Despite the abundance of various ready-made compositions on the shelves of stores for gardeners, many people today prefer feeding prepared by themselves. Firstly, it saves the budget, secondly, there is confidence in the absence of harmful substances. One of the popular fertilizers at all times was and remains ash, which is used to feed flower, fruit and vegetable crops. However, it must be applied correctly, otherwise you can harm the plant. Consider the advice of experienced gardeners on how to feed tomatoes with ash and get a good harvest.
Composition of fertilizer
Ash is an organic substance formed during the burning of plant material. It is vegetable, without admixture of plastic, dyes, varnishes and other toxic substances. To obtain nutritious organic fertilizer, wood of various breeds, straw of various cereal crops, branches, leaves, needles, husks, dry matter, etc. are burned. You can always find such good in the garden area, so it will be easy to stock up on ready-made fertilizer.
Depending on the initial raw material in different proportions, ash may contain compounds: calcium; potassium; magnesium; phosphorus; manganese; iron; sulfur; boron; silicon, etc. In total, organic ash contains up to 30 micro- and macroelements, except for nitrogen.
Important ! Nitrogen evaporates during combustion, so there is no nitrogen in ash. This fact must be taken into account when preparing top dressing: plants must get nitrogen from other sources.
Several elements are most important for tomatoes:
- Potassium. Responsible for ripening and quality of fruits, proper development of stems. Increases the immunity of plants, helps them fight against fungi, phytophthora. With a lack of potassium, the fruits have an ugly shape, they ripen unevenly, the leaves dry at the edges.
- Phosphorus. Necessary for assimilation of nitrogen and potassium, affects the correct formation of the root system, promotes active flowering, as well as the formation of the ovary. With a lack of phosphorus, tomatoes acquire a purple hue, lag behind in growth.
- Sodium is responsible for moisture exchange – it regulates the absorption and evaporation of liquid. With a lack of sodium, tomatoes do not tolerate drought well, the leaves are covered with gray-brown spots.
- Magnesium. It is directly involved in photosynthesis. Regulates the energy of growth and development. With its deficiency, tomatoes grow more slowly, flowering is sometimes delayed until critical periods, when tomatoes in the open ground do not have time to ripen.
- Calcium. One of the most important elements for obtaining a tomato crop. It takes part in the transportation of useful substances, is responsible for their absorption, proper growth of stems and development of roots. Accelerates photosynthesis and enzyme formation. Lack of calcium is most often manifested by the formation of dense white veins inside the fruits, which makes them hard and tasteless.
In addition, feeding plants with ash contributes to:
- deacidification of acidic soils;
- rapid development of useful soil microorganisms;
- protection against fungal and bacterial diseases, pest control (fleas, aphids, slugs, snails);
- increasing plant immunity (and therefore, frost resistance);
- quick healing of fractures or cuts (when dusted with ash);
- soil improvement.
Types of nutrition
The use of ash for tomatoes is possible at all stages of cultivation:
- during soil preparation for planting tomatoes by adding during digging;
- for processing seeds before sowing for seedlings – to accelerate germination;
- when planting seedlings;
- before flowering;
- during flowering, so that the plants do not drop the ovary and enough of it is formed;
- during the growing season – to increase the yield or fight against diseases and pests.
Tomatoes or the soil under them are processed both in closed and open ground in different ways. Solution, decoction, infusion can be used for root or foliar feeding. The dry method consists in applying it to the soil, sprinkling the soil on top, and dusting the bushes.
At the same time, the advantage of foliar treatment or ash feeding of tomatoes in a greenhouse (film, glass or polycarbonate – it does not matter) is a closed space. The solution or ash that got on the pre-moistened leaves will not be washed away by the rain. It is enough just to close the windows and doors for a while.
Do not follow the principle “you can’t spoil porridge with butter”. An excess of ash can only worsen the nutrition of tomatoes, and therefore affect the harvest. When using feeding, do not exceed the recommended proportions.
Ash before planting plants
It is optimal to apply ash when digging the bed. It can be done both in autumn and in spring. If the soil in the area is very heavy and acidic, the procedure can be carried out twice: in the fall and in the spring. From 150 to 200 g of ash are taken per square meter. It is distributed over the surface of the soil, and then laid by scooping.
