Agricultural practices that improve plant life.

We all take care of our plants using various methods and agricultural techniques, and more often than not we do not think about their purpose. After all, this has always been done. But each technique has its own purpose. Let's look at the meaning and correct application of techniques today in order to create good conditions for plant growth.

Agricultural techniques: Thinning

This technique provides the plant with an area where it could grow freely, feed and no one would interfere with it. Plants of such families as: nightshade (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes), pumpkin (cucumber, zucchini) and cabbage should be planted immediately freely, no more than 2-3 seeds in one container, then, when planting in the ground, plant one at a time.

To protect plants from mechanical damage, from damage by insects and diseases, when planting in the ground, you can plant two or three plants together, at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Then, after a few weeks, only one, the strongest, should be left. Delete the rest.

Beets, carrots, radishes and other root vegetables, as well as onions, garlic, need to be thinned more than once, until the distance between them is optimal. You need to start this agricultural technique every time, as soon as the leaves of neighboring plants, lean heavily against each other, blocking them from light.

Remember that plant thinning does not end when it is planted in the ground. As it grows, you need to remove yellow and dried leaves from the plant. Leaves that are too close to the ground, as they can cause infection with various diseases, such as late blight.

Do not be afraid to thin out the plants, you will improve the living conditions of those who remain. They get room to grow, good nutrition, and start to grow faster.

Agricultural techniques: Loosening

An agricultural technique that destroys the crust on the surface of the earth. It most often forms after watering or rains. The crust does not allow air to reach the roots, as a result, they develop slowly and function poorly, and this leads to the fact that the plant does not receive additional nutrients dissolved in water, which the roots, during normal development, should absorb from the ground.

In addition, without oxygen, beneficial microorganisms die, which decompose organic matter to the elements assimilated by the plant. And also the crust forms voids through which water evaporates faster. as a result, the earth dries out quickly, and cracks appear in the soil in which pests settle.

By loosening, you break up crust and cracks. Let the air flow to the roots. It's not for nothing that loosening is also called dry irrigation.

After each watering and rain, it is imperative to loosen the soil. Each type of plant has its own loosening depth. In plants with superficial roots, at the very beginning, you need to loosen

a depth of 15-20 cm, and then, as it grows, no deeper than 2-3 cm. But for plants with deep roots, the first loosening is shallow, and the subsequent ones are deeper.

Watering

The value of this agricultural technique, I think, is understandable, to provide the plant with water. It is best to use rainwater for irrigation. To do this, place barrels all over the area. But if there is no rainwater, then it can be replaced with tap water. The only thing it needs to be defended is for the chlorine to evaporate.

Any water must be warmed up before watering. Its temperature should be the same as the environment. Plants should not be watered with cold or hot water.

Watering is necessary rarely, but abundantly. Frequent and small watering will not bring results. First, the water will only be in the surface layer of the soil and evaporate quickly.Secondly, such watering promotes the formation of surface roots, as the roots will reach for the water.

Mulch will help keep moisture in the soil. For mulching, straw, fallen leaves, tree bark, mowed grass (lawn), i.e. any organic residues. Mulch is laid out between rows with a layer of 8-10 cm. Mulch retains moisture, and also protects the soil from overheating and prevents weeds from growing.

Weeding

Weeding is the fight against weeds. Weeds fight plants for light, food, water, space. They are more adapted to the environment and wake up earlier than cultivated plants. Therefore, the fight against them must be started early, before the germination of your plants, so that they do not oppress the still weak seedlings.

Before sowing, you can treat the area with herbicides. When the plants have already emerged, apply manual weeding. It is best to remove weeds at the beginning of their growth, when they are still small and weak. As they grow, they spread rapidly and inhibit the growth of cultivated plants.

Hilling

This technique promotes the formation of strong roots in plants. The stronger the roots, the better the nutrition. During hilling, the stem is covered with earth and this makes the plants more resistant to strong winds. This technique also protects the plant from insect pests. Since they lay eggs at the base of the stem, and the mounds formed as a result of hilling, they are not allowed to do this.

In potatoes and similar crops, hilling contributes to the formation of a large number of tubers, i.e. increases plant productivity by 15%.

In root crops, hilling does not allow the plant to get out of the ground, i.e. the tops of the roots do not turn green.

This agricultural technique must be used carefully, without damaging the plant stems. And also carry out only on wet soil. Since dry soil does not lead to the formation of roots, and can burn the roots.

Agricultural practices: Stepping

Grasshopping is the removal of shoots that form between the leaf and stem. This technique is used to increase the yield of the plant. Since no fruit is formed on the stepchildren, they also need nutrition, like the whole plant.

The stepsons are removed when 2-3 leaves have formed on them. It is better to break them carefully, rather than cut them off, while leaving a small stump.

In addition to shoots, the upper brushes can also be removed from the plant, especially if there are a lot of them, so that fruits will form on the lower ones.

In pumpkin plants (watermelon, pumpkin, melon, zucchini), extra stepchildren are removed both on the side and on the main shoot, leaving only 4-5 fruits, no more.

Agricultural techniques: pinching

This technique helps the plant to form fruits faster. To do this, pinch the top of the plant, i.e. the upper point of growth, so that all the nutrients go to the fruits. You can pinch the tops of the main and lateral shoots. Most often, pinching is used for nightshade and pumpkin plant families. In pumpkin seeds, they pinch when 5-6 leaves have formed on the stem. As a result, lateral shoots will form, on which female flowers are formed. As soon as 2-3 fruits have formed on the shoots, pinch the top.