Wood ash has been used since ancient times as an organic fertilizer. It is a valuable source of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium, as well as other useful substances necessary for the growth and development of plants.

What is useful wood ash for the garden? What is its composition? How to apply it? We will try to answer these and many other questions in the article.

Ash composition

It is quite difficult to accurately determine the composition of this natural substance, since it changes depending on the age and type of plant that was burned. Nevertheless, even D. I. Mendeleev presented the general formula for ash, which indicates percentage elements contained in 100 grams of this fertilizer.

Ash Formula

Properties wood ash due to its chemical composition, which includes many different trace elements. Some of them have a beneficial effect on the growth and development of plants, others help in the fight against various diseases. The concentration of these constituents may be higher or lower than shown. However, the list below general idea about what substances and in what ratio are contained in the ash:

• calcium silicate (CaSiO3) - 16.5%;
• calcium carbonate (CaCO3) - 17%;
• calcium chloride (CaCl2) - 12%;
• calcium sulfate (CaSO4) - 14%;
• magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) - 4%;
• potassium orthophosphate (K3PO4) - 13%;
• (MgSO4) - 4%;
• magnesium silicate (MgSiO3) - 4%;
• sodium chloride (NaCl) - 0.5%;
• sodium orthophosphate (NaPO4) - 15%.

Gardeners successfully use wood ash as a source of lime and potassium. The word "potash" comes from the expression potashes ("ash from the boiler") and has English roots. This name is explained by the old way of making this fertilizer. Previously, the ash was washed and then the resulting solution was evaporated. The resulting precipitate contained potassium carbonate and other salts.

All the mineral elements that were in the plant are contained in unwashed wood ash. The use of this substance in the garden contributes to the saturation of the soil with potassium, which strengthens the stems of plants, makes them more stable. In addition, potassium significantly increases the vitality of the plant, increases its resistance to disease.

The use of wood ash in the garden allows you to restrain the excessive growth of the plant, which is caused by an excess of nitrogen, to prevent too early fruit ripening, which usually provokes phosphoric acid. Potassium is actively involved in photosynthesis and in the formation of green pigment in stems and leaves.

Ashes from softwoods contain significantly more potassium than softwood fertilizers. There is a misconception that it is more caustic and can harm the plant. In fact, both ash is suitable for incorporation into the soil in flower beds, gardens and orchards.

Cooked ash can be stored in a dry place for later use, or immediately applied to beds or compost heaps. It is better to store it in paper bags. If you confirmed that your site is too acidic, add ashes in the fall, winter and in early spring. Fertilizer is applied at the rate of 2.5 kg per 10 m 2.

Potassium deficiency

The fact that there is not enough potassium in the soil is indicated by a change in the appearance of plant leaves. Since potassium moves upward from the lower leaves, when it is insufficient, the edges of the lower leaves first turn yellow, then acquire a brown tint. In addition, speckling or yellow spotting appears on the lower leaves.

How often should ash be added?

Wood ash deoxidizes the soil. It is twice as effective as limestone, which is often used to neutralize too acidic soils. However, this does not mean that this fertilizer must be used every year. Moreover, agronomists do not recommend adding it to the soil without first checking the acidity of the soil.

Soil analysis is desirable to be carried out once every two years. Quite a lot of plants develop well on slightly acidic soils, so the use of ash in large quantities allowed only for very acidic soils.

A simple soil acidity test can be done on your own. To do this, you need to take a soil sample, moisten it with a small amount of rain, deionized or distilled water and dip litmus paper into the soil mixture. Its color will change immediately. It remains only to compare it with the color chart that is attached to each set of litmus paper.

Use of ash

Today, many vegetable growers use wood ash. Application in the garden involves adding it to the compost heap, in which organic materials contain a large number of various acids.

Excessively acidic compost heap material decomposes more slowly. The introduced ash effectively neutralizes this environment. If this is not done, a lot of ammonia will be released from the compost, which can harm and even kill those living there. earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms.

Ashes should be scattered on every layer of soil, lawn mowed grass, food waste. By combining organic material and ash, the compost is enriched with various beneficial organisms that promote decomposition. Experts recommend spreading about a kilogram of ash per 1 square meter of compost.