This method is good because it gives enough time for the development of beneficial microorganisms, as well as early deacidification of the soil. But if the time was lost for some reason, it will be possible to make up for the losses right during the planting of seedlings.
Seed germination and further growth of seedlings can be improved by soaking seeds in a soft ash solution. The proportions are as follows: for 2 liters of hot water – a tablespoon of crushed and sifted ash. Be sure to sift so that small ash particles do not accidentally fall on the seeds – this can burn them. The solution must stand for a day, then strain. Now you can soak the seeds in it (they need to be immersed in it for 3-6 hours).
Water the seedlings with this solution in the phase of two true leaves. This will give them the necessary energy, will allow them to grow strong before planting in a permanent place.
Fertilization during the growing season
You can feed tomatoes with wood ash throughout the growing season. If the time to apply top dressing to the soil in spring or autumn was lost, the situation can be corrected by adding ash powder to the holes when planting seedlings in the soil .
- A glass of ash is added to each hole, mixed thoroughly so that its particles do not damage the roots of tomatoes, and a liter of water is poured.
- Tomatoes are planted in the resulting puddle and sprinkled with earth. Of course, it is not necessary to water the seedlings after this.
This method also reduces plant stress after transplanting. When using it, you will have to feed the tomatoes again in 2 weeks – now with ash infusion . It is prepared as follows: a glass of ash is poured with a bucket of water and infused for 3-4 days. Tomatoes are pre-watered with ordinary water, then a liter of infusion is poured under each root.
During the period of flowering and formation of fruits, ash, as already mentioned, contributes to the formation of a rich ovary, growth and ripening of fruits with excellent taste. To do this, tomatoes can be fed both with dry ash and with its solution by watering or spraying.
Dry top dressing is carried out by sprinkling a glass of the substance under 4 bushes on pre-moistened soil. Such treatments can be repeated every 2 weeks.
You can feed tomatoes with ash in the form of a solution . To prepare it, you need to mix half a glass of ash with 10 liters of water and let it brew for about 4-5 hours. Then half a liter of solution is applied under each bush.
Tomatoes also respond well to foliar feeding – spraying with ash broth . To prepare 300 g of ash powder, pour a bucket of water and boil for half an hour. Then let it cool and infuse, add water to a volume of 10 liters, add 30-40 g of any soap (preferably odorless) so that the solution sticks better to the leaves. Processing is carried out in dry weather, in the evening, when it is not so hot. Otherwise, you can burn the leaves.
By the way, such treatments also help in the fight against diseases and pests.
Use ash dusting to repel insects . When watering, sprinkle the leaves thoroughly, and then sprinkle sifted ash powder thickly on them. This method is less time-consuming, but allows you to scare off aphids, slugs, Colorado beetles, and fleas. Processing of tomatoes in open beds must be carried out in dry weather so that rain does not nullify all efforts.
Ash application methods, as well as dosage, do not depend on whether it is open soil or a greenhouse. And you can appreciate the benefits of fertilizing even from the outside: plants acquire a juicy green color before your eyes, become fleshy.
In order not to harm
Like any business, feeding requires compliance with certain rules. Otherwise, you can either reduce all efforts to zero, or even harm the landings. So, what can’t be done?
- Do not add ash to soil with a pH higher than 7, as this will only increase the Ph, which will prevent plants from assimilating nutrients – they will take on an unassimilable form. For this reason, ash fertilizer cannot be applied together with lime.
- Do not add ash without knowing the acidity at all. There is a high probability of a previous error (the acidity level will drop even more).
- Do not mix ash with manure or ammonium nitrate: the nitrogen content in such a mixture drops sharply.
- Do not carry out ash feeding of tomatoes before the appearance of 2 real leaves (nitrogen is much more important for plants at this time).
- Do not put ash in the holes when planting just like that. It must be mixed with the soil (otherwise you can “burn” the tender roots).
- Do not add ash powder to vegetable compost: it prevents the accumulation of nitrogen in it. In general, it is better to apply nitrogen fertilizers separately with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers: one in the spring, the other in the fall.
- Ash can be stored for at least six months, but try to keep it dry all the time. Otherwise, the concentration of mineral substances in it will fall.
Ash is a valuable organic fertilizer. And if you use it wisely, observing all the subtleties, you can help your tomatoes grow strong, healthy and productive.