Organic fertilizers - how to use organic matter on the site. Organic fertilizers: what types are there, methods and rates of application to the soil

Organic fertilizers play an important role in the stability and fertility of the soil, which are divided into two groups:

1. Vegetable - peat, composts, deciduous and turf soil, wood ash and humus.
2. Fertilizers of animal origin - cow and horse manure, bird droppings.

When organic fertilizers are added to the soil, its structure improves significantly. This promotes the proliferation of living microorganisms, which are of great benefit to both the soil and the plants themselves.

Each of the organic fertilizers is enriched with a completely different composition. Often, improper use of organic fertilizers results in plants developing nutrient deficiencies. In order to avoid such consequences, it is recommended to add organic matter in the form of compost material.
Compost is a mixture of various organic substances with the addition of mineral fertilizers, in the form of superphosphates or phosphate rock. Under the influence of decomposition, composts produce accessible nutrients necessary for active plant growth, branching of the root system and achieving a rich harvest. Compost materials can be prepared at home.

To prepare compost you will need:

• A piece of land;
• Straw or plant debris (leaves, potato tops, strawberry tendrils, mown grass);
• Manure, bird or rabbit droppings;
• Peat;
• Lime and phosphate rock.

First, plant residues in the form of straw, leaves or tops 10-15 centimeters thick are laid out on the ground. Then a layer of manure or droppings of 15-20 centimeters and a layer of peat of 15-20 centimeters. Lime mixed with phosphate rock in a 1:1 ratio is scattered on top of the laid peat. For every square meter of compost heap, 50-60 grams of the mixture are scattered.

If it is not possible to obtain phosphate rock and lime, the compost heap can be prepared without these components. But their content will improve the properties of the compost and subsequently the nutritional structure of the soil. Another layer of manure 10-20 centimeters thick is laid on top of the compost heap. It is covered with a small layer of earth.

It is necessary to keep the compost for 7-8 months, after which it can be used as fertilizer.

Compost heaps should be organized in shaded areas where there is no direct influence sun rays, under the influence of which the vital activity of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms will be stopped. During the summer compost heap preparation period, to provide shade, you can plant pumpkins or zucchini around it.

Directing the plant branches onto the pile, periodically check for the presence of roots and the formation of new pumpkin shoots. When horses appear, it is necessary to cut them off the branches so that the root system does not develop and remove useful substances from the compost heap. An excellent source of shade for compost can be corn or sunflowers sown nearby.

Helpful Tips for Creating a Compost Heap

You can also organize a pile in the shady side of your house or shed.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to place the remains of diseased or infected plants in the compost heap, since pathogens do not die even with complete decomposition of plant debris. Once they get into the soil with compost, they will again infect healthy crops with the disease.

In addition to compost material, the most accessible material is used as an organic soil additive - cow and horse manure or bird droppings.

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Chicken droppings

Chicken manure is a valuable highly concentrated organic fertilizer. It is distinguished by its speed of action, since its substances are easily dissolved and are easily accessible to plants.

Chicken manure fertilizer can be used on any soil and applied to a variety of plants. The most successful use of this component is for plants that have stopped growing, as well as for raising the yield level of various berry crops, such as currants and strawberries.

In order to fertilize the garden with bird droppings when digging, it must first be dried and then ground or crushed to a powder consistency. Bird droppings are also used as liquid plant food. To do this, you need to pour litter into one third of the container and fill the rest of the space with water. Let the mixture sit for two to three days, stirring occasionally, to speed up the fermentation process. The prepared solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3 and applied to the soil during digging.

Important! Chicken manure is highly concentrated, so it must be used with caution. It is recommended to apply this fertilizer in small doses with a lower concentration, but more often.

Bird droppings can be stored either in separate piles or in bags. In order to reduce the level of nitrogen loss in poultry droppings, it is necessary to periodically add peat or superphosphates to it during the accumulation of droppings.

One method of using manure is to prepare liquid fertilizer for plants, shrubs or trees.

To prepare liquid fertilizer, you need to fill the container halfway with cow manure and fill it to the top with water. Leave to ferment for one to two weeks, stirring occasionally. Before applying the resulting liquid organic fertilizer to the soil, it must be diluted with water 2-4 times. The drier the soil, the more you need to dilute the resulting solution with water. One bucket of diluted solution should be added per square meter of land.

Mullein contains significantly less phosphorus than other elements, which can negatively affect plants. For example, if you feed cucumbers with manure, then the lack of phosphorus blocks the flow of nitrogen into the plant. This can lead to the accumulation of nitrates in the fruits, and the harvest will be harmful to human health. Prolonged phosphorus starvation leads to a slowdown in the growth of plants and fruits, which affects the overall quantity and quality of the crop.

In order to obtain a complete liquid organic fertilizer from cow manure, and also to avoid unpleasant consequences from a lack of phosphorus, it is necessary to add 50-60 grams of superphosphate to a bucket of the resulting slurry of manure with water to replenish the lack of phosphorus.

In addition, manure is applied to the soil in a fresh and rotted state. Fresh manure must be applied to autumn season, after harvesting, and the rotted one is added in the spring when digging. During the decomposition of manure in the soil, carbon dioxide is formed, which helps improve the air supply of plants. It also reduces the acidity level of the soil, which is very harmful to plant growth.

It is better to store manure in compacted piles, this way the least amount of ammonia loss is achieved. In the process of accumulating a manure heap, you can periodically add phosphate rock to it, which, under the influence of decomposing manure, will dissolve, increasing the level of phosphorus and transforming into an easily accessible form for plants.

Due to the dense structure of cow dung, it can be used on any soil and on a wide variety of vegetation. It has average heat transfer, so it is used to create greenhouse beds for cucumbers, melons or watermelons.

Horse manure is a loose, porous structure, which includes, in addition to feces, hay, bedding elements (sawdust, peat, pine residues). Horse manure is in a state of constant decomposition and has high heat transfer, due to which it is used as a greenhouse heater and organic fertilizers are made from it.

In order to use horse manure as a fertilizer for indoor plants, you need to fill one third of a plastic bottle with horse feces and add a liter of water. The resulting mixture must be infused for one week, then mix everything thoroughly and dilute the solution one bottle cap per 10 liters of water.

It is recommended to store horse manure in one pile or in bags. Adding horse manure to the ground in the spring when digging will ensure that the soil is enriched with essential nutrients. This will make the soil structure looser and more moisture-absorbing.

Organic fertilizers of plant origin

Peat is decomposed plant residues in the form of a powdery structure. There are three types of peat: highland, lowland and transitional. High-moor peat is characterized by a fairly low degree of decomposition of plant residues and a low level of ash and plant nutrients. This type of peat compound is widely used as bedding for animals, and later for creating composts and for adding organic matter to the soil.

Lowland peat is characterized by a high level of decomposition and content of ash and nitrogen. Transitional peat has average characteristics.

Peat: basic properties of natural nutrition

Composts are made from peat, and it is also added to the soil in its pure form. The most useful type for application to the soil is lowland peat, which is enriched with ash substances and has a high concentration of lime and ferrous oxide.

In addition to organic fertilizers of animal origin, to improve the structure of the soil and enrich it with useful nutrients, green plants - green manures (green manures) are used. These are plants (mustard, peas, vetch, rye) that are planted in order to obtain a sufficiently large amount of green mass for further incorporation into the soil, thereby increasing fertility. Grown green manure is cut off before flowering or immediately after flowering, when the plants contain a large amount of nutrients.

Green manure can not only be incorporated into the soil, but also left on the surface, thereby protecting it from aridity, weathering and large loss of moisture.

It is recommended to cut or mow this green vegetation so that the root system remains in the soil. It is this that contributes to loosening the soil, as well as the formation of humus, microorganisms and soil worms. In addition, the root system of green manure ensures the extraction of nutrients from the deepest layers of the soil. This allows the greatest utilization of nutrients by cultivated plant species.
Mown plants that will remain on the surface of the ground must be watered with a special Baikal extract - EM1 in the morning or evening hours. This will promote rapid decomposition and fermentation of the green mass.

To save budget and increase quantity, you can use a special EM extract prepared on the basis of Baikal EM1. To do this, you need to place 7 kilograms of chopped plant residues in a 10-liter non-metal bucket. Then dilute 250 grams of sugar and 250 grams of Baikal-EM1 in 7 liters of water. Pour the resulting mixture over the green remains of the chopped vegetation and cover the bucket with plastic wrap, placing pressure on top, thereby limiting the access of air.

Leave to infuse for 10-15 days in a dark place, shaking the bucket periodically to release the extract from formed gases.

Medicinal herbs can be used as herbal residues: St. John's wort, chamomile, yarrow, and garlic. Pour the resulting extract onto the beveled green manure in a ratio of 100 mg per 10 liters of water.

Under natural conditions, the soil will be under mulch, that is, humus should constantly form under the mowed vegetation. Mulch acts as a “coat” for the soil. During the daytime sunshine, it protects the soil from excessive drying, and at night from cooling. Beneficial microorganisms settle at the interface between mulch and soil, forming nutritious organic matter and improving soil structure.

In addition to mulching, liquid fertilizer is made from the green mass of green manure. To do this, you need to put fresh grass in a container. Then add water in a ratio of 1 kilogram of grass per 10 liters of water. Leave to brew for five days, stirring occasionally to speed up the fermentation process. Cultivated plants are watered with the prepared solution, thereby increasing the quantity and quality of yield.

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The composition of manure depends on the type of animal, its food, bedding, storage method and degree of decomposition. Nitrogen is found more in sheep and horse manure, as well as manure on peat litter.

Chemical composition fresh manure,%:

Below is the composition of fresh manure according to other data, in%:

Based on the degree of decomposition, manure is divided into fresh, semi-rotted, rotted and humus.

• Fresh manure. the straw changes slightly in color and strength. The aqueous extract (water passed through manure) is reddish-yellowish or greenish in color.
• Semi-rotted manure. The straw is dark brown in color and breaks easily. The water discharge from it is dark in color.
• Rotted manure. Individual straws cannot be detected. It is a homogeneous black smearing mass. The aqueous extract from it is colorless. Humus. A homogeneous loose earthy mass, dark brown in color.