Wood ash is a real pantry of nutrients for all plants. You need to know that in regions with a humid climate, the soil on lawns, in gardens and orchards is gradually acidified, and wood ash will help neutralize it. The use of such organic fertilizer in the garden will help increase the yield on your site.

Ash as fertilizer: how to apply?

It can be used in dry and dissolved form. Wood ash solution is a source of minerals. Often it is used instead of water when seeds are soaked to speed up their germination. seeds vegetable crops kept in such a solution for about six hours, then dried and planted in the ground.

To prepare such a composition, it is necessary to pour two tablespoons of ash with a liter of water and insist for two days, then it can be filtered. This solution can be used to feed indoor plants and seedlings. Clay heavy soils on the lawn, in the garden or in the kitchen garden can be lightened by adding wood ash to them. Saturated with water, clay soil sticks together, forming lumps. Add wood ash to it at the rate of 5 kg per 10 m 2, and the soil will become looser.

Effective for roses and fruit bushes How to apply it in this case? Dry powder should be spread in spring and autumn. Under the roses, you need to add about 500 grams of ash under the bush. During rainfall and watering nutrients from fertilizer go to root system plants.

Beneficial wood ash hard rock and for the lawn. It contains as much lime as ground limestone, which is necessary to improve the appearance. lawn grasses develops more actively on soils with almost neutral acidity (pH from 6 to 7). With this indicator, the nutrients in the soil become more accessible to plants, they are more easily absorbed by the root system.

Lawn grasses that have received a large portion of wood ash are more aggressive than those on acidic soil, so they do not allow weeds into their immediate environment.

Ash as fertilizer for strawberries

Juicy, fragrant and sweet strawberries are grown all over the world, on a variety of soils, in different weather and climatic conditions. According to agronomists, good harvest strawberries cannot be obtained without top dressing. But every gardener, having heard about fertilizers, thinks about how harmful they can be to health. In this regard, many use folk methods, organic preparations, one of which is wood ash.

How to use it to fertilize the bushes of your favorite berries? Strawberries are fed either with an infusion of ash or with a dry variety, bringing it under the bushes in early spring. Such top dressing increases the number of peduncles and, accordingly, berries. Ashes are usually added to wells when creating a new one. strawberry garden. A feature of this fertilizer is its long-term effect. It saves beneficial features within two years after application to the soil.

Ash solution

A solution is most often used to fertilize strawberries. To do this, a glass of ash is poured with a bucket of water, the solution is well mixed before use so that the ash is evenly distributed, and the soil is watered. In this composition, there is no nitrogen, since it disappears during the burning of wood. But experts do not recommend bringing it along with it.

When should you not use ash?

Excessive use of fertilizers (including organic) leads to at least negative consequences than their complete absence. Wood ash as a fertilizer should be completely eliminated in areas with high soil acidity.

An increased pH is indicated by external changes in plants. With an excess of calcium, there are:

• Too rapid growth of leaf rosettes in apple trees and grapes.
• Dying off along the entire length of the shoots of tomatoes.
• Falling leaves of garden flowers.
• Chlorosis with whitish spots on roses.
• Change in leaf pigmentation (they turn white).

With excess potassium:

• The pulp of pears and apples turns brown.
• Bitter pitting of the fruit appears.
• Falling leaves of plants.

Advantages of fertilizer

A wonderful fertilizer of organic origin is wood ash. The use of a dry substance or solution in the garden will not harm the health of your loved ones. This is the main argument in favor of choosing ash for plant nutrition. Ash fertilizers correct use very efficient. They help not only to increase the yield of vegetables, fruits and berries, but also significantly save on the purchase finished formulations. Ash is easy to make yourself.

Care of decorative and fruit crops includes the mandatory use of fertilizers, represented by organic and inorganic compounds. Wood ash is one of the most tried and tested remedies. When burning branches and leaves, you can not only clean the site in the fall, but also stock up on valuable fertilizers.

Raw materials and methods for obtaining ash

The chemical composition of the ash residue includes products of combustion of tree trunks, bark, deciduous and stem parts of plants. As a raw material for ash production, not only wood is used, but charcoal.

The composition of the mineral part

The use of wood ash contributes to the active assimilation of minerals by plants immediately after application. Organic fertilizers first need to rot.

