Experienced farmers know what siderats are. To take more from the soil, you need to give it the same. To restore the composition of the soil and its permeability, plants that meet these requirements are used. This article provides information on how to properly enrich the land using natural components.
The role of plants in soil enrichment
Since ancient times, people have understood that he needs rest to restore depleted soil. The abandoned sites during the dormant period accumulated useful substances due to plants that layered on the surface, rotted and turned into compost. The roots of wild grass prevented the soil from leaching, they fed on microorganisms and worms, which, in turn, contributed to the accumulation of nitrogen. When such plots were developed for planting cultivated plants, they rewarded farmers with rich crops. This sheds some light on the issue we are discussing about what siderats are. We can say that these are plants, which are organic fertilizers that normalize the state of the soil. The basis of this method of agriculture laid an important principle - the earth should not be bare.
What are siderate crops?
Since science does not stand still, in the course of botanical research it was found that some plants have increased siderate properties. As farmland borders expanded, there was a need for accelerated land restoration. The task was to find plants that are distinguished by intensive growth and powerful green mass. Thanks to new discoveries, many farmers have gained a deeper understanding of what siderata is and what great importance they have in agriculture. The secrets of the use of natural fertilizers have revealed to themselves and many summer residents. Some of them successfully sow them on the beds with vegetable crops and free land. We single out the main characteristics of these plants:
- Crops grown to improve the soil grow and gain green mass within 45-60 days.
- The cut off aerial part of plants is an excellent alternative to chemical complex fertilizers. With the regular use of this method, the accumulation of organic elements in the soil occurs.
- At the end of the growing season, crops saturate the earth with nitrogen and other nutrients.
- With certain agricultural techniques using the thickened planting method, the stems create a dense wall through which weeds are difficult to get through.
- The long and branched roots of siderata plants block the flow of nutrients to the weed grass, and also structure the soil, making it loose and breathable. Rotting, they serve as an additional fertilizer for future plants.
- During the growing season, the green mass protects the earth's surface from wind and sun, as a result of which a large amount of moisture is stored in it. The same function is performed by the sloped aboveground part of the crops left on the beds. It also protects the soil from erosion.
Kinds
A guideline in choosing a suitable plant is the family to which it belongs. The following groups of siderate crops are:
- Cereals: rye, barley, oats.
- Legumes: peas, vetch, alfalfa, sainfoin, clover, fodder beans, clover, all varieties of lupine.
- Cruciferous: oil radish, white mustard, rape, spring and winter rape.
- Burachnikovye - phacelia.
From the general list of siderates, it is difficult to single out the best, as well as the universal one, which would be suitable for all cultures. Each plant has its own requirements and preferences. And some enrichment crops can even adversely affect a particular plant. For example, cabbage cannot be planted after cruciferous plants, since it also belongs to this family. Such predecessors will only serve to spread their common pests and diseases.
The ideal siderate for acidic soils is phacelia. Rotting and mixing with the topsoil, it neutralizes acidic reactions in its environment. Among gardeners, it is famous for its accelerated growth rate, perfectly loosens the soil and attracts honey insects.
Perennial cultures have established themselves as good orderlies. They have a strong root system, and after the next mowing of the green mass, they again begin to cluster. These include clover and alfalfa. It would be advisable to sow them in depleted areas for a long term cultivation in a designated place. The mowing process is carried out throughout the entire growing season. At the last stage of enrichment, chopped greens along with the roots are embedded in the soil. Below is an overview of the most popular cultures.
Phacelia
This is a hydrophilic plant that improves soil aeration. It becomes light, permeable, and its acidity decreases to neutral. Growing phacelia as a siderat is gaining more and more popularity among gardeners. This culture is universal and positively affects all types of vegetables and berries. In addition, it is worth paying attention to its unpretentiousness, drought tolerance, quick set of the ground part and frost resistance. Phacelia loves peat, sand or clay soil, but can grow on rocky ground.
