Increased acidity of the soil solution is a physiological mine of not only delayed, but also long-lasting action. With increasing acidity, the growth and branching of roots, the permeability of root cells deteriorate, and therefore the use of water and water by plants deteriorates. nutrients soil and applied fertilizers.
In addition to direct negative impact, increased soil acidity has a multilateral indirect effect on the plant.
In acidic soils, the activity of beneficial soil microorganisms is greatly suppressed. Formation of forms of phosphorus and other nutrients available to plants due to weakened mineralization organic material flows weakly. At the same time, increased acidity promotes the development of fungi in the soil, among which there are many parasites and pathogens of various plant diseases. In acidic soils, the mobility of molybdenum decreases, and in sandy soils, the mobility of calcium and magnesium compounds is low. Thus, increased soil acidity reduces its fertility and negatively affects the development of most cultivated plants.
Plants react differently to soil acidity. easily tolerates high acidity and does not require liming. Tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and radishes grow well in moderate acidity and respond poorly to additional liming. Beetroot and cabbage require liming. The most sensitive to increased acidity at the beginning of the growing season are cucumbers, beets, onions, garlic, and currants.
The degree of soil acidity is indicated by the pH sign and the corresponding number. The soil can be strongly acidic (pH 3-4), acidic (pH 4.1-4.5), moderately acidic (4.6-5), slightly acidic (pH 5.1-5.5), close to neutral (pH 5 ,6-6.0), neutral (pH 6.1-7.0) and alkaline (pH 7.1-8.0).
Plants grown in garden plots are divided into four groups in relation to soil acidity.
1. Not tolerant of acidic soils and requiring a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction of the soil environment - currants (black, red, white), cabbages of all types, lettuce, celery, onions, spinach, beets, aster, leftover, roses, chrysanthemums, kochia, ageratum .
2. Those that need a slightly acidic and close to neutral reaction are apple trees, plums, cherries, beans, peas, rutabaga, cucumbers, rosehips, bellflowers, primroses, and pelargonium.
3. Tolerating moderate acidity - raspberries, pears, strawberries, gooseberries, turnips, radishes, radishes, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes.
4. Tolerant of high acidity - sorrel, lupine, hydrangea.
For most vegetables, fruits and berry crops optimal pH values ​​are 5.5-6.5, i.e. the soil should be slightly acidic to almost neutral.
You can accurately determine soil acidity using laboratory analysis, and independently - using indicator litmus paper. To do this, dig a vertical hole with a shovel at the site to the depth of the fertile layer, from which they take from top to bottom on the wall thin layer soil and mix thoroughly. Then a portion of the soil, previously moistened with rainwater, is squeezed in the hand with a strip of indicator paper. When compressed, the released moisture wets the paper. Depending on the acidity of the soil, the paper changes color. If the paper turns red, the soil is very acidic. pink means medium acidity, yellow means slightly acidic, light blue means close to neutral, blue means neutral.
Acidity can be determined by weeds. It is not for nothing that many weeds are excellent living indicators. If your site is overgrown with sedge, horsetail, wheatgrass, woodlice, heather, then the soil is very acidic. Less acidic soil is preferred by small sorrel, creeping buttercup, plantain, and mint. Field bindweed, odorous chamomile, coltsfoot, quinoa, nettle, thistle, alfalfa, and clover like to settle in cultivated areas with low soil acidity. And one more plant sign: where birch and rowan grow well, the soil is close to neutral in acidity.
With great accuracy, acidity can be determined as follows. Take a small amount of soil from the hole, fill it up to the second division from the bottom into a 200 cm3 bottle (used for feeding infants), and fill it with water up to the fifth division. Then pour half a teaspoon of powdered soap or tooth powder into the bottle and immediately put a coiled baby pacifier on the neck. The nipple unfolds when put on, but due to the lack of pressure it remains stuck together. Then shake the bottle vigorously for 3-5 minutes. If the soil is acidic, then the carbon dioxide released when the chalk interacts with the acid will increase the pressure inside and the nipple will inflate. If the soil is moderately acidic, the teat will expand halfway. If the soil is slightly acidic or neutral, the nipple will remain in the same condition.
A wide variety of materials containing . are used for liming. The total calcium content in them is: ground limestone - 75-100%, slaked lime - up to 100%, dolomite flour - 75-100%, cement dust - 30-60%, wood ash - 30-35%. For soils with normal moisture, it is necessary to add the doses of ground limestone indicated in the table (kg/10 m2). For soils with excess moisture, the data given in the table is increased by 10% (table).
Typically, acidic soils are limed once every 5-6 years. However, in amateur gardens it is also possible to annually apply small doses of lime fertilizers to the soil.
It must be taken into account that lime dissolves slowly and interacts with the soil. Its effect manifests itself gradually, so the effect of liming reaches its maximum in the second or third year.
The effectiveness of lime application largely depends on its uniform application and thorough mixing with the soil. Lime must be well crushed and evenly scattered over the soil surface before incorporation. It is necessary to use a method of incorporation of lime that ensures good mixing with the arable layer of soil - it is better when digging the soil with a shovel in the autumn. Spring liming should be carried out no later than 3 weeks before sowing.
Adding excessive doses of lime to the soil is doubly expensive - both financially and it can “alkaline” the soil. Return to normal condition such soil is quite difficult. We can only recommend adding large doses of acidic, non-composted peat.
K. Preobrazhensky,
Ph.D. agricultural sciences
Newspaper "GARDENER" No. 33, 2011.

