Organic fertilizers: what types are there, methods and rates of application to the soil. Organic fertilizers: types, how to apply

Despite the abundance of chemicals in the care of plantings, more and more gardeners are turning to natural remedies. Organic fertilizers are considered safe for plants, humans and the environment, but they have their own composition and application features that must be taken into account.

Types of organic fertilizers

The name speaks for itself: these funds are based on natural raw materials, plant residues or animal waste products. Features of fertilizers determine the substances of which they are composed, use the following types:

• bird droppings;
• manure;
• compost;
• top and bottom peat;
• ash.

Each variety contains a set of nutrients necessary for plants, the main components are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Acting in close alliance, they improve the condition of plantings and soil. Among themselves, organic fertilizers differ in the number of available compounds and the method of application. To benefit, it is important to know what organic matter is made of and how it affects plants.

Table 1. Presence of macronutrients in organic fertilizers

Brief description of the main batteries, application features

1. It activates the growth of plants, especially green mass.
2. Most of all it is required in spring and in the first half of summer, when shoots are formed and young leaves appear.
3. In the middle of summer, its introduction is minimized or canceled altogether. The vegetative program redirects sap flow to strengthen the stems and form fruits. If nitrogen fertilization is continued, the shoots of the current year will continue to grow and will not gain strength until winter. Which means they won't survive the cold.
4. An excess in the soil leads to intensive reproduction of fungal pathogens. The soil microflora actively develops in the presence of nitrogen, which leads to plant disease.

Phosphorus:

1. Without it, photosynthesis is impossible - obtaining chlorophyll.
2. Affects the size and brightness of flowers.
3. Forms starch, sucrose, glucose, substances responsible for fruit quality and winter storage.
4. Provides the appearance of young roots, therefore, it is introduced during planting.
5. Seasonal use - spring, autumn.

Potassium:

1. Strengthens plant tissues, protects cell membranes. Due to this, moisture is retained in the stems and leaves. That is why the element is needed during all periods of the growing season, especially in spring and summer, during the formation of fruits.
2. Potassium is a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for fungal diseases. Under the action of potassium, a strong shell is formed that does not allow harmful pathogens to penetrate inside.

In addition to the main components, organic matter contains calcium, magnesium, iron and trace elements.

Subtleties of application

Natural top dressings are valuable because they dissolve slowly in the soil and provide long-term nutrition. For example, if you put organic matter into a hole when planting a tree, then the next addition will be needed in 2-3 years.

The following methods are used:

• root top dressing, when fertilizers are loosened with the soil;
• foliar spraying, in which a weak solution is sprayed onto the leaves and stems;
• mulching with dry substances, which belong to the MRL (slow-acting fertilizers) - peat is most often used in this way.

Advice
Decomposed fertilizers are applied to the soil in a solid state, liquid infusions are prepared from fresh raw materials.

Waste products of animals that eat plant foods - cows, horses, sheep, rabbits. Manure contains the necessary plant nutrients and microflora, which forms humus in the soil.

Application features:

1. Fresh is used only for preliminary preparation of empty soil, only in late autumn. During the winter, manure turns into valuable humus. Application rate 4-6 kg/m 2 .
2. In the spring, rotted manure is scattered in the garden and on the beds in a dry form - 3-4 kg / m 2, two weeks before planting.
3. For current dressings, a solution of fresh matter with water is prepared in a ratio of 1:15, kept for 7-10 days, the soil is watered at a rate of 0.5-1 l / m 2. The infusion is distributed at a distance of 10-15 cm from the stems, so as not to burn the plants, as evenly as possible and only after abundant watering.

Obtained from the excrement of domestic chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, pigeons, quails. Bird droppings contain the largest amount of nitrogen, but in 2-3 months of storage it loses half of the substance, since it quickly evaporates. The best manufacturers use a quick drying method that retains the maximum benefit.

To prepare a liquid top dressing, take 1 kg of bird droppings per 200 liters of water (or 50 g per 10 liters) and insist for a week, stirring daily. The fertilizer is filtered before use. This recipe is recommended by the specialists of the Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.

Application features:

1. The amount of application depends on the culture and its age. Young plants are watered after full survival, when two or three true leaves are formed.
2. Bird droppings are categorically not suitable for seedlings. Active nitrogen causes growth of ground parts, and seedlings must first form roots. For the same reason, it is not used for vegetative propagation by layering and cuttings.
3. In autumn, empty beds are fertilized with fresh manure. During the winter, oxidation, fermentation, and decay occur with the release of heat. In the upper layers of the soil, humus is formed, ready for plant nutrition. Then in the spring you do not need to apply fertilizer.

Table 2. Features of the use of bird droppings

Bird droppings are used for foliar top dressing more often than other fertilizers. The work is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. The infusion is carefully filtered.
2. Dilute with water in a ratio of 1:4.
3. Sprinkling of plants is carried out, dust is washed off leaves and stems. Wait until the plant dries out, otherwise the fertilizer will drain from the wet surface.
4. Apply the solution using a fine sprayer.

Advice
Feeding is best done in the evening. Morning dew will not allow fertilizer to linger on the leaves. At noon, the scorching sun will cause burns.

Peat

A fossil formed naturally from plant remains. In horticulture, several types are used, the most applicable are high-moor and low-lying peat. They differ in origin, degree of decomposition, composition.

Lowland peat is a homogeneous mass of brown or anthracite color. Includes many useful substances. The main function as a fertilizer is soil structuring. Add to plant mixture for aeration and moisture capacity.

Universal action is manifested on all soils that require transformation. On sandy soils it retains moisture, on clay types it loosens compaction. The acidity of the substance is close to neutral, ranging from 5 to 7 units. It has no particular effect on the soil. The recommended dose is 3-4 kg/m2.

Lowland peat is a popular material for mulching and sheltering plants for the winter. For example, roses and young fruit trees fall asleep to them, forming a cone. In the spring, the protection must be opened and evenly mixed with the ground.