Phacelia has a fleshy trunk and strong leaves, the tissues of which contain volatile. These substances inhibit the formation of pathogenic microorganisms in the soil, putrefactive bacteria, as well as late blight and scab. In addition, the plant protects vegetables from aphids, wireworms, codling moths and nematodes. A field with phaselia looks unusually beautiful. It blooms profusely - lilac fluffy caps of inflorescences always attract the eyes of passers-by.
Oats
Cereals show themselves well on many types of soil, but they will bring great benefit on acidic soil. With their help, it is possible to turn loamy and sandy areas into fertile land, to achieve water permeability and the accumulation of nitrogen and potassium. Oats are sown as green manure for healing and loosening the soil. In particular, it enriches the earth with macronutrients such as potassium and phosphorus. Thanks to the powerful root system, which can change the structure of heavy soil, water and air freely penetrate into its deeper layers. If the grain is sown along with vegetable crops on light soil, then it will protect its upper layer from erosion and provide plants with moisture.
Oat roots contain a substance that can prevent the growth of bacteria. Using this siderat plant for several years, you will insure your garden against pathogens of fungal infections and root rot. Meanwhile, it is important to remember that cultures for soil enrichment need to be periodically changed. To saturate the earth sufficiently with the necessary trace elements, and especially nitrogen, oats are combined with other fast-growing crops, such as peas or vetch.
Mustard
As a siderat, mustard is the most famous plant among gardeners. She won her location due to the unpretentiousness and availability of seed material. Green biomass is widely used as fertilizer by digging it into the ground. This attracts a large number of beneficial microorganisms that quickly process it and turn it into soil. Very deep roots structure the soil well and make it porous. The substances that the nutrient system secretes are detrimental to the wireworm.
If early spring to sow mustard in the area of tree trunks, then during its flowering, as well as the flowering of the fruit plants themselves, honey insects will flock to its aroma.
In autumn planting, the snow will melt after the snow melts. This will prevent the earth from cracking and wind erosion.
Mustard as a siderate serves as a good protection against harmful grass - where it grows, weeds simply do not appear. In order for the plant to fulfill all its functions, its sowing should be carried out only in moist soil.
What crops are suitable for growing potatoes
Since potatoes are called second bread, this crop is often grown in large quantities. Being a monoculture, it significantly depletes the soil. Often it is not always possible to crop rotation, so the problem is solved by sowing auxiliary crops. To achieve maximum results, prepare certain mixtures of various seeds of green manure. For potatoes, plants are selected taking into account what conditions can be provided to him by the accompanying culture. Indeed, for the normal formation of tubers you need a well-structured soil. Potatoes are prone to many diseases, so they need a companion that can suppress specific infections. Equally important is the presence of trace elements in the biomass of green manure. Consider the characteristics of individual crops and some mixtures:
- A good option in this regard would be a combination of peas and oats. Legumes are most often used by gardeners due to the high nitrogen content. Such plants are distinguished by a lush green mass. In this case, oats as a siderate acts as an additional culture.
- If only cereals are grown between the rows of potatoes, this can attract wireworms. However, they can be sown in the fall, after harvesting.
- Buckwheat is rich in potassium and phosphorus, which are necessary for the development of root crops. It quickly gathers biomass, works well on heavy soil.
- The effectiveness of the cultivation of phacelia as green manure on beds with potatoes has been confirmed by time. The results of many years of testing have shown that this plant copes well with the nematode, wireworm and provides reliable protection against weeds.
- Mustard contains sulfur and phosphorus, has a short growing season, which allows you to get green mass several times.
- Lupine in its properties is identical to fresh manure, but, unlike it, is absorbed much faster. This is due to the content in the plant tissues of organic acids, which interact well with minerals in the soil.
- Another effective plant is flax. In addition to siderate functions, it helps to combat the Colorado potato beetles.
