Among the countless varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers, there are those, such as the Ramiro pepper, whose popularity is literally worldwide. And if most vegetables on supermarket shelves are nameless, and it is almost impossible to find out about their variety, then the name of this pepper “Ramiro” will certainly be on the packaging. And, as my experience has shown, this pepper is worth letting other gardeners know about it. In connection with which this article was written.

Autumn is the most mushroom time. It is no longer hot, and heavy dew falls in the mornings. Since the earth is still warm, and foliage has already attacked from above, creating a completely special microclimate in the ground layer, the mushrooms are very comfortable. Mushroom pickers are also comfortable at this time, especially in the mornings when it is cooler. It's time for both to meet. And, if you haven’t introduced yourself to each other, get to know each other. In this article I will introduce you to exotic, little-known and not always edible mushrooms that look like coral.

If you are a busy person, but at the same time not devoid of romance, if you have your own plot and are endowed with aesthetic taste, then explore the opportunity to purchase this wonderful ornamental shrub - karyopteris, or Nutwing. He is also “wing-hazel”, “blue fog” and “blue beard”. It truly fully combines unpretentiousness and beauty. Karyopteris reaches its peak of decorativeness in late summer and autumn. It is at this time that it blooms.

Pepper ajvar - vegetable caviar or thick vegetable sauce made from bell peppers with eggplants. The peppers for this recipe are baked for quite a long time, then they are also stewed. Onions, tomatoes, and eggplants are added to ajvar. To store eggs for the winter, they are sterilized. This Balkan recipe is not for those who like to make preparations quickly, undercooked and underbaked - not about ajvar. In general, we approach the matter in detail. For the sauce, we choose the ripest and meatiest vegetables on the market.

Despite the simple names (“sticky” or “indoor maple”) and the status of a modern substitute for indoor hibiscus, abutilons are far from the simplest plants. They grow well, bloom profusely and provide a healthy look of greenery only in optimal conditions. On thin leaves, any deviations from comfortable lighting or temperatures and disturbances in care quickly appear. To reveal the beauty of abutilons in rooms, it is worth finding the ideal place for them.

Zucchini fritters with Parmesan and mushrooms - a delicious recipe with photos of available products. Ordinary zucchini pancakes can be easily turned into a non-boring dish by adding a few savory ingredients to the dough. During the squash season, pamper your family with vegetable pancakes with wild mushrooms; it is not only very tasty, but also filling. Zucchini is a universal vegetable, it is suitable for stuffing, for preparations, for main courses, and even for sweets there are delicious recipes - compotes and jam are made from zucchini.

The idea of ​​growing vegetables on the grass, under the grass and in the grass is scary at first, until you become imbued with the naturalness of the process: in nature, this is exactly how everything happens. With the obligatory participation of all soil living creatures: from bacteria and fungi to moles and toads. Each of them contributes. Traditional tillage with digging, loosening, fertilizing, and fighting all those we consider pests destroys the biocenoses that have been created over centuries. In addition, it requires a lot of labor and resources.

What to do instead of a lawn? So that all this beauty does not turn yellow, does not get sick and at the same time looks like a lawn... I hope that the smart and quick-witted reader is already smiling. After all, the answer suggests itself - if you do nothing, nothing will happen. Of course, there are several solutions that can be used, and with their help, you can reduce the area of ​​​​the lawn, and therefore reduce the labor intensity of caring for it. I propose to consider alternative options and discuss their pros and cons.

Tomato sauce with onions and sweet peppers - thick, aromatic, with pieces of vegetables. The sauce cooks quickly and is thick because this recipe contains pectin. Make such preparations at the end of summer or autumn, when the vegetables have ripened in the sun in the garden beds. Bright, red tomatoes will make equally bright homemade ketchup. This sauce is a ready-made dressing for spaghetti, and you can also simply spread it on bread - very tasty. For better preservation, you can add a little vinegar.