Changes in the composition of manure depending on the degree of decomposition:

Half-rotted manure that has been in a manure storage facility or piles for some time loses its original color, as the straw in it becomes dark brown. The composition of semi-rotted manure includes approximately 75% water, 0.5% nitrogen, 0.3% phosphorus, 0.4% potassium, or, if converted to kilograms, with 10 kg of manure an average of 50 g of nitrogen is added, 25 - 30 g phosphorus, 40 - 50 g of potassium.

Rotten manure, like humus, is a homogeneous mass; these are products of deep decomposition of organic matter, and in some cases it is recommended to use these particular groups of manure.

Manure storage

There are the following methods for storing manure.

• Hot (loose styling). Manure is loosely placed in piles 2–3 m wide and 1.5–2 m high. This creates favorable conditions for aerobic bacteria, and the temperature of the manure rises to 70°. After 3-4 months, 1/2–1/3 of the dry organic matter may be lost (rotten). This method is used when it is necessary to obtain well-decomposed manure in a short time.
• Cold (tight styling). The manure is densely stacked in stacks at least 2-3 m wide and 1.5-2 m high. After compacting the mass, the stack is covered from above to reduce the flow of air and reduce nitrogen losses. In this case, decomposition, with the exception of surface layers, occurs under anaerobic conditions (without air access) at a temperature of 20-25° in winter and 30-35° in summer. Decomposition occurs more slowly than with the hot method. Fresh manure turns into semi-rotted manure in 3-5 months, and into rotted manure in 7-6 months. In 3-4 months, manure loses 1/9–1/10 of its dry matter. This method is the most acceptable.
• Hot-compacted (loose laying with compaction). Fresh manure is first laid loosely in a meter-long layer 2-3 m wide, and on the 3rd–5th day, when the manure warms up to 50-60°, it is strongly compacted and subsequent layers are laid on it in the same way until the height of the stack reaches 1 ,5-2 m. After compaction, manure decomposes under anaerobic conditions at a temperature of 30-35°. Semi-rotted manure is formed after 1.5-2 months, rotted - after 4-5 months. This storage method is used in cases where there are pathogens in the manure or it is necessary to accelerate its decomposition.

Manure additives

Manure will be better if, when laying it, add superphosphate (up to 2% of weight) or 3-5% phosphate rock (or bone) meal (in layers every 15-20 cm). Manure will be stored better if it is composted with peat. If there is no peat, it can be replaced with soil, but there should be less of it - 20-30% of the weight of the manure. It is useful to cover the top and sides of the pile with turf.

Application of manure

It is better to plow manure under spring crops in the fall, with the exception of light soils. Humus should be applied in the spring. Manure must be immediately plowed when applied (to reduce losses of organic matter and nitrogen). The manure is plowed to the depth of the arable layer (slightly shallower on heavy soils than on light soils). More decomposed manure is plowed to a shallower depth.

If there is a lack of manure, it can be filled into holes or nests at half the rate. It is also useful to apply rotted manure when planting trees and shrubs at the rate of 5-10 kg per planting hole.

Doses are determined depending on the crops, and based on the norms of plant use of nutrients in the first year after plowing. On less cultivated soils, in humid and cold areas, doses of manure are usually higher.

The use of some nutrients by plants from manure in the first year

In the first year after plowing manure, the use of nutrients from it, depending on the type of manure and the characteristics of the crops, is about 8-38% nitrogen, 30-55% phosphorus, 46-80% potassium (see table).

For fertilizer, it is better to use rotted or at least semi-rotted manure, and for planting (sowing) - only rotted, or better yet, humus. In fresh straw manure, the amount of nitrogen available to plants is insufficient, especially in the first two months after applying it to the soil.

Horse and sheep manure decomposes faster, which is why it is advisable to use it on heavy soils where decomposition of organic matter occurs slowly.

Scientific research and practice indicate that excess nitrates in vegetables are often associated with excessive application of fresh (undecomposed) manure. In some cases, when fresh manure is added to the soil, ammonia is released, which is toxic to plants; the leaves wither and subsequently dry out. In such cases, the manure must be quickly covered with soil.

Slurry

Slurry (mullein) - semi-liquid and liquid manure - is a fast-acting nitrogen-potassium fertilizer.

Of the many tests of urine and slurry of cattle and horses, the following can be suggested as average:

From these data it is clear that both urine and slurry can be classified as nitrogenous and at the same time potassium fertilizers, that there is no phosphoric acid in urine at all, and very little in slurry, that urine, seeping through the litter, loses a significant part nitrogen and potassium, and acquires very little phosphoric acid. But in addition, such a change in urine generally indicates the ease of loss of nitrogen both in it and in the slurry.

It is advisable to use slurry for composting with peat and various plant wastes, as well as for feeding (0.5–1 kg/sq.m.). To prepare composts and feed plants, the slurry is diluted with water 3-5 times. To increase the effectiveness of the slurry solution, phosphorus fertilizer (6–10 g P) is added to the solution bucket.

As a fertilizer, slurry can first be applied as the main fertilizer for all plants, at the rate of 200-300 kg per 100 m.

It is also used for feeding all decorative and vegetable crops(50-70 kg per 100 m2). It is especially effective when plants are starved of nitrogen.

When feeding, slurry is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 5 or 1: 7, depending on its concentration. Fertilize fruit crops and vegetable crops no later than a month before harvesting.

Extracts from manure

In stores, among the products for gardeners, you can see canisters with extract from cow or horse manure. The advertisement says that these extracts can easily replace several tons of manure and are even better than manure, since they are enriched with various additives necessary for the plant.

Liquid organic fertilizers such as manure extracts are intended to nourish plants. If the main supply of plant nutrients is contained in humus, then liquid fertilizers are used for feeding in those periods when the plants require it. They do not serve as food for soil microflora and do not contribute to the replenishment of humus reserves. For feeding plants, manure extracts and other liquid organic fertilizers are better than mineral fertilizers, since they contain plant nutrients in a more balanced form and, in addition, they do not cause such harm to soil microflora as mineral fertilizers especially in high doses. However, we must always remember that extracts from manure are very rich in soluble nitrogen and therefore they should be used sparingly and only during certain periods of plant development. In rotted manure, nitrogen goes into an insoluble form and therefore there is no danger of overdose.

Thus: manure – food for the soil, manure extracts – food for plants and they cannot replace each other.

Feces

It is a fast and powerful fertilizer, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. Average chemical composition of feces:

One adult excretes about 500 kg of feces (450 liters of urine and 50 kg of feces) per year. It is better when feces in cesspools are systematically covered with peat chips or soil, or a mixture of them (1 glass or more each time), which eliminates the unpleasant odor and prevents the breeding of flies.

Over 60% of nitrogen can be lost from feces within 6 months. It should also be borne in mind that they may contain worm eggs. To preserve nitrogen and destroy pathogens, feces are used mainly for making composts, preferably with peat. Good humus is obtained by composting dry leaves or turf, folded in layers and generously watered with feces. The mixture of feces and soil does not heat up to the required temperature, so it must be kept for at least 3 years.

Urine (urine) collected from 50 people can fertilize one hectare of land, which is equivalent to adding 120-150 kg of nitrogen per hectare. In other words, urine collected daily from one person is enough to fertilize 1 square meter of field. For soils poor in nitrogen, a larger volume can be used in several passes.

Feces should not be applied directly to the soil, especially for vegetable crops that are used raw. For sanitary reasons, it is better to apply fecal fertilizers to the soil in the fall (1.5–2 kg/sq.m). Fertilize with a mixture consisting of 1 part feces and 3-4 parts peat. Good results are obtained when fertilizing sandy and light loamy soils. It is better to apply it to the soil (especially clayey soil, where this fertilizer leads to the formation of a soil crust) in holes or furrows, followed by backfilling with soil.

Various ways to use urine as fertilizer:

• Adding urine without dilution. Before sowing, urine can be added without dilution. Undiluted urine is used to fertilize trees. Urine can also be added to moisten the compost.
• Adding diluted urine. If the crops have begun to grow, urine is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 4 to 10 to fertilize the plants. A safe addition is 1 to 7 (1 part urine to 7 parts water) for all plants.

After fertilizing, it is recommended to cover the area with earth or leaves to avoid evaporation. To prevent contamination, it is recommended to use urine only during the growing season, that is, in spring or summer, for winter crops - in early autumn. Do not use fertilizer in winter!

Powder-closet (dry toilet)

In small home restrooms, powder closets (with peat crumbs added) or modern dry closets are often used. A plastic container is used as a powder closet, at the bottom of which a small (2-4 cm) layer of peat is first poured. For ease of use, a larger container can be placed on an axle with two removable wheels.

For backfilling, you need so much peat so that the mixture is not smeared, but crumbly (then it is easier to remove it from the container (pit). On average, per person per year, at least (dry peat crumbs): 100 kg of sphagnum peat, 300 kg of meadow peat If possible, these doses are increased by 2-3 times.

If there is no peat, you can use sawdust, small shavings (from an electric planer), straw cuttings, dry leaves, dried pond sludge, and even garden soil for dusting powder.

Composted feces are high-quality humus.

Fresh feces contain pathogens (disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Therefore, they must be treated before being used in the field or garden. Composted feces are safe to use and they:

• improve the structure of the earth,
• improve the quality of the land,
• good fertilizer (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium).

How much compost should I use?

Human waste contains only 0.5 kg of nitrogen, 0.2 kg of phosphorus and 0.17 kg of potassium per year. Therefore, compost is better used as a soil improver than as a fertilizer, and can be added in fairly large quantities:

• 1-2 liters of compost per square meter of land,
• 2-3 liters/sq m for plants with high nitrogen consumption, such as potatoes and onions,
• 3-4 liters/sq m for plants with very high nitrogen consumption, such as corn, tomatoes,
• 1 part compost mixed with 1 part soil for balcony plants.

