The soil
soil is a loose surface layer of land that has fertility properties, that is, the ability to provide plants with the necessary nutrients, water and other conditions for their normal existence and development. Soil is a substrate - that chemical and physical environment in which the roots of plants spread.
The soil on the plot and the soil for indoor plants should be considered separately. In the first case, we are dealing with what nature has offered us, with an object that must be studied beforehand in order to understand what to expect of it in a natural way and how it can be influenced to achieve the desired result. In the second - we are free to choose the desired composition for the plant soil.
Soil types and measures for their improvement
Soils are divided into main types, the most important indicator of each of which is the composition of the soil.
Sandy or light, soils are characterized by a predominant sand content, a small proportion of clay mineral particles and a negligible content of humus. They justify their agrotechnical definition of "light soils", because they are easy to process due to their loose granular structure, they are quickly eroded, have increased air and water conductivity, but do not retain moisture, warm up well, and also cool quickly.
An essential shortcoming of sandy soils is the depleted biological life in them, as soil microorganisms lack moisture and nutrients. This inevitably leads to unsatisfactory provision of plants with nutrients and active substances, it is necessary to introduce organic fertilizers more often, which almost becomes the only source of plant nutrition on such soils. But this does not always have the proper effect, since fertilizers quickly decompose easily water entering sandy soils and dissolved in it are simply washed out, passing directly to the lower layers of the soil. Thus, nutrients come in very limited quantities to plants. However, the definition of sandy soils is not entirely unambiguous, and the ratio of sandy and clay particles plays a significant role, which determines the degree of necessary impact on the soil for its improvement.
Soil improvement measures To improve the structure and basic characteristics of sandy soils, sealing and binding components such as peat, silty formations, clay and drilling flour for pore filling between sand particles and compost with humus in large quantities for regular use should be regularly introduced into them.creation of a favorable biological habitat for soil microorganisms. With regard to fertilizers, then, given this lack of sandy soils, such as fast washing out of nutrients passing through the soil layer of water, should be followed by quick-action mineral fertilizers and do it in small doses and often enough.
Clay, or heavy, soils have a high density, toughness, easily stick together and are literally heavy and difficult to process. When digging, such soils do not crumble, but form large clods, which are very difficult to break and crush. If you let the buried ground lie down, then the clumps again stick together, and the digging has to be done almost anew. The tendency to clumping, excessive compaction and swimming of clay soil is associated with an exceptionally shallow structure of solid soil particles, which leave small spaces between themselves. Due to compactness, clay soils are characterized by poor air permeability, which limits the supply of oxygen to the roots of plants, as well as microorganisms living in the soil. The lack of sufficient oxygen slows down the decomposition of organic substances into final decomposition products, which impoverishes the soil and deprives plants of valuable nutrients. This largely explains the scarcity of biological life in clay soils, some of which can be described as "dead" from the point of view of the presence of a developed microbiological environment in them. Structural compacting of individual solid soil particles also affects soil characteristics such as water permeability.
Clay soils do not pass water well and do not form a developed capillary system, as a result of which the roots of plants can hardly obtain the moisture necessary for their life. However, having absorbed water, clay soils do not let it pass to the lower layers, and it accumulates in the rooting area of plants, which leads to stagnant phenomena and decay of the root system. Another consequence of the compacted structure of clay soil is its swimming during the rain. Water droplets break small clayey lumps into smaller constituents, which partially dissolve in water, and the resulting liquefied even more tightly binds the solid particles of the soil. After drying, such soil is covered with a dense solid crust, preventing penetration of air, light and moisture to the roots of plants. This phenomenon is often called "concrete ground".As it dries and under the influence of the sun, the surface of the swampy clay soils becomes cracked and acquires an even more compact structure.
Even if we take into account the fact that clay soils are extremely rich in minerals and microelements, it should be noted that plants are not always able to take advantage of them. The root system of plants absorbs nutrients only in dissolved form or as a product of processing by microorganisms, but in clay soils due to poor water permeability and poor biological life, these processes are limited. Clayey soils are cold, because because of compactness they slowly and badly warm up, and their extreme areas remain unheated.
