Dolomite flour: what is it, application in the garden and how to use fertilizer in gardening

When choosing fertilizers for your garden, you must first find out the composition of the available soil on the site. The same top dressings on different types of soil act differently, so it is important to find out if the soil is acidic or alkaline. Dolomite flour has many advantages, but its characteristics are most revealed on acidic soils, stimulating abundant fruiting of cultivated plants and increasing yields.

What is dolomite flour, composition

If there is acidic soil in the summer cottage, experienced gardeners recommend using dolomite flour as plant nutrition. Like lime meal, it is able to deoxidize the soil and make the upper layers of the soil suitable for the full development of fruit crops.

In the instructions for use attached to the fertilizer manufacturer, it is indicated that dolomite flour is obtained by crushing such a mineral as dolomite. When crushed, it becomes similar to flour, as it has a very fine fraction.

Unlike mineral fertilizers obtained artificially, dolomite-based top dressing does not contain any impurities that can harm human he alth, therefore it is classified as an ecological preparation.

Dolomite is a member of the carbonate group, so it is advisable to use fertilizer in order to deoxidize the soil and saturate it with micro- and macroelements, without which one cannot count on a rich harvest. Thanks to the use of top dressing, it is possible to improve the quality of the topsoil and slow down the development of weeds. In addition, dolomite flour increases the activity of annelids, which loosen the earth, simultaneously saturating it with oxygen.

The main components of the fertilizer are magnesium and calcium, which, after getting into the fruits, do not accumulate in them, which means they cannot harm a person, they contribute to the full development of crops.

Dolomite flour is not an expensive fertilizer, so any gardener and summer resident can afford to buy it. It is possible to scatter the drug over the site only after determining the level of soil acidity.

When used

Dolomite flour is used in cases where the soil is too acidic in the garden and only after the analysis of the composition. In addition to deoxidation, fertilizer has a lot of useful properties:

• saturates the top layer of soil with calcium, magnesium and nitrogen under the condition of constant application;
• improves soil structure and promotes the development of beneficial microorganisms in it;
• destroys insect pests with chitinous cover;
• promotes the purification of fruits of cultivated plants from radionuclides.

Soil analysis for acidity can be done independently, without going to special laboratories. There are several easy ways to do this:

1. Pay attention to weeds in the area. Weeds, like cultivated plants, have their own requirements for the composition of the soil, and they will not grow and develop on unsuitable soil. If plantain, wood lice and buttercup are seen in the garden, then the earth is acidic, and the introduction of dolomite flour will benefit and improve its composition. If coltsfoot, clover and chamomile grow on the plot, this means that the soil on the beds is slightly acidic, and there is no need to use fertilizer.
2. Using table vinegar. They take a handful of soil from the site and pour a small amount of vinegar onto it, observing the reaction. If a large number of bubbles appear, then the soil is neutral or acidic.
3. Grape juice. Pour a drink into a glass and put a small amount of earth. If the grape juice has changed its color and bubbles have formed on its surface, this means that the soil has a neutral reaction.
4. pH meters. These are special devices with which you can accurately determine the type of soil on the site. If there is no such device on the farm, you can use a litmus test.

Instructions for use

When planning to use dolomite flour on your personal plot, you must carefully study the instructions so that the use of fertilizer will only benefit the soil and the cultivated plants growing in it.

For potatoes

Potato tubers are best formed on slightly acidic soils, so if the garden has acidic soil, you will have to add dolomite flour.It is better to add fertilizer to the soil in the fall, when the crop is already harvested, but it is not forbidden to do this in the spring. To save time, some gardeners scatter flour over the snow that has not yet melted, provided that its layer does not exceed 7 cm, and the area where the potatoes will be grown is flat, without depressions and hills.

Consumption per hundred square meters of powder depends on the degree of soil acidity, so it is so important to first analyze the soil. Fertilizer calculation is given per 1 square meter:

• 350-400 grams for slightly acidic soils;
• 450 grams for medium acid;
• 500 grams for acidic soil.

In the event that the garden has heavy and clay soil, it will be necessary to use dolomite flour annually to maintain the acidity in an optimal state. On sandy soils, it is enough to carry out such a procedure every 2-3 years.It must be remembered that phosphate fertilizers and flour cannot be applied to the soil at the same time.

For tomatoes

Favorable soil for tomatoes is considered slightly acidic, so it is recommended to use dolomite flour after analysis in the fall. It is scattered over the site and dug up shallowly, so that the fertilizer remains in the top layer of soil. It is allowed to use the drug not only in the open field, but also in the greenhouse. In this case, 100 grams of flour will be needed per square meter, which is scattered in a thin layer on the surface of the soil, but not buried in it.

If tomatoes are planted outdoors, the following application rates should be followed: 500 grams for acid soils, 450 grams for medium acid soils and 400 grams for slightly acidic soils (the amount is indicated per square meter).

Fertilizing cucumbers

Dolomite flour is often used to deoxidize the soil on which it is planned to grow cucumbers.In horticulture, it is customary to prepare the soil for planting crops in the fall. The earth is dug up, along the way adding a small amount of humus and manure. 500 grams of dolomite flour are applied per square meter of the garden, which allows to reduce the acidity of the soil, which is necessary for the full development of cucumbers.

For shrubs and fruit trees

Use dolomite or limestone flour for fruit trees after harvest. Since fertilizers are applied under the trees throughout the growing season to stimulate the appearance of ovaries, mineral flour should not be used, as the drugs will interfere with each other's action.

The powder is laid out in a thin layer in the near-stem circles of fruit plants, for one adult tree you will need 2 kg of powder.

We fertilize the lawn

It is recommended to use dolomite flour for lawn treatment in the autumn, when all the necessary fertilizers have already been applied.The drug will not only reduce the acidity of the soil, but also improve its structure, as well as reduce the number of weeds and pests. It is necessary to use dolomite, and not limestone flour, since it does not interfere with the absorption of phosphorus from dressings, but, on the contrary, improves this process.

Powder will be especially useful for lawns on which moss and plantain with wood lice grow, as there is very acidic soil. In this case, 50 kg of dolomite flour is used for one hundred square meters. On slightly acidic soils, it will be enough to add 40 kg of powder.

Dolomite versus wireworm

Such an insect pest as a wireworm spoils potato tubers, after which they become unsuitable for winter storage. In this case, it is recommended to make dolomite flour in the country. Do this every 3 years, adhering to the above dosages. With acidic soil, you will need 50 kg of powder per hundred square meters of the garden.The substance not only deoxidizes the soil, but also destroys the chitinous cover of the pest, as a result of which it dies.

Safety precautions

The powder is of organic origin, therefore, it does not pose a particular danger to the person carrying out the processing using it. Adhere to standard safety requirements - wear clothing that completely covers the body, rubber gloves and a mask so that the powder does not enter the respiratory tract and cause irritation.

At the end of all work, clothes are washed and showered to wash off particles of flour. If the powder gets on the mucous membranes, it is necessary to rinse them with plenty of running water, if irritation occurs, contact a medical facility.

Compatibility with other substances

Fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus cannot be combined with dolomite flour. There should be at least a week between doses. But the powder is well compatible with copper sulfate and boric acid.

Terms and conditions of storage

If you follow the recommended storage rules, mineral flour retains its working qualities for 5 years. Keep the powder in dry, well-ventilated utility rooms where the sun's rays do not fall and there is no access to children and animals.

Means-substitutes

If for some reason it was not possible to purchase the powder, it is recommended to use products with a similar effect on the soil. It can be slaked lime, chalk or wood ash.

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