How can you improve the soil in your garden? What's the best way to heal depleted soil? How to determine the composition of the soil yourself

The fertile layer is humus, located at a depth of up to 20 cm; decomposed remains of plants, microorganisms, insects, and animals remain in it. They rot and the plants receive nutrition.

With time nutrients becomes smaller, which reduces crop yields. To find out the condition of the soil on the site, samples are taken and laboratory tests are performed. Each crop has its own need for valuable substances. The nutrient layer is formed naturally and artificially.

If you grow plants in the same bed for several years, the nutrients will decrease significantly. Plants constantly consume nutrients and over time the soil becomes depleted. If fertilizers and mineral components are not added to the soil, the soil will become depleted.

Methods to increase fertility:

• application of mineral and organic fertilizers;
• mulching;
• rest for the earth;
• correct crop rotation;
• heat treatment;
• use of worms;
• sowing mixed plants;
• growing green manure and medicinal herbs.

The application of organic fertilizers improves the condition of the top layer of soil. To solve the problem, you need to replenish supplies: 4-5 buckets of manure per 1 square, or 3 buckets of compost for digging in the fall. On light soil, mullein is added once every two years, on heavy and medium soil - once every 3 years. Chicken droppings contain many valuable substances. It is used for composts - 1 part manure and 10 parts water.

For getting useful substances They grow green plants - green manure. Their powerful root system holds surface layer soil from destruction, helps enrich it with nitrogen and inhibits growth weed. They are planted after harvest. Green manure is sown depending on the plants planted. For example, rapeseed is sown in front of carrots and beets, lupine is planted in front of tomatoes and cucumbers. These crops can be planted throughout the season.

Legumes are good green manures for the depleted land. Perennials use powerful rhizomes to pull nutrients to the surface from deep layers of soil. They loosen it, enrich it with humus and phosphorus, and reduce acidity. Legumes should not be cut down before flowering; it is during this period that nodule bacteria form on the roots and replenish the soil with nitrogen. Cereal green manure (rye, oats, wheat) compensate for the lack of humus.

To ensure that the top layer does not lose fertility, it is necessary to plant plants with a strong root system.

The soil crumbles like dust

When vegetables that require too much nutrition are planted in one area and fertilizers are not applied, the soil not only becomes depleted over time, but also turns into dust. For example, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, and cucumbers consume many useful substances. This problem occurs when the surface is not mulched, and the soil is often dug up. As a result, moisture is poorly absorbed and dust is carried by the wind.

This condition also depends on the type of soil. If there is more sand in the area, it dries out quickly and does not retain moisture. It is recommended to dig up sandy soil once a year.

To make the top layer heavier, add 3 buckets of compost per square of land. Place the fertilizer to a depth of at least 10-15 cm. This will also serve as food for vegetables.

To prevent dust from flying around the garden, the area is mulched with grass, straw, sawdust, and tree bark. The coating protects against weathering and weeds; as it decomposes, it nourishes the earth.

Attention!

With a large amount of mulch, in the form of fresh organic matter, it can lead to the death of young animals.

Solid ground

A dense earthen crust that cannot be dug up even when wet may be a consequence poor care or clay soil. On loams, at least 1 bucket of sand per square plot.

Plowing the garden before the cold weather (10 cm deep) will help get out of the situation. Only the earthen clods do not need to be broken and turned over. After freezing, they will become loose by spring.

You can introduce earthworms or Californian worms into the garden. They will loosen the soil. But if the worms don't like the new place, they won't stay in the beds. In order for the worms to stay for a long time, they need decomposing humus. Mulch from rotted compost will not be superfluous.

Dandelion tincture will help attract worms. To feed the plants you will need 1 kg of grass stems or roots; they are filled with 10 liters of water. Leave for 13-14 days, filter and dilute 1:10.

The soil is acidic

Improper watering changes the acidity of the soil. At soft water– acidity rises, with hard acidity it decreases. Plants grown and mineral supplements increase acidity.

Liming the soil is the only way to solve the problem. On 1 square meter substances are added depending on the acidity of the earth, the more acidic, the more alkalis are added:

1. Wood ash – 0.2-0.4 kg;
2. Slaked lime - 0.2-0.3 kg;
3. Dolomite flour– 0.3-0.5 kg;
4. Chalk – 0.1-0.7 kg.

Dolomite flour and ash, in addition to their alkalizing effect, contain many useful microelements (calcium, magnesium) that nourish plants. If you add additional boron and copper fertilizers, the effectiveness of the substances increases. With the full dose applied, the effect of liming lasts up to 8 years.

Some crops do not tolerate liming well, so they should be planted a year after the procedure. Crops: tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, cucumbers, peas, carrots, celery, parsley. Green manure is planted after harvesting: rye, oats, white mustard, phacelia.

Alkaline soil

Excess alkali in the ground is not common occurrence. Usually this is an incorrectly carried out agricultural technique, for example, if you overdid it when alkalizing the soil.

If the pH is above 7.5, then iron is not absorbed by plants. The greenery turns yellow and development stops.

