Tilling the soil with lime in the fall. Soil liming: determination of soil acidity, lime application rates, optimal timing, process technology

Experienced gardeners and gardeners know that there is an optimal soil acidity level, which corresponds to 5.5-6.0. In such an environment, the vast majority of plants feel good and comfortable. The exception is a few species that are not sensitive to elevated pH, such as sorrel. When growing other crops, it is important to know how to regulate this indicator. So, let's talk about how to add lime to the soil in the fall and winter for this purpose.

When is it time to lim the soil at the dacha?

Some signs that appear externally on the soil may indicate the need to apply lime. Thus, highly acidic soil acquires a gray-white tint or even becomes whitish. In such conditions, weeds, buttercups, wild rosemary, and heather grow well, so if they are growing rapidly, it’s time to start liming. Beetroot and wheat are particularly sensitive to acidic conditions. In addition, if clover disappears or stops growing on the site, then the situation is critical.

The simplest way- determine acidity using special paper indicators, which are sold in gardening stores.

Applying lime to the soil in the fall

First of all, we note that liming is required before laying any area for a garden or vegetable garden.

Autumn is the period when arable work is carried out. Before this, it is necessary, according to all the rules, to eliminate the increased acidity of the soil. Lime flour (or any other selected composition) is evenly scattered over the entire area. After this, the complex is introduced organic fertilizers. Then the area is dug up, but it is necessary to leave large lumps of soil without crushing them. When the rainy season begins, lime will easily penetrate to the very roots of the plants growing there. This will allow saturating both the soil composition and the crops themselves with useful components for the next 5-7 years.

How to apply lime to the soil in spring?

Another option for liming involves adding compounds in small quantities, and this procedure is performed in spring period. This method is believed to be more effective. Lime is applied before the planned first loosening soil composition. After this, the necessary chemical and biological fertilizer compounds are used.

The liming procedure improves the absorption of the soil, so all fertilizers are well absorbed. Lime or chalk is added in small doses, mixing the soil well and crushing large formations remaining after autumn digging. It is permissible to mix simultaneously with humus on the soil surface. Practice shows that adding two or three kilograms of pure lime mixed with humus is much more effective than 10 kilograms of lime flour, which is simply scattered around the garden.

It is important to remember that with such procedures the calcium content increases, and the potassium content decreases. Therefore, fertilizers must have a higher content of the second component.

Soil acidity is characterized by pH (hydrogen value). A neutral soil indicator is pH 7. This is the most favorable acidity ratio for optimal plant development, which a gardener should strive for. The fact is that in acidic soil, plants do not absorb nutrients well; it does not contain useful microelements that increase soil fertility, and those that exist are in a form inaccessible to plants.

To understand that the soil is acidic, you can contact a special laboratory, where acidity is determined using litmus or special equipment. You can guess that the pH level is lowered if cornflower, heather, buttercup, horsetail, plantain, sedge, horse sorrel, and coltsfoot grow on the site. As a rule, soils in low floodplain areas are acidic, where water stagnates in abundance for a long time. The only way to correct the situation is to lime the soil.

How to apply lime?

It is better to carry out liming in the fall, before deep digging of the soil. At the same time, you need to carefully study the characteristics and preferences of the crops that you plan to plant in the garden, since some plants prefer slightly acidic soils, while others like alkaline soil.

Lime must be added in powder form in order to mix it evenly with the soil and achieve rapid dissolution. It is better to use fluffed lime for this: slaked lime that has been frozen. This lime is easy to apply and quickly dissolves in the soil. Instead of lime, you can use ground limestone, dolomite flour, chalk or calcareous tuff. In the case when you have to add quicklime, you first need to fill it with water (4-5 liters of water per 10 kg of lime) so that chemical reaction, only after this the lime will be suitable for use.

Liming standards

The rate of lime application is different for different soils and plants; there are special standards for this, which are best studied in detail in advance, but to improve slightly acidic soils the liming rate is 300-400 g/sq.m. m, followed by digging. When planting shrubs, trees and plants, lime is applied to the planting holes and then sealed.

