Peat soil: characteristics and features, types and methods of improvement

The soil on the planet is heterogeneous, there are many types of it. Consider the characteristics and features of peat soil, its physical, chemical and mechanical properties, what varieties of this soