Where to get peat for a vegetable garden in nature: which one is best for plants, use

Peat is an effective natural fertilizer that is actively used in growing plants. In this case, the substance can have different types, each of which has certain features. In order for the product to give the desired effect and not harm the plants, it is required to apply it correctly, clearly following the dosage. At the same time, many people are interested in where you can get peat in nature for a vegetable garden.

What is peat for

To increase yield parameters, it is important to fertilize the soil before planting plants on the site. Many gardeners use peat for this. This substance includes many useful components - nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon.

This organic top dressing is affordable and highly effective. It contains plants and organisms that live in swamps and lakes. When they die, valuable biomass is formed.

Every year the layers overlap and are pressed together. This is due to increased humidity and lack of air. As a result, peat soil is formed. It can be neutral or acidic. With the help of peat, it is possible to normalize the structure of the soil and make it more productive.

Benefits and harms

Biomaterial is extremely useful for the garden. Its application helps to get the following results:

1. Make the soil lighter and more porous. Due to this, moisture and air get to the root system of plants more easily.
2. Destroy pathogenic microflora. Due to the pronounced antiseptic properties, the composition successfully copes with dangerous bacteria and fungi.
3. Saturate poor and infertile soil with nutrients. At the same time, peat is recommended to be combined with organic top dressing.
4. Normalize soil acidity. If the parameters are lowered, the right biomaterial will help to achieve the desired results.
5. Quickly warm up the soil. Also top dressing absorbs excess moisture and allows you to retain nutrients.
6. Get rid of the crust on the surface of the earth.

Sometimes a substance harms the soil. Most often this happens in the case of the use of low-quality fertilizers or violation of the rules for their introduction into the soil. In such a situation, organic matter slows down and suppresses the development of crops, and sometimes provokes their death.

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There are several main varieties of peat, each of which has certain characteristics.

Lowlands

This type of biomaterial is most often used as top dressing. All of its ingredients are completely decomposed. In addition, the composition has a uniform structure and a slightly acidic environment.

The biomaterial contains 50% humus. This substance is the main parameter of soil fertility. However, the presence of this component is not yet a guarantee of a good harvest.

In lowland peat there is an insufficient amount of useful elements. Therefore, to increase the effectiveness of the substance, it must be combined with mineral and organic supplements.

Transitional

This type of biomaterial is a kind of layer between the lowland and highland variety.It has a higher level of decomposition of the ingredients. Due to this, this type of peat is considered more valuable. However, its acidity is not high enough for agricultural use.

Horseback

This top dressing is characterized by high acidity parameters and low nutrient content. The ingredients differ in structure, as they did not have time to decompose to the required state.

This peat contains sphagnum mosses, cotton grass, wild rosemary and other light grasses growing in swamps. Such a layer, as a rule, is rarely used in vegetable gardens. It is not used as fertilizer. Raised peat is good for mulching.

Can it be applied pure to the soil?

Biomaterial includes nutritional and mineral components. The lowland and transitional species are 40-60% humus. Despite this, it is not worth using the substance in its pure form. It is best combined with other organic and mineral supplements.

In its pure form, only lowland peat is allowed. However, it must first be crushed and left for 2 months to be ventilated. In this case, it is imperative to collect the dried top dressing in a timely manner. If the mass is dried out, it will lose almost all of its valuable properties.

In addition, dry peat provokes dehydration of the soil, as it draws a lot of moisture out of it. Dried lowland peat is most often used as lawn mulch. It is laid out in a layer of 5 millimeters.

High peat in its pure form is strictly prohibited. It can bring great harm to the soil and plants. The composition of such biomaterial contains few nutrients. At the same time, it strongly acidifies the soil.

This type of biomaterial is allowed to be applied to the soil only in the form of compost, mixed with other fertilizers. As a result, it is possible to obtain an excellent nutritional composition that can be used to feed vegetable crops, berry plants, and flowers.

Using peat as fertilizer

Peat is an effective fertilizer that helps to saturate plants with nutrients and improve their growth. At the same time, it is important to use such top dressing correctly.

Potatoes

This crop best absorbs the beneficial substances contained in peat. For excellent results, peat compost should be combined with mineral supplements. At the same time, the soil should be loose and have a slightly acidic reaction.

If the soil is light, peat top dressing is allowed to be applied in the spring, directly into the holes for planting potatoes or seedlings of other plants. If the soil has a heavy structure, it should be fed in the fall. In this case, peat is used simultaneously with the introduction of manure.

Strawberry

The use of peat helps to improve the flowering, development and fruiting of strawberries. Biomaterial can be used as mulch for bushes. To do this, it is recommended to ventilate and mix with ash and sawdust. For 10 kilograms of peat, it is worth taking 1 kilogram of ash. Thanks to this, it is possible to reduce the acidity parameters and not harm the soil.

In addition to feeding the land, peat is allowed to be used directly for plant nutrition. In this case, the substance can be applied in different ways:

1. In the spring, add a layer of mass to the hole for planting strawberries. Its thickness should be 5 centimeters.
2. In autumn, during preparation for winter, peat compost should be scattered between strawberry beds and dig up the ground. At the same time, it is recommended to take 25 kilograms of fertilizer per 1 square meter.

Tomatoes

To feed the tomatoes, the peat mixture should be applied to the hole when sowing seedlings. As the plants grow, the composition can be used as a fertilizer 2 times a month. Thanks to this, it is possible to significantly increase the yield parameters.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers do not develop well in an acidic environment. Therefore, the use of peat in gardening is very careful. It must first be composted and only then laid out on the beds with cucumbers. At the same time, it is worth taking 20 kilograms of a substance per 1 square meter.

Cabbage

Peat cannot be used in its pure form to feed cabbage. The fact is that this plant does not tolerate an acidic environment. Therefore, peat must first be composted and only then introduced into the holes when planting grown plants. Thanks to this, it is possible to improve the development of the crop and make it more resistant to diseases and parasites.

Flowers

The composition can be used as a fertilizer for flowers. To increase the effectiveness of this substance, it is recommended to combine it with organic and mineral fertilizers. Also, the biomaterial goes well with sand. The use of such top dressing improves the growth and development of crops. In addition, it helps to achieve more lush flowering.

Dosage and application rules

It is permissible to apply peat mixture into the soil in spring and autumn. At the same time, it is recommended to evenly distribute it over the surface of the soil. For 1 square meter it is worth taking 30-40 kilograms of the substance. After the soil needs to be dug up on the spade bayonet.

Peat can be sprinkled with a layer of 5-6 centimeters in the near-trunk circles of trees and shrubs. It is approved for use in crop planting areas.

This substance has high acidity parameters - especially for the riding variety. Therefore, before making the composition, its neutralization is required. To do this, it is recommended to mix 100 kilograms of peat with 5 kilograms of lime, 4-5 kilograms of dolomite flour or 10-12 kilograms of ash.

Mistakes of gardeners

Beginner gardeners make various mistakes when making peat. The most common violations include the following:

• using peat mixtures instead of other dressings;
• violation of the application dosage depending on the type of soil;
• neglect of composting;
• use of unprepared high-moor peat;
• drying material;
• use for fertile soil types.

Where to dig

In the swampy area, they manage to extract fertilizer on their own. To do this, with a sharp shovel, you need to remove the top layer of the substance and deliver it to the site. Then the composition needs to be dried.

Peat is an effective fertilizer, which is often used to saturate the soil with useful substances. It is important to apply the composition correctly.

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