For sure, all gardeners and truck farmers know that in the cultivation of practical all plants, an obligatory condition is the introduction of fertilizing. It is carried out in different ways and at different times. Such feeding during the active growth of the plant will later pay off with a wonderful harvest. Usually, natural fertilizers (humus, manure ) and mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, potassium, phosphoric) are used. We will tell you how to use superphosphate and its benefits to plants.
Superphosphate: composition
Superphosphate is a highly effective nitrogen-phosphorus mineral fertilizer. In addition to the above-mentioned phosphorus (26%) and nitrogen (6%), superphosphate has such microelements as potassium, magnesium, calcium and sulfur necessary for plants to feed and grow. This fertilizer is available in the form of a powder and granules up to 4 mm in size.
There are varieties of fertilizer. Superphosphate is a simple - fairly effective powdered preparation, but its main drawback is a large proportion of water insoluble gypsum (up to 40%). This substance does not benefit plants, but gardeners are forced to wear heavy packs for supplementation. But the drug is easy to use and does not cake.
From simple, Superphosphate is granulated with 30% calcium sulphate content. Double superphosphate is characterized by a smaller proportion of gypsum and a larger proportion of assimilable phosphate (up to 50%) in the composition.
What is superphosphate used for?
In general, phosphorus is an element that accelerates the transition from the phase of active growth of seedlings to the fruiting phase. In addition, the substance improves the palatability of fruits of orchards and berry crops. Phosphorus exists in nature in the form of organic and mineral compounds, but its digestibility for plants is low. This is why additional supplementation with superphosphate is necessary, thanks to which:
- there is a development of the root system;
- improve the taste of fruits;
- increased fertility;
- oxidative processes in plants are slowed down.
How to make superphosphate?
This phosphorus fertilizer is used on all types of soils, but its special efficiency is achieved in neutral and alkaline soils. However, in soils with an acid reaction, phosphoric acid from superphosphate is converted into aluminum and iron phosphates, compounds which, unfortunately, are not absorbed by plants. In this case, experienced gardeners recommend mixing the drug with limestone or humus.
Quite often the use of superphosphate in the spring and autumn is used for digging up the soil and sowing crops, and also as the main mineral fertilizer for bait feeding. Basically, for the cultivation of crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, beets, corn, cucumber and for obtaining a high yield, it is usually advised to add the substance when sowing directly into the wells.
So, superphosphate application requires the following recommended doses:
- 40-50 g / m² when digging in the fall or spring;
- when planting tubers and seedlings 3 g in each well;
- 15-20 g / m² for top-dressing plants in dry form;
- 40-60 g / m² with the bait of garden trees.
How to cook a hood from superphosphate?
To accelerate the delivery of fertilizer to plants, many gardeners-gardeners make the decision to prepare the hood. However, it is not easy to do this, as often the gypsum in the preparation precipitates. Therefore, if you are also faced with the question of how to dissolve superphosphate in water, we recommend using a substance in the form of granules for this. For a liter of hot water it is necessary to take 100 g of double superphosphate, mix well, boil for half an hour for rapid dissolution and strain. Keep in mind that 100 ml of this extract is replaced with 20 g of active ingredient. If these 100 g dissolved in 10 liters of water, the resulting solution can process 1 square meter of soil.