The use of ammonium sulfate in strawberry cultivation
Gardeners who grow strawberries understand that in order to collect a bountiful harvest of berries, weeding and watering alone will not do. Like other crops, strawberries need timely fertilizing, especially if they grow on poor soil. In the modern fertilizer market, you can choose a wide variety of options for drugs that enrich the soil with useful elements. As a result, the yield increases, as well as the quality of the berries.
One of these fertilizers is ammonium sulfate, which is widely used in the cultivation of strawberries in the garden.
Benefits of using the drug
Ammonium sulfate is a powder in the form of fine white crystals with good solubility. Crystals can also have a blue or pink hue, depending on the availability of additives. The main advantages of using this fertilizer include the fact that it:
- has a low cost compared to other substances;
- absolutely harmless to the human body, as well as to plants;
- improves the taste of berries as a result of an increased amount of sulfur;
- dissolves quickly in the soil and ensures uniform application;
- easily absorbed both by the root system and through the green mass;
- stimulates the rapid growth of crops;
- increases resistance to disease;
- is not washed out from the soil, thereby preventing nitrogen leaching;
- used for making various dressings.
When and how to fertilize strawberries?
To fertilize strawberries, the drug is used both dry and as a solution.
Soil with high acidity must first be limed before adding ammonium sulfate.
If planting strawberries is just planned, in the fall the powder should be scattered over the area where the berry will be grown and dug up. Spring digging between rows of growing strawberries with the introduction of ammonium sulfate will also be effective. The average application rate is 40 g of the drug per 1 sq. m., and for poor soil, an increase in dosage is permissible.
In the spring, to stimulate the growth of green mass, young plantings can be watered with a solution that includes 1 bucket of water, 2 cups of mullein and 1 tbsp. ammonium sulfate.
The same composition is used for feeding adult plants. Before nutritious watering, loosen the soil around the strawberry bushes and add ash.
A solution of ammonium sulfate is poured over straw mulch. This speeds up the process of its decomposition.