"Setting"

Sewage sludge on irrigation fields (“sludge”) contains fewer nutrients than feces. Depending on the moisture content of the sludge and the crop being fertilized, the dose of precipitation is from 2 to 10 kg/sq.m.

Bird droppings

Poultry manure is a complete, fast-acting fertilizer because it provides nutrients in an easily accessible form. Its composition varies depending on the type of bird, their age and food. In terms of chemical composition, it is 3-4 times richer than cow dung.

10 kg of chicken manure contains an average of 220 g of nitrogen, 180 g of phosphorus and 110 g of potassium. Bird droppings in the garden are usually used in liquid form for spring and summer fertilizing of fruit and berry crops. One part of the litter is diluted with 7-8 parts of water and left for 2 days. Before applying to the soil, the mixture is shaken and diluted again with water in a 1:1 ratio. A bucket of this mixture is added at the rate of one per 2 m2. Bird droppings can also be used in the fall when digging up the garden at a rate of 250-300 g per 1 m2.

Ingredients (%):

Chicken droppings contain significantly more nutrients than duck and geese droppings. From one chicken you can get up to 6 kg per year, a duck 8 ru, a goose 11 kg. litter If you don’t have your own birds, droppings can be purchased at poultry farms. Here it is processed at high temperatures or composted.

Application of litter

The nutrients in the litter quickly dissolve in water and are easily absorbed. In addition, they are released gradually and therefore, unlike mineral fertilizers, retain their effect for 2-3 years (which must be taken into account when introducing manure).

Bird droppings in the garden are usually used in liquid form for spring and summer feeding of fruit and berry crops. One part of the droppings is diluted with 7-8 parts of water and infused for 2 days (according to other sources, it is not advisable to infuse bird droppings with water so that it ferments - nitrogen loss will be 50%). Before applying to the soil, the mixture is shaken and diluted again with water in a ratio of 1:10 - 1:12. A bucket of this mixture is added at the rate of one per 2 sq.m.

Bird droppings can also be used in the fall when digging the soil, at a rate of 1-1.5 kg of wet droppings (or 0.6-0.8 dry) or in smaller doses: 0.3-0.5 raw droppings (0.2-0 .3 dry), for application into furrows, holes - 0.08-0.1 kg. For liquid fertilizers (0.05-0.1 kg), the manure is diluted with water immediately before application to the soil in a ratio of 1:10 or 1:12 and mixed thoroughly. Used mainly for feeding.

For vegetables that require more potassium (potatoes, some root vegetables, etc.), its deficiency is compensated by adding fertilizer, for example, 100 g of potassium chloride per 1 kg of litter. However, we must remember that an overdose of litter is dangerous, since it results in the accumulation of nitrates in vegetables. To eliminate the harmful effects of manure, it is added together with straw, peat or sawdust in a ratio of 3:1.

Doses of bird droppings for vegetable crops, kg/sq.m (according to A. Popov):

Storage

To reduce nitrogen losses, which in 2 months can reach 30–60% of the initial amount, manure should be stored by composting in layers (20 cm) with various moisture-absorbing materials - peat, sawdust or straw cuttings (25–50% of the weight of the manure) . Dry compost is watered. After 2 months it is ready. At the same time, pathogenic microorganisms, helminth eggs, and weed seeds die in it.

It is better to incorporate such manure compost into the soil in the fall. On sandy soils, this can be done in the spring - two weeks before sowing or planting seedlings. It is better to apply manure compost into furrows or holes.

Bird droppings can also be stored in a dry place in a mixture with peat chips or powdered superphosphate (respectively in a ratio of 25-60 and 6-10% by weight of the droppings) or in a closed container. or by composting it with various moisture-absorbing materials: peat, sawdust or straw cuttings in a 3:1 ratio. It is better to store dry droppings in some container (plastic bag, barrel, etc.) protected from air.

Peat

Peat contains few plant-available nutrients, but it increases the humus content and improves soil structure. It contains a relatively large amount of nitrogen, which is, however, in a poorly digestible form. To convert organic forms of nitrogen into mineral forms (nitrates, ammonia) accessible to plants, it is economically advisable to use peat for the preparation of composts. Dark color peat helps absorb heat and quickly warm up the soil.

Based on the degree of decomposition, three types of peat are distinguished. Horse is different weak degree decomposition of plant residues and high acidity. Lowland is characterized by a high degree of decomposition and lower acidity. Transitional peat occupies an intermediate position between them.

Chemical composition of various types of peat, % :

Peat enriches the soil with organic matter, helps regulate soil moisture, and improves its structure. Mainly used for composting and mulching. It is not economically profitable to use peat for fertilizers in its pure form, since it contains few nutrients (the costs are not recouped by the increase in yield). It must be borne in mind that all peat decomposes slowly in the soil, and the nutrients contained in them cannot be quickly used by plants. Weathered lowland peat with a high degree of decomposition (35–60%) can be used to fertilize the soil. Transitional and high peat are used for compost.

Peat is applied at any time of the year, even in winter on snow. But we must not forget that lime must be added to it. In the garden, peat is best added to composts, as well as soil mixtures for growing seedlings and protected soil.

Humus soil

Sod-humus and manure-humus soil, preferably loamy soil, is a valuable fertilizer and an excellent component for soil mixtures. Occupies an intermediate position between garden soil and humus.

Sod-humus soil. In the spring, turf is cut about 10-15 cm thick with a thick grass stand. Lay the turf in rows (grass to grass) in stacks in the form of a cube with a side of 1 m. Each 25–30 cm layer of turf is interspersed with a 5 cm layer of fresh manure, slurry, droppings or feces. As the layers of turf are laid, they are moistened.

A depression is left in the top layer for irrigation and rainwater collection. The dimensions of the stack should not exceed 1.8 m in height and width. To protect from rain, the stack is covered with film, but kept moist - in the summer, it is watered from time to time with water or preferably diluted slurry and shifted once, preferably twice. By autumn the land is ready.

Manure-humus soil. It is obtained from decomposed manure mixed with soil, usually it is taken from a greenhouse (from under cucumbers) and kept for another year.

Composts

Compost is a very common strong fertilizer obtained by fermentation (decomposition) of a mixture of organic substances, often with the addition of mineral fertilizers. There are many types of compost.

General rules for preparing composts

When preparing different types of compost, you should follow the general rules.

• What kind of pile or "box"? It’s worth thinking carefully about what to build - a “box” (box) or a pile (stack)? By the way, there is good proverb Czech gardeners: “three small compost heaps are better than one large,” the truth of which each of us has the opportunity to verify over time. Although the optimal size of a “box” for a heap in the literature is usually recommended so that each wall is about a meter long, one must take into account the advantage of small heaps, which is that the bacteria, which do the bulk of the work of turning organic matter into real compost, get more oxygen.
• It is advisable to choose a site for compost in a flood-free, shaded place, on the corner of the site. The width of the heap (trench) is 1-1.5 m (no more than 1.8 m), the height is 1-1.25 cm. In personal plots, composting is conveniently carried out in boxes.
• What is compost made of? All types of organic waste that can decompose more or less quickly can be used as materials for good garden compost. These are weeded weeds, post-harvest plant residues, mown grass, hay, straw, kitchen waste, sawdust, shavings, fallen leaves, newspapers without color printing, etc. Each type of plant makes its own contribution to the compost and enriches it with some nutritional element. Good compost cannot be obtained from just one material, such as straw. The mowed lawn grass (when there is a lot of it) must be dried before placing it in the compost heap, and it is also a good idea to layer it with coarser and drier materials, such as sawdust or fallen leaves.
• Let's list some well-known plants that are useful to add to compost. Nettle accumulates nitrogen and iron, shepherd's purse - microelements, chamomile and comfrey - potassium and calcium, yarrow - sulfur. Dandelion, with its long taproot, extracts calcium from deep layers of soil and stores it in its foliage. Alfalfa and mustard do the same for phosphorus.
• It is especially important to add nitrogen-rich materials to the compost. Nitrogen is necessary for the life of microorganisms that carry out composting. The more nitrogen, the faster this process goes. The best nitrogen-containing additive to compost is animal manure or bird droppings. In case manure is not available, here is a list of other nitrogen-rich supplements: bone meal, nettles, legume stems and leaves, and grass clippings. You can also use urine, dilute it 4 times and pour it over the compost.
• All compost components should be crushed if possible, this significantly speeds up the fermentation process.
• What should not be added to compost? This is, first of all, something that does not decompose - glass, plastic bags, plastic products, etc. Contaminated weeds turn the compost into a breeding ground for weeds and should not be added to the compost heap. It is better not to burn potato and tomato tops infected with late blight, but to compost them separately and for a longer period. The compost obtained from it can be used for those crops that do not suffer from late blight, for example, berry bushes (but not strawberries).
  Plants infected with viral diseases, as well as cabbage infected with clubroot, cannot be used for compost. They are destroyed in some way or removed from the site.
• Land additives. You must add some soil to the compost. Microorganisms that decompose plant residues are added to the compost with soil. In addition, the soil contains minerals, which, although in small quantities, are part of good compost. Earth and peat are added in order to prevent the loss of liquid and gaseous substances formed during fermentation (decomposition of organic substances). When composting, add a mixture of soil and peat, or at least just soil (garden soil), in layers of 15-20 cm. Optimally, compost should contain about 70% plant residues, 20% manure and 10% soil.
• Mineral supplements. To neutralize the effect of acids formed during fermentation and to obtain compost as a good universal fertilizer, lime is added to it when laying compost (if it is not in the composted material). This is, first of all, limestone or dolomite flour, which increases the content of calcium and magnesium and neutralizes acidity (4-5 kg/m3). Lime must be added to acidic peat, sawdust, shavings, pine needles, tree leaves, etc.
• It is very important to add enriching additives to the compost layer by layer (see).
• Compost should always be moist! The compost heap (loose, stacked or in a box) should be kept moist at all times. If the composted material is dry, when placing it in a heap, it is gradually moistened with slurry, diluted feces (1:3), a solution of microbiological fertilizer (for example, Baikal_EM1) or at least water. In hot weather it must be watered regularly. This is also important for the reproduction of worms.
• To speed up and uniform maturation of the compost, shovel the pile 1-2 times in the summer - throw the mass with a shovel to another place nearby. This is especially important when using feces, etc., for composting, which may contain eggs of worms and other pathogens. The temperature of the outer layers of the heap is lower, so these layers are not disinfected. It is better if these layers are removed (not used for fertilizer) and added to a new pile. To speed up the fermentation process, the “burning” of the mass should be brought to a temperature of 60°. To do this, immediately pour hot water over the compost (60–70°). This kills pathogenic microbes, but the quality of the compost deteriorates somewhat. At the end of September, it is recommended to water the compost heap (box) again with hot water, then cover it with film.
• Compost is considered ready when most of the mass is completely decomposed and becomes homogeneous and dark brown. The result is a free-flowing, easy-to-use fertilizer. The composting process depends on the components, usually lasting at least 9-12 months. To incorporate compost into the soil covered with a layer of garden soil, you can use compost earlier - after 4-6 months.

