In order for the soil to restore its properties, a new portion of nutrients is added after harvesting. What fertilizer to apply in the fall depends on what is on the farm: manure, chicken droppings, ash, green manure or purchased mineral mixtures. For different crops, fertilizing is applied at different times: berry bushes earlier, fruit trees later. The goal is one - to restore what the plants took from the soil - nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as microelements.
Organic matter for digging
The properties of organic fertilizers - restoring the amount of humus and improving the biochemical composition of the soil - have been known for a long time. Ever since the times of Ancient Egypt, when people waited with hope for the Nile to flood and only then began cultivating the land and planting crops. In the desert sandy soil there was only enough organic matter for one season, as rains quickly washed away the nutrients and they sank into deeper layers.
It’s easier with chernozems, loams and sandstones: useful substances stay in them longer, especially long-lasting organic substances. How the land is fertilized in the fall and the effect of fertilizing on plants.
Wood ash
Ash fertilizers are applied to perennial plants during digging in the fall. In the autumn, it is dangerous to apply fertilizers that contain nitrogen, as this can give the plants an impetus for new shoot growth. Before winter, the young branches will not have time to become woody and will freeze.
As a result, fungal or bacterial infection, after which you will have to treat the plant - a tree or shrub. The ash contains potassium, phosphorus and microelements, which are necessary for vegetation for immunity. There is no nitrogen in the ash - it all evaporates when plant residues and wood are burned.
Ash solution is made 6 – 7 days before the expected deposit, so that nutrients pass into the water. In this form they are better absorbed by the roots. You need to take 300 g of ash per bucket of water.
How to apply fertilizers correctly for fruit trees:
- Dig a trench 15–20 cm deep around a bush or tree.
- Sprinkle the soil well - up to 200 liters for each mature tree.
- Pour the ash solution into the recess evenly.
- Fill the trench with soil.
Typically, fruit trees are fertilized after pruning, as are raspberry, gooseberry, and currant bushes. If you use ash, then autumn liming of the soil is not required. Ash has an alkaline reaction due to the calcium it contains, so the simultaneous use of lime and ash can lead to severe alkalization of the soil. This threatens plants with poor absorption of phosphorus and iron.
Bone flour
Long-lasting organic fertilizer made from animal residues takes a long time to decompose in the soil.
It is common to use bone meal once every 3 years. This is enough for the plants to be provided with phosphorus and calcium. Potassium fertilizers are added along with bone meal, since these substances interact well.
And making nitrogenous fertilizers in the fall it will be a waste of money, because nitrogen quickly decomposes and is poorly retained in the soil. It is useless to bring it into an empty garden bed, and it is dangerous under perennials. This fertilizer is left for the spring, when active growth of greenery and shoots begins.
Used for embedding into the ground dry matter or hood. The quantity is calculated based on the type: steamed, concentrated or regular. The highest percentage of phosphorus is 35% in low-fat concentrated bone meal. Fertilizers containing phosphorus are the most useful fertilizers used to fertilize the soil in the fall. When to apply autumn fertilizers has already been said: after harvesting, so as not to leave all the work for August and September.
Manure
It’s an expensive pleasure to use to fertilize the soil in winter. But if the farm has cattle or birds, then feeding the plants in the fall with a liquid infusion will benefit the future harvest.
Manure contains nitrogen and potassium, microelements. There are also negative sides:
It is better to make compost from manure. After reheating, all negative aspects disappear. The ripening process of compost is long - from 9 to 12 months, but it is a valuable nutrient.
Green manure or how to fertilize the soil in the fall if there is no manure
Green manure is much cheaper to farm, and its nutrient content is not inferior to manure. If the question is what fertilizer to apply in the fall when digging for potatoes, then you can simply sow white mustard in the garden bed in August, wait until it grows 15–20 cm and mow it. They practice a method in which green manure is not cut off, but left in the area under the snow. Over the winter, the greens lie down and in the spring they can be dug up when planting potatoes.
There is also a method for fertilizing the soil without manure: cut off the green manure and take it to another bed. There will be roots in the soil that will decompose over the winter. At the same time, they will leave channels in the ground through which water and air will flow. There is no need to loosen or dig the soil.
How to fertilize the soil in the fall at your summer cottage:
- mustard;
- cereals – rye, oats, barley;
- lupine;
- clover;
- legumes - peas, beans.
It is important to ensure that green manure does not have time to bloom. After flowering, their nutrient content drops sharply, so it is necessary to embed them in the ground before branching begins.
Mineral fertilizers in autumn
It is not advisable to use only minerals, since the amount of humus decreases with each season. As a result, the soil loses its looseness and cracks. Vegetables will lose their flavor over time. It is not for nothing that in the West the prices for organic vegetable products are much higher than for vegetables grown using purely mineral mixtures.
Minerals are divided into quickly soluble and long-lasting. For example, phosphate rock, which is used to fertilize beds in the fall or spring, dissolves in the soil for 3–4 years. To produce superphosphates, faster phosphorus fertilizers, phosphorites are further enriched.
Potassium sulfate or chloride is used. Here you need to look carefully at autumn fertilizers - what to fertilize with in the fall, what crops potassium is intended for - not all plants respond well to chlorine mineral additives, although chlorine in the ash composition is well tolerated. Potash fertilizers for autumn fertilization in the garden and vegetable garden are used together with phosphorus minerals - superphosphate or phosphorites.
