Feeding tomatoes with ash: the most effective methods of application

Ash is an excellent fertilizer for garden crops. The composition of ash is what is left after burning trees and plants. Feeding tomatoes using this method is useful at all stages of the crop's growing season.

Ash is one of the valuable mineral fertilizers. which can be easily prepared on your own plot, and all vegetable crops quickly respond to such fertilizing, actively growing. And their fruits ripen faster, and their taste also improves significantly. In addition, with the help of ash you can save vegetable crops, including tomatoes, from pest invasion.

Protecting tomatoes from pests using ash

Ash is an effective remedy for combating fungal infections and pests that damage tomato bushes.

To prepare the working solution, add 300 g of fine wood ash to 3 liters of water and boil over low heat for 30 minutes. Then let it brew while the broth cools. To it you need to add another 7 liters of water and dissolve 50 g of grated laundry soap so that the infusion sticks better to the foliage.

Treatments with such a working solution are carried out in the morning or evening hours in dry, windless weather. If it rained during or immediately after treatment, the spraying should be repeated, as the infusion will be washed off with water.

How to prepare liquid fertilizer?

Preparing an ash solution for tomato seedlings is quite simple. The ash is sifted to remove foreign matter. It is advisable to use soft water. Ash powder is poured into a container and filled with water. 100 g of fertilizer will require 5 liters of water. The solution is stirred, left in this state for 3–4 hours and used for watering. Consumption depends on the size of the container in which the seedlings are planted:

• pour 1 tbsp into 200 ml cups. l. solution;
• pour 2-3 tbsp into 500 ml pots. l. ash fertilizer;
• for liter pots you will need 4-5 tbsp. l. solution.

The soil must first be moistened. After applying fertilizer, the surface is mulched with a 0.5–1 cm layer of soil. Liquid fertilizing is very effective, quickly absorbed into the soil and becomes accessible to plant roots.

Features and need for fertilizing with ash

Ash is a valuable fertilizer, which contains a large amount of macro and microelements. Moreover, its composition may differ depending on what raw materials are used to prepare this fertilizer.

After the raw materials are burned, all valuable substances remain in ash and ash. The exception is nitrogen - it goes into the atmosphere along with smoke. Therefore, if it is necessary to feed tomatoes with many minerals, including nitrogen, fertilizers rich in this element are added to the ash.

When young tree branches are burned, more potassium remains in the ash, and when old tree branches are burned, more calcium remains in the ash. Linden, aspen, and coniferous trees have soft wood and contain less potassium than other hardwood trees (oak, beech, poplar). There will be a lot of potassium in the ashes if you burn weeds.

It is also very useful to make ash from the straw of grain crops, especially from buckwheat and rye - they contain many different useful substances that do not disappear during combustion, but remain in the ash.

All useful substances preserved in the ash are necessary for the growth and development of tomato bushes, for the active formation of ovaries, ripening of fruits and improving their taste. Ash strengthens the immunity of vegetable plants, as a result they get sick less and are practically not damaged by pests.

Composition and benefits for tomatoes

The ash itself contains the following macro and microelements:

• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• manganese;
• boron;
• iron;
• sulfur;
• silicon.

If we consider the chemical compounds that may be in the ash, then per 100 g of this product it contains:

1. 16 g calcium silicate. Thanks to it, protein metabolic processes occur more actively in the vegetative mass. As a result, the stems grow stronger.
2. 12 g calcium chloride. Activates the growth of the root system, thanks to this product plants quickly take root in a new place.
3. 17 g calcium carbonate. Thanks to this substance, the metabolism in plants accelerates, and lateral shoots are more actively formed at the roots.
4. 13 g of potassium orthophosphate, which stimulates the development of lateral stems on which ovaries will form, which will lead to an increase in yield.
5. 4 g of magnesium sulfate, which strengthens the immune system of tomatoes, resistance to most diseases, including late blight.
6. 0.5 sodium chloride. This chemical compound helps improve the taste of ripening tomatoes and their speedy ripening.

The main benefits of this product as a fertilizer for tomatoes are as follows:

• productivity increases;
• the plant immune system is strengthened;
• prevents the appearance of fungal diseases and harmful insects;
• the active appearance of buds and ovaries is stimulated;
• there is no harm from the use of ash.

Ash is a safe fertilizer obtained naturally, and it contains the same amount of various minerals as in complex mineral fertilizers.

Important! Ash is often used not only as a fertilizer, but also as a fungicidal and insecticidal preparation. As a result, pests do not appear on tomatoes, and many diseases do not have to be dealt with.