With active use mineral fertilizers the rate of lime application should be increased; if organic fertilizers are applied, the need for liming is reduced. Excessive lime in the soil is also harmful; on alkaline soils, plants suffer from chlorosis - with this disease they also cannot receive sufficient quantity mineral elements and die. Therefore, liming should be carried out only as needed, taking care not to harm the plants.

The growth and normal development of fruit, berry and vegetable plants depends on the composition of the soil. The level of its acidity has a special influence. According to this indicator, soils are divided into three groups: acidic, neutral and alkaline. For many garden crops Soils with high levels of acidity pose the greatest danger. In plants developing under such conditions, one can notice a clear slowdown in growth due to poor digestibility nutrients contained in acidic soils. Periodic liming of the soil allows you to equalize the acid-base balance, thereby eliminating the reason that inhibits plant growth.

You can learn about the need for soil deoxidation as follows: external signs, and according to the results of laboratory studies. Immediate liming of the soil is necessary if the soil on the site has acquired a whitish or gray-white hue. The presence of a 10-centimeter podzolic horizon also indicates increased acidity of the soil. Overgrowth of weeds can also be an indicator of excessive oxidation of garden soil. By the color of indicator litmus papers dipped into soil samples diluted with water, you can determine the type of soil.

Material on how to care for the soil at your dacha will also be useful:

The device is a PH meter that allows a gardener to accurately and quickly determine the level of soil acidity in different areas of his or her garden.

If you want to know the exact degree of acidity of the soil, then submit its samples for analysis to an agrochemical laboratory.

What substances are added to acidic soils?

Most often, liming of acidic soils is carried out using slaked lime. When calculating required quantity of this substance take into account:

• soil composition in the garden plot;
• soil acidity level;
• expected embedment depth.

At high acidity (pH5 and below), large doses of lime are added to the soil. For every square meter of clayey and loamy soil, add at least 0.5 kg of limestone, and for sandy soil - 0.3 kg. At an average level of soil acidity, the doses are reduced to 0.3 kg and 0.2 kg, respectively. IN sandy soils if the acidity level is low, lime materials are not added, and in clayey and loamy soils it is enough to add 0.2 kg per square meter.

No less common among gardeners is the method of liming soils with wood ash, containing up to 35% calcium. Wood ash contains phosphorus, potassium and other trace elements that have a beneficial effect on plant growth.

Lime application rate, indicated in kilograms per ten square meters, when liming different types of acidic soils in a garden plot

Also, liming and gypsuming of soils is carried out using lake lime (drywall), chalk, peat ash, dolomite flour, fluff lime, etc.

Optimal timing of lime application

It is recommended to carry out initial measures to liming the site at the stage of planting the garden. It is advisable to lim the area in autumn period, applying limestone fertilizers along with organic fertilizers before digging the soil. Digging the site allows you to avoid leaving the introduced substances on the soil surface. If such events are planned for spring, then they are carried out three weeks before the start of sowing vegetable crops. It is allowed to carry out liming of the soil in winter time, while dolomite flour crumbles directly on top of the snow. The thickness of the snow cover should not exceed 30 cm. You should not add lime together with manure, since their interaction forms insoluble compounds.

Under such vegetable crops, like beets and cabbage, it is necessary to apply lime material directly in the year of sowing. By rotating crops, other vegetables are planted on limed areas of the garden only for next year. Liming an area constantly used for growing potatoes.

Basic and re-liming

During the main (reclamation) liming, full doses of materials are added to the soil that has high acidity, increasing the pH value to a given value. The purpose of repeated (maintenance) liming is to maintain the optimal level of environmental reaction in the soil at the site. At the same time, the introduction of small doses of lime fertilizers compensates for the loss of lime from the ground that occurred during the season.

Lime flour allows you to bring the soil acidity level to the desired level, taking into account the needs of the crops grown in this place

As a result of liming the area, it is possible to:

• activate the vital activity of a number of beneficial microorganisms (nodule bacteria, etc.);
• enrich the soil with nutrients available to garden plants;
• improve physical properties soil (water permeability, structure, etc.);
• increase the efficiency of mineral and organic fertilizers by 30-40%;
• reduce the amount of toxic elements in grown products (especially important for garden plots located near industrial zones).