Soil improvement measures The main activity to improve the quality of clay soils is to give them a looser lumpy structure by regularly applying liquefying and loosening ingredients such as coarse sand, peat, ash, lime, and to create a favorable nutritional and biological environment - compostand manure. The introduction of sand or sanding of clay soils at a rate of 30-40 kg / m2 significantly reduces the water capacity of clay soils, which increases the thermal conductivity. After sanding, clay soils dry out more quickly, warm up and acquire a state of readiness for processing. Clay soils are rich in mineral substances, the amount and type of fertilizers needed can show soil analysis.
peatbog soils mainly consist of organic matter, rich in nitrogen, which is often in a form that is not readily available to plants. These soils contain little potassium and critically little phosphorus. However, there is such a variety of them as peat-and-vivianite soils. In them, the phosphorus content, on the other hand, is high, but it is found in compounds that are inaccessible to plants. Peat bog soils are also characterized by good air and water permeability, but often excessive moisture content. Peaty soils are slowly warmed up, as peat does not conduct heat well. Since structurally peat soils are a kind of sponge that readily absorbs, but also easily transfers water, it is necessary to improve their structural composition, increasing the content of solid particles.
Soil improvement measures The main measures to improve this type of soil should be carried out in two ways. To normalize the process of processing organic substances, which will result in the release of nitrogen and its transformation into a form that is accessible to plants, it is necessary to create conditions for the development of normal biological life of the soil. For this, it is necessary to introduce manure, slurry, compost, sawdust into the soil, and apply microbiological preparations. The second direction to improve peat-bog soils is to increase the content of phosphorus and potassium in a form accessible to plants. For this, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers should be applied during the cultivation of the soil, and the dose of phosphorus fertilizers decreases by half on peat-and-vivian soils. To create a more porous lumpy structure of peat soils, it is recommended to make compost, a little clay flour, perhaps coarse-grained sand.
Sandy loam soils, with many characteristics of sandy soils, but in a more balanced ratio, are favorable in all respects for growing plants, being an intermediate type of soil. Sandy loam soils are air-permeable, have high water conductivity, absorb and retain moisture well, bind mineral and nutrients, preventing them from washing out of the soil. Sandy loamy soils
is characterized by a developed biological life. In such soils, a favorable environment for rooting and developing the root system of plants is created: a good airing of the soil provides free access of oxygen to the soil, and a strong capillary system supplies roots with moisture and nutrients. The surface of sandy loamy soil dries quickly after moistening, does not form a crust and does not dry up to the level of rooting of plants. In addition, thanks to a loose structure, sandy loam soils quickly warm up and react flexibly to the difference in daytime and night temperatures.
Soil improvement measures As in the case of sandy soils, regular application of peat has proved to be a good way to better bind solid soil particles, in addition, to encourage a favorable biological environment for the life of soil microorganisms, it is recommended to apply manure for autumn or spring soil cultivation, fertilization with compostand mineral fertilizers. Mineral fertilizers, by analogy with sandy soils, should be introduced in small portions and often.
Loamy, or medium, soils are among the favorable for horticulture and agriculture. The name defines the intermediate position of loamy soils between clayey and sandy soils, while they have the advantages of both types of soils and are devoid of their extreme shortcomings. We can say that in this type of soil there is an optimal balance of characteristics necessary for the successful cultivation of various plant species. The structure of loamy soils differs granular lumpiness, in its composition there are also fairly large solid soil particles and dust-like components. These soils are easy to process, they do not form dense lumps and do not cake after processing. Loamy soils are rich in mineral substances and elements, contain a large number of nutrients, the stock of which is constantly replenished due to the activity of soil microorganisms and a rich biological life. Loamy soils are characterized by high air permeability and water conductivity, well retain moisture, quickly and evenly warm up with the onset of heat and in them, thanks to a balanced moistening, a constant temperature regime is maintained.
Soil improvement measures To maintain a supply of nutrients in loamy soils, it is recommended to fertilize them with organic fertilizers, such as manure for autumn tillage or compost, which all types of soils need without exception. Additional organic and mineral fertilizers should be applied purposefully after soil analysis and as needed. In addition to these basic types of soil, there is a mass of border and mixed, as well as so-called problem types, measures to improve which in each individual case will be individual. So, in swamped soils, drainage and drainage measures will be required, and on extreme drylands, on the contrary, measures for land reclamation.