This year I often observed a picture: among the luxurious green crown of trees and shrubs, here and there, like candles, the bleached tops of shoots “burn.” This is chlorosis. Most of us know about chlorosis from school biology lessons. I remember that this is a lack of iron... But chlorosis is an ambiguous concept. And lightening of foliage does not always mean a lack of iron. What is chlorosis, what our plants lack during chlorosis and how to help them, we will tell you in the article.

Korean vegetables for the winter - delicious Korean salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. The salad is sweet and sour, spicy and slightly spicy because it is prepared with Korean carrot seasoning. Be sure to prepare a few jars for the winter; in cold winter, this healthy and aromatic snack will come in handy. You can use overripe cucumbers for the recipe; it is better to harvest vegetables in late summer or early autumn, when they are ripe in the open ground under the sun.

Autumn for me means dahlias. Mine begin to bloom as early as June, and all summer the neighbors peek at me over the fence, reminding them that I promised them a few tubers or seeds by the fall. In September, a tart note appears in the aroma of these flowers, hinting at the approaching cold. This means it’s time to start preparing the plants for the long, cold winter. In this article I will share my secrets of autumn care for perennial dahlias and preparing them for winter storage.

To date, through the efforts of breeders, according to various sources, from seven to ten thousand (!) varieties of cultivated apple trees have been bred. But despite their enormous diversity, in private gardens, as a rule, only a couple of popular and beloved varieties grow. Apple trees are large trees with a spreading crown, and you cannot grow many of them in one area. What if you try to grow columnar varieties of this crop? In this article I will tell you exactly about these varieties of apple trees.

Pinjur - Balkan-style eggplant caviar with sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes. A distinctive feature of the dish is that the eggplants and peppers are first baked, then peeled and simmered for a long time in a roasting pan or in a thick-bottomed pan, adding the rest of the vegetables specified in the recipe. The caviar turns out to be very thick, with a bright, rich taste. In my opinion, this cooking method is the best known. Although it is more troublesome, the result compensates for the labor costs.

Medium acid soil is suitable for strawberries, gooseberries, potatoes,... To acidify the soil, add rotted pine needles or pine and alder sawdust as fertilizer.

Needles, sawdust and bark can be used as mulch. Fresh sawdust pulls nitrogen from the soil. If you decide to use them, add nitrogenous fertilizers to the plants so as not to deplete the soil. Spent tea and coffee are also used as mulch. They not only retain moisture and fertilize the soil, but also protect plants from slugs.

Add oxalic or citric acid (2 tablespoons per bucket of water) and apple or wine vinegar (100 g per bucket) to the water for irrigation. You can acidify the water with sulfuric acid or new, unused battery electrolyte. It must be borne in mind that the concentration of sulfuric acid included in the electrolyte depends on its density. Colloidal sulfur can also be used as an oxidizing agent.

In slightly acidic soils with a pH of 6, it is advisable to grow beans, dill, tomato, eggplant, corn, melon, zucchini, horseradish, spinach, radishes and rhubarb. Potatoes, peppers, sorrel, beans, and pumpkins can grow in moderately acidic soils with a pH of 5 to 6. All vegetable crops grow poorly in soils with a pH below 5.

The development of plants on acidic soils is defective, since nutrients are in an inaccessible form. In soils with high acidity, pathogenic bacteria and pests actively multiply. Soil-forming bacteria are practically absent in such soils.

Several methods can be used to determine soil acidity. The most accessible method is to use litmus paper according to the instructions. If possible, you can order a soil analysis from an agrochemical laboratory.

If it is not possible to carry out an analysis or in a laboratory, you can determine an approximate indicator of soil acidity based on the weeds growing on the site. On strongly acidic soils they prefer to grow horsetail, fireweed, plantain, horse sorrel, and oxalis. Creeping wheatgrass, clover, coltsfoot, and dog violet grow on medium and slightly acidic soils.

Soil acidity is an important agrochemical parameter that characterizes the suitability of the substrate for growing certain crops. Beginning gardeners often make the mistake of adjusting the pH throughout the entire plot, when it is necessary to create optimal conditions for each plant individually. Let's consider the connection between acidity levels and soil fertility and crop yields.