The ratio of nitrogen and carbon in compost. Composting is a microbiological process and organic materials provide food for microorganisms. They are not indifferent to the chemical composition of the material that they must decompose. The ratio of carbon and nitrogen in the starting material is essential for their activity. It has been established that the most favorable ratio for the activity of microorganisms is within 11-20 parts of carbon to 1 part of nitrogen, that is, there may be more carbon, but within certain limits.

Materials with low nitrogen content (below 0.7%). They decompose slowly, with a large loss of organic matter. This group includes: sawdust, paper, tree bark, straw. It is recommended to compost them with the addition of nitrogen-rich materials.

Materials with an average nitrogen content (0.7-1.5%). They make up the bulk of compostable material. They can be used without adding nitrogen, in which case the compost obtained from them has little effectiveness as a fertilizer; It is used mainly to improve the soil. This group includes: post-harvest residues, weeded weeds, kitchen waste, and tree leaves.

Materials with high nitrogen content (above 1.5%). They are used as additives to materials of the first and second groups to improve the quality of compost. Compost obtained with these additives is a good fertilizer for plants. This group includes: manure, bird droppings, stems and leaves of legumes, young grass clippings, all waste from the meat processing industry, fish waste, and sludge from ponds.

Compost enriching additives

In order for compost to become a universal fertilizer capable of satisfying all plant needs for mineral nutrition elements, enriching additives must be added to it. Garden compost consists mainly of plant residues. If nothing is added to this compost, it will be an average quality fertilizer. If you analyze such compost, it turns out that there is very little nitrogen in it, not to mention phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other elements. It is impossible to get a good harvest with such compost. It serves primarily to improve the physical properties of the soil rather than as a fertilizer.

High quality compost should contain about 2% total nitrogen, while plant residues contain only 0.7-1.5%. This means that in order to obtain a complete fertilizer, nitrogen-rich substances must be added to plant residues. Optimally this is cow dung, which should make up about 10% of the compostable material. If you do not have such an amount of manure at your disposal, then the compost heap can be watered with a water extract from manure: 1 part of manure to 20 parts of water or urine diluted 4 times.

We will list other nitrogen-rich and more affordable additives again: young grass clippings, nettles, green mass of legumes, meat and fish waste, bone meal, bird droppings. Everything that belongs to the third group of compostable materials. The exact amounts of these supplements are not specified, and you will have to rely on your intuition to avoid overdoing it. Compost with a very high nitrogen content is also not desirable. You need to be especially careful with bird droppings.

It is very important to add phosphorus-rich compounds to your compost. It is advisable to add phosphorus not in the form of superphosphate (1-2 kg/m3), but in the insoluble form of phosphate rock (3-5 kg/m3). This is phosphorus-rich rock ground into flour. In a compost heap, where microbiological activity is very high, phosphate rock decomposes, phosphorus goes into a state associated with organic matter and becomes part of humus. The dose of phosphate rock is 5-8 kg per m 3 of compost. Fused phosphate has similar properties.

To enrich with potassium, use ash or potassium sulfate (1-2 kg/m3), but not potassium chloride, which is toxic to microorganisms. In order for the additives to be distributed evenly throughout the volume of the heap, it is folded in layers 20-25 cm thick and a certain amount of enriching substances is added to each layer.

For nitrogen enrichment and microflora contamination, manure, slurry, chicken droppings, feces, etc. are added. You can also use mineral nitrogen fertilizer, preferably ammonium sulfate, which is added layer by layer in an amount of 0.5% by weight of organic matter (3-3.5% by weight of dry matter).

Sectional compost

It is better to arrange 3 or at least 2 section stacks (in each section the compost differs in the time of laying and readiness) to make it easier to shovel it and so that rotted compost (humus) can be used evenly. In autumn and spring, the compost is shoveled (transferred from the first section to the second, from the second to the third).

Compost container designs

Gardeners, depending on the availability of materials and aesthetic considerations, build compost heaps, stacks, and boxes (“boxes”) of different designs. There are a lot of examples, here is one example of a three-section container tried by the author.

Materials for one section: wooden blocks section. 40x40x2000 mm – 4 pcs., 20x70x1300 – 8 pcs., 20x90x1300 – 4 pcs., 20x30x1300 – 4 pcs., 20x40 – 4 pcs.; iron rods approximately 6x40x(700-900) mm - 8 pcs., wide boards (150-250*25 mm wide), length - along the width of the section wall. The cross-section of the main beam (40x40) should ensure free lowering of wide boards into the groove. Iron rods are painted with an anti-corrosion primer. The bars and boards are impregnated with a strong, hot solution of copper sulfate.
To construct 4 racks of each section, the bars are fastened with screws, as shown in the figure and so that the lower ends of all bars are at the same level. Screw the iron rods as shown in the figure and so that their part about 50-60 cm long is free (for sticking into the ground). Finished parts are painted with weather-resistant paint. Wide boards can be replaced with strips of slate (but you must cut it with a blower!!).

To build one section, all 4 racks are driven into the corners of a strictly square area of ​​1.1 x 1.1 m. In this case: the racks must be strictly vertical and at the same distance from each other, the grooves of adjacent racks must be aligned, the wooden parts of the racks must be close to the ground, but not touching it, the top of the racks must be at the same level. For structural rigidity, 4 cross-section bars are nailed to the top of the posts (along the perimeter of the square). 20x40 mm. On all four sides of the section, wide boards or strips of slate are lowered into the grooves, leaving small gaps between them for air penetration (if aerobic compost) - the section is ready. Similarly, 2 more sections are attached next to each other.
For the convenience of laying compost and shoveling (throwing it with a pitchfork from one section to another), the slate strips on the front wall of the section and the side wall (between the sections) are temporarily removed from the grooves.

Aerobic and anaerobic composts

These two composts differ in the processes of fermentation (fermentation) of organic matter. The first - fermentation occurs with air access, the second - without air access. The advantages of both are presented in the table.

In sufficiently fermented aerobic or anaerobic compost at a pH of 7.0, beneficial earthworms reproduce very well, turning the compost heap into a “worm pit.” Caprolites (petrified excrement of worms) together with decomposed organic matter, mineral macro- and micro-elements are the essence of soil fertility. A ton of such biomass gives up to 3 tons of additional and earlier harvest.

Aerobic compost

To prepare such compost, an area of ​​at least 2 m wide of arbitrary length is allocated in one of the corners of the site or outside it in a place that is not flooded with water, preferably in the shade. Organic matter is composted in a heap (or stack) 1 m high, up to 2 m wide at the base. It is recommended to lay poles radially at the bottom, and lay branches on top of them. In this case, it is convenient to aerate the pile by periodically shaking it by the ends of the poles protruding outward. First, a layer of up to 30 cm is laid that absorbs moisture (peat, sawdust, leaves, crushed straw). Then various organic matter is laid in layers 15–20 cm thick. It is advisable to chop the tops. Each layer is sprinkled with a layer of garden soil - thereby adding microflora. The waste is moistened with fecal matter diluted in water, adding ash to the slurry. For aesthetic reasons, the pile can be enclosed with mesh (metal, plastic) or wooden formwork (there must be a gap between the boards for air penetration). To neutralize soil, peat and sawdust, they are limed. If the compost contains a large amount of peat or plant residues, it is useful to add nitrogen fertilizers or manure; however, in this case, lime is not used, otherwise ammonia (nitrogen) will begin to be released. The top of the pile is covered with a layer of 10–20 cm of earth to absorb the released gases. The compost should be kept moist at all times, but not over-watered. During the aerobic process, it is advisable to bring the compost moisture content to 60%. For the winter, it is covered with old film on top (for insulation). It is advisable to lay a 30–40 cm insulating layer of peat, dry leaves, spruce branches or reeds under the film, and add additional snow in winter. By spring the compost is usually ready.

Anaerobic compost

It is convenient to prepare it in a hole (preferably cemented) 0.5 m deep. The compost must be compacted, covered with film and sprinkled with earth on top. If walls are made, they must be impermeable to air. The soured mass (silage) is ready in 0.5–2 months. Silage can already be laid out on the bed in a layer of 3–10 cm, adding a layer of soil up to 10 cm on top. In the soil, compost becomes an excellent food for earthworms after a month. And they are simply necessary for soil fertility.

Types of composts

Garden compost

Most gardeners, instead of compost based on manure or peat (in modern times - they, especially manure, are a luxury that not everyone can afford), prepare prefabricated (garden) compost on the basis of self-sufficiency. They compost everything they have - plant residues, grass clippings, dry leaves, weeds (before seeding), yard and house waste, manure, peat, straw, sawdust, shavings, ash, soot, kitchen waste (soap slops excluded), feces , turf An important condition is not to use the remains of plants affected by diseases, contaminated with pesticides or treated with persistent herbicides. In particular, you cannot compost the roots of cabbage plants affected by clubroot, onions with white rot, potato, tomato, strawberry and other plant residues affected by clubroot, late blight, and nematodes. They should be burned or placed in a separate perennial compost heap away from the garden.