The chemical composition included mixtures of salts of alkali, alkaline earth metals and iron, belonging to wide groups of carbonates, sulfates, phosphates and silicates. Outwardly, it has a color from white to gray, sometimes contains “rusty” inclusions due to the presence of ferruginous compounds in the composition.

Properties of mineral constituents

Wood ash in the form of fertilizer is relevant for most garden and indoor plants. Its components in the form of a solution have a complex effect on the development fruit and berry trees, shrubs and indoor plants.

Chemical composition:

1. Calcium is the main growth stimulant, especially necessary when plants gain green mass.
2. Sodium is an element that activates a number of enzymes that are indifferent to the presence of other elements of the ash residue. He normalizes water balance cells and provides alkalization of the soil.
3. Potassium maintains the alkalinity of ash solutions and promotes growth horticultural crops and indoor plants.
4. Phosphorus is essential for the normal functioning of thermophilic plants such as grapes. In order for this element to actively pass into the soil from the solution, the latter must be periodically mixed, since orthophosphates quickly precipitate to the bottom of the tank.
5. Magnesium is part of the chemical composition of chlorophyll involved in the production of oxygen.
6. Silicon is present in the form of silicates and helps cells hold together. Its beneficial properties are to increase the digestible proportion of trace elements contained in the soil.

Table 1: Contents of the main elements

In addition to the main components in the composition of the ash, more than 30 elements were found involved in the life of fruit and ornamental crops. Their properties appear in various stages development. They help maintain a healthy appearance, prevent the death of foliage, fruit and root systems.

Ways to use ash

There are many approaches to fertilizing the soil garden plot and vegetable gardens, characterized by labor intensity, consumption of materials and composition of fertilizers. The most common 3 ways to introduce ash into the soil:

1. Uniform scattering on the site, followed by digging, is carried out in the fall and is effective for fertilizing the land over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe plot and the garden, which is being prepared for spring planting.
2. Backfilling in a hole intended for seeds or seedlings. The presence of ash along with seeds and tubers not only increases the nutritional properties of the soil, but also protects the seed material from pests. When processing trees, grooves are dug 10-20 cm deep, designed to hold the nutrient medium near the roots. Mixing with the soil increases its fertility for indoor plants.
3. Watering with an aqueous solution of ash provides the fastest and most deep penetration minerals into the soil. If the solution is poured from above to the foliage, and not under the root, then the likelihood of developing diseases and the appearance of pests is reduced. The composition of the suspension for irrigation includes 2 cups (200 g) of the ash mixture per bucket of water (10 l).

The composition and properties of dry ash are such that it practically does not sink in water, being 2 times lighter than it. About 2 g of ash is placed in a teaspoon, 6 g in a dining room, and 100 g in a classic faceted glass.

Material consumption

The amount of mixture needed to achieve maximum effect from fertilizer, depends on the type of soil, plant variety and method of application. To determine the required amount of ash, use the approximate consumption rates:

• potatoes - 10-12 g of ash under the tuber, previously mixed with the ground. In autumn, the landing site can be sprinkled on top with a dry ash mixture (1 cup per 1m 2). During the growing season and hilling potatoes, wood ash is applied under the bush in an amount of up to 50 g;
• zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers require the same autumn training soil, like potatoes. Intermediate soil treatment during the ripening process is recommended to be carried out once - 1 glass per 1 m 2, followed by abundant watering;
• tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cabbage - 3 cups per 1 m 2 while digging the site in the fall and 1-2 tablespoons in a hole with seeds. Cabbage during the growth period should be additionally sprinkled with ash on top. It will protect the crop from pests and increase the fertility of the upper soil layer after watering;

• for small crops (beans, peas, radishes), one glass per 1 m 2 is enough when digging in autumn or spring to ensure uniform saturation of the soil;
• onions and garlic - 2 cups of wood ash in autumn, 1 cup in spring per 1m 2. The specific growth properties of onions and garlic require not so much a nutritional composition as protection from rot. To more soak the soil before planting, you can water it with an ash solution;
• fruit and ornamental trees and bushes - 2–3 kg of ash is introduced into grooves dug along the perimeter, which are covered with earth and watered abundantly. It is recommended to fertilize every 3-4 years. Ash will protect wood from pests and pathogenic microbes, increase the supply of minerals to the root system;
• indoor flowers - when planting, it is enough to mix with the ground 2 tbsp. l. ash per pot. The resulting soil composition should be updated every 1-2 years to support flower growth and prevent pests.