So, liming allows you to eliminate the problem of excessive soil acidity. The applied lime fertilizers have a beneficial effect on the growth, development and productivity of agricultural crops grown on the site. The return on costs incurred by the gardener for the purchase of mineral and organic fertilizers increases. On neutral soils, the process of accumulation in vegetables and berries slows down harmful substances. Liming the site allows you to harvest an environmentally friendly harvest.

Soil liming is a special treatment process used to remove excess acid from the soil to improve the soil's nutritional properties. This treatment not only reduces acidity, which is harmful for most crops, but the soil itself becomes looser, and as a result it retains moisture better. There is another aspect of liming: lime saturates the soil with calcium and magnesium, which are often lacking in cultivated crops.

The basis of any acid is hydrogen, so from a chemical point of view, liming is the replacement of hydrogen atoms with others chemical elements(most often calcium, magnesium), followed by the breakdown of acid and the formation of salt. The reaction catalyst is carbon dioxide, which is constantly contained in the soil. During the reaction, it forms a transition salt of calcium carbonate, which subsequently reacts with the acid. In this case, limestone and chalk allow you to lower the acidity level of the soil as loyally as possible, and also create nourishment for plant roots. It is worth noting that the more calcium there is in the soil, the harder it is. This can lead to difficulty growing plant roots (especially those with weak root systems). Therefore, excessive liming is not recommended. Calcium is not washed out of the soil by rain.

Substances similar in composition to lime are also used for fertilizer. Lime fertilizers used for land reclamation:

• calcite,
• limestone,
• dolomite flour,
• slaked or quicklime,
• oil shale ash,
• lake lime,
• blast furnace slag,
• cement dust,
• sugar production waste
• peat tuffs.

In each individual case, their own soil liming rates are calculated.

There is a misconception that liming is best done with gypsum. In fact, gypsum is applied exclusively for the reclamation of soils with increased salt deposition.

Results achieved by liming soils

The main advantages of the process:

1. The soil is enriched with microelements that improve plant development.
2. Organic fertilizers begin to yield 30-40% more returns.
3. The activity of some beneficial microorganisms increases.
4. The structure and properties of the soil (water resistance, for example) improve.
5. The level of toxic elements in grown plants is significantly reduced.

It must be said that the results of liming appear progressively. In some cases, improvements occur only after several years. Therefore, liming should not be done annually.

But, if ammonia preparations are used as fertilizers, liming should be carried out regularly. Repeated liming also depends on the addition of these fertilizers. If, for example, the soil is regularly fertilized with manure, it is recommended not to carry out repeated liming.

Acidic soils and plants

Certainly, different types cultivated plants necessary different soils. Most plants love neutral soil. The few crops for which acidic soil is preferable include:

• potato,
• chokeberry or lupine,
• most varieties of winter crops.

At the same time, acidic soils are completely unsuitable for legumes; currants, cabbage, beets, mustard, clover and most vegetables thrive on neutral or slightly acidic soils.

Of the trees, apple trees, pear trees, raspberries, gooseberries and strawberries grow well in slightly acidic soils. Cherries and plums love alkaline soils.

What soils require liming?

Before you improve the fertility of your plot, you need to find out whether the soil actually has acidity, and for effective fertilizer First of all, it is necessary to correctly calculate the amount of lime per volume of the soil complex to be fertilized. And the need for liming itself should be established, in an amicable way, on the basis of special agrochemical analyses. The calculated dose of lime material will depend on the acidity of the soil and the presence of humus in it.

In general, regarding the question of which soils require liming, you need to remember that the following have a high level of acidity:

• red soils,
• soddy-podzolic soils,
• gray forest,
• peat swamps.

Acidic soils are characterized by a whitish tint, and when digging the area, layers of the same color are noticeable. At the same time, acidic soil is not necessarily evenly distributed throughout the entire area, but may only be in some places. Most likely, if mint and sorrel grow wildly on the site, horsetail and plantain, fireweed and heather - it is dominated by soils with increased acidity.

When to lime

If it has been established experimentally that the soil needs liming, it is necessary to carry out the procedure in accordance with generally accepted requirements. First of all, this applies to the period of work (performed in the fall, before arable work). First, lime flour or other material used for liming is spread evenly over the site, and then organic fertilizers, after which the soil is dug up. Autumn rains will evenly distribute lime at the depth where the roots of cultivated plants are located. This procedure will provide the soil and plants with the necessary substances for a period of up to 10 years.

