How to improve soil fertility: activities and ways to improve the composition

Over time, the resources of even the most fertile soil are depleted, and the planted plants begin to bear much less fruit. In this case, it is necessary to take measures and saturate the earth with useful substances. How and with what it is possible to increase soil fertility, it is worthwhile to figure it out in advance, since there are several ways, each of which has both advantages and disadvantages. Experienced gardeners recommend using several methods in combination.

What soil needs to be improved

The fertility of the soil on the site depends on several factors:

• from the mechanical composition of the earth;
• from the organic component;
• from structure;
• from acidity.

It is necessary to improve the composition of the soil in the garden in the following cases:

• during the arrangement of the site or construction, the fertile layer was completely removed or partially damaged;
• the garden is too heavy clay or sandy soil;
• planted seedlings develop slowly and are often attacked by pests;
• yield, compared to previous seasons, has decreased significantly;
• fruits are tied small, do not have a pronounced taste and aroma.

Activities aimed at improving soil fertility

There are several ways to help improve the soil on the site and make it more fertile.Which method to choose depends on the capabilities of the gardener and his preferences. In order for the measures taken to be beneficial and to solve the problem, it is necessary to carry out the procedures correctly and listen to the advice of experienced gardeners.

Worms

Any soil has its own physical properties and functional features that directly affect such a parameter as fertility. The ability of the earth to bind mineral and organic substances and direct them to the roots of plants, as well as the degree of absorption and retention of moisture, affect fertility. High-quality soil consists of lumps of earth with a diameter of no more than 0.25 mm and has a clear structure. This soil is ideal for growing rich crops.

In order to grind the earth to the required state, earthworms are used.Thanks to their work, compost and humus are processed many times faster, and at the same time, clods of earth are crushed to the required state. Soil improvement works are carried out throughout the growing season, and as a result, humus is formed on the site, which is considered a natural fertilizer. Its advantage is that it does not have an unpleasant odor, and as a result, the gardener gets a large number of environmentally friendly fruits. In addition, worms are not carriers of diseases and multiply quite quickly.

If you create favorable conditions (often water the ground), per 1 cu. a meter of the garden will be able to operate a colony of at least 500 individuals, respectively, the process of increasing the fertility of the soil will accelerate.

Crop rotation

If you plant fruit plants in the same place all the time in your summer cottage, this will lead not only to soil depletion, but also to other problems:

• violation of the optimal topsoil from which crops draw nutrients;
• emergence of a large number of pathogens;
• growth of weeds that drown out the planting of fruit crops.

When planning a crop rotation in the garden, it is necessary to take into account that some plants draw nutrients from the upper layer of the earth, while others, on the contrary, from the lower one, in addition, the need for crops in nutrients is different.

In order to correctly alternate planted plants, you need to know which family they belong to, because, as a rule, in this case they have similar needs for trace elements and a tendency to disease.In addition, it is impossible to plant the same bed with crops with a high nutrient requirement from year to year, so this parameter is preliminarily studied:

1. Plants such as green peas, radishes, onions, lettuce and herbs are characterized by low demand.
2. Average requirement for cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, eggplants, melons and vines.
3. Potatoes, celery, cabbage, spinach, squash and asparagus consume the most nutrients from the ground.

The following rule is followed when planting crops: in the first year, plants with the highest need are planted, in the second and third - with medium and low. After that, an increased dose of fertilizers is applied to the soil and plants from the third group are placed again.

Planting medicinal plants

Medicinal herbs help to make the land fertile, which are planted on the plot alternately on each bed, so as not to occupy the entire garden. Such crops include nettle, garlic, bitter wormwood and marigold. The roots of these plants saturate the soil with useful substances, such as nitrogen and a whole range of trace elements.

Heat treatment

It is possible to maintain the fertility of the soil on a personal plot by heat treatment, but it must be remembered that this is a radical method that is used only as a last resort. The fact is that under the influence of high temperatures, not only pathogenic microorganisms die, but also beneficial bacteria, which are necessary for the full development of crops. In addition, this method is quite laborious and is not used on large areas. Most often, heat treatment of the soil is carried out on small beds or in a greenhouse.

Carry out this procedure in two ways:

• spill the earth with water heated to 90 degrees;
• spread a thin layer of straw on the surface of the soil and set fire to it, observing safety rules.

Organic application

Organics are substances that increase soil fertility and are of natural origin. There are several types of fertilizers that are most commonly used by gardeners:

1. Dung. Such top dressing, which contains the main set of macro- and microelements, is used in the fall, when the garden is dug up. 5 kg of manure will be needed per square meter of the plot. In addition to increasing fertility, the fertilizer neutralizes acidity to neutral levels and makes the soil loose.Manure is not recommended to be applied directly to the planting holes, as it can burn the roots of crops.
2. Must. The composition of the fertilizer, in addition to rotted manure, contains organic residues and fallen leaves. Top dressing is characterized by an increased concentration of nitrogen. Wood ash is added to increase the effectiveness of top dressing and saturate it with minerals.
3. Bird droppings. The fertilizer contains calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, manganese and potassium. It must be diluted with water before use.

There are also organic fertilizers of industrial production, the most effective gardeners distinguish "Gumi", "Baikal", "Organic" and "BioMaster". They are used according to the instructions for use.

Selection of neighbors

The correct selection of neighbors is also included in the system of measures aimed at increasing soil fertility. The essence of this principle is that a satellite crop is planted next to each plant, as a result of which the likelihood of developing diseases is reduced and the quality of the crop is improved.

Leave for soil

Restoration contributes to the restoration of soil fertility, in this case, either the entire garden or part of it is not sown, but fertilization, weeding and other agrotechnical activities continue. Before winter, the territory is dug up so that the top layer of soil is at the bottom.

Siderates

Planting green manure plants helps to restore the quality of the land on the plot.

From the best green manure gardeners note the following options:

1. White mustard. An annual plant belonging to the Cruciferous family, grown by sowing seeds. The advantages of this crop include the following points: the rapid restoration of poor soils and the enrichment of the land with nitrogen and phosphorus, the improvement of soil structure and its loosening, as well as the prevention of leaching of nutrients from the soil during heavy rains.
2. Vika. This green manure is recommended to be mixed with oats when sowing, its main advantage is its rapid growth and the formation of abundant green mass. To get the result, the crop is cut to the formation of seeds and plowed into the ground to rot.
3. Phacelia. The advantages of this green manure are resistance to short-term cold snaps and drought, as well as the ability to sow seeds both in open ground and in a greenhouse. Several crops can be grown per season, which are plowed into the soil to increase fertility.
4. Buckwheat. Culture is a good predecessor for fruit plants, however, it must be remembered that buckwheat loves heat, so it is not suitable for every climate zone.

Normalization of acidity

Get rich harvests by normalizing the acidity of the soil. Before adding substances, an analysis is carried out using both store-bought and improvised means.

Increasing the pH is done with crushed lime or dolomite flour. Alkaline soil is corrected with humus, compost and rotted sawdust.

Plastering

To prevent problems of soil salinity in the garden and, as a result, a decrease in yield, gypsum is carried out. The preparation for the procedure is purchased at a gardening store and used according to the attached instructions.

Increasing soil fertility is a process that takes more than one day, so it is important to constantly monitor the condition of the soil on your site and make adjustments in time.

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