Is it possible to eat siderates. What green manure under which crops to sow to achieve maximum yield? Cereals - green manure for all types of soil

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Annual land use for cultivation different cultures greatly depletes the soil, significantly reduces its fertility. There are many ways to make up the deficit. nutrients in it, the sowing of green manure is considered the most popular. But how and when to sow them, when to bury them, is it possible to plant in the fall or is it better in the spring? You will find answers to these questions below.

Siderates are plants that have the ability to restore the soil structure, enriching it with valuable microelements, without which the normal vegetation of any fruit crop is impossible.

The peculiarity of sanitary plants is that for short span time, it is possible to obtain a unique green fertilizer rich in useful substances:

  • nitrogen;
  • calcium;
  • zinc;
  • magnesium;
  • iron and more. others

In addition to increasing fertility, green manure crops eliminate pathogens, help get rid of larvae and pests.

You can evaluate the benefits of green manure crops by their useful properties:

In the discussions of gardeners, there are also negative reviews about the use of green manure plants. For example, when planting sweet clover, germination of shoots is observed for several years. This is due to the fact that this culture is perennial, so it will not be possible to remove the grass in one year. Someone considers this harm and prefers annual herbs.


Properly planted green manure prevents soil erosion

The disadvantages include the exact observance of the terms of harvesting green mass.

If you hold out until the formation of seeds, you will not be able to get high-quality fertilizer.. The stems are stiff at this stage. Therefore, it is important not to miss the beginning of flowering, when the plant is filled with the maximum amount of micronutrients and retains the delicate structure of the stems and foliage.

Varieties of green manure and the rules for their planting

Oil radish

The culture is honey-bearing, fodder, and is also used as a green manure. Grass enriches the soil with humus and organic matter. Presence in the composition essential oils provides a deterrent effect against pests, fungal diseases. Shrovetide radish is used in the fight against wireworm and nematode.

Sowing green manure is planned from spring to autumn. There are no special requirements for soils, however, the culture reacts poorly to an acidic environment.

Cut greens for use as a fertilizer for 5-7 weeks of vegetation. Autumn cleaning should be completed 2 weeks before the soil freezes. It is better to close up in the ground with a shovel or a cultivator.


Rye annual

One of the most popular garden nursery plants is rye. The culture is unpretentious to the type of soil, withstands dry weather. Simple agricultural technology is complemented by useful green manure properties:

  • facilitates dense soils;
  • suppresses weeds;
  • inhibits fungal spores, helps to get rid of nematodes;
  • increases soil fertility.

Seeding is planned from the end of August to the 20th of September. The green mass grows rapidly, forming dense bushes. When the height of greenery reaches 15-20 cm, the above-ground part is cut off and embedded in the ground.


Phacelia for good soil

Phacelia has not only attractive appearance, but also has the ability to lighten heavy soils, enrich them with valuable trace elements. A feature of the plant is considered to be good compatibility with almost all garden crops, so after cutting the greens, you can plant everything.

Sowing works are carried out in spring or after harvesting (until the end of August). Some gardeners plant phacelia before winter. Any type of soil is suitable for growing green manure, flowers grow even on nutrient-poor rocky terrain.

Plant features:

  • increases soil fertility;
  • prevents the formation of erosion;
  • drives away pests;
  • cleans the environment from harmful bacteria and spores.

Mow the grass before the flowering period. If sowing is done before winter (at the end of October - November), mowing is not required.


Phacelia - one of the best green manure in the garden

Winter and spring rapeseed as green manure fertilizer

Among the main advantageous characteristics of rapeseed is the ability to suppress weeds, improve soil structure, saturating it with useful microelements.

It is advisable to plant the spring variety in late March or early April. The cut is made after 35-45 days. Winter rapeseed is planted from August to the end of October. The above-ground part should be cut off before flowering.

When planting with carrots vegetable crop there is an increase in yield and quality of root crops.


Rape as green manure is often planted in the fields. But you need to cut it before flowering

Application of mustard in spring and autumn

Siderat does an excellent job of cleaning the soil from scab, late blight, black leg and other diseases. The plant, due to the content of essential oils, repels pests (nematode, wireworm, etc.). grows on almost any soil, quickly forming a green mass.

After incorporation, the soil is enriched with phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and other microelements. You can sow the plant on the beds at any time. Need to cut to initial stage flowering until the formation of pods and immediately plow.


Oats in the winter in the garden

The culture improves the soil structure, enriches with nutrients, suppresses the growth of weeds. Cold resistance allows sowing from March to November. W The green mass builds up in an average of 5-7 weeks, after which it is cut off and embedded in the ground.

When growing before winter, digging is not performed.


When growing oats before winter, it does not need to be dug up

When can you sow lupins

The culture belongs to the legume family; it has been used as green manure since ancient times. It is especially effective to use the plant on dense soils.

