Our ancestors knew that the soil could not be left open for a long time. The proverb “Dig in oats and rye - take a big harvest” is not without reason. Experienced farmers are well aware that the soil left “bare” even for just a few weeks begins to change its structure for the worse and is impoverished. Open areas almost instantly “populate” the weeds, pulling the last juices out of the ground. In order to avoid such a problem, “bare” plots and allotments are temporarily sown with special plants called siderates. There are several varieties of them.
Benefits of secondary crops
Siderata for the garden can be planted either in open areas of land, or as an adjacent crop. Their distinctive feature is a very well-developed root system. This determines their beneficial effect on the earth. Penetrating deep into the soil, the roots of green manure not only loosen it, but also pull up useful trace elements located in the lower layers. In addition, the plants of this variety enrich the heavy earth with air, and the sandy soil is protected from decay. The green mass of green manure is cut off at some point and embedded in the soil. In the future, it will serve as a very good top dressing for garden plants. So the benefits of using these secondary crops can be very large.
The best green manure for the garden
Most often, the following plants are used to improve soil in vegetable gardens and crop plantings:
lupine;
phacelia;
rape;
rape;
buckwheat;
oil radish;
rye.
When to plant
Usually, green manure is sown for the garden in the fall - after harvest. Previously, the site is cleaned of weed, loosen and carefully leveled. If desired, you can plant auxiliary crops in the spring. However, when sowing in May, you should choose precocious varieties of crops. In this case, seedlings are placed directly in the siderat planting.
Lupine
This plant is perhaps the best green manure for the garden. It belongs to the legume family. Its main distinguishing feature is not only a very dense, but also a long root system. The fact that lupine is much better than many other siderates enriches the soil with such important trace elements as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, has been noticed for a very long time. In addition, the roots of this green manure extract nutrients from a very great depth, without affecting the upper layers.
Most often, lupins are planted in the soil in early spring. Previously, in the area reserved for this plant, shallow trenches are made and carefully spilled with water. Then they planted planting material. The distance between the rows of lupins should be about 15 cm, between the individual plants - 7 cm.
Eight weeks after planting, the grass is mowed and buried in the ground by 6-8 cm. It is not difficult to determine the time of this operation. Buds should appear on the lupine.
Siderat phacelia
What other good siderat plants are there for the garden? In second place after lupine in popularity is such a variety of this culture as phacelia. Its main advantage is that it grows very quickly and at the same time accumulates just a huge amount of green mass. Also this siderat is appreciated for its unpretentiousness. To improve poor stony and sandy soils, phacelia is ideal.
You can plant this crop at any time of the year. Phacelia seeds are very small, and therefore they are pre-mixed with sand. The optimum embedment depth of planting material is 2-3 cm, and the consumption is 150-200 g per one hundred square meters. Phacelia is mowed approximately two months after sowing during intensive flowering.
How to plant rape and rapeseed
These siderates for the garden belong to the cabbage family. As an improver for soils, rape and rapeseed are best manifested when planted in the winter. Typically, these auxiliary crops are used on potato plots and in the fields for grain. The main advantages of rape are early maturity and the ability to develop well on slightly acidic and waterlogged soils. Rapeseed very quickly gains a lush and dense green mass.
These siderates are sown in August or September. First, grooves are made in the ground with a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The distance between the rows should be about 15 cm. The seeding rate of colza and rape is 150-200 gr. per hundred square meters.
Siderat buckwheat
This auxiliary plant is most often grown under fruit trees and shrubs. Its main advantages include the fact that it does not dry out the soil at all, and its green mass enriches the soil with such valuable trace elements as phosphorus and potassium. In addition, buckwheat is one of the champions of growth. Before mowing, this siderat manages to grow a green mass half a meter high and roots up to 1.5 m. In addition, this plant feels great on very poor and acidic soils and well suppresses weeds, including wheat grass. In gardens, it also prevents the appearance of wireworms.
The rate of consumption of buckwheat seeds during planting is 600 g per hundred square meters. It is recommended to sow it not earlier than May, since the plant is thermophilic. Buckwheat is planted in rows with a width of 15 cm. Seeds are planted in the soil by 2-3 cm. Buckwheat is cut before flowering. The green mass is partially dripped into the soil to a depth of 15 cm, partially left on the surface.
Use as rye siderate
This plant enriches the earth with trace elements useful for garden, horticultural and agricultural crops, such as nitrogen and potassium. Also, rye can be used to heal the land after potato infected with a nematode.
If the owners of the site are looking for good winter green manure for the garden, this plant can be almost an ideal option. Rye is sown from mid-August to early September. The rate of seed consumption in her is about 600 g per hundred.
Siderat Oilseed Radish
This green manure is able to grow both a dense root and green mass. The main advantage of oil radish is that it well enriches the soil with nitrogen fertilizers. In addition, it is able to suppress the development of various pathogens in the earth. This green manure is usually sown in early August. The consumption of its seeds should be about 30-40 g per 10 m2. The optimal depth of their embedding is 2-3 cm.
Very often, oil radish is planted on the site as a siderate in combination with spring Wicca or other legumes. In this case, the accumulation of nitrogen in the soil is even more intense.
Basic rules for disembarkation of siderates
All siderates described above are usually planted in rows. But if desired, you can use another, more convenient way. In this case, the seeds are simply mixed with sand in a 1x1 proportion and scattered across the field. However, a uniform landing with this method may not work. In order for the green manure to subsequently grow with an even thick carpet, a rake should be passed through the field with the seeds scattered. Those who decided to use green manure for the garden, among other things, will have to prepare some kind of non - woven covering material. It can be, for example, spruce. In the closed area, the seeds will be completely protected from birds, which are always willing to feast on them.
Selection rules
As a siderate, any crop suitable for this purpose can be used. However, one simple rule should be followed when choosing. It is strictly forbidden to plant siderata on the plot as predecessors for garden crops of the same family with them. So, for example, rape or buckwheat cannot be sown where cabbage or beets subsequently grow. Cereal green manure for the garden is usually used on heavy soiled soils for loosening them.
Do not use the same green manure on the site year after year. It is possible to restore soil fertility effectively only by alternating these crops. Well, of course, you can not leave auxiliary plants in the plots until flowering. Young green manure is better at mowing, and their green mass is rich in various trace elements.
Thus, we have found out what siderates are for the garden. When to plant these plants, and which varieties of them to choose best, you also now know. The crops of this variety help to significantly improve the structure of the soil, protect it from weeds and make it much more suitable for growing garden plants. But, of course, only in the case of exact compliance with the landing technology.