To grow plants, you need soil of a certain acidity. Most people like neutral or slightly acidic. But there are a number of plants that grow better and bloom more beautifully in acidic soil. What is soil acidity? What needs to be done to make it more sour?

The concept of soil acidity is associated with its ability to exhibit the properties of acids. The pH indicator used to determine acidity is actual acidity. The settled solution of mineral soils is measured in a ratio with water as 1:2.5, for peat soils as 1:25. Acidity is measured on a scale from 0 to 14. The bottom 0 is acid, the top 14 is alkali. In the center of the scale is the number 7 - neutral acidity. The range from 5.5 to 6.5 corresponds to weak soil acidity. 7.5-8.5 – slightly alkaline.

All soils according to their acidity level are divided into:

• Strongly acidic
• Subacid
• Neutral
• Slightly alkaline
• Alkaline

Most plants prefer to grow in soils of medium and neutral acidity. But there are a number of plants for normal development and abundant flowering which require highly acidic soil.

The acidity of the soil can be determined accurately and “by eye”. To obtain an accurate pH value, contact a soil science laboratory with soil samples. For a fee, specialists will conduct research and determine the acidity value to the nearest tenth.

But usually such precision is not needed for growing domestic crops. Therefore, the approximate value can be determined in several ways:

1. You can buy it in gardening stores special device to measure soil acidity levels. It comes with instructions, following which you can easily determine its exact meaning.
2. Using the litmus test you heard about in school. Dissolve a handful of earth in water, stir thoroughly and let it settle. Place litmus paper in the solution and observe the color change. Yellow indicates neutral acidity, red indicates acidic, blue indicates alkaline. Concentration is directly related to color intensity. The more intense it is, the higher the concentration.
3. If you don’t have a research kit and litmus test, which is quite likely, you can use “improvised means.” You need acetic acid and soda. Take a handful of earth and divide it into two piles. They pour on one acetic acid and look at the reaction. If it begins to hiss and blow bubbles, then the soil is alkaline. If soda added to the soil causes the same reaction, then the soil is acidic.

The water that is constantly watered with flowers and plants also has its own acidity value. Typically, the acidity of tap water is from 6.5 to 8.5. This is alkaline water. It leads to a change from an acidic reaction to an alkaline one. Therefore, to grow some crops, the soil needs to be acidified.

To prevent water from increasing the alkaline reaction, you must first pass it through a filter.

This is possible when growing indoor plants or garden crops occupied small areas. When watering large areas, it is too expensive to water with filtered water.

Grows best in acidic soils:

• Heathers
• Cranberry

The soil acidity indicator for them should be in the pH range of 4.5-5.8. Methods for increasing acidity depend on the mechanical composition of the soil:

1. If it is light and loose, you need to add a lot of organic matter: cow manure, sphagnum moss. During the process of decay of these substances, the acidity level increases slightly. To reduce significantly, you need to apply a lot of fertilizers.
2. But for heavy clay soils, the use of this method will lead to a further decrease in acidity (alkalinization). It is best to use sulfur here. Water entering the soil reacts, turning it into sulfuric acid. But the process is long. For an area of ​​9 square meters, 1 kg of sulfur is needed to reduce the level by 2.5 units. And the process itself will last at least a year.

