The seeds have been planted. The first shoots have appeared.
And then something unexpected happens: the seedlings begin to disappear, namely, “burn.”
What could have happened, because everything was done correctly.
The answer is actually simple.
There are only two reasons why seedlings “burn”:
• soil overheating;
• soil acidity is unsuitable for the plant.
To avoid overheating, it is enough to sprinkle the soil surface with sawdust, quartz sand, vermiculite or perlite.
The situation with soil acidity is much more complicated. Purchased substrates include:
• peat, usually high moor;
• sand, quartz white or river;
• turf;
• additional additives. These may be: sawdust, expanded clay, vermiculite, nutrients.
High-moor peat has a reddish-brown colour, fibrous structure and high acidity.
Therefore, before purchasing soil, you should carefully study the label. If you see the inscription "high-moor peat", immediately look at the acidity index.
If the pH is less than 6, the soil will need to be deoxidized. Also, the pH range should not have a large spread, for example, 4-6 is too much. The soil is considered neutral acidity at a pH in the range of 6-7.
If there is any doubt about the reliability of the information indicated on the package, you can check the acidity of the soil yourself. For this, you can purchase a special device - a pH meter or litmus strips.
To measure acidity, the soil is diluted in water. An electronic device or strip is then dipped into the resulting liquid.
The acidity indicator will be reflected on the pH meter display. The strip will change color, after which it remains to check the pH scale.
You can also use folk methods. For example, if when you add vinegar to the soil, it hisses and bubbles, then the pH is above 7.
When a similar reaction is observed when adding soda, the pH is less than 6. If there is no reaction to soda and vinegar, the acidity is neutral.
In cases where it is necessary to reduce soil acidity, dolomite flour, ash, and chalk are used. But adding food acids, urea, and ammonium nitrate, on the contrary, acidifies the soil.
A high-quality substrate should provide the seedlings with all the required macro- and microelements before planting in open ground or a greenhouse.
Therefore, you need to pay close attention to the quality of the product you choose. Then a magnificent harvest will not be long in coming.
