Probably not every person who loves farming and enjoys working at the cottage on weekends knows about sideral couples. And completely in vain. Indeed, thanks to them you can get a rich harvest on problem soils. Of course, for this you need to seriously approach your work and timely study the issue, at least in theory. Otherwise, you can get a number of unnecessary problems instead of a rich harvest.
What it is
To begin with, it is worth telling what a steam field is. The term has not been used in our country for the first century. Even distant ancestors noticed that if one crop is grown on the same land plot for many years, then gradually the yield decreases. But if you give the field a break for one season, and then sow it again with the usual culture, then with the same expenditure of energy you can get a richer crop. Therefore, in the presence of free land, a system of three fields was widely used - on two different crops were grown, and the third was resting - it was under steam. The next year, everything shifted - one crop was grown on a site that used to be under steam. Another shifted to the first place. And the third field, respectively, remained under steam. This technology allowed less depletion of the soil. On the one hand, different cultures took different trace elements from the earth. And on the other hand, over a year of rest, microorganisms living in the soil made it possible to restore the fertility of the site.
However, if you use sideral pairs, you can achieve even better results. To do this, the area left under steam is seeded with green manure.
However, it will not be out of place to tell what it is. Siderata called plants that are grown in empty fields to increase their productivity. Quite often, these are legumes and other crops that have an extremely important feature - the ability to absorb nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil with it.
Their choice is quite large, and the ripening dates vary greatly. Some are grown only for one to two months, while others are grown during almost the entire warm season. Therefore, when working with siderates, you need not only to know what it is. Siderats also need to be seriously chosen, studying their advantages. Otherwise, the whole range of works can do much more harm than good.
In what cases is used
The use of green manure is most justified on weak soils containing a small amount of nutrients. Because of this, they are quickly depleted and do not allow to receive a rich harvest every year.
At the same time, it is desirable that the amount of precipitation in this area allows to do without watering. Then you do not have to spend resources on growing a low-value crop. However, in Soviet times, this technology was also actively used in the republics of Central Asia, where, due to the small amount of precipitation, exclusively irrigated agriculture was used. Thanks to this, it was possible to harvest rich crops from bad soil.
Land cultivation procedure
The treatment of green man vapor in itself is quite simple. In the spring, immediately after the soil is warm enough, the land is plowed to a shallow depth. After that, it is seeded with the selected siderat - the specific choice depends on how long the owner of the site wants to occupy him with a "healing" culture.
After that, you need to wait a certain time. For example, for phacelia or mustard, this period is 1-2 months. And for alfalfa or sainfoin - a whole year.
After this period, the site re-plowed. On the one hand, the earth receives nutrients through the activity of plants. On the other hand, during the plowing of a site, a juicy, young green mass is crushed and smelled into the ground, where it quickly turns into a high-quality fertilizer. Some experts cite very impressive numbers. For example, if you grow lupine on the site, and then grind it, smell it in the ground and let it overtake, then the effect will be about the same as applying 30-40 tons of manure per hectare to the soil. Of course, the cost of transporting fertilizer in this case can be eliminated, which is a great way to save money.
The main thing is to plow the land in a timely manner - before the siderat ripens and has time to give seeds. Otherwise, the next year will have to additionally deal with plants that crush the main seeded crop.
However, in some cases, green manure is not sown in the spring after thawing the soil, but in the fall. These include horse beans, meat-red clover, white clover, sowing rye and other crops. In this case, by the end of May - mid-June, you can plow the field of crop rotation, enriching it with nutrients. And if you re-sow it with precocious green manure, then the efficiency will increase further.
A few words about the clover
Perhaps today not everyone knows what a white clover looks like. But this valuable honey plant with small white and fragrant flowers can be a wonderful siderat. It grows well on any type of soil, including the extremely poor. Like many meadow grasses, it tolerates drought easily, making it suitable for cultivation in regions where there is little rainfall.
True, sweet clover does not enrich the soil with nitrogen, but it grows rapidly and can become a good fertilizer for the earth. In addition, it is recommended to grow it near apiaries so that bees can collect a rich harvest of honey.
It is recommended to sow it before winter, as it does not grow too fast.
A bit about lupine
Most species of lupine (yes, there are many varieties of this valuable green manure) grows well on any soil, including acidic, where many other plants quickly die. It has an extremely valuable property for agricultural workers - it is able to bind atmospheric nitrogen, enriching them with soil. But it is precisely this microelement that is necessary to ensure the rapid growth of stems and leaves. Lack of nitrogen leads to a sharp decrease in the rate of development of any crops.
It is nice that the lupine grows quite quickly. The growing season for him is not too long - only 2-4 months (depending on soil, light and ambient temperature). That is, after a half to three months after sowing, the plot can be re-plowed. Well, the effectiveness of using lupine as fertilizer has already been mentioned.
Grow mustard
Mustard will also be a good choice if you need to improve poor soils. Moreover, her vegetation cycle is surprisingly small - about one to two months. Therefore, this plant will perfectly fulfill the role of green manure in cases when it is necessary to quickly improve the quality of the soil.
Clover pluses
Finally, it is worth mentioning clover. The vegetation cycle can vary significantly - depending on the variety. In addition, meat red is best sown before winter. A meadow - in early spring.
The first grows well on light soils, and the second can take root on loams, significantly improving the quality of the land. It is nice that both varieties effectively enrich the soil with nitrogen. And clover is a beautiful honey plant, valued by many beekeepers.
Conclusion
On this, our article on sideral pairs comes to an end. Now you know what it means to leave the earth under steam, and also have an idea of siderata. Surely this will allow you to regularly receive a rich harvest from any site.