Fertilizers for the garden - how to enrich the soil in spring? Fertilizers for the vegetable garden: in favor of organic farming.

To get a rich harvest, we suggest that you keep this quick fertilizer reminder.

Soil acidity

The acidity of the soil is important for the absorption of fertilizers. For the growth and proper development of plants, the pH should be at the level of 6.5.

In alkaline soils, where pH > 7, elements necessary for plants are poorly assimilated: phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese.

Acidic soils with pH = 4-5.5 hinder the absorption of calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur.

pH scale

To determine the pH using an analyzer, you need to make several holes throughout the area, fill them with distilled water and, each time wiping the probe, measure the indicators. Next, calculate average which should be targeted.

You can determine the acidity of the soil without equipment using vinegar and soda. To do this, you need to collect land in two containers. Pour vinegar into one, distilled water into the other and pour soda on top. If the reaction went in the first container, the earth is alkaline, if soda hissed, it is acidic.

You can neutralize the acidity of the soil by adding wood ash, slaked lime, ground limestone, shell rock or chalk. Application rates: 250-600 g/m2 depending on soil type.

You can acidify the soil with organic matter. But for heavy clay soils, ferrous sulfate, sulfur and ammonia fertilizers are used according to the manufacturer's instructions. The introduction of organic fertilizers to acidify clay soils will have the opposite effect.

ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

These are natural natural fertilizers of plant or animal origin. In addition to changing the structure of the soil, they have a positive effect on its chemical composition, enriching the soil with elements necessary for plants.

Manure

Under the general term "manure" lies a variety of organic fertilizers. This fertilizer enriches the earth with calcium, potassium, nitrogen, manganese, sulfur and phosphorus.

IMPORTANT! Do not use fresh manure, as in the process of decay it releases substances that are harmful to plants.

In rotted form, manure is suitable for most horticultural crops.

Cow dung contains a lot of potassium, calcium and nitrogen. They bring it in the fall for deep digging 3-4 kg / m 2.

Rabbit manure and bird droppings are rich in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. It is embedded in the ground in autumn at 300-400 g / m 2.

Horse, sheep and goat manure is a source of nitrogen and potassium, has short term decomposition and great heat dissipation, which makes it valuable fertilizer for greenhouses. They bring 4-6 kg / m2, embedding in the ground during autumn or spring digging.

Pig manure is useless. There are few nutrients in it, and it itself can cause various infections.

Ash

Wood ash contains phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, zinc, sulfur and a large number of calcium. Ash contributes to the growth and proper development of plants, improves their winter hardiness, and also helps to absorb nutrients. Suitable for fertilizing almost all types of fruit and vegetable crops. Application rates: 300-500 g/m 2 . Ash cannot be used for blueberries, rhododendrons and azaleas.

Peat

Peat makes the soil breathable and comfortable for plant growth. For these purposes, low-lying peat with a high degree of decomposition or treated with lime is used. Peat is rich in humus. The use of peat is justified only in the case of infertile soils. Peat is introduced after digging, intervening in upper layer soil, or use as mulch throughout the season. Application rate: 4-8 kg/m 2 .

Mineral fertilizers

These are products of the chemical industry. Useful substances in them are in a concentrated state. Mineral fertilizers are divided into simple and complex (complex).

SIMPLE FERTILIZERS

nitrogen fertilizers

Nitrogen fertilizers significantly increase yields and make plants resistant to pests and some diseases. This type of fertilizer is suitable for all crops except legumes. Nitrogen mineral fertilizers, especially their nitrate form, contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in the soil.

Nitrogen urea, better known as urea, is the leader in nitrogen content among nitrogen fertilizers. It contains up to 45% of this substance. Urea is added only deepening, otherwise the nitrogen will begin to evaporate. Application rates depend on the plant - for example, 10 g / m 2 is enough for cucumbers, 20 g / m 2 for tomato and pepper.