Black Earth - is a soil type found in meadow and steppe zones, characterized by an increased content of humus( up to 15 %) and a high level of natural fertility. From the name of this type of soil follows the characteristic of its coloration, which chernozem is obliged to humus. The high content of humus in chernozem is due to the fact that vegetation, characteristic of meadow and steppe zones, accumulates a large plant mass in the process of development, which, annually dying, becomes a source for the formation of soil organic matter. Humus accumulates in itself valuable nutrients, nitrogenous compounds, which are present in its composition in the form of bound organic substances. Such a method of converting mineral compounds of nitrogen to humus prevents their leaching out of the soil. Humus accumulates nitrogen, which then delivers to plants. It is the humus that determines the dark color, granular structure and increased fertility of the chernozem.
Soil on the backyard of
The most fertile soil is rich( or specially enriched) with nutrients that are well permeable to water and air and have the ability to absorb and store the necessary water supply. The latter depends largely on its mechanical composition.
According to the mechanical composition of the soil there are clayey, loamy, sandy loam, sandy and cartilaginous( gravelly).Determine it the easiest way: just grind a pinch of soil between your fingers and try to roll them. When grinding clay soils, a thin, uniform powder will turn out; when grinding loamy, the powder is not exactly homogeneous, sandy loam, sand grains are clearly visible; in sandy soils they predominate; stony fragments with a length of 3 mm or more will appear in the gravelly in abundance. When rolling clay soils give a long cord and a smooth ball, loamy - they do not give a cord, but the ball turns out to be covered with cracks, the rest in a cord and a ball do not roll at all.
It is important that the soil is structural or structureless. If it is completely homogeneous, it is structureless. If in the soil it is possible to distinguish lumps( aggregates up to a centimeter in length) - structural. Structural soil is better suited for plants, since it is able to protect the deeper layers from drying out, and dry lumps on the surface( as opposed to structureless) do not form a dense, crusted crust that squeezes plants and prevents sprouts, which requires separate treatment to destroy. However, in some southern arid regions, on the contrary, the lumpy structure contributes to the wind blowing out the moisture, so it is necessary to take into account not only what is the soil, but also where your site is located.
Clay soils are best suited to moisture, sand is the worst. However, clayey unstructured soils have the worst water permeability, which does not greatly contribute to fertility.
Also by touch, you can determine the soil moisture in the area. Of course, this method is very approximate and one time for an accurate conclusion is not enough. But for an amateur florist, this method can be quite sufficient.
If the soil sample taken is broken when it breaks down - the soil is dry and requires additional watering for most plants. When crumbles in the hands, but does not stick to them - the soil is wet. If it crumples and sticks - raw, ate the water drains from the sample - it is wet. It does not follow from this that one soil is worse than another: the flowers are not the same in their hygroubility.
The humus content of soil is very important. Most of it in chernozems, least of all in podzols.
Soil types are very closely related to the climate and geological structure of the Earth's surface. An amateur flower grower, like a regular truck farmer, should not overlook the latter, especially since it is often possible to distinguish soil types by their color. But the soil and climate zones are worth remembering. In any case, zones that are more or less suitable for growing flowers( although even in the tundra zone there is its own vegetation).
The zone of podzolic and bog soils is the largest climatic and soil zone in the territory of the CIS.It covers the area from the Baltic Sea to the Yenisei. Podzolic soil resembles ash as a color, it is poor in nutrients and therefore requires systematic fertilization, and in some places - in liming. The climate of the zone is moderately cold and humid, the winter is cold and snowless, the water evaporates more than it does by natural means, which must also be taken into account when determining the need for irrigation.
The zone of gray forest soils begins from the southern boundary of the previous zone and is uneven) enters the black earth zone. For plant growing it is very favorable. The name of its soil type speaks for itself - they are gray.
The best for plants is, of course, the zone of chernozems, reaching a width of 300 km on the European part and extending in length to the foothills of the Altai. Temperatures of moderate humidity and temperature are typical for it, but in the eastern regions there are often droughts. Chernozems do not usually require additional enrichment, due to improper use, certain areas can be depleted, and those located near roads or industrial enterprises are polluted.