Mulch is made from peat, pine needles and pine bark. Mulch after weeding, loosening, fertilizing in spring or autumn.

Mulch only after seedlings have germinated open ground, otherwise they will not rise.

Saline soil

When white spots appear on the ground, this indicates soil salinity. Reason - mineral supplements They added a lot and salted the soil. With a content of toxic salts of 0.15%, the yield loss is up to 20%; above 0.25%, soil salinization results in a yield loss of up to 50-60%.

Water dissolves salt abundant watering(15 liters per square) help in this situation. Without drainage system not enough. But there is a problem - not all plants tolerate excess liquid, and high humidity causes fungus.

Growing crops whose rhizomes loosen dense layers helps create natural drainage. Millet, sweet clover, Sudan grass, and sorghum are planted.

After dissolving the salt, the surface is covered with peat. It is necessary to monitor the application of fertilizers, trying to avoid overfeeding.

Soil contamination by fungi and insects

The colonization of the garden by pests and infections begins in the spring and continues in full swing all summer. The larvae and eggs stay in the ground all winter, so the only control method is to treat the garden with insecticides. Larvicides kill caterpillars and larvae. Ovicides act on the eggs of ticks and insects.

Digging up the area in the fall without breaking the clods will help the birds find food. Pests, and especially their larvae, will not be able to get back into the ground to overwinter.

All weeds, leaves, and fallen branches must be removed from the site. Harmful insects can hide under them. Weeds and foliage are often infected with fungi.

To combat diseases, Alirin B preparations are used - microflora for the soil, which suppresses infections. Moreover, it is compatible with fungicides, insecticides and growth regulators. It is better to use substances without chemicals. Baikal EM-1, EM-5, added 20 days before frost, heals the soil and suppresses phytopathogens thanks to microorganisms.

Biofungicides - Trichodermin, Baktofit, Planzir, Fitosporin, Phytocid M are applied to the upper layers of the earth after digging in the fall and spring.

If you can’t do without chemicals, then buy products of hazard class 3-4. After harvesting, Bordeaux mixture 3% is sprayed. On a dry April day, a 5-10 cm layer of soil is covered with Oksikhom 2% or a solution of copper oxychloride 4%. When planting seedlings, Bravo, Hom or Quadris are added to the holes.

Attention!

The drugs kill not only pathogenic organisms, but also beneficial ones.

To protect against diseases, green manures are planted: mustard, radish, calendula, marigolds. Their healing qualities protect neighboring plants from many diseases. To reduce soil moisture, plants that consume a large number of liquids: lupine, rye. Combined green manures are often used, for example, legumes and cereals.

Soil with a red coating

When watering a garden with hard water with a predominance of iron, over time the surface of the earth becomes covered with a rusty coating. Red veins appear on the plants. The second cause of rust may be fungus.

The earth is watered with boiling water in places where there are no plants. In autumn, the biological product Fitosporin-M is used. It destroys fungal infections. Plants are watered only with settled, melt or rain water. There will be no benefit if the products are dissolved in chlorinated water.

The ground is overgrown with moss

Moss growing in the garden can be the result of increased moisture, hard or acidic soil. Most often it appears in dark places.

To remove excess liquid from the area, drainage grooves are made. Moss grows in vacant areas without plants. To populate an empty space, plants that feel calm without direct sunlight are planted in the shade: fern, hydrangea, forget-me-not.

The moss itself is pulled out by hand. If it is difficult to deal with it, use ferrous sulfate for treatment - 50 ml per 10 liters of water. This volume is spent on 150 square meters of land.

Moss can be used in landscape design, in areas free from garden crops. It is planted along garden paths and in rockeries.

Constant digging damaged the soil structure

Digging is prohibited in areas of wind and water erosion, on sandy soils, and in swampy areas. You should not dig up a garden where the soil is too dry or too wet. If the soil is disturbed, it will not be able to support a large number of crops. Beneficial bioflora will die, this will lead to diseases and a decline in immunity in plants.

If you dig in the heat, most of the beneficial microorganisms will die and the earthen clods will dry out. Even further precipitation may not be enough to restore and saturate the fertile layer. By turning over the layers of soil, bacteria are destroyed, which enrich the soil with nutritional components.

Plowing is harmful to old arable soil or light soil. The soil contains little humus; it is easily blown away and carried by the wind. In this case fertile layer must be retained with the help of green manure rhizomes.

Digging around fruit trees not only destroys the fertile layer, but also cuts off the roots that feed the entire tree. For many fruit trees the roots are located close to the surface. Damage to the rhizome will cause disease, so you cannot use a hoe or shovel in the garden, especially in areas near tree trunks.

The composition of the soil affects the condition of the plants and the quality of the crop. Every year, specialists carry out a set of procedures to disinfect it from fungal and infectious diseases, pests and weeds. At home, they are also necessary, since the soil accumulates large amounts of harmful substances over time. You can restore the balance of soil microflora and protect the harvest with the help of special preparations that are sold in stores.

