The annual use of land for the cultivation of various crops greatly depletes the soil and significantly reduces its fertility. There are many ways to compensate for the deficiency of nutrients in it, the most popular is the sowing of green manure. But how and when to sow them, when to bury them, Is it possible to plant them in the fall or is it better to plant them in the spring? You will find out the answers to these questions below.
What are siderates
Siderata are called plants that have the ability to restore the soil structure, enriching it with valuable trace elements, without which normal vegetation of any fruit crop is impossible.
The peculiarity of the nursery plants is that in a short period of time it is possible to obtain a unique green fertilizer, rich in useful substances:
- nitrogen;
- calcium;
- zinc;
- magnesium;
- iron and many others. dr.
In addition to increasing fertility, green manure crops eliminate pathogens, help get rid of larvae and pests.
After diseases and parasites have been found on the seasonal garden, it is simply necessary to rehabilitate the soil. The use of green manure for this purpose is an affordable and simple means.
Pros and cons of landing
You can evaluate the benefits of green manure crops by their useful properties:
- the use of nursery plants for soil healing is a natural process, which indicates safety;
- restoration of fertility and improvement of the structure occurs in just a few months (before the decomposition of the green mass);
- prevention of erosion formation;
- the form of fertilization is acceptable for microorganisms living in the soil;
- green manure suppress the growth of weeds;
- the deeply penetrating root system of crops makes the soil loose, thereby increasing its air and moisture permeability;
- grown green manures are simply dug up on the site, there is no need to collect them, carry them, distribute them over the garden;
- cultivation of the land with green fertilizers cleans from harmful bacteria, spores, larvae of pests and the parasites themselves.
In the discussions of gardeners, there are also negative reviews about the use of green manure plants. For example, when planting a sweet clover, the germination of shoots is observed for several years. This is due to the fact that this culture is perennial, so it will not be possible to remove the grass in one year. Someone considers this harm and prefers annual herbs.
In this case, there is only one recommendation - before sowing, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the green manure, and only then make a decision on its use.
The disadvantages include the exact observance of the terms of harvesting green mass.
If you hold out until the formation of seeds, you will not be able to get high-quality fertilizer... At this stage, the stems become stiff. Therefore, it is important not to miss the beginning of flowering, when the plant is filled with the maximum amount of micronutrients and maintains the delicate structure of stems and foliage.
Varieties of siderates and the rules for planting them
Oil radish
The culture is melliferous, fodder, and also used as a green fertilizer. The grass enriches the soil with humus and organic matter. The presence of essential oils in the composition provides a deterrent effect against pests and fungal diseases. The oil radish is used in the fight against wireworms and nematodes.
Sowing green manure is planned from spring to autumn. There is no special requirement for soils, but the culture does not react well to an acidic environment.
You need to cut greens for use as fertilizer for 5-7 weeks of growing season. Autumn cleaning must be completed 2 weeks before the soil freezes. It is better to close it in the ground with a shovel or cultivator.
Annual rye
One of the most popular plants of orderlies at their summer cottage is rye. The culture is unpretentious to the type of soil, withstands dry weather. Simple agricultural techniques are complemented by useful green manure properties:
- lightens dense soils;
- suppresses weeds;
- inhibits fungal spores, helps to get rid of the nematode;
- increases soil fertility.
Sowing is planned from the end of August to the 20th of September. The green mass builds up quickly, forming dense bushes. When the height of greenery reaches 15-20 cm, the aboveground part is cut off and embedded in the ground.
Phacelia for good soil
Phacelia has not only an attractive appearance, but also has the ability to lighten heavy soils, enrich them with valuable trace elements. A feature of the plant is considered to be good compatibility with almost all garden crops, so after cutting off the greenery, you can plant everything.
Sowing work is carried out in the spring or after harvest (until the end of August). Some gardeners plant phacelia before winter. Any type of soil is suitable for growing green manure, flowers grow even on rocky terrain with poor nutrients.
Features of the plant:
- increases soil fertility;
- prevents the formation of erosion;
- drives away pests;
- cleans the environment from harmful bacteria and spores.
Mow the grass before flowering. If sowing is done before winter (at the end of October - November), mowing is not required.
Winter and spring rapeseed as green manure
Among the main advantageous characteristics of rape is the ability to suppress weeds, improve the soil structure, saturating it with useful microelements.