High-moor peat looks like a loose mixture of weakly decomposed remains. It has a high acidity - pH 3-4.5. The mineral salts included in the composition are not available to plants. In this regard, high-moor peat is used as an additive to compost or is introduced into the soil before winter for overheating. Between top dressing and planting should take 5-6 months. Peat is evenly distributed in a thin layer using. This method accelerates the decomposition of the fertilizer.

Important
It is impossible to use high-moor peat in its pure form for feeding plantings. When decomposed, carbon dioxide is formed, which is harmful to plants.

Ash

In horticulture, the following types are in demand:

• coal fireproof residues;
• wood ash;
• burnt leaves.

Coal ash contains no nutrients, but serves as an effective leavening agent on heavy soils.

The most useful wood ash is a substance rich in phosphorus, potassium, calcium and trace elements. Loosens the soil, neutralizes acidity. Promotes the formation and strengthening of the root system of plants. The maximum amount of nutrients contains ashes from birch firewood. The application rate is 700 g / m 2 (if there are no scales at home, use improvised measurements - see their ratio with weight below).

Volumetric folk measurements in grams:

• 1 tablespoon - 6 g;
• 1 glass - 100 g;
• bank 1 l - 500 g.

When planting, wood ash is applied for rooting. In autumn - to strengthen the root system, which provides frost resistance. The ash solution is applied to the leaves and stems for potassium supplementation and tissue strengthening, which serves as a preventive measure against codling moth, sawfly, mites and other pests. For cooking, you need 3 tbsp. spoons of raw materials per 1 liter of water. The mixture is kept for 7-10 days, stirring daily. Solid laundry soap is used as a sticky substance - ¼ of a piece. The negative side is that it is washed off when it rains, so spraying sessions are periodically repeated.

Ash obtained from the combustion of leaves, branches, grass has a different composition. Many useful elements contain ashes from sunflower stems, buckwheat, dry cereals. It is used in the same way as wood.

Compost

Organic fertilizers, except for peat, can theoretically be made independently. However, even in the village, organics are usually bought: home-made preparations often do not have enough volume, moreover, it is difficult to follow all the technologies to obtain maximum fertilizer efficiency. But there is no need to purchase compost: it consists of rotted plant residues that are found in every plot and in any suburban passage.

Mowed grass, fallen leaves, weeds (after destroying the seed pods) do not need to be thrown away. It is better to put it in a pit or a special box for overheating. After 5 - 6 months, a valuable fertilizer is formed. Thus, garden plant debris is of great benefit:

• plant nutrients;
• budget savings;
• environmental safety.

In addition to plants, food waste is placed in the compost, with the exception of meat waste, which has a long decomposition period, which is not combined with the period of overheating of herbaceous plants.

The transformation is more intense if the raw materials are laid in layers, sprinkled with soil or high-moor peat and EM preparations are added, for example, Emochki Bokashi or Baikal EM-1. The effective microorganisms that make up the products accelerate fermentation and decay at times. For example, ordinary compost is formed for six months. With the use of EM preparations - in 2-3 months.

To maximize the benefits of home fertilizer, do not compost:

• plants affected by diseases and pests, since the source of infection is safely preserved in the organic mass and even actively reproduces;
• waste products of dogs and cats that may contain dangerous viruses transmitted to humans from the soil, for example, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis;
• tree leaves containing tannins - walnut, oak, hornbeam, poplar. Tannins, when they enter the ground, inhibit the development of plants (therefore, nothing grows under the crown of a walnut).

Ready compost is used in the same way as grassroots peat, scattered on the ground, then embedded in the top layer to a depth of 5-10 cm. Work is performed after harvesting fallen leaves in October.

Fruit trees are fed by distributing fertilizer along the periphery of the near-trunk circle. The ideal diameter is equal to the size of the crown, it is at this level of the root system that hair-like processes are located that absorb nutrients. So the benefits of compost will be maximized.

In recent years, the number of supporters of ecological gardening methods has increased, which is impossible without organic fertilizers. Manufacturers provide those wishing with a wide range of natural dressings. If the purchased products seem expensive, you can always make affordable compost.

Organic fertilizers are a source of plant nutrition and the result of increasing soil fertility. Organic fertilizers include: manure, composts, peat, bird droppings, slurry, etc.

Organic fertilizers: types and application

Manure

Manure contains all the nutrients needed by plants. In bedless manure, from 50 to 70% of nitrogen is in the ammonia form, which is well absorbed by plants in the first year of application. The rest, organically bound nitrogen, is also used by plants as organic matter is mineralized. The reaction of bedless manure is close to neutral or alkaline.

• In unlittered manure, pathogens and helminth eggs can persist for a long time. Therefore, in a private household, bedless manure must be composted with straw, peat or grass.
• Under the influence of manure, the physical and chemical properties of the soil improve (heavy clay soils become more loose, and light sandy soils become more coherent), its water and air regimes, and acidity decreases.
• The action of manure on soddy-podzolic loamy soils lasts 6-8 years, on sandy and sandy loamy soils - 3-5 years. According to its composition and fertilizer value, manure can be different, which is determined by the type of animal, the quality of the feed, the litter used and the method of storage.

Horse manure is considered the best, then sheep, cow and pig manure.

There are 4 stages of decomposition of manure on a straw bedding - fresh, semi-rotted, rotted and humus.

• In fresh slightly decomposed manure, straw slightly changes color and strength.
• When half-ripe, it acquires a dark brown color, loses strength and breaks easily. Manure loses 10-30% of dry organic matter at this stage.
• The rotted manure is a homogeneous mass. In this degree of decomposition, it loses up to 50% of dry organic matter.
• Finally, humus is a loose dark mass. In this state, manure loses 75% of dry organic matter. Therefore, it is not advisable to bring manure to a rotted state. However, fresh manure cannot be used for planting.

For planting, manure should be prepared in advance. To do this, it is stacked in piles or piles 1-1.5 m high with a width of 2 m and an arbitrary length. Stacks are covered with peat or earth with a layer of up to 20 cm. For short-term storage, manure can be stored under plastic wrap. When caring for plants, manure of varying degrees of decomposition is used, the approximate doses of application are 4-6 kg / sq.m.

