In the instructions for growing any crop, be it a vegetable, fruit or flower, top dressing is always present. Many gardeners, mistakenly believing that only organic fertilizers benefit plants, diligently prepare tons of compost and manure. But plants also need minerals.
Practice shows that excellent results are obtained if all vegetable crops, fruit trees, berries, ornamental shrubs and flowers are fertilized with superphosphate in time. No need to think that in this preparation there is one "chemistry" that is harmful to he alth. Superphosphate is a complex compound, which contains many substances necessary for plants to grow green mass and fruit.
Basic information
Superphosphate belongs to the category of simple mineral phosphate fertilizers. This formulation is a gray powder which caking very little during storage and has an average spreadability. Its formula is: Ca(H2PO4)2H2 O and CaSO4.
In this substance, perfectly digestible by plantsP2O5 contains up to 19.5%.
From the name it is clear that the main chemical element in superphosphate is phosphorus. It is present in two forms - phosphoric acid and monocalcium phosphate s alt. These two components can be from 20% to 50%, which is indicated on the factory packaging. Superphosphate fertilizer also contains:
- Gypsum.
- Silica.
- Iron phosphate.
- Fluorine compounds.
- Aluminum Phosphate.
Let's look at the role of each ingredient in plant life.
Phosphorus
The raw materials for obtaining this element are phosphorites, which are sedimentary rocks. Phosphorus is essential for plants. They signal that it is not enough by changing the color of their foliage from green to bronze, purple, purple. Phosphorus and its compounds help plants become more frost-resistant, more easily endure drought, accumulate starch, fats and sugars.
The introduction of superphosphate contributes to earlier ripening of fruits precisely due to the phosphorus contained in it. This element is a component of complex proteins that are involved in cell division. As a result, superphosphate fertilizer promotes the formation of new branches, buds, ovaries, leaves. Plants that receive this top dressing grow stronger, have a lush crown (trees), and form more fruits.
Gypsum
You are mistaken if you think that gypsum is used only in medicine for broken limbs. This element in its raw form is very valuable.fertilizer, as it is a rich source of calcium and sulfur. Its formula is CaSO4.
Calcium is needed by plants to increase yields, regulate nitrogen intake, and most importantly - to increase immunity to various diseases.
If this element is not enough in the soil, the fruits are tied small. Even before harvest (being green) they crack. In flowers with a lack of calcium, the buds die and fall off. In fruit crops, the apical buds of the shoots dry up.
Fertilizer with superphosphate, which contains gypsum, helps to avoid all these phenomena, increase yields, make ornamental crops bloom more luxuriantly, and increase the shelf life of harvested fruits.
Silica and fluorine
Silica is silicon oxide (SiO2). This element is necessary in the soil, because it improves the absorption of phosphorus, as well as potassium, magnesium and other nutrients, affects the metabolic processes in plants, stimulates the development of the root system, thereby expanding the nutrition zone. Silicon makes plants more resistant to frost, drought, toxic poisoning, and pest damage. Scientists have found that the presence of silicon in the required volumes increases the yield of cereals, cucumbers, potatoes. In tomatoes with a lack of silicon, the fruits either do not set, or remain small.
Fertilization with superphosphate containing silica significantly increases the yield of tomatoes and potatoes. It also has a beneficial effect when applied during cultivation.many other agricultural and ornamental crops.
There is no consensus about the fluorine compounds present in superphosphate mainly in the form of sodium fluoride. Some experts argue that fluorine compounds paired with phosphorus increase the yield of root crops. Others believe that this substance in small doses does not have a noticeable effect on plants, but in large doses it tends to accumulate in the leaves and reduces yield.
Useful properties of superphosphate
From all of the above, we can conclude that the use of superphosphate as a fertilizer is advisable. This drug has the following effects on plants:
- Increases yield.
- Makes them less susceptible to cold and drought.
- Helps resist diseases and pests.
- Stimulates the growth of the aerial parts.
- Increases the shelf life of fruits.
- Develops the root system.
- Improves the taste of fruits.
- Slows down the aging of plants.
Whether or not to fertilize can be determined by the color of the leaf blade of the crop.
You can use superphosphate in parallel with potash and nitrogen supplements. Do not use superphosphate fertilizer in parallel with chalk, urea, ammonium nitrate.
Double superphosphate
The formula of this substance is Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O. It contains P2O5, which is perfectly digestible by plants, much more than in simple superphosphate, namely from 45% to48%.
Double superphosphate also contains gypsum, but its percentage is lower. However, this fertilizer contains additives of manganese (up to 2.5%), boron (up to 0.3%), ammonia (up to 1.6%), molybdenum (up to 0.1%). Each of these elements contributes to the properties of the drug.
Manganese is a component of many important proteins. It is necessary for plants for many redox reactions, in particular, for the conversion of nitrates to ammonia. Most of all, berries, plums, apple trees, and cherries suffer from the lack of this element.
Molybdenum is also necessary for all plants, although the need for it is somewhat lower than for other chemical elements. This is taken into account in the production of double superphosphate. The characteristic of a mineral fertilizer reflects the percentage of each component and shows that molybdenum in the preparation is the least (0.1%). But even in such quantities, this element has a beneficial effect on plants. It increases photosynthesis, participates in the formation of chlorophyll, plays an important role in biochemical processes, in carbohydrate and phosphorus metabolism, helps to convert nitrates into ammonia.
Boron is another very important chemical element. It increases yield, promotes the accumulation of starch in potatoes, and sugar in sugar beets, improves seed quality, activates flowering and fertilization.