Video: What fertilizers to apply to the soil in the fall
As for nitrogen, it is better to leave it for the spring. Although the industry produces nitrogen, which is activated only in the spring, it costs more. There is no point in spending more if you can buy cheap urea and treat the soil before sowing.
What fertilizers to apply in the fall:
- azophoska;
- nitrophoska;
- potassium magnesia;
- superphosphate;
- potassium sulfate.
Preparing the soil for fertilization
Before fertilizing the soil in the fall, three conditions must be met:
- Harvest the entire crop so that minerals do not accumulate in the fruit.
- Remove tops with rhizomes and weeds from the site. It is better to burn them and use them to prepare an ash solution.
- Water the soil well. This is especially true for berry bushes, whose root system is located in the surface layer and additional watering before winter will not harm them.
Autumn fertilizers take longer to dissolve because the weather may be dry in the fall, and without water the plants will not receive nutrients. Therefore, the soil is spilled to the depth of the roots.
For raspberries it is 50 - 60 cm, for fruit trees up to 2 meters. It will take a lot of water, but the harvest for next year is guaranteed.
Weeds are removed so that they do not take away nutrients from the soil. They can be mowed before winter. Leave the roots to rot, and use the greens to mulch berry bushes. This will retain moisture in the soil and protect the soil from erosion.
What fertilizers are needed for which crops in the fall?
The most popular crops in the country are potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers. How to fertilize the soil to compensate for the lack of nutrients for the future harvest? The needs of each culture must be taken into account.
For example, potatoes and tomatoes love complex fertilizer containing a large number of nitrogen. But since nitrogen in mineral form does not last long in the soil, green manure will be the best for these plants. Plant residues take longer to decompose and by the beginning of the growing season will be completely transformed into a form convenient for absorption by the roots.
Preparing the land for winter using green manure is carried out using several methods:
- with digging;
- without digging.
The second option is simpler in terms of labor costs and benefits for the soil. Although few gardeners know that great importance for soil quality are microorganisms living in different layers. Moving them from their place is fraught with death.
When digging, an exchange of layers and microorganisms occurs that do not survive in the new conditions. Because of this, organic matter is processed less efficiently. To replenish the number of soil bacteria, EO preparations are used, which accelerates the decomposition of plant residues. If you water the mulch under the berry bushes with this solution, by spring all organic matter will completely dissolve and go into the soil.
Cucumbers and tomatoes love potassium, so potassium fertilizers must be applied before digging in the fall. If you do not replenish the amount of potassium, the harvest in this bed will be small.
All plants need phosphorus, especially potatoes. Phosphorus supplements create favorable conditions for the growth of the root system. The root is responsible for the absorption of all other substances - nitrogen and potassium. If you overuse nitrogen fertilizers, but if there is a lack of phosphorus, the plant will be weak and will not be able to grow green mass. This will affect flowering and fruiting - it will be scanty. When there is a lack of nutrients, vegetable crops drop their flower stalks.
Liming to reduce acidity
What fertilizers are applied in the fall also depends on the acidity of the soil. Test the soil for acidity You can use table vinegar:
- Take a handful of earth.
- Pour in a little vinegar and see if the soil sizzles or not. If it hisses and bubbles, then the amount of alkaline elements is normal. If not, additional liming is required.
To reduce acidity, dolomite flour, chalk or lime are used.
Instructions
Organic fertilizers are divided into two groups: plant residues and animal fertilizers. Vegetables include: peat, composts. For animals: manure and droppings. When organic fertilizers are added to the soil, its structure improves significantly. This promotes the reproduction of living organisms, which bring great benefits both to the soil itself and to the plants. Today, it is recommended to apply organic fertilizers using compost. It is very easy to prepare. Lay out straw 15 centimeters thick over an area of 10 square meters. Then a layer of manure 20 centimeters. Then a layer of peat is also 15-20 centimeters. On top of this, sprinkle lime and phosphate rock, mixing them one to one. For each square meter pour 50-60 grams. Add another layer of manure 15-20 centimeters on top. Cover all this with a thin layer of earth. This compost must be aged for 7-8 months and only then can it be used. The advantages of organic fertilizer: first, it increases soil fertility, second, it improves its structure, and third, it ensures the presence of living microorganisms. But there is also. The first one is nutrient imbalance. Second, its concentration is still unknown. The third is keeping a large number of weeds. Fourth, there is a high risk of contracting diseases. Fifth, organic matter inherently absorbs and attracts toxic substances. And the sixth is the most dangerous, these fertilizers absorb radionuclides.
Mineral fertilizers are chemical substances that require careful handling. They must be used strictly according to the norm. Noble gardeners usually use the following: nitrogen, lime, manganese, potassium and other fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers include: nitrate, urea, ammonia and ammonia water. For good nutrition Plants need to always have enough nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen fertilizers need to be applied to the soil twice a year. They are applied twice a year. The first half of the fertilizer is applied around the second half of April, and the second half in mid-November. The method of applying such fertilizers is the same. The fertilizer is spread by hand, after which the soil is cultivated. To achieve the best effect, the soil must be moist. Potassium fertilizers significantly increase productivity. Potassium in the soil is mainly in forms that are difficult for plants to reach, so the agricultural need for such fertilizers is very great. Almost all of them contain chlorine, sodium and magnesium ions, which affect plant growth. It is recommended to apply potassium fertilizers in the fall along with manure for basic soil cultivation. Without phosphorus, the formation of chlorophyll and absorption by plants is impossible carbon dioxide. The application of phosphorus fertilizers to the soil not only increases productivity, but also improves the quality of products. These fertilizers need to be applied in the fall. First, scatter them over the surface, then dig the ground to a depth of twenty centimeters. You need to dig near trees parallel to the roots.