Disinfection and treatment

Before planting any plants, it is necessary to prepare the soil. In the absence of proper care, pathogenic microflora begins to multiply in it. These can be mycelium of fungi, nematodes, and mold microorganisms. Under their influence, plants do not take root well, and the abundance of pests can lead to complete loss of the crop.

Timely treatment of soil with disinfectants has a positive effect:

• crops grow healthy, absorb nutrients from the soil well;
• the growth of weeds that interfere with the growth of vegetables and fruits is suppressed;
• appears reliable protection from infection;
• the need for additional treatment of plants against pests is reduced.

Work time

Care for the soil in which fruits and vegetables grow ornamental crops, necessary all year round. It is most convenient to carry out procedures during periods when there are no plants in the ground. This will allow you to use any preparations and not worry about their effect on plantings and beneficial microflora.

in spring

Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to carry out the first soil treatment. This applies to the soil both in the greenhouse and on open beds. Optimal time for the procedure - after the snow has completely cleared from the area. In the greenhouse it is also recommended to adhere to these deadlines. If crops are planted for the winter, the tillage time is calculated based on the timing of planting seedlings.

in autumn

After harvesting, it is necessary to prepare the soil for winter. These measures are aimed at cleaning the soil from pests, as well as from all substances that can cause abundant growth microorganisms. Full complex autumn processing soil will include:

• deleting all annual plants, which in the future can create a favorable environment for the growth of fungi and infection (light tops, carrots, fallen leaves);
• mechanical cleaning of premises and plantings from dirt, preferably with bleach - especially necessary in greenhouses;
• remove unnecessary items and do not use the greenhouse as a warehouse;
• replace the soil or neutralize it with chemicals.

Popular drugs

On sale you can find a large number of drugs that fight unwanted microorganisms and weeds. They have different compositions and can be toxic to plants and humans. Before using them, you should read the instructions and, if necessary, follow safety precautions.

Bleaching powder

One of the first means for disinfection, including it can be used to disinfect soil. 200 g of dry matter must be dug up with the top layer of soil and left for the winter.

The substance is suitable only for autumn treatment due to its high toxicity to plants. When working with it, you should follow safety rules - protect the skin, mucous membranes and respiratory organs from contact with the drug.

Advice! Despite its high effectiveness, bleach is rarely used. Many gardeners opt for less toxic drugs that have no less spectrum of action.

Copper preparations (Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate)

Copper sulfate is not only a well-known fungicide, but also a source of copper for plants. The substance is diluted with water in the proportion of 1 spoon of substance per 10 liters of liquid. This solution is used to water the soil both in spring and autumn.

It can also be used to detect signs of fungal or infectious diseases as crops grow. Adding the drug to the soil will not affect their condition - on the contrary, many of them respond to fertilizer with rapid growth and abundant flowering.

Fitosporin

An environmentally friendly product based on the bacterium Bscillus Subtilis. This is a beneficial soil microorganism that improves soil composition and fights pests. It is effective against most fungal and infectious microbes, as well as nematodes.

The product can be used not only on schedule, but also during the growth of crops in the soil. The only drawback of the drug is that the bacterium remains viable for a month. It is recommended to apply it more than twice a year, especially when signs of plant infection appear.

How and with what to disinfect the soil?

There are several ways to disinfect soil. Some of them are applicable only during periods of absence of crops in the soil due to their high toxicity, others can be used all year round. Drugs may have a broad spectrum of action or be developed against specific diseases.

All soil disinfection methods can be divided into several categories:

• chemical - the use of artificially synthesized substances that destroy pathogenic microorganisms;
• thermal (calcination, pouring boiling water or freezing) - based on the low resistance of bacteria to different temperatures;
• phytopurification - planting useful plants, which act as fungicides;
• environmental - the use of organic fertilizers in large quantities (manure, compost) in the absence of plants, due to which beneficial soil microorganisms are formed.

Methods for soil disinfection will vary. Some of them have a wide spectrum of action and can also be used for preventive purposes. The rest affect only the causative agents of certain diseases.

From weeds

Weeding by hand or using tools is the easiest and most affordable way get rid of weeds. However, the procedure will take a lot of time and effort. There are several more simple ways how to deal with weeds:

• use herbicides at the stage of weed germination (Lazurit, Arsenal, Tornado);
• folk remedies - vinegar, table salt, citric acid;
• a dark film that covers weeds so that they cannot grow and develop.

In the greenhouse

The greenhouse creates conditions for the full development of not only plants, but also pathogenic microflora. It can penetrate not only with soil, but also with household items and tools. The remains of plants that have already been harvested are also dangerous.

In greenhouses, it is recommended to frequently change the soil, not only because of its rapid depletion, but also because of the presence of pests in it. An alternative tip is to conduct general cleaning greenhouses, use soil disinfectants and process seedlings.

For seedlings

Seedlings are especially sensitive to the effects of pathogenic microflora. The presence of weeds in the soil reduces the chances of normal germination. One way to protect plants is to pre-treat the soil chemical agent for disinfection.

If seedlings are planted in a small amount of soil, they can be treated using other methods:

• freezing at sub-zero temperatures for several days;
• roasting in the oven;
• steaming in a water bath.

