How much to add dolomite flour to the soil. What is better to add to the soil - lime or dolomite flour

Dolomite rock, crushed into powder, has chemical formula CaMg(CO2), i.e. it is a mineral consisting of calcium and magnesium. This is its great value as an effective natural remedy for soil degradation.

Dolomite flour is harmless and affordable, especially since it is dosed into the beds and only once every few years

On what soils is it used and for what purposes

Main active ingredient dolomite flour- calcium, the deficiency of which leads to severe acidification of the soil. Dolomite flour is one of the most common and convenient means for reducing soil acidity with a fairly economical consumption of the substance (compared to no less popular ash). And the magnesium contained in it is one of the most effective neutralizers for light soils with a constant deficit.

But even on heavy soils, the effect of adding dolomite is no less noticeable. Clay in acidic soils cakes faster, becoming hard as a brick. Due to the ingress of calcium in such soil, a coagulation reaction occurs. This leads to a favorable change in its structure - it takes the form of small lumps that easily pass moisture and air.

What plants are useful

If you use dolomite flour on sorrel, it will wither due to insufficient soil acidity

Dolomite flour is contraindicated for acidophilic plants that love acidic soils (rodendrons, blueberries, sorrel, gooseberries, cranberries). But for most plants, it is useful, changing the structure of the soil to a more acceptable one for them. Calcium in its composition strengthens the roots, inhibits the spread of root rot. It favors the development of beneficial microorganisms living in the earth and feeding on pathogenic fungal bacteria.

There are several groups of plants for which dolomite flour is useful and necessary:

• Non-tolerant soils with high acidity - alfalfa, all types of beets, cabbage. They need a neutral or slightly alkaline environment.
• Reacting to too acidic soils with a decrease in yield - barley, wheat, corn, soybeans, legumes, clover, cucumbers, onions, lettuce. They do well in neutral soils.
• Crops that are not so susceptible to soil acidification are rye, oats, millet, buckwheat, radishes, carrots, and tomatoes. They can develop on any soil, but with a decrease in its acidity, their productivity increases dramatically.
• Crops that need alkalization of only strongly acidic and neutral soils are potatoes and flax. Their number without the introduction of such fertilizers does not decrease, however, the incidence of scab, calcium chlorosis is more often manifested, in addition, the starchyness of tubers decreases.

How is dolomite powder applied for each crop? For this, there are such rules:

• Stone fruit crops: you need 2 kg of top dressing for each tree, do it annually after harvesting the fruits.
• Black currant: a kilogram for each bush in a year at the beginning of autumn.
• Cabbage and turnip: half a kilogram per square meter of beds before planting these vegetables.
• Potatoes and tomatoes: sprinkling with powder is carried out when digging the soil after their collection in the norms corresponding to the acidity of a particular soil.

And the informative video material will introduce you to the benefits of dolomite flour as a natural top dressing and protection against various infections when growing most vegetables and strawberries:

How to use dolomite flour in the garden: how and when to apply

Dolomite deoxidizer can be used at any time, such a procedure does not affect its composition and does not impair the absorption of others from it. useful substances. But it is better to scatter the flour long before applying other fertilizers, since it is far from being combined with each of them.

Powder is applied to vegetable beds in the spring a couple of weeks before planting these crops. It provides not only a nutrient medium for plants, but also disinfects the land. This is especially true for root crops, which often suffer from various infections in polluted soils. It is also important for them that dolomite effectively fights pests. And in greenhouses, the use of this mineral prevents the spread of fungal diseases.

The introduction of dolomite flour in the garden before planting the crop

Fruit trees and bushes are fertilized with dolomite in the fall, while up to 2 kg of powder is poured under each tree into the near-trunk space, deepening it a little into the soil. And under the bush - depending on its size - powder is poured 2-4 times less in the same way. The substance is distributed vegetable beds after harvesting in August-October, when its presence is already absolutely harmless.