Organo mineral fertilizers– These are humic fertilizers, which consist of organic substances and mineral compounds. Each drug has its own instructions for use. But there are basic methods of depositing. For open soil this is the spraying method, and for closed soil these are the methods drip irrigation, sprinkling, surface watering and manual leaf spraying. The basic consumption rate for seed treatment is 300-700 milliliters per ton of seeds. For foliar feeding - 200-400 milliliters of fertilizer per hectare of crops. For greenhouses - with drip irrigation 20-40 milliliters per thousand liters of irrigation water, and when spraying 5-10 milliliters of fertilizer per 10 liters of water.
Autumn replenishment of the land is considered an important component of obtaining a good harvest next season. That is why it is extremely important to understand what kind of fertilizers should be used in this case. This will be discussed further.
Autumn is best time to thoroughly fertilize the soil at the dacha. The soil rests, and microorganisms have a chance to process nutritional components more efficiently. This gives the gardener the opportunity prepare the land in advance for future plantings, freeing up time in the spring for more important matters.
In autumn, the soil in the beds is replenished with various fertilizers and their complexes. But sometimes it's just a waste of your energy. After all, certain microelements disintegrate and are lost during wintering. To avoid the irrational use of fertilizers, it is recommended to know what exactly is used in the fall and what in the spring.
It is worth fertilizing the soil not only for cultivated plants in the garden, but also for fruit trees and bushes.
What necessary substances can be used in the fall
Before the arrival of harsh winter, the soil needs additional nutrition. In this case, you can do various complex feedings. It all depends on the raw materials used and the plant itself.
- humus or compost, which improves the structure of the soil;
- phosphorus and potassium complexes are simultaneously poured into the pre-trunk circle along with organic matter;
- ready-made store-bought fertilizers, for example, “Plodovy Sad”, “Universal” and “Osennee”;
- manure, which must be added to autumn time. Moreover, it is strictly forbidden to use fresh manure. It must “arrive” for at least several years. Otherwise it may be damaged root system tree.
For potatoes the best option would be:
- straw manure, which, according to experts, can almost double the yield;
- green manure;
- nitroammofoska, nitrophoska and ammophos.
- ash as a natural mineral complex;
- chicken manure, which is added as a solution in a ratio of 1:15. Mandatory after harvesting during the digging process;
- dolomite flour, which can significantly reduce soil acidity. This fertilizer is used only when necessary. There are also plants that like acidic soil.
Since the nutrient complexes vary for different country and garden plants, it is best to start in the fall. determine the landing site individual varieties. If this is not possible, you need to use universal formulations.
Mineral fertilizers
Most often, plants receive nutrients in solutions. Because in this case, digestibility is much better. Today there are a huge number of ready-made mineral complexes, for example, for lawns, fruit trees and bushes.
It is important to pay attention to the mark “for autumn”. The peculiarity of this kind of compositions is that they must contain minimal amount nitrogen. After all, it provokes active growth and may not allow the plant to prepare for winter.
Mineral fertilizers for autumn application must necessarily contain microelements such as phosphorus, potassium and calcium. They will allow plants to prepare for lower temperatures and, in general, harsh wintering conditions.
Proper use of organic matter
Organic fertilizers for autumn use include:
- horse dung, characterized by a dense consistency. This allows sufficient nitrogen to be retained in the soil. long time. Over the winter, the manure begins to soften, and only by spring the nutrients will enter the soil. It is recommended to apply about 3 kg of fertilizer for each square meter of land. Moreover, in the autumn it can be used fresh. Whereas in the spring this is strictly prohibited;
- mullein It is considered the most popular fertilizer among gardeners. It allows you to saturate the soil with nutrients. Moreover, in the fall you can even add raw mullein. After all, excess ammonia will come off with the melt water. For every square meter of land there is about 5-6 kg. But most experts advise using mullein in the spring, since almost a quarter of the nutrients are lost during the winter. But first it needs to be composted at the end of summer;
- bird droppings It is considered one of the most concentrated fertilizers. Therefore, it is more difficult to apply it in summer and spring. It must be diluted and carefully watered in the form of a solution, otherwise the foliage and roots of plants can be damaged. This perfect nutrition for strawberries. In autumn, the droppings can be distributed undiluted for digging.
Synthetic fertilizers
There are a huge number of synthetic fertilizers that can be used to feed the soil in the fall.
