine acidity, the solution must be filtered several times through a gauze cut or bandage folded 6-8 times. It only takes a few milliliters of solution to wet the litmus paper, compare its color with the scale and find out the condition of the soil.
Vinegar to help the gardener
When there is no desire to go to the store specifically for the props for the experiment, the experiment can be carried out using a few tablespoons of vinegar and a handful of earth. It is more convenient to place the soil in a small bowl and slowly pour ordinary 9% table vinegar onto it. If the soil is alkaline or close to neutral, the vinegar will begin to foam - this acid reacts with salts. When the soil in your area is acidified, then this effect will not happen - the vinegar will simply be absorbed into the ground.
Autumn tillage in the garden
With the information received, it is much easier to properly dispose of your weave and make a decision on placing trees in the garden or liming the soil for deoxidation for autumn digging. Liming is recommended to be carried out one year before planting.
However, there is a method in which you can apply lime fertilizer in the year of planting. To do this, in September, it is brought into the soil for shallow digging, after which manure is scattered at the rate of 6 kg per 1 sq. M. area, add mineral fertilizer and carry out a deep digging. After that, the plot is leveled with a rake, wait 2-3 weeks for the soil to settle, and begin the autumn planting of the garden.
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