Tips for using fertilizer at different times:

• Spring. 2-3 weeks before planting a certain crop in the ground - in April - May. The powder is evenly distributed over the plot or beds. This helps to prevent the appearance and spread of mold, rot and other fungal diseases.
• In autumn. After harvest - late summer - mid-autumn. A circle with a diameter of 2 meters with a tree trunk in its center is covered with dolomite. After that, the soil is intensively loosened.
• In winter. In late February - early March, the powder is scattered over the snow so that when it melts, the fertilizer falls into the ground. But this is effective only with loose snow cover and on a flat area. If the thickness of the snow is more than a third of a meter, or a strong wind is blowing, this agricultural technique does not work. It is important that the fertilizer is dry, otherwise it will crumple in the cold, without bringing any benefit.
• In summer. During this period, dolomite flour serves as an excellent top dressing and helps fight garden pests. Subject to the consumption rate, it can process the beds once every one and a half months. Flour diluted with water is called dolomite milk.
• Combined option. Suitable for large area. At the same time, two-thirds of the top dressing crumbles during autumn plowing, and a third of its volume is applied during spring plowing.

Application rates for different soil acidity

Specific doses of fertilizer application (in kilograms per square meter) at different soil acidification and depending on their structure are given in the following table:

Features of application on various lands

Dolomite flour not only normalizes the acidity of the soil, but also enriches it with calcium and magnesium, thereby increasing the yield of those crops under which it is applied. Its effectiveness in the garden, greenhouse and for indoor plants very high. Especially noticeable is the use of top dressing on soils depleted in magnesium and sandy loam.

But it is better not to use this substance on the lands of a neutral reaction, otherwise their natural composition may be destabilized. It is possible to increase the effectiveness of the use of fertilizer only by uniformly distributing it over the area with loosening the soil after that to a depth of up to one and a half dozen centimeters. Subject to reasonable norms for applying the powder, the effect of this will be observed for several years, but it will not appear immediately, although this will certainly happen in a couple of years.

Compatibility with other fertilizers

For proper fertilization of the garden, it is necessary to take into account the compatibility of dolomite flour with other top dressings. It must not be mixed with the following:

• With superphosphate, urea, ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. This provokes a dangerous chemical reaction.
• If it is necessary to use manure in early autumn, dolomite is first scattered, and after a while manure is already introduced, after which the beds are dug up and leveled.

Good results are achieved with the use of combined preparations. At the same time, dolomite powder is combined with compost, boric acid and copper sulfate. The effect of reducing the acidity of the earth stimulates the reproduction of earthworms in it, and they accelerate the processing of organic matter in the soil. Getting into an acidic environment, dolomite powder also enhances the effectiveness of organic top dressing. And with the joint application of dolomite and mineral fertilizers, the dose of the latter is halved without loss of effectiveness.

What can replace

Dolomite powder is not the only way to reduce the acidity of the earth. There are other substances of similar action, which have their advantages and disadvantages.

Slaked lime

Also known as calcium hydroxide or fluff. This Chemical substance, which is a white powder. It is used in soils with acidity below 5.5 units.

Fluff is obtained by mixing quicklime with water, when 3-4 liters of liquid are consumed per 10 kg of the substance. Quicklime, on the other hand, is dangerous because when it enters moist soil, it is slaked with the release of a large number heat.

In fluff, unlike dolomite flour, there is no magnesium. Alkali, taking into account the calcium contained in it, can be equated to other soil deoxidizers in the following ratio: 1 kg of fluff is equal to 4–6 kg of ash or one and a half to two and a half kilograms of dolomite flour. A freshly prepared preparation is applied in autumn or spring to plowed land, it is gradually absorbed into it during rain. When fertilizing, a bucket of fluff is evenly distributed per square meter of the garden.

After that, you do not need to mulch the ground. Lime does not get along with other fertilizers, because. because of them, its effectiveness is reduced.

wood ash

Calcium salts in it are from 30% to 60%, but it is very difficult to calculate its exact chemical composition. The percentage of calcium depends on the type of tree from which it was obtained, the part of the plant, the composition of the soil and the climate of the area where it grew. An independent chemical analysis of each type of ash is impossible, therefore, the doses for application are determined empirically. In addition to calcium, ash is rich in phosphorus and potassium.