Advice! There are specially prepared mixtures for seedlings on sale. However, experienced gardeners It is recommended to subject them to disinfection using a general method.

From diseases and pests

Fruit and garden plants, as well as ornamental flowers, can be exposed to pathogens of various phytodiseases. Treatment may not be effective and large amounts of crops may be lost. The only way to be completely sure that your plants are safe is to periodically till the soil in which they grow.

From fungal diseases

The fungus develops in the soil under conditions high humidity and insufficient oxygen supply. The first recommendation on how to prevent its occurrence is to dig up the soil twice a year. You can also use drugs that belong to different groups:

• seed treatment products;
• biological preparations for soil and seedlings (Baikal);
• chemicals (copper-based products).

On small area it's worth using the funds biological protection. They stimulate the growth of beneficial soil microflora, which will suppress the development of fungus. However, in industrial scale Chemically synthesized drugs will be more effective and cost-effective.

From scab

This fungal disease apple trees or potatoes. It can completely destroy a crop if its development is not noticed in time and its development is not stopped. There are several recipes for treating soil against scab:

• digging up soil with pine needles, a source of natural fungicides;
• sulfur in the amount of 2.5-3.5 kg per 1 m of soil;
• aqueous solutions of sulfuric or phosphoric acids.

If the potatoes are severely damaged by scab, soil gypsum is used. 15-20 kg of gypsum is added per 100 m of surface and dug up with soil after the autumn harvest.

From late blight

Late blight is another fungal disease. It is manifested by the appearance of black spots on the leaves, which gradually increase in size and completely destroy the plant. There are several ways to prevent this disease, which will be most effective even before planting seedlings:

• treatment with manganese solution or adding wood ash;
• milling - mixing the top layer of soil using special tools, which increases the amount of oxygen in the soil;
• use of broad-spectrum fungicides.

If you till the soil, the risk of late blight is significantly reduced. Like other types of fungal infections, late blight grows and multiplies in conditions high humidity and reduced oxygen levels.

From the wireworm

Wireworm is a beetle larva that feeds on potatoes. This pest causes no less harm to the crop than the Colorado potato beetle, and it must be eliminated mechanically difficult. Before planting this crop, it is recommended to treat the soil with one of the following solutions:

• potassium permanganate at the rate of 5 g per 10 liters of water;
• fertilizers that contain nitrogen (ammonium nitrate);
• wood ash in dry form or in combination with water for irrigation;
• purchased mixtures.

The most dangerous wireworm is for potatoes, which grow in the same beds for the second year in a row. For prevention purposes, it is recommended to change crops, and if this is not possible, timely apply soil disinfectants.

Today we will deal with the question of how to properly care for the soil in order to restore fertility and obtain consistently high yields without the use of mineral fertilizers and any other chemicals.

How to use organic matter to restore fertility

In the “pre-chemical” era (until the end of the nineteenth century), vegetables and fruits were grown without the use of mineral fertilizers and various pesticides, but now farmers have practically forgotten how this was once done by our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. The use of mineral fertilizers greatly facilitated the work of the peasant and increased yields, however, at the same time, it entailed quite serious Negative consequences, affecting human health.

Already at the beginning of the twentieth century, it became clear that the use of mineral fertilizers negatively affects the health of environment, disrupts the ecological balance and has a detrimental effect on human health. At this time, scientists considered the founders organic farming(Albert Howard, Rudolf Steiner, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer), began to sound the alarm, calling for abandoning the use of chemistry and using the centuries-old experience of our ancestors in using organic matter to restore fertility.

Today, as an alternative to mineral ones, regenerative agriculture uses various organic fertilizers that do not disturb the life of soil and ground inhabitants and help increase the humus layer of the earth. Organic fertilizers are everything that can rot, that is, the bodies of plants and animals, as well as the bodies of microbes that decompose all this. Biological farming uses various organic fertilizers, the main ones being:

• humus
• manure
• compost
• green manure
• bacterial fertilizers

Humus

Humus (humus) is a fertile layer of soil. Humus contains humic and crenic acids, which are important for soil fertility. It is humus that contains the basic nutrients necessary for the full growth and development of the plant. IN natural conditions The “preparation” of humus is carried out by various soil inhabitants (worms, bacteria and other microorganisms).

Before turning into useful fertilizer, plant and animal residues undergo a number of changes. First, microbes and fungi work on them, the result of their activity is the appearance of humus. But after the worms work on the humus, the soil is enriched with a substance indispensable for plant life - vermicompost. Organic farming has developed a whole system of actions that makes it possible to influence the population of earthworms in summer cottages and vegetable gardens.

Manure

Any gardener probably knows what manure is. This organic fertilizer contains nitrogen and most of the other elements that crops need for full growth and development. The application of manure improves the structure of the land, its water and air regimes and Chemical properties. Manure contains calcium and magnesium, which reduce the acidity of the soil, and beneficial microorganisms increase its biological activity. Manure is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide, which is so necessary for plants.

The effect of manure applied to the ground continues for several years. However, it is important to note that this fertilizer cannot be used directly, since fresh manure contains many pathogenic organisms. Manure is best used as one of the ingredients for preparing such valuable organic fertilizer as compost.