There is also the option of liming acidic soils in small portions– it is carried out in early spring and is much more effective, as a result of which it is widely used in practice. Liming of the soil in spring is carried out shortly before the first loosening of the soil. Liming is recommended to be carried out before fertilizing the soil with various biological and chemical additives. Lime, in its own way, increases the absorption properties of the soil; accordingly, they are absorbed much faster. It is permissible to add chalk or lime to the beds in very small portions, mixing it with humus directly on the ground. In practice, it turns out that only 2-3 kilograms of lime, which are added to beds with humus, in terms of their effectiveness give the same result as 10 kg of lime flour simply scattered over the site.

There is one important point: lime changes the percentage of calcium and potassium towards increasing the former, and therefore in liming it is worth increasing the dose of fertilizers containing potassium.

Liming the soil at home

In order to independently, without resorting to special research, find out chemical composition soil, you need to shake a couple of spoons of soil in a glass of water and leave for a while. When the turbidity settles to the bottom, several layers will be visible: the lowest one will consist of pebbles and sand, a little higher there will be a clay layer, and particles of humus and plants will float on the surface, which over time, having collected water, will settle on the clay layer. To determine the acidity level, you need to find out which layer occupies the maximum volume:

• if sand predominates, the soil is sandy,
• if the clay layer predominates, the soil is clayey,
• if the layers of sand and clay are approximately equal, the soil is sandy loam or loamy.

How to prepare lime flour

Liming the soil at home occurs as follows:

• on a flat area with a dense surface, spread quicklime in an even layer 8-10 cm thick,
• then spray it with water,
• after 20 minutes to half an hour, part of the lime will be extinguished and dry,
• the resulting flour (the so-called fluff) is collected in a container, and the remaining lumps are moistened again.

Water consumption will be about 3-4 liters per 100 kg of quicklime.

By the way, if quicklime is stored in the air for a long time, it turns into fluff naturally, absorbing moisture contained in the air. Of course, this is a very long process.

The resulting powder (fluff) is added to the soil. The depth to which lime is applied is the depth of the soil layer that needs to be treated, usually about 20 cm. If lime is applied to the soil in incomplete doses, then the depth is very small, about 4-6 cm.

Naturally, the more acidic the soil, the greater the amount of lime that will need to be added.

Soil liming standards

The main and most used lime fertilizer is limestone ground into flour. It is for him that further we will give approximate calculations amount in kilograms to apply per 1 sq. m of soils of different acidity:

• the most acidic (pH below four): 0.5-0.6,
• strongly acidic (pH four): 0.4-0.5,
• acidic (pH from four to five): 0.3-0.4,
• moderately acidic (pH from five to six): 0.25-0.3.

The pH value indicates acidity. At pH:

• 3-4 soil is considered acidic,
• 5-6 – slightly acidic,
• 6-7 – neutral,
• 7-8 – alkaline,
• 8-9 – highly alkaline.

In the case of using analogues of ordinary lime, we present the percentage of calcium content:

• 135% - slaked lime,
• 75-108% - dolomite,
• 90-100% - chalk,
• 75-96% - calcareous tuff,
• 70-96% - lake lime,
• 95-108% - dolomite flour,
• 25-75% - marl,
• 10-50% - peat tuff,
• 80-90% - belite flour,
• 65-80% - oil shale ash,
• 80% - cement dust,
• 85% - open-hearth slag,
• 150% - burnt dolomite dust,
• 120% - gas lime,
• 110% - podzols from leather factories,
• 140% - carbide lime,
• 10-50% - peat ash.

To calculate soil liming rates, that is, the amount of lime waste that needs to be applied, the dose indicated for ground limestone must be multiplied by 100 and divided by the percentage of lime given for the selected type of fertilizer.

How to lime

When liming the soil at home, lime is applied either with a harrow or a cultivator, while thoroughly mixing with top layer soil. If the area to which lime is applied is small, then the fertilizer is evenly scattered over the ground and mixed with the soil with hands protected by rubber gloves.

Overdose

It must be taken into account that too frequent and excessive liming will lead to the disappearance of useful micronutrients: increasing the number of cultivated plants depletes the soil, and lime fertilizers do not contain any nutrition.