To the south of the chernozems there is a zone of chestnut soils stretching along a narrow, discontinuous strip along the Black and Azov Seas and wider - from the Caucasus to the Altai. It is characterized by accumulation of salts( hence, reclamation is required) and often - a lack of moisture.
From Volgograd region to Kazakhstan, in conditions of sharply continental climate, there is a zone of brown semi-desert soils, even more dry and saline than the previous one. These soils require fertilization, irrigation and irrigation.
To the south - in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and partially in Azerbaijan - there is a zone of desert soils. Without watering, it is almost impossible to grow anything in it. The soil here is gray( gray soils), but there are also sandy areas unsuitable for farming. Serozems are provided with almost all nutrients, except nitrogen.
Soils of humid subtropics are in Georgia and Azerbaijan. These are yellow soils and krasnozems, rich in iron and aluminum compounds. They require the application of fertilizers.
Soil acidity level
Soils vary greatly in their chemical composition, which implies the presence and level of chemical elements and their compounds in some form of soil. This largely depends on the fertility of the soil, its favorability for certain types of crops and a number of other equally important indicators.
To assess the quality of the soil, it is very important to know its acidity level, which corresponds to the degree of concentration of hydrogen ions in the soil solution, in conventional practice is denoted by the Latin letters pH and is called the acidity index.
The chemical composition of the soil is divided into acidic, alkaline and neutral. Acidic and alkaline soils have boundary gradations. Thus, acid soils, depending on the degree of acidification, can be strongly-, medium- and weakly acidic, and alkaline soils, respectively, weakly, mediumly and strongly alkaline. PH increases from acid to alkaline soil. A pH value of 7 is considered neutral, at a lower value the soil is acidic, with a higher value - alkaline. The level of soil acidity has a great influence on a number of its indicators, as well as on the growth and development of plants. Only in a neutral environment plants are able to fully absorb the nutrients necessary for their life. At a pH above or below the neutral, nutrients become inaccessible to plants, even if the soil is well-fertilized.
Acidity indices for different types of soils
Acid soils:
strongly acidic pH 4 or less, medium pH 4-5, slightly acid pH 5-6.
Neutral soils: pH 6.5-7.
Alkaline soils:
slightly alkaline pH 7-8, medium alkaline pH 8-8.5, strongly alkaline pH 8.5 or more.
The level of acidity also determines the degree of penetration of heavy metals in the soil into plant tissues. If the pH is within the neutral range, the heavy metals remain bound in the soil and only a small fraction of them enter and accumulate in the plants.
In contrast, acidic soils with a low pH contain a large amount of aluminum, iron and manganese in the form of compounds poisonous to plants. In acidic soil, the risk of accumulation of heavy metals in plant tissues is significantly increased.
For acidification of soil, intended for growing vegetables, it is best to use compost or manure. On average, 9 kg of compost or 3 kg of manure is enough to lower the acidity at 1 pH per 1 m2 of soil.
The same applies to radionuclides: it depends on the pH value, to what extent they are absorbed by the plants. Thus, it can definitely be said that in neutral soil nutrients are assimilated by plants to the optimum degree, and harmful substances are absorbed insignificantly. The normal assimilation by plants of nutrients in a neutral soil environment is due, among other things, to the presence of a developed biological life, while in acidic soils the activity of microorganisms is suppressed.
But the soil acidity index is not a constant value. The level of acidity can be controlled, regulated and brought to a state close to optimal. Alkaline soil with an increased pH can be approximated to the neutral acidity region by regular application of peat, manure or compost, as well as acidic fertilizers such as superphosphate, various sulfates, and others. There are also some chemical preparations that acidify the soil, but their effectiveness is low. With increased acidity of the soil, which corresponds to a low pH, it is more difficult to achieve an acid balance. This will require regular application of lime.
pH value in the soils of the garden plots
Soil pH is important: nutrients in soil are transferred to plants in an optimal way only in the neutral region at a value of 55 & lt; pH & lt; 75-
The degree of acidity of the soil greatly influences plant development and its viability, and, being in an environment not suitable for it, the plant suffers and may even die.
