Green Manure To Improve Soil Quality Is Easy

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

It is possible to restore the soil after harvest and enrich it with important trace elements not only with the help of fertilization. Adherents of organic farming will also appreciate such a method as the use of green manure. Its plus is that it is possible to sow the soil with green manure crops not only in autumn and spring, but also in summer, when the beds are freed from early crops. Let's talk about what kind of green manure can be used on your site. And which ones are better to choose for certain cultures

Siderata are three in one: soil enrichment, excellent mulch and free fertilization

What are siderates useful for? These natural fertilizers have a very wide range of uses. First of all, their roots penetrate deep into the soil, loosening and improving its structure. It is also very important that green manures enrich the soil with nitrogen, while vegetable crops, on the contrary, draw nitrogen out of the ground.

In addition, the green mass of green manure plants is also very useful. And it can be used in many different ways. It is common to mow the green mass and embed it in the soil. But you can do it in another way. Some of the greens can be harvested and used as mulch. It is also an excellent raw material for making liquid green manure. Before this, the grass must be slightly dried. And then pour water and let it brew well. And even after that, the greens that remained after using the infusion as a liquid fertilizer are not thrown away, but used as mulch. Here's how much you can get from one bag of green manure seeds.

How to choose green manure for your beds

Green manure seeds are sold in different types. These can be bags with certain crops - for example, mustard, oil radish, phacelia. It will come as a surprise to some that lupine, which many use to create flower beds, is also one of the beautiful siderates.

Kits are also sold with a mixture of different green manure seeds. However, for those who adhere to the principles of crop rotation, such mixtures may not be suitable. Because they may contain seeds of plants of the same family, the vegetables of which you are going to cultivate after sowing the beds with siderates. And this is not worth doing, because they are affected by the same diseases. And such a priority, instead of benefit, can, on the contrary, do a disservice.

For example, it is not worth under the cruciferous, which include cabbage, radish, radish, sow mustard and oil radish. But for cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, they are just right. Well, for cabbage, radishes, choose siderates from the family of cereals and legumes. The first include rye, oats, barley, wheat, spelled. The second group includes beans, peas, horse beans, soybeans, sweet clover, vetch, lupine, phacelia, alfalfa, and red clover.

Siderata are mowed before flowering. But if you leave, for example, lupine before flowering, then you can collect its seeds and then not buy them in the store, but use your own.

By the way, among the beautifully flowering siderates are not only lupines, but also phacelia. Among other benefits, it is also an excellent honey plant. What should be noted not only for beekeepers, but also for gardeners. Because the blooming phacelia will attract pollinating insects to your site.

Preparing the beds for sowing green manure

First of all, before sowing green manure seeds, the crop must be harvested. After this, the beds need to be prepared. They must be cleaned of plant residues. Then it is necessary to improve the soil if diseases and pests have been noticed on it. It is worth taking as a rule - before enriching the soil, it must be cleared of pathogens, otherwise all work will go down the drain. Well, after that you can start sowing.