Namely:
- Phosphorus-based fertilizers presented in the form are required to be applied in the autumn. Since these substances are difficult to dissolve, they need time to dissolve and saturate the soil. For every square meter of land there is 50 g of superphosphate;
- phosphate rock Most often it is applied simultaneously with manure, since it allows you to create optimal conditions for the transfer of phosphorus into the nutrient complex of the soil. But it is important to understand that calcium, which is included in the fertilizer, is not “to the liking” of all plants. The advantages include the natural origin of the composition. This is not a chemical, but an absolutely safe component;
- refers to nitrogen substances. But with the difference that it can be used in the fall. Since its amide form allows it to retain nutritional components in the soil until spring. It is important to implement it correct application according to instructions
Folk remedies
Can be used as folk fertilizers peeling and peeling. This is harmless, environmentally friendly waste that will replenish the soil with useful microelements. Potato peelings should be prepared first. They are filled very hot water and insist for several days. After straining, it is recommended to water the plants at the root.
Such folk fertilizers are best used in spring time. For only planted crops every 10 days during the growing season.
How to fertilize the soil for digging
The most difficult thing is if you need to fertilize clay and subclayey soil. Because in winter the area becomes even denser and it is completely difficult for any plant to grow on it.
Such soil must be dug up in the fall, while introducing nutrients.
These include:
- For every square meter of land you need about 3 kg manure. Moreover, the frequency of use is no more than once every four years. After digging, the fertilizer is evenly distributed around the plant. But it is important to ensure that the manure does not reach the roots. They may die;
- grass cuttings based on grass and weeds, it is laid out in a furrow to a depth of no more than 0.2 m, and then sprinkled with soil. If desired, you can make a couple of such layers, for example, to a depth of 0.1 m from the surface;
- fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium in a ratio of 50 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium salt per square meter;
- optimal time of use green manure- autumn. Wait until they grow 0.1 m, and you can dig them up along with the soil.
There are a huge number of fertilizers that are recommended for use in the fall. They can be combined and used alternately. It all depends on the set of nutrients and their compatibility. We have already talked about this, we hope that this information will be useful to you.
To obtain good harvests, it is necessary to replenish the supply of microelements in the soil. Fertilizing is done during the period of spring and autumn digging of the earth. It is possible to fertilize the soil very effectively in the spring by introducing complex mineral compounds. Organic matter is most often added immediately before planting and when sowing seeds.
The soil fertilizers shown in the photo are applied in certain proportions. Excess minerals for plants is no less harmful than their deficiency.
Classification of fertilizing
main sources useful substances are divided into two categories:
- organic of natural origin (wood ash, compost, chicken droppings, manure, humus, peat, eggshells);
- mineral supplements are produced industrially(all kinds of nitrate, suprephosphate, nitrates and urea, complex additives with microelements). Let's consider each type of fertilizer separately.
Organic
It is better to fertilize the soil before planting crops in the spring with organic matter. The most optimal composition is considered to be humus (manure that has been rotted under natural conditions for at least a year) with the addition of wood ash(1 glass per bucket of humus).
Manure in its pure form can damage crops due to excess nitrogen content and increased temperature during the decay process. Horse meat is considered the best in terms of microbiological composition, followed by mullein, pork and high content sawdust contains the least amount of nitrogen. The land is fertilized with manure in the fall, no more than once every 3 years.
Straw manure has the property of “burning”; it is placed to a depth of up to 40 cm under heat-loving crops as biofuel. After a year, it turns into full-fledged humus, so the soil is dug up to the depth of last year’s manure layer.
Bird droppings contain many trace elements. But it must be used with great caution. Is it possible to fertilize the soil with dry manure?
Only during autumn digging, up to 0.5 kg per 1 m2 is added. In spring and during the growing season it is used in the form of liquid fertilizer. It is often added to plant residues to enrich compost.
Peat is applied to crops that prefer acidic soils. For other plants, deoxidizing additives are added to peat in the form of fluff (slaked lime), wood ash, and dolomite flour.
Eggshells (many gardeners collect them throughout the year) are applied in the spring under stone hearth trees, embedded in the trunk circle to a depth of 5 cm. This is a good source of calcium, potassium and microelements.
Ash is rich in potassium. It increases the sugar content of berry crops, and at the same time serves as a fertilizer and means of protection against pests for leafy and vegetable plants. Cruciferous crops are sprinkled with it, protecting them from flea beetles; juicy greens and tops are protected from slugs.
Mineral fertilizers
For normal life functions, a balanced composition of the soil is needed; it must contain components containing phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and nitrogen. Fertilizing plants on the site is carried out in several stages: during planting and 2-3 during the period of active growth.
In dry form, mineral fertilizers are applied only in early spring. During the growing season, liquid is added when watering. Foliar applications are made by spraying the plant with weak solutions.
Potassium is needed by plants for photosynthesis. Potassium is added to the soil in the form of nitrate and salts of other acids: hydrochloric and sulfuric. Potassium chloride is best used in the fall; chlorine negatively affects the taste of melons, berries, and potatoes.
Sulfates are applied in the spring and used for foliar feeding during the growing season and abundant flowering. Ammonium nitrate simultaneously contains nitrogen and potassium.
Phosphorus is produced in the form of flour, easily and difficultly soluble granules. Superphosphate simply crumbles on the surface of the earth in the fall. When snow and precipitation melt, it penetrates into the soil.
In the spring it is embedded to a depth of 20 cm; with direct contact it can burn the roots of immature plants. Precitate is the most soluble form of phosphorus fertilizer; it is often present in complex formulations for certain crops.
Complex formulations for certain types of crops are balanced additives, where the main elements are in the required proportions for the plants. Such compositions are often supplemented with microelements: zinc, manganese, magnesium, silicon.