Which ash is best to use?

Typically, ash from the stove or obtained from burning trees, shrubs or grass is used to feed tomatoes - this fertilizer does not contain heavy metal salts or other toxic substances that could accumulate in the vegetative mass or fruits of vegetable crops, so it is absolutely harmless to plants.

You cannot use ash from combustion to feed cultivated plants:

• books;
• building materials;
• furniture;
• plastic.

After burning them, toxic substances remain in the ashes, which will be deposited in the fruits, so such a crop cannot be used for food.

How to get ash

Ash is usually obtained by burning branches, trunks of trees and shrubs, vegetation residues after weeding a garden, and other wood in a fire. This fertilizer should be used immediately after complete cooling. If it rained during this period, and the ash was not protected from it, then it will no longer be valuable - all the nutrients, along with moisture, will be absorbed into the soil in the fire pit.

Fires should be located at a distance of at least 4.5-5 m from outbuildings, garden houses and fruit trees. It is best to use iron barrels or other similar containers made of materials that do not melt from fire. In such “containers” it is easier to store ash in the future and protect it from rain. Usually the ash is collected after a couple of days - during this time it will have time to cool.

If food is cooked on barbecues in summer cottages, then the ash from them can also be used as fertilizer.

Important! If the ash will be used as a fertilizer in the future, then you cannot add various debris to such fires, including plastic, boards coated with varnish or paint - during the combustion process they will release toxic substances that will remain in the ash and then pass into plants and their fruits. Such fruits should not be eaten.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of using ash as a fertilizer include:

• fertilizer is natural;
• availability of raw materials for its production;
• no need to spend money on synthetic derivatives;
• a large number of mineral compounds in its composition;
• All components are easily absorbed by cultivated plants.

The only drawback of ash is the lack of nitrogen in its composition, which is released when raw materials are burned. Therefore, the application of this fertilizer should be alternated with the use of other fertilizers that contain this important mineral.

Advantages and disadvantages

Ash is a concentrated fertilizer, feeding it has many advantages in growing tomatoes:

• natural origin;
• availability of raw materials;
• no need to spend money on purchasing expensive synthetic compounds;
• rich composition of valuable mineral salts;
• all nutrients are present in a form available for absorption by the crop.

Attention! The only drawback of fertilizing is the lack of nitrogen, which is absolutely necessary for the growth and development of any crop. It is important to alternate the use of wood ash as a fertilizer for tomatoes with the application of nitrogen fertilizers.

When should ash not be used?

However, the use of such fertilizer will not always be truly effective and useful. You should not use ash in the following cases:

• The finished fertilizer should be kept in a dry, ventilated place. If it gets wet, it is useless to use it - it loses its valuable qualities;
• Ash should not be added to fresh mullein or manure, as it will prevent nitrogen from forming and accumulating. And the chemical compounds included in its composition will combine with substances from these organic fertilizers, creating new substances that will be poorly absorbed by garden and vegetable crops;
• if the soil pH is alkaline and above 7, then wood ash cannot be used in such soils. The exception is ash obtained from coal;
• when planting seedlings in beds, the added ash must be thoroughly mixed with the soil, since direct contact of the roots with this fertilizer will lead to their burn;
• during the period when green mass is actively forming on tomato bushes, it is better not to use ash, but to use nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which will promote the development of foliage;
• You cannot add chemical nitrogen fertilizers and ash to the soil at the same time.

When to fertilize

The use of ash fertilizer is most important if the seedlings grow slowly and develop poorly. This organic product is also indispensable when transplanting tomato seedlings into poor soil with low fertile qualities.

Using wood ash you can get the following results:

• activation of photosynthesis and metabolic processes in plant cells;
• normalization of the most important biochemical processes;
• protection of seedlings from insect pests and the most common fungal diseases;
• stimulating the development of the root system and above-ground parts of seedlings.

The addition of wood ash is also used to deoxidize the soil. This natural fertilizer not only restores the balance of beneficial micro- and macroelements in the soil, but also reduces its acidity level.

Preparation of solutions

Ash solutions are prepared for the following purposes:

• for soaking seeds. This mixture is used to accelerate the germination of seed material;
• water. It is used to improve the composition of the soil and improve the absorption of nutrients;
• powders help get rid of harmful insects and also protect the vegetative mass from fungal infections;
• infusion for leaf treatments. When used, the growth of vegetative mass is accelerated, as well as to repel pests.