Wood ash is often used for growing seedlings and for feeding domestic plants.

Chalk or dry plaster

In these minerals, the calcium content is quite high, their introduction is carried out before plowing the land, in early spring. This method is effective, but requires a third more substance than dolomite flour. Due to the poor solubility of chalk in water, there is a gradual clogging of the soil and even its salinization. This manifests itself in the form white coating on the surface of the earth.

Gypsum or alabaster

These inexpensive substances effectively deoxidize the soil, but this requires twice as much alkalinizer as dolomite powder. In addition, these substances are harmful to humans and must be used very carefully.

eggshell powder

This is very good remedy, make it by calcining the shell pounded to a powdery state in a pan or insisting it. However, obtaining a sufficient amount of material is problematic and time consuming, so eggshells are used only for small areas, and most of all - in home floriculture.

Get enough material from eggshell quite problematic

Pros and cons of using

To appreciate the advantages of flour, you must first consider the disadvantages of other soil deoxidizers that dolomite does not have.

For example, slaked lime reduces the acidity of the soil too quickly. Because of this, many plants do not have time to quickly adapt to the changed composition of the soil, they experience shock, which reduces their supply of phosphorus. To prevent such a negative impact, fluff is introduced only in the fall, after harvesting the fruits, so that the soil has time to normalize its chemical composition by spring.

Wood ash, which does an excellent job of reducing the acidity of the soil (and even more so the other means described above with a similar effect), needs much more than dolomite powder. And to determine its chemical composition is almost impossible.

The main advantages of dolomite flour - economical consumption and low cost

Excessive mineral content in the soil adversely affects plants, reducing yields, therefore, when applying natural top dressing, elementary rules must be observed:

• Its use should be preceded by an assessment of the composition of the soil in terms of its acidity, if the pH level is below 6 units, then it is better to wait a little with alkalization and not apply potassium-magnesium top dressing at all.
• It is important to comply with the dosage, otherwise you can cause significant damage to young plants that are planted in the spring.
• It is necessary to take into account the compatibility of dolomite with other types of fertilizers.

Precautions and contraindications

Those who fertilize the garden and the garden with dolomite flour should remember that some cultures require liming of the earth only when its acidity is high. So, potatoes without making potash supplements with it often suffer from scab. At the same time, the starchy content of tubers decreases, and flax in this case is subject to calcium chlorosis.

To begin with, let us explain that dolomite is a mineral from the carbonate class, which has a crystalline structure. It has a glassy luster, and the color can be very diverse - grayish, white, slightly reddish and even brownish. Dolomite flour is obtained by grinding minerals to a powder and further drying. All this is done in a production environment. Dolomite flour contains 8% more calcium than lime. And another important difference from lime is the presence of about 40% magnesium in dolomite flour. If there is little magnesium, then the plants stop in development and growth, brown spotting and chlorosis appear. The price of this fertilizer is relatively low, and a lot of useful properties are found, which contributed to its popularity among gardeners.

The benefits of dolomite flour

You can make dolomite flour not only in open ground on beds, but also in greenhouses and greenhouses. Yes, and flower growers widely use it. Its use is especially good on sandy and sandy soils, poor in such an element as magnesium. What to expect if you periodically add it to the ground?

1. Improved biological, physico-chemical and physical properties soil. The increased acidity of the soil is neutralized.
2. In the soil, there is a significant increase in the amount of forms of phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and molybdenum that are readily available to plants.
3. There is an increase in the efficiency of those fertilizers that summer residents make, especially manure.
4. The soil is enriched with calcium, while the root system of plants improves.
5. There is a saturation of the soil with magnesium, which is an integral component of chlorophyll, actively participating in photosynthesis.
6. Plants feed better, change in better side their conditions of detention.
7. The crop becomes better, more environmentally friendly (radionuclides are neutralized), better and longer stored in the winter.
8. It can be used as a means of controlling insect pests, because well-ground dolomite destroys the chitinous covers of insects dangerous to plants.

