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In an effort to get a good harvest of tomatoes, farmers use various fertilizers already in the early stages of growing the crop. Thus, an alternative to chemicals, biological products, and conventional organic matter is ash. In fact, it is a waste product from the combustion process, but at the same time it contains a lot of useful microelements that can serve as a valuable feeding for plants. For tomato seedlings ash used as a natural growth activator and rooter. The benefits of ash and how to use it will be discussed in this article.
Ash composition
Farmers have been using ash as fertilizer for a long time. It contains microelements important for plants such as potassium, phosphorus and Calcium. Young plants, such as seedlings of vegetables and, in particular, tomatoes, especially need these substances. Each of the listed substances has irreplaceable benefits for tomato seedlings.
Potassium
Potassium is vital for all types of plants. It is involved in photosynthesis and is part of cell sap. The maximum amount of potassium is contained in young shoots and leaves. So, tomato seedlings need much more of this substance than adult, fruit-bearing tomatoes.
Potassium is directly involved in the process of water supply to plant tissues. So, with its help, even a small amount of moisture from the soil will reach the highest leaves of the tomatoes. The suction power of the roots also increases under the influence of potassium, which allows tomatoes to take root best and absorb nutrients from the soil as efficiently as possible. Tomato seedlings saturated with potassium are very resistant to lack of moisture and its excess. Also, the saturation of this microelement makes tomatoes resistant to low and high temperatures.
Despite the fact that tomatoes need potassium in large quantities, signs of its deficiency can be observed quite rarely. However, in some cases, tomatoes clearly “signal” a lack of potassium. Such a deficiency is manifested by slow growth of seedlings, the formation of small leaves, the surface of which is very tuberous. At the same time, on old leaves of seedlings you can see a yellow border, which resembles the consequences of a burn. Over time, the leaves of potassium-deficient tomatoes turn yellow and curl upward. Attempts to level the sheet plate end in its breaking. Subsequently, such an imbalance of substances leads to withering and falling off of the ovaries.
It is worth noting that excess potassium also negatively affects tomato seedlings. A sign of excessive levels of this microelement are pale, mosaic spots on tomato leaves. Leaves affected in this way will soon fall off.
Phosphorus
Each plant contains 0.2% phosphorus. This microelement is part of DNA, RNA and other organic compounds.The substance allows tomatoes to absorb and convert solar energy, accelerating the vital processes of the crop. Phosphorus is directly involved in photosynthesis, regulates the processes of metabolism, respiration, and rooting. Tomatoes lacking phosphorus have low yields. Seeds collected from such tomatoes will not germinate.
The main sign of deficiency phosphorus in tomato seedlings is a changed color of the leaf plate: its veins acquire a dark purple color. On the lower part of such a leaf you can observe dotted purple inclusions.
Excess phosphorus in itself will not harm tomato seedlings, however, it will lead to zinc deficiency and chlorosis. In this case, small pale spots will appear on the leaves of the tomato, which will first be located pointwise, and then cover the entire plant as a whole.
Calcium
Calcium is another microelement essential for plant life. It regulates the moisture balance in tomato cells and promotes better absorption of nutrients from the soil. Thanks to calcium, tomatoes quickly take root, activating the growth of green tomato mass. In addition to the above functions, calcium plays an important role in protecting tomatoes from various diseases. Thus, tomatoes that receive a sufficient amount of this microelement are reliably protected from some ailments caused by harmful bacteria and fungi.
When growing tomato seedlings, calcium deficiency manifests itself as a dry top. Light yellow spots appear on young leaves, which over time can cover the entire leaf blade, causing it to fall off. Old tomato leaves with a lack of calcium, on the contrary, acquire a dark green color.
The deficiency of all the above microelements can be compensated by adding ash to the soil. However, it is worth remembering that the content of a particular substance depends directly on what material was used for combustion. Thus, waste from the combustion of various types of wood, straw and peat can provide different benefits for tomato seedlings.
Substances in the ash
Ash is easy for every owner to obtain. Many people have blast furnaces, some like to relax at the barbecue or just admire the fire. In all these cases, the result of combustion will be the resulting ash. It can be safely used to fertilize tomato seedlings. By planning fertilizing in advance, you can choose the most suitable material for burning, which will help solve the existing problem in growing seedlings or simply become a complex fertilizer for young tomatoes.
- If tomato seedlings are deficient in potassium, it is worth using sunflower stems or buckwheat straw to obtain ash. Such ash will contain about 30% potassium, 4% phosphorus and 20% calcium.
- If there is a lack of phosphorus, it is recommended to feed tomatoes with the ash of birch or pine firewood, rye or wheat straw. This fertilizer will contain 6% phosphorus.