Siderata for potatoes should be alternated. Even the most suitable plant eventually becomes monoculture and does not have a positive effect on the soil.
It is necessary to observe the rules of agricultural technology when sowing seeds. Too thickened landings, as well as thinned ones, will not give the desired result. Seed consumption is always indicated on the package.
And most importantly, green fertilizers cannot be brought to the flowering stage. Biomass is cut off during the period of milk maturity. Old, coarse raw materials will decay very slowly and can do a lot of harm.
Plant selection
Before buying green manure for the garden, you need to decide what tasks you are going to solve with the help of green fertilizers. Consider what you need to pay attention in order not to make a mistake in choosing a culture:
- If your garden is suffering from an invasion of slugs or bears, it is best to plant mustard. These pests can destroy the crop of carrots and potatoes, as well as undermine small bushes of seedlings. Sulfur compounds, which contain mustard, suppress pathogenic microflora, which, in turn, contributes to the improvement of the soil.
- Carbonate or saline soil can normalize a representative from the legume family. It is a clover, which is considered a medicinal plant and an excellent honey plant. Having a beneficial effect on this kind of soil, it simultaneously scares off rodents and attracts beneficial insects.
- To enrich the earth as much as possible, plant a lupine. In addition, it provides perfect soil structuring. Its core roots go deep into the ground (by 2 m) and drain it. This plant is afraid of the bear and May beetles.
- On a site where vegetables demanding nitrogen will grow in subsequent years, it is better to plant legumes. With their help, you can quickly restore poor soils - over the season, these crops allow several mowing. It is worth paying attention to alfalfa, since its biomass has increased digestibility.
- If you need raw materials for compost heaps or mulching material, sow oil radish, which is capable of delivering a large amount of green fertilizer.
Novice gardeners often wonder when to sow green manure. The sowing of enrichment plants can be carried out both before planting the main crop, and after harvesting. The only thing is to figure out what type of natural fertilizer is suitable for a particular season. More on this later.
Spring planting
The earliest include spring rape, phacelia, rape and mustard. They are good precursors for tomatoes and peppers. Landing of green manure is carried out simply: you need to calculate the number of seeds on the allotted land area, scatter them around the site and level them with a rake. When the plants have gained enough green mass, it must be put on fertilizer before the budding process. There are three ways to use biological fertilizer:
- Two weeks before the seedlings are planted, useful plantings are dug into the ground. However, this method is not so effective compared to the others.
- The stems of the crops are cut, and the roots are left in the ground. In this case, the plane cutter is set so that when mowing, the soil is also captured (about 2 cm). Then vegetables are planted on the garden, and cut greens are left on the surface.
- If siderates are at the stage of vegetative development, then seedlings can be planted between them. As long as they grow together, healthy crops will be protected from the weather. Upon reaching the desired growth, green fertilizers are cut and create a layer of mulch from them. When it is slightly dried up, any grass or hay can be applied on top.
Autumn sowing of seeds
Most often sow mustard or rye before winter. In the fall, green manure is grown after harvesting the main crops. Usually this time falls on the period lasting from the end of August to the beginning of October. Rye is harvested before the cold until heading. It is cut off in the area of the tillering unit and left in the garden. Mustard grows to the very frosts and even during the first snow. Usually it is left until spring. In March, her tops are cut with a plane cutter or the main plants are planted directly on its remains.
After harvesting early vegetables, you can grow other types of green fertilizers. When choosing siderates for a garden, you must always take into account the period of their full development. If you understand that the cold weather is still far away, then sow heat-loving plants. For example, after harvesting early potatoes or garlic, phacelia, oilseed radish and spring rye will have time to grow. These are suitable precursors for cucumbers.
Conclusion
Now that you know what siderats are, you can safely use these plants to improve the soil. Organic farming methods significantly increase the amount of harvested crops. With competent and regular application of natural fertilizers, you will save your garden from the accumulation of nitrates, since this method of soil restoration frees the farmer from the use of chemicals.