Humus

The manure is used for fertilizer and as mulch. Consumption dose 2-3 kg/sq.m. Manure is reapplied after 2-3 years on sandy and sandy loamy soils, after 4-5 years - on loamy and clayey soils.

Poultry manure is a complete, fast and powerful organic fertilizer with a high content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and trace elements. Litter is suitable for all types of soils and fruit and berry crops. In terms of fertilizer value, it is better than manure and other organic fertilizers, since the nutrients in it are in forms readily available to plants.

When composting, peat, sod, and soil are added to the manure (for 1 part of raw bird manure, 1-2 parts of the component). For 1 ton of mass, 10-20 kg of superphosphate or 20-30 kg of phosphate rock or 50 kg of phosphogypsum are used. Adding 15-20 kg of potassium chloride reduces nitrogen losses. The dose of bird droppings is 2-2.5 times less than that of cattle manure. Dry manure is used 0.2-0.3 kg / sq.m, raw - up to 1 kg / sq.m, compost - 2-4 kg / sq.m.

Liquid fertilizers

• A large barrel is half buried in the ground and 1/4 filled with fertilizers. They put more humus, and less bird droppings.
• Then the barrel is filled with water to the brim and the contents are stirred several times during the day.

The slurry should not be left for several days to avoid fermentation. For irrigation, the mullein solution is diluted with 4-5 parts of water, bird droppings - 8-10 parts, horse manure - 3-4 parts.

When applying liquid fertilizers, it is better to water more often, but take weak solutions; fertilize only healthy, rooted plants; water with a solution only after rain or after wetting the soil with water. Slurry can be used to enrich the microflora and nutrients of prefabricated composts. To do this, 100-200 g of superphosphate is added for every 10 liters of slurry, and after fermentation, slurry is added to the pile for 1-2 weeks.

Peat

Peat is rich in nitrogen, but poor in phosphorus and potassium. The nitrogen contained in it is found in organic compounds that are poorly absorbed by plants, so the use of peat is ineffective. To increase the availability of nitrogen for plants, peat is composted with manure, slurry, faeces, green manure and mineral fertilizers. In gardens, peat is widely used for soil mulching. But before weakly decomposed peat can be used as mulch, it must be prepared.

Peat is stacked in piles up to 1.5 m high, after adding 3 kg of ash, or 2 kg of phosphate rock, 10 kg of manure for every 100 kg of peat. Lime is added to sour peat: in horse peat - 1 kg, in transitional peat - 0.5 kg.

To compost means to fold. The compostable material is stacked in piles 1.5-2 m wide, 1-1.5 m high, with an arbitrary length. The site chosen in a dry place is compacted and peat or earth is laid on it with a pillow 20-30 cm high. Compostable material is laid in layers.

• To increase the nutritional value of composts, add (by weight of compost) 1.5-2% superphosphate or phosphate rock, 0.5% potassium salt. 2-3% chalk is added to the acidic material (slaked lime is not more than 1.5%), ash (3-4%) can be used instead of lime.
• The compost is kept for 1-18 months depending on the rate of decomposition. During this period, the pile is moistened with slurry or water, early-ripening composts are shoveled 1 time, long-ripening composts - 3-4 times.
• The compost is ready when the mass becomes homogeneous and crumbly. They also compost in trenches and pits.

Feces are solid and liquid human excrement, fast-acting organic fertilizers. From a sanitary and agronomic point of view, the best way to use faeces is to make composts with peat, straw, sawdust and all kinds of vegetable waste. Feces are added to peat in an amount of 30 to 40% and 2-3% of phosphate rock or lime from the mass of peat.

Peat is laid on a platform 2 m wide with a layer of 30-40 cm, then it is watered with fecal mass diluted in water and a new layer of peat is laid. And so on up to a height of 1-1.5 m. 1.5-2 months after laying the compost heap is mixed.

It is important that the temperature in the faecal compost rises to 55-60°C. Under the influence of high temperature, some pathogens die. Peat compost ripens in 2.5-3 months, but it is better to use these composts in the 2nd year after laying.

In terms of its fertilizing effect, peat-fecal compost is not only not inferior to manure, but even surpasses it. Each kilogram can be equated to 1.5 kg of cattle manure. Faeces are also used for the preparation of prefabricated composts from materials that are difficult to decompose (weeds, straw, sawdust). They are laid on a layer of humus soil (10-15 cm) or peat (20-30 cm), watered with feces diluted in water, etc.

If the compostable material is poor in lime, then lime or ash is added - 2-3% of the total mass. From above, the collar is covered with earth or peat. When mixing the pile, after 1.5-2 months, feces or water are added to it, the compost will be ready in 7-12 months.

• Early maturing kompomos is prepared from waste, which easily and quickly decomposes.
• The same layer of garbage is placed on a layer of earth of 25 cm and sprinkled with lime with a layer no thicker than 2 cm. Earth and garbage are again poured onto the lime.
• A month after laying, the collar is shoveled. At the end of summer, this compost can already be used to fertilize the soil.

Peat-mineral ammonia fertilizers (TMAU)

Peat-mineral ammonia fertilizers are complex organo-mineral fertilizers prepared under industrial conditions. In concentrated TMAU, 1 ton of peat contains 40 kg of ammonia water, 30 kg of phosphate rock, 20 kg of superphosphate and 20 kg of potassium chloride.

Peat-mineral fertilizers are stored in heaps, they are used mainly for spring loosening of the soil for plant nutrition. The dose of concentrated TMAUs is about 1 kg/sq.m., conventional doses are 2-2.5 kg/sq.m.

local fertilizers

Sapropel - organic and mineral deposits of freshwater reservoirs (ponds and lakes). In its raw form - a jelly-like mass of dark color. Sapropel contains 15-30% or more of organic matter, a small amount of phosphorus and some vitamins and biostimulants, as well as nitrogen in a form that is inaccessible to plants. The composition of trace elements in it is very diverse, although their number is equal to or slightly more than in the soil.

• Sapropel is used in raw and composted forms. Raw sapropel is ventilated before application, applied to the soil
  from 2 to 10 kg/sq.m.
• When composting, 2 tons of manure, 2 tons of feces, or slurry are added to 1 ton of sapropel. The dose of composting into the soil is 6-7 kg/sq.m. The use of sapropel and composts from it on sandy and sandy loamy soils is especially recommended.