How to use correctly?

The amount of dolomite flour that needs to be applied to the bed depends on the acidity of the soil at a given place and the mechanical composition of the soil mass. MirSovetov will name only average norms:

• acidic soils (environment reaction less than 4.5) - from 500 to 600 grams are applied per square meter;
• medium acid (reaction of the environment in the range from 4.5 to 5.2) - per square meter goes from 450 to 500 grams;
• slightly acidic (reaction of the environment from 5.2 to 5.6) - from 350 to 450 grams is taken per square meter.

If the soil is clayey, heavy, then the amount this fertilizer increase by 10-15%. For light soils, the dosage can be reduced by 50%.

You can check the soil and find out the acidity indicators by purchasing special devices or tests at a garden store or center.

Efficiency of use increases if simultaneously applied blue vitriol and boric acid.

Agricultural crops are divided into the following main groups, depending on how they relate to the reaction of the environment in which they grow and liming:

1. Not tolerant of acidic soil - cabbage, beets, alfalfa. They need soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. They really like it when they are fed with dolomite flour.
2. Sensitive to living in an environment with high acidity - cucumber, lettuce, beans, onions, peas, corn, wheat, soybeans. For them, soil is preferable, the reaction of the environment of which is close to neutral, they respond well enough to the use of dolomite flour.
3. Slightly sensitive to an increase in soil acidity - tomatoes, carrots, radishes, oats, buckwheat. They grow quite normally with any reaction of the medium of the soil mixture, but the best results are shown on slightly acidic soils. If the soil has strong or moderate acidification, then dolomite flour can be given to the soil in full dosage. Then the plants will be better fed with nitrogen and ash compounds.
4. Requiring liming only for strongly acidic and moderately acidic lands. For example, flax likes to grow in slightly acidic soils. A slight acidity will not affect the yield of potatoes planted in this area.

Application features

On heavy clay soils, dolomite flour will have to be applied every year, on the rest - once every three years.

It is more convenient to do liming in the fall. But if necessary, dolomite is added in the spring or at any time.

When carrying out liming, distribute dolomite flour evenly over the entire surface of the soil to a depth of 15 cm, mixing thoroughly. If you just sprinkle dolomite on the surface, then the effect will be, but you will notice it not earlier than after 12 months.

Dolomite and manure can be added to the soil at the same time, but they cannot be mixed together. First, dolomite flour is scattered, then manure is spread, the third stage is digging.

The leaves will not be harmed if you scatter this flour over the lawn, pasture.

For cherries, plums, apply one or two kilograms of dolomite flour every year after you harvest.

Apply once every two years under each bush blackcurrant about 500 grams of dolomite. If the bush is large, then you can add a kilogram.

Under cabbage, turnips, add dolomite when planting.

In the spring, you can water plants, for example, beets, clematis, with dolomite "milk" - water to which dolomite flour is added.

Do not apply this fertilizer under sorrel, gooseberry.

Under the flowers, dolomite flour is applied before planting - in a pot or hole, be sure to mix well with the rest of the components of the soil mixture. Hyacinths, orchids, violets respond positively to the introduction of dolomite flour.

You can not mix dolomite flour with urea, superphosphate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate.

If it turned out that the soil in your area has a neutral reaction of the environment, then liming is not necessary.

Positive results will not be noticeable immediately, and the greatest effect appears somewhere in the second or even third year after liming. Scientists believe that dolomite flour can increase the yield by an average of 4-12%.

What is dolomite flour?

To begin with, let us explain that dolomite is a mineral from the carbonate class that has a crystalline structure. It has a glassy luster, and the color can be very diverse - grayish, white, slightly reddish and even brownish. Dolomite flour is obtained by grinding minerals to a powder and further drying. All this is done in a production environment. Dolomite flour contains 8% more calcium than lime. And one more important difference from lime is the presence of about 40% magnesium in dolomite flour. If there is little magnesium, then the plants stop in development and growth, brown spotting and chlorosis appear. The price of this fertilizer is relatively low, and a lot of useful properties are found, which contributed to its popularity among gardeners.