Lupine makes them loose, rich in potassium, nitrogen and other nutrients. After the introduction of green manure, it is ideal to plant cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes. The sealing of the green mass is carried out upon reaching 1.5 months of age. A feature of lupine is its ability to reduce the acidic environment in the soil.


Winter wheat in October

An excellent option for improving the soil is the planting of winter winter wheat in the country. Her powerful root system structures dense soils, green mass saturates with nitrogen, calcium and other nutrients. Due to the drying properties of the earth, it is recommended to sow wheat in combination with other green manure.

Sowing is planned for autumn. In the spring, before planting the main crop (for 2-4 weeks), the earth needs to be dug up.


Comparison table of green manure with sowing dates

Comparative analysis of green manure

Name

pros

Minuses

Timing landings

Scheme sowing

readiness to mowing

Norm seeds (gr.) on the weave

reduces leaching of minerals, loosens the lower layer of the earth, excellent honey plant, releases sparingly soluble phosphates

should not be planted before planting cruciferous plants, the seeds of the plant attract birds

March-August

in rows, planting depth 3 cm, row spacing 20 cm

1.5 months

penetrates deep into the soil, loosens it, reduces acidity grows poorly on neutral and alkaline soils, likes loosening rows, row spacing - 20 cm, embedment depth 2-4 cm

1.5 months

Winter wheat effectively removes weeds, enriches the soil with nutrients not used before sowing cereals, attracts wireworm

August-October

scattered, embedment depth 3-4 cm

green height 15-20 cm

loosens the soil, enriches with nitrogen, calcium, grows in any areas, good compatibility with most garden crops

meager amount of green mass, demanding watering, heat intolerance

early spring

in rows or scattered, immersion depth 2-3 cm

1-1.5 months

Rapeseed (winter/spring)

removes weeds, improves soil structure, quickly grows greens

cut off at the age of no later than 7 weeks, so it accumulates toxins in itself as it grows

March-August

scattered, immersion depth in the soil 3-4 cm

1-1.5 months

excellent honey plant, nematode suppression, nitrogen enrichment, weed suppression high cost of seeds

March-August

in rows, planting depth 2-4 cm

1-1.5 months

Oil radish

inhibits the growth of weeds, cleans the soil from diseases, nematodes, improves the structure

low nitrogen content in biomass, cannot be planted before planting cabbage

April-August

sow in rows, planting depth 3-4 cm, row spacing - 15 cm

1.5-2 months

suppresses weeds, improves soil structure, suppresses harmful microorganisms

the plant loves moisture, so it dries it out a lot, it is better to plant in regions where there are no problems with precipitation

scattered or in rows, planting depth 3 cm

after the formation of green mass

When choosing green manure for a garden, it is very important to take into account its effect on crops that are planned to be planted on improved soil.

On the modern agricultural market there are quite a lot of the most various fertilizers, but almost all of them are created on the basis of chemical compounds, which are far from always completely harmless to human body. Safer alternatives can serve as a good alternative. green manure plants, which have a no less positive effect on the composition of the soil, enriching it with all the necessary components. What are these "green helpers", how and when to plant them on your site - you will learn from this article.

As just noted, green manure called fertilizer plants that are grown in order to restore the composition of the soil after the end of the previous growing season.

They are able to saturate the soil with nitrogen and trace elements necessary for the normal growth and development of crops planted on the site.

The main feature of green manure is the rapid development of the green part, which is used for embedding in the ground or covering its upper layer.

Rotting, the roots of these plants create an excellent environment for the future growth of new crops, and the riot of the above-ground part additionally dampens the development of weeds, which should also be noted as positive moment their use.

Did you know? the benefit of one of modern species fertilizer - slaked lime - was proved by Benjamin Franklin, who in 1748 demonstrated its effectiveness in practice: at first, on an empty field near Philadelphia there was only a huge inscription: "This field was limed", and after the emergence of seedlings, everyone noticed that in the places of application to On the ground of the letters, greener vegetation is observed than in other areas.

After the death of the root system, the soil in the place of its vital activity is characterized by increased friability, water and air permeability, not to mention the supply of nitrogen and other components useful for "home" plants.

Depending on the type of crop grown, the most suitable green manure predecessors are selected, and there are many of them.

Main types

More than 400 are suitable for the role of green manure plants today. various kinds, and annuals and perennials are equally successfully used, especially of the legume family (it is noticed that they are the best at repelling pests and preventing the development of fungal diseases cultivated plants).

In addition, many farmers believe that beans, peas, soybeans, sainfoin, chin and other representatives of this family better nourish the earth with nitrogen and are even able to become full replacement standard compost and manure.

