Activated charcoal is a drug that is in any home medicine cabinet, it is used as first aid for poisoning. It is an excellent adsorbent that is able to absorb moisture, chemicals harmful to humans, and heavy metals.
The tool is actively working in medicine, in addition, it is used for cleaning. Industrial, household filters for water and air are made from it. The drug can also be useful in the garden.
Beneficial features
Useful properties of activated carbon for plants:
- works as a prophylactic against fungal disease black leg;
- prevents the development of putrefactive processes, it can be added to the water in which there are cuttings for rooting;
- draws harmful metal compounds from the earth;
- enriches the soil with nutrients;
- makes the soil more neutral;
- absorbs excess moisture;
- disinfects flower sections.
These qualities can be used in the cultivation of vegetables and fruits.
Activated carbon against mold
If mold has formed on the surface of the soil, you can help with a home remedy.
To do this, you need to grind a few tablets of activated charcoal and sprinkle the moldy area. If it doesn’t help, and the mold remains, you need to remove the affected area along with the remnants of the product and repeat the procedure again.
It is important in this case not to lay out the drug in large pieces, but to grind it to a powder state, otherwise the product will not work well.
For disinfection
In the garden, it is sometimes necessary to cut the roots of plants to propagate or remove the damaged part. It is recommended to disinfect the cut. Activated charcoal works best for this. It is necessary to grind the tablets, sprinkle the cut well with the resulting powder. This will save from infection with diseases and rot.
Gardeners during the cultivation of seedlings are faced with various diseases of vegetables. Young plants during this period have not yet grown strong, so they die easily. To prevent the loss of green pets, the ground must be disinfected before planting seedlings. Activated charcoal can be used for this purpose.
You should take a few black tablets, grind them to a powder state, mix with soil. Thus, stagnant water, mold and blackleg disease can be avoided.
Prevention, treatment
Vegetable and flower seedlings are often affected by the black leg. With this disease, the root neck becomes black, the plant seems to break. This could lead to his death. As a preventive measure, you can use activated charcoal. To do this, crush black tablets, sprinkle on the surface of the earth.
If the plants are sick, all affected should be removed, and the soil should be sprinkled with black powder, if necessary, repeat the procedure.
For bites and cuts
In the country, quite often you can get hurt, suffer from insect bites. If there is nothing but activated charcoal at hand in the first aid kit, then you can use it. To do this, crush the tablets into powder and apply to the affected area, apply a bandage. The drug saves from infection, reduces swelling, relieves pain.
Feeding with activated charcoal
Flower growers use a tool to improve the growth of domestic plants. 1-2 tablets should be buried shallowly in a flower pot. This method helps to disinfect the soil, feed it, and save it from certain diseases.
Activated charcoal is not only the first aid for people in case of poisoning, it is also an effective way to cure plants from certain diseases.
Who does not want to have beautiful and, what is important, absolutely healthy flowers in their home, as well as well-developed seedlings. And for this it is absolutely not necessary to purchase expensive products, because the simplest activated carbon can help with this. It can be purchased at any pharmacy, and it is quite inexpensive.
Benefit
But why is activated carbon so useful for seedlings and various flowers:
- After the plant is fed with this remedy, the soil in the pot becomes more neutral.
- Such coal can absorb harmful metals and gases in the substrate.
- This tool absorbs excess water from the soil mixture. This property is especially important for seedlings.
- The crushed agent can be used to treat cut sites on plants or seedlings, because activated charcoal has a disinfecting effect.
- If such coal is poured into the water into which the rooting cuttings are dipped, they will be protected from rot.
- During the transplantation of indoor flowers, it is recommended to sprinkle their root system with crushed activated carbon. This is an excellent prevention of the appearance of rot, as well as the development of various diseases in the places of cuts.
- Activated charcoal will help cure or prevent the development of "black leg" on seedlings, which is a fungal disease.
Use cases
There are a variety of options for using activated carbon when growing seedlings and flowers:
Substrate disinfection. To do this, you need to take 1 or 2 tablets of this remedy. These tablets must be cut in half or into 4 parts. After that, they must be placed in a flower pot. To do this, parts of the tablet are placed on the surface of the substrate and slightly pressed into it. They should not be buried very deep in the soil mixture, as well as painted to a powdery state, because this has an extremely negative effect on the condition of the substrate. If everything is done correctly, then only the top layer of the substrate will be disinfected. This procedure is recommended for all flowers and plants grown at home.
Protection of the substrate from the formation of mold. Often in pots with indoor flowers, mold appears on the surface of the substrate. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but the same activated charcoal will help to cope with this problem. To do this, you will need several tablets, which must be crushed to a powder state. The resulting product must be filled with those places on the substrate that are covered with mold.