Soil acidification methods:

1. You can use colloidal sulfur. Applying 4 g per 10 liters of soil will be sufficient for flowers that prefer acidic soils. But filling an apartment with flowerpots with flowers planted in such soil is unsafe for its residents. When it reacts with water, it releases hydrogen sulfide, which is very unpleasant and very harmful to health.
2. To increase soil acidity faster, add iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate. It will reduce the pH value by one in two weeks. To do this, it is enough to apply 1 kg per area of ​​15 square meters. m.
3. To acidify the soil, urea, ammonium chloride, potassium salts and other substances containing ammonia are used. Calcium and potassium nitrates should not be added. They increase the pH value.
4. From available means, use 9% vinegar or malic acid. A half-liter bottle of vinegar is poured into 5 liters of water and the soil around the plant is spilled. But the use of vinegar is undesirable for the soil, because it destroys all fungi and bacteria, including beneficial ones. Sulfuric acid can be obtained in diluted form by draining the electrolyte from the battery.

soil with the right level acidity can be prepared in the fall. To do this, fall leaves, peat, and sand are placed in special piles. Water and shovel several times over the summer.

From letters to the editor:

I'm a beginner gardener. Some things work out, but some things are problematic. I noticed that some crops are difficult to grow in my beds, for example, I can’t get good harvest beets. Friends to whom I showed our garden and complained about the failures suggested that, apparently, the soil in our plot is acidic. What does acidic soil mean? How to reduce this acidity? Can I do this on my own, or will I have to turn to specialists?

Of course, if you have the financial means, you can contact an agrochemical laboratory and order a soil analysis. Its staff will take samples from different parts of your site, and then you will get an accurate idea of soil acidity on it.

This is very important indicator. The fact is that many plants can develop normally only at a certain level of acidity. This level is determined by the pH value. Taking into account its soils are divided into three types:

• slightly acidic soil – the pH value starts from pH7 and above;
• neutral soil – pH7;
• acidic soil is below pH7, truly acidic soil is much lower than this, for example pH4.

However, most plants, especially vegetables, grow best in neutral or slightly acidic soil conditions. For example, beets, the harvest of which you are complaining about, prefer just neutral soil. Moreover, even appearance This plant can be determined that it does not like this soil. When beets grow in soils favorable to them, their leaves are lush green and their petioles are bright red. At the same time, it develops well, forms a standard or even larger root crop. If the soil in the area is slightly acidic, then red veins can be seen on the leaves. With acidic, unloved beet soil, its leaves are smaller and turn red. If you see such foliage, immediately take the necessary measures, otherwise it will not give you a harvest.

Soil acidity can be determined and one more, in a natural way . The point is that wild plants They also have their own preferences. If horse sorrel, horsetail, moss, plantain, wild mint, Ivan da Marya, and creeping buttercup grow abundantly on your site or near it, then this sign of acidic soil.

If nettles, wheatgrass, clover, and burdock grow well on the site, then your soil is neutral or slightly acidic.

Cultivated plants have the same preferences. For example, on slightly acidic soils The following grow well vegetable crops: cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, radishes, radishes, eggplants, peas. Roses, daisies, and chrysanthemums also love this soil.

Neutral soils They prefer the already mentioned beets, as well as onions, cabbage, and garlic.

More acidic soils They prefer such popular crops as tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, sorrel, and parsley. But there are also record holders among lovers of acidic soils. This is, for example, garden blueberry or beautiful ornamental plant rhododendron. We have to make special efforts to create the soil they need. And the reason that many novice gardeners do not want to grow these two crops is precisely because they did not have sufficiently acidic soil. True, such soil is usually loose, as it consists of peat and pine litter.

There are special ones for sale in gardening stores. litmus test strips. To determine the acidity of the soil, samples are taken from different corners of the site - a handful of soil in gauze, which is dipped in a glass of distilled water, left for a while (according to the instructions), and then litmus paper is dipped into this water. It will turn one color or another. Using the color scale attached to the set of strips, the color of this paper is compared and the acidity of the soil is determined.