Ammonium nitrate contains up to 35% nitrogen. They bring it in advance, even before the soil thaws, at the rate of 15-20 g / m 2.

cyanamide contains 19% nitrogen. They bring it into the still frozen soil due to the slow decay.

sodium nitrate contains up to 17% nitrogen, but it is well absorbed even in acidic soils. Saltpeter is added at 30-35 g/m 2 . Suitable for feeding plants with a formed root system.

Phosphate fertilizers

Simple superphosphate contains up to 25% phosphorus, double superphosphate - about 50%. A month before the introduction of superphosphate, ash is introduced into the soil. The norm for seedlings is 30 g / m 2, in greenhouses - up to 100 g / m 2.

Phosphorite flour used in acidic soils. Increases the plant's immunity to pests and cold weather. In addition to phosphorus, this fertilizer is rich in calcium. Bring it in the fall, before frost. Consumption - 50 g / m2. Phosphate fertilizers especially needed by flowering plants.

Potash

Potassium chloride is suitable for potatoes, beets and almost all cereals. applied to the soil during autumn digging. During the winter, chlorine is washed away, leaving useful potassium in the ground. Application rates - 25 g / m 2.

Potassium sulfate contains up to 50% of the active substance and, unlike potassium chloride, does not contain chlorine. This is one of the favorite cucumber fertilizers. It is applied during spring digging at the rate of 30 g/m 2 .

COMPLEX FERTILIZERS

Nitrophosphate (nitroammophoska) It contains three main substances: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Their exact ratio depends on the manufacturer. The use of nitrophosphate not only cures plants, but also prevents the development of diseases such as scab, black leg, powdery mildew. The increase in yield when using this complex can reach 70%. are improving taste qualities fruits. for potatoes and vegetable seedling it is enough to add 20 g/m 2 , strawberries require up to 40 g/m 2 .

Nitrophoska- This is a slightly different version of the nitrophosphate formula. This fertilizer complex is based on the same phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.

Ammophos contains potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. This complex is also for greenhouses. Increased resistance of plants to diseases and pests. When digging the soil, the application rate is 20-30 g / m2 in open ground and in greenhouses - up to 50 g / m 2.

Diammophos — universal fertilizer for all types of soils. Contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. Provides plant resistance to diseases, pests, adverse weather conditions. Fertilizer is applied in the spring for digging at 20-30 g / m 2 in open ground and up to 40 g / m 2 - in greenhouses.

Signs and symptoms of lack of fertilizer

Environmentally friendly to soil and plants. They contain almost all the substances necessary for plant nutrition: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc. They are, without any doubt, the most valuable material for plant nutrition. Judge for yourself: enrich the soil nutrients, structure and generally improve its physical properties, improve the water and air regime.

In addition, as a result of the decomposition of organic matter, microorganisms release carbon dioxide, which, as you know, plants breathe.

Any organic matter can become fertilizer - that's what nature has decreed. Very smart, I must admit.ordered. In this way, she achieved an uninterrupted cycle of life. “There is no death, there is only Life, giving birth to itself without end,” the heroine of the book by M. Semenova says this or something like this. And with regard to garden life, this will be a very correct saying.

For the convenience of farmers, all organic fertilizers were divided into groups - each has its own name and its own application.

Manure- the most complete organic fertilizer. Its composition depends on the type of animals, the type of their feeding, the bedding used and its quantity (straw is considered the best, followed by peat, sawdust).

Cattle manure decomposes slowly and great returns does not provide heat. But mullein is often used for liquid top dressing. One part of the manure is mixed with two parts of water, before applying this mass is again diluted with water 3-4 times.

Horse and sheep manure, on the contrary, is heated during storage to 70-80 ° C, so it can be used in greenhouses and greenhouses as a biofuel. To further improve heat transfer, such manure is mixed with sawdust, bark, leaves, compost, straw, household waste.

Pig manure contains a lot of nitrogen, so large doses of it can "burn" the plants. However, it is poor in calcium, can increase the acidity of the soil, and in fresh contains pathogenic microbes and helminths. Therefore, it is better not to use it directly, but to add it to the upcoming compost. The temperature in the compost pit sometimes rises to 60-65 ° C, and the eggs of the worm die already at a temperature of 55-60 ° C.