Boric acid and manganese are microelement fertilizers. They are used in the form of solutions for watering and spraying. At the same time, they serve as protection against pests and diseases.
Green manure as fertilizer
They enrich the soil by sowing certain crops - green manure. These are oats, rye, alfalfa, and other legumes. These crops are grown on resting lands. Winter crops are sown in the fall and incorporated into the soil along with the sprouts in the spring. Others - in early autumn, before seeds form.
The plant mass of green manure loosens the soil, enriches it with minerals, and acts as a preventative against fungal diseases.
A good harvest can only be obtained on good soil, and for the land to be good, it must be fertilized. When is the best time to fertilize the soil?- in spring or autumn? The timing of applying fertilizer to the soil is of great importance. Many agronomists believe that those who fertilize the land with manure removed in winter make a big mistake. The benefit is minimal. The soil should be fertilized in the spring, leaving the manure to lie for a month and a half before plowing. In this case, the efficiency of the fertilizer will almost double. About varieties, timing of application to the soil and effectiveness various types fertilizers will be discussed in this article.
All fertilizers are divided into 3 main groups: organic, mineral and organo-mineral fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers
They, in turn, are also divided into 2 groups: animal origin and plant origin. Plant fertilizers include composts and peat, and animal fertilizers include manure and poultry droppings. When fertilized with organic substances, the structure of the soil significantly improves and this promotes the reproduction of living organisms, which benefit both the soil itself and the plants. There are also some disadvantages - an imbalance of nutrients may occur, weed seeds may be found in such fertilizer, and organic matter can cause plant diseases and attract toxic substances.
If you decide to use organic fertilizers, it is better to use compost. It is prepared quite simply: on an area of about 10 square meters. meters, straw is laid out 15 cm thick, then a layer of manure - 20 cm, a layer of peat - 15-20 cm. Phosphate rock and lime, mixed in a 1:1 ratio, are poured on top. For 1 sq. meter you need to sprinkle 50-60 grams of the mixture. A layer of manure 15-20 thick is once again poured on top. All layers are covered with a thin layer of soil and kept for 7-8 months.
As for fertilizing with manure, in our time the number of cattle has decreased significantly, and therefore we have to look for an alternative. Anything that grows and rots can be used as products of plant origin for fertilizer: mown grass, fallen leaves, tops and weeds, etc.
You cannot fertilize the soil with fresh manure.. Once in warm and moist soil, such fertilizer begins to actively decompose and release heat and gases, so the crop can simply “burn.” Fresh manure is used only for feeding mature plants, diluting it with water and watering the rows. You can also use dried manure, spreading it in a thin layer between the rows.
It is better to use manure if it has been sitting for at least a year - during this time it decomposes and turns into humus. It is worth remembering that in their pure form, manure and chicken droppings rot worse, so it is better to dilute these animal waste products with straw, leaves, sawdust and even shredded waste paper (it is better to take paper without printing ink).
IN organic fertilizer, as is known, a smaller part of nitrogen is in soluble form, and a large part is part of insoluble organic compounds. When compost falls into the soil, myriads of soil creatures attack it, eating, decomposing and transforming it. As a result of the activity of microorganisms, insoluble nitrogen gradually turns into a soluble form, which is what analyzes have shown: immediately after adding compost to the soil, the content of soluble nitrogen begins to steadily increase. And then everything depends on the growth rate of the above-ground parts of the plants. In potatoes, this process is so intense that it “eats up” all the nitrogen prepared for it by soil organisms, therefore, under potatoes, the content of available nitrogen in the soil remains low until the beginning of August and begins to increase only when the potato tops stop their vigorous growth. On carrots, where top growth is slow at first, the nitrogen content was quite high until mid-July, and then decreased in accordance with the increased growth of foliage.
When fertilizing in autumn plant nutritional elements are part of the soil organomineral complex, and the plant lives throughout the next season due to the gradual disintegration of this complex and the release of available nutritional elements. The speed of this process depends on the activity of the microflora, which is determined by external conditions: soil moisture, temperature, looseness, and so on.
In addition, organic fertilizer serves as a source of substances for soil microorganisms necessary for the formation of humus. When applied in autumn, organic fertilizer decomposes more slowly, and the process of incorporating it into humus is more intense and contributes to a greater extent to increasing soil fertility. If you regularly add compost or manure to the soil in the fall, you can create real black soil in your garden. When applied in spring, organic fertilizer decomposes faster and better supplies plants with soluble nutrients. This is important for plants, since spring and early summer are a period of active growth that requires abundant nutrition. Thus, autumn organic fertilizer makes a greater contribution to soil fertility, and spring organic fertilizer makes a greater contribution to plant nutrition. Both are important.
The following solution naturally suggests itself: add compost or manure in the fall, and in spring and summer we feed the plants with liquid fertilizers, which are easy to make: mullein infusion, fermented infusion of nettle or any weed. To enrich these nitrogen-rich infusions with phosphorus and potassium, bone or phosphate meal and ash are added. Another option is to add most or even half of the compost in the fall and the rest in the spring.
