Siderata in the fall.

Gardeners and gardeners who prefer organic farming to traditional farming have long appreciated the benefits of green manure, forgetting about fertilizers, in huge quantities offered by specialized shops and garden centers. Many plants belong to siderata and each has its own benefit to the soil.

Let's take a closer look at which green manure plants are recommended to be sown in the autumn and how to do it correctly.

Factors that deteriorate the soil.

The level of soil fertility has a direct impact on both the volume of the crop and the quality of the fruits grown. Over time, they become smaller, losing their taste. And when the rejuvenation of the cultivated culture did not give the expected result, you should pay attention to the quality of the soil.

Many factors contribute to soil depletion, however, most often this occurs for the following reasons.

Failure to comply with the rules of crop rotation. The effectiveness of crop rotation is a scientifically proven fact. Different crops grow at different depths, consuming food and nutrients in this layer of soil. Thus, by swapping cultures in places, you enable the soil to at least partially recover. Growing a garden crop in the same place will lead to depletion of the soil, which will result in a crop that is not rich in quantity and quality. In addition, insect pests affecting plants adapt so much to control measures over several years that it will not be easy to get rid of them.

Some gardeners burn dry plant residues directly in the garden in order to enrich the soil with ash. Indeed, ash is a good organic matter that also helps fight insect pests. However, burning dry residues directly on the ground leads to the destruction of the soil structure and the destruction of microflora, which contains the substances necessary for plants.

Storm flows, melt water, wash out the surface layer of the soil. But it is in it that useful substances are contained and microorganisms necessary for plants live.

The same effect on the soil is exerted by wind currents, which blow and wave this layer.

Sowing green manure at the site of the harvested crop will not badly protect the soil from these phenomena.

Thus, at times, we ourselves put our hand to the depletion of the fertile layer in our plots. However, we can also correct the situation.

Benefits of siderate plants.

Green manure plants are actually organic fertilizers grown on site.

As a rule, siderates are sown immediately after the harvest is over. In addition to enriching the soil with useful substances, sowing green manure also allows you to prevent the growth of weeds, which instantly fill empty land plots. Some gardeners practice sowing green manures between plants, without waiting for the fruit to ripen.

The number of green manure includes plants with a well-branched root system and actively growing. Often, these are representatives of the legume family, such as mouse peas, sweet clover, clover, alfalfa. Plants of the Cereal family, including: oats, wheat, rye, barley, are also excellent green manures, and also amaranth, calendula, lupine, sunflower, phacelia, etc.

Siderata make it possible to quickly and relatively inexpensively restore depleted land. Mouse peas, for example, will prepare the soil for planting carrots and beets, and lupine can become a precursor to tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini.In addition to the fact that green manure enriches the soil with many useful elements and substances, they also have a number of important qualities. Firstly, siderates, having branched roots, loosen the soil. In addition, these plants inhibit the growth of weeds, prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms that inhabit the soil, and also inhibit the attacks of insect pests. So, as a prevention of the appearance of nematodes and wireworms, calendula can be planted.

The mown green manure does not have to be dug up, it can be used as mulch. The green manure sown in the fall, left before winter, will retain the snow during its melting, thereby contributing to soil moisture.

Frost-resistant plants, sown between garden crops in autumn, will somewhat reduce the damage from spring return frosts.

Sowing siderates in the autumn.

Siderates are sown throughout the season. However, practicing gardeners recommend doing this in the fall, while taking into account some of the features.

Sowing siderates in the fall is primarily aimed at preparing the soil for the next season, therefore, frost-resistant plants should be chosen. Also, you can not plant plants - siderates belonging to the same family as the vegetables that you would like to grow, or have already grown on this site in the past season. For example, rapeseed, which is a siderat, cannot be sown in an area where cabbage will grow or grow in the future, since both plants are members of the cruciferous family. Rape, by the way, perfectly prepare the site for planting tomatoes, zucchini, beets, carrots, and will also be a good prevention of the appearance of various rot.

It should be noted that a lot of green manure plants are suitable for sowing in the autumn, including: phacelia, rape, mouse peas, nasturtium, alfalfa, mustard, ryegrass. Many gardeners sow Cereals before winter.

In areas with high soil moisture, lupine and seradella will grow well.

In any case, in order for the green manure to bring the maximum benefit, you should not thoughtlessly sow the plot with them, at first, it is important to decide for the cultivation of which garden crop you will prepare the soil.

Let us briefly dwell on green manure - the predecessors of the most popular garden crops.

Plants of the legume family (clover, mouse peas, alfalfa and lupine, beans (fodder)) can be sown in places prepared for tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, radishes, radishes, eggplants, beets and potatoes. Legumes are able to enrich the soil with nitrogen, without which proper growth and development of plants is impossible.

Grain green manures (barley, rye, ryegrass, oats) are suitable for most of the listed vegetables, with the exception of radish, radish and cabbage. In addition to nitrogen, these plants give potassium to the soil, help to increase the moisture content of the soil and prevent the appearance of nematodes.

Cruciferous plants, including: rapeseed, rape and mustard, are good to sow in areas where various greens will grow, as well as cucumbers, pumpkins, peppers, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants. These plants will give the earth minerals (potassium, phosphorus) and, in addition, will help to cope with pests such as the ubiquitous wireworm, nematodes, slugs.

Buckwheat, represented by buckwheat, are suitable for almost all vegetables, with the exception of spinach and sorrel, as well as rhubarb. In addition to enriching the soil with useful substances, they will also contribute to a decrease in the level of its acidity.

And, finally, Borage, Phacelia belongs to this family - a very popular green manure that has no relatives among vegetable garden crops, which means that the plant will easily become a predecessor for any of the vegetables.

We sow green manure correctly.

Sowing siderates is carried out after weeding the site from weeds, since weeds can be overlooked in the actively growing mass of siderates and clog the soil with seeds. Digging up the soil before sowing green manure is not required. The seeds are deepened by no more than 2-3 cm, after which the plantings are watered.

When the height of the plants reaches 18-25 cm, they are mown and then embedded in the soil. In this case, one should not hesitate in order to prevent the appearance of seeds. The green manure introduced in this way, decomposing, will give useful substances to the soil.

Some gardeners sowing siderates before winter and, then, mowing them in the spring, they are in no hurry to embed them in the soil. Plants are left in the beds for a couple of weeks so that their roots decompose faster under the influence of the external environment, and it is easier to bury them in the ground.

Sowing green manure can be done as the crop is harvested. Usually, by August, beds with garlic, onions, various herbs, as well as, partially, greenhouse beds are already vacated. The freed up fate can be occupied by siderates, which will have time to gain green mass before the start of frost. By the end of the season, around mid-September, already frost-resistant plants are sown. Before the arrival of frost, the plants will have time to grow, take root and prepare for winter. And they will quickly gain green mass with the arrival of spring.

By the way, if the soil on the site has high acidity, a large amount of organic matter, which is green manure, may be harmful. Greens covered in large quantities will not have time to decompose until the end and will begin to sour, worsening the condition of the soil. Therefore, having acidified soil on the site, part of the green manure must be sent to compost.

Conclusion

So, green manure, without a doubt, is an excellent organic matter that significantly increases the fertility of the soil. It is only important to make the right use of these valuable and, at the same time, very accessible resources.