You can use the most latest achievement science - special device acid meter. The lower pointed part is inserted into the soil, and after a couple of minutes the scale will display the pH level of your soil with an accuracy of tenths. I think all gardening needs to have such a device. If you buy it together, it will not be expensive at all, and it will be beneficial for all members of the partnership, since they will be able to determine the acidity of their soil and will know what needs to be done to get a good harvest.

What should you do if the device shows that you have high acidity soil? It is necessary to fight this phenomenon, since acidic soil is less fertile than, for example, neutral soil, and many vegetables and fruits grow poorly on it, the plants are depressed and get sick a lot. Their roots branch poorly, and productivity decreases.

Therefore, if after using one or another method of determining the acidity of the soil it turns out that your soil is acidic, then you need to deoxidize. For neutralization In such soils, several means can be used. Most ancient way, it was used by our distant ancestors - this is the introduction into the soil wood ash. True, they did not collect it. They used the so-called slash-and-burn agriculture, which was based on burning the forest, after which crops were planted in this place. The ancestors, of course, did not know about the acidity of the soil then. They simply cleared some area from the forest and knew that after the fire, rye, oats, cabbage or turnips would be good there. Ash from numerous burned trees and shrubs reduced the acidity of forest soils, and, in addition, as is known, it is a good fertilizer, containing more than thirty elements that nourish plants. For example, ash contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, silicon, sulfur and others. There is only no nitrogen in it. When this plot of land was depleted, our ancestors used fire to free up a new one for crops, and the forest on the old one was gradually revived again.

Of course, it is now impossible to collect the amount of ash that was formed as a result of burning forests, but if you constantly live in the country and use wood for heating, then collecting several bags of dry ash is quite possible. Or you can build a small stove on the site in which to burn all the dry branches from the garden and the nearest forest. Then, with the help of the resulting ash, you can deoxidize part of the garden or garden. According to experts, if the soil is very acidic, then you need to add about 700 g of ash per square meter. But if you add it to the soil less than this norm, but regularly, then it is unlikely to be acidic. Most likely, it will already be neutral. If you store up just a little ash, try to add it to the bed where you sow the beet seeds, then you will definitely have a harvest, if, of course, you provide the seedlings with good care.

This is an effective but age-old way to improve soil, but not everyone can store ash. Therefore, other methods are now more often used. Acidic soils are now most often corrected by adding lime or other calcareous materials to the soil. Unlike ash, they are sold in gardening stores. To correct highly acidic soils, agronomists recommend adding up to 50 kilograms of lime per one hundred square meters of garden. On acidic soils, up to 40 kilograms will be required, on slightly acidic soils - at least 30 kilograms per hundred square meters. It is applied in the fall, scattering it in an even layer over the surface of the soil before digging the area. You should try to mix the lime with the soil when digging, then the effect of its application will appear faster. Uneven application should not be allowed, as in case of overdose this can lead to plant burns.

By liming your plot in this way, you will provide the soil with a neutral reaction for almost ten years, and then you will need to repeat liming.

If you have fresh manure, it should not be added in the fall for digging along with lime. Due to their interaction, a significant amount of nitrogen will be lost from the manure.

In addition to lime, you can find other lime materials in gardening stores. Most often this is dolomite flour. It is not as effective as lime, which means you need to apply more of it. Here are the standards that are indicated in the passport of this lime fertilizer:

• acidic soils (pH less than 4.5): 500-600 g per 1 m² or (5-6 t/ha);
• medium acidic (pH 4.5-5.2): 450-500 g per 1 m² or (4.5-6 t/ha);
• slightly acidic (pH 5.2-5.6): 350-450 g per 1 m² or (3.5-4.5 t/ha).

On light soils the dose is reduced by 1.5 times, and on heavy clay soils it is increased by 10-15%. For a more effective effect of dolomite flour when applying it, it is necessary to achieve a uniform distribution of limestone flour over the entire area of ​​the site. When the full dose is applied, the effect of liming lasts for 8-10 years. The effectiveness of dolomite flour increases with the simultaneous application of boron and copper microfertilizers ( boric acid and copper sulfate).

Dolomite flour has another advantage: it not only deoxidizes the soil, but also enriches it with calcium, magnesium and other useful microelements.

To reduce the acidity of the soil, experts also recommend sowing green manure in the beds freed up after harvesting: rye, white mustard, phacelia, oats, and then mow the green mass and embed it in the soil. If this becomes a good tradition for you, then you will forget about acidic soil.