Regardless of soil acidity levels, the entire planet is covered in vegetation - to each his own

Soil acidity and pH indicators

Soil acidity or pH is a biochemical indicator that characterizes its ability to exhibit (neutralize) the properties of acids. During the exchange of hydrogen ions with soil minerals and organic matter, acids and bases (alkalis) are formed in the fertile layer. pH indicates their balance in the soil solution; it is designated by numbers from 1 to 14. The lower the pH number, the more acidic the environment. What determines soil acidity?

The determining factor is the original material from which the soils are formed: on sandstone, granite - more acidic, on limestone - alkaline.

A gradual increase in acidity occurs in regions with frequent heavy rainfall. Moisture, accumulating in the soil, washes minerals and salts from the root layer.

Leaching may be caused by intensive watering with low pH (acidic) water.

Acidification occurs when excessive application of plant residues, organic and mineral fertilizers to the soil.

Poor air permeability of the soil contributes to an increase in acidity. If organic matter decomposes without access to oxygen, organic acids and carbon dioxide released as a result of a chemical reaction remain in the soil.

Interesting! In the Russian Federation, approximately a third of agricultural land is acidic and requires regular liming. This is most of the soddy-podzolic, soddy and gray forest soils of the middle zone and Siberia. In Western Europe there are almost 60% of such lands.

Let's consider the optimal soil acidity indicators for plants, and below in the table we specify them in the context of garden and vegetable crops.

The most acceptable acidity level for most cultivated plants is in the range from 5.5 to 7.5 - these are slightly acidic (5-6), neutral (6.5-7) and slightly alkaline (7-8) soils. A pH below 5 means a medium to strongly acidic reaction, above 8 means an alkaline reaction. An acid-base balance above 9 indicates that we have saline-carbonate soils or even saline soils.

Optimal acidity range for common horticultural crops

Harm from excess acidity and alkalinity

Soil acidification negatively affects its fertility and negatively affects the growing season of most plants.

Due to the strong concentration of organic acids in the cells, protein metabolism is disrupted, root development slows down, and their gradual death occurs.

Excessive acidity inhibits the movement of phosphorus into the above-ground part of the plant, which provokes phosphorus starvation.

In an acidic environment, the availability of nutrients, especially phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, decreases. But the concentration of iron, aluminum, boron, and zinc reaches a level that is toxic to the roots.

Unlike neutral soil, increased acidity of the soil inhibits the activity of beneficial microorganisms that enrich the fertile layer with nitrogen. At the same time, it provokes the growth of pathogenic microflora (fungi, viruses, pathogenic bacteria).

An excessively alkaline environment (pH>7.5–8) is no less destructive for plants. In it, most of the microelements necessary for growth (phosphorus, iron, manganese, boron, magnesium) turn into insoluble hydroxides and become unavailable for nutrition.

Signs of acidic soil

You can determine the acidity level of the soil on a site by external signs, using a special device or laboratory tests.

Signs of acidic soil on the site.

After rains, the water standing in the depressions takes on a rusty hue, a dark yellow sediment forms in it, and a rainbow film forms on the surface.

After the snow melts, a whitish or gray-green coating is noticeable on the surface.

Immediately below the fertile layer lies a podzolic horizon with a thickness of 10 cm. It can be identified by characteristic whitish spots similar to ash.

A relatively reliable indicator of acidity is wild flora. Weed plants characteristic of acidic soil are woodlice, horsetail, ranunculus, plantain, horse sorrel. Overgrown wheatgrass, sow thistle, and chamomile indicate a slightly acidic reaction.

Signs of an alkaline environment

The alkaline nature of the soil is determined by sodium salts, so the process of increasing alkalinity is also called salinization. One of the main reasons for the increase in pH above 8 is intensive irrigation in arid regions, as a result of which it floats, does not allow air to pass through well, and its porosity deteriorates.