You can use green fertilizers. The main raw materials are ordinary grass and weeds. The green mass is finely chopped, placed in a large container and filled with warm water (10 liters of water per 2 kilograms of grass). All this should be fermented for 2 - 3 days, after which you need to stir and strain the solution. Then the plants are fed with it at the rate of 3 - 4 liters per 1 square meter. The procedure must be performed 2–3 times at intervals of a week. This solution is useful for vegetable and berry crops; it not only nourishes them, but also protects them from pests and diseases.
Mineral fertilizers
These chemicals should be used carefully and strictly according to the norm. Typically, gardeners and gardeners use nitrogen, potassium, manganese, lime and other types of such fertilizers. The most common nitrogen fertilizers include nitrate, urea, ammonia water and ammonia. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied twice a year - the first time around mid-April, and the second time in mid-November. The method of applying them is the same in both seasons - fertilizers are scattered by hand, and then the soil is cultivated. It is better if the ground is damp.
Potash fertilizers also significantly increase yields. Typically, potassium in the soil is in a form that is difficult to access, so the need of plants for it is great. It is better to apply potassium fertilizers in the fall along with manure before the main cultivation of the land.
Phosphorus fertilizers are also important for plants. Without this element, the formation of chlorophyll in plants is impossible, so the application of such fertilizers not only increases productivity, but also improves the quality of plant products. Phosphorus fertilizers are scattered on the surface of the soil, and then dug up to a depth of about 20 centimeters.
WITH mineral fertilizer we get next picture. Immediately after application, a sharp jump in the content of soluble nitrogen was observed: it increased 5-6 times compared to the initial one and remained at high level until approximately mid-July. Analyzes showed that at some point there was three times more soluble nitrogen in the soil than was added with mineral fertilizer. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that mineral fertilizer stimulates the decomposition of soil organic matter and accelerates the release of soluble nitrogen from it. The decomposition of humus under the influence of mineral fertilizers is a phenomenon that has even received a special name: the priming effect. But in mid-summer the peak gives way to a sharp drop, and the content of soluble nitrogen in both cases - with organic and mineral fertilizer - becomes the same.
It is not difficult to guess what consequences this has for plants. On mineral fertilizers they grow more intensively, develop abundant leaf mass and give a correspondingly higher yield, although this applies to different crops to a different extent: spinach and potatoes gave a significantly higher yield on mineral fertilizers than on compost, while beans and carrots turned out to be less dependent on nitrogen.
However, when studying the quality of the crop, the advantage turned out to be on the side organic fertilizer. This manifested itself in a lower nitrate content, and most importantly, in a significant reduction in storage losses. Both potatoes and carrots grown on organic fertilizers were less affected by fungal diseases.
Mineral fertilizers do not increase soil fertility, but rather destroy it. They can be used for fertilizing, but only in very moderate doses, so as not to cause excessive leaf growth and not to disrupt the activity of soil microflora. Moreover, it is worth applying mineral fertilizers only if organic fertilizers are applied in the fall, since soil with a high organic content partially removes the negative effects of mineral fertilizers.
Organo-mineral fertilizers
They are humic compositions of mineral and organic substances. Each drug is used according to an individual scheme, but there are also general rules. For open soil, spraying is used, and for closed soil, surface watering, drip irrigation, sprinkling and manual spraying on the leaves are used. For seed treatment, use 300-700 ml of fertilizer per ton of seeds, for foliar feeding - 200-400 mm per 1 hectare of crops, for spraying - 5-10 ml per 10 liters of water, and for drip irrigation - 20-40 ml per 1000 liters of water for irrigation.
Separately, it is worth mentioning plants that improve the soil. These include rapeseed, oilseed radish, rapeseed, turnip and others. Until recently, only lupine was used to improve the soil, which enriched the soil with nitrogenous mineral fertilizers, but in Lately Other equally useful and effective plants became known.
For example, after harvesting, you can sow the area with rapeseed, which will have time to sprout before the onset of frost and grow to a plant with 6-8 leaves in a rosette. In early spring, after the snow melts, it will begin to grow intensively and should be plowed into the soil before the beginning of May. After this, the earth will be enriched with mineral and organic substances and improve its structure. In addition, rapeseed contains a large amount of phytoncides, which destroy pathogens in the soil.
If there is a possibility of not using a plot of land for a whole year, then you can sow it with oilseed radish. In this case, the soil will receive the necessary norm nutrients, and there will be much less weeds. Approximately 70 grams of radish seeds per hectare of land. For uniform sowing, it is better to mix the seeds with river sand.
And a little more about how to properly prepare and fertilize the soil with manure.