Unsuitable soil acidity
| Cause | Consequences of | Solutions |
| Not suitable | Underdevelopment of plant: weak | Consider plant requests for |
| for | plant color formation, hardwood | for acidity of soil, check acid |
| acidity of soil | weight weak withobvious defects, | longevity and adjust as |
| yellowing, drying and prior- | necessary. To increase the acidity of | |
| by the temporary depletion of leaves, | by the introduction of peat;lower | |
| the occurrence of chlorosis due to | acidity by liming. | |
| micronutrient deficiencies that | Prophylaxis of chlorosis to carry | |
| are contained in soil but not available to | by applying acid fertilizers( | |
| sulfate to plant due to | ammonium mismatch, superphosphate, 1% | |
| solution of soil reaction | of copper sulfate | |
Optimal acidity values for various typesSoil
In sandy soil, the preferred acidity index is in the range of pH 5.5 to 6. For clay soil, the acidity level should be adjusted to a pH of 6-6.5.agglutinated loam can achieve acid pH 6.5-7, but not exceed pH 7.5.
Without a special analysis, the soil acidity can be determined with sufficient accuracy using indicator paper. For this, the soil sample should be moistened with rain or distilled water and squeezedIn the hand along with the indicator paper, soil moisture will impregnate the paper and give an appropriate reaction, as evidenced by the changed color of the paper. The resulting color of the paper should be compared with the standard color scale.
Color Acidity of soil
Red High From pink to
orange Medium
Yellow Faint Greenish Blue Neutral
Blue Neutral, closer to alkaline
In addition, there is a very simple method that gives only an approximate characterization of the soil. A lump of dry earth should be poured with vinegar, if the earth is alkaline, it will make noise and slightly foam, which is explained by the usual chemical reaction.
Often the acidity of the soil can be fairly accurately determined by some characteristics even without special chemical analysis. Plants growing on the soil can be an indicator of its level of acidity. So, on alkaline soils abundantly grow white clover, chamomile, creeping weeds, quinoa, nettle. Neutral or close to neutral soil is selected by mother-and-stepmother, rape, field bindweed, chamomile odorless, buckwheat, wheatgrass, clover ordinary, and on acidic widely spread buttercup, horsetail, mint, sorrel meadow, ivan-da-marya, fragrant spikelet, buccaneer, veronica, plantain, various species of sedge, moss, heather.
Requirements of cultivated plants to soil acidity level
| Plant | Index pH |
| Fruit trees | |
| Apricot | 6.0-7.0 |
| Cherry | 5.5-6.5 |
| Pear | 5.5-6.5 |
| Peach | 6,0-7,5 |
| Plum | 6,5-7,0 |
| Sweet cherry | 6,5-7,0 |
| Apple tree | 6-6,5 |
| Fruit bushes | |
| Blueberry garden | 3,5-6,0 |
| Blackberry | 4,5-5,5 |
| Strawberry | 5,5-6,5 |
| Gooseberry | 5,5-6,0 |
| Raspberry | 4,5-5,5 |
| Bilberry garden | 3,5-5,5 |
| Vegetable crops | |
| Peas | "6.0-7.5 |
| Cabbage | 6.0-7.0 |
| Kozelets | 6.5-7.0 |
| Onions | 6.0-7.0 |
| Carrots | 6.5-7.5 |
| Cucumbers | 6,0-7,5 |
| Tomatoes | 5,5-7,0 |
| Rhubarb | 5,5-7,5 |
| Radish | 5,5-6,5 |
| Radish | 5,5-7,0 |
| Celery | 6,0-7,0 |
| Asparagus | 5,5-7,0 |
| Beans | 6,0-7,0 |
| Spinach | 6,5-7,5 |
| Decorative crops | |
| Azalea | 4,5-5,5 |
| Lawn | 5,5-7,0 |
| Plants of rock gardens | 7,0-8,0 |
| Plants of rockeries | 6,5-7,5 |
| Rhododendron | 4,5-5,0 |
Improving the structure and biological activity of the soil
To grow plants on any type of soil, its agrophysical properties are important, of which the most important is the mechanical composition. According to this indicator, the soils are divided into 6 groups: sandy and sandy loamy, which are classified as light;followed by light loam and medium loam, which are the best for most crops;and heavy loam and clay, which are heavy. Soils are light and heavy in mechanical composition, they need to be cultivated in the first place, becausethey show undesirable properties for the farmer. Namely: light soils are structureless, contain little humus and substances necessary for plants, they are excessively water-and air-permeable, possess low absorptive capacity, because of what they can not be applied to large doses of organic and mineral fertilizers.