There are also some other varieties of green manure:

  • cereal varieties (represented by wheat, barley, rye, oats, Italian millet, fescue, sorghum) - able to prevent soil erosion, bind trace elements and structure the soil, fluffing even the heaviest substrates. These plants are equally successfully sown both in spring and autumn, because due to good frost resistance, by the time of severe frosts, they already have time to grow good tops;

  • plants from the cruciferous family (the most common are white mustard, radish, rape, colza) - early green manure planted with the arrival of spring before planting the main crop. The root system of these plants releases special substances that easily transform phosphates and potassium salts that are difficult to assimilate into complete nutrition for vegetable crops. At the same time, the phytoncides present in their composition disinfect upper layer soil, relieving it of pests and pathogens of various diseases;

  • hydrophiles (most often planted with phacelia) and Compositae (sunflower) - prevent the appearance or development of soil erosion, attract pollinators to the site and help get rid of the nematode. In addition to the actively developing root system, these siderats are able to quickly throw out a massive above-ground part. Can be used on any type of soil.

Separately, it is worth noting the possibility of planting buckwheat, because it perfectly protects the earth from the reproduction of pathogenic organisms and can resist root rot.

When green manure is planted

Sowing green manure in the garden can be carried out at any time of the year: before planting the main cultivated plant or after it has been harvested. The only thing worth paying attention to is the type of green fertilizer most suitable for a particular season.

spring

Among the earliest green manures, first of all, it is worth highlighting mustard and phacelia, since both plants are well resistant to possible night frosts and germinate quickly with stable positive indicators.

With the advent of spring, many farmers also sow spring rapeseed, colza, common vetch, which is especially good at acting as a precursor for peppers and tomatoes.

In sowing green manure in spring period has its own characteristics:

  • you can just dig up the soil, simultaneously closing useful plants into its thickness and planting the main crop from above, for which a particular site is intended;
  • you can use a flat cutter to cut the stems a little below the ground, and then plant seedlings of a permanent crop and mulch the treated area with the cut green mass (gradually rotting, they will become an excellent fertilizer);

Important! When used for cutting a flat cutter, the phacelia will no longer grow, but the mustard will resume its development.

  • and most difficult option- make holes in the area with growing green manure and plant seedlings of vegetable crops in them, allowing them to develop under such conditions for the next 2-3 weeks. After this time, at a distance of 5 cm from the soil surface, the green manure mass is cut off and laid out on the surface, repeating this process until the time comes for harvesting the crop itself.

What green manure to sow in the spring

Each gardener chooses the most suitable planting option for himself, but the main thing is to follow the green mass of the selected green manure, which in some cases grow much faster than the main crop and can shade it.

Of course, to get good harvest this cannot be allowed.

Summer planting is a great way to improve the condition of the soil and restore its structure in the part of the garden that is not planned to be used this year.

With the advent of spring, green manure plants are planted in this place, characterized by the ability to grow after pruning, and then simply cut them off throughout the summer, trying to be in time before the buds begin to form.

Young shoots contain the most useful substances, and the process of their decay is much faster. The sloping above-ground part can be safely left on the ground surface.

If you decide to deal with phytophthora in your area with the help of green manure, then it is better to plant such plants in late spring or early summer. For these purposes, phacelia and rye, planted in the aisles of tomatoes, are ideal.
As they grow, they are pruned and re-planted, continuing this process until the crop is harvested.

At the end of the summer period, so that the soil does not stand idle after harvesting potatoes or other vegetables, joint sowing of rye, oats, mustard and phacelia is possible.

Oats are usually sown between rows in the process of weeding vegetables, and mustard or rye seeds are simply scattered before direct harvesting of root crops. During weeding and digging, the seeds simultaneously enter the substrate.

autumn

In most cases, rye and mustard are sown in autumn, and the timing of their planting will be almost the same.

The seed material is placed in the ground after picking vegetables and left until winter itself (for example, mustard hides perfectly under the snow cover, and with the advent of heat, you only have to cut off its aerial part and plant the previously planned main crop on top).
As for the rye, it will have to be removed from the site even before the stable cold weather, before it goes into the ears (just cut along the tillering node located near the very surface of the soil). The removed ground part can be left on the site in the form of compost or taken out.

If you are sure that there are still about 40-45 days before the arrival of stable frosts, then you can plant more heat-loving siderats on the site: spring rye, phacelia or oil radish (especially good for acidic soil or as a predecessor of cucumbers).

The cut part of green manure plants is usually simply left on the surface of the garden in which it grew, but there is another option - embedding "waste" in the ground, which allows you to maximize the quality of the soil.

Rotting in it, the tops should increase its moisture capacity and water permeability, due to which activation occurs. important processes at the microbiological level.

The process of "plowing" or instilling green manure is carried out 1-2 weeks before planting the main crop, and you should definitely have time to do this before the formation of buds, which we already mentioned earlier.
True, there are also opponents of the "burial" of green manure, who argue their opinion by the destruction of microorganisms important for plants in the process of digging the site.

To prevent the cut tops of fertilizer plants from drying out, it is best to simply cover the tops with a layer of mulch. The remains of the plants will gradually turn into compost and begin to release nitrogen. The root system remaining in the substrate, under the influence of worms and some other land inhabitants, will begin to decompose, acquiring all the properties of a full-fledged humus.