Alkaline soil is more difficult to identify by external signs.

Among the weeds, they are preferred by field bindweed (birch), quinoa, and field mustard (colts).

Chlorosis (yellowing) of leaves often appears on garden plants and trees. This occurs due to a lack of iron, which becomes unavailable in alkaline bases.

Note! If nettles, clover, and quinoa grow happily on your site, you are in luck. This is evidence of a neutral pH reaction optimal for agriculture.

Optimal acidity for different groups of plants

Before adjusting the pH level, it is important to understand which plants like acidic and slightly acidic soil, and select a list of crops for which the acid-base balance needs to be brought to neutral. There is a group of plants that prefer an alkaline environment.

Acidic soils

In acidic and strongly acidic soil (pH<5) обычные микроорганизмы развиваются плохо, зато хорошо разрастаются микроскопические грибки. В процессе эволюции ряд растений образовали прочный симбиоз с ними. Грибница, проникая в корни растений, выступает проводником органических веществ и минералов. В свою очередь корневая система растений изменилась настолько, что получать питание другим способом уже не может.

The group of plants for acidic soil includes:

coniferous trees and shrubs;

heathers, rhododendrons, azaleas;

forsythia;

rowan, aralia;

lingonberries, blueberries, cranberries, blueberries.

In order to choose the right substrate, lovers of decorative gardening need to know which flowers like acidic and slightly acidic soil, including indoor ones.

Garden flowers include lily of the valley, ranunculus, viola, camellia, and lupine.

Indoor crops include gardenia, monstera, cycas, ferns, fuchsia. They prefer a slightly acidic environment - begonia, asparagus, violet, pelargonium, ficus.

Subacid

Soils with a pH level in the range of 5–6 units are considered slightly acidic. Plants adapted to growing in such an environment are sensitive to a lack of magnesium and iron. Increasing the acid-base balance to neutral parameters leads to the fact that crops cease to absorb these elements. Their leaves turn yellow (chlorosis), and the flowering time is sharply reduced.

Low acidity of the soil is optimal for potatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, tomatoes, and radishes.

Flowering plants in this group include irises, primroses, lilies, roses, and gladioli.

The acidity of the soil for berry crops - strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries - should be within these limits.

Neutral

Mineral components are well absorbed from a substrate with a pH level of 6–7 units. Soil bacteria develop in it, which in the process of life enrich the soil with nitrogen in an accessible form. This environment is resistant to fungal infections.

Neutral and slightly alkaline soils love root vegetables (beets, carrots, celery), cabbage, and onions.

Note! For legumes (peas, beans, asparagus, alfalfa), neutral soil acidity is not only desirable, but vitally important. On the roots they form nodules - bacteriosis (symbiosis of roots with bacteria), due to which they absorb atmospheric nitrogen. In an acidic environment (pH<6) бактерии не живут.

Slightly alkaline

A slightly alkaline environment has an acidity level of 7–8 units. For most cultures this is already a lot.

A slightly alkaline (but not higher!) indicator is suitable for growing fruit trees - apricot, quince, walnut, mulberry, peach.

Some deciduous plants grow well on alkaline soils - acacia, catalpa, Norway maple, hawthorn, plane tree, Japanese sophora.

Regulate soil acidity using lime (lower) and gypsum (increase) materials. But this should not be done completely, but taking into account the needs of the plant, individually, adjusting the substrate in the zone of action of the root system.

Plants that indicate soil acidity:

Heathers and ferns, lingonberries and blueberries, hydrangeas and rhododendrons grow in your garden. In this case, in addition to generally accepted agrotechnical care techniques, you need to know how to acidify the soil. For many, including the above plants, the acidic reaction of the soil solution (pH<5,5) – важнейшее условие жизнедеятельности и здоровья. Чем это обусловлено, в каких ситуациях и как увеличить кислотность почвы, рассмотрим в этой статье.