Preparing compost correctly

When preparing this fertilizer, it is important to remember that compost is a community of microorganisms, worms and insects that work conscientiously to prepare food for plants. And you need to be able to communicate with these “culinarians”, understand their needs and life processes.

For normal existence of microbes, worms and insects, three main conditions must be provided. They need food, moisture and oxygen. As a rule, most people have no problems with food and moisture, but without oxygen, compost can simply turn sour.

The process of preparing this fertilizer should be thoughtful and leisurely. You can only use high-quality compost that is not prepared correctly; not only will it not help, but it can simply kill the plants.

So, let's figure out what materials can be used and how they should be processed in order to obtain high-quality useful fertilizer. I would like to immediately note that compost heaps and compost pits Under no circumstances should you put fat, lard, bones or various synthetic materials.

Other dairy and meat waste is not contraindicated, but it can attract dangerous animals such as rats, and the odors from such a pile will be, to put it mildly, unpleasant. If you use meat and dairy waste, you need to put it as deep as possible and in small quantities.

All other materials used in composting are divided into green, that is, rich in nitrogen, and brown, which is poor in nitrogen, but rich in fiber. Brown and green materials behave differently in compost and perform different functions. Green ones rot quickly and with heating - this is the so-called stove for a compost heap or pit. Browns rot slowly but provide porosity, trapping air and moisture in the compost.

Green materials include: manure, bird droppings, feces, various kitchen waste, hay, green leaves, grass clippings and tops different cultures, weeds.

The best manure for farming is horse manure, the worst is pork manure, as it is too liquid and contains a lot of acid. Pig manure and poultry manure can make good compost if you cover it with sawdust or dry straw and let it sit until it is completely ripe.

Before adding such compost to the soil, it must be lightly limed. Feces, any manure and kitchen waste should be layered with brown materials when placed on compost heaps.

Hay is an excellent component for making compost, but when laying it, it must be layered with ready-made humus or watered with an infusion of rotten grass to speed up the decay process. Fresh grass and other greenery require pre-drying before being placed on a pile.

Otherwise, it will become compacted and remain without oxygen, which will lead not to rotting, but to souring (the result is toxic silage). If there is no time to dry, and this is what often happens, then fresh greens need to be transferred to something dry from the category of brown materials.

Brown materials include dry leaves and straw, dry corn cobs, seed husks, paper, bark, and sawdust. These components, as a rule, are used to sandwich green materials, and on their own they rot slowly and absorb nitrogen, which is an important nutrient. If you compost only brown materials, then these materials are moistened with a urea solution at the rate of 2 kg per cubic meter - this procedure accelerates the ripening process and enriches the compost with nitrogen.

The compost preparation method can be cold or hot. The essence of the cold, that is, slow, method is that the gardener just needs to constantly put it on the heap. different materials, which were mentioned above. It will be enough to move such a pile once a season, changing the layers in places.

By autumn, the compost will be almost ready for use; it can be laid out on the beds and covered with film for the winter. If you transfer the pile twice or three times over the summer, then the fertilizer will be prepared much earlier, and if you mix it every week, then composting will end in 1.5–2 months - this is called the hot method. However, not every person has enough time and energy to do this. That's why cold method cooking is the most popular.

It is best to compost organic matter in piles rather than in pits, as some suggest. Water constantly accumulates in the pits, making the mixing process and oxygen access difficult - rotting proceeds slowly.

Organize compost heaps in the following way. They make three walls from any hard material, up to a meter high. Ideally, the floor should be made of lattice - this helps good penetration oxygen from below, which accelerates ripening. But if this is not possible, you can build a pile on concrete, or even just on the ground. It is best to make two compartments at once, so that there is somewhere to transfer the ripened organic matter in the future.

The minimum volume of the pile should be one cubic meter, otherwise the compost will dry out quickly. For the same reason, it is necessary to place the compost heap in a shaded place. If the place for preparing fertilizer is in the sun, then it needs to be covered (in the summer with something opaque and allowing air penetration, and in cold times with polyethylene, which will contribute to rapid rotting).

It is impossible to overheat the compost - microorganisms may die, but it is also not recommended to cover it at all, since beneficial nutrients are eroded and washed away by rain.

Compost is the main fertilizer for all gardeners who adhere to the principles of organic farming. When it matures, the content of nutrients necessary for plants (potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and others) increases in organic matter.

Adding ready-made compost to the beds improves the structure and fertility of the soil; such beds retain moisture better. Ready-made, high-quality compost perfectly protects crops from many diseases and contributes to obtaining a high-quality, environmentally friendly harvest.

We grow fertilizers in the beds

Compost, without a doubt, is an excellent fertilizer, but to prepare it you need to have a large amount of different organic materials on the farm, which in some cases can be extremely problematic. So what should people do who don’t want to use chemicals in their gardens, but don’t have the time or opportunity to prepare compost? In such cases, organic farming advises growing fertilizers directly in the beds.