Acidophilic plants that require acidic soil (cranberries, blueberries, camellias) cannot tolerate the strong alkalinization (pH increase) provided by ash. These types require separate sections, which will have a suitable soil composition.

Wood ash - affordable and effective fertilizer used by all gardeners, gardeners and farmers. It successfully replaces artificial chemical top dressing. The introduction of ash into the soil suburban area in spring and autumn, it allows not only periodically “feeding” trees and shrubs, but also solves the problem of utilizing plant waste, which remains in large quantities after kindling the stove and pruning the garden. Houseplants also need fertilizers, one type of which is wood ash added to the soil.

Infected branches and tops, cuttings thorny bushes, the stumps have to be burned. Well, the valuable wood ash obtained from their burning should be used in the garden not only as an organic fertilizer, but also for plant protection.

Wood ash: use in the garden as a fertilizer and plant protection product

What are the benefits of wood ash?

Wood ash is one of the richest fertilizers, which is usually fed to seedlings of vegetable crops and flowers. What is its usefulness? And why is it so actively used in the practice of organic farming to feed seedlings and protect plants?

The benefits of wood ash for the garden and vegetable garden are as follows:

• this fertilizer improves the composition of the soil;
• it contains many different macro- and microelements - P, K, Ca, B, Cu, Mg and many others;
• ash does not contain Cl;
• ash can be applied to the soil in late autumn, and in spring it will release useful microelements into the soil;
• ash is also an excellent tool for combating pests and diseases, and protects seedlings, adult plants and their fruits from “harmful” bugs.

How to make wood ash infusion

You can feed seedlings in different ways. You can simply scatter dry ash under each seedling bush, or you can prepare a solution and carry out foliar feeding of seedlings (or also apply it to the soil). Additive to the sowing cup of ash along with onion peel will protect crops from the "black leg".

The solution is prepared as follows: 1.5 cups of ash is diluted in 10 liters of water. This solution should be infused for several days, and it should be thoroughly mixed two or three times a day. Then the resulting infusion should be filtered or wait for peeling and drain the light part of the solution.

About 700 ml of this infusion should be applied under each seedling. To speed up dissolution useful elements it usually uses warm water. Then you will have to insist the solution less - two days is enough.

The main thing when preparing such a solution is to observe the correct dosage, because changing it upwards can harm the seedlings grown - the ash has a high alkaline reaction.

What you need to know about using ash as fertilizer

Ash should not be applied under seedlings at the same time as fertilizers that contain nitrogen or ammonia (fresh manure, weed infusions). These fertilizers should be used for seedlings only 20-25 days after feeding with ash solution.

Also, ash is not applied simultaneously with fertilizers containing phosphorus, since in this case phosphorus is poorly absorbed by the root system of seedlings.

When feeding plants with an ash solution, it should be protected from contact of this solution with mucous organs (in the eyes, nose or mouth), since if it enters the human body, this fertilizer can cause a rather severe alkaline burn.

You need to store the ashes in a dry place (under a canopy, in a shed), and even better - in a carefully sealed container, as rainfall can wash out valuable components.

When planting seedlings in open ground it is also impossible to combine ash with nitrogen fertilizers. If you fill the well with ash additives, then connect the tincture of mullein or bird droppings after 3 weeks.

When feeding seedlings of vegetables (tomatoes or peppers), ash can be added to organic mixtures based on humates, as well as preparing a soil substrate with an ash additive for planting seeds for seedlings. For example, ash is an excellent addition to river sand and a peat bog when preparing a mixture for planting seedlings of peppers.

Where is wood ash used?