Ash

Ash is a valuable fertilizer. Wood ash contains 2-11% phosphorus, 4-36% potassium, 4-40% calcium. Ash straw of cereal plants is rich in nutrients. Ash from peat has little potassium and phosphorus, so it is used as a lime fertilizer, and ash from coal is not suitable for fertilizer.

The average dose of vegetable ash is 3 kg / 10 sq.m, wood - 7 kg / 10 sq.m, peat - 10 kg / 10 sq.m. Bring it in in the spring or autumn. Ash improves soil structure, reduces its acidity; the nutrients in it are well absorbed by plants. However, after liming the soil, ash should not be used.

Ash does not contain nitrogen, so it is applied in combination with nitrogen fertilizers. At the same time, the ash is not mixed with nitrogen and organic fertilizers, they are applied and embedded into the soil alternately.

When added to composts, ash contributes to the acceleration of decomposition processes in the composted mass. Raspberries, currants, strawberries are responsive to this fertilizer. Ash is stored in dry rooms in tight containers. Raw ash loses its nutritional properties, but is suitable for liming.

Sod land is prepared from sod. In summer, the sod is cut in layers from 5 to 12 cm thick, depending on the thickness of the soil layer, but the thinner the sod is cut, the more valuable the fertilizer is.

• The layers are stacked in piles up to 1 m high, grass to grass, with layers of cow dung and the addition of lime. The top of the stack is laid with a small recess in which rain or irrigation water could linger. To speed up, water with slurry or water.
• Soddy land is used for backfilling when hilling strawberries and other berry plants, for backfilling planting pits.

• Wood chips are applied to heavy clay soil as loosening material. Mineral fertilizers are added to the sawdust: for 1 bucket 30 g of urea or 70 g of ammonium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium salt and 120-150 g of ground chalk or slaked lime.
• After mixing, sawdust with fertilizers is applied to the soil at the rate of 3-4 buckets per 1 sq.m or into compost with a layer of 10-15 cm.

Green manure is a green mass of plants embedded in the soil in order to enrich it with organic matter and readily available nutrients. Green manures improve the physical properties of soils, especially light ones. In their action they are close to manure, but are poor in phosphorus and potassium.

Phacelia is sown for green manure from July 1-15, white or black mustard from July 1-31, vetch with oats from June 20 to July 15, white clover, ryegrass, colza or other herbs. Sweet clover or clover is sown in early autumn; after overwintering in the first half of summer, they form a large green mass. Before sowing green manure, the soil is loosened with the incorporation of urea, superphosphate and potassium salt, 600 g each per 100 sq.m.

Close up the green mass in the soil during the flowering period of plants on sandy soils to a depth of 18-20 cm, on loam to 12-15 cm. At the same time, superphosphate (double) and potassium salt or potassium chloride are added, 600 g of each fertilizer per 100 sq.m. Sideration is used when cultivating the soil of the site before planting vegetable or fruit plants.

Interesting on the topic

A good harvest is harvested on fertile soil. Enrichment with useful trace elements is considered an effective way to improve the structure of the soil. This is achieved with the help of organic fertilizers. Their types and characteristics allow you to choose the appropriate option for any culture and land.

Description of organics

Organic fertilizers include decay products of animals and plants. or household goods influenced by natural factors. Organics appear without human intervention. They consist of a large amount of moisture and nutrients, therefore they are called complete fertilizers.

The value of such top dressing is the safety of use for plants and the content of a high percentage of useful elements in the right proportions for proper nutrition. In the process of decay of the waste products of organisms, many microelements are released: calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, silicon, potassium, phosphorus. In addition, carbon dioxide enters the soil, which is necessary for photosynthesis.

Varieties of top dressing

Organic fertilizers for plants increase the fertility of the soil, therefore they are constantly used in agriculture and agronomy. The production of biological top dressings is developing in different countries and directions, but there are types of organic fertilizers suitable for any plants.

Manure as a nutrient

Among organics, it is considered a favorite and consists of animal excrement. The fertilizer contains particles of potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, straw and hay. Constantly feed the plants with cow dung. It is able to increase the air permeability and moisture of the soil, improve the structure of the earth. Cow fertilizer works beneficially from 3 to 7 years but subject to compliance. Up to 3-4 kg are applied per square meter and not every year. Otherwise, the soil accumulates nitrogen, which is excreted in the form of nitrates during constant irrigation. Fertilizer is applied fresh, liquid, rotted or in the form of slurry.

Horse manure is much more nutritious than cow manure and contains a higher percentage of calcium and nitrogen, so it is added in less quantity. This type of manure is used to grow pumpkins, potatoes, zucchini and cucumbers. Due to the heat dissipation, horse excrement is suitable for fertilizing in greenhouses.

It is risky to fertilize the land with pig manure, since the nitrogen level is high - about 8 g. In case of improper feeding of the soil, there is a risk of destroying the plants. To prevent the situation, manure is diluted in a large amount of water. When fresh, this fertilizer is full of harmful microorganisms and weed seeds, which adds to the problems.

Chicken and rabbit manure

Chicken feces are rich in calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Fresh fertilizer is mixed with compost or diluted with liquid so as not to scorch the roots of plants. With intensive use of the soil, this type of manure is valid for 3 years and is suitable for almost all crops. The fertilizer is not toxic, but the use in excess of the norm leads to the unsuitability of the soil for planting for a year.

Compost and manure

An alternative to manure is compost fertilizer with calcium, potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Compost is organic waste that has decayed over a long period of time. The composition of the compost includes peat, manure, leaves, human feces, plants, egg shells and other waste products.

It belongs to universal fertilizers., since it is used to feed any crops. It needs moisture and heat to ripen, so a pile of waste is covered with a black tarpaulin. Not fully ripened compost actively saturates the plants for 2-3 months and is used when digging fruit bushes and vegetable beds.