First, lay a layer of peat, leaves, straw or humus soil 25-30 cm high, and all the components of the compost accumulate on it as they accumulate. For “leavening”, a layer of 2-5 cm of humus soil is laid every 20-30 cm and lightly sprinkled with ash, superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, lime, and pieces of turf are laid out. pour herbal infusion of manure or fecal slurry. To maintain moisture, water with urine, slop, or just water. Important! The compost must be kept moist at all times.

The ripening period for prefabricated compost is at least a year. To speed up the process, it is necessary to chop the plant residues and shovel the entire mass, for example, moving it from one section to another.

It is better to make not one, but two compost heaps at the same time. Place quickly decomposing waste in one, and waste that is difficult to rot, herbs with thick woody stems, tops (especially those affected by diseases), rhizomes of perennial weeds, wood chips, sawdust, etc., in the other.

Pumpkins on a compost heap

In the first year, pumpkins and zucchini are grown on a compost heap (in a sunny place). In the spring, 1-2 buckets of humus or fertile soil are placed in the planting areas and covered with old transparent (not black) film. After a week, holes are made in the film (or it is removed), dry seeds are sown or seedlings are planted. Cover with non-woven material (remove it after June 10-15). Pumpkins grow up to 20-30 kg (2-3 pumpkins per sq.m.), and the compost is fully matured at this time. You can grow pumpkin two years in a row. During this time, the weed seeds in the heap rot even better. In the fall, shake up the pile and form a bed 30 cm high and 1 m wide for winter garlic. After harvesting the garlic, the compost is transferred to the beds for carrots, cabbage, and potatoes (a bucket per square meter). A new pile is laid in the vacant space.

Peat manure compost

Particularly potent composts are obtained by mixing peat with slurry, feces, manure, and chicken droppings. 1 kg of peat-fecal compost contains approximately 6 g of nitrogen, 3 g of phosphorus and 3 g of potassium. Of these, in the first year after plowing, plants use about 1.5 g of nitrogen, 1 g of phosphorus and 2 g of potassium per 1 kg of compost. Optimal ratios of components:

• for 3 parts of lowland peat take 1.5 (1-2) parts of manure;
• for 1 part of high-moor (sphagnum) peat - 1-2 parts of manure. Manure is placed in heaps in layers: first a layer of peat 20-25 cm, a layer of manure 15-25 cm on top of it, then a layer of peat, etc., ending with a layer of peat (at a height of 1.5 m).

Manure-phosphorite compost

Phosphorite flour is added to manure in an amount of 1-3%. In summer, compost matures in 1.5-2.5 months. Add 1-1.5 kg/sq.m of compost, depending on the content of phosphate rock in it.

Peat-liquid compost

Slurry is added to peat in an amount of 10-20% of the peat weight. First, lay a layer of peat 20–30 cm thick (the edges are made slightly higher to retain liquid). Then a layer of slurry (10–15 cm) and so further alternate layers, adhering to the required ratio. The top layer should be peat. The addition of phosphate rock (1-3%) and potassium chloride (0.5-0.7%) significantly improves the quality of the compost. Compost matures in summer within 1-3 months. Compost is added in an amount of 1-2 kg/sq.m.

Peat-fecal compost

Feces are added to peat in an amount of 30-40% of the peat weight. It is recommended to add phosphate rock (2-3%). Compost matures in 2.5-4 months. Add in an amount of 1-2 kg/sq.m.

Peat-manure-phosphorite manure

To 1 part of manure add 1-5 parts of peat. Phosphorite flour is added at 1-3% of the compost weight. In summer, compost matures in 1-2 months. Add in an amount of 1.5-3 kg/sq.m.

Manure-phosphorite compost

Phosphorite flour is added in an amount of 1-3% of the weight of manure. Ripens in 1.5-2 months. Apply 1-2 kg of compost per 1 sq.m.

Leaf compost

If you have a large number of fallen leaves at your disposal, then you should make a separate compost pile from them. This is explained by the fact that fallen leaves are decomposed by a completely different microflora than other plant debris. It's also a slower process. While compost from plants can be used within a year, leaves need at least two years to decompose. The rate of decomposition also depends on the type of tree. Some species, such as oak and chestnut, have leaves that contain a large amount of particularly slowly decomposing substances, so compost from these leaves will only be ready after 3 years.

From forest litter, which contains, in addition to leaves, the top layer of soil (usually consisting of leaf humus), compost is obtained of better quality.

The advice to burn fallen leaves is based on the fact that pathogens persist on them. However, over the long period of compost maturation most of these pathogens die and, in addition, with this compost you fertilize mainly vegetable crops that suffer from other diseases.

To prepare compost, the leaves are collected in a heap, well moistened and compacted tightly. To speed up fermentation and obtain better fertilizer, dry leaves should be layered every 20 cm with fresh manure and/or ripe compost, fertile soil, and watered generously with feces or slurry. In summer, the pile (box) is kept open, maintaining the humidity of the contents at 70%. Lime is added to the leaves to neutralize acidity. If you need to get acidic compost to fertilize crops that prefer an acidic reaction, for example blueberries, rhododendrons, then lime is not added. The pile of leaves is covered with straw or old bags to prevent drying out and left for two years. You just need to make sure that the pile doesn’t dry out and moisten it if necessary. To make compost from leaves, you can use a plastic bag with holes into which you stuff the leaves tightly with all the appropriate additives.

Leaf compost is especially valuable for sandy and clay soils that need improvement physical properties. On sandy soils it increases water-holding capacity, on clay soils it promotes the creation of a lumpy structure, and, consequently, improves aeration and water permeability.

Fallen leaves can be used for winter mulching of beds and to protect wintering crops from freezing. The layer of winter mulch from leaves should be 10 cm thick. In spring, this mulch should be removed early, since the layer of leaves compacted over the winter retards the flow of heat and air into the soil.

Sawdust and manure compost

The sawdust is first neutralized and mineral fertilizers are added to it. After about a month, the pile of sawdust will warm up to 10-50°. At this time, manure is added in a 1:1 ratio. Thermal sterilization helps destroy weed seeds and pathogenic bacteria. 2-4 months after this, compost can be added to the soil (8-10 kg/sq.m).

Sawdust

Sawdust is used to loosen the soil and thereby improve its structure, as well as for preparing composts and mulching. Sawdust has an acidic reaction (pH 3–4.5); during fermentation, it absorbs nitrogen from the soil. Add npk (15–6–8) or at least only nitrogen to a bucket of sawdust, as well as 120–150 g of chalk or slaked lime; mix everything thoroughly. Instead of dry fertilizers, it is better to moisten sawdust with a solution of mineral fertilizers before adding them to the soil. To do this, dissolve the above dose of NPK in 10 liters of water, increasing it 5-6 times. You can also use animal urine diluted 8-10 times with water. A bucket of solution is enough to moisten 3-6 buckets of sawdust. Sawdust is plowed into the soil in the fall in the amount of 0.5–5 buckets per square meter (more on heavy soils, less on light sandy soils). When mulching, the thickness of the sawdust layer is 1–3 cm.

Green fertilizers

One of the cheap fertilizers is green fertilizer - fresh grass of early ripening crops, intended for embedding into the soil (after mowing - in the same area where it was grown or transferred to another area). In terms of their effect, green fertilizers are equivalent to manure, which is scarce in our time. They are most effective for use on humus-poor podzolic, especially sandy soils. It also works well on peat soils (accelerates the decomposition of peat). Herbs are also used for composts.

Green fertilizers can be sown after harvesting early vegetables. Early ripening crops are suitable - salad mustard, peas, fava beans, lupine, oats, rye, rapeseed, etc. Before the onset of autumn frosts, they are mowed and plowed into the ground. It is better to sow winter rye and rapeseed in August and plow in the following spring.

When choosing plants for green fertilizer, they proceed from the amount of green mass they produce. Some plants contain nitrogen on their roots and nodules, which they absorb from the air. Such plants (green manure) include lupine, clover, vetch, cowpea, seradella, peas, beans, triticale, etc. These plants enrich the soil with nitrogen, their root system deeply loosens the soil, so they are preferred. The soil can be improved by sowing herbs in the rows of the orchard, in vacant lots, and sowing green manure in crop rotation. Green manure is effectively used for potatoes, root vegetables and other vegetables. When caring for the soil, green manure produces a high yield of green mass. So. The lupine yield on sandy soils reaches 4 kg per square meter. m, which in terms of nitrogen and organic content is equivalent to the same amount of manure. 10 kg of green lupine mass contains on average (in g): nitrogen 45, phosphorus 12, potassium 17, calcium 47, magnesium 12. Green mass can be used for compost, for plowing and for feeding to livestock.

On an area of ​​10 sq.m, seeds are sown (in g), for example: narrow-leaved lupine 180 (to a depth of 3 cm), perennial lupine 45 (2–3 cm), seradella 50 (1–2 cm), vetch 100–150.

Lupine. They sow randomly after harvesting early potatoes and vegetables, usually in mid-August, at the rate of 1.5 kg of seeds per hundred square meters. When sowing is delayed, the number of seeds is increased by 20-25%. If there is no rain, water. After a week, seedlings appear, and after three to five weeks it is already possible to dig up the bed before winter. 150 kg of this plant is almost equivalent to the same amount of manure.

Triticale. After harvesting the vegetables, in late August-early September, furrows are cut at 15 cm intervals and triticale seeds are sown at 2-4 cm intervals to the same depth. In the spring, when the plants reach a height of 40 cm (usually by June 1), mow them down. They dig trenches in the beds, put triticale grass on the bottom, and on top - a lump of earth turned upside down. Level the bed and plant, for example, potatoes (well-sprouted tubers). Although there is a delay in planting, potatoes grow well in such soil and even outperform those planted at traditional times.