The benefits of dolomite flour.

It is possible to make dolomite flour not only in open ground on beds, but also in greenhouses and hotbeds. Yes, and flower growers widely use it. Its use is especially good on sandy and sandy soils, poor in such an element as magnesium. What to expect if you periodically add it to the ground?

1. The biological, physico-chemical and physical properties of the soil are improved. The increased acidity of the soil is neutralized.
2. In the soil there is a significant increase in the amount of forms of phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and molybdenum that are well accessible to plants.
3. There is an increase in the efficiency of fertilizers applied by summer residents, especially manure.
4. The soil is enriched with calcium, while the root system of plants improves.
5. The soil is saturated with magnesium, which is an integral component of chlorophyll, actively participating in photosynthesis.
6. Plants feed better, their conditions change for the better.
7. The harvest becomes better, more environmentally friendly (radionuclides are neutralized), better and longer stored in the winter.
8. It can be used as a means of controlling insect pests, because well-ground dolomite destroys the chitinous covers of insects dangerous to plants.

How to use correctly?

The amount of dolomite flour that needs to be applied to the bed depends on the acidity of the soil at a given place and the mechanical composition of the soil mass. MirSovetov will name only average norms:
. acidic soils (environment reaction less than 4.5) - from 500 to 600 grams are applied per square meter;
. medium acid (reaction of the environment in the range from 4.5 to 5.2) - per square meter goes from 450 to 500 grams;
. slightly acidic (the reaction of the medium is from 5.2 to 5.6) - from 350 to 450 grams are taken per square meter.
If the soil is clayey, heavy, then the amount of this fertilizer is increased by 10-15%. For light soils, the dosage can be reduced by 50%.
You can check the soil and find out the acidity indicators by purchasing special devices or tests at a garden store or center.
The efficiency of use increases if copper sulfate and boric acid are added at the same time.

Agricultural crops are divided into the following main groups, depending on how they relate to the reaction of the environment in which they grow and liming:

1. Do not tolerate acidic soil - cabbage, beets, alfalfa. They need soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. They really like it when they are fed with dolomite flour.

2. Sensitive to living in an environment with high acidity - cucumber, lettuce, beans, onions, peas, corn, wheat, soybeans. For them, soil is preferable, the reaction of the environment of which is close to neutral, they respond well enough to the use of dolomite flour.

3. Slightly sensitive to an increase in soil acidity - tomatoes, carrots, radishes, oats, buckwheat. They grow quite normally with any reaction of the medium of the soil mixture, but the best results are shown on slightly acidic soils. If the soil has strong or moderate acidification, then dolomite flour can be given to the soil in full dosage. Then the plants will be better fed with nitrogen and ash compounds.

4. Requiring liming only for strongly acidic and moderately acidic lands. For example, flax likes to grow in slightly acidic soils. A slight acidity will not affect the yield of potatoes planted in this area.

Application features.

On heavy clay soils, dolomite flour will have to be applied every year, on the rest - once every three years.
It is more convenient to do liming in the fall. But if necessary, dolomite is added in the spring or at any time.

When carrying out liming, distribute dolomite flour evenly over the entire surface of the soil to a depth of 15 cm, mixing thoroughly. If you just sprinkle dolomite on the surface, then the effect will be, but you will notice it not earlier than after 12 months.
Dolomite and manure can be added to the soil at the same time, but they cannot be mixed together. First, dolomite flour is scattered, then manure is spread, the third stage is digging.

The leaves will not be harmed if you scatter this flour over the lawn, pasture.

For cherries, plums, apply one or two kilograms of dolomite flour every year after you harvest.

Once every two years, add about 500 grams of dolomite under each blackcurrant bush. If the bush is large, then you can add a kilogram.

Under cabbage, turnips, add dolomite when planting.
In the spring, you can water plants, for example, beets, clematis, with dolomite "milk" - water to which dolomite flour is added.
Do not apply this fertilizer under sorrel, gooseberry.
Under the flowers, dolomite flour is applied before planting - in a pot or hole, be sure to mix well with the rest of the components of the soil mixture. Hyacinths, orchids, violets respond positively to the introduction of dolomite flour.