When the remains rot for longer than 2 years, humus is obtained. It is a loose black substance with the smell of earth. Such a fertilizer is useful for feeding any crop. Experts believe that humus treated with earthworms and Californian worms belongs to more valuable organic fertilizers.

Such raw materials are called biohumus. Together with trace elements, it is rich in humic acids and ensures soil fertility. Biohumus is sold dry or as a liquid concentrate.

Peat and sapropel

Peat is used to feed indoor flowers and increase yields.. It is obtained by pressing for a long time the remains of animals and plants. Naturally, peatlands form in swamps, where there is high humidity and insufficient oxygen. The fossil is valued for the presence of calcium, manganese, fluorine, silicon, iron, nitrogen and aluminum. Despite the humus content, it is not recommended to enrich the soil with peat alone. The nutritional value of raw materials is poor, so it will be possible to increase the yield in combination with other fertilizers.

Sapropel - silt at the bottom of rivers and lakes with a large amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is suitable for improving sandy soil as it retains moisture. For this reason, it must be used carefully on a loamy surface. Such material must be dried so as not to harm the plants. The quality of feeding directly depends on the state of the reservoir. Silt is mined in places with clean water with a weak current.

wood and ash

The tree bark is part of the humus. The raw materials are crushed and placed in a manure pit. Mineral fertilizers are poured on top and moistened. The mixture is left for 6 months and stirred occasionally.

The sawdust serves as mulch to protect plants from temperature extremes and weeds for up to 3 years. After that, they begin to nourish the plant with useful substances. Simply mixing with the soil will give a negative result. In agriculture, they are added to compost or mixed with manure. Fresh sawdust reduces the acidity of the soil, and rotten sawdust increases it to such a level that only wormwood grows on the ground. They rot in 10 years and gradually draw nitrogen out of the soil.

Vegetable and wood ash consists of phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, boron, manganese. It does not spoil plants, therefore it is suitable for any crops. The only caveat is that it must be added with caution to soil with a high alkali content. The powder works well in combination with nitrogen fertilizers. Since such top dressing does not contain chlorine, it is applied under raspberries, strawberries, zucchini cucumbers, potatoes.

Phosphorus organics

A popular organic fertilizer with phosphorus is bone meal. It is a product of processing the bones of cattle and fish. Feeding from animal bones is rich in calcium and phosphorus, therefore, positively affects the growth and productivity of plants. Fish meal contains nitrogen and more phosphorus than cattle bones. On alkaline soils, it is combined with oxidizing agents, but improper use is fraught with negative consequences.

siderates and nettles

Before planting and after harvesting, plants that are nutritious for the soil are sown. These include sunflowers, lupins, mustard, legumes, clover, oats, and other green-leaved crops. This is an effective way to preserve the fertility of sandy and humus-poor lands, but it can be used on any soil. After harvesting from the main crop site, the selected grass is sown and mowed when buds appear. The mass is mixed with soil, compost is made or given as animal feed. Siderates help rid the land of diseases such as late blight and root rot.

Nettle is suitable for small areas. It is cut off, folded into a container and filled with water. This fertilizer is prepared within 3-5 days with occasional stirring.

To speed up the process, yeast, sourdough or bread are added, and valerian root helps to eliminate the bad smell. Liquid fertilizer is dissolved with water in a ratio of 1:10.

human excrement

The type of feeding among the classification is practically not popular. Feces are mixed with sawdust, peat or other organic residues and left to rot for about 3 months. According to the content of useful trace elements, it resembles horse manure, but nitrogen evaporates intensively. In its pure form, they are not used, because they harbor harmful bacteria. After composting, excrement is placed in stacks for disinfection for 18 months. The urine is used immediately and is not diluted when feeding the trees. For other plants, it is recommended to stir with water in a ratio of 1:4.

Nutrients are added to the soil in the following ways:

1. Before planting the main crop.
2. After planting.
3. Fergitation.
4. Hydroponics.

Before planting, the soil is enriched in spring, autumn or winter. In the summer, manure is accumulated in order to create warm beds for cucumbers in the spring. In winter, they are removed and the manure heaps are scattered around the plot for feeding. In the spring, before planting vegetables, ash is scattered.

Fertilizer is called post-sowing when it is applied to the soil after the appearance of the third leaflet on the stem. Such top dressing is divided into types:

1. Root - the area around the roots is fed with liquid chicken manure or slurry.
2. Seed treatment after stratification.
3. Fergitation when fertilized at the same time as watering.
4. Hydroponics - the growth of crops in an aquatic environment, without land.

Which fertilizers are suitable for top dressing depends on the level of acidity and the composition of the soil. For sandy areas, peat will be a fertilizer option, as it accumulates moisture. To improve the properties of such soil, compost is suitable, since it contributes to the viscosity of the soil surface.

Soil with a lot of sand is poor in useful trace elements and does not hold back moisture, so bird droppings, manure and compost are suitable for it.

Houseplants grow better and bloom better after top dressing. Roses love alumina with an admixture of dry, rotted humus. Earth with clay does not allow dry organic fertilizers to be normally distributed over the surface, therefore, liquid top dressing is used: liquid manure, litter or ash with water. In industry, analogues are made with similar qualities:

1. "Gumi" is of natural origin and rich in humic acids.
2. "Baikal" contains lactic acid bacteria and helps to convert organic matter into compost.
3. "Bio Master" is considered a universal fertilizer with a base of relic sapropel.

Chernozem after intensive use loses nutrients. In order to restore its fertile properties, it is enriched with droppings, compost or manure. Every 5 years, it is better to let the site with black soil rest and not plant plants. Manure is considered a means for feeding clay soil. It is scattered in autumn or winter throughout the garden, and in spring it mixes with the ground when plowing.

The key to good yields is high soil fertility. The most effective way to improve its composition is to enrich the structure with useful substances. The most natural and safe of them are organic fertilizers, which help 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 the most 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 remains of vital activity of organisms and plants. Organics has a beneficial effect on the soil, transforming its structure at the physical and chemical levels, and activates the activity of living microbes.

The fertile layer covers about 3 billion hectares of the surface of our planet. For millennia, it was formed naturally, from the biological remains of all living things. To date, there are forced, more rational approaches to the enrichment of arable land.