- The record holders for calcium content are the ash of birch and pine wood. They contain about 40% of this trace element, as well as 6% phosphorus and 12% potassium.
- A complex fertilizer with an optimal content of substances is ash obtained by burning spruce firewood and rye straw.
- The statement about the harmfulness of the ash remaining from burning walnut wood is erroneous.It does not contain harmful, toxic substances and can be used to fertilize tomatoes.
In addition to potassium, calcium and phosphorus, ash contains substances such as magnesium and sodium. All microelements are in accessible form and are easily absorbed by tomatoes. However, it is worth remembering that the nitrogen necessary for plants is not present in the ash, since it is destroyed under the influence of high temperatures during the combustion process. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be added to the soil for seedlings additionally.
Feeding methods
Ash is a complex alkaline fertilizer that can be used in various ways to feed tomato seedlings. Ash fertilizers can be applied at various stages of growing tomatoes, from preparing seeds for sowing to harvesting.
Soaking the seeds
When treating tomato seeds before sowing, it is recommended to use an ash solution, since it can disinfect planting material and is a growth activator for future seedlings. Tomato seed treatment carried out by soaking. To do this, prepare a solution in the proportion of 1 teaspoon of ash per 1 liter of water. It is worth noting that the water for soaking seeds must be melted or settled. Before use, the ash solution should be infused for 24 hours. It is necessary to soak tomato seeds for 5-6 hours before planting.
Adding to Soil
Ash can be added to priming for sowing seeds for seedlings. It will reduce the acidity of the soil, activate plant growth and fertilize future tomato sprouts.Add ash to the soil at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of soil. Soil containing ash will be an excellent substrate for tomatoes, however, it is always worth remembering the “do no harm” principle, based on which the amount of ash in the soil for seedlings should not be increased above the recommended norm.
Ash fertilizer
Tomato seedlings especially need potassium, calcium and phosphorus in the early stages of the growing season. Yes, first feeding tomato seedlings must be done at 1 week of age. For this you can use an ash solution. To prepare it, add 2 tablespoons of ash to 1 liter of water. After mixing thoroughly, the solution should be left for 24 hours and filtered. Seedlings should be watered with ash solution carefully at the root. Secondary feeding of tomato seedlings with an ash solution should be carried out after 2 weeks.
Spraying
Ash can be used not only for root feeding, but also for spraying. For spraying, you can use an ash solution prepared according to the above recipe or a decoction. To prepare the decoction, you need to carefully sift 300 g of ash (3 cups) and add water. It is recommended to boil the solution over low heat for 20-25 minutes. After preparation, the broth is filtered again and diluted in 10 liters of water, after which it is used for spraying. This measure will not only fertilize the tomato seedlings, but will also protect them from all kinds of pests.
Ash during transplantation
In the process of picking tomato seedlings, it is also recommended Use ash. It is added dry, 2 tablespoons to each well. Before planting the plants, the ash is thoroughly mixed with the soil, and the hole itself is watered. Thus, at the stage of transplanting tomatoes, high-quality, natural fertilizer will be applied directly to the root of the plant.
Sprinkles
To protect tomatoes from pests at various stages of the growing season, you can use ash for dusting. Adult tomatoes growing in beds and in greenhouses should be dusted with dry ash once every 1.5-2 months. Ash applied to the surface of the leaves repels snails and slugs, prevents the development of gray rot on fruits, has a detrimental effect on the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle, and prevents the development of blackleg and clubroot disease.
Dusting is carried out in the early morning in the presence of dew, which will allow ash particles to linger on the leaves of the tomatoes. Ash can also be poured onto the trunk of plants. When dusting, the farmer should take care to protect the respiratory system and eyesight.
Ash is a universal, environmentally friendly fertilizer that can not only make plants healthy and strong, increase the yield of tomatoes, but also protect plants from diseases and pests. You can use ash in various ways, choosing the best option for yourself. You can learn more about how to use ash from the video:
Ash storage
Ash can be used to feed tomatoes throughout the entire growing season. There is no need to regularly burn wood or straw for this; it can be prepared once for the whole season.In this case, it is worth paying special attention to the method of its storage, since ash is hygroscopic and loses its beneficial qualities when moisture accumulates. So, the container for storing ash can be a hermetically sealed fabric or paper bag. The fertilizer should be stored in a dry, warm place. By preparing the ash once, you can stock up on fertilizer for the entire season.
Conclusion
Ash is most often used by farmers to fertilize tomatoes and protect them from pests. Its advantages are accessibility, efficiency, environmental friendliness, and complexity. In some cases, gardeners claim that ash should not be used to feed tomato seedlings until three true leaves appear. This opinion is erroneous when using ash in the form of a solution in compliance with the proportions of its preparation.
Very professional and understandable...I love this presenter for his specificity.