Solutions can be prepared in different ways:

1. Dissolve 150 g of wood ash in a bucket of heated water and leave for 240 minutes, stirring occasionally. The resulting infusion should be applied under the tomato bushes - 500 ml for each plant.
2. Fill a 5-liter container with heated water and add 50 g of ash powder, leave for 6 hours, add a little liquid soap for better adhesion and stir the infusion until it is completely dissolved. The resulting infusion is used to treat the leaves.
3. Brew 150 g of ash in a bucket of boiling water and leave for 72 hours, stirring occasionally. The resulting concentrated infusion is filtered and watered at the root of the tomato bushes.

Usually, it is enough to feed tomato bushes with ash a couple of times during the summer: once during the period of active formation of buds in June, and a second time during the formation of ovaries in mid-July.

Universal recipes for ash feeding

Soaking the seeds

Use only the following solution:

• the ashes are diluted with water in a ratio of 1 tsp. per 1 liter of liquid;
• insist for a day;
• soak the seeds for 5-6 hours before sowing.

Soaking seeds in an ash solution is considered a way to disinfect seed material and accelerate seed germination.

Adding to soil

Dry ash is mixed with soil to improve its quality composition. For this:

• the soil is loosened and holes are made;
• mix earth and ashes in a 1:1 ratio;
• the resulting composition is poured onto the bottom of the hole.

Adding ash directly to the soil is one of the methods of soil deoxidation.

Fertilizer

Use an ash solution prepared according to the classic recipe for 3-5 hours. If the goal is to feed the plants without additional disease control, then you can prepare a “quick” solution:

• sift the ash;
• For 1 liter of warm water take 2 tbsp. ash;
• mix well and pour under the root.

Application of ash at different stages of tomato growth

The frequency of use of this natural fertilizer depends on the degree of soil depletion, as well as on the development phase of the tomato bushes.

Seeds

During the pre-sowing preparation of tomato seed material, they are soaked in an ash solution. This solution is prepared as follows: dilute 1 tsp in a liter of water. ash and leave for 6 hours. Then the seeds can be planted as seedlings.

Seedling

To feed seedlings, ashes are mixed with soil and added to containers. Pure fertilizer cannot be added, as it burns the root system of the seedlings. The amount of ash added depends on the acidity of the soil; it is not added to alkaline soil.

You can also spray the foliage of the seedlings with a weakly concentrated solution of ash.

Ash during picking

When picking tomato seedlings, it is also recommended to mix the ash with soil and add it to separate cups where the plants will be transplanted.

Fertilizing the soil before planting seedlings

Dry ash is added to the soil before transplanting seedlings - approximately 14-20 days before. If the soil is heavy clay, then additional ash is added to it in the autumn when digging. In light soils (sandy and sandy loam), this fertilizing is applied in the spring - up to 200 g of ash for each square of area.

After planting the seedlings

Transplanted tomato bushes are fed with an ash solution in June and July. The solution can be applied directly to the root zone of tomatoes or fertilized along the leaf.

At the same time, the infusion applied to the leaf plates destroys fungal infections and repels pests. To do this, liquid soap is added to the prepared ash infusion for better adhesion.

During flowering

To feed tomatoes during budding and flowering, you should prepare the following ash infusion: add up to 3 cups of ash to a bucket of water and leave for 6-8 days, stirring the infusion periodically.

For each plant, add 1 liter of this infusion every 7-12 days.

During fruiting

To prepare a decoction for feeding tomatoes during fruit ripening, you need to pour a glass of ash into a liter of water and cook over low heat for ⅓ hour, then set aside until it cools completely and filter. Then the resulting decoction is poured into 10 liters of cold water and the vegetative part of vegetable plants is processed.

Recipe 2. Organic fertilizers

There are many tomato growers who prefer organic fertilizers.

A week before planting tomatoes in a permanent place, water the soil with an infusion of bird droppings (1:20) - 0.5 liters per plant. Rotted (not fresh!) manure can be added directly to the hole during planting at the rate of 0.2 kg per plant. To prevent organic fertilizer from burning the roots, first mix the manure with the soil and only then put it in the hole. Make sure that the roots of the tomato do not come into contact with manure.

Mature compost can be used instead of manure. The norm is the same - 0.2 kg of fertilizer, which should be mixed with the soil, per plant.

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How to properly feed tomatoes with ash

There are no particular differences when feeding tomatoes in garden beds and in greenhouse conditions.

In the open ground

Not all fertilizers applied to tomato beds are compatible with each other. So, when adding organic matter, nitrogen absorbs calcium from the ash, so these fertilizers are not applied together.