• ash infusion is used to soak seeds for better germination. Seeds are poured with a solution before sowing for 3-5 hours, then dried to flowability and immediately sown in sowing containers;
• wood ash for indoor plants is used as infusions for feeding on the leaf, as well as in the soil substrate during planting and transshipment of plants. But you need to consider which plants respond well to alkalization of the soil, and which do not. For example, this will harm azaleas, and cacti will thank with a cheerful look and flowering;
• ash is also actively used in preparing the soil for seedlings, in addition to nutrition, it protects the sprouts from the "black leg" and other root rot;
• wood ash for cucumbers and peppers - valuable source potassium, which gently increases the protective functions of plants against diseases, and improves fruiting. Contribute when planting 0.5 cups per well, mixing with compost. Additionally, in August, the tops and mulched soil around the plants are sprinkled;
• for tomatoes, eggplants and others horticultural crops it is enough to add 2-3 tablespoons of ash to the planting hole and carry out foliar top dressing with ash infusion twice a season;
• wood ash as a fertilizer for grapes is simply a must, it is added to autumn time 2 weeks before shelter for the winter. After flowering during the fruiting period, root and foliar top dressing is carried out with ash infusion;
• wood ash for roses, as well as for grapes, is brought in from autumn. In addition, it is used in holes when planting bushes, mixing with compost. Add 1-1.5 cups per bush;
• ash dressing holes when planting cabbage will save it from the development of keel. And spraying with ash-tobacco infusion will protect against cabbage aphids;
• when planting berry bushes (such as raspberries, blackberries, currants), 2 cups of ash are added to the planting hole, and bushes and tree trunks are dusted with it in the fall;
• wood ash as a fertilizer for potatoes, when applied to the planting hole, has a great effect on its stability in hot weather. And ash dusting of bushes during the growing season will make life difficult Colorado potato beetle;
• ash is poured into the grooves when planting radishes - in soils poor in potassium, radishes go into flowering without tying a root crop;
• the use of ash when planting seedlings fruit trees also gives excellent results- they have increased frost resistance. For adult gardens, there is hardly so much ash, so they are most often used foliar top dressing;
• in autumn, strawberries are fed with wood ash - this increases its frost resistance and prevents gray rot spores from overwintering. When bookmarking new garden ash is added to the soil;
• ash with tobacco dust is used to repel cruciferous flea beetles;
• ash screening is used for dusting cuts of roots and root crops during their division;
• In addition, in practice natural farming wood ash is actively used in the garden when constructing new high beds and trenches.

But some vegetable plants do not respond well to ash additives. So, with its excess, carrots will react with a thick washcloth of roots.

Ash is an excellent fertilizer not only for seedlings vegetable plants or colors, but for almost all fruit plants. In addition, it is a public and low-budget fertilizer for any summer resident. And, as you have seen, there are many uses for wood ash: it can be used as an independent fertilizer in liquid or dry form, it can be added to organic fertilizers, as well as make various dustings and powders for the prevention of diseases and protection against pests.

Bonfire, silence, nature and Fresh air... Who among us does not like to sit by the fire and admire the dancing red-orange flames. In many beliefs, it is fire that is the means of purifying a person from the "evil eye", and the family hearth is a symbol of unity. After all, it was in front of the hearth that our ancestors gathered to eat, warm up and talk about the essentials.

It is no secret that the hearth was used not only for cooking. The smoke, ashes and charcoal left after the wood logs burned out were used as medicine.

Our ancestors used medicinal properties of furnace ash and coal to get rid of various ailments and diseases. Today, for poisoning and indigestion, we use Activated carbon, and in ancient times in Russia people chewed charcoal. Charcoal was also a good tool for cleansing tooth enamel and eliminating unpleasant odors from the oral cavity. Until recently, it was one of the constituents of tooth powder, known for its teeth whitening properties. Furnace ash is no less relevant. It has long been used in folk medicine, as an effective remedy for various diseases. It should also be noted that the so-called "ash therapy" does not cause allergic reactions, in contrast to medicines chemical origin.

Furnace ash - propertiesand features

The fact that ash has unique healing qualities was well known to our ancestors. Each housewife kept at hand a clay pot or a linen bag with stove ash to treat a variety of diseases.

In Russia they said: "The stove will feed, the stove will warm, the stove will cure." They slept on a warm stove bench after medical procedures. Ash, coal, guardianship and smoke were also used for treatment. The effect of taking ash or coal stems from their ability to bind and remove toxins from the body - sorption. Simply put, coal and furnace ash are effective sorbents of natural origin.