We have already looked in detail at how to properly fertilize with chicken manure, now we will learn more about manure. Good quality manure is obtained where it is stored in stalls under livestock, trampled down daily, and covered with a new layer of straw. During daily removal of manure, it is stored in large manure storages, where it must be transferred to better preservation by peat or soil. It is also useful in cases of daily removal of manure to add about 1.5 kg of peat to the bedding or put in the gutters of the stables for each head of livestock, which, on the one hand, achieves air purification, and on the other hand, preserves the slurry, which contains the main nutrients substances for plants. When covering the manure and layering it with soil and peat, all the nitrogen. When stored in this way, manure usually acts strongly and quickly. Re-layering of manure with earth is done every 60-90 cm, and a layer of earth of 7-9 cm is applied. The richer the earth in humus, the better. A 60-90 cm layer of manure is again applied to this soil, which is again covered with soil in the same way. The manure is always trampled down. The bottom of the manure storage facility is usually lined with straw, a layer 60 cm thick. The straw must be trampled down. The manure storage facility itself is usually selected in a high place so that by-product water does not flow into it. The liquid water flowing out of the manure storage must be collected in special reservoirs, and the same liquid must be watered on top of the manure. Manure heaps should not be made higher than 2.5 m, because the lower layers of manure become too compacted and heat up. A big mistake is made by those who fertilize with manure by digging too deep into the soil. The more superficially the fertilizer is applied, the better, the faster and more accurate its action. The best thing is to fertilize with manure to the depth of one shovel. If the fertilizer is applied into the soil to a depth of 40 to 50 cm or more, as is unfortunately very often done when planting trees, then oxygen does not have sufficient access and therefore the fertilizer cannot decompose properly and produce the proper effect on the tree . Practice has often shown us that fertilizer applied too deeply was found in the soil after several years in the same form as when applied to the soil, and, therefore, absolutely no benefit came from it.If you fertilize with manure in the summer, the fertilizer is always piled up in small heaps, broken up and plowed up as quickly as possible. The heavier the soil, the finer the incorporation of manure. The decomposition of manure is accelerated if, on the fifth or sixth day after plowing, it is plowed back to the surface and mixed well with the soil. In most cases, it is also beneficial to roll the soil with a heavy roller after fertilizing with manure, since in this case the manure is pressed to the ground, which ensures its uniform decomposition and causes the rapid germination of weeds, which must be immediately destroyed.
When growing cabbage, strawberries and other plants, it is best to use humus from greenhouses or completely decomposed manure, because fresh manure contains a lot of weed seeds and insects are easily infested. Under the cover of humus, moisture is retained in the ridges; in addition, rain and water during irrigation wash out all the nutritious juices from the humus into the soil, thus, in one step, both fertilizing the ridges and moistening them is achieved. The humus should be placed in a layer about 5 cm thick, and the plants themselves should not touch the manure, otherwise they may rot. Strawberries should be fertilized with manure especially carefully so that the manure does not get into the core of the bush. Instead of humus, other substances are often used, such as chopped straw, chaff, moss, sawdust, etc.
When buried in the soil, straw and the other materials listed here can also serve as fertilizer, but they rot too slowly and, compared to humus, are too poor in nutrients. On calcareous and sandy soils that are too light in color, covering the ridges with humus is necessary to change their color so that the soil is heated more evenly. On dense clay soils and light sandy soils, crushed peat can be used for surface fertilization with complete success. In the fall, worn-out and completely weathered peat is dug into the soil when hoeing and in the first case loosens dense, heavy soil, and in the second it makes light, sandy soil more cohesive.
Green manure
Natural organic matter (manure, droppings) is not available to everyone, and it costs a lot of money. In the fight against weeds, just like a thousand years ago, you have to swing a hoe and crawl on your knees. If the summer is wet, potatoes are overcome by various diseases, and as a result, in the autumn and winter, there is a need to repeatedly sort the crop to remove diseased tubers.
Indeed, a lot of labor and money goes into dacha farming. Is it possible to ease the financial and physical burden that falls on a person who maintains a garden or dacha?
Yes, you can. Let's start with the fact that in the old days they avoided using fresh manure for potatoes. It was believed that it made the tubers tasteless and watery. Diseases accumulated in the soil were freed by applying fruit change. Of course, having several acres of land (each with an area of 1.1 hectares), it was possible to organize a three- or seven-field crop rotation. Nowadays, on six hundred square meters, this is a rather difficult task. But still the people do not despair - one sows barley, another sows winter rye, and the third dreams of growing peas together with potatoes.
CRUCIFULAR CROPS
The best option is to sow cruciferous crops as a green fertilizer, consisting of a mixture oilseed radish, white mustard, rapeseed. These plants have been known in world agricultural practice since time immemorial, being close relatives of cabbage plants. They came to us from ancient farmers East Asia and the Mediterranean. Cruciferous crops today are widely cultivated in economically developed countries (France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, etc.) as phytosanitary crops and as crops that increase soil fertility.
Oilseed radish- a powerful, highly branched and spreading plant 1.5-2.0 m high; with flower corollas ranging from white to purple. Not found in wild flora; wild field species are found. Cold-resistant plant, growth does not stop until late autumn, grows back after mowing. Compared to white mustard, it is more moisture-loving, shade-tolerant and productive. The seeds and pods taste like radishes. Blooms 35-45 days after sowing.
White mustard- was one of the magical plants of the ancient Greeks. Even today, having unique properties, serves as a classic object of study for science. The height of its shoots is slightly lower than that of oilseed radish, and the flowers on the clusters are yellow. Mustard - the earliest ripening annual plant. It reacts strongly to day length and photo period, so the highest yields are obtained during summer sowing dates - after June 22. Convenient for its early ripening and undemanding soil type.
Rape- about 1.2-1.5 m high, light yellow flowers. It is somewhat more demanding of heat than oilseed radish and white mustard. There are spring and winter forms, which can transform into each other. The pods of spring rapeseed can open after the seeds have ripened, then the sowing itself occurs and after overwintering in the spring, some of the young plants grow back in the form of a winter form. Sometimes another type is practiced - rapeseed. This is a more “wild” form, inferior to rapeseed in yield, has a bitter taste and is less easily eaten by animals, but is better adapted to different types soil There are hybrid forms of rapeseed with kale and turnip (for example, Typhon), which are relatively more productive and stable in different climatic conditions.