Reasons for soil acidification

The vast majority of garden and vegetable crops prefer a neutral or slightly acidic soil reaction. In numerical terms, this is the pH range from 5.5 to 7.5 units. Acidification of the soil is required if the pH is beyond the upper limit of the fork (>7.5) or the plant needs an environment that is more acidic than that available on the site to grow.

Why don't crops like alkaline soil?

Saline soils formed on a limestone base in arid steppe and forest-steppe regions have an alkaline reaction. They often border on southern chernozems; their mechanical composition is clayey or loamy. A pH of the environment above 7.5–8 units has an adverse effect on fertility and agrophysical properties.

• As a result of the alkaline reaction, such important trace elements as iron, manganese, boron, phosphorus, zinc turn into insoluble hydroxides and become unavailable for nutrition. In this case, even organic matter and mineral fertilizers do not help - the plants feel a lack of vitamins in the alkaline soil, their growth slows down, and they acquire a yellowish tint (leaf chlorosis).
• Water-physical properties deteriorate. When dry, the substrate is too dense and poorly aerated; after rain or watering, it becomes viscous and floats.

When working with alkaline soil, the first thing to do is loosen it and bring the acidity to neutral levels. Let's look at how below.

Note! Take your time to acidify the soil under fruit trees - apricot, peach, mulberry, quince. They prefer a pH around 7-8 units. Some ornamental plants do not like an acidic environment - maples, hawthorn, honey locust, plane tree, clematis, peonies.

When is neutral soil not suitable?

Neutral soil is considered to be one in which acids and alkalis are maximally balanced and neutralize each other. This is the optimal environment for the development of beneficial soil microflora and the absorption of nutrients by plants. Ideal for growing most root vegetables and legumes.

Neutral acidity of the soil can be a reason for acidification if it is necessary to create conditions for crops that require a slightly or moderately acidic environment. Potatoes need slightly acidic soil (pH between 5 and 6). Taking into account the fact that, as a rule, a large plot of the garden is allocated for this crop, it makes sense to lower the neutral acidity by 1–1.5 units, which will ensure better absorption of nutrition and increase productivity.

A slightly acidic soil environment is a guarantee of potato health

What plants like acidic soil and why?

Acidophilic plants are fans of medium and strongly acidic soils. Their natural habitat is wetlands, peat bogs, and coniferous forests.

Over the years of evolution, the root system of plants has adapted to absorb nutrients from an aggressive soil environment. A distinctive feature of acidophytes is the absence of suction root hairs. They are replaced by microscopic fungi that penetrate into the root tissue and act as a supplier of moisture and microelements. This symbiosis in botany is called mycorrhiza - mushroom + rhizome (rhizome). They cannot live and develop normally without each other, and the condition for the existence of the mycelium is an acidic environment.

Gardening and decorative acidophytes

The group of gardening and ornamental plants that need soil acidification is quite extensive:

• shrubs – heathers, azaleas, rhododendrons, wild rosemary;
• conifers - spruce, pine, juniper, fir;
• berry crops – cranberries, blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries;
• perennials - primroses, gravilat, dicentra, ferns.

Indoor decorative acidophytes

Many indoor plants come to us from tropical and subtropical regions. Heat and high levels of humidity provoke rapid decomposition of organic matter and a predominantly acidic soil environment. This determines which flowers love acidic soil, including indoor crops. Among those who prefer a pH in the range of 4.5–5 units are azaleas, camellias, fuchsia, monstera, and cyclamen. Saintpaulias (violets), representatives of the large myrtle family, love acidic soil.

The substrate for indoor plants of this group is prepared on the basis of peat, plant compost obtained from rotted pine and leaf (preferably oak) litter. Sphagnum moss is added as an acidifier.

Note! High-moor peat is suitable for acidification. Its distinctive feature is brown color. Lowland peat has a higher degree of humification and is much darker.

Methods for soil acidification

There are several ways to make the soil acidic. Which substance (material) to use as an acidifier depends on a number of factors:

• soil structure and mechanical composition;
• the initial pH of the soil solution;
• speed of obtaining results;
• acidification areas.