E. Valentinov

Most plants for good growth and development requires a neutral soil reaction. On acidic and even slightly acidified soils, they get sick more often, productivity decreases, and it happens that plants die altogether (with the exception, of course, of those who like “sour” things, say rhododendrons, heathers, cranberries, blueberries) ... from hunger.

This happens because in highly acidic soils, a significant part of the applied fertilizers (for example, phosphorus) turns into an indigestible state. And bacteria that help plants absorb nutrients do not develop well in an acidic environment.

1. Why is the soil acidic?

Acidic soils are characteristic of areas where fairly large amounts of precipitation fall. Calcium and magnesium are washed out of the soil, and calcium and magnesium ions on soil particles are replaced by hydrogen ions, the soil becomes acidic. Application mineral fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate or the use of sulfur, can also acidify the soil. And adding 1.5 kg of high-moor peat or 3 kg of manure per 1 sq. m increases the acidity of the soil by one. It is usually recommended to check the acidity of the soil every 3-5 years and lime it if necessary, and the lighter the soil, the more often.

2. Which plants like acidic soil and which don’t?

Firstly, it is necessary to say how the soil is classified depending on its acidity: strongly acidic - pH 3-4, acidic - pH 4-5, slightly acidic - pH 5-6, neutral - pH about 7, slightly alkaline - pH 7- 8, alkaline – pH 8-9, highly alkaline – pH 9-11.

Secondly, let's look at the problem with reverse side– How plants react to soil acidity. There is a free (without specific numbers) gradation of susceptibility vegetable plants to soil pH. For example, beets, white cabbage, onions, garlic, celery, parsnips and spinach do not tolerate high acidity. Cauliflower, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks and cucumber prefer slightly acidic or neutral soil. Carrots, parsley, tomato, radish, zucchini, pumpkin and potatoes are more likely to tolerate slightly acidic soil than alkaline soil; they cannot tolerate excess calcium, so liming materials must be embedded under the previous crop. For example, agronomists are well aware that applying lime to potatoes this year leads to a drop in their yield, and the quality of the tubers is greatly deteriorated and they are affected by scab.

3. What is the soil like on your site?

The first indicator of acidity can be the plants themselves: if cabbage and beets feel great, it means the reaction of the soil solution is close to neutral, and if they turn out weak, but carrots and potatoes produce good yields, it means the soil is sour.

You can find out about the degree of acidity of the soil by looking at the weeds that live on the site: grow in acidic soil horse sorrel, horsetail, chickweed, pickleweed, plantain, tricolor violet, fireweed, sedge, creeping buttercup; on slightly acidic and neutral – bindweed, coltsfoot, creeping wheatgrass, odorless chamomile, thistle, quinoa, nettle, pink clover, sweet clover.

True, this method is very inaccurate, especially in disturbed biocenoses, which are most often the case garden plots, because many foreign plants are introduced there, which, despite their preferences, successfully grow and develop on different types soil

You can determine the acidity of the soil in this popular way. Take 3-4 leaves of black currant or bird cherry, brew them in a glass of boiling water, cool and drop a lump of soil into the glass. If the water turns reddish, then the soil reaction is acidic, if it is greenish, it is slightly acidic, and if it is bluish, it is neutral.

There is another simple one folk way determination of soil acidity. Pour 2 tbsp into a bottle with a narrow neck. spoons on top of the soil, fill it with 5 tbsp. spoons of water at room temperature.

Wrap a small (5x5 cm) piece of paper 1 hour, a spoonful of crushed chalk and push it into the bottle. Now release the air from the rubber fingertip and place it on the neck of the bottle. Wrap the bottle in newspaper to keep it warm by hand and shake vigorously for 5 minutes.

If the soil is acidic, then when interacting with chalk in the bottle, chemical reaction with the release of carbon dioxide, the pressure will increase, and the rubber fingertip will be completely straightened. If the soil is slightly acidic, the fingertip will straighten halfway; if it is neutral, it will not straighten at all. Such an experiment can be carried out several times to confirm the results.

There is also a simple but tricky way: sow on different areas garden beet seeds. Where the beets have grown well, the acidity is fine, but where the root is small and underdeveloped, the soil is acidic.

However, it must be said that such methods can only approximately determine the acidity of the soil. A more accurate answer will only be given by an electronic acidity meter (pH meter) or a chemical test (litmus papers familiar to us from school, which are in the store are called “pH indicator strips” and are produced in “booklets” and plastic tubes).