Here green manure plants will come to our aid ( green fertilizers). The use of green manures is one of the main ways to improve soil structure and fertility used in organic farming. These plants are grown specifically directly in the beds, but not for consumption, but to improve the health of the earth. The green mass of these crops is incorporated into the soil to increase its organic content, and is also used for composting and the preparation of various liquid fertilizers.

Mixtures of legumes and non-legumes are most often used as green fertilizers. Perennial legumes include alfalfa, clover, lupine, and sainfoin. Any non-legume grain except corn is suitable. Various cruciferous crops are perfect for green manure: mustard, rapeseed, radish, and rape. Many gardeners use for these purposes any seeds that, for example, have passed their expiration date.

There is nothing complicated about the growing technology itself. In the beds where you plan to plant heat-loving crops, in early spring you can sow the seeds of any green manure. Before planting a tomato or pepper, you will be guaranteed a knee-deep green carpet that can be embedded in the soil without mowing. In this case, you can plant seedlings directly into the withering tops.

After harvesting garlic, carrots, and potatoes (that is, those crops that will no longer occupy the bed until frost), you can plant the empty areas with any green manure. To do this, just walk along the ground with a rake and a bag of seeds. After the shoots appear, if there is no danger that the greenery will outgrow and become woody, it can be left for the winter, and in the spring you will just need to loosen the bed. If the greens have risen long before the onset of cold weather, then they need to be embedded in the soil, and immediately a new portion of green fertilizer should be sown on top for the spring.

In general, green manure is a creative process; the main thing here is to follow the basic principle of organic farming - do not leave the soil bare and adhere to some simple rules:

• Green manure cannot be overgrown; the more powerful the plant, the more difficult it is to prune it;
• green fertilizers need to be sown thickly;
• It is not recommended to use rhizome crops as green manure;
• To reduce the effort and time for planting green fertilizers, you can scatter their seeds before harvesting or before spring loosening.

Green manure is an excellent way to improve and restore the fertility of a site. After green fertilizers are embedded in the ground, their root and leaf mass decompose and enrich the soil with organic matter and nitrogen. Further, under the influence of microorganisms and earthworms, plant residues are processed and converted into humus.

Green manure plants provide the soil with oxygen, help retain moisture and improve the structure of the soil. Green fertilizers create a dense cover that protects the soil from weathering and leaching of nutrients, which, during green manure, are stored in the upper fertile layers.

Bacterial fertilizers

As we have already found out, without the work of microorganisms, organic fertilizers will not work. They are involved in both the creation of humus and the ripening of compost. To increase the number of microorganisms, scientists have invented special preparations - bacterial fertilizers, affectionately called “emochki” among the people. These are not ready-made nutrients, but microorganisms in the form of spores or cells that, when favorable conditions begin to multiply and process organic matter.

Today, the preparations “Vostok-EM1” and “Biostim” are considered to be fairly well-known bacterial fertilizers. Vostok-EM1 contains more than 80 varieties of fungi and microorganisms, which, under the influence of Biostim, begin to actively multiply and do an excellent job of processing the excrement of various animals and birds, turning them into highly nutritious humus. The microorganisms that make up these drugs produce substances that can suppress the growth of microflora, which causes various dangerous diseases plants.

It should be noted that the production of bacterial fertilizers is still far from being studied, and this industry Agriculture It is just beginning its development, but is already considered quite promising in many countries.

Nowadays, when the world is on the brink of an environmental catastrophe, the problem of abandoning the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides when growing food is especially pressing. And, as we found out, the achievements of agronomist scientists who work on the land, adhering to the principles of organic and biodynamic farming, can help in resolving it. By learning to grow green fertilizers and prepare compost, you can provide your family with environmentally friendly vegetables and fruits, which will contribute to the health of the body and the nature around you.published

If you have any questions, ask them.

Garden or personal plot Every person wants to make the most of it: plant vegetables, sow herbs, and create a flower bed. However, the soil tends to become depleted. That’s why it’s worth finding out in advance how to improve the soil by enriching its composition to increase fertility.

How to effectively improve the soil structure in your own garden needs to be thoroughly understood. It is easy to determine whether the substrate needs fertilizing - to do this, carefully examine the soil composition. If it takes on a pale tint, it means the soil is lacking nutrients. Brown soil is direct evidence that the amount of humus in the substrate is too small. When you need to take this issue more seriously, submit a soil sample for laboratory analysis.

It is believed that when the soil in the garden turns whitish, it means that it is saturated with too much carbonates. You can verify this as follows: apply a few drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid to a lump of soil. If a reaction occurs and the liquid begins to fizz, your doubts have been confirmed.

In the process of identifying signs of impoverishment soil composition It is very important to pay attention to the type of soil. Take a small handful of soil in your hand, form it into a ball and then see if it crumbles. If it has disintegrated, it means that the soil in your garden is sandy. Otherwise clayey.

However, we should not forget about intermediate options: loamy and sandy loam soils. It must be remembered that when the substrate is sandy, it absorbs moisture well and quite quickly, but also loses it instantly. In this case, it is simply necessary to improve the soil structure.