According to the degree of decomposition, manure is divided into four types: fresh, semi-rotted, rotted and humus. Byas the manure rots, it loses its original mass: semi-decomposed - 20-30%, rotted - 50, humus - 70%.

Manure has been operating for several years. During the first year, 50% of the nutrients contained in it are used, the second - 25, the third - 15, the fourth - 10%. The action of manure is more effective on heavy soils (5-7 years), on light soils - only 2-3 years.

Using this feature of manure, the rules of fruit change are drawn up.

The taste of vegetables largely depends on what kind of manure is used. Beets and parsley will be tastier and more aromatic if you fertilize them with sheep dung. The radish will not be "evil" if the bed for it is fertilized with cattle manure, and the onion will become softer and sweeter if you use horse dung, and, conversely, it will be bitter and unpleasant from pork. Cabbage, when used, acquires bad smell. The same thing happens with parsley. She becomes hard and rough.

Dung slurry.For the preparation of slurry, a barrel is usually used, dug into the ground or placed in the far corner of the site. It is half-filled with manure, sprinkled with ashes, and then filled with water. For ten days, the mass must be mixed well, then let it settle for two or three days - and fertilizer can be applied to the soil.

Ready slurry must be diluted with water 2-4 times so as not to burn the roots, and the plants are watered on a cloudy day or in the evening. Holes are made near bushes and trees and filled with a solution of slurry. Required condition usingslurry - incorporation after application. That is, it will be necessary to simply dig it up.

The most efficient use of slurry is the preparation of composts from various waste Agriculture with the addition of peat.

bird droppingsis a fast-acting fertilizer, as it contains nutrients in a form that is easily accessible to plants. The most nutritious is chicken and pigeon droppings, unlike duck and goose.

It is important to remember that bird droppings most effective when used in liquid dressings. To prepare the solution, the containers are half filled with litter, then filled with water, closed with a lid and infused for 3-5 days. Next, the solution is diluted again with water (1:10). Connoisseurs do not recommend infusing bird droppings with water, otherwise it will ferment and lose up to 50% of nitrogen.

Peat, silt, faeces . Peat is not suitable as a plant food - it contains so many nutrients available to plants. In the garden, it is needed for other purposes - namely "fertilizer": it increases the humus content and improves soil structure. In addition, due to the dark color, peat absorbs heat well and helps the beds warm up quickly.

Peat is also different. According to the degree of decomposition, high-moor, low-lying and transitional types of peat are distinguished. Horse is distinguished by a low degree of decomposition of plant residues and high acidity. Lowland is characterized by a high degree of decomposition and less acidity. Transitional peat occupies an intermediate position between them.

Peat is collected in swamps, then laid out for ventilation or laid in compost heap. Peat is brought in at any time of the year, even in winter in the snow. But we must not forget that lime must be added to it. In the garden, peat is best added to composts, as well as soil mixtures for growing seedlings and protected ground.

Silt accumulates at the bottom of ponds, lakes, rivers. It contains a lot of humus, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. After a short ventilation, silt can be successfully used on sandy soils (3-4 kg per 1 m 2).

Faeces are sewage from latrines. They are rich in minerals that are easily absorbed by plants. However, the faeces in the pits quickly decompose, nitrogen quickly volatilizes from them. For better nitrogen retention at the bottom cesspool peat is poured with a layer of 20-25 cm. Then the feces are layered weekly a small amount peat. As a result, not only nitrogen is retained, but the fetid odor disappears. The situation with helminths is the same as in the case of pig manure. In some ways, people are still really similar to pigs ...

Deciduous and sod land . Not all summer residents are lucky - far from all summer cottages located where manure can get hold of all year round and free. But even this grief can be helped.

With a lack of manure, humus is prepared from the leaves - leafy soil. To do this, in the fall, the leaves are raked into heaps, compacted, sprinkled with earth and left for the winter. In the spring, the heaps are shifted with a pitchfork, changing the layers in places, and the heaps are covered with a black film on top. Over time, the leaves turn into a loose humus mass of dark color.

