How and when to feed the tomatoes with ash
Tomatoes are a very capricious culture. To grow a good harvest of tomatoes, they must be carefully looked after. One of the components of proper care is feeding the tomatoes with ash.
Rules for feeding tomatoes with ash
Ash as top dressing
Nowadays, there are a lot of chemicals that vegetables are fed with. But feeding tomato ash is the best choice. Firstly, when fertilized in this way, the crop will not be oversaturated with harmful chemicals. Secondly, ash contains a lot of useful substances.
- Ash is used as a top dressing for tomatoes. It contains a number of useful constituents such as potassium, calcium and phosphorus. It does not contain nitrogen, it is undesirable for this vegetable. As you know, this fertilizer is obtained by burning wood and plants. During combustion, nitrogen disappears.
- Wood ash, in addition to potassium and calcium, contains sulfur, zinc and iron. It also contains many trace elements. Chlorine is undesirable for growing tomatoes; it is absent in ash.
Thanks to such an element as calcium, the growth of the plant is accelerated, and its endurance increases. Lack of it in the process of growing threatens with the falling of the peduncles and the twisting of the leaves. The presence of magnesium contributes to an increase in the yield, because it increases the amount of starch in tomatoes. Also, due to this component, the yield increases. Potassium provides the culture with resistance to cold. Thanks to him, the color of the fruit becomes more intense, and the pulp retains its aroma for a long time. The culture will tolerate drought well if sodium is included in the feeding agent. With its help, the water balance of the plant is regulated.
Top dressing at different stages of cultivation
Consider how to feed the tomatoes with ash at different stages of tomato development:
Seed feeding
You can fertilize tomatoes already at the initial stage of growing: during the preparation of the seed. For 1 liter of water give 1 tsp. fertilizers, insist for a day. In the filtered solution, the seeds are soaked for 5-6 hours. After that, they are dried and sown immediately. Thanks to this method, they germinate and disinfect faster.
Top dressing of the soil
Top dressing of the soil begins with digging it up in the spring 2-3 weeks before planting seedlings. It is sprinkled with dry ash. For heavy soil, this action can also be carried out in the fall. For an easy one, once is enough. For 1 sq. m is enough top dressing in the amount of 150-200 g. Alkalinization of the earth creates favorable conditions for the development of microorganisms. Its action will last 2-3 years. This will allow the seedlings to take root and give the plant good growth.
Top dressing of seedlings
When using ash, you must observe the measure
If for some reason it was not possible to fertilize the open ground or the soil in the greenhouse, the seedlings should be fertilized. Wood ash is added to each hole, after which it is mixed with soil.This is done so as not to burn the roots that have not yet grown stronger. To know exactly how much to apply, the gardener should pay attention to the pH level of the soil (if the pH is 7 or more, fertilizer should not be applied). If no such indicator is known, the minimum dose is given first.
Also, seedlings can be sprinkled with water, which was obtained after filtering the infusion based on wood ash and water.
Top dressing during flowering and fruiting
The tomato loves feeding ash throughout its growth, even during flowering and fruiting. There are 2 ways to feed tomatoes:
- foliar (spraying of leaves and stems);
- root.
With root feeding, the tomato from the soil absorbs all the substances that are there, and with foliar feeding - only those that it needs.
For foliar fertilization, different solutions can be prepared. For example, boil 300 g of ash per 1 liter of water for 20 minutes. The filtered water is made up to 10 liters. The resulting solution is sprayed onto the sheets.
For root feeding of tomatoes, liquid fertilizers are prepared, they are also used in dry form. To prepare the solution, 2-3 glasses of ash are added to a bucket of water and insisted for about a week, stirring occasionally. The dosage for each bush is 1 liter. Liquid dressing is applied once every 1-2 weeks.
Some subtleties
Do not feed tomatoes with ash and cow dung or bird droppings at the same time, so as not to harm the tomatoes. The manure releases nitrogen, which absorbs the calcium in the fertilizer. If the gardener wants to use both, he must alternate. Manure should be applied in autumn and wood ash in spring.
It is important not to overdo it by alkalizing the soil in a greenhouse or outdoors. It is better to add less, and then, according to the behavior of the plant, see if more is needed. Repeat as needed.
You need to store ash away from moisture, then its shelf life will be unlimited.
Pest control
Tomatoes often infect various fungal diseases. For example, black leg or late blight.
Wood ash is used medicinally to combat these diseases. In the first case, they sprinkle it on the soil and relieve it of moisture, and in the second, ash dusting is used: the ash is thrown over the tomatoes, as a result, it settles on the leaves and stems. In this way, the bushes are disinfected. The best effect is produced by wood ash from birch, oak and maple. To fight late blight, the bushes are treated 2 times a week until the end of the harvest.
The combustion product is also used for the prevention of diseases. To do this, sprinkle ashes on the soil under the tomatoes 2 times. The first time after landing in an open area, the second - when the fruits are tied.
Conclusion
Ash is an effective fertilizer for tomato crops. The easy-to-use and readily available substance provides the fruit with good taste and a healthy appearance. In addition, due to ash processing, the yield is significantly increased.