Video “How to improve the quality of the soil on the site”

In this video, an expert will talk about what needs to be done to increase soil fertility.

Changing the soil structure

Experienced gardeners know how to quickly improve soil fertility in their own garden plot. The first rule is reasonable and well-thought-out agricultural technology, especially if we're talking about on the cultivation of plants over large areas. However, even in this case, over time, mineral salts, nutrients and trace elements gradually disappear from the soil. In this case, the salt composition of the substrate is significantly disrupted. This is an important signal that it is time to change the structure of the soil. This procedure is carried out different ways, and the specifics of its implementation depend on the type of soil.

If the soil in your garden is heavy, loamy, you need to dilute it with sand and fine expanded clay. When you have to cultivate greens and vegetables on poor sandy loam, it is recommended to include clay and humus in the soil. In both cases, one should not forget about organic matter, which saturates any substrate with nutritional components.

We sow green manure

Those who want to quickly and effectively enrich the soil composition should definitely adopt plants that improve the soil. Green manure includes annual crops that are planted in the garden, cultivated, and then mowed and buried in the ground. Most often, it is recommended to sow such herbs after harvesting potatoes. In this case, by the onset of winter cold, you will be able to grow green manure and process it in such a way as to saturate the substrate. The use of these nutritious herbs is notable primarily because with their help you will replenish the soil with organic matter and at the same time thoroughly loosen it.

If the soil in your garden is really poor, you can sow perennial clover. In this case, you will give the soil a few seasons to rest, and during this time the grass will saturate the substrate with nutrients. After three years, the garden will need to be dug up (plowing is good for cultivated plants), and then feel free to plant any vegetables or other cultivated plants.

Mulching

How to improve clay or sandy soil, you need to find out in detail. It is not necessary to prefer one option if you can approach the problem in a comprehensive manner. For example, adding mulch is considered a good way to increase soil fertility. To do this, in the autumn, the treated and fertilized soil must be covered with a layer of natural mulch.

The best option is sawdust, straw, bark, grass or some kind of covering material. Moreover, you can resort to such a procedure not only at the end of the growing season, but also in its midst. There are many benefits of mulching:

• prevents evaporation of moisture from the soil;
• protects plant rhizomes from overheating or freezing;
• allows you to achieve the optimal level of acidity in the substrate;
• enriches the earth;
• prevent weed growth;
• protects vegetables and herbs from overgrowing by weeds.

You can also increase the fertility of clay or sandy soil by mulching.

We apply fertilizers

The structure of garden soil can be easily diversified by applying fertilizers. Combine them or add alternately organic and mineral compounds. Among the most popular organic nutrient mixtures, it is worth highlighting manure. It includes a large number of microelements (cobalt, copper, boron, manganese), as well as microorganisms that help decompose and absorb organic matter much faster.

Bird droppings are considered even more nutritious. That is why it is recommended to use it in diluted form, since the content useful components it is concentrated.

If you add bird droppings undiluted with water or other ingredients, you can cause a burn to the root system of your greens.

Take care of the plants in your own area, apply high-quality fertilizers and be sure to alternate them. If desired, use other methods of enriching the soil composition (sowing green manure and plowing, mulching), and you will extend the life of your garden.

Anatoly ONEGOV.

Within a year or two, potatoes will grow again in an area overgrown with all kinds of grass.

Peas rise like a green wall above the garden bed.

Clover, like lupine and beans, not only restores soil fertility, but also enriches it with nitrogen.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Pikulnik, popovnik, horsetail - lovers of acidic soils.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Field bindweed grows on slightly acidic or neutral soil.

Zucchini tolerates slightly acidic soils.

Cucumbers do not tolerate acidic soils.

I remember when I became seriously interested in soil science and agronomy, I was amazed by such numbers. It turned out that at least a million different insects (that is, 95 percent of the total number of species known to scientists) are somehow connected with the soil. Some spend their entire lives in the ground, others lay eggs, in others, pupae rest in it, in others, larvae live. And each of these living creatures leaves its mark in the earth, either by helping to increase the fertility of the soil, or by making passages in it through which water and air enter, and carbon dioxide formed by living organisms is removed.

But besides insects, other animals also live in the ground, such as earthworms. Crawling out of their burrows at night, they look for last year's leaves and plant remains and drag them to themselves. Once eaten and passed through the intestines, these residues end up in the form of small dark lumps in the ground. So earthworms fertilize it, being responsible for fertility in their own way. And through their burrows, water and air enter the soil, soil drainage occurs, and often very deep.

I remember another figure: on one hectare of uncultivated land there are about 200 kilograms of microorganisms. The total mass of all living beings inhabiting this piece of earth reaches a ton. Is it a lot or a little? In order to grow good harvest turnips, for one hectare of land you need to apply 500 kilograms of mineral fertilizers, when planting carrots - 800 kilograms, and beets - already one ton. As you can see, the mass of living creatures inhabiting the soil is greater than the mass of mineral fertilizers applied to the ground when growing turnips and carrots. But all living creatures inhabiting the earth, after the expiration of their allotted life span, die and remain in the earth, giving it accumulated organic substances. The remains of animals are decomposed by microorganisms, and the microorganisms, in turn, dying off, provide the soil with nutritious humus.