Soddy land is necessary as component soil mixture when growing seedlings, preparing soils for greenhouses and greenhouses. This land can be harvested in meadows with good herbage. Do not forget that on clay soils and sod land is heavier. Layers of turf (turf) are cut up to 10 cm thick and stacked in a clean, shady place (turf to turf, earth to earth), layered with mullein. In September, the stack is shoveled, and in October, part of the land can be used for growing vegetables in protected ground or in a residential area, having previously sifted it. The rest sod land should lie until spring.

Sawdust and tree bark. Sawdust is, like peat, an organic fertilizer that cannot be directly fed to plants, but it can significantly increase soil fertility, improve its air permeability and moisture capacity. Only they should be introduced in advance and not fresh, but rotted or mixed with other materials. To speed up the decomposition process, sawdust is piled up, moistened with water and slurry. You can mix them with fallen leaves and plant remains. It is useful to interlayer sawdust with earth. During the summer, the pile is shoveled twice, adding accumulated plant residues and nitrophoska. Due to the fact that the sawdust is acidic, lime or chalk is added to them (120-150 g per bucket).

Tree bark (waste from the woodworking industry) is also composted before use. The bark with a moisture content of 75% is crushed into pieces 10-40 cm long, piled up and mineral fertilizers are applied (kg per 100 kg): ammonium nitrate0.9, urea 0.7, sodium nitrate 2, superphosphate 0.2, ammonium sulfate 1.5. The pile is periodically stirred and moistened. After 6 months, the compost is ready for use. We agree that it was impossible to do without chemistry here, but after all chemical fertilizers are applied not directly under plants, but indirectly through compost.

AT eggshell contains calcium carbonate, which is a good lime fertilizer. Just don't expect results by scattering eggshells across a potato field. You'll have to fiddle with them a bit. egg shell it must be finely crushed or ground into powder, and even better, burned in an oven or at the stake. It is better to introduce the shell together with wood ash, which contains potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and trace elements.

As you know, in each region of our vast homeland, the soil has its own, plus for each garden or garden culture has its own instructions for feeding. It is impossible to talk about all the intricacies of this topic in a short article, so we will focus on how to prepare fertilizers for the garden in the spring, mainly with our own hands.

Tip: Ideally, in order to properly select garden and horticultural fertilizers, as well as draw up a feeding schedule for the whole year, it is recommended to take soil samples from the site to the appropriate laboratory once.
This way you don't have to use the common "scientific plug" method.

Fertilizer preparation

Experienced farmers prefer to prepare organic and mineral fertilizers for the garden and garden, if possible with their own hands. This is done not only because the price of such compositions is cheap. The composition prepared for your garden, first of all, will be 100% natural, which in our time is the main quality criterion.

Organic for your site

• Peat manure compost is prepared as a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. The goal of the whole process is to adapt nitrogen-containing compounds for plants. The composition is prepared simply, peat and manure from herbivores are laid in layers of 20 cm, in a ratio of one to one. It is not worth ramming the mass. To complete the picture, you can add phosphorite flour 25 kg per 1 ton and cover. This substrate is especially good for strawberries and other berries.
• Prefabricated compost is a universal composition of general strengthening action. It is used not only for the garden, but also as a fertilizer for garden flowers. The recipe is ridiculously simple: compost pit or a box, all organic waste is dumped, from grass clippings, foliage or tops from plants to tea brewing and potato peelings. The mixture is kept open and watered periodically.

Important: oak leaves or sawdust are not used in the composting process.

• Vermiculturing composition is prepared using earthworms. To do this, in a well-ventilated box, crushed boom, straw or dry grass is placed, which alternates with layers of soil. All this is watered and in a day the worms are planted, from time to time it is necessary to add vegetable organic waste. In order for such a garden fertilizer to be ready in the spring, it must be laid at least in February.
• Manure must be applied very carefully. The main rule says that you can not fertilize with fresh manure. Due to the high content of urea and acids, plant roots can burn. Manure, like most compost compounds, should be re-rotted for at least a year, ideally 3 years.
• Peat is widely used as a fertilizer for garden flowers and. In this case, it is used as a bedding for fertile soil in which seeds are planted. Besides spring fertilizer peat garden will serve as an additional strengthening factor, only the trees must be at least 3 years old.