Let's look at the most effective options.

Organic materials

The following organic materials give an acidic reaction:

• high peat;
• rotted pine litter, sawdust;
• leaf compost;
• sphagnum moss;
• fresh manure (acidic reaction due to excess nitrogen).

Organics are suitable for acidifying loose, well-aerated, permeable substrates. As practice shows, it acidifies the soil slowly as it decomposes, but it starts this process for a long period. An additional advantage is the preservation of a loose structure, enrichment with humus and mineral nutrients. Adding 10 kg of humus or 3 kg of fresh manure per 1 m² increases the acidity per pH unit.

Advice! To use organic matter effectively, it should be placed in the root zone of the plant, and not scattered around the site. For planting, prepare an acidic substrate, which is placed in the hole. Subsequently, organic materials are used to mulch the tree trunk circle.

This method is not suitable if you need to achieve quick results.

Mineral compounds

Acidification of heavy clay soils is more effective with the help of minerals.

• Colloidal sulfur. Used when you need to change the acidity significantly - adding 1 kg of granular substance per 10 m² reduces the pH by 2.5 units. It is recommended to apply sulfur before winter, to a depth of 10–15 cm. Chemical processes with this element start gradually, so the result will be in 8–12 months.
• Iron sulfate. The substance acts softer, but faster. If you carry 0.5 kg of powder per 10 m², within a month the pH value will decrease by one, and accordingly the acidity will increase.
• If the substrate needs to be slightly acidified, use ammonium nitrate (in spring), ammonium sulfate (for autumn digging), and potassium sulfate (in autumn).

Note! Some mineral fertilizers are used, on the contrary, to deoxidize the soil. This effect is produced by calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate.

Acid solutions

Acid solutions are used if you need quick results.

• The best option is sulfuric acid or unused electrolyte (diluted H₂SO₄). 50 ml of electrolyte is diluted in 10 liters of water, the resulting volume of solution is used per 1 m² of crop area.
• Citric acid is taken in the proportion of 1–2 teaspoons of a crystalline substance per bucket of water.
• 9% vinegar is also used - 100 ml per 10 liters of water. But this is the worst option - the effect is short-lived and destroys the soil microflora.

Green manure

Once the acid-base balance is adjusted to the needs of the crop, it must be maintained in optimal condition. In this case, the pH is adjusted with acidic organic fertilizers. A good option is to plant green manure that acidifies the soil. Incorporation of green fertilizer into the soil and rotting of the root system provides plants with available nitrogen and acts as a light acidifier. Such green manures include white mustard, rapeseed, oats, colza; legumes such as lupine, soybean, and vetch are effective in maintaining pH balance.

How to acidify blueberries:

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Increased soil acidity

Most plants require a neutral soil reaction for good growth and development. On acidic and even slightly acidified soils, they get sick more often, productivity decreases, and it happens that plants die altogether (with the exception, of course, of those who like “sour” things, say rhododendrons, heathers, cranberries, blueberries) ... from hunger.

This happens because in highly acidic soils, a significant part of the applied fertilizers (for example, phosphorus) turns into an indigestible state. And bacteria that help plants absorb nutrients do not develop well in an acidic environment.

1. Why is the soil acidic?

Acidic soils are characteristic of areas where fairly large amounts of precipitation fall. Calcium and magnesium are washed out of the soil, and calcium and magnesium ions on soil particles are replaced by hydrogen ions, the soil becomes acidic. Applying mineral fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate or using sulfur, can also acidify the soil. And adding 1.5 kg of high-moor peat or 3 kg of manure per 1 sq. m increases the acidity of the soil by one. It is usually recommended to check the acidity of the soil every 3-5 years and lime it if necessary, and the lighter the soil, the more often.

2. Which plants like acidic soil and which don’t?

Firstly, it is necessary to say how the soil is classified depending on its acidity: strongly acidic - pH 3-4, acidic - pH 4-5, slightly acidic - pH 5-6, neutral - pH about 7, slightly alkaline - pH 7- 8, alkaline – pH 8-9, highly alkaline – pH 9-11.