This is how a healthy, not depleted, not exhausted land lives, which until quite recently wise peasants affectionately called living.

The living earth has one amazing property: it not only gives plants the necessary nutrition, but is also capable of restoring fertility if life in it is not destroyed.

The peasant has long known that soil that has lost its strength, yielding smaller and smaller harvests from year to year, must be left alone for several years, not touched with a plow, and wait until it again protects itself with a layer of turf and organic matter accumulates in it. And all this without applying fertilizers.

Having received possession of the land for my house, I reclaimed the former meadow, which occupied a high, dry place, and successfully grew potatoes for two years in a row, practically without introducing any fertilizers into the soil - except for pouring into each hole prepared for a potato tuber, half a handful of ash, but I did it more so that the potatoes would be tastier. But in the third year in this, until recently virgin garden, I did not see a potato harvest. There was not enough manure then, so I left this place for a while. For the third year in a row it has been overgrown with grass, growing thicker and thicker every year. I don’t mow the grass or put it into the soil. The old grasses die off, and their remains are processed by microorganisms. This is how the strength of my garden is gradually restored. I think that in a year or two I will again get decent potato harvests here.

Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to conduct such an experiment on several dacha acres - every piece of land is valuable. But even on your 6-8 acres, you can quite take advantage of the ability of the living earth to restore its strength, and besides, you will help it in this.

Some garden bed stops producing crops; it needs to be fertilized organic fertilizer. If there is no such fertilizer, sow in early spring peas, preferably low-growing ones, and plant them thicker - then they will rise like a solid green wall and will not allow any weeds. When the time comes to harvest, pick the pods, cut off the tops and leave them in an even layer. By spring, almost all of the stems will rot. Then again loosen the furrows in this bed with a garden fork and spread out the pea seeds. Again, collect only the pods and leave the stems. A new spring Using a garden fork or shovel, embed the half-rotted pea stems into the soil and you can safely grow root crops. For cabbage or potatoes, or even cucumbers, two seasons of such natural restoration of soil fertility is not enough - these plants, as they say, take a lot of nutrients out of the ground in one summer, and radishes, lettuce, carrots and beets will do just fine.

In addition, peas, like clover and lupine, also enrich the soil with nitrogen. You can plant beans in a resting bed, but they will not be able, like peas, to resist weeds - they will not cover the entire ground with a solid green mass.

I have long adopted this method of restoring the soil with the help of peas: peas in my garden are a respected crop.

The ability of soil to self-heal, accumulate organic matter, and improve structure depends on many factors. Both climate and soil acidity have an effect. The higher the acidity, the slower the fertile layer grows. This is explained by the fact that in conditions of high acidity, the work of microorganisms that are busy processing organic residues slows down.

The yield also depends on the acidity of the soil. Of all the cultivated plants, only potatoes do well in acidic soil. Sorrel, tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, radishes, and carrots tolerate slightly acidic soils. But cabbage, beets, onions, garlic, lettuce, cucumbers and peas simply cannot tolerate acidic soil.

To measure soil acidity, there are special devices, but even without instruments you can determine whether it is suitable for certain crops.

If the soil is acidic, unsuitable for garden plants, near the beds it is easy to find horsetail, pikulnik, speedwell, plantain, small sorrel, field mint, buttercup, popovnik. If the soil is slightly acidic or neutral, that is, suitable for all garden plants, wild plants such as field bindweed, odorless chamomile, clover, coltsfoot, wheatgrass, and thistle will grow on it.

Plants that help to immediately determine the acidity of the soil in the garden are usually called indicator weeds.

Acidic soils are usually found in low, damp places and where it stagnates longer. spring water. So-called natural acidification of the soil occurs. But nowadays, acidic soils can also be found in high places - acid rain “blesses” the earth with acid. Industrial soil acidification is becoming almost a national disaster in some places.

You can reduce the acidity of the soil using fluff lime (slaked lime), cement dust, chalk, and ground lime.

Stove ash will also help. Even in ancient times, peasants used ash to “remove horsetail” from their gardens. Ash is added to the soil during autumn digging: 100-150 grams per 1 m2 (up to 1.5 kilograms per 10 m2 of garden). For reference: a teaspoon of wood ash is 2 grams, a tablespoon is 6 grams, a faceted glass is 100 grams. Please also note that wood ash is an excellent mineral fertilizer, it only lacks nitrogen.

And the last thing I would like to warn you about. Plants grown in acidic soil can be hazardous to your health. They contain significantly more heavy metals (for example, lead, mercury) than similar plants grown in less acidic soils. This is explained by the fact that heavy metals contained in soil and rocks, as well as those that enter the soil along with emissions industrial enterprises, vehicles, are not washed out by ordinary rainwater, but are washed away by acidic solutions, enter plants and accumulate in them. That is, in slightly acidic and neutral soils, heavy metals are in a bound state, and in acidic soils they are more mobile and are able to accumulate in plant tissues. This is already a sign of our industrial age.