It is advisable to plant the spring variety in late March or early April. The cut is made after 35-45 days. Winter rape is planted from August to the end of October. The aboveground part should be cut off before flowering.
When planting with carrots in a vegetable crop, an increase in the yield and quality of root crops is noted.
Applying mustard in spring and autumn
Siderat perfectly copes with cleaning the soil from scab, late blight, black leg and other diseases. Due to the content of essential oils, the plant repels pests (nematodes, wireworms, etc.). Mustard grows on almost any soil, quickly forming a green mass.
After embedding, the soil is enriched with phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and other microelements. You can sow the plant in the beds at any time. It is necessary to cut off at the initial stage of flowering until the pods form and immediately plow them.
Oats in the winter in the garden
The culture improves the soil structure, enriches with nutrients, inhibits the growth of weeds. Cold resistance allows sowing from March to November. Zthe spruce mass grows on average in 5-7 weeks, after which it is cut and embedded in the ground.
When grown before winter, no digging is performed.
To enhance the efficiency of fertilization, it is recommended to sow seeds in combination with other green manures, for example, vetch.
When to sow lupine
The culture belongs to the legume family; it has been used as a green manure since ancient times. It is especially effective to use the plant on dense soils.
Lupine makes them loose, rich in potassium, nitrogen and other nutrients. After the introduction of green fertilizer, it is ideal to plant cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes. The filling of the green mass is carried out upon reaching 1.5 months of age. A feature of lupine is its ability to reduce the acidic environment in the soil.
Winter wheat in October
Planting winter wheat podzimny in the country is considered an excellent option for improving the soil. Its powerful root system structures dense soils, the green mass saturates with nitrogen, calcium and other nutrients. Due to its earth-drying properties, it is recommended to sow wheat in combination with other green manures.
Sowing is planned for the fall. In the spring, before planting the main crop (2-4 weeks), the land must be dug up.
Comparison table of green manure with sowing dates
Comparative analysis of green manure | ||||||
Name | pros | Minuses | Timing landing | Scheme sowing | Readiness to mowing | Norm seed (gr.) on weave |
Mustard | reduces the leaching of minerals, loosens the bottom layer of the earth, excellent melliferous plants, releases hardly soluble phosphates | can not be planted before planting crucifers, plant seeds attract birds | March-August | rows, seeding depth 3 cm, row spacing - 20 cm | 1.5 months | 300-400 |
Lupine | penetrates deep into the soil, loosens it, reduces acidity | grows poorly on neutral and alkaline soils, loves loosening | April | rows, row spacing 20 cm, planting depth 2-4 cm | 1.5 months | 300 |
Winter wheat | effectively removes weeds, enriches the soil with nutrients | not used before sowing cereals, attracts wireworm | August-October | randomly, planting depth 3-4 cm | height of greenery 15-20 cm | 2000 |
Oats | loosens the soil, enriches it with nitrogen, calcium, grows in any areas, good compatibility with most garden crops | scanty amount of green mass, demanding watering, heat intolerance | early spring | in rows or scattered, immersion depth 2-3 cm | 1-1.5 months | 1500-2000 |
Rapeseed (winter / spring) | removes weeds, improves soil structure, quickly grows greenery | cut at the age of no later than 7 weeks, so it accumulates toxins in itself as it grows | March-August | randomly, the depth of immersion in the soil 3-4 cm | 1-1.5 months | 200 |
Phacelia | excellent honey plant, suppresses nematode, enriches with nitrogen, inhibits weed growth | high cost of seeds | March-August | in rows, embedment depth 2-4 cm | 1-1.5 months | 120 |
Oil radish | suppresses the growth of weeds, cleans the soil from diseases, nematodes, improves the structure | low nitrogen content in biomass, cannot be planted before planting cabbage | April-August | sow in rows, planting depth 3-4 cm, row spacing - 15 cm | 1.5-2 months | 200 |
Rye | suppresses weeds, improves soil structure, suppresses harmful microorganisms | the plant loves moisture, therefore it drains it greatly, it is better to plant in regions where there are no problems with precipitation | from August 25 to September 20 | randomly or in rows, planting depth 3 cm | after the formation of the green mass | 2500 |
When choosing green manure for a vegetable garden, it is very important to take into account its effect on crops that are planned to be planted on a healthy soil.