Heavy soils, on the contrary, are dense, slightly water-and air-permeable, so water can stagnate on them and in them, they tend to swim and form a soil crust. True, they have a high absorptivity, which allows you to make large doses of fertilizers without the risk of harming plants.
The lack of connectivity of light soils can be corrected by applying clay( clay) at a rate of 30 kg / m2 or peat( 4 m3 per 100 m2), and for loosening clay soils use coarse sand( 1 m3 per 100 m2) or sawdust( 2-5 bucketsper 1 m2) with the mandatory addition of mineral fertilizers( for example, 30 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium chloride).
In the non-chernozem zone of Russia, including the Moscow region, the main areas( 60-62%) are occupied by sod-podzolic loamy and clay soils. They are characterized by a low content of humus( from 1.5 to 4%), acid reaction of the medium, a small thickness of the arable horizon and depletion of nutrients. Proceeding from this, measures on cultivation and increase of fertility of these soils should include liming, deepening of arable horizon with application of organic and mineral fertilizers.
Fertilizer should be balanced, because plants need more than one food element, and everything, moreover, in optimal doses and ratios. It should be remembered that excess food can bring no less, and sometimes even greater harm, it is insufficient, and disrupt the balance of the elements.
In order to do this competently, you need to know the initial state of the soil of a particular site. If the mechanical composition can be recognized visually( organoleptically), then other indicators should be obtained in the agrochemical laboratory. In the selected sample average sample( about 500 g), the laboratory determines the main indicators of soil fertility - humus content, acidity( pH) and the number of mobile forms of phosphorus and potassium. On the basis of these analyzes, it is possible to calculate the fertilizer doses for each cultivated crop, based on the following soil groups according to the degree of availability of mobile phosphorus and exchange potassium( see Table).Soil analyzes are usually repeated after 4-5 years.
It should be noted that peat, sandy and sandy loamy soils are mostly poor in microelements - boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum. Partially this deficiency can be compensated for by manure, but additional addition of microfertilizers does not interfere. For example, for 100 m2 -3 kg of calimagnesia or 2.5 kg of magnesium sulfate, 60-120 g of boric acid, 100-200 g of copper sulfate, 100-300 g of molybdate-acid ammonium. In order to apply small doses of microfertilizers uniformly over a large area, they must be mixed with sand. You can also use foliar top dressing, spraying the leaves with solutions of macro- and microelements. For example, manganese sulphate( 05-0.1%), boric acid( 0.1%), zinc sulphate( 0.05-0.1%), ammonium molybdate( 0.01-0.08%).
Soil cultivation should begin with liming, taking into account the actual acidity and cultivated crop. Then you need to make organic fertilizers( of any kind) from the calculation on average: 2-3 kg / m2 on light soils and 6-8 kg / m2 on heavy digging for digging to a depth of 20-30 cm. The most common organic fertilizer is manure consisting offrom animal excrement and litter. The composition of manure depends on the species of animals, litter, and also the method of storage.
The best manure for soil fertilization is half-baked and blubbered, but not fresh.
What does manure provide for plant nutrition? For example, in manure of cattle, on average, there are: nitrogen - 0.2-0.7%( in wet weight), 0.1-0.6% - phosphorus and 0.2-0.7% potassium. If you compare the content of these elements in manure with those in mineral fertilizers, you can see that they are negligible. So, in ammonium nitrate, nitrogen assimilated by plants is 33%, and in urea - 50%;in superphosphate simple -18% phosphorus, and in potassium fertilizers - more than 50% potassium. What then is the value of manure?
The organic matter of manure is a means of improving physical properties and increasing the absorptive capacity and soil buffering.
In other words, manure creates the basis for good plant nutrition. And the greatest advantage of manure is the enrichment of the soil with a useful microflora. This enhances the decomposition of organic substances and makes nitrogen and other nutrients easily digestible for plants. This process is especially important in peat soils, because, figuratively speaking, peat is a kind of a can, and manure will serve as a can opener.