In addition, manure or chicken droppings decompose more slowly in the soil, so they are usually applied in the fall under digging so that they have time to decompose before spring and enrich the soil with nitrogen and other useful substances. And the nutrients from the ash, when applied in the fall, can be washed out by autumn showers and during the spring melting of snow, so it is added to the soil in the spring a couple of weeks before transplanting the seedlings.

In the greenhouse

When adding ash to garden beds, it is partially absorbed into the soil with rain, and when adding it to greenhouses, it is necessary to water more frequently so that the nutrition reaches the root system of the plants faster.

Video about what to put in the hole when planting tomatoes

How to plant tomatoes in order to get a good harvest later? What should I put in the hole so that they bear fruit well? What tomato planting scheme should I use? These and many other questions are discussed in this video. Join the viewing!

Before planting tomato seedlings in a permanent place, you can add any of the fertilizers described above to the holes, then the yield of tomatoes will increase significantly. The main thing is to follow the indicated dosages of the applied preparations, since excess fertilizers also negatively affect tomato bushes, as does their lack.

Chemical composition of ash and its effect on plants

Macro and microelements contained in ash have different effects on tomato bushes, and beginning vegetable growers should be aware of this.

Calcium and the role of its salts

This natural fertilizer contains the most calcium and its salts. Calcium itself activates the growth of planted vegetable crops and makes their nutrition more balanced.

The ash also contains calcium salts:

• calcium carbonate, which is responsible for the activity of biochemical processes occurring in the plant at the cellular level. Thanks to it, mineral substances spread faster through the vegetative part of vegetable crops, fruit ripening accelerates, and productivity levels increase;
• Calcium silicate combines with pectins, so the mineral components are more firmly connected to each other and completely penetrate into all parts of the plant - from the roots to the ovaries. Thanks to this chemical compound, the roots more actively select nutrients from the soil, their absorption improves, and the taste of ripe fruits becomes better;
• calcium sulfate. This drug is included not only in ash, but also in chemical fertilizers, in particular superphosphate. In these products, the percentage of calcium sulfate is higher, but this preparation in the ash has a longer action and promotes the active growth of the vegetative mass, forms healthier foliage and buds;
• Tomatoes need calcium chloride in small quantities. It is involved in photosynthesis and the process of enzyme formation, also promotes the rapid conversion of ammonium nitrate from the soil into a nitric acid salt, and is also a natural disinfectant for the soil. However, if this chemical compound is in excess in the soil, then cultivated plants may even die.

Potassium and phosphorus

Ash contains much less of these minerals useful for plants than calcium and its salts. However, this amount of potassium and phosphorus is quite enough for tomatoes to develop and bear fruit normally.

These substances actively participate in the metabolic processes occurring in plants and contribute to better penetration and absorption of nutrients by tomatoes. Thanks to potassium, flowering and fruit formation are activated in these vegetable crops, and thanks to phosphorus, root nutrition improves.

Magnesium

Ash contains three chemical compounds that contain this element. Magnesium is part of chlorophyll and plays an important role in the process of photosynthesis. It also produces energy in plants.

With a lack of magnesium, plants will grow slower, flowering will be less active, and fruits will ripen more slowly.

What is wood ash rich in?

The main components of ash are calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Therefore, it is traditionally considered a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer and a natural deoxidizer. In varying concentrations, the composition includes silicon, boron, sulfur, magnesium, zinc, iodine, manganese, iron - in total more than 30 essential macro- and micronutrients.

The proportions of the main components depend on the type of raw materials burned:

The best source of calcium for tomatoes is ash from hardwood and softwood firewood . Birch ash is especially rich in this compound.

Tomatoes will get a lot of potassium from the burning residues of sunflower stems and buckwheat straw .

meadow hay has the most balanced composition of potassium and calcium .

Methods of using ash

Ash can be used in dry form, as well as in the form of solutions prepared in different ways. All types of such fertilizer are used several times a season at intervals of a couple of weeks.

Dry use

Ash in dry form is usually used to powder tomato bushes - this way the plants are protected from the appearance of pathogenic fungi and are protected from attacks by harmful insects.

It is added to the soil before spring digging and then incorporated into the soil. Ash can also be applied to furrows that are dug along the rows, and also applied to the trunk circles of fruit trees. The top of the ashes must be covered with a layer of soil, in which case the nutrients from it will flow into the soil with each watering.