Important! The plowing of winter green manure is considered especially harmful, since as a result, approximately 80% of the beneficial effect of these plants is lost.

Simply put, in order not to complicate your task and not take useful microelements from the soil, just leave the cut green manure in the garden, and with the advent of spring they will not be there anyway.

Many gardeners prefer perennial species, which has a completely logical explanation: they do not need to be sown every year and they give more green parts. However, there are some negative aspects of their use, exposing annual options in a more favorable light.

So, in some cases, before planting the main crop, additional cleaning will have to be done, especially since the bed can be under the green shelter for more than two years (in this case, the soil in the selected area will be improved all this time).
Also, an important task when growing perennial varieties of green manure is to limit their possibility of seeding, otherwise they may well turn into an uncontrolled weed. Therefore, for areas that are under little control, it is better to choose annual "useful" plants.

What types of green manure to choose

As you know, not all green manure will be equally useful for a particular culture, therefore, before choosing such a “green assistant”, it is important to study the most suitable options in each individual case.

Any of the plants can be sown in early spring and mow its aerial part 2-3 weeks before the intended planting of the eggplants themselves.

Growing peppers and eggplants in green manure

The green part, as always, can serve either as mulch (it will protect young cultivated plants from scorching sun and wind) or fertilizer if you plant it in the ground.

Did you know? Regular consumption of eggplant dishes can protect the human brain from free radicals. This vegetable contains a strong antioxidant - nionin, which protects membrane lipids from negative impact, thereby preventing the development of oncological processes in such an important organ.

Green manure plants are, in fact, weeds that can not only saturate the soil with nutrients and increase the yield of the cultivated crop, but also cause a lot of problems to the gardener.
Most often, the latter happens as a result of the following possible errors:

  • plowing "green helpers" in order to restore the soil (just cut off the above-ground part of the sown green manure without affecting the root system of plants);
  • untimely cleaning from the garden plant residues green manure leads to the development of putrefactive processes in the soil, which threatens with diseases of cultivated plants planted in the future;
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We grow all vegetables and berries for the sake of the harvest - fruits, tubers, berries. To produce this yummy, plants spend a lot of nutrients. Of course, we apply various fertilizers, but in addition to a set of minerals after vegetables and perennial plantings berries when they grow in one place more than three years, there is a deterioration in the structure and fertility of the soil.

The humus layer is depleted, the number of beneficial microorganisms, earthworms is reduced. The soil is compacted, sometimes practically cemented, the roots no longer receive enough oxygen, the plants get sick.

In order to improve the structure and fertility of the soil, sowing green manure is used.

What is the value of green manure

  • saturation of the soil with nutrients
  • restoration of soil organic matter, humus layer
  • reduction in the number of pathogens and pests
  • weed growth retardation
  • retaining moisture in the soil and loosening
  • snow retention and soil weathering prevention
  • defence from return frosts spring

Phacelia sown before winter

Which siderates are better

In fact, there are no ideal green manures - for various landings need your own plants. It’s easy to explain - green manures belong to different plant families and have their own characteristics, for example, to clear the area of ​​keel, after cabbage, you can’t plant other cruciferous vegetables: radishes, turnips, as well as white mustard or oil radish.

Besides, various plants have various terms seedlings, vegetation cycle and soil requirements.

For example, among legumes, peas grow better on light sandy loamy soil, poorly on heavy ones. It is more expedient to plant beans and beans on loam.

Siderates by families

  • legumes: lupins, beans, soybeans, lentils, sowing and field peas, alfalfa, sweet clover, spring and winter vetch, clover, fodder beans, sainfoin, soybeans, seradella, peas, chickpeas, clover.
  • cruciferous: rapeseed, colza, oilseed radish, white mustard
  • cereals: wheat, rye, barley, oats
  • buckwheat: buckwheat
  • Compositae: sunflower
  • waterfly (hydrophile): phacelia

In addition, green manures of different families have different functionality:

  • legumes specialize in fixing nitrogen from the air
  • cruciferous and cereals fix nitrogen from the soil, convert other minerals into a more accessible form, prevent soil demineralization
  • increase the humus layer with a large leaf mass as green manure- rapeseed, colza
  • lupine, phacelia, buckwheat, oats, alfalfa - can reduce soil acidity
  • legumes, annual ryegrass, phacelia, sunflower, white mustard, oil radish, calendula, nasturtium - able to suppress the nematode and a number of pathogens
  • all siderates loosen the soil with their roots, especially lupins, beans, oil radish
  • almost all green manures suppress the growth of weeds in terms of planting density or rapid growth
  • annual ryegrass, phacelia, sunflower, mustard are also excellent honey plants