Oilseed radish(Raphanus sativus. var. Oleiformis) is an early-ripening, cold-resistant (tolerates minus 3°) crop. Grows well in neutral and slightly acidic soils of any type. The yield of green mass is more than twice that of lupine, rye, and white mustard. Oilseed radish Raduga and Tambovchanka are used as green fertilizer. Sow in continuous rows from early spring (as soon as the soil thaws) until autumn, including September. When sown in August and September it produces more leaves. The seeds germinate on the 4-7th day, and after 3 weeks, when the buds appear, it is the best time for mowing. The mass is dried for a week, then buried for digging (30-40 days pass from sowing to digging). When cultivating oilseed radish:

• the soil is enriched with organic matter, its structure improves;
• the infestation of the site with weeds is reduced;
• the number of pests and pathogenic microorganisms, for example pathogens of root rot and nematodes, is reduced by 1.5-3 times;
• The contamination of groundwater with nitrates is reduced by 10 times.

Sapropel

Sludge from standing waters: lakes, ponds, old river beds, ditches (sapropel) - is formed as a result of the decomposition of plant and animal organisms, mainly under anaerobic conditions. It is a valuable organic and mineral fertilizer. Average composition of sapropels (% of dry matter): – surface layer: nitrogen 2.1 (2–4 times more than in manure); phosphorus 0.4; potassium 0.55%; – deep layer: 0.9–0.2–0.3%, respectively.

Sapropel is used both in pure form and in the form of composts with manure, feces and other organic substances. As a fertilizer, sapropel is used especially on acidic and light sandy and sandy loam soils. When used in its pure form, the sludge is ventilated with shoveling and frozen before application (so that the harmful oxide compounds it contains turn into oxide compounds). The dose for grain crops is 300-400 kg/area, for vegetables, potatoes and fodder root crops 60-700 kg/area. In soddy-podzolic and sandy soils, silt is added in an amount of 3–6 kg per 1 sq.m.

Duckweed

This is a small floating plant, the bright green leaves of which cover (around mid-July) the surface of the water in ponds and other bodies of water. Duckweed has the ability to purify water - it becomes transparent.

Duckweed takes quite a long time to rot, so it is advisable to use it as mulch in a layer of about 2-3 cm. Duckweed is easily pulled out of the water. To do this, a long pole is placed on the water and pushed along the shore and towards it.

Liquid organic fertilizers

Liquid feeding with mullein

Liquid fertilizers are well absorbed by plants and quickly give positive results. They are prepared from slurry, mullein, bird droppings, and animal urine. To prepare the fertilizer, a container (barrel, tank) is filled one-third with organic matter. Stir well and fill almost to the top with water. Previously, there was an opinion that it should be prepared in advance and fed only after fermentation. It is better to use the solution on the day of preparation - during fermentation, nitrogen evaporates in the form of ammonia, which significantly depletes the fertilizing. Only dry organic fertilizers are poured in advance - bird droppings, old mullein. Let it sit for 1-2 days, no more, stirring several times. Immediately before use, the mass is thoroughly stirred and diluted with water: manure - 5 times, mullein - 6-7 times, bird droppings - 8-10 times. Top dressing should be prepared on the day of use, or at least the day before.

If necessary, mineral fertilizers can be added to liquid organic fertilizers before fertilizing: if the plants are pale in color or it is necessary to enhance the growth of vegetative (green) mass, then nitrogen, and to accelerate the ripening of fruits - phosphorus and potassium (chlorine-free).

Liquid plant food

Organic matter - grass, leaves, weeds (before the formation of seeds), raspberry stems and other non-lignified plants are placed in a container (except iron), which is placed in the sun so that the mass warms up better. Large weeds are best chopped up. Fill with water (leave 10 cm on top for fermentation), cover the container with film and infuse. The mixture is stirred once a day to remove gases. It’s even better to add a solution of the Baikal preparation instead of water (1:100, at the rate of approximately 20 liters per 100 kg of organic matter). In warm weather, after two weeks the liquid will become lighter in color (fermentation has ended). Before use, it is diluted with water 1:5-10, and for young plants 1:15-20. Nettle slurry especially improves the condition of weakened tomato, cabbage, cucumber, and celery plants, and has a detrimental effect on caterpillars and pest larvae (this fertilizer is not suitable for legumes and onions). Periodically add a new portion of green organic matter and add water. Undissolved residues are transferred to the compost heap.

How to use liquid fertilizers? It is recommended to carry them out at intervals of 7-15 days. It is better to feed more often, but with weaker solutions. Water only rooted plants. If the soil is dry, it must first be soaked with water. If the plants are pale or it is necessary to increase the green mass, nitrogen fertilizers are added to the fertilizing. To accelerate the ripening of fruits, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added.

Vermicompost from your own worms

Earthworms are useful - they not only loosen the soil, but also enrich it with humus. But, unfortunately, in the cool Non-Black Earth zone under natural conditions there are usually few of them in the soil. Reproduction of earthworms (as well as dung worms) on your site and preparation of vermicompost with their help allows you to easily solve this problem. Red dung worms (Eisenia photida) are better suited for breeding, which can always be dug up in a half-rotted manure heap or last year's compost. They differ from other types of worms by their dark brown color with alternating dark and light transverse stripes. An important distinguishing feature is that when they are picked up, they release a bright yellow odorous liquid.

The worm shed is set up like this.

1. Prepare a cultivator (substrate for feeding and breeding red earthworms) - use last year’s not fully prepared compost or bedding manure (but not fresh). Compost laid in the fall will be ready for worms to feed in April. EM compost is especially suitable, in which worms multiply extremely quickly. The substrate is placed in the shade in a layer of 15-50 cm in a heap, in a hole (trench) 20-30 cm deep or in a box and kept for 5-7 days to remove residual ammonia or hydrogen sulfide from it. The dimensions of the collar are arbitrary. A fine mesh on the bottom and sides will protect you from mice and moles. Breeding worms in boxes (they must have slits for aeration and drainage) can be carried out in urban conditions (on the balcony in summer, in the basement in winter, regularly moistened) with the processing of about 0.5 kg of kitchen waste per day.
2. Collect dung or earthworms (from manure, from old compost heaps, under an accumulation of last year's leaves, etc.), put them in a bucket along with the soil where they live. It is better to collect in early spring on warm days. Worms also use bait. To do this, in April, make a ditch 10-15 cm deep and 20-25 cm wide on your site or in the forest and fill it with last year’s compost. Moisten generously and cover, for example, with a board. After 7-10 days, the colony of worms in the groove is collected, and the groove is leveled. The worms along with their soil are placed in holes prepared in the cultivator substrate. Before releasing all the worms, it is useful to first make a test - put 10-20 individuals in a hole and cover with a thin layer of substrate. If the worms die within 2-4 days, the cause must be found and eliminated. If the substrate is based on manure, it is enough to postpone the introduction of worms for 3-4 weeks, keeping the substrate moist.
   The optimal population of worms when populated is 1000-1500 large individuals (200-300 g) per square meter of cultivator area, although it may be less. The holes are covered with a substrate, leveled, and covered with breathable material (straw, burlap). The next day, the substrate is moistened abundantly.
   Optimal conditions for the life of worms are temperature 18-26°, humidity 60-70% (watered regularly) and environmental reaction - pH 5.8-7.5. Humidity is considered sufficient if 1-2 drops of moisture emerge from a lump of compost squeezed in your hand. Water it with water at ambient temperature, and let the water sit for a day. To protect against excessive rain, a canopy is made of transparent film. But in no case should you cover the very surface of the substrate with film (the worms may suffocate). Choose a place in the shade. Under such conditions, the mass of worms doubles every 1-2 months (during the summer period the number of worms increases by 20-50 times).
3. 3.As the worms process the compost, organic matter is added every 2-3 weeks (leveling from above), at the rate of a 5-cm layer per week. It is useful to add kitchen scraps, grass, straw, fallen leaves, etc. Paper waste, straw, etc. It’s better to grind them first, this will speed up their decomposition. The last addition of feed is carried out at the end of October (before the onset of frost). The population can be increased to 10-20 thousand per 1 sq.m., but to maintain such density you will have to feed the worms frequently and harvest them more often.
4. 4. As a result of biological processing of compost and manure by worms, the finished vermicompost is separated from the worms. This is done every 3 months, sometimes only in the fall before the onset of cold weather. To do this, the contents of the cultivator are poured in parts onto a table, etc. All the worms collect on the table surface under the compost. Vermicompost is used for its intended purpose, and the worms and cocoons (yellow, the size of half a grain of rice) are again placed in the cultivator. Before adding the finished compost to the soil, you can sift it through a 4-8 mm sieve, returning the unprocessed fragments to the cultivator.

Separation of worms is done the same way. The introduction of feed into the cultivator is delayed for one to two weeks, then a layer of feed 5-6 cm thick is applied. After 2-4 days, this layer filled with worms is removed and placed in a new cultivator. This operation is repeated 2-3 times (feed is added to the first cultivator, removed with worms, etc.).

Instead of separating the worms, the creeping heap technology is used. The initial pile is brought to a height of 30-40 cm. Then new portions are added not from above, but from one of the sides. The length of the pile gradually increases, and the worms crawl into a new substrate.

So the cultivation process continues, adding a new portion of food (compost or manure) to the technological worms. Dung worms cannot tolerate freezing temperatures. Therefore, in the fall, you need to take care of insulating the cultivator (with a thick layer of straw, etc.), or move it (the box) to a room where the temperature does not drop below 0°. They can be wintered in boxes with a density of up to 50 thousand per square meter. m. At temperatures above 3-4 ° they will have to be fed regularly.

Concentrated organomineral fertilizers

The industry prepares a number of highly effective concentrated organic or organomineral fertilizers - products of processing manure, peat, bird droppings, straw, sawdust, etc., such as:

• PREPARATION ZhTSKKU – for soaking seeds, spraying plants, for combined use of the drug with pesticides.
• For 15 years, the PIXA group of companies has been engaged in research in the field of soil science, agrochemistry and ecology. During this time, unique bioorganic fertilizers of the PIXA family were developed.
• Peat-humic fertilizer. This is a granular complex organic-mineral fertilizer, which is produced under the Togum brand by the Moscow company Flora-Balt in packages from 50 g to 5 kg.
• Liquid organic fertilizer "KOUD" contains all the necessary fertilizer components (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, macro- and microelements) in dissolved form in the ratios required for plants. The fertilizer also contains active biological stimulants of the auxin class, which increase yield by 2 or more times, depending on the type of crop, soil condition and climatic conditions.
• Liquid organomineral fertilizer Biohumus Power of Life - options for different types of crops.
• Soft concentrated fertilizers GUMI-OMI: Vegetable Garden series

Such fertilizers are enriched with humus, humic substances, macro- and microelements, and other important substances. They are highly effective for improving, healing the soil, for the growth and development of plants. They are also environmentally friendly (no or little nitrates), practically do not contain weed seeds, pathogenic bacteria, helminth eggs and larvae and other harmful substances.