Strongly acidic soil turns litmus paper orange-reddish, while slightly acidic and alkaline soil turns greenish and blue-green, respectively.

4.How to change soil acidity?

Acidic soil can be neutralized by adding deoxidizing materials. Here are the most commonly used ones.

Quicklime – CaO.

Before use, it must be extinguished - moistened with water until it becomes crumbly. As a result of the reaction, slaked lime is formed - fluff.

Slaked lime (fluff) – Ca(OH) 2.

Reacts very quickly with soil, approximately 100 times faster than limestone (calcium carbonate).

Ground limestone (flour) - CaCO 3

In addition to calcium, it contains up to 10% magnesium carbonate (MgCO 3). The finer the limestone grind, the better. One of the most suitable materials to deoxidize the soil.

Dolomitic limestone (flour) – CaCO 3 and MgCO 3, contains about 13-23% magnesium carbonate. One of the best materials for liming the soil.

Chalk, open hearth slag and shell rock added in crushed form.

Marl– a silty material primarily composed of calcium carbonate. If there is an admixture of earth, then the application rate should be increased.

Wood ash In addition to calcium, it contains potassium, phosphorus and other elements. Do not use ash from newspapers - it may contain harmful substances.

But there are two more substances that contain calcium, but do not deoxidize the soil. This is gypsum (calcium sulfate - CaSO 4), which in addition to calcium contains sulfur. Gypsum is used as a calcium fertilizer on saline (and therefore alkaline) soils that have an excess of sodium and a lack of calcium. The second substance is calcium chloride (CaCI), which in addition to calcium contains chlorine and therefore also does not alkalize the soil.

Doses depend on the acidity, mechanical composition of the soil and the crop being grown. For example, doses of ground limestone can range from 100-150 g/sq.m. m on sandy and sandy loam soils with a slightly acidic reaction up to 1-1.4 kg/sq. m on clayey, highly acidic soils. It is better to apply liming materials 1-2 years before or before planting, spreading them evenly over the entire area. The need for repeated liming when applying the correct doses of lime will arise after 6-8 years.

When choosing a deoxidizing material, one must take into account its neutralizing ability. For chalk it is taken as 100%, for quicklime – 120%, for dolomite flour – 90%. ash - 80% or less, depending on what it is obtained from. Based on these figures, we can say that it is better to use lime on highly acidic soils, and ash only on slightly acidic soils, otherwise it will have to be added in huge doses, which can disrupt the structure of the soil. In addition, ash contains a lot of potassium, as well as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and about 30 other different microelements, so it is better to use it as a fertilizer rather than as a deoxidizer.

So, most often lime is used for deoxidation. It is inexpensive and well crushed, so the deoxidation process will go faster. To neutralize acidic medium loamy soils, experts recommend the following doses of lime per square meter. m area: with acidity pH 4.5 - 650 g, pH 5 - 500 g, pH 5.5 - 350 g. However, as mentioned above, the dose also depends on the composition of the soil. The lighter the soil, the less lime is required. Therefore, on sandy loams the indicated doses can be reduced by one third. If you add chalk or dolomite flour instead of lime, you need to recalculate their neutralizing ability - increase the dose by 20-30%. Dolomite flour is often preferred over lime, mainly because dolomite flour contains magnesium and also serves as a fertilizer.

Lime changes the acidity of the soil much faster than, for example, chalk, and if you overdo it, the soil will become alkaline. Dolomite, ground limestone, chalk are carbonates that are dissolved by carbonic acid in the soil, so they do not burn the plants, but act gradually and slowly. When the soil acidity is about 7 (neutral reaction), the chemical deoxidation reaction will stop and there will be no further increase in pH. But deoxidizers will remain in the soil, since they are insoluble in water and are not washed out with it. After some time, when the soil becomes acidic again, they will begin to act again.

It can be difficult to deoxidize the entire area at once. And gardeners do this in parts, for example, only in the beds. By the way, you need to remember that the acidity of the soil may vary in different parts of the site. Usually, the acidity has to be adjusted approximately, and the dose of deoxidizing agent must be measured by eye, for example with a glass (a glass of lime weighs about 250 g).

