Very often, the land in the garden does not meet our requirements. A large amount of sand or clay may be present in it. Most summer residents do not want to overpay for compost and use artificial fertilizers. In agriculture, there are more effective and safer ways to saturate the soil with useful trace elements. They will be interested in summer residents who do not want to spend a lot of money and time to create the optimal soil structure.
Siderative cultures are used to improve the physiological properties of the earth. They form humus, thereby improving the soil, and fill it with useful substances. Such crops can be sown from spring to autumn. Oat is widely distributed as siderat, which has several advantages. Often, these plants are called “greenish fertilizers,” since all the nutrients in the root of the green manure remain in the soil and fertilize it.
Kinds
Cereal siderates include wheat, barley, oats, rye. For legumes: phacelia, clover, peas, lupine. Radiant, mustard, sunflower belongs to the Asteraceae. In addition, there are other annual siderats that grow in two months. Early ripening cold-resistant species include oats, fodder peas, and mustard. These species are sown at the beginning of the spring, as soon as the snow melts. Plants are sown fairly densely, with a wall. Fourteen days before planting the main crop they are cut.
In the autumn, green manure is planted after
harvesting. Crops that were made in the fall do not cut. Plants used to saturate the soil with nutrients can be sown for a whole season, as soon as the soil is free from the main crop. The younger the siderat oats, the greater the amount of nitrogen it contains, which means it will decompose faster in the ground. About fourteen days after cutting, the soil will be ready for planting major crops. Mature siderates rot longer, however, the soil receives significantly more nutrients.
Oats - Green Protector
In agriculture, oats are often used as green manure to improve soil quality. Oats - an annual plant belonging to the family of cereals, is resistant to frost. This culture is quite unpretentious. Observing elementary agricultural technology, you can get enough fertilizer to enrich the soil. That is why the owners of farms, as well as vegetable growers in most regions of the country, give their preference to this cereal. Oat green manure activates the growth of organic compounds in the soil, which are necessary for the growth and maturation of major crops.
Siderata is one of the safest fertilizers for the soil. Scientists have found that cereal green manure covers the soil with vegetative mass, thereby protecting it from erosion, which can be caused by strong winds or heavy rains. Winter crops, which include oats, are able to return to the earth the nutrients used by the main crops during the summer period. Covering green manure helps to adjust the temperature of the soil, activate microbial activity, and in addition, change the structure of the soil, creating root canals to improve water permeability, as well as aeration.
Using oats as a siderative culture
Each soil is distinguished by acidity, structure, nutrient levels and other features. There is no optimal green manure that is equally suitable for loamy and chernozemic soils. In addition, some of these plants are incompatible with certain types of crops.
Pros of using oats:
- cold resistance;
- resistance to shading;
- can grow on poor soils;
- simple cultivation technique;
- high density of seed germination;
- reasonable price of seed material;
- productivity of the main crops increases;
- compatibility with most types of crops;
- inhibits the growth of weeds, and also cleans the soil from them;
- able to process complex phosphorus compounds in the soil;
- fertilizer contains a large amount of potassium - plants need this mineral for balanced growth;
- the roots of the culture give the earth special elements that prevent the formation of fungus and rot.
Disadvantages of Using Oats
- A small amount of vegetative mass.
- Low nitrogen to saturate the soil. To avoid this minus, it is recommended to plant other sideratative plants with oats, for example, clover or alfalfa.
- Demanding on watering.
- It does not tolerate heat.
Oats as siderat, when to sow?
Basically, oats are sown using the scattering method, which does not require special equipment (if it is not about sowing large areas). First you need to level and loosen the soil. Next, the seeds are sown, with the help of a rake, the earth is poured on them and watered with water. The soil layer above the seeds should not exceed two centimeters. When to plant siderata? Oats, as well as other types of green manure crops, can be sown in the spring. For example, those who live in the southern regions can sow seeds at the end of the winter period, and those with summer cottages located in the temperate climate zone are advised to wait until the warm March days.
On average, about two kilograms of cereals are required to fertilize one hundred square meters of land. Depending on the type of soil and the content of nutrients in it, the seeding rate can be increased or decreased. When
to sow oats like green manure in the fall? This question is asked by a large number of amateur vegetable growers. Agronomists advise planting oats in the first weeks of September, it is believed that this is the best time. However, when sowing in the autumn period, temperature conditions must also be taken into account. Sowing should be completed before the first frost.
Using oats as green manure in summer is a great way to improve the structure and condition of land on a site that is resting this year from sowing major crops. In the spring, oats are planted, and during the summer period they are mowed until flowering has begun, so young shoots absorb the largest number of nutrients and rot much faster.
When to mow siderates?
Agronomists advise mowing the crop before flowering, in order to avoid uncontrolled self-seeding. Dig the oats in the autumn or not, each summer resident decides on their own. To form a humus layer, oats should be cut and left on the site. To change the structure of the soil and for nutrients to penetrate deep into the earth, digging is required.
Seed material
If you want to sow your own oat seeds, you will need to prepare the seed. Siderat oats must be planted in early spring. When preparing the soil for sowing, fertilizers are applied: five kilograms of humus, about a glass of ash or two tablespoons of complex top dressing per 1 sq. M. m
It is necessary to sow less often, with aisles of fifteen centimeters. If the weather did not allow the seeds to ripen in the garden, the stems of the plant are cut and left to ripen in a dry, ventilated room. Next, the seeds are threshed and dried. Then, after about three months, the collected seed material is checked for germination.
Some tips
Firstly, it is not recommended to grow siderates and the main culture in one place if they belong to the same family.
Secondly, lateral crops should be mowed in time, avoiding lignification of roots and stems, as well as the moment of flowering. All this clogs the plot, and makes loosening the land difficult.
Thirdly, do not sow the same siderat in the same place every year.
Fourth, choose the crops you want to plant wisely. Some grow well on poor soils, while others need fertile ones.
Oat siderat is a valuable fertilizer that improves the quality of the land. With its help, the soil becomes loose, the amount of nutrients and microelements increases, and the moisture capacity increases. Siderates bring such necessary elements into the earth as magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. These crops are the best environmentally friendly fertilizer.