Compatibility of green manure and vegetables

  • Solanaceae: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet peppers, and gourds: cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, squash - grow well after green manure such as rye, oats, lupins, oil radish, mustard, sweet clover, vetch-oat mixture, rapeseed, phacelia, ryegrass annual.
  • The best predecessors for beets are mustard, colza, oil radish, vetch, and cereals. Bad green manure predecessors: corn and legumes (vetch, alfalfa, lupine, sweet clover, clover, etc.) and rapeseed - because of the danger of nematode infection.
  • For carrots - all cultures are good, but best radish oilseed, mustard, rapeseed, colza.
  • Siderata for cabbage, daikon, radish, turnip: sweet clover, vetch, lupine, phacelia, buckwheat, oats, clover, peas, as well as cereals.
  • Onions can be planted in beds where buckwheat, lupine, vetch and vetch-oat mixture, barley, phacelia acted as siderates, but in general, any siderates, except for corn and sunflower, can be precursors for garlic onions.
  • But garlic is more capricious - for it the best green manures are phacelia and mustard. It is undesirable to plant garlic after any bean green manure
  • Before planting legumes (peas, beans), you can sow mustard, oilseed radish, rapeseed, rapeseed, you can’t - other legumes.
  • The best green manure for strawberries: lupine, mustard, phacelia, oats.

What green manure to sow in the fall

If you have already decided which vegetables, in which area, garden bed or greenhouse, will be planted for the next season, the main crop has been harvested, you need to urgently plant green manure.

Only not every green manure is suitable for autumn sowing. All have their own characteristics - there are spring crops, there are winter crops.

  • Spring: oats, oil radish, rapeseed, white mustard, phacelia, which do not hibernate, their roots and above-ground part but over the winter they do not completely rot. In the spring, you need to cut the roots with a flat cutter at a depth of 5-7 cm from the soil surface and lightly mix with the ground. You can shed the soil with Baikal EM-1 solution to speed up the decomposition of green mass.
  • Winter green manure: rye, vetch, rapeseed - they are sown and late autumn before frosts, so that the seeds germinate in the spring, and early in the fall, at the end of summer, then a small overgrown tops leave before winter.

Siderates for the winter

Many spring green manure crops can be sown before winter. So, phacelia is usually sown in spring, but it is also possible to sow it in October-November, after late-ripening crops - carrots, beets, late potato when the site is not threatened by a large invasion of germinating weeds. The sowing dates are calculated so that the seeds do not have time to germinate, and the number of phacelia seeds is increased by 1.5-2 times, since some of them may not sprout - at a rate of 10 g / sq. m, we take 20 g.

Phacelia tansy is suitable as a precursor of any vegetables and berries

The same applies to sowing mustard before winter, before frost, it will also sprout in the spring and begin to work on thawing land, but you need to sow much thicker than in spring.

The advantages of winter green manure are that the plants will sprout earlier in the spring, and they will have time to grow decently before planting vegetables. For seedlings of phacelia or mustard, we make holes, for example, for tomatoes. Tomatoes grow like this until early June, while there is a threat of frost - herbs protect seedlings from the cold. Then the aerial part of the phacelia or mustard is mowed (it is easily removed), the roots remain in the ground, the greens are not covered, but remain as mulch for vegetables.

Dates of sowing green manure in the fall

The choice of green manure for sowing from the second half of summer depends on how much time remains before the cold and frost and how thermophilic the green manure is.

In autumn or late summer, it makes sense to sow only those spring green manure crops that have time to grow at least 15-20 cm and cover the ground with a solid carpet, protecting it from erosion by rains, preventing the loss of valuable substances and soil erosion.

In general, spring green manure can be sown until the end of August, in the southern regions - until the beginning of September.

You need to understand that green manure of farm fields and a small suburban area have completely different goals. Large fields are sown with almost any crop, including two-year ones, and only when growing them full cycle, they give the maximum enrichment of the earth with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other minerals. At the same time, most green manure have a powerfully developed root system, for example, in lupine it is about 1.5 m deep, others grow more than a meter in height. Such green manures are of value not as a green fertilizer (the stems and leaves are too coarse to be embedded in the soil), but as an improvement in soil structure (loosening and enrichment with nitrogen), as a fodder plant or a valuable honey plant. They are cleaned using powerful machinery.

On regular garden plots the main purpose of growing green manure is to obtain green fertilizer, populate the vacated beds to protect against weeds, loosen the top layer of the earth, protect the soil from diseases and pests. At the same time, it is very important to choose a green manure that grows quickly and is easily removed with a garden tool.

Therefore, sowing any green manure does not imply flowering, you can sow any herbs, but as soon as the crops grow to 15-20 cm, cut everything and plant it in the soil. As a rule, in terms of choice, the cost of seed and its availability play a big role.

Mustard white

White mustard - the most early siderat

It perfectly copes with these functions - it is sown in late summer, early autumn, due to its rapid growth and tolerance to cold weather, it has time to grow greenery and prevent the loss of nitrogen and other nutrients from the soil. With frost, the plant dies, but it is not necessary to plow it into the ground. White mustard does not grow well on acidic and waterlogged soils.