In the autumn, it is better not to add ash, since all useful substances are washed out of the soil with autumn rains or during the spring melting of snow.

When digging in spring, up to 450 g of ash is needed for each square of area. And a couple more tbsp. l. This fertilizer is applied to the holes when planting tomato seedlings.

Important! The amount of ash added depends on the acidity indicator - the more alkaline the soil, the less ash needs to be added to it.

Usually, before applying this fertilizer in dry form, it is mixed with soil and up to a kilogram of such nutrient substrate is added to each plant.

Preparation of ash solution and its use

Ash solution is usually used for root and foliar feeding of plants.

In order to prepare a working liquid for application to the root zone of tomatoes, you need to dilute up to 150 g of ash in 10 liters of water, mix and infuse for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.

To prepare an infusion of ash for foliar feeding, you need to stir 100 g of this natural product in 2 liters of warm water, leave it to brew for several hours, then filter and add 50-60 g of liquid soap to the liquid for better adhesion of the solution to the foliage. Then the tomato bushes are sprayed, carefully treating the leaf blades on both sides.

To feed tomato seedlings, dilute 2 tbsp in 2 liters of boiling water. l. ash and leave to infuse for a week, periodically shaking the preparing infusion.

Preparation of ash-herbal tea and its use

A mixture of ash and weeds is an ideal fertilizer for cultivated plants, since nitrogen from the grass is added to the complex of minerals contained in the ash.

To prepare the base of such tea, fill the container ¾ full with weeds, hay, add a little sugar or old jam, add water to the top and leave to infuse. Cover the top of the container with a non-woven cloth and leave for up to 5 days, stirring the infusion in the morning and evening.

Important! To better preserve nitrogen in the infusion, add citric acid to the mixture - for every 50 liters you need to add 1 tbsp. l. such a drug.

Then the solution is filtered, for each part of such herbal tea add 10 parts of infusion or extract from the ashes. Tomatoes should be fed with this ash-herbal tea during the growing season at intervals of 1.5 weeks until the bushes of this vegetable crop begin to bloom. After this, fertilizers with nitrogen are not used so as not to provoke active growth of green mass to the detriment of flowering and fruiting.

Recipe 4. Nettle

Another popular addition that is placed in the hole when planting tomatoes is nettle. In May, when the time comes to plant tomato seedlings, young nettles can be found everywhere. Once in the hole under a layer of soil, the plant begins to quickly decompose and saturate the soil with useful substances, primarily nitrogen.

Collect fresh nettles and add 5-6 small leaves of this prickly plant to each hole. Then sprinkle them with a layer of soil and plant tomato seedlings on top.

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The best recipes for ash-based fertilizers and preparation technology

There are many recipes for fertilizing based on this natural fertilizer, where ash can be used alone or as part of complex fertilizers.

Ash into the soil and over the leaves

Before planting tomato seedlings in open ground, it is recommended to loosen the soil in the beds and add wood ash and compost to it in a ratio of 1:2. Then the mixture is mixed and the seedlings are planted.

If the weather is rainy in the summer or there is a threat of the development of blackleg or late blight, then it is recommended to scatter a handful of wood ash in the root zone of the tomato bushes.

Against the Colorado potato beetle and slugs, it is recommended to mix ashes with soda in a ratio of 20:1 and powder the vegetative mass of tomatoes.

Fertilizer for increasing green mass

To ensure that the seedlings do not lag behind in growth, are strong and healthy, and also actively increase green mass, they should be fed with the following infusion:

• 1 cup of wood ash is poured into a large bucket;
• pour 3 liters of boiling water and stir;
• leave to brew until the liquid cools completely;
• add the settled liquid to the top of the bucket;
• under each bush you need to pour a liter of this infusion;
• After watering, the soil around the plants is carefully loosened.

Spray solution

To repel harmful insects from tomatoes, you should prepare the following solution:

• chopped celandine and nettle (300 g) are placed in a 5-liter container;
• fill it to the top with water, place a brick in the center so that the greens do not rise to the top, and leave to infuse for several days;
• 3 cups of ash are poured into a separate container and 3 liters of boiling water is poured, stirred and allowed to settle. until the liquid cools down;
• then the ash solution is filtered, and the herbal infusion is also filtered;
• These solutions are mixed and the tomatoes are sprayed.

Special opinion - from Yuri Kuzminykh

A well-known tomato grower who often shares his experience with colleagues, Yuri Kuzminykh, also did not shy away from this topic. In his opinion, when planting tomatoes, you can put a little superphosphate in the hole (to stimulate root growth), but it’s better not to put anything at all.