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 for plants at all stages of growth.

There are several ways to add organics:

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

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

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

Ashes are brought in before the spring planting of vegetables. For example, the composition of top dressing also includes manure in equal parts, which are thrown directly into the dug hole.

Top dressing, which is carried out after the appearance of the third leaflet in garden plants, is already considered post-sowing. She happens:

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

The experiments carried out on growing plants without land proved once again that it is an indispensable element for obtaining vegetables and fruits of standard quality. The quality of agricultural products directly depends on its properties.

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

• The first one is the composition of the soil. Approximately it can be determined in the old grandfather way. We take a shovel and dig. If the ground lends itself easily, then it is sandy soil. Now let's try a different approach. Let's take a handful of earth and squeeze it in the palm of our hand. If the lump has retained its shape, the soil is clayey. If leaked through the fingers - 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 figure is higher, then it should be lowered. In agriculture, for example, phosphate flour is used for this. But, if the area is cultivated not on an industrial scale, but on 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 is yellow or gray shade, clay - brown, chernozem - respectively, black. Ground that contains a lot of peat, brown and fibrous to the touch, and the "forest" land is loose and layered.

With a strong desire, rich crops can be obtained on the soil of any quality, if you choose the right fertilizers. Consider several special cases of their application, depending on the composition and acidity of the soil.

Organics for sandy soils

One of the best options for improving sandy soil is. It has the ability to accumulate moisture, which helps to keep it at the roots of plants. Another fertilizer for sandy soil can be made by hand without spending a dime. This is compost, which will help to structure the earth, making it more viscous, while saturating it with useful substances. The main task solved when fertilizing sandy soils for a vegetable garden is to improve their structure. Ideally, they should retain moisture for as long as possible. There are few nutrients in this soil, 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 occasionally. The fact is that, like all good things, useful substances and microorganisms that help fruits and vegetables grow “by leaps and bounds” tend to end. Therefore, to maintain the land in a fertile state, it must be enriched with manure, compost and bird droppings. Once every five years, the field must be allowed to rest, without making any landings 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 site, and during spring plowing is mixed with the main earthen mass. Clay soil is perfect for. Popular berries from the nightshade family feel good on such land. But, it is necessary to follow a few rules for their cultivation. This type of soil tends to quickly form a surface crust, which cracks, and, through the resulting capillaries, the water evaporates quickly, leaving the roots with a minimum of nutrition. To prevent such a 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 on a personal plot can be used not only for garden and garden plantings. Some houseplants thrive in this type of 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. It is not necessary to fertilize it additionally, since succulents initially do not like excessive nutrition. Clay lands have their own processing characteristics. They are heavy, so it is difficult to evenly distribute dry types of fertilizers throughout the thickness of the fertile layer in them. To simplify the process, liquid organic fertilizers are used in this case. which can evenly penetrate into the soil. They are of natural origin - liquid manure, bird droppings, ash diluted with water. Industrial analogues with similar properties are also now being produced.

Organic fertilizers for industrial production

"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, which has a 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 the soil is. This is such an "Actimel" for flowers and garden crops, containing lactic acid bacteria. The drug has many useful 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"

The Bio Master, as the name implies, has to create a dream garden in the blink of an eye. This universal organic fertilizer includes a complex of various trace elements. It is used both in professional field cultivation and in personal summer cottages. Universal organic fertilizer miracle fertility has an exotic base - an extract of relic sapropel. In fact, everything is not so glamorous, and sapropel is ordinary dirt, but with the unusual property of disinfecting everything around. This "Miracle" has a completely natural composition, and is suitable for both indoor and garden plants.

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

Natural organics - an accessible pantry of useful substances

Using substances of natural origin that complete their life cycle to feed new plants is a natural process. It underlies all life on our planet. Organics are indispensable for obtaining high yields of good quality. It has a different origin, composition, and spectrum of action.

The main types of organic fertilizers of natural origin:

1. Ash;
2. siderates;
3. Biohumus;
4. Manure;
5. Peat;
6. bird droppings;
7. Bone flour;
8. Compost;
9. Sapropel.

To saturate the soil with useful substances, various types of organic fertilizers are used, depending on the composition and acidity of the earth. 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 the acidity of the soil. There is no chlorine in its composition, but there is sulfur, phosphorus, boron, manganese and potassium, the latter element in large quantities.

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

The most useful is wood ash obtained by burning young hardwood plants. It is brought under, eggplant, and cabbage, into the ground prepared for planting seedlings. With such tillage, young plants are practically not affected by root rot, or, colloquially, “black leg”. Under fruit and berry crops, ash diluted with water can be applied during the entire vegetative period as a liquid top dressing. "Ash" water can also be sprayed with tree branches if they are affected by a spider mite.

Green manure - organic nitrogen fertilizers

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

Green manures are selected individually for different plants. For example, if you plant oats in the garden where you plan to grow cucumbers in early spring, it will disinfect the soil. When the time comes to plant seedlings, then this green manure does not need to be completely removed from the entire garden, but it makes sense to free only the holes for the seeds. After a couple of weeks, the cereals should be cut 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 near-stem circle of a tree, and it will be provided with nitrogen in the required amount for the whole summer.

Biohumus - advanced organics of the future

In recent years, interest in this long-known but neglected universal nutrient has increased markedly. What does it represent? These are the waste products of earthworms, which process organic residues into substances rich in nitrogen and potassium. On the lands into which vermicompost was applied, there are significantly fewer weeds, and they have a looser structure. This biological mini-plant will be more in demand on clay, heavy soils that need to be nourished and their structure improved.

Manure is the best organic fertilizer

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

Feed after rooting seedlings, and after the start of spinning heads.

Fruit trees will thank you with a high yield if you pour them with manure water (a quarter of a bucket of manure is poured with warm water and aged during the day). Top dressing is carried out in the evening, followed by obligatory loosening.