You can not mix dolomite flour with urea, superphosphate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate.

If it turned out that the soil in your area has a neutral reaction of the environment, then liming is not necessary.

Positive results will not be noticeable immediately, and the greatest effect appears somewhere in the second or even third year after liming. Scientists believe that dolomite flour can increase the yield by an average of 4-12%.

Dolomite does not burn plant leaves and can be spread on pastures and lawns. Lime can be applied at any time of the year, it's just more convenient to do it before winter. You can apply lime once every few years, but it is better to do it a little each year.

Stone fruit trees (cherries, plums, apricots) require an annual application of 1-2 kg. per tree over the area of ​​the near-stem circle after harvesting.

For blackcurrant, 0.5 - 1 kg is added. under the bush 1 time in 2 years.
Under vegetable crops, especially cabbage, dolomite flour is applied before planting.

For potatoes, tomatoes, dolomite flour is applied in advance.

Under gooseberries, cranberries, blueberries, sorrel, dolomite flour is not used.

Dolomite flour, as well as lime, cannot be mixed with ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, urea, simple superphosphate, granular superphosphate, double, manure.

The return from liming depends on the degree of soil acidity, the characteristics of cultivated crops, the rate and type of lime fertilizers. The more acidic the soil and the higher the rate of lime, the greater the effect of liming. Since lime fertilizers slowly interact with the soil, the greatest effect of liming appears in the second or third year after application.
Liming significantly increases the effectiveness of organic and mineral fertilizers. Decomposition is accelerated on acidic soils after liming. organic fertilizers, and the latter enhance the positive effect of lime on soil properties. With the joint application of lime and manure, it is possible to halve the dose of manure, while the effectiveness of mineral fertilizers will not decrease. Liming is especially favorable when making physiologically acidic ammonia and potash fertilizers that can acidify soils, as well as under crops that react negatively to increased acidity.

Advantages of dolomite flour: Calcined lime and fluff to eliminate excess acidity are used much less frequently, since these products act much harder than limestone flour, which often leads to local overdoses, burns and burning of plants.

Liming according to the Mitlider method.

In the Mitlider method, lime (more precisely, mixture number 1: ground limestone or dolomite plus 7-8 g boric acid for each kilogram of lime) are brought in for digging at each change of crop, along with dressing the soil mineral fertilizers. For heavy soils and peatlands, 200 g per running meter narrow ridge, for light soils, 100 g/r.m. In the southern regions, on saline and alkaline soils, gypsum is used in the same amount.

Get high yields and chic flowering plants The right soil helps. To do this, you need to determine its composition. In this article we will tell you how you can do it yourself in a country house or in an apartment and change the structure of the soil.

Dolomite flour

A mineral with a crystalline structure is called dolomite. It has a glassy luster and may have various colors: brown, reddish, white, gray.

If this mineral is ground, then flour will be obtained, which contains calcium and magnesium.

Pros and cons for plants

When making flour into the ground, the plant has advantages:

• Gets food.
• It develops better.
• Helps the plant to fight pests.
• Harvest quality.
• The shelf life of fruits is increased.
• Radionuclides are neutralized.
• Participates in plant photosynthesis.
• The root system improves due to calcium in the soil.
• Increases the efficiency of applied fertilizers.
• The plant receives molybdenum, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus.
• Affordable price.

Flaws:

• Not suitable for all plants.
• An overdose is dangerous.

Application

• Dolomite flour is used in construction, gardening, floriculture, glass and sugar industries, and metallurgy.
• The product acts as a natural mineral fertilizer that does not require various additives.
• Agriculture uses flour in various fields. Since when it is introduced, acidity is normalized and the composition of the soil is improved with nutrients.
• If the soil is neutral, then flour should not be added, in this situation, it is used as effective remedy in pest control.
• Dolomite flour has been widely used as a fertilizer due to affordable price and expiration date, which has no limit.

