utumn fertilizers, Fertilizers for autumn - use them and what fertilizers

Autumn is the time when the gardening season ends, as it seems to everyone at the beginning of their adventure with growing vegetables and plants. Yes, this is not the period after all the harvests where we have to prepare our garden and soil for the next season. How to go about it? It would be best if, of course, we ordered a chemical analysis of the soil before we start fertilizing in the fall. However, this is not a common practice and usually none of us use it.

Why should we use autumn fertilizers

First of all, they increase the resistance of plants to frost, additionally protect against the effects of sunlight deficiency and enhance faster growth in spring. The main elements that occur in autumn fertilizers are potassium and phosphorus. Phosphorus and potassium contained in the fertilizer allow for better preparation of lawns for the winter period. Reduced nitrogen content inhibits plant growth, and a large portion of potassium increases resistance to diseases and freezing. In the case of, for example, autumn fertilizer for conifers, it ensures proper coloring of needles and supports the wooding process, which creates additional protection against frost. Let us introduce you to what these elements are for and why plants need them. The use of fertilizers in autumn reduces the risk of plant burnout, which may occur as a result of too intensive use of fertilizer in spring by us. During the winter, the fertilizer components will be able to undergo beneficial changes and will effectively penetrate into the soil. They will certainly be very much needed in early spring, when our plants will start to develop and start vegetation, and the use of fertilizers will not be possible yet due to the frozen ground.

The importance of phosphorus

At a time when the root system of plants is still immature, it is very limited, an adequate supply of soil with phosphorus helps the growth of plants in the initial period of their growth. In the next period, phosphorus has a very good effect on seed formation and flowering of plants. Vegetables that are very susceptible to the lack of phosphorus are potatoes, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and fruit trees.

In order to choose the right fertilization strategy for our soil or adjust the right fertilizers, we should at least measure its pH using simple pH meters available everywhere. This is very important when using phosphate fertilizers. The solubility of many salts that are available in the soil, and thus the availability of minerals, depends on the pH of the soil. The amount of phosphorus in the forms available to plants decreases significantly in soils with a pH less than 5.5. If we raise the pH of the soil by liming or using dolomite, we can naturally increase the amount of easily absorbed phosphates by plants. If we use calcium and phosphorus fertilizers in autumn, we will cause backwardness, i.e. the transition of phosphorus into sparingly soluble salts.

Phosphate fertilizers

We currently have access to granular enriched superphosphate (40% P2O5), simple superphosphate (19% P2O5) and powdered superphosphate (17% P2O5) on the market. In autumn, we should not use dusty superphosphate on acidic soils. In order to prepare the soil for the next season, we should enrich it with granulated superphosphates. In parallel, we introduce calcium and sulfur. As the salt dissolves in the fertilizer granules, the ions gradually enter the soil solution. All these processes take place very slowly, primarily the movement of soluble components into the soil. In the spring, these ingredients should "reach" the root system of plants.

The importance of potassium

It is an element that plants absorb in very large quantities. What is this element for? First of all, thanks to it, we make it easier for plants to absorb water, increase plant resistance to drought and regulate transpiration. The lack of this potassium is very negative for plants, which results in fruit cracking, reduction in fruit size, poor coloring, distortion of fruit or vegetables. In the case of flowers, this results in a worse appearance, and after cutting they last shorter. Let us remember how important potassium is in our crops.

Potassium fertilizers

We also use potash fertilizers in autumn. Most soils in our country are low in potassium. There are fertilizers on the market that contain sulphate or chloride salts. Plants that respond better to chloride fertilizers are asparagus, beetroot, celery and spinach. Plants that are recommended to be fertilized with potassium sulphate salts are cucumber, pepper, bean, onion and potato. We fertilize tomatoes, radishes, leeks, peas, radishes, carrots and cabbage with both sulphate and chloride fertilizers. From fruit plants, we fertilize only red and black currants, raspberries, vines, gooseberries and cherries with potassium salts. Potassium is susceptible to water, it dissolves easily, so leaching of potassium on light soils is very likely. For this reason, we should not use one dose at a time. We have to divide them into two or three parts. We give the first dose in autumn, the second at the very beginning of spring, and the next one shortly after the second dose. Potassium leaching is low on heavy and medium soils.