Oil radish

Another cruciferous early green manure, great for sowing areas that have been vacated by August, for example, early potato. Grows on any type of soil, especially good for heavy ones - loosens and structures. The radish has a small consumption of seeds, it quickly sprouts (in 4-7 days) and increases its green mass, it is quite cold-resistant - it has time to grow before frost if sown later. A basal rosette of 4-5 leaves already 2-3 weeks after germination, and flowering after 30-40 days. It is necessary to mow the oilseed radish before flowering.

Although the highest yield is formed during the formation of the pods, the radish is much larger than the mustard, it has coarser stems, so in farms it is allowed to grow longer and harvested with the help of machinery. An ordinary gardener has a simple tool - so after a month and a half you need to mow.

As green manure, oilseed radish is sown in rows, 15 cm between seeds. Seed consumption is approximately 2-3 g per 1 sq. m. Seeds are planted to a depth of 2-4 cm.

Winter rye

Winter rye, sown in early autumn or late summer, is excellent as a green fertilizer, it will have time to germinate before frost and form lush bushes. It tolerates winter well and already in early spring, it continues to build up leaf mass and roots. Two weeks before planting vegetables or berries, the overgrown green mass must be cut with a flat cutter and dig the rye into the soil.

Winter rye as green manure has another advantage - it is undemanding to the soil and grows well on any type of soil, including very poor ones. The disadvantage is that it does not fix nitrogen in the soil, but gives a lot of organic matter.

It is not necessary to sow winter rye too thickly, since in spring it sprouts very amicably and too frequent shoots are more difficult to clean. Can be sown in rows, with a distance of about 15 cm, planting to a depth of 4 cm.

Rape

Rapeseed is demanding on the soil, but in order to improve the structure, it is advisable to use it on heavy soils - soddy-podzolic, light and medium loamy and chernozems, although it also grows on sandy loamy soils. Categorically not suitable for growing in wet areas.

Rapeseed as green manure is sown in the second half of August, in the southern regions later - after the 20th of the month - the fact is that rapeseed is a more tender culture - if sown ahead of time, plants outgrow, begin to be affected by diseases, winter badly. Optimal dimensions bush, with which rapeseed painlessly leaves before winter rapeseed - a height of about 20-25 cm and a rosette of 6-8 leaves - it takes about 2 months.

For rapeseed required more care- this culture does not tolerate a sharp change in weather, when, after a sudden thaw (melting snow), frost sets in again - an uneven flow of water causes root rot. The same problem occurs when too much nitrogen fertilizers. Therefore, if the winter is not snowy, you will have to throw snow on the beds with winter rapeseed.

Rapeseed is sown to a depth of 2–3 cm. Seedlings appear in 4–5 days.

In spring, with favorable wintering, rapeseed continues to grow, turns green and blooms by mid-May. They begin to mow it not when green pods appear, but earlier two weeks before planting the main crop.

After rapeseed, you can plant seedlings of peppers, tomatoes, eggplants. The disadvantage of this green manure is not only sensitivity to root rot, but also a lot of diseases and pests that affect cruciferous plants.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat as green manure is best sown in spring, as it takes 1-3 months for its development, but it can also be sown at the end of summer, in autumn, six weeks before the first frost. It can be sown after potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers. Seedlings appear on the 9-10th day. Mow in the flowering stage - the first flowers about a month after germination. Blooming buckwheat retains tender foliage and stems, rots well. It grows on any type of soil, including poor ones, gives a good organic mass, does not retain nitrogen in the soil, but converts phosphorus into a form that is easily accessible to vegetables. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to get seeds, store-bought buckwheat will not work (it is steamed or fried), green seeds are needed.

Vika

Vika or mouse peas- The legume is used both for organics and for saturating the soil with nitrogen, as well as suppressing weeds in difficult areas. Vika is more capricious - it grows only in slightly acidic areas, does not tolerate dryness.

Vika (sowing peas) - it's time to mow

Vika is an early ripening plant, it grows leaf mass well, protects vegetables from snails and slugs. You can plant it under any vegetables, including cabbage, when it is unacceptable to sow cruciferous green manure, but you can not plant it before legumes (peas, beans).

Vetch is often included in green manure mixtures in company with rye, rapeseed, ryegrass and other herbs. The seeding depth is 1-3 cm. It is possible to mow and embed into the soil already 60-65 days after sowing.

Green manure - plants that are sown in the soil in order to increase its fertility. If you use them correctly, then you can completely abandon fertilizers. The best green manure for a gardener is the topic of our today's article.

Leaves of plants cover the surface of the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Thanks to them, the soil is covered with a layer of nutritious compost. The roots of green spaces do not allow the soil to be depleted, and their remains serve as food for microorganisms. Farmers are trying to bring more into the soil than to extract from it, so they improve the composition of the soil with the help of green manure plants.