In this case, within 1.5 weeks the growth of lateral roots will begin and the seedlings will switch to root nutrition (that’s when you can feed the tomatoes). If, from the moment of planting, the fertilizer is located directly under the plant, in the hole, then it simply will not have an incentive to “develop” new spaces and grow. However, it should be clarified that we are talking about a bed that has been well-filled with the right amount of fertilizer since the fall.

Do you put anything in the hole when planting tomatoes? Share your experience in the comments.

Recommendations for the use of ash

Ash is used to feed tomatoes up to 4-5 times per season: applied dry when preparing beds, watered at the root during flowering, formation of ovaries and during active ripening of tomatoes.

Although it is difficult to “overdo it” when applying this fertilizer, you still should not apply it to the soil haphazardly - usually no more than 450 g of dry ash or 1 liter of infusion or decoction is applied to each square of area for each tomato bush.

Spraying plants with ash solution

Foliar feeding - spraying the leaves of an adult plant - with an ash solution is very useful . If there is a lack of phosphorus in tomato bushes, they begin to hurt - the leaves curl, turn yellow, barely noticeable purple spots appear on the bottom of the leaf, the fruits themselves ripen slowly and remain small.

Spraying tomatoes with an ash solution very quickly saturates them with the necessary phosphorus - the result is usually noticeable within a couple of days, whereas when feeding by watering or dripping in ash, improvements can be expected longer.

In addition, such foliar feeding can, as a bonus, rid tomatoes of a large number of pests and diseases , so it is recommended to carry it out regularly - at least once a week.

Reviews from gardeners

Maria, 55 years old, Penza region: I use ash as fertilizer in my garden every year - I have to regularly burn grass, dry or damaged branches of trees and shrubs, light the stove in the house, and my husband likes to cook meat or fish on the grill. I use all the ash to feed vegetable crops, and what remains is poured into the root zone of trees. There can be quite a lot of ash, so I don’t use chemical fertilizers in the garden.

Tatyana, 45 years old, Moscow region: next to my plot there is a strip of forest plantation. My husband and I often bring dry parts of trees from there, burn them, and use the resulting ash to feed tomatoes and cucumbers. As a result, our vegetable plants always grow well, remain strong, practically do not get sick and bear fruit well.

Ash is a natural fertilizer that contains a large amount of minerals and their compounds. This fertilizer is absolutely harmless to plants and the environment, improves the composition of the soil, helps fight fungal diseases and prevents pest attacks, and is also prepared from improvised means, so it costs vegetable growers almost free.

Recipe 3. Eggshells

Often eggshells are placed in the hole. Before adding this source of calcium, the shells should be dried and ground almost to a flour. It is enough to put 2 tsp in one well. crushed shells.

According to experienced gardeners, eggshells not only saturate the soil with calcium, but also serve as good protection against mole crickets.

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How to use ash powder when growing seedlings

Ash is widely used in growing tomatoes and peppers to stimulate their development and feed. Feedings provide seedlings with the main components required for successful growth and health. The ash contains about 30 useful elements, present in the quantities required for representatives of the Solanaceae family.

The powder comes in various types: produced from burning wood, grass, plant roots, coal, leaves.

The composition also differs - in the ash from burnt young shoots there is more potassium, in the ash from old trees calcium predominates. Herbal, leaf ash powder is rich in potassium more than other types. Deciduous wood leaves more nutritional compounds, unlike coniferous wood.

The mechanism of action of ash.

1. The ash contains a lot of potassium, which enhances the absorption ability of the rhizome. The component is indispensable when supplying sprouts with water. The concentrate makes them more resistant to temperature fluctuations and enhances the development of rhizomes. Potassium improves the quality of vegetables, their peel becomes softer, and the pulp becomes more aromatic.
2. Due to the presence of phosphorus in the ash, metabolic processes are accelerated, and seedlings better absorb solar radiation and energy.
3. Calcium increases the protective properties of crops, strengthens them, and activates the growing season of sprouts. Peppers and tomatoes become more resistant to frost and dry periods. The element is an integral component of photosynthesis.
4. Magnesium is responsible for the flowering of plantings and the formation of ovaries.

Ash structures the soil, fertilizes it, lowers the acidity level, and has a positive effect on the development of beneficial agents in the soil, nitrogen-fixing microorganisms. Recharge implies a long-lasting effect and includes useful elements that are easily digestible by tomatoes and peppers. It is advisable to use ash powder as a complex fertilizer with an alkaline composition.