Concentrated extracts of manure and chicken manure have many advantages compared to natural manure:

– low cost (3-5 times cheaper than manure);
– small volume and weight (one liter replaces 70-150 liters of manure);
– ease of use.

Manure extracts are used for both root and foliar feeding.

Organic and humic substances contained in fertilizers are environmentally friendly, promote the absorption of nutrients by plants, improve soil structure, enhance metabolism in plants, stimulating their development and growth. In addition, they prevent the leaching of nitrogen from the soil.

Gardeners in Russia and neighboring countries grow cabbage with pleasure and quite successfully. But the “set”, as a rule, is limited to varieties of white cabbage of different ripening periods, broccoli and cauliflower. Meanwhile, we already have popular types of cabbage that ripen earlier and bring less hassle when growing. In this article, we bring to your attention 5 types of cabbage that you may not have heard of yet, but which are definitely worth growing.

The long-awaited April does not always bring pleasant surprises with the weather. But sooner or later, all work in the ornamental garden will start in April. From simple household chores and clearing plant debris, cutting dry clumps and mulching the soil to planting new flower beds, you will have to take care of a lot. Planting comes to the fore in April. It is better to plant bushes, trees, and vines this month. But don’t forget about caring for seedlings.

Among the variety of tomato varieties, as a rule, only two groups are distinguished: indeterminate and determinate. But the tomato world is divided into more diverse “clans”, knowing about which is not only interesting, but also useful. Tomatoes are divided according to the method of cultivation, according to ripening time, according to leaf shape, according to fruit shape, according to size, according to color... Today I would like to talk about the varieties that form the most colorful group under the beautiful name “Bi-Colour”.

Enchanting April with its delicate blossoms and the first dazzling greenery is a very capricious and changeable month. Sometimes it unpleasantly surprises with its winter atmosphere, and sometimes it pleases with unexpected warmth. In April, work begins on the beds, and a full season begins in the greenhouse. Sowing and planting in open ground should not interfere with caring for seedlings, because the quality of the harvest depends on its quality. Moon calendar useful plants especially favorable at the beginning of the month.

Spring sanitary pruning allows you to form a beautiful crown and stimulates the formation of a high yield. Trees easily tolerate it, recovery occurs very quickly, wounds heal well. the main objective– formation of the crown, removal of broken and dried branches during the winter. Winter pruning is especially necessary in the first four years after planting, when skeletal branches are formed. The optimal time for spring pruning is from the beginning of winter to the beginning of spring.

Extreme sensitivity to low temperatures makes zinnias annual plants, which are usually grown through seedlings. But there is nothing complicated about sowing and growing young zinnias. They are hardy and low-maintenance plants that are easy to grow from seed. And if you also collect your own seeds, you will get one of the most “economical” summer seeds in your collection. Bright baskets of inflorescences color the garden with a special cheerful canvas.

The domestic market offers a wide range of cucumber hybrid seeds. Which varieties to choose to get maximum yield? We have identified the best hybrids, according to Agrosuccess seed buyers. They were “Merengue”, “Zozulya”, “Masha” and “Director”. In this article we will tell you about their advantages. Since absolutely all cucumber hybrids have no disadvantages: they do not turn yellow, have many ovaries, the fruits are not large, and are resistant to diseases.

Eggplants - tall, erect plants with wide, dark green leaves and large fruits - create a special mood in the garden beds. And in the kitchen they are a popular product for the most variety of dishes: Eggplants are fried, stewed and canned. Of course, growing a decent harvest in the middle zone and further north is not an easy task. But subject to agrotechnical cultivation rules, it is quite accessible even to beginners. Especially if you grow eggplants in a greenhouse.

Lenten charlotte with apples and cinnamon on vegetable cream is a simple pie that is suitable for fasting people; this pastry can also be included in a vegetarian menu. There are situations when dairy products need to be replaced with vegetable ones, then vegetable cream prepared on the basis of vegetable fats comes to the aid of housewives. The taste of cream goes well with apples and cinnamon, baking powder makes the dough fluffy and airy, the pie turns out simply delicious.

When buying a blooming orchid, lovers of exotic plants ask themselves the question: will it bloom just as well at home and should they expect it to bloom again? Everything will be - and grow, and bloom, and delight for many years, but under one condition. As with any indoor plants, for an orchid you must initially try to create conditions acceptable for growth and development. Sufficient lighting, humidity and air temperature, special substrate - the main points.

Noble lush greenery, unpretentiousness, and the ability to purify the air from dust and pathogens make nephrolepis one of the most popular indoor ferns. There are many types of nephrolepis, but any of them can become a real decoration of the room, and it doesn’t matter if it’s an apartment, Vacation home or office. But only healthy, well-groomed plants can decorate a room, so creating suitable conditions and proper care- the main task of flower growers.

Correct herring under a fur coat - layers in turn, the order of which determines the taste of the dish. It is important not only to put fish and vegetables in a certain sequence. Product preparation is also of great importance. Never cook vegetables for this appetizer the day before; overnight in the refrigerator they will lose some of their flavor and become bland. Cook the vegetables 2-3 hours in advance and cool them to room temperature. You can also bake carrots, beets and potatoes in the oven in foil.

Experienced gardeners always have crystalline iron sulfate, or ferrous sulfate, in their garden medicine cabinet. Like many other chemicals, it has properties that protect horticultural crops from numerous diseases and insect pests. In this article we will talk about the features of using iron sulfate to treat garden plants against diseases and pests and about other options for its use on the site.

Many people cannot imagine their diet without ripe, delicious tomatoes. Moreover, the variety of varieties allows you to choose the one that suits your taste the most. There are varieties that are called salad varieties, that is, they are best consumed fresh. These include the Honey tomato, whose name speaks for itself. In 2007, the Honey variety was included in State Register RF. “Agrosuccess” offers seeds from the best breeders in the world that have undergone additional testing

Retaining walls are the main tool for working with complex terrain on a site. With their help, they not only create terraces or play with planes and alignment, but also emphasize the beauty of the rock garden landscape, the change in height, the style of the garden, and its character. Retaining walls allow play with raised and lowered areas and hidden areas. Modern dry or more solid walls help turn the disadvantages of the garden into its main advantages.

The key to good harvests is high soil fertility. The most effective way to improve its composition is to enrich the structure with useful substances. The most natural and safest of them are organic fertilizers, which help to grow environmentally friendly products.

This type of fertilizer has always existed. At the initial stage of evolution, it significantly influenced the development of life on the planet. Since the emergence of the plant world, organic waste has been an important link in the biocenosis chain, allowing plants to develop and fill new areas. When used rationally, organic fertilizers are an endless resource for agronomy. These are renewable substances of natural origin. They consist of processed waste residues of organisms and plants. Organic matter has a beneficial effect on the soil, transforming its structure at the physical and chemical level, and activates the activity of living microbes.

The fertile layer covers about 3 billion hectares of the surface of our planet. Over thousands of years, it was formed naturally, from the biological remains of all living things. Today, forced, more rational approaches to enriching arable land have appeared.

Rules for the use of organic fertilizers

The technology of applying organic fertilizers has been developed for centuries. These complex nutrients can provide the necessary vital balance of plants at all stages of growth.

There are several ways to add organic matter:

• Pre-sowing;
• Post-sowing;
• Fergitation;
• Hydroponics.

Fertilizers are applied before planting both in spring and in autumn-winter. For example, in the Urals and Siberia, where cattle are actively raised in villages, the following method of annually enriching the soil in vegetable gardens has taken root:

During summer period Manure accumulates, which is used in the spring to create warm cucumber beds. In winter, such a bed is dismantled and manure is spread around the garden as fertilizer. So it is used twice.

Ash is added before spring planting of vegetables. For example, the fertilizer also includes manure in equal parts, which is thrown directly into the dug hole.

Fertilizing, which is carried out after the appearance of the third leaf on garden plants, is already considered post-sowing. It happens:

1. Root (applied by applying fertilizer to the root zone). For this type of feeding, liquid organic matter, for example, or slurry is used.
2. Foliar (seed treatment after stratification).
3. Fergitation (adding nutrients during irrigation).
4. Hydroponics (growing plants in a liquid medium, without soil). But this method has not proven itself to be the best. The taste of the resulting fruits was worse than those grown in the traditional way.

Experiments conducted on growing plants without soil have once again proven that it is an essential element for obtaining vegetables and fruits of standard quality. The quality of agricultural products directly depends on its properties.

To assess the quality of soil on a plot of land use two parameters:

• The first of these is soil composition. Approximately it can be determined in the old fashioned way. We take a shovel and dig. If the soil gives way easily, then it is sandy soil. Now let's try a different approach. Let's take a handful of earth and squeeze it in our palms. If the lump has retained its shape, the soil is clayey. If it leaks through your fingers, it’s sandy.
• The second parameter that determines the quality of the soil is an indicator of its acidity, pH - a factor. For the successful growth of most plants, pH = 6.5-7 is suitable. If the indicator is higher, then it should be lowered. In agriculture, for example, phosphorite flour is used for this. But, if you cultivate an area not of an industrial scale, but a personal plot, then it is quite possible to get by with organic fertilizers. It will be much safer and healthier.

The color of the earth also helps determine its composition. Sandy soil has yellow or gray tint, clay – brown, chernozem - respectively, black. Soil that contains a lot of peat is brown and fibrous to the touch., and the “forest” soil is loose and layered.

If you really want to, rich harvests can be obtained from soil of any quality if you choose the right fertilizers. Let's consider several special cases of their use depending on the composition and acidity of the soil.