Features of the use of 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 also be used in the garden, but this is fraught with unnecessary labor costs, and a rather long wait. Compost can be prepared from this type of peat by mixing it with potato and tomato tops, sawdust and food residues. 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 trunk circles of fruit trees, and as a fertilizer for sandy soils. 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 bring in about a bucket per 1 sq.m., and then we look. If the soil begins to become covered with white bloom, moss appears on it - this means that its acid reaction has intensified, and peat top dressing is contraindicated for it in the next five years.

Bird droppings - characteristics of use

This organic compound is considered the most valuable top dressing. In its composition, it is several times richer than cow dung.

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

Pure litter should not be used as top dressing.. It is diluted in pure water in a ratio of 1:100, and kept for two days at room temperature. This allows you to activate the beneficial substances and trace elements that make up its composition.

Bone meal - use in the garden

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

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

Compost for making "hot" beds for cucumbers

There is a cheap, well-established way to grow cucumbers, melons, and watermelons on sandy soil. This is a "hot pot". To bookmark it, partially rotted compost is used, which is placed in a rectangular wooden frame. From above, this structure is watered with liquid manure, and covered with a layer of earth, 30-40 cm thick. In place of the holes, small indentations are made where the seeds are planted. The earth on such a bed is constantly well warmed up, due to the heat released 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. The rotted remains of silt, vegetation, living organisms are part of its composition. It is practically a complex organic fertilizer containing humus and a large amount of organic matter.

It is necessary to use this fertilizer after a little ventilation, so when interacting with oxygen, a reaction occurs that turns ferrous substances into oxide compounds that are more favorable for the soil.

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

Video: do-it-yourself organic fertilizers

In the modern world, the question of the ecological purity of plant products is increasingly being raised. Pesticides, nitrates and other compounds harmful to the human body have already 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 of artificial origin.

There is an alternative to this dominance of chemicals. These are organic fertilizers that have been used by man throughout the history of agriculture. They provide the restoration of soil balance in a natural way, they contain the whole 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 important argument that tips the scales in favor of choosing organic fertilizers.

How much agriculture develops on Earth, the same number of people use organic fertilizers to get good harvests. Types and their characteristics must be taken into account when using, since each of them has its own characteristics. Some need to be applied to the soil in the fall, others at the time of planting, and others throughout the growing season. The value of organic matter lies in its beneficial effect on the condition of plants, in improving the soil, in increasing yields and in cheapness, because every farmer can prepare it in his personal subsidiary plot.

Organic fertilizer: what is it

Many will immediately say manure and compost. The answer is correct, but incomplete, because organic fertilizers are human and animal waste, as well as household and even industrial waste, which contain substances necessary for the development of plants in the form of organic compounds. This may include:

bird droppings;

Feces;

Waste wood processing factories (sawdust, tree bark, etc.);

green manure plants;

Compost;

bone meal;

Humus;

complex organics.

Chemical composition

As you can see from the above list, there are a variety of organic fertilizers. Types and their characteristics mainly depend on the source of production, and in addition, on the technological process of fertilizer production. Each of them contains:

Calcium;

Special (a very valuable element that improves soil structure).

In small quantities, organic fertilizers include:

sulfuric acid;

Silicic acid;

Oxides of some metals and other chemical elements.

Let us analyze in more detail what and how much is contained in each type of organic fertilizer.

Manure

This very valuable fertilizer is nothing but the faeces of domestic animals, with the exception of cats and dogs. Depending on the type of animal, organic fertilizers of different composition are obtained. Types and their characteristics also depend on the stage of the cooking process, which are as follows:

Fresh manure (applied only in the fall, the soil is immediately plowed after that);

Semi-rotted (the straw in it becomes dark, easily divided into pieces);

Overripe (homogeneous dark mass);

Humus.

The higher the stage of manure preparation, the more it loses its mass, and the better the organic matter decomposes in it and the quality increases.

It is equally important on which bedding this fertilizer is prepared.

As can be seen from the table, there is very little calcium in pig manure, so lime is added to it.

Rabbit manure is also a good fertilizer. But from nutria, you can use only rotted manure or add it to compost.

Storage methods

Manure from different animals is, among other things, diverse organic fertilizers. Types and their characteristics directly depend on how they are stored. The methods can be the following:

1. Loose styling. Stacks up to 3 m wide and up to 2 m high are made from fresh manure, they are not covered with anything. With this method in stacks (t = +70 °C), the preparation process takes about 4-5 months, during which up to a third of the original mass is lost.

2. Tight styling. From fresh manure, the same piles are made as in loose laying, but the manure is compacted tightly and covered with an airtight film. In such stacks, the temperature does not rise above +35 °C even in summer. Decomposition with this method lasts about 7 months, and the original mass is lost up to 1/10 of the part. Dense stacking is the most acceptable storage method.

3. Loose laying with compaction. A low, loose pile up to 3 m wide is made from fresh manure. On the fifth day, it is rammed, and a new loose layer is laid on top. This is repeated until the stack reaches a height of two meters, after which it is covered with a film. Completely rotted manure is formed in 5 months.

How to apply

The use of organic fertilizers, in particular manure, has its own little tricks. So, horse manure is ideal for warm beds, because there is little water in it. It is buried in special trenches, pulled out along the perimeter of the beds, and after the need for it disappears, they are scattered across the field. On light soils, it is better to use manure from cows, and on heavy soils, from sheep, goats and horses. Under spring crops, fresh or semi-rotted soil is plowed into the soil in autumn, and humus is introduced in spring. If there is little fertilizer, it is advisable to apply it not to the entire plot, but only to the wells. When planting trees, it is very useful to add up to 10 kg of humus to each hole.

Important! Under no crops can fresh manure be applied. It releases ammonia, which is detrimental to plants. There are no general norms for fertilizing, since they are different for each crop and directly depend on the quality of the soil.

In stores you can find manure extract. It is also an excellent fertilizer, but only for plants. It is useless for improving the condition of the soil.

Liquid organic fertilizers, their types and characteristics

There are a variety of fertilizers that you can make yourself without spending money. Those who have the opportunity, they use manure. It can be used in solid form, or it can be used to make liquid organic fertilizers - slurry and mullein. The latter is prepared by pouring water on cow feces. Use it for dressing absolutely any plants, even flowers. At the same time, they take 1 liter of mullein in a bucket of water. The slurry does not need to be prepared. It is the liquid part of manure. Liquid fertilizers include herbal infusions and even human urine, but more on that below.