Different crops grown have their own liming nuances. Thus, for potatoes, the addition of fluff can become a factor weakening its immunity against scab. Based on this, ordinary chalk is used for potato seedlings. Wood ash, in particular from sunflower stems or potato tops, is also suitable, but it should be used in double volume, since the calcium content per unit mass is not high.

Carrots, radishes and parsley will stop producing altogether if they are heavily limed. As for other crops, various deviations in plant development are possible, which will inevitably lead to the appearance of diseases that can only be dealt with next year. This is explained simply - the more lime in the ground, the less space remains for other microelements. As a result, plant roots remain without phosphorus, magnesium or potassium; other elements, although present, are difficultly soluble compounds that are practically useless for weak roots most plants (with the exception of trees).

So, liming the soil is effective method increasing the fertility of soils with high acidity. Natural lime is environmentally friendly pure material Moreover, it is widespread and very cheap.

Liming acidic soils without the use of organic fertilizers leads to soil degeneration, so it should only be used if the soil is actually acidic.

There are several ways to lime the soil. Such an event is a chemical reclamation of acidic soil and represents the application of lime fertilizers, which can be used as calcite, dolomite and limestone, as well as other components.

Why is soil liming carried out in spring and autumn?

As a rule, soils that have an acidic and strongly acidic reaction, with a pH below 5.5, especially require deoxidation with lime. Such acidic soils are deoxidized both in spring and in autumn. You also need to remember that the application of agromeliorants is carried out when large quantities earth calcium or magnesium salts.

Application of deoxidizers is very important on many types of soils, and is required to meet physiological needs garden plants V nutritional components, as well as proper soil structuring. Garden and vegetable soil is a colloidal system, represented by particles in a coagulated state, therefore the optimal rate of calcium and magnesium is a guarantee of reducing the risk of peptization of the soil and minimizing its floating with a lack of air. Timely and correct processing prevents the formation of a soil crust, reduces stickiness and viscosity, and also facilitates plant care.

Methods for determining soil acidity

Today, there are several ways to accurately determine the acidity of the earth. Typically, these methods are presented:

• special indicator strips designed to determine the acidity level of the earth;
• special measuring instruments equipped with an electrode probe lowered into the substrate to determine pH values;
• “universal” measuring instruments that determine several soil parameters, including pH indicators;
• vinegar and soda, which cause hissing and the formation of bubbles in a solution based on garden soil;
• an infusion based on cherry and currant leaves, which turns red when exposed to acidic soil.

There is also a number of indicator plants that grow exclusively on acidified soils. Such plants include horsetail, marigold and buttercup, as well as plantain, fireweed and meadow cornflower. Calcareous soil is a favorite place for plants such as wheatgrass, bindweed and alfalfa to grow.

How to deoxidize the soil (video)

Ways to reduce soil acidity in the garden

Before determining which methods to use on the site, and which components are best added to the soil, you should clarify all the advantages and disadvantages of the main preparations used for liming.

Complex drugs

Garden centers and stores now offer a sufficient number of complex preparations to normalize the acidity level of garden soil, which at the same time make it possible to improve quality characteristics and soil composition.

As a rule, such deoxidizer preparations contain a significant amount of useful components, represented by calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, boron, cobalt, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum and others. Such chemical deoxidizers must be poured according to the instructions supplied by the manufacturer.

Peat and wood ash

IN sandy soils lime is added from 1-3 kg per sq.m, in sandy loam - from 1.5-3.5 kg per sq.m, in light loams - 2.5-4.0 kg per sq.m, in medium loams - approximately 3.0-5.5 kg per sq.m., in heavy loams - 4.0-6.5 kg per sq.m., in clay - 4.0-7.5 kg per sq.m.

Crushed chalk

Chalk, which must be thoroughly crushed for better digestibility, contains about 90-100% lime. In sandy soils it is required to apply from 1.0-3.0 kg/m2, in sandy loam - from 1.5-3.5 kg/m2, in light loams - 2.5-4.0 kg/m2, in medium loams - approximately 3.0-5.5 kg/m2, in heavy loams - 4.0-6.5 kg/m2, in clay - 4.0-7.5 kg/m2.