The results are assessed using indicator strips (litmus paper) or a pH meter, but it must be remembered that the effect should not be expected instantly, especially if chalk was used as a deoxidizing agent. dolomite or ground limestone.

The best time for liming is autumn and spring, before digging. And one more small subtlety: on soil where liming has been carried out, when fertilizing, you need to increase the dose of potassium by about 30%, because calcium, which contains deoxidizing materials, inhibits the flow of potassium into the root hairs.

As a result scientific works More specific soil acidity values ​​were obtained that are optimal for the growth of fruit, berry and vegetable crops:

pH 3.8-4.8	pH 4.5-5.5	pH 5.5-6	pH 6-6.5	pH 6.5-7
highbush blueberry	strawberries, lemongrass, sorrel	raspberries, potatoes, corn, pumpkin	apple, pear, chokeberry, currant, gooseberry, honeysuckle, actinidia, onion, garlic, turnip, spinach	cherry, plum, sea buckthorn, carrots, parsley, lettuce, cabbage

Completely depends on the presence of alkaline elements in it. Depending on this parameter, soil can be of three types. There are acidic, alkaline and neutral soils. Despite the fact that some representatives flora They love soil with a high level of this indicator; such soil is the least preferable.

Acidity index

Soil acidity is a certain property of the soil, which depends on the concentration of hydrogen ions. It is designated as the pH of the solution, that is, the liquid phase of the soil itself. The value is expressed in gram equivalents per liter.

Acidic soil(how to determine, indicated above) is characterized by a pH value below seven, that is, the number of H+ ions is less than OH- ions (in a neutral reaction, their number is equal, which is expressed by the number 7).

How to determine acidity?

It is quite easy to set this indicator at home. For this purpose in specialty store you need to buy a kit for measuring soil acidity, which includes a certain number of litmus papers. In addition, you need to prepare a so-called soil extract (add five parts of water to one part of the soil). The container with this extract needs to be shaken thoroughly and left alone for a while to allow it to settle. Now you can place litmus paper in the liquid that is located above the sediment. Upon contact with liquid, it changes its color, which is compared with the template.

Acidic soil, the symptoms of which are described in this article, is characterized by the following colors on a piece of paper: green, blue-green and blue.

What plants indicate acidic soil?

Acidic soil (how to determine it at home is indicated above) is loved by many plants, despite the fact that its presence in the garden or personal plot can cause a lot of problems.

Plants that live exclusively on such soils are called acidophiles. Knowing which wild herbs love such soil, you can determine acidity without chemical tests. On such soils the following most often grow:

• horsetail;
• small sorrel;
• caustic buttercup;
• blueberry;
• sorrel;
• on slightly acidic soils you can find heather, cornflowers and ferns.

However, it is worth considering the fact that many plants are indifferent to small fluctuations in this indicator, that is, they are able to adapt to edaphic factors (a set of chemical properties soil and its physical characteristics). Therefore, for a more accurate result, it is recommended to determine the amount of alkaline elements in the soil using a litmus test.

If we talk about gardening crops, then acidic soil (its signs are very easy to remember) will not be to the taste of any of the famous representatives. It is possible for some of them to grow at a pH closer to neutral, for example, quince, various varieties of apple trees, raspberries and blackberries, as well as tomatoes, sorrel, zucchini, potatoes and pumpkin. Knowing the signs of acidic soil in the garden, improving the condition of the soil is quite easy. This is possible by adding certain substances. Among the flower representatives of the plant world, acidic soil (how to deal with it can be found in the article) is suitable for irises, delphinium, some lilies, coniferous plants and most roses.

Other detection methods

A special Alyamovsky device can help in determining acidity. This is a set of special reagents, the main purpose of which is to analyze soil extracts (for comparison, two extracts are taken: salt and water). It also includes an indicator, potassium chloride solution, test tubes and samples. The analysis is similar to that used with litmus strips.

There is also a device that is designed to determine the acidity of the soil, while performing several functions at once:

• determination of acidity;
• humidity;
• temperature;
• soil illumination.

There are also traditional methods. For example, using cherry or currant leaves. They need to be brewed with boiling water and then cooled. Next add some soil. The color of the liquid determines the acidity of the soil. If the water changes color to red, then the soil is acidic.

How does soil acidity affect plants?