In this connection it should be noted that the soil is a living organism. Most of the mass in the soil volume are microorganisms, bacteria, fungi( 80-85%), and visible insects and worms rain - 20%.And in the highly fertile soils the total number of living organisms increases 2 times. They are the main producers of substances necessary for plant nutrition. In this case, the organic matter of the soil is created by the decomposition of not only plant and animal tissues, but also the microorganisms themselves.
Earthworms are also useful soil organisms, they carry out immense work in the soil and can be called with good reason the first( before human) tillers.
They improve the structure and physical properties of the soil - water permeability, aeration, moisture capacity. In soils enriched with the products of the vital activity of worms, the amount of humus increases, which is an indicator of high fertility.
Therefore, we can conclude: the more useful microflora will be in the plow horizon and the better the conditions for its life create a horticulturist, the more fertile soil it will form.
In the conditions of home gardens and garden plots, it is really possible to obtain such a valuable and affordable organic fertilizer as compost. These are fertilizers obtained as a result of the decomposition of components of plant or animal origin. This includes: plant leaves, fallen leaves, weeds, food waste, faeces, ash, manure, as well as household trash, sawdust, peat, silt, soil. If there are a lot of materials in the compost such as sawdust, straw, shavings, small branches of trees, then you need to add a nitrogen fertilizer( for example, 300-350 g of 1 ammonium sulphate or ammonium nitrate per 10 kg of waste).Increases the quality of compost phosphate fertilizer additive in the amount of 1-2 kg of superphosphate or 2-4 kg of phosphate flour per 100 kg of compost.
Depending on the compost material, compost can ripen from 3-4 months to 2 years, with loose laying and intermittent mixing of components will accelerate its maturation. Uniformity and flowability of the organic mass indicates that the compost is already ready. With respect to peat extract compost, one must bear in mind that it must be kept at least 2 years in order to disinfect it from eggs of helminths.
A valuable organic fertilizer is biohumus, obtained by processing half-composted composts with the help of special( technological) worms. Since 1959, a red Californian worm has been distributed in practice, there are other forms of compost worms. This method was called vermiculture. This humus organic fertilizer exceeds manure and compost by 4-8 times humus content. The freshly prepared biohumus contains 12-15% humus, 0.8-2% nitrogen, 0.8-2% P2O5, 0.7-1.2% K2O, 0.3-0.5% MgO, 2-3%CaO and all microelements necessary for plants.
In the conditions of the garden area, compost is poured in a layer of 40-50 cm in the form of a cultivator and seeded with worms at the rate of 5000 individuals( weight up to 1 kg) per 1 m2.Cultivation of worms is carried out at acidity of substrate pH 6.5-7.5, humidity 75-80%, temperature 22-23 ° C.The cultivation cycle lasts 140-150 days, during which time the biomass of worms reaches 6-9 kg / m2.On the bed every 2-3 weeks add a layer of compost 15-20 cm( for the season 7-8 layers).
After completion of the cycle, the substrate with worms is dried and the worms are separated from the loose humus organic fertilizer, called biohumus( chervokompost).With this technology, up to 1 ton of compost can be processed per 1 m2 of the ground bed of the cultivator, while receiving 0.5 t of biohumus.
Another so-called "manure" substitute can also be the so-called "green"( sideral) fertilizer.
This is a method of enriching soil with organic matter by embedding( plugging or digging) the green mass of specially sown plants for this purpose - siderates. The range of these crops is quite wide - winter rye, vetch-oats mixture, barley, rapeseed, lupine, pea, sweet clover, seradella, beans can also use annual weeds( without special sowing of their seeds).
Plants - the siderates must be mown during the maximum green mass formation( weeds - until the seeds are formed), slightly wilted and, after grinding, be embedded in the soil. Green fertilizer is especially effective on light sandy soils.
And another consideration related to the lack of conventional manure: it contains up to 10-12 species of weed seeds, and in 1 ton of litter of cattle they number from 5 thousand to 7 million pieces.
When using a fertilizer, weed seeds are not added to the soil.
In addition, evenly sown syderaty ensure evenness of the embedding of green mass, which is difficult to achieve in the case of application of manure, especially fresh( not crumbling).
In the recommendations for the cultivation of orchard plants there is the expression: "Keep the soil moist and friable".Of course, loosening improves the conditions of aeration of the soil, especially heavy in texture - heavy loam and clay. These soils, as is known, tend to swim and form a soil crust that disrupts normal air exchange. Cork occurs on the soil after heavy rains or incorrect sprinkling irrigation. This causes the need to often loosen the soil mechanically.