Green manure is a natural fertilizer that grows in the garden along with other crops. The process consists in the fact that after the greens grow luxuriantly, which happens quickly, they are cut off and embedded in the ground. The roots remaining in the soil rot and saturate the soil with organic matter.

The soil becomes loose and the aeration coefficient increases. As a result, the earth receives valuable nitrogen. Moreover, weeds do not grow well on such soil, and the cultivated crops are not affected by fungi and bacteria. In fact, it is a natural analogue chemical fertilizers. Siderations play an important role in the organic way of cultivating the land.

Video "What are green manure for"

Video about the improvement of the earth with the help of green manure: what are green manure, what are they for and how to use them correctly.

Which to choose

Mustard

If you have not yet decided which green manure is the best for the garden, pay attention to mustard. white mustard makes the soil loose and saturated with organic matter, inhibits the growth of weeds, protects the garden from wireworms.

The length of the plant root reaches 1 m. After the greens are cut in 2 weeks, the root system rots, resulting in a multi-channel system that allows you to deliver moisture and oxygen to a great depth.

Sowing is done in the fall - after the garden has been cleared and the harvest has been harvested. Can be sown in the spring, 30 days before planting potatoes, for example.

Phacelia

The plant saturates the soil with organic matter and acts as a baking powder. Phacelia grows in any soil and is not afraid of any climatic disasters. Moreover, it can be sown several times during the season.

Due to the accumulation in the soil a large number of nutrients, you can do without additional fertilizers. Perhaps this information will help you figure out which is better as green manure - phacelia or mustard.

oats

For growth, oats do not "disdain" any kind of soil. The main thing is that it is well hydrated. When blooming, it does not tolerate heat well. During the period of milky ripeness, it does not tolerate cold. Sowing is carried out in late March - early April. The plant is used to prepare the soil for various crops and enrich it with nitrogen, potassium and other organic substances.

Lupine

Sowing lupine gives a good effect on sandy and podzolic soils with an increased acidity coefficient. As a result, the soil is enriched and becomes fertile. The plant can even recycle hard-to-reach soil elements. After its cultivation, excellent conditions are created for garden strawberries.

Clover

This plant saturates the soil with nitrogen. The culture is winter-hardy and attracts bees. Clover is sown in areas where the soil is well moistened. The plant can be sown in the beds between the main crops. One sowing is enough for the clover to grow for three years.

sweet clover

Sweet clover belongs to the legume family and has the ability to accumulate nitrogen in the soil, and also improves the internal structure of the soil. This plant grows well during drought, and is also resistant to frost. Sweet clover is grown on clay and sandy soils. Acid and highly moist soil is unfavorable for growth.

Sowing dates

Spring

You can sow at any time. It is better to do this either before you place the seeds of the main crop in the soil, or after the crop is harvested. Now let's try to figure out which varieties of green manure are best sown in the spring.

Mustard and phacelia are suitable for sowing in early spring. Since they are frost-resistant and are not afraid of return frosts, they begin to grow as soon as the thermometer stops falling below zero. At this time, spring rapeseed and colza are still sown.

Vika experienced gardeners recommend planting in the place where juicy tomatoes and aromatic peppers will grow. Before planting the main garden culture fertilizer plants should be removed. This can be done in several ways.

The simplest and at the same time effective option- dig the site along with the helper plants contained on it. Then you can plant the main crop.

The second method involves the presence of a flat cutter, which is buried a few centimeters into the ground and the plants are cut off. The necessary culture is planted at this place, and the cut plants are mulched. Gradually rotting, siderates become fertilizers. After cutting, the phacelia does not grow, but the mustard continues to grow.

The third method requires the most time and energy. Crops in the garden are grown together with helper plants. When they grow up, they are cut with a knife, leaving a stalk 5 cm high. The cut greens are laid on the ground. When the assistants grow up, they are treated in the same way. The procedure must be repeated until harvest time.

Summer and early autumn

The season is favorable for improving the structure of the soil in the event that vegetables are not grown on the site this year. Green manure plants should be sown in spring, and plants that grow very quickly should be chosen.

Plants are periodically mowed until buds begin to form. In this state, they are rich in organic matter and rot quickly. The cut grass is left on the beds.

The best autumn green manures are rye and mustard. They are sown after harvest, that is, at the end of summer and early autumn. Mustard grows until December, when snow covers it. The rye is harvested before the ears appear. Mustard is cut with a flat cutter in the spring and garden crops are planted in its place.

Under the winter

Sowing green manure plants before winter frees up time when sowing and planting early crops, such as early cabbage, potatoes, carrots. Plants are found in the soil until May and loosen the soil. Multiple green mass protects from the scorching rays of the spring sun, as well as from recurrent frosts. After mowing, this is an excellent mulch.