Organics for sandy soils

One of the best options for improving soil with a high sand content is. It has the ability to accumulate moisture, which helps retain it at the roots of plants. Another fertilizer for sandy soil can be made with your own hands without spending a penny. This is compost, which will help structure the soil, making it more viscous, while saturating it with useful substances. The main task solved when fertilizing sandy soils for the garden is to improve their structure. Ideally, they should retain moisture for as long as possible. This soil has few nutrients, therefore, in addition to peat, it is useful to fertilize it manure, bird droppings and compost.

Why fertilize black soil?

Yes, even this type of arable land needs to be fertilized sometimes. The fact is that, like all good things, beneficial substances and microorganisms that help fruits and vegetables grow “by leaps and bounds” tend to run out. Therefore, to maintain a plot of land in a fertile condition, it must be enriched with manure, compost and bird droppings. Once every five years it is necessary to give the field a rest without making any plantings on it.

What organic fertilizers are suitable for alumina?

The best fertilizer for clay soils is manure., which is scattered in autumn or winter throughout the area, and during spring plowing is mixed with the main earth mass. Clay soil is perfect for. Popular berries from the nightshade family do well in such soil. But, it is necessary to follow several rules for growing them. This type of soil tends to quickly form a surface crust, which cracks, and, through the resulting capillaries, the water quickly evaporates, leaving a minimum of nutrition for the roots. To prevent this situation, it is necessary to loosen the surface layer immediately after watering, preventing it from drying out.

The use of manured soil in home floriculture

The soil obtained from a personal plot can be used not only for gardening and garden plantings. Some indoor plants feel great in such a substrate. For example, dwarfs love alumina. But only fed with well-rotted, dry humus. Cacti can also be planted in clay. The only condition is that the soil must have a weak reaction. There is no need to fertilize it additionally, since succulents initially do not like excessive nutrition. Clay soils have their own processing characteristics. They are heavy, so it is difficult to evenly distribute dry types of fertilizers throughout the entire thickness of the fertile layer in them. To simplify the process in this case, liquid organic fertilizers are used, which can penetrate the soil evenly. They are of natural origin - liquid manure, bird droppings, ash diluted with water. Industrial analogues with similar properties are also now being produced.

Industrial organic fertilizers

"Gumi"

One of the most famous concentrates is “Gumi”. It contains salts of guamic acids, which are a catalyst for rapid cell growth. This is a natural fertilizer of completely natural origin. “Gumi” helps the plant not only quickly gain green and fruit mass, but also increases its protective properties against diseases and pests.

"Baikal"

An equally popular concentrate for modeling the organic balance of soil is. This is “Actimel” for flowers and garden crops, containing lactic acid bacteria. The drug has many beneficial properties. In addition to strengthening the immune system of plants, it is able to convert organic waste into compost. Another useful property of Baikal is that it reduces the concentration of nitrates in fruits by binding salts of heavy metals.

"BioMaster"

Bio Master, as the name suggests, must create the garden of your dreams in the blink of an eye. This universal organic fertilizer includes a complex of various microelements. It is used both in professional field farming and on personal summer cottages. The universal organic fertilizer Miracle Fertility has an exotic base - an extract of relict sapropel. In fact, everything is not so glamorous, and sapropel is ordinary dirt, but it has the unusual property of disinfecting everything around. This "Miracle" has completely natural composition, and is suitable for both indoor and garden plants.

Industrially produced organic fertilizers are very convenient to use. But they still occupy no more than 30% of the natural fertilizer market. Most of it belongs to natural organic matter.

Natural organic matter is an accessible storehouse of nutrients

Using naturally occurring substances that are finishing their life cycle to feed new plants is a natural process. It underlies all life on our planet. Organic matter is indispensable for obtaining high yields of good quality. She has different origins, composition, and spectrum of action.

The main types of organic fertilizers of natural origin:

1. Ash;
2. Green manure;
3. Vermicompost;
4. Manure;
5. Peat;
6. Bird droppings;
7. Bone flour;
8. Compost;
9. Sapropel.

To saturate soils with useful substances, they are used different kinds organic fertilizers, depending on the composition and acidity of the soil. On peat and forest soils, wood ash is most often used.

Ash is the most affordable type of organic fertilizer

This fertilizer is used to reduce soil acidity. It contains no chlorine, but contains sulfur, phosphorus, boron, manganese and potassium, the latter element in large quantities.

Ash is used for vegetables during the period of active growth, since potassium allows for productive use of water and helps the root system actively develop. Fruits, bulbs and tubers will be stored longer.

The most useful is wood ash obtained by burning young deciduous plants. It is applied under eggplants and cabbage, into the ground prepared for planting seedlings. With such soil treatment, young plants are practically not affected by root rot, or, in common parlance, “black leg”. For fruit and berry crops, ash diluted with water can be applied throughout the growing season as a liquid fertilizer. “Ash” water can also be sprayed on tree branches if they are infested with spider mites.

Green manure - organic nitrogen fertilizers

One of the most accessible types of organic fertilizers is green manure plants. They are used when it is necessary to fertilize a large area of ​​land (for example, a potato field) with your own hands. Oats, rye, white clover, field peas, vetch will cope with this task perfectly. These plants are planted for the full growing season, and then they plow the whole thing into the ground. They make the structure of sandy soil more lumpy, enrich it with humus from rotten parts, and nitrogen.

Green manure is selected individually for different plants. For example, if you plant oats in the garden bed where you plan to grow cucumbers in early spring, they will disinfect the soil. When the time comes to plant seedlings, there is no need to completely remove this green manure from the entire garden bed, but it makes sense to only clear out the holes for the seeds. After a couple of weeks, the cereals should be cut off at the root, keeping the nitrogen-containing parts of the plant in the ground to feed the cucumber seedlings.

To increase the nitrogen content, the ancient Romans used a plant such as common lupine. It is enough to bury a whole flower in the tree trunk, and it will be provided with nitrogen in the required quantity for the whole summer.

Vermicompost - advanced organics of the future

IN last years Interest in this long-known but overlooked universal nutrient has increased markedly. What is it? This is the waste of earthworms, which process organic residues into substances rich in nitrogen and potassium. The lands to which vermicompost was added have significantly fewer weeds and have a looser structure. This biological mini-plant will be more in demand on clay, heavy soils, which need to be nourished and their structure improved.

Manure is the best organic fertilizer

It can be applied to plants throughout their growth. For example, tomatoes need to be fed twice - the first time before the first flowers appear, the second time after the ovaries appear.

Feed after the seedlings have rooted, and after the heads of cabbage begin to spin.

Fruit trees will thank you with a high harvest if you water them with manure water (a quarter of a bucket of manure is filled with warm water and left for a day). Fertilizing is carried out in the evening, followed by mandatory loosening.

Features of using peat for fertilizing vegetable gardens

Firstly, it is better not to buy “clean” peat from the lowlands at all. If the choice is limited, then it can be used in the garden, but this is fraught with unnecessary labor costs and a rather long wait. You can make compost from this type of peat by mixing it with potato and tomato tops, sawdust and food scraps. This will help reduce its acidity, while retaining its beneficial properties and nutrients.

Secondly, It is better to initially use high-moor peat. It is ideal as a mulching material in the tree trunks of fruit trees, and as a fertilizer for sandy soil. Peat application rates are an issue that causes a lot of controversy. The most important thing here is not to overdo it, so in the first year we add about a bucket per 1 square meter, and then we’ll see. If the soil begins to become covered with a white coating, moss appears on it - this means that its acid reaction has intensified, and peat feeding is contraindicated for it in the next five years.

Bird droppings - characteristics of use

This organic compound considered the most valuable supplement. Its composition is several times richer than cow manure.

It is good for them to feed pumpkin, tomato crops, herbs, and root vegetables. But there are some nuances here.

Clean droppings cannot be used as fertilizer.. It is diluted in clean water in a ratio of 1:100 and kept for two days at room temperature. This allows you to activate the beneficial substances and microelements included in its composition.

Bone meal - use in the garden

This fertilizer is well suited for waterlogged gardens. It can reduce soil acidity. Bone meal is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and also contains a lot of calcium.. All these microelements are beneficial for nightshade and pumpkin crops.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that you should only purchase dry, evaporated bone meal for use in the garden. Raw contains a large percentage of fat, which binds useful substances.

Compost for making a “hot” bed for cucumbers

There is a cheap and proven way to grow cucumbers, melons and watermelons in sandy soil. This is a “hot bed”. To lay it, partially rotted compost is used, which is placed in a rectangular wooden frame. This structure is watered from above with liquid manure and covered with a layer of earth 30-40 cm thick. In place of the holes, small depressions are made where the seeds are planted. The soil in such a bed is constantly well warmed up, due to the heat generated during the decomposition of the green mass of rotting plants.

Sapropel – fertilizer from the lake

Usually this type of humus is sold in regions where there are large lakes. Rotted remains of silt, vegetation, and living organisms are included in its composition. This is an almost complex organic fertilizer containing humos and a large amount of organic substances.

This fertilizer should be used after a little ventilation, because when it interacts with oxygen, a reaction occurs that converts acidic substances into oxide compounds that are more favorable for the soil.

Sapropel is a truly powerful natural growth catalyst. After its use, soil fertility increases by 30-50%. It is best used for potatoes, which not only increases yield, but also increases the size of the tubers.

Video: making organic fertilizers with your own hands

IN modern world The question of the environmental purity of products of plant origin is increasingly being raised. Pesticides, nitrates and other compounds harmful to the human body have become the norm, and every year their content in vegetables, fruits and cereals only increases. This happens due to the excessive use of mineral fertilizers, as well as means of protection against pests that are of an artificial nature.

There is an alternative to this dominance of chemicals. These are organic fertilizers that have been used by humans throughout the history of agriculture. They ensure the restoration of soil balance naturally and contain the entire range of substances necessary for the full growth and development of plants. But, most importantly, they do not harm the health of the consumer of plant products. This is the most main argument, tipping the scales in favor of choosing organic fertilizers.