The medieval healer Amidovlat Amasnatsi wrote in one of his treatises about the unique properties of ash and argued that some of its features depend on the combustion product of what kind of wood it is. After all, it was not in vain that a mixture of ash taken from at least three furnaces was used to prepare healing compositions. The secret is simple. In each hut, the stove was heated with different firewood. One - with pine logs, the other with aspen or birch, and the third with brushwood, a straw bonfire. The ash in each kiln had a unique mineral composition. By mixing the ashes selected from different stoves, healers created a unique “medicine” that has a rich mineral composition and can save from a wide variety of “ailments”. So, ash was used for burns, bruises and cuts, diseases of the eyes, throat and bronchi, gastrointestinal tract, headaches, gout, and other diseases.

Ash was considered effective means for the treatment of diseases in children. For example, in order to get rid of the wall (decrepitude of the child), the baby had to be bathed in the waters drawn from nine rivers or wells, sprinkled with ashes, wrapped in a linen diaper and put to sleep on a heated stove bench. Healers recommended that whiny and capricious children be doused with water infused with ashes taken from three different stoves.

Village healers quite often used a mixture of wood ash and salt. For example, for the treatment of angina, reddened tonsils were lubricated with a similar mixture. The procedure was repeated several times until complete recovery.

From each ash has its own use

We have already mentioned that the properties of ash directly depend on its chemical composition, that is, on the combustion of which wood it was formed. Rowan ash is considered the most useful. It was used for dryness, as well as for various depressed conditions.

birchash and charcoal are used in the treatment infectious diseases GIT. Quite often, birch wood combustion products are used to strengthen and whiten teeth, as well as an effective replacement for activated charcoal.

Ash oak has unique properties. It is able to stop bleeding, normalizes blood pressure, improves the functioning of the digestive tract, and also stimulates the triceps muscle.

Pine, heather and cypress ash is taken to disinfect the gastrointestinal tract and organs of the genitourinary system.

Linden charcoal was of particular value in folk medicine. In the pharmacopoeia of Russia, this substance was described as a very effective medicine used to cure diarrhea, flatulence, belching, dysentery, tuberculosis and other diseases. Healers and simple housewives used lime charcoal to treat burns. The burnt area of ​​the body was moistened with water and sprinkled with crushed lime charcoal. After a few hours, relief came. Charcoal powder mixed with grated raw potatoes is also an effective remedy for burns.

Willow and aspen ash will help get rid of problems with blood vessels, improve cerebral circulation and overcome heart diseases. They are also effective in the treatment of female diseases. So, willow ash will help with infertility and heavy menstrual flow, and aspen ash will relieve problems with the ovaries.

Application of ashfor medicinal purposes

Ash has been used by healers since ancient times. But even today this “folk medicine” has not lost its relevance. For treatment, dry ash, “ash water”, as well as a mixture of ash, water and oil in a ratio of 1:1:1 are used. Here are just some common recipes for various diseases based on the use of ash.

Ash is indispensable for skin diseases. So, with manifestations of urticaria, it is necessary to wash twice a week with "ash water", for the preparation of which they take half a glass of birch ash, which is boiled in two liters of water, filtered and diluted in a ratio of 1: 1.

Treatment of trophic ulcers is carried out using lime or birch ash, from which compresses are made. With regular use, the ash will gradually draw pus out of the wound and dry it.

Actual "ash treatment" and with problems with the joints. Quite effective for rheumatoid manifestations of a bath with a decoction of birch ash. A course of 10-15 minute baths will help get rid of the obsessive symptoms of this disease. By the way, birch ash will help with convulsions, vegetovascular dystonia and circulatory disorders. Foot baths made from a mixture of ash, salt and warm water will help reduce the effect of menopausal hot flashes.

With the help of stove ash, diseases of the gums and teeth are also effectively treated. No less relevant is the use of ash as a fairly effective means of quenching thirst. In the heat, a drink from the ashes will relieve thirst. To prepare it, pour ½ cup of ash into a woven bag and rinse with water. Then the bag is placed in a jar with drinking water and insist at least a day. The resulting infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3 and consumed.

Properties of charcoal

We mentioned above that, along with ash, charcoal is also quite effectively used in traditional medicine, as well as in everyday life, for example, for water purification and filtration. Charcoal has been used for a long time ancient egypt, Rome, Greece, Asia. official medicine recognized coal medicine only at the end of the nineteenth century. Two French doctors proved the unique properties of charcoal original way- each drank a potion of ground coal and a strong poison and did not get poisoned.