Green manure plants are sown densely before winter. In late September - early October, sweet clover, vetch, winter rye are sown. Before the cold weather, they have time to develop powerful roots and a good green mass. This ground part serves as a protection against wind erosion, as it accumulates snow well, covering the ground.

In spring, winter green manure is plowed into the soil before sowing the main plants. However, it is important not to overdo it with green mass, so as not to acidify the soil. It is advisable to mow the surface part and leave it on the site as mulch. Will be created in a couple of weeks favorable conditions for sowing early crops.

We have considered the use of the main crops as green manure plants, and which green manure and when it is better to sow it depends on the tasks that they will perform.

The basic principle organic farming is that the earth should never be left unprotected. This implies constant mulching of the soil surface, as well as after harvesting early and mid-ripening crops. I would like to devote this article to how best to sow green manure in the summer.

After which crops can green manure be sown in summer period? First of all, after digging up early potatoes and cutting super early white (red, Savoy) cabbage, as well as after early ripening green (, etc.), turnip onions, peas,.

They can act both as a mowing fertilizer and completely embedded in the place of their original growth. In the first case, they are grown in one area, and closed up in another. It is best to grow on an unused site. perennial lupine, as he is the champion in the growth of green mass (just don't let him seed!).

Of the siderates that are optimally sown in summer, one can distinguish a number of cruciferous (spring, spring rape,) and legumes(annual lupine, for example), as well as buckwheat. All of them are distinguished by rapid growth rates and a large final weight of their greenery.

It is advisable to plant the seeds of all the plants mentioned above into the soil in the vacated areas before August 5-10, and phacelia and mustard can be sown until the beginning of September.

When answering the question, which siderat is best in the summer, you need to decide what effect you want to achieve.

The nematode is suppressed by all bovaceae and phacelia. Mustard will help to cope with the wireworm.

Legumes are also able to enrich the soil with phosphate.(they convert the element already contained in the soil into a form available to plants) and nitrogen, which they fix from the air and accumulate in their root nodules.

If your goal is to loosen the soil to a sufficient depth, then lupine, oil radish and mustard will do the job best.

Cruciferous and cereals improve the physical composition of the soil, preventing the process of mineralization and leaching of mineral elements that constantly occurs in it.

If you want to saturate the soil with organic matter as much as possible, then you should think about the autumn sowing of winter rapeseed and winter colza. In addition, winter rye can be sown before winter.

As you can see, if you wish, you can make a mixture of various green manure crops, which would comprehensively improve quality characteristics garden soil.

Siderates are usually sown randomly, but if winged brethren are in charge of your site, then it is better to plant the seeds deeper and sow in rows. The formed green mass is mowed and added dropwise to the soil in late autumn.

Under the crops of green manure, it is possible and necessary to make complex mineral fertilizers(according to the norm, only 5-7 grams per square meter) (only exclude the nitrogen component for legumes). Green manure crops will improve their bioavailability for plants by an order of magnitude, while completely leveling their negative impact on the quality of the harvested crop.

In areas prone to water and wind erosion, as well as in arid regions, it is more advisable to leave the plants to winter and close them in early spring. Thus, you significantly prevent the erosion of soil structures, and in arid places you contribute to snow retention and less deep freezing soil, which, in turn, leads to the accumulation of life-giving moisture in the soil in the spring.

When sowing green manure in the summer, it should be borne in mind that you will not be able to place early vegetables at the place of their cultivation next year, since the green mass requires stable positive temperatures and at least two weeks of time to completely decompose.

It is also worth adding that in early spring and late autumn it is useless to water the embedded organic matter with EM solutions, because the microorganisms that make up them hibernate already at temperatures below +15 degrees.

Green manure plants are ready to be planted in the bud stage when they have Weight Limit their greenery, but at the same time they have not yet become calloused.

It is also important not to overdo it with the volume of organics buried, since if there is too much green mass in the soil, then it is more likely to sour than to rot. Soil microorganisms will experience a deficiency of nitrogen, which is necessary for processing such an amount of organic matter, and, accordingly, draw it directly from the soil, impoverishing it. Is not in the best way affect the yield of the next crop.

How much organic matter can the soil "digest"? Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question, and every experienced vegetable grower determines this amount “by eye”.

When embedding green mass in the soil, you should not try to embed it deeper, the optimal depth is 10-15 centimeters. In addition, the first time after termination should be maintained high humidity soil to initiate the work of microorganisms, otherwise you risk losing a significant part of the positive effect of your efforts.

I sow green manure in the summer in those areas where seedlings of cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, celery and peppers will be planted next year. If I do not have time to plant green manure plants in the soil in the fall, then I usually place the seedlings directly among the overgrown green manure in holes dug in advance (if the green manure is not too high yet). A little later, siderates go under the cut and serve as mulch for planted seedlings.

Dear readers, share own experience application of sideration on personal plot! I am sure that every grain of your unique experience will become an invaluable contribution to the life of this blog and will help both experienced and novice amateur vegetable growers.

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