With the onset of spring, growers begin to prepare their plots for the future planting of different crops. Along with digging, the soil is also fertilized with various substances. Almost every gardener has heard about the existence of dolomite flour, but only a few know about all its useful properties and application rules, which is why the tool is used in private gardening quite rarely. In fact, this is unfair, because limestone flour can improve soil performance and yields in many ways.
Fertilizer specifications
In order for the use of dolomite flour to provide maximum benefit to the site, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with its main characteristics. The substance itself is a fine powder that looks like cement.
It is made by crushing rock - dolomite, without adding auxiliary components. The chemical formula of dolomite flour is as follows: CaMg(CO2)2. It is clear from this that the maincomponents of the substance calcium and magnesium.
It is the amount of calcium in the soil that determines the degree of its acidification. The less calcium, the more acidic the soil, which means that it is very difficult to grow most cultivated plants on it. At the same time, flour helps to artificially maintain a normal soil pH level and, consequently, increase yields. Every plant breeder knows about the beneficial properties of magnesium. The microelement contributes to the active growth and fertility of crops, therefore it is often found in many complex mixtures for plant nutrition.
Benefits of flour in the garden
Most often, limestone dolomite flour is used by gardeners and gardeners to deoxidize the soil, in addition, its introduction improves the quality of the soil in other equally important parameters. The soil after adding flour becomes looser, its ventilation improves. The upper layers of the soil are saturated with phosphorus, potassium, light nitrogen and magnesium, which is involved in plant photosynthesis and increases the yield of root crops. In addition, flour helps to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the soil, reduces the number of weeds on the site and accelerates the absorption of all nutrients from the soil by growing crops.
It is also very important for plant growers that the composition of dolomite flour does not affect the concentration of pesticides in plants at all, but, on the contrary, contributes to the removal of radionuclides from them. Also, fertilizer reduces the likelihood of plant infection with fungal infections and prevents crop damage by insects, since smallcalcium particles destroy their chitinous cover.
Most often, lime flour is applied in the fall for digging, but by doing it in the spring, you can increase the immunity of plants and improve their frost resistance for the coming winter.
Soil acidity
Like any other fertilizer, dolomite flour, if used improperly, can cause serious damage to the site. To prevent this from happening, before deoxidizing the soil with a substance, it is necessary to determine the level of its acidity, on which the required amount of flour per square meter will subsequently depend.
The easiest and most accurate way to use litmus paper for the test. If it is not available, you can determine the degree of acidification of the soil approximately. To do this, you need to collect a small amount of earth from the site into a glass container and pour a small amount of table vinegar on top. If foam forms on the surface of the earth, then the soil is alkaline and does not need to be deoxidized. If all the vinegar is absorbed into the soil without leaving any traces, then the site simply needs dolomite flour, since the earth on it is very acidic.
The degree of acidity can also be determined by the presence of weeds. Dandelions and chamomile prefer alkaline soils, while plantain and wood lice prefer acidic soils. Nettles and quinoa often grow on neutral soils.
Fertilization
To change the pH level of the soil, you need to make flour in the fall for digging. If you simply scatter a substance on the surface of the earth, its effect will manifest itself onlyin a year. Spring application, like summer application, will not change the composition of the soil and is used only as an enrichment of plants with useful substances.
This is best done in windless dry weather as the flour is very light and volatile. Most often, for light sandy soils, 20-30 kg of dolomite flour is required for each hundred square meters. For clay soils, the need increases to 30-40 kg, and for peat areas, 60-80 kg is needed.
If it was possible to accurately measure the acidity of the soil, then the amount of fertilizer depends precisely on the pH level and soil composition. So, for every square meter of sandy soil with an acidity index of less than 4.5, 300 g of the substance is needed. At pH:
- 4, 6 - 0.25kg;
- 4, 8 - 0.2 kg;
- 5 - 0.15 kg;
- 5, 2 – 0.1 kg;
- 5, 4 – 0.1 kg.
For the same acidity indicators of light loamy soil, respectively, you will need:
- 0.45kg;
- 0.4kg;
- 0.35kg;
- 0.3kg;
- 0.25kg;
- 0, 25 kg.
Next is the calculation for medium loam. At a pH level of up to 4.5, the amount of flour increases by 0.1 kg from the previous indicator, that is, the need is 0.55 kg. With an increase in the pH level, 50 g must be subtracted from the previous amount. Thus, medium loams with a pH of 4.6 require the addition of 0.5 kg of flour, with an indicator of 4.8 - 0.45 kg, 5 - 0.4 kg, 5.2 - 0.35 kg, 5.4 - 0.3 kg. For heavy loam, the need increases by another 100 gfor acidity levels up to 4, 5 and per 50 g for all other indicators. For clay soils, add the same amount of flour (100 g) to the results of the previous calculations.
Additional application
Most of the fertilizer is harmful to living organisms, but not in this case. The use of dolomite flour can be carried out even on pastures, since the substance does not bring any harm to the he alth of animals. When applying it, one should only remember that the joint application of flour, urea, superphosphate or s altpeter negatively affects the effect of the fertilizer and will not bring proper benefits to the soil.
Since the calcium in the composition of the substance destroys the chitinous cover of insects, especially small dolomite can be mixed with water and used as a solution for spraying plants from pests.
How to use dolomite flour to fertilize perennial plants? Fruit trees and shrubs respond very well to the increase in productivity for the introduction of this substance. For top dressing, it is only necessary to scatter flour around the near-stem circle of the plant and dig it shallowly. For a tree, 1-2 kg of powder is enough, and for a large shrub - 1 kg.
As a top dressing, dolomite is often used for root crops. So, when planting potatoes, you need to add a small amount of flour to each hole, which will change the composition of the soil locally. Dolomite will also help to maintain the acidity of the soil when planting tomatoes or cucumbers. For this, fertilizer can be used throughoutseason, it will be especially useful during the growing season.
When growing gooseberries, sorrel or other cultures that prefer an acidic environment, dolomite is not necessary.
Frequency of use
Dolomite flour during planting potatoes or fertilizing tomatoes can be used annually. If the substance is introduced into the soil in autumn to deoxidize it, then the frequency depends on the pH level of the soil. Heavy clay soils need to be loosened annually, while lighter ones should be fertilized no more than every 3-5 years.
For fertilizing trees and shrubs, the substance can be used through the season and only after harvest. To increase the yield of beets, it should be watered with a solution of flour in the spring. A similar action with clematis will increase their flowering. It is useful to add lime flour when planting indoor flowers.
Result of application
How to use dolomite flour in the garden is now clear, but what should we expect after that? Changing the composition of the soil and enriching crops with useful nutrients helps to increase their productivity. In addition, the fruits are protected from the action of most pests, including slugs. Although calcium destroys the protective cover of insects, it does not adversely affect humans and animals at all.
Other deoxidizers
In addition to dolomite flour, other substances can be used in the garden for similar purposes.
Very often forTo normalize the level of soil acidity, ordinary dry lime is used. It also saves crops well from most pests, as evidenced by the many compositions of spray mixtures based on it.
Wood ash is also considered a deoxidizer. It "works" perfectly on all types of soil, improves air and moisture permeability of the soil, can be applied both in autumn for digging and when planting in each hole.
Benefits of dolomite flour
The disadvantage of ash, compared to lime meal, is the need to make it every year. Lime, on the other hand, can be used no more than once every 6 years, but at the same time it does not saturate the soil with useful substances, and sometimes it can cause certain negative processes in the soil. Thus, in order to normalize the level of soil acidity, it is better to use dolomite flour, since it not only copes with its main task, but also has a positive effect on plants.