As can be seen from the table, there is almost no phosphorus in this fertilizer, so superphosphate is added to the slurry (about 15 g per liter).

Litter

It is believed that the best organic fertilizers are obtained from the droppings of pigeons and chickens. The waste products of geese and ducks are somewhat worse in quality.

Bird droppings should be stored in closed containers or composted with peat, straw, sawdust, as it loses its nitrogen component very quickly. Bird is used for feeding vegetables, fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers. In its pure form, it is not brought in, but poured with water (1 part of organic per bucket of water) and insisted for up to 3 days. After that, it is again diluted with water, taking 1 measured part of the infusion and 10 - of water.

Human feces

Some gardeners do not even suspect what exotic types of organic fertilizers are. One of them is our feces. Previously, absolutely everything was fertilized with these waste products, they were even sold. Now this type of fertilizer is not popular, although it is almost the best. It should be noted that not only feces are called feces, but also urine, which is also suitable as a fertilizer. The only caveat is that nitrogen evaporates almost instantly from it, so the biomaterial must be covered with soil immediately after application.

As can be seen from the table, feces are ideal for improving soil quality.

Of course, many farmers even disdain to think about using human feces as fertilizer. For those who are more loyal to this, it is important to know what methods of preparing such organics exist. To remove the unpleasant smell, the "raw materials" must be shifted with peat or, in extreme cases, with leafy soil. You can also arrange compost heaps from foliage and plant debris, laying feces in layers in them. They must be aged for at least 3 years.

Urine as a fertilizer is used immediately. For trees, it can not be diluted. For other cultures, it is desirable to dilute with water in a ratio of at least 1:4. It is also useful to water compost heaps with urine.

Peat

To the question: “What fertilizers are organic?” many will answer: "Peat". It is widely advertised, it is actively sold by all flower shops, many gardeners and gardeners strive to use it. However, there are not so many substances useful for plants in peat to fertilize them all indiscriminately. In addition, it must be taken into account that there are different types of peat, which differ significantly in quality.

As can be seen from the table, peat, especially lowland peat, is advisable to use on acidic soils. It is necessary to use all types of peat only to improve the quality of soils, regulate their moisture content, as well as to create high-quality compost and for mulching any crops, but not for fertilizer.

Sapropel

Some types of organic fertilizers are familiar to us from balneological procedures in sanatoriums. Such is the silt of lakes, ponds, any reservoirs with stagnant water, called sapropel. Especially a lot of it is used in the Rostov region due to the huge reserves in Lake Nero. Sapropel, which is plant and animal remains, accumulates in reservoirs for decades. During this period, it gradually decomposes, turning into the most valuable organic fertilizer, in which there is a lot of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and nitrogen 4 times more than in manure. Sapropel can be used unchanged or added to compost. Before being introduced into the soil, it must be ventilated, shoveled and frozen so that all substances unnecessary for plants are removed from it.

Sawdust, tree bark, bone meal

There are cheap and very useful organic fertilizers for improving soil quality. Their types and characteristics are as follows:

1. sawdust. They perfectly loosen the soil, improve its moisture capacity and breathability, but absorb nitrogen from it. The acidity of sawdust is quite high (pH about 3-4), therefore, before making them, they should be mixed with slaked lime and complex mineral or only nitrogen fertilizers. You can also wet them with animal urine or liquid mineral fertilizers. It is better to use rotted sawdust or add it to compost heaps.

2. Tree bark. These wastes are used to create compost. To do this, fresh bark is crushed, put in a pit, complex moisturizing is added. The fertilizer will be ready in about six months, during which the bark pit needs to be periodically moistened and its contents shoveled.

3. Bone meal. It well reduces the acidity of soils and is ideal for wetlands. Bone meal contains all the elements necessary for the growth and fruiting of plants. The only caveat is that you need to use it only fat-free (evaporated and dry).

siderates

The use of organic fertilizers can differ significantly from the methods indicated above. We are talking about green manure - plants sown on the field before planting the main crops or after harvesting. These include: sunflower, mustard, lupine, clover, legumes, oats, vetch, raspberry radish and other early crops that give a lot of green mass. The use of green manure is most effective on sandy and humus-poor soils, but can be practiced on any soil. According to the content of useful elements, green fertilizers are almost identical to manure. For example, lupine per 1 m 2 gives a green mass of about 4 kg. They contain an average of 18 g of nitrogen, 4.8 g of phosphorus, 6.8 g of potassium, 19 g of calcium, 4.8 g of magnesium. The technology for fertilizing the site with green manure is as follows: after harvesting the main crop, the seeds of the selected plant are sown on the field (some can simply be scattered across the field, others need to be planted in grooves), watered if necessary, and after waiting for the buds to appear, mow. The green mass can be plowed into the ground, put into compost pits, and fed to livestock. Some green manures (mustard, in addition to fertilizing the soil, help to destroy bacteria in it, such as root rot, nematodes, late blight and others.

Nettle

If you need to fertilize a small garden, you can make excellent fertilizer from nettles. It is cut, put in a container and filled with water. Nettle fertilizer is being prepared for 3-5 days, during which the contents of the container must be mixed. To make the unpleasant smell disappear, you can add valerian rhizome, and to speed up the process, add bread, yeast, sourdough. The finished fertilizer must be filtered and used by adding 1 measured part of it to 10 measured parts of water.

Complex organic fertilizers

This is one of the best, most balanced types of fertilizers, suitable both for plant nutrition and for improving soil quality. For their production in industry, the biofermentation method is used, which consists in the oxidation of organic elements with atomic oxygen. In this case, a type of chemical energy is released, which is unusually useful for microorganisms that plants need. They produce complex organic fertilizers from manure, sawdust, manure, peat and similar natural products. The preparations "ZhTSKKU", "Piska", "KOUD", "GUMI-OMI", "Biogumus" are very popular. Basically, they are all concentrated and very easy to use.