Disinfection of cut points on the root system. During transplantation, it may happen that the root system of the plant is injured. All places of fractures or cuts are recommended to be sprinkled with crushed activated carbon. This will protect the roots from rot.
The fight against the "black leg". This disease is fungal, and it most often affects plants at the stage of seedling development. The root neck of the plants rots and changes its color to black. As the disease progresses, the plants fall and die. In order to prevent the surface of the substrate in the container, it is necessary to sprinkle with a thin layer of crushed activated carbon. In the event that the plant is still struck by the "black leg", then they must be removed as soon as possible, and the place where they grew is covered with crushed tablets of such coal.
If you use such coal when growing seedlings and flowers, then mold will never appear on the soil, and the plants will not rot and will not be affected by the “black leg”.
08 dec 2018
Activated charcoal tablets are in every home first aid kit. In appearance, these are black tablets, which are an excellent absorbent and are taken mainly for poisoning. Activated charcoal will help with the care of indoor plants, this drug can cure and prevent root rot, disinfect wounds and plant cuts, improve the condition of the earth in flower pots.
How to use activated charcoal in houseplant care?
- When preparing the soil for transplanting plants that prefer a neutral earth reaction, it is useful to add two or three crushed black tablets . Charcoal reduces the acidic reaction of the soil, but for plants that prefer to grow in acidic soil - gardenia, hydrangea, sour, this drug is not recommended.
- Activated charcoal tablets are useful to add to flower pots to prevent acidification and salinization of the earth , they will act as a sorbent, absorbing harmful gases, compounds, excess moisture. To do this, it is enough to break the tablets in half and deepen them in the upper layer of the earth in a pot.
- Activated charcoal powder is an excellent antiseptic for treating wounds, cuts in plants on the stem or on the roots. The wound closed with black powder from activated carbon quickly tightens and heals. Activated charcoal is useful when transplanting plants, for processing cut rotten roots, crushed powder can be sprinkled on the entire root system to prevent rotting of the roots.
- Activated charcoal will help get rid of mold in flower pots . It is necessary to crush a few tablets and powder the surface of the earth where the mold has formed.
- One tablet of activated charcoal added to water while rooting cuttings in water will increase their survival rate , as water with activated carbon stays fresh longer, and the cuttings do not rot. Many also add activated charcoal to a vase of fresh flowers.
Charcoal, is a product of wood charring without air access. It is produced industrially and is widely used in the metallurgical industry.
But besides the main application, it is widely used in other areas, including horticulture and indoor floriculture.
Charcoal is a porous black mass that has retained the structure of the tree. The density and color of the mass may vary depending on the type of wood used to make the coal.
One of the unique properties of this material is its high water absorption capacity (hygroscopicity). In addition, it is able to absorb various impurities from water, purifying it. In addition, coal is a good antiseptic.
Application in indoor floriculture
In indoor floriculture, charcoal is used in several ways:
- The roots damaged during transplantation or division of the bush are processed with crushed charcoal to avoid their decay;
- Coal is added to the composition of the soil for planting those plants that are afraid of excessive watering. For example, cacti, succulents, orchids. In the event of a flood, the coal will absorb some of the moisture and the plant will not suffer;
- When rooting cuttings in water, it is useful to put a piece of charcoal in the water, which will prevent the appearance of putrefactive bacteria in the water;
- When rooting cuttings in the ground, the cut is processed with charcoal to prevent decay;
- When a part of a plant rots, a cut cleaned to a living tissue is sprinkled with charcoal.
For floricultural purposes, charcoal is purchased in flower or gardening stores, packaged in small bags or briquettes.
When using coal, one should not forget that it must be stored in an airtight container without moisture access, that is, either tightly wrapped in polyethylene or stored in a jar with an airtight lid, since after the coal has been in the air for some time, it loses its valuable properties.
If you don't have charcoal handy, you can use regular pharmacy activated charcoal sold in tablets. Also in many stores you can find large packages of charcoal (an example can be seen above, in the photo) - they are not expensive, it is not difficult to find them.
1. Activated charcoal for soil health
The absorbing properties of activated carbon can be successfully used in the summer cottage. By feeding plants with this substance, you will simultaneously solve several problems:
reduce the acidity of the soil;
reduce the amount of heavy metals and dangerous chemical compounds in the soil;
feed the plants: the starch found in activated charcoal will appeal to almost all crops. But for greater efficiency, it is still better to use potato peelings.
