The soil neutral on acid-base balance is necessary for plants for the correct development. This indicator is defined depending on the lime content, or SaSO3. At its small quantity the earth becomes sour. In these cases lime needs to fill shortage.
On sour soils of plant are not capable to usvaivaivat fully nutrients, nitrogen and potash fertilizers are inefficient. All this leads to decrease in harvest.
At surplus the soil SaSO3 is considered alkaline. Soils on acidity can be silnoshchelochny, alkaline, neutral, subacidic, sour and silnokisly. For determination of acidity of the earth it is possible to use the following methods:
- Consider vegetation. On silnokisly soils, buttercups, plantains, horse sorrel, pansies, horsetail like to grow. On subacidic and neutral the nettle, clover, coltsfoot, field bindweed grow. But this method, of course, does not give absolute confidence.
- Try to use vinegar. Blade you podkopnit slightly lands and drip on it several drops of vinegar. At emergence of bubbles it is possible to conclude that acidity of sample moderate. If there is no reaction, the soil sour – addition of chalk or limestone is necessary.
- It is possible to make brief experience. Take several leaves of blackcurrant, make glass of boiled water, cool. Mix leaves and lower in this water earth lump from the site. Water can redden – it means that the soil silnokisly or to become pink – srednekisly. If water turns green, the soil neutral. Blue color means the alkaline soil.
- There are devices - "kislometra" by means of which it is possible to try to learn acidity.
But all listed ways belong to so-called "house" and do not give absolute accuracy. It is the best of all to carry soil sample on the analysis in chemical laboratory.
If at the dacha the soil sour, it is necessary to add lime to it. Use for this purpose dolomite, limestone, the ground chalk, lime slaked lime (it is not necessary to add it together with manure).
Lime application of the earth should be carried out before jumping of plants. Additive is distributed on the surface of the soil and properly mixed. It is possible to carry out the procedure once in several years. The number of fertilizing differs depending on structure of the soil and initial acidity.