Slaked lime

First, the product should be carefully extinguished with plain water. The application dose varies depending on acidity levels. In very acidic soils, it is necessary to add approximately 50-75 kg per hectare of land. About 40-45 kg is applied to soils with average acidity, and about 25-35 kg to slightly acidic soils.

Dolomite flour

• sand - 1.0-3.0 kg/m2;
• sandy loam - from 1.5-3.5 kg/m2;
• light loams - 2.5-4.0 kg/m2;
• medium loams - 3.0-5.5 kg/m2;
• heavy loams - 4.0-6.5 kg/m2.

Special attention require clay soils. In areas represented by clay, it is necessary to apply about 4.0-7.5 kg/m2.

Soil deoxidation with lime

Lime is usually used on fertile and sufficiently nutritious soils with no magnesium deficiency. This type of deoxidizer acts much faster than dolomite flour, so it is preferred in areas allocated for growing fast-growing garden plants, including cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini, which are capable of growing green mass well and forming fruits.

The rate of applying lime to acidic soils at the main application stage is approximately 600-650 g per square meter of area. In areas with moderately acidic soils, 500-550 g should be added, and in slightly acidic soils - approximately 400-500 g. It should be noted that a standard 10-liter bucket contains about 25 kg of lime.

Features of adding dolomite flour to the soil (video)

Why you can’t use quicklime for deoxidation

Such a composition can very quickly burn out and destroy all beneficial soil microorganisms, and as a result, the integrity of the soil is compromised from the point of view of the biological system.

Besides everything else, the usual quicklime characterized by structural heterogeneity and appearance resembles a combination of small and large lumps. As a result, after such liming, the amount of deoxidizer in different parts the area varies greatly.

How much lime is needed for one hundred square meters of land?

• slaked lime contains 135% limestone;
• in ground dolomites - from 75 to 108%;
• in crushed chalk - from 90 to 100%;
• in calcareous tuff - from 75 to 96%;
• in lake lime - from 70 to 96%;
• in dolomite flour - from 95 to 108%;
• in marl - from 25 to 75%;
• in peat tuffs - from 10 to 50%;
• in beet defects - about 75%;
• in belite flour - from 80 to 90%;
• in oil shale ash - from 65 to 80%;
• in cement dust - about 80%;
• in open-hearth slag - about 85%;
• in burnt dolomite dust - about 150%;
• in gas lime - about 120%;
• in leather podzol - about 110%;
• in carbide lime - approximately 140%;
• in peat ash - from 10 to 50%.

In clayey and loamy areas, it is advisable to use lime. In sandy areas with insufficient quantity magnesium, it is recommended to give preference to the use of ordinary limestone or dolomite flour. In areas with severe calcium deficiency, chalk, lake lime, drywall or marl, which contain a sufficient amount of calcium carbonate, are traditionally applied. Maximum efficiency on heavy soil can be achieved using slaked lime, which enters into a fast-acting type of reaction.

The dose is determined in accordance with the pH values ​​and characteristics of the mechanical composition of the soil. At pH less than 4.5 units, 800-900 g/m² is applied to sandy and light loamy soils, and 900-1200 g/m² is applied to medium-loamy and heavy loamy soils. At pH levels of 4.6-5.0 units, the application rate is respectively 500-800 g/m², and at pH levels between 5.1-5.5 units - 200 and 400 g/m².

How to prepare the soil for winter (video)

Basic and re-liming

There is a difference between main and repeated liming. The first deoxidation option is called reclamation, and is used in areas with a pH of 5.5 or less. With this method, only full doses of funds are applied. The repeated or supporting option is aimed at preserving what was created by land reclamation, the optimal level of reaction. Mandatory deacidification is carried out on beds for beets, cabbage, onions, spinach and celery, as well as carrots.

Very important carry out annual effective compensation for all losses caused by leaching by precipitation and removal by vegetation. There are several reasons for annual maintenance activities, and in addition to the completely natural acidification of the soil, there are factors human activity, including the removal of calcium and magnesium by the harvest, acidic precipitation, and the use of acidifying fertilizers and fertilizers.

The liming process must be carried out at least once every five years, since it is after this time that the acidity level of the soil can return to its original, far from optimal, levels.