You can add charcoal tablets or powder to water for irrigation. It is also effective to dig the tablets directly into the soil. When dry, they will absorb excess moisture and reduce the likelihood of root rot. This is especially important for seedlings recently planted in open ground.
Too much coal should not be added so as not to change the quality of the soil.
2. Activated carbon for rooting cuttings
Plant cuttings are defenseless against fungi and infections, so it is worth protecting them from diseases with activated charcoal. Add a few crushed tablets to the container where the plants are, and add water as needed. Charcoal is also an excellent alternative to root preparations, because it helps the cuttings take root faster and take root better.
3. Soil for seedlings with activated carbon
Since coal perfectly absorbs moisture and protects the soil from rot, it can also be used to prepare seedling soil. 1-2 crushed charcoal tablets or 250-500 mg of powder are enough for one container.
4. Treatment of plant sections with activated carbon
When working with plants, you often have to deal with such procedures as pruning, dividing, removing damaged parts. After it, it is very important to disinfect the sections so that putrefactive processes do not begin. If there are no special preparations at hand, activated charcoal will help out. Densely sprinkle them on the place of a fresh cut, without rubbing, and leave on the plant.
Activated charcoal can also be sprinkled on plant roots during transplantation.
5. Activated charcoal to combat plant fungal diseases
We have already said that coal perfectly absorbs moisture and prevents pathogenic microflora from multiplying. Therefore, it is also effective for fighting fungal diseases, but only at the initial stage of their development or as a prophylactic. This is especially true for seedlings, which are often affected by the black leg - rot of the root neck of seedlings.
Saving plants is not easy, so at the first sign, immediately sprinkle the soil with crushed activated charcoal. It is better to throw away a diseased plant in order to stop the epidemic, and also sprinkle the planting site with coal. If possible, plant the seedlings in separate containers with disinfected soil.
6. Activated carbon against mold in a flower pot
Flower lovers often face such a problem as mold in a flower pot. The reason for this is usually excessive watering and high humidity in the room. If you need to do something urgently, crushed activated carbon will come to the rescue. First, remove the layer of soil with mold, and then sprinkle the earth thickly with charcoal. After a few days, the coal should be replaced with fresh.
Activated charcoal needs to be crushed, whole tablets will not work, because. they can provoke the appearance of mold by actively absorbing water from the surface. Try to always grind coal if you sprinkle it on the soil.
7. Activated charcoal for indoor plants
Activated charcoal can also be used to feed flowers. Many flower growers note that after its use, plants develop and bloom better. All this is due to the disinfecting properties of coal, which inhibits the development of dangerous bacteria and fungi, reduces soil acidity, and removes excess moisture.
One pot will need 1-2 tablets of coal. First break them into 2-4 parts and dig into the soil. Do not leave on the surface, otherwise they may become moldy. Watch the plant, if everything is fine, feed other green pets in the same way.
8. Activated charcoal against midges
Sometimes midges can be found in pots with flowers and seedlings. Often they simply fly into the house from the street, sometimes they get along with contaminated soil or on fruits and vegetables. It is very difficult to fight midges, they multiply quickly. They like moist, acidic soil. They lay their eggs in it, from which voracious larvae emerge, feeding on the roots. As a result, the plant quickly weakens and may die.
There are many means to combat midges and activated carbon in this case does not kill insects, but only becomes a kind of barrier to their reproduction. Sprinkle the earth in a pot with a thick layer of crushed tablets, and adults will no longer be able to lay eggs in it. In addition, the acidity and moisture of the soil will decrease. Of course, this method is better to complement others, but it will have its positive effect.
9. Activated charcoal - an ambulance for a summer resident
If you were bitten by a mosquito in the country or you scratched your skin, try to relieve pain with activated charcoal. Grind it and gently apply to the bite or abrasion. Soon you will notice that the discomfort has decreased, the swelling has disappeared.
In the country, various chemicals are often used. In case of accidental ingestion of a pesticide, use activated charcoal immediately. Drink several glasses of water with a suspension of coal (1 g per 1 kg of body weight) and induce vomiting. Repeat the procedure if necessary, and then drink a glass of charcoal water as directed and contact your doctor immediately.
10. Activated carbon for water purification
Activated carbon is widely used in water filters. It allows you to clean it from impurities and unpleasant odors. In country or camping conditions, coal can also be useful for water purification. Wrap several tablets of the substance in gauze and place on the bottom of a glass container with water. The larger the capacity, the more coal is worth taking. After 12 hours, the water will become cleaner.
Place the container with coal in a cool room, otherwise the number of bacteria in the water, on the contrary, will increase.
Another great way to feed indoor flowers and plants.