The healing qualities and mineral composition of coal also directly depend on the type of wood that has been burned. The most "strong" healers considered coal from birch and beech. In terms of quality and mineral composition, after the above-mentioned coal, there are pine, linden, oak, spruce, aspen, alder and poplar coal.

"Carbon therapy" is quite effective in case of poisoning various kinds. To relieve intoxication and remove toxins, you must take a drink made from ¼ tsp. charcoal dissolved in ¼ cup drinking water three times a day one hour before meals.

With indigestion and diarrhea, a remedy prepared from carefully crushed birch charcoal dissolved in red wine (1 tsp per 50 g of wine) is excellent. Excessive gas formation in the intestines, caused by the use of natural fiber, legumes or dairy products, is also easily neutralized by drinking grated charcoal dissolved in water.

The sorption properties of charcoal are also indispensable for allergic manifestations, excretion of radioisotopes from the body, as well as mitigation of the effects of chemotherapy.

It should be noted that "coal therapy" has a small side effect. It lies in the possible occurrence of constipation. That is why doctors advise in the treatment of charcoal to eat a large amount of fruits and vegetables rich in fiber and drink plenty of fluids.

Our ancestors used crushed charcoal to get rid of skin diseases, as well as an effective antiseptic that neutralizes the waste products of microbes.

A festering wound after treatment with an antiseptic can be covered with crushed charcoal powder. A similar remedy will help with weeping wounds, as well as trophic ulcers and boils. Birch charcoal is effective for burns, ringworm and gout.

A few words about stove smoke and guardianship

It is worth noting that healers used not only the healing properties of stove ash and coal. Scorched clay from the kiln masonry (opechina) was also used as a "folk medicine". The guard was carefully collected and thoroughly ground, and then poured into a clay pot. Crushed opechina brewed with boiling water was an effective remedy for bouts of fever. Mothers of infants used the powder from the ground custard as baby powder, which was sprinkled on diaper rash and skin irritations.

Old Russian healers used in medicinal purposes and also the smoke. Sorcerers-herbalists of the North used for inhalation special brick, in the middle of which there was a hole into which they poured herbal preparations. The brick was heated to red in a red-hot oven, then grass was poured into the recess, which immediately began to smolder and emit healing smoke. The patient, bending over the brick, inhaled the fragrant smoke. Similarly, our ancestors treated goiter, tonsillitis, runny nose, bronchitis.

In our age of technological development, in particular pharmacology, we are increasingly resorting to means traditional medicine and we use ashes, charcoal and other natural remedies for the treatment of various diseases, without fear of the occurrence side effects. Treat yourself with furnace ash and be healthy!

Furnace ash in a jar

Calendula (marigold) is a flower that stands out among others with its bright color. Low bushes with delicate orange inflorescences can be found on the side of the road, in the meadow, in the front garden next to the house, or even in vegetable beds. Calendula is so widespread in our area that it seems that it has always grown here. About interesting ornamental varieties calendula, as well as the use of calendula in cooking and medicine, read our article.

I think many will agree that the wind is well perceived by us only in a romantic aspect: we are sitting in a cozy warm house, and the wind is raging outside the window ... In fact, the wind walking through our sites is a problem and there is nothing good in it. By creating windbreaks with plants, we break strong wind into several weak streams and significantly weaken its destructive power. How to protect the site from the wind will be discussed in this article.

Modern ferns are those rare plants antiquities, which, despite the passage of time and all sorts of cataclysms, not only survived, but in many respects were able to maintain their former appearance. In a room format, of course, it is not possible to grow any of the representatives of ferns, but some species have successfully adapted to living indoors. They look great as single plants or adorn a group of decorative foliage flowers.

Pilaf with pumpkin and meat is an Azerbaijani plov, which differs from the traditional oriental plov in its cooking method. All ingredients for this recipe are cooked separately. Rice is boiled with ghee, saffron and turmeric. The meat is fried separately until golden brown, pumpkin slices as well. Separately, prepare onions with carrots. Then everything is laid in layers in a cauldron or a thick-walled pan, a little water or broth is poured in and simmered over low heat for about half an hour.