There is a good expression belonging to Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov: "There are no bad lands, there are bad masters."For such negligent owners, the practice of punishment that was used in ancient China would be quite appropriate: the peasant was forced from all over the site to remove the soil layer of 20 cm, transferred to the house and within 2 years to prepare compost, and then returned to the previous plot.
The structure of the soil can be significantly changed by constantly adding organic fertilizers( sowing manure, com-posts, low peat) to it before sowing or planting, and for loosening clay soils additionally coarse-grained sand of sawdust, etc.materials.
In such a cardinal way, the farmer can improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil, and loosening of it will become necessary mainly for two purposes: the preservation of moisture and the destruction of weeds.
But to achieve these goals, it is not necessary to loosen the soil, but you can apply another method - mulching.
Heat treatment of soil
The soil in the container in which the infected plant was kept can not be discarded, but it can be burned for 30-40 minutes on a baking sheet in the oven with little heating: this way it is possible to destroy not only the pests, but also the pathogens of many diseases.
Soil cultivation in the fruit garden
In the spring, as early as possible, it is necessary to loosen the top layer of the soil to destroy the soil crust and prevent evaporation of moisture. The subsequent treatments depend on the mechanical composition of the soil and on the crops grown. On light soils, under the planting and sowing of early crops, digging is not carried out, but is limited to loosening and leveling of the soil surface. On loamy soils, as well as under late-growing crops, regardless of the mechanical composition of the soil, a spring digging is required. Then the surface of the site is leveled by rakes and begins to plant or plant the plants. Perekopku, loosening and leveling the surface of the soil should be done when it is ready( the so-called "ripeness").These works can not be done too early, when the soil is still "smeared" and does not loosen at the digging hole, but sticks to the shovel. But you can not lag with processing - the soil can dry up. Soil is considered ready for processing, if taken from a depth of 1 cm and a handful of earth compressed into a lump uniformly falls apart;if the lump is flattened after the fall - the soil is "unripe", if it is easily crumbled - the soil has dried up. In areas with a level of groundwater close to the surface, fruit and berry crops are cultivated on artificially created earthen ramparts, hills, ridges. The shafts are arranged in different widths( usually 2.5-4 m), the height depends on the groundwater level and is 0.6-0.9 m. The mounds are piled with a height of 0.6-1 m, the diameter in the upper part is 0.5-0, 6 m, in the lower - 2,5-3 m. Shafts and hills can be arranged from available or imported soil. In excessively moistened areas planting of plants on ridges up to 0.5 m in height( of arbitrary width) is widespread. Fruit and berry plants planted on artificially created trees, hills and ridges, develop a powerful root system, grow well and bear fruit. If the groundwater table could not be reduced to the required limits, it is possible to grow fruit crops on dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks, the root system of which is more shallow. When cultivating the soil in the garden, it should be remembered that its upper cultivated horizon is poorly developed by fruit trees. Therefore, the depth of tillage in the garden should be minimal, so as not to damage the roots of trees thicker than 8 mm( roots of smaller diameter are easily restored).On the trunk circles, the soil is treated to a depth of 8 cm near the trunk and 10-12 cm along the periphery of the crown. In the inter-row, the soil is treated to a depth of 17-20 cm. When cultivating in the garden of crops with a shallow root system, the depth of processing is reduced to 12-15 cm. It is better to make digging in the garden with garden forks. When using a shovel, the treatment is carried out beyond the radius of the tree trunk, so as to less damage the roots of the trees. They do this at the end of summer or early autumn( August-September) following the harvesting of various crops, while sealing up organic and mineral( phosphorus-potassium) fertilizers. Such treatment gives good results: at a time when the heat, loosened soil better accumulates moisture and nutrients, and the emergence of weeds is destroyed.
In winter, the soil during digging is not loosened, but left with clods with a ridged surface. This ensures a better accumulation of moisture, while the pests that have been turned out from the lower layers of the soil to the surface of the egg and pupae die during the winter.
For better growth of fruit trees, the soil must be loose, permeable to water, air, which at the same time can retain a sufficient supply of moisture in the root layer.