What is dangerous organic

Spring fertilizer of the garden and vegetable garden with home-made organics, with thoughtless use, can lead to sad consequences. So excessive use of humus creates a fertile climate for the development of fungal diseases.

Infection, in this case, occurs directly from the soil, being absorbed through root system. Young seedlings of tomato, eggplant or pepper are most susceptible to this, when transplanted into open ground. To protect against fungus, humus is introduced at the beginning of May, immediately neutralized with a mixture dolomite flour and wood ash.

Tip: if there is a danger of fungal infection of seedlings, it makes sense to use factory special antifungal drugs, such as Fitolavin, Glyokadinol or Fitosporin-M.

Mineral compositions

No matter how good organic matter is, nitrogen is predominantly present in it. Plants should receive a full range of trace elements. Mineral fertilizers for the garden and vegetable garden provide, first of all, top dressing with phosphorus, potassium and a number of other useful components.

On average, the norms for laying phosphorus or superphosphate in the spring are 250 g / m². Potassium located in wood ash about 200 g/m² is needed. Nitrogen, which is in saltpeter, urea and carbamide, is laid in the amount of 300 g / m².

Important: the above listed artificial nitrogen fertilizers can only be used if the soil has not been fertilized with organic matter.

The main problem of mineral fertilizers is their instability. These compounds must be applied a few days before planting the plants in the ground or scattered between beds and under tree trunks. Otherwise, precipitation will wash away such bait deep into the earth, from where it will leave along with groundwater.

Fertilizing the garden in spring, on average, should be carried out according to the bookmark set out in the table.

A few words about flowers

Modern dachas are not always an abundance of gardens and orchards. Now more and more people prefer to engage in their country residence exclusively for recreation. But in any case, in any country house or in a private house, the owners plant flowers.

Annual flowers are a little easier to care for, feeding twice a year is enough for them. The first time you need to make top dressing two weeks after planting in the ground and then in mid-June, before the buds should start.

Perennial crops should be fed 3 times a year. The first time in the spring during loosening. The second time before flowering and the third time closer to autumn after the flowers fall off. The third top dressing is necessary for the normal ovary of the kidneys for the next year.

Fertilizer for garden hydrangea deserves special mention, because this flower is grown in most regions of our country because of its beauty. It should be noted that this plant loves moist soils and the morning sun.

If you do not want to use market-bought compounds for feeding, you can fertilize the soil with compost, peat or humus. But remember that ash and limestone-acid fertilizers for hydrangeas are contraindicated.

The video in this article shows some of the subtleties of top dressing.

Conclusion

Fertilizers for the garden in the spring are among the most important. At this fertile time, the entire future crop is laid, and the size of this crop depends on how correctly the soil is fertilized.

According to experts, the spring season is the most favorable period for applying any kind of fertilizer. It can be organic, mineral, as well as complex fertilizers for the garden. They begin to enrich the earth with nutrients after the snow melts, so that they do not “evaporate” along with precipitation.

to feed garden trees, you can not wait until the soil around the post thaws. BUT vegetable crops It is recommended to fertilize before planting.. It is very important to remember that even if you use best fertilizers for the garden, their number should be moderate. An overabundance can also adversely affect the condition of plants. When using and mixed dressings, the dose must be strictly observed - the rules for using a certain drug are indicated on the packages.

Natural fertilizers for the garden - what is useful in spring?

Organics contain a large number of trace elements, and it perfectly loosens the earth. In the village, such fertilizers can be found in almost every yard, so their cost is quite low, especially since organic matter is applied to the garden once every three years.

The most positive effect is observed from humus (rotted manure), which is scattered over land plot 3-4 weeks before digging the earth. Also, in addition to manure, organic fertilizers include bird droppings, compost and peat. To enrich the site, it is enough to distribute a ten-liter bucket of humus per 1 m 2.