Basil - a wonderful universal seasoning for meat, fish, soups and fresh salads - is well known to all lovers of Caucasian and Italian cuisine. However, upon closer inspection, basil greens are surprisingly versatile. For several seasons now, our family has been drinking fragrant basil tea with pleasure. In a flower bed with perennials and in flowerpots with annual flowers, bright spicy plant also found a decent place.

Thuja or juniper - which is better? Such a question can sometimes be heard in garden centers and in the market where these plants are sold. He, of course, is not entirely correct and correct. Well, it's like asking which is better - night or day? Coffee or tea? Woman or man? Surely everyone will have their own answer and opinion. And yet ... But what if we approach without prejudice and try to compare juniper and thuja according to certain objective parameters? Let's try.

Red Cauliflower Cream Soup with Crispy Smoked Bacon is a delicious, tender and creamy soup that adults and kids will love. If you are preparing a dish for the whole family, including toddlers, then do not add a lot of spices, although many modern children are not at all against spicy flavors. Bacon for serving can be prepared in different ways - fry in a pan, as in this recipe, or bake in the oven on parchment for about 20 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.

For some, the time of sowing seeds for seedlings is a long-awaited and pleasant chore, for some it is a difficult necessity, and someone thinks about whether it is easier to buy ready-made seedlings on the market or from friends? Whatever it was, even if you refused to grow vegetables, for sure, you still have to sow something. These are flowers, and perennials, conifers and much more. A seedling is still a seedling, no matter what you plant.

lover humid air and one of the most compact and rare pafinia orchids for most orchid growers is real star. Its flowering rarely lasts longer than a week, but it is an unforgettable sight. Unusual striped patterns on the huge flowers of a modest orchid want to be considered endlessly. In room culture, pafinia is rightly credited to the ranks of species that are difficult to grow. It became fashionable only with the spread of interior terrariums.

Pumpkin marmalade with ginger is a warming sweet that can be prepared almost all year round. Pumpkin has a long shelf life - sometimes I manage to save a few vegetables until summer, fresh ginger and lemons are always available these days. Lemon can be substituted for lime or orange for a variety of flavors - variety in sweets is always nice. Ready marmalade is laid out in dry jars, it can be stored at room temperature, but it is always more useful to prepare fresh products.

In 2014 Japanese company Takii seed has introduced a petunia with a stunning salmon-orange petal color. By association with bright colors southern sunset sky unique hybrid called African Sunset ("African Sunset"). Needless to say, this petunia instantly won the hearts of gardeners and was in great demand. But in the last two years, the curiosity has suddenly disappeared from shop windows. Where did the orange petunia go?

Our family loves sweet pepper, so we plant it every year. Most of the varieties that I grow have been tested by me for more than one season, I cultivate them all the time. And every year I try to try something new. Pepper is a heat-loving and rather whimsical plant. About varietal and hybrid varieties of tasty and productive sweet pepper, which grows well with me, and will be discussed further. I live in central Russia.

Meat cutlets with broccoli in bechamel sauce - great idea for a quick lunch or dinner. Start by cooking the minced meat, while bringing 2 liters of water to a boil to blanch the broccoli. By the time the cutlets are fried, the cabbage will be ready. It remains to collect the products in the pan, season with sauce and bring to readiness. Broccoli needs to be cooked quickly to keep it bright. green color, which, when cooked for a long time, either fades, or the cabbage becomes brown.

Home floriculture is not only a fascinating process, but also a very troublesome hobby. And, as a rule, the more experience a grower has, the healthier his plants look. And what about those who do not have experience, but want to have a home houseplants- not stretched stunted specimens, but beautiful and healthy, not causing a feeling of guilt by their extinction? For beginners and flower growers who are not burdened with a long experience, I will tell you about the main mistakes that are easy to avoid.

Lush cheesecakes in a pan with banana-apple confiture is another recipe for everyone's favorite dish. So that cheesecakes do not fall off after cooking, remember a few simple rules. Firstly, only fresh and dry cottage cheese, secondly, no baking powder and soda, and thirdly, the density of the dough - you can sculpt from it, it is not tight, but pliable. good dough with a small amount of flour, it will turn out only from good cottage cheese, and here again, see the “firstly” item.