To obtain a large amount of harvest, the acidity of the soil is very important parameter, which should be taken into account when choosing plants. This is necessary to ensure that plant nutrition is not disrupted, as well as the process of assimilation of elements necessary for full development. If unadapted specimens are planted on acidic soils, this can lead to nitrogen starvation, especially in unfavorable conditions. climatic conditions, in particular during rains and low temperatures. A manifestation of this is considered to be that it begins to absorb the plant from the veins, and then moves on to adjacent tissues. In order not to be confused with natural aging, remember that the latter begins with the tissues between the veins, and the veins themselves remain green for some time.

In addition, acidic soil (what grows on it is indicated above) is characterized by the transition of aluminum and iron into salts, and this can lead to the fact that plants simply cannot absorb it. A high amount of these salts in the soil can lead to the fact that calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and molybdenum practically do not penetrate into plant tissues and contribute to a decrease in yield. Other elements, such as copper, boron and zinc, also become phototoxic. Plants that are not adapted to grow in acidic soil develop poorly, root branching is suspended, the absorption of water and other nutrients is significantly deteriorated, signs of acidic soil on the site prove this.

In addition, such soil can become waterlogged, and the lower the pH level, the greater the likelihood of waterlogging.

Acidic soil: how to combat it with fertilizers?

One of the ways to quickly reduce soil acidity is to apply fertilizers. For these purposes, potassium or ammonium sulfate is usually taken; potassium chloride, sodium or superphosphate are also suitable. This is due to the fact that when the specified types of fertilizers are applied, plants growing on acidic soils receive anions, not cations. During this process, positive cations remain in the soil, which leads to its alkalization.

By using such fertilizers at regular intervals, you can ensure that the soil pH level is normalized.

If different methods pointed out what you have in the spring? You can use a tool that is universal. It is suitable for absolutely any type of soil (if you are not sure that your garden has acidic soil, the symptoms of which are described above). And this is urea. In this case, it can be used to achieve a certain degree of alkalization of the soil.

But it is better not to use ammonium nitrate, because you can get the opposite effect.

Use of lime

The most common method of combating high soil acidity is still liming. This is due to the fact that lime is able to displace hydrogen and aluminum from fertile layers soils, replacing them with magnesium and calcium. The lower the pH, the more the soil needs liming.

This procedure consists of adding lime flour (you can safely replace it with dolomite) to a depth of no more than 20 cm. After this, fill the soil with plenty of water. The frequency of liming should be about once every 5 years (in some cases it can be done less often or more often depending on the acidity level). The largest amount of added lime is required clay soils, the smallest - sandy.

The advantages of this procedure are obvious:

• neutralization of soil acidity, which leads to the development of microorganisms that live in the soil and are directly involved in the formation of many plant nutrients, such as nitrogen or phosphorus;
• compounds of manganese and aluminum pass into their inactive form, as a result of which the toxic effect of these elements on plants is significantly reduced;
• the absorption of potassium, phosphorus and molybdenum is activated;
• increases the efficiency of applying other fertilizers, such as manure.

Along with the application of limestone, fertilizers enriched with boron are required, since boron and manganese compounds lose their mobility.

The safest way to reduce acidity

Acidic soil, the symptoms of which are described at the beginning of the article, will improve if green manure plants are planted on it. They are able to increase the pH value.

Such plants include:

• rye;
• oats;
• representatives of legumes;
• lupine;
• phacelia.

For efficiency this method sowings need to be done several times a year for several years in a row.

This method is considered safe, since it does not harm either microorganisms that live in the soil and suffer from large amounts of calcium and lime, or plants that will subsequently grow in this area, or groundwater.

Other remedies for acidic soil

• crushed chalk (it needs to be ground, sifted, and then added to the soil at the rate of 300 g of chalk per 1 m 2 of soil, subject to strong acidification);
• peat ash (the amount of this preparation should be significantly more than chalk);
• wood ash (suitable for sandy, sandy loam and peat soils).

How to get acidic soil

In some cases, the gardener is faced with the question not of how to reduce the acidity of the soil, but, on the contrary, how to increase it. This is due to the fact that some garden crops They feel good on such soils. To do this, swampy peat is used as a fertilizer, which can significantly lower the pH level.

Even if there are no particular problems with soil acidity at the moment, you still need to check it periodically. This is necessary in order to take timely measures to increase soil fertility. Knowing the signs of acidic soil in the garden makes it much easier to do this.