In addition to numerous advantages, natural fertilizers have several disadvantages:

• to deliver required amount fertilizers to your site and distribute them on the surface, it will take a lot of physical effort;
• specific smell;
• if there is no farm nearby, then the search for organic matter is quite problematic;
• bird droppings or fresh manure can burn the roots of some plants.

Universal mineral fertilizers - salvation for the garden

There are no problems with the search - they can be purchased at garden stores or on the market. They are sold in concentrated form, so working with them is much easier. The main thing is to be guided by the dosages recommended by the manufacturer. Granular nitrogen and phosphorus preparations are introduced into the soil immediately before digging.

It is desirable that the granules are at a depth of about 20 cm. Thus, all useful material will be very close to the root system.

Different fertilizers for the garden, used in the spring, perform different functions: organic matter improves soil structure, but mineral fertilizers provide plants with the necessary trace elements: phosphorus and nitrogen. But preparations based on potassium accelerate the ripening of fruits.

Many people think that the most the best top dressing- it's a mullein. Like, this is a natural fertilizer, which means that it has everything that plants need. But this statement is only partly true. Mullein contains a lot of nitrogen, but there are no other nutrients. How to correct this imbalance?

Of course, with the help of mineral fertilizers. Feeding "mineral water" can quickly eliminate nutritional deficiencies. But you need to learn how to determine by some symptoms: what exactly is missing for this or that plant.

If there is not enough nitrogen

Nitrogen deficiency is a fairly common situation. In this case, the leaves on the plants are small and pale, and the plants themselves turn yellow and wither. They may bloom prematurely, but the peduncles are weak and there are few flowers.

With a lack of nitrogen, garlic turns yellow ahead of time. The lower leaves of the cabbage turn pinkish-yellow and fall off. In white cabbage, an elongated stalk is formed, cauliflower lays weak inflorescences. In cucumbers, the whips become yellow, and the fruits acquire a hooked shape with a pointed tip.

Return plants to life will help 1 tbsp. a spoonful of urea dissolved in 10 liters of water. With this solution, you need to spray the plants, as well as feed them under the root. Literally after three to four days, the signs of nitrogen starvation usually disappear. And to enhance the effect, you need to sprinkle the beds before the next watering. ammonium nitrate at the rate of 50 g per 1 m2.

Deficient in potassium

With a lack of potassium in the soil, the edges of the leaves turn white in the plants, and then they become brown and dry. This phenomenon was called marginal burn.

If there is not enough potassium for a long time, the stems of plants become weak and easily fall down. cucumber leaves become convex, and the edges are bent down.

Potassium starvation is eliminated with a solution of potassium chloride (50 g per 10 liters of water). The plants are sprayed with this solution, and 50-70 g of potassium sulfate are scattered under the root and the beds are well watered.

Urgently need phosphorus!

Phosphorus starvation is not as common as nitrogen or potassium starvation. With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves become dull dark green in color. On their underside, the color becomes bluish-green, purple or purple shades. This is especially noticeable along the veins.

At tomato seedlings the stems also turn bluish-green. Reddish and purple spots may appear. The leaves begin to fall off, dried leaves turn black. In this case, the shoots become thin, and growth slows down.

Plants can be cured by adding double superphosphate (30 g per 1 m2 of beds).

Boron - for growth and beauty

The deficiency of this microelement is most often experienced by plants. With a lack of boron, the growth points of the stems are primarily affected. Stems and leaves are twisted. And in cucumbers, the fruits are also bent. Zucchini and zucchini become rough and gritty. In white cabbage, cavities appear in the stalk, and cauliflower inflorescences become loose, turn brown, and small leaves grow through them.

Beetroot loses its ability to store - it rots either in the garden, or already during storage. Carrots are covered with black marks - damage.

All problems are solved by adding 3 g boric acid per 1 m2 of beds.

Mineral fertilizers are not only effective, but also very easy to use. In order, for example, to foliar top dressing, just dissolve them in water and let stand. Then pour the solution into plastic bottle with a sprinkler - and you can proceed. Root top dressing easy to carry out with a garden watering can. And in order to measure right amount fertilizer, you can use the simplest measuring instruments - a glass and a spoon.

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