Lime

Pros and cons for plants

Pros:

• Lime in the soil is a great helper in the fight against diseases, as it contains calcium, which increases the immunity of plants.
• Lime soil is a stimulant for the development and functioning of nodule bacteria. They, in turn, trap nitrogen in the ground, which comes from environment during weeding. This means that the root system gets a normal amount of nitrogen and useful substances are transferred to the whole plant.
• Carbon is perfectly distributed in plant tissues. Since this is facilitated by calcium, which helps to dissolve the elements in the water structure.
• When are created compost pits beneficial bacteria are active. This is facilitated by the calcium content in the lime. Organisms contribute to the release of nitrogen from organic matter with its subsequent mineralization. The formation of humus is also carried out due to calcium. In this case, it acts as an accelerator of the decomposition process of organic elements.
• Maintains a neutral pH in the soil. Since the toxicity of heavy metals is interrupted by lime.
• Soil structure changes and becomes lumpy, its flowability disappears.

Flaws:

• The downside for plants is quicklime, which is harmful to microorganisms in the ground.
• If you send it to damp ground, the extinguishing process will begin, hence its consequences.
• Inadmissibility of overdose.

Application

Lime normalizes soil acidity. It should be applied once every 5 years. With active operation, the procedure is done more often, after three years. You can determine the frequency of lime application by analyzing the soil. In this case, you can use an indicator, a special device, or determine its acidity using grape juice and vinegar essence.

If the soil is covered with horsetail, wormwood or green moss – this is the signal to apply lime without any determination of acidity.

Autumn is a good time for this.

Partial processing is carried out in the spring. That is, during this period of time it is necessary to make a small amount of lime. The procedure is done 7 days before planting seeds or seedlings.

The frequency of application of lime is influenced by the applied fertilizers. Suppose only mineral fertilizers are used, then liming will be more frequent in this case.

Again, if the applied fertilizers are natural, then they themselves regulate the neutrality of the soil, without additional liming.

Lime is used to treat tree trunks which is pest control. Usually gardeners do this in autumn and spring.

What's better?

There is no single answer when choosing dolomite flour or lime. But if we talk about the composition of calcium in products, then it is 8% less in lime. But it is he who improves the structure of the soil and forms the root system.

Next element magnesium. Part lime He Excluded, A in dolomite flour, its content reaches up to 40%. The full passage of plant photosynthesis is due to the magnesium content in chlorophyll.

Magnesium deficiency affects:

• On the development and slowing down the growth of shoots.
• There is a chance of contracting brown spotting and chlorosis.
• On premature leaf fall.

Gardeners, for example, start from a crop that will grow on soil. In their opinion, if potatoes are planted, it is better to use dolomite flour. Since the nightshade family loves magnesium, which helps fight scab. The causative agent of this disease is a radiant fungus. A favorable environment for it is soil rich in calcium.

How to determine the acidity of the soil?

Dolomite is a carbonate rock, which is a complex of calcium and magnesium, and the so-called "dolomite flour" is crushed dolomite. This mineral is widely used in crop production. Knowing what dolomite flour is, how to use this product in the garden and how to apply it, you can significantly improve the condition of the soil and increase plant productivity.

Most Russian garden plots are located on acidic podzolic soils. Among garden crops, it is difficult to find acidophilic plants that prefer to grow on such soils.

The acid reaction of the environment negatively affects the development of plants:

• nitrogen is poorly absorbed, symptoms of nitrogen starvation are observed in plants: chlorosis, growth retardation, crushing of leaves and fruits, bud death;
• phosphorus passes into an indigestible form, the plants show symptoms of phosphorus starvation: general inhibition, death of leaves, deterioration or cessation of flowering and fruiting;
• useful soil flora is inhibited, pathogen activity increases, plants are severely affected by root rot and fungal infections.

At high level soil acidity (pH less than 5.5 units), it becomes mandatory to use a deoxidizer, which is dolomite flour. When transferred to the soil solution, calcium and magnesium carbonates neutralize acids and make the soil more suitable for crop production.