Secondly, let's look at the problem from the other side - how plants relate to soil acidity. There is a free (without specific numbers) gradation of the susceptibility of vegetable plants to soil pH. For example, beets, white cabbage, onions, garlic, celery, parsnips and spinach do not tolerate high acidity. Cauliflower, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks and cucumber prefer slightly acidic or neutral soil. Carrots, parsley, tomato, radish, zucchini, pumpkin and potatoes are more likely to tolerate slightly acidic soil than alkaline soil; they cannot tolerate excess calcium, so liming materials must be embedded under the previous crop. For example, agronomists are well aware that applying lime to potatoes this year leads to a drop in their yield, and the quality of the tubers is greatly deteriorated and they are affected by scab.

3. What is the soil like on your site?

The first indicator of acidity can be the plants themselves: if cabbage and beets feel great, it means the reaction of the soil solution is close to neutral, and if they turn out weak, but carrots and potatoes produce good yields, it means the soil is sour.

You can find out about the degree of acidity of the soil by looking at the weeds that live on the site: grow in acidic soil horse sorrel, horsetail, chickweed, pickleweed, plantain, tricolor violet, fireweed, sedge, creeping buttercup; on slightly acidic and neutral – bindweed, coltsfoot, creeping wheatgrass, odorless chamomile, thistle, quinoa, nettle, pink clover, sweet clover.

True, this method is very inaccurate, especially in disturbed biocenoses, which most often are garden plots, because many foreign plants are introduced there, which, despite their preferences, successfully grow and develop on different types of soil.

You can determine the acidity of the soil in this popular way. Take 3-4 leaves of black currant or bird cherry, brew them in a glass of boiling water, cool and drop a lump of soil into the glass. If the water turns reddish, then the soil reaction is acidic, if it is greenish, it is slightly acidic, and if it is bluish, it is neutral.

There is another simple folk way to determine soil acidity. Pour 2 tbsp into a bottle with a narrow neck. spoons on top of the soil, fill it with 5 tbsp. spoons of water at room temperature.

Wrap a small (5x5 cm) piece of paper 1 hour, a spoonful of crushed chalk and push it into the bottle. Now release the air from the rubber fingertip and place it on the neck of the bottle. Wrap the bottle in newspaper to keep it warm by hand and shake vigorously for 5 minutes.

If the soil is acidic, then when it interacts with chalk in the bottle, a chemical reaction will begin with the release of carbon dioxide, the pressure will increase, and the rubber fingertip will completely straighten. If the soil is slightly acidic, the fingertip will straighten halfway; if it is neutral, it will not straighten at all. Such an experiment can be carried out several times to confirm the results.

There is also a simple but cunning way: sow beet seeds in different parts of the garden. Where the beets have grown well, the acidity is fine, but where the root is small and underdeveloped, the soil is acidic.

However, it must be said that such methods can only approximately determine the acidity of the soil. A more accurate answer will only be given by an electronic acidity meter (pH meter) or a chemical test (litmus papers familiar to us from school, which are in the store are called “pH indicator strips” and are produced in “booklets” and plastic tubes).

Strongly acidic soil turns litmus paper orange-reddish, while slightly acidic and alkaline soil turns greenish and blue-green, respectively.

4.How to change soil acidity?

Acidic soil can be neutralized by adding deoxidizing materials. Here are the most commonly used ones.

Quicklime – CaO.

Before use, it must be extinguished - moistened with water until it becomes crumbly. As a result of the reaction, slaked lime is formed - fluff.

Slaked lime (fluff) – Ca(OH) 2.

Reacts very quickly with soil, approximately 100 times faster than limestone (calcium carbonate).

Ground limestone (flour) - CaCO 3

In addition to calcium, it contains up to 10% magnesium carbonate (MgCO 3). The finer the limestone grind, the better. One of the most suitable materials for soil deoxidation.

Dolomitic limestone (flour) – CaCO 3 and MgCO 3, contains about 13-23% magnesium carbonate. One of the best materials for liming soil.

Chalk, open hearth slag and shell rock added in crushed form.

Marl– a silty material primarily composed of calcium carbonate. If there is an admixture of earth, then the application rate should be increased.

Wood ash In addition to calcium, it contains potassium, phosphorus and other elements. Do not use ash from newspapers - it may contain harmful substances.

But there are two more substances that contain calcium, but do not deoxidize the soil. This is gypsum (calcium sulfate - CaSO 4), which in addition to calcium contains sulfur. Gypsum is used as a calcium fertilizer on saline (and therefore alkaline) soils that have an excess of sodium and a lack of calcium. The second substance is calcium chloride (CaCI), which in addition to calcium contains chlorine and therefore also does not alkalize the soil.

Doses depend on the acidity, mechanical composition of the soil and the crop being grown. For example, doses of ground limestone can range from 100-150 g/sq.m. m on sandy and sandy loam soils with a slightly acidic reaction up to 1-1.4 kg/sq. m on clayey, highly acidic soils. It is better to apply liming materials 1-2 years before or before planting, spreading them evenly over the entire area. The need for repeated liming when applying the correct doses of lime will arise after 6-8 years.

When choosing a deoxidizing material, one must take into account its neutralizing ability. For chalk it is taken as 100%, for quicklime – 120%, for dolomite flour – 90%. ash - 80% or less, depending on what it is obtained from. Based on these figures, we can say that it is better to use lime on highly acidic soils, and ash only on slightly acidic ones, otherwise it will have to be added in huge doses, which can disrupt the structure of the soil. In addition, ash contains a lot of potassium, as well as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and about 30 other different microelements, so it is better to use it as a fertilizer rather than as a deoxidizer.

So, most often lime is used for deoxidation. It is inexpensive and well crushed, so the deoxidation process will go faster. To neutralize acidic medium loamy soils, experts recommend the following doses of lime per square meter. m area: with acidity pH 4.5 - 650 g, pH 5 - 500 g, pH 5.5 - 350 g. However, as mentioned above, the dose also depends on the composition of the soil. The lighter the soil, the less lime is required. Therefore, on sandy loams the indicated doses can be reduced by one third. If you add chalk or dolomite flour instead of lime, you need to recalculate their neutralizing ability - increase the dose by 20-30%. Dolomite flour is often preferred over lime, mainly because dolomite flour contains magnesium and also serves as a fertilizer.

Lime changes the acidity of the soil much faster than, for example, chalk, and if you overdo it, the soil will become alkaline. Dolomite, ground limestone, chalk are carbonates that are dissolved by carbonic acid in the soil, so they do not burn the plants, but act gradually and slowly. When the soil acidity is about 7 (neutral reaction), the chemical deoxidation reaction will stop and no further increase in pH will occur. But deoxidizers will remain in the soil, since they are insoluble in water and are not washed out with it. After a while, when the soil becomes acidic again, they will begin to act again.

It can be difficult to deoxidize the entire area at once. And gardeners do this in parts, for example, only in the beds. By the way, you need to remember that the acidity of the soil may vary in different parts of the site. Usually, the acidity has to be adjusted approximately, and the dose of deoxidizing agent must be measured by eye, for example with a glass (a glass of lime weighs about 250 g).

The results are assessed using indicator strips (litmus paper) or a pH meter, but it must be remembered that the effect should not be expected instantly, especially if chalk was used as a deoxidizing agent. dolomite or ground limestone.

The best time for liming is autumn and spring, before digging. And one more small subtlety: on soil where liming has been carried out, when fertilizing, you need to increase the dose of potassium by about 30%, because calcium, which contains deoxidizing materials, inhibits the flow of potassium into the root hairs.

As a result of scientific work, more specific soil acidity values ​​were obtained that are optimal for the growth of fruit, berry and vegetable crops:

You can also read about soil acidity