How to process onions with wood ash and is it possible?
Onion ash is one of the best organic fertilizers. This efficiency is due to its rich composition, which includes calcium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese and a number of other equally important chemical elements. Due to its great value, it is also used as a growth stimulant, fungicide and insecticide.
Composition
Ash from deciduous and coniferous trees is of the greatest value. The powder obtained from the combustion of such substances contains trace elements necessary for plants: calcium, potassium, phosphorus. The amount of these microelements is so great that organic matter can completely replace industrial potassium-phosphorus mixtures.
In addition, ash contains more than 30 chemical elements, which are needed by vegetable crops, including onions. The only element that is not present in ash is nitrogen. Therefore, in the first stages of growth, ash feeding should be alternated with nitrogen-containing mixtures.
The powder obtained from trees and plants has a number of advantages over other fertilizers:
- Promotes the decomposition of organic residues, thereby improving the structure and composition of the soil.
- Unlike many complex fertilizers, the potassium and phosphorus contained in the ash are easily absorbed.
- Ideal for feeding plants in acidic and neutral soils. It is necessary to use ash in alkaline areas carefully, since the substance lowers the acidity.
- Makes the onion more resistant to temperature fluctuations and other weather surprises.
- Increases shelf life of bulbs.
- Regular processing of onions with ash and ash solutions repels pests.
- Does not contain chlorine hazardous to plants.
In view of such a large number of advantages, the available combustion product is widely used by gardeners for feeding all vegetable and berry crops, as well as for preparing pest control products.
Can ash be used after combustion of other materials? It is not recommended to use the powder obtained as a result of burning paper, plastic and other debris for plant nutrition, since the content of useful trace elements in such a substance is minimal.
Top dressing recipes
Wood ash is used for plant nutrition both in pure form and as an ingredient for preparing infusions. The substance is also used during pre-sowing treatment and for storing the bulbs:
- Preparation of planting material. Onion seeds are kept for 4–6 hours in a solution prepared at the rate of 1 tsp. ash per 1 liter of water.
- To keep the bulbs as long as possible, vegetables are mixed with ash in boxes. Places damaged on the bulb are dipped in dry powder before laying.
Due to the many useful properties of recipes for feeding and processing of onions there's a lot. The most popular among gardeners rightfully won the following funds:
- 30 Art. l. powder is poured into 10 liters of water and insisted for 7 days. Onions are watered at the rate of 0.5 liters per onion. The agent is also introduced into the furrow made in the aisle, after which it must be covered with earth.
- 250 g of ash is poured into a bucket and the container is filled with water to the top. The mixture is infused for 48 hours, and then the onions are poured.
- So that the balance of nutrients is always at the right level, it is recommended to sprinkle the ash over the garden in a thin layer before each watering. Substance consumption per 1 sq. m. - 1 glass.
- During the spring or autumn processing of the site, the site is generously sprinkled with wood powder, after which the digging is carried out. Dry powder consumption per 1 sq. m beds - 600 g. The substance is used as an independent fertilizer or in tandem with other mineral or organic fertilizers.
- To prepare a solution for spraying, 300 g of powder is poured onto a bucket of water. The mixture is infused for 24 hours, and then 50 g of grated or liquid soap is added for better adhesion.
How often are onions treated with wood ash? Top dressing is applied 3 times per season. Ash also reduces the number of putrefactive bacteria, thereby preventing the development of root rot, to which the culture is sensitive.
In addition to mono-component mixtures, bionastes are prepared from the combustion product. These mixtures fill the soil with macro- and microelements and make it looser. The best results are shown by such funds:
- 5 tbsp. l. sugar, 15 g yeast, 1 tbsp. l. organic matter is poured into a 3-liter jar and filled with water. The mixture is infused for 3 days.
- A third of 250 liters of containers are filled with freshly cut field grass, after which 2 buckets of compost and 5 kg of wood ash are poured. Add missing water and leave for 14 days. To prepare the solution, the concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
- In a 100 liter barrel, shovels of wood ash, compost and sand are placed on the floor. Then add 2.5 kg of fresh and 5 kg of rotted manure. At the end, 0.5 fermented milk product and 1.5 liters of home brew are poured into the container. The mixture is left to ferment for a week, and then the onions are processed, having previously reduced the concentration of the infusion by half.
In what cases should ash not be used?
Since this substance contains a large amount of calcium, potassium and phosphorus, it is impossible to use organic fertilizers based on powder obtained from the combustion of wood to improve the soil with an excess of these chemical elements. As a result of such feeding, the condition of the plants will only worsen.
Also, experts do not recommend using ash powder at the same time as organic and organic solutions. Under the influence of the substance, nitrogen evaporates. Fertilizing is also not applied with phosphorus mixtures, since the chemical element after such feeding is not absorbed by the plants.
Since woody wood powder alkalizes the soil, it is not used to feed and process onions that grow in low acid beds.
Composting and acid reduction
Since ash powder has the ability to accelerate the degradation of organic matter, the substance is added as a component during the laying of the compost heap. Moreover, the substance fills the fertilizer with calcium, potassium and phosphorus, and also neutralizes the harmful effects of chemical elements. 10 kg of powder are poured into the compost heap.
With the help of organic matter, you can not only improve the composition of the soil, but also reduce its acidity. The owners of summer cottages, where the acidity is above average, are forced to pay a lot of attention to soil preparation, since most garden crops prefer to grow in a neutral environment.Wood ash powder is embedded in the grooves made in the aisles.
Disease and pest control
To ward off weevils from the garden bed, sprinkle onions generously with dry ash. To prevent and combat onion moth and other pests, plants are sprayed with an ash solution. 300 g of powder is poured into 3 liters of water and insisted for 2 days. At the end of the period, 40 g of liquid soap is added to the infusion.
You can also get rid of aphids with the help of ash infusion. Add 100 g of powder to a bucket of water, and then infuse the mixture for 48 hours. Onions are treated with ash in cloudy weather or in the evening.
To protect plantings from root rot and other equally dangerous diseases, plants are generously sprinkled with ash or sprayed with ash infusion.
Wood ash is a real find for lovers of natural fertilizers. The powder perfectly restores the content of macro- and microelements, and also prevents the development of pathogenic microflora, repels insects, and reduces soil acidity. Regular use of the substance helps to solve several problems at once.