Speaking about why dolomite flour is needed in the garden, it is worth noting important role calcium in fertility. Analysis various types soil shows that the less this element contains the soil, the lower the fertility:

This dependence is explained by the fact that calcium ions help the formation of soil colloids, due to which porosity increases and soil structure improves.

What plants are useful?

Almost all horticultural crops will respond well to the introduction of dolomite flour.

It is especially useful when growing the following plants:

• all types of cabbage;
• radish, turnip, daikon;
• beets and chard;
• green crops: dill, parsley, celery, cilantro, salads, mustard;
• onion crops: onion, leek, slime, batun, shallot, chives, garlic;
• carrot;
• potatoes and eggplants;
• pepper;
• garden strawberries;
• pumpkin crops: cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, squash;
• gourds: watermelons and melons;
• legumes: peas, beans, beans.

Tomatoes are more tolerant of an increased pH level, but the addition of dolomite flour will also affect their yield favorably. Under acidophilic fruit and ornamental crops (blueberries, sorrel, cranberries, gooseberries, rhododendrons), the soil does not deoxidize.

How to use correctly?

Before using dolomite flour, it is necessary to determine the acidity and granulometric composition of the soil. The application rates directly depend on this:

If the pH of the soil is from 6.0 and above, it is not recommended to use dolomite flour.

Introduction of dolomite flour

Dolomite flour can be applied to the soil in four ways:

• Throughout the area. Based on the application rates, the flour is scattered over the surface of the site, after which the soil is dug up.
• In the garden or near the trunk circle. Based on the application rates, the flour is distributed over the prepared bed and embedded in the soil with a rake. Embedding in trunk circle produced by a flat cutter, after which the soil is mulched.
• Into the landing hole. When planting seedlings or when planting potatoes, 5 tablespoons of dolomite powder are poured into each hole, mixed with soil and planted.

To increase the effectiveness of dolomite flour, it is useful to apply it simultaneously with well-ripened compost, manure or leaf humus. It cannot be used simultaneously with mineral fertilizers. If this type of top dressing is preferred, deoxidizer and fertilizers are applied at intervals of at least 1 week.

Terms of application of fertilizer

Most often, dolomite flour is used in autumn or spring training soil. In autumn, this is done after harvesting, in spring - 2-3 weeks before sowing.

Dolomite powder can also be used in the summer. During this period it is more convenient to process perennial crops, embedding the agent in near-trunk circles.

The frequency of treatments depends on the properties of the soil. On heavy clays, dolomite flour is used every year. On medium and light soils - 1 time in 3-5 years.

The effect of feeding

The effect of adding dolomite flour does not appear immediately. The shift in acidity occurs in a few months, therefore, on highly acidic soils, it is more profitable to till the soil in the fall. Spring and summer applications are carried out on well-cultivated soils in order to maintain optimal acid-base balance.

The systematic and competent use of dolomite flour in the garden leads to the following results:

• a noticeable improvement in the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil;
• increased activity of beneficial soil flora;
• reducing the incidence of plant fungal and bacterial infections;
• reducing the damage of plants by soil pests;
• increase the power of the root system of plants, the formation of healthy even roots and tubers;
• overall increase in crop yields.

The maximum effect develops 2-3 years after the introduction of dolomite powder and the transition of calcium and magnesium into the soil solution.

What can replace dolomite flour?

In addition to dolomite flour, the following means are used to deoxidize the soil:

Thus, it is possible to replace dolomite flour on strongly acidic soils with either fluff lime or agromel. In areas with a slightly acidic soil reaction, it is more profitable to use wood ash.

Pros and cons of using

Like any other means, dolomite flour has its advantages and disadvantages:

• Advantages– ecological cleanliness and safety, positive effect on soil flora, high efficiency in deoxidation and increase in soil fertility, the possibility of application throughout the season.
• Flaw– gradual development of the effect.

Given the fact that dolomite flour has much more advantages than disadvantages, it can be considered an almost ideal tool for improving the soil. When using dolomite powder in accordance with the norms of application, no negative side effects not visible.