Ammonia, or an aqueous solution of ammonia, is not only a medicine.
It is indispensable in gardening because it is a nitrogenous fertilizer. This is especially important for strawberries. Triple treatment with a specially prepared aqueous solution of ammonia is a solution to several problems at once. At the same time, it is an important feeding and prevention of most infectious diseases. Dear readers! For you, we have created communities on social networks in which useful articles and interesting ideas are published several times a day! Subscribe and receive useful content in a convenient format!
Ammonia in gardening and vegetable gardening
Ammonia, or a 10% ammonia solution, is widely used in gardening. This is due to the fact that with a high nitrogen content it does not contain ballast substances. A simple pharmaceutical product turns into an effective fertilizer. Its use allows you to get an environmentally friendly harvest without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Reference! Another name for ammonia is ammonium nitrate or aqueous ammonia.
An aqueous solution of ammonia has 2 functions in gardening:
- Liquid nitrogen fertilizer for any seedlings and adult plants;
- A preventive agent for pest control and infectious diseases.
Easily digestible nitrogen fertilizer is extremely important for most plants. Regular fertilizing with an aqueous ammonia solution is most important for the following garden crops:
- Strawberry (garden strawberry);
- Cucumbers;
- Clematis;
- Hydrangeas;
- Lilies;
- Geranium;
- Onion.
For other garden plants and vegetables, treatment with aqueous ammonia is a last resort.
Peculiarities! Ammonia fertilizer is practically not absorbed into plant tissue. This allows you to use it for spraying vegetables and fruit plants after flowering.
Using ammonia for strawberries
Nitrogen is one of the most important microelements for garden strawberries.
It is included in regular feeding carried out at the initial stage of the growing season.
Spraying with an aqueous solution of ammonia is more effective than root feeding with nitrogen fertilizers.
Reference! Nitrogen fertilizers can lead to an excess of this microelement in the soil. A good alternative is to spray the bushes with aqueous ammonia. At the same time, it is impossible to “overfeed” the plants.
Beneficial features
Regular feeding with aqueous ammonia allows you to obtain the following benefits:
- Increased growth of green mass;
- Active flowering of plants;
- Reliable prevention of pests such as aphids, mole crickets, ants and wasps;
- After such treatment, fertilizing with other mineral fertilizers is not necessary.
Another important advantage is plant safety. With this feeding, nitrates do not accumulate in the roots, leaves and berries.
During fruiting
One of the important periods of the growing season of a crop, when fertilizing should be rich in nutrients. First of all, you will need phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, while products containing nitrogen are used to a minimum. Berries are formed in abundance if you use both folk recipes and store-bought formulations.
Mullein, ash and Nitroammofoska
The combination of natural organic fertilizers with a popular complex fertilizer in the form of granules allows you to increase yields by up to 75%. Nitroammofoska contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, thanks to which the plant receives adequate nutrition, which contributes to the timely ripening of berries.
How to fertilize during fruiting:
- 2 kg of rotted manure pour 10 liters of water;
- leave for 5-7 days in a warm place;
- dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10;
- add a glass of sifted ash;
- leave to infuse for one day;
- Dissolve 1 tbsp in the mixture. a spoonful of Nitroammofoski granules;
- apply one liter of solution under the bush.
Cost of Nitroammophoska: 115 rubles per 1 kg.
Nettle
Rich in minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium), organic acids. By fertilizing strawberries with nettle infusion, you can reduce the risk of diseases and increase fruiting. This type of feeding allows you to avoid the use of chemicals.
The solution is prepared as follows:
- Finely chop fresh nettle greens (can be with roots);
- fold into a wooden or plastic barrel 2/3 full;
- pour warm water, leaving room for fermentation;
- put oppression on top of the chopped grass;
- cover the barrel with a lid and leave for 10 days in a warm place;
- the composition must be mixed daily with a wooden spatula or stick;
- if fermented nettle produces an unpleasant odor, add wood ash;
- the finished solution does not foam and has a dark color;
- before use, dilute the composition with water 1:10;
- water 500 ml per bush at the beginning of berry ripening;
- repeat the procedure a week later.
Pest treatment
Ammonia is a very caustic and volatile substance with a pungent odor.
This allows it to be used to repel insects. Aphids, ants, slugs, nematodes and other pests will not settle in beds treated with it.
Regular treatment also allows you to get rid of insects living in the ground: mole crickets, May beetle larvae, weevils and root nematodes.
Peculiarities! Unlike chemical insecticides, ammonia can be used during the formation of the ovary. It does not accumulate in the fruits, making them easy to wash.