USEFUL PROPERTIES OF GREEN FERTILIZER
What are the benefits of cruciferous crops?
Here are 7 of their most distinctive properties:
1. To sow one hundred square meters of land, only 180-220 g of seeds are required. More dense sowing is used if the biomass will additionally be used for animal feed. Crops have a very high speed of development, so they can be sown at the most different terms, from May to September. The best time to obtain a high harvest is June-July. In practice, it is re-sown 2-3 times per season. Flowering occurs 30-40 days after germination and lasts until the end of autumn. Flowering plants can withstand frosts down to - 6...8° and even - 12° C.
2. The green mass of plants contains the same amount of nutrients as cow manure: nitrogen - 0.5%; phosphorus - 0.25%; potassium - 0.6%. The mass of plant residues grown on an area of 100 m2 contains the following amount of mineral fertilizers (in conventional terms for chemical composition): 3-5 kg of ammonium nitrate; 2.5-3.5 kg of superphosphate; 3.5-5.0 kg of potassium salt. In addition, green mass, when incorporated into the soil, deoxidizes it, acting similarly to the addition of lime, since it has an alkaline content of cell sap.
3. The underground part of plants has the ability to absorb nitrogen from the air, like clover and lupine. Root secretions dissolve mineral inclusions in the soil and convert microelements, phosphorus and potassium into a form accessible to subsequent crops.
4. The decomposing biomass of cruciferous vegetables releases substances into the soil that inhibit and inhibit the growth and development of weeds. On a substrate rich in organic matter, saprophytic microflora rapidly develops, which displaces pathogens of agricultural crops from the soil.
5. After harvesting the green mass, together with the rotted residues, stimulants of plant growth and development from the class of brassinosteroids remain in the soil, increasing the yield and improving the quality of marketable products of subsequent crops.
6. Green mass is an excellent food for all types of animals and birds; it contains up to 30-35% crude protein based on dry matter. This is 2 times more than in clover and 3 times more than in barley grain. It is rich in vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and various nutrients. Regular feeding, even in the form of a small supplement, strengthens immune system young animals, gives it resistance against viral and bacterial aggression. Young, not hardened shoots, having a sweet-burning taste of radish, are a delicacy for children. Radish pods are canned like vegetables. Mustard powder is prepared from ripened mustard seeds and medicinal ointment, used for various diseases and ailments.
7.The honey-bearing qualities of cruciferous crops are also generally recognized. Their main advantage is the release of nectar on days even with cold nights. Nectar contains an average of 120-180 kg/ha of sugars. Cruciferous crops provide honey collection in early spring (winter species) and in the second half of summer (spring species), when other honey plants have already faded. Honey crystallizes, so it is removed from the hives for the winter.
AGROTECHNIQUES OF CULTIVATION
Cruciferous crops can be sown as green fertilizer at any time - from early spring to late autumn. For sowing, a small (required) amount of seeds is mixed with sand in a ratio of 1:50, scattered over the site and covered with soil. The optimal seeding depth is 2-3 cm. Cruciferous plants are not picky about the type of soil, but are responsive to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers (if the soil is poor).
To some extent, shoots early dates crops can be damaged by pests; the likelihood of this fact is low in June and July crops. With sparse seedlings, there is no need to worry too much, since the yield size is capable of auto-compensation, that is, it depends little on the density (standing density) of plants per unit area.
When used as a green fertilizer, plant biomass during the flowering phase is mowed, crushed and embedded in the soil. This is the cheapest type of fertilizer, which cannot be compared with any other type in terms of early maturity and economic efficiency. In the northern regions, it is possible to “fertilize” the soil in this way twice per season. In the middle lane, this can be done three times.
If the plot is half a hectare or more in size, part of the area can be withdrawn from cultivation for 3-4 years by sowing pink clover (on waterlogged and swampy soils), pink clover and lupine (on heavy clay soils), blue alfalfa and eastern goat's rue ( on medium and light loams), horned clamweed and yellow alfalfa (on light and sandy loam soils).
One of the basic rules organic farming- never leave the soil without vegetation cover. Green manures that grow before, after or in between main crops create dense leaf cover. It protects the soil from weathering and mineralization of organic matter, reduces the leaching of nutrients into deep layers and retains them in the upper fertile horizon. This leaf cover plays the role of living leaf mulch, which is especially important for light sandy soils, which especially suffer from leaching of nutrients from the top horizon. Therefore, it is recommended, whenever possible, to sow green fertilizer on light soils in the fall and leave it for the winter, and in the spring to embed living or dead plants into the soil.
Green manure also plays an important sanitary role. First, it suppresses the growth of weeds, and in order to prevent it from becoming a weed itself, it must be mowed or covered before seeds form. This applies to rapidly growing and abundantly seeded rapeseed or mustard plants. Secondly, some types of green fertilizer help cleanse the soil of pests and diseases. For example, dense sowing of mustard significantly reduces the number of wireworms.
Green manure produces green mass that can be used as mulch or composting material.
Take care of the land on time and correctly and you will always have a rich harvest!