Ammonia is valuable because it contains a lot of nitrogen (up to 82%). As you know, plants need nitrogen, like people need bread. Therefore, all of them very actively absorb nitrates, which tend to accumulate in fruits.and in leaves. Plants absorb ammonia without “appetite”, but it performs the same role as nitrates, without accumulating at all either in leaves, or in roots, or in ovaries, or in fruits.
As can be seen from the above summary, double superphosphate plays a very important role for plants during their growing season.
Granular superphosphate
In addition to superphosphate, the industry produces this fertilizer in powder form and in the form of granules. Some gardeners are surprised by the different price for such a chemical with an equal amount of it in the package. It depends on the granulation method. A wet preparation (performed with water and steam, but the fertilizer itself feels dry to the touch) is always more expensive than a pressed one.
By itself, granular superphosphate is a fertilizer that works much better in the soil than powder, despite the fact that their chemical composition may be identical. This is another explanation why drugs in granules are always more expensive.
Benefits:
- Less consumption when used on an equal area with superphosphate powder.
- Has a prolonged action (dissolves gradually, without losing its properties, plants take it as they need it).
- It is possible to fertilize the soil over large areas mechanically (does not carry the wind across the field).
- Does not wash out with water.
Soils and application methods
On almost all types of soils, it is advisable to use superphosphate. Fertilizer should be applied with caution only in soils withpH is below 6. If soil acidity is high, before adding phosphorus preparations to plants, you need to add "fluff", slaked lime, ground egg shells, that is, lime the soil and thereby bring its pH closer to neutral values.
There are several ways to apply superphosphate to help reduce the absorption of the chemical into the soil:
- Use of granular superphosphate.
- Local application.
- Placing fertilizer into grooves made in the ground.
- Spot application.
- Fertilization of plants with water extract from the preparation.
In the latter version, the drug penetrates the root system faster and starts its work. It is not difficult to make a water extract. You just need to pour the granules with boiling water and mix vigorously until they are completely dissolved. Recommended proportions for the working solution: 20 tablespoons of superphosphate and 3 liters of water. To fertilize plants, you need to take 150 ml of this solution per bucket of water.
You can make an aqueous solution of superphosphate in another way. This requires composting fertilizer with preparations containing live bacteria, for example, with humates. When the mixture is ready, it is diluted in water and kept for 24 hours for final maturation. After that, it can still be diluted with water and used to fertilize any crops.
Feeding times
For garden applications in the spring, superphosphate fertilizer is the ideal choice. It is used as a root top dressing, which provides plantsactive growth, increase in green mass, good development. In general, all this helps them resist diseases and pests, accumulate useful substances in their parts, delight with lush flowering and fruit set.
On average, simple superphosphate is applied per 1 square meter from 40 to 50 grams, and double and granular from 20 to 30 grams. Note that in a standard tablespoon of a powder preparation there are 18 grams (without a high slide), and a granular one - about 16 grams. For trees, the rules are different. If their age is older than 3 years, up to 600 grams must be paid for each. It is most convenient to make holes around the trunk with a depth of about 50 cm with a metal or wooden peg, put fertilizers in them, and after the hole, fill it with earth. The roots themselves will take as much food as they need.
In the summer, some crops are given foliar top dressing with an extract of superphosphate.
If the plants are overfed with this fertilizer, their roots can be burned, thereby causing not active growth, but disease and developmental delay. An overdose symptom may be brown spots on the edges of the leaves, brittle stems.
Many gardeners practice superphosphate fertilizer in the fall, when digging a garden or field. With this application, the drug has time to "disperse" on the soil, which will help the plants to immediately start using it in the spring.
Instructions for use for some plants
When planting potatoes, it is better to use granular fertilizer, placing 3-4 grams in each hole.
Instructions for the use of superphosphate fertilizer for tomatoes says that it must be applied when planting seedlings about 20 grams per bush. It is better to pour fertilizer not into the hole, but into the recesses made next to it in the ground. This way you can protect the roots from burns. Another way is to evenly apply superphosphate in the fall to the garden where you plan to plant tomatoes in the spring.
For tomatoes, it is useful to do top dressing with superphosphate during the flowering period. Dosage in this case: a teaspoon of granules per 10 liters of water. This drug is for root dressing. If you make a solution for spraying the leaves, then you need to dilute 10 ml of superphosphate extract in 10 liters of water.
It is useful for cucumbers to use this preparation several times. In autumn, it is introduced into the soil when digging up the beds. Norms: from 20 to 30 grams per square meter. With mass flowering, root dressings are made, adding 20 grams per square meter. In the process of fruit ripening, if the soil is poor, the cucumbers are fed again, spraying them with an extract of superphosphate diluted in water. Rates: 10 ml per bucket.
Instructions for the use of superphosphate fertilizer for garlic says that this crop is fed twice with phosphorus preparations.
The first time - in the fall, when humus, superphosphate and wood ash are added to the garden about 10-15 days before planting. The second dressing (spring) is carried out using urea. Therefore, superphosphate is not added. It is used for the third feeding, when the garlic begins to form and grow heads. Norms: for a bucket of water 2 tablespoons of granulated fertilizer. About 5 liters of such a solution should be consumed per square meter.
It is recommended to feed berries and trees with superphosphate in the fall so that they can more easily withstand the winter cold. It is best to add fertilizer under each bush. Norm: 2 tbsp. spoons that need to be evenly distributed in the near-trunk circle, deepening 10 cm into the ground.
If we are talking about currants and raspberries, then it is advisable to add humus and potassium s alt to superphosphate.
For apple and pear trees, it is very useful to apply double superphosphate in the fall at 30 grams per square meter of area around the tree. If plums and cherries are fertilized in this way every year, then once every five years it is necessary to check the soil for acidity, and in the case of very low pH values, lime the ground in tree trunks.