This is a good prevention of the appearance of infectious diseases such as gray rot, brown spot and others. A combination of this method and preventative mulching works well. Pine needles or straw are used for mulch.
How to dilute the solution
The base solution is as simple as possible to prepare. For this you will need:
- 10% ammonia;
- Water.
To prevent ammonia from evaporating, fatty acids are needed.
To do this, add 72% washing soap to the solution. This is a natural antiseptic that creates a thin protective film on the leaves. Air and water penetrate through it, but it creates reliable protection against diseases. To prepare such a solution you need:
- 1 piece of laundry soap;
- Ammonia;
- Water.
Grate the soap and dissolve in hot water. Mix soap solution and 10 liters of cold water. Then pour in ammonia and mix. Garden strawberries respond well to watering with aqueous ammonia in combination with iodine.
Attention! The prepared solution must be used immediately so that the ammonia does not evaporate.
Ammonia is a toxic substance; when using it, you must take the necessary precautions :
- When watering, you need to use personal protective equipment: a respirator and gloves;
- Do not add other substances or preparations to the solution except soap or iodine;
- If the prepared solution gets on exposed areas of the body, you should immediately wash them with soap and water. After this, it is recommended to consult a doctor;
- In case of poisoning with the solution, drink a glass of milk and immediately seek medical help.
After this treatment, the berries must be washed thoroughly. Be sure to warn everyone who will eat them.
Carefully! An ammonia aqueous solution is prepared only outdoors. It must not be stored or used indoors.
Dosage and stages of watering strawberries
To prepare the solution, use a 10% aqueous ammonia solution.
In order for treatment with its solution to bring only benefits, it is important to observe the dosage and frequency of use.
The procedure is repeated 2–3 times. Most often, watering with ammonia solution is repeated three times.
Attention! For each stage of irrigation, a freshly prepared solution of varying concentrations is used.
For watering, use a watering can with wide jets. The liquid quickly pours out, which is why the ammonia does not have time to evaporate. When spraying large areas of beds, the sprayer should be in the “jet” position. This is more effective than the "fog" mode. Drops of the solution also fall on the ground, scaring off pests inside it.
First stage, feeding in spring
The first watering is carried out in March - early April . It is important to carry out this immediately after the appearance of young leaves. To prepare the solution you will need:
- 1 bottle of 10% ammonia (40 milliliters);
- 10 liters of water;
- Soap solution.
The resulting mixture is poured into a watering can with a large nozzle and the bushes are generously watered. This allows the solution to reach the stems, leaves and soil simultaneously. To avoid chemical burns, water the plants with clean water afterward.
Peculiarities! The solution for the first watering is the most concentrated. It allows you to destroy pests that have overwintered in the soil and fungal infections.
Second phase
The second watering is carried out after flowering . For this, a less concentrated solution is used. For it you will need:
- 3 tablespoons of ammonia;
- 10 liters of water.
The bushes are first watered with plain water and then with aqueous ammonia. This will protect the ovary from pests that survived the first treatment. A lower concentration allows you to obtain the lowest possible concentration of nitrates in fruits.
Third stage of spraying
The third time the strawberry bushes are watered with an aqueous solution of ammonia after harvesting.
This is preparing the bushes for winter and the opportunity to ensure a generous harvest for the next year.
This is good support for plants that have exhausted their strength after fruiting.
As in the first stage, the most concentrated solution is used for this:
- 1 bottle of ammonia;
- 10 liters of water;
- 5 drops of iodine.
Water the bushes generously from a watering can with a sprinkler attachment.
Features of spring feeding of strawberries
The procedure has its own characteristics in addition to choosing the right fertilizer. Spring fertilizing is not applied immediately after the snow melts. Once the ground is bare and warm weather arrives, you can start trimming old leaves and damaged tendrils. Also, immediately after the snow layer has melted, remove the mulch or insulation material and loosen the soil. Make sure the cold doesn't come again. It is better to delay the fertilization of strawberries a little, otherwise the plants will get sick in high humidity and severe frosts.
As for the time for feeding strawberries, it may vary depending on the region. For example, in the Moscow region and Ukraine, spring comes earlier than in the Urals and other regions. You should not rely on the weather, as it is deceptive - today the sun will shine, and tomorrow it will snow. In warm regions, just like in cold ones, you can navigate by Easter or the opening of the tourist season. About 10 days before this, you can remove the mulch and trim last year's leaves. Be sure to ensure that frost is not expected.
Only perennial strawberry bushes require additional fertilizing. Early feeding of strawberries in spring is required for those plants that have been growing in the garden for more than 2 years. Annuals do not need to be fed, since they have not yet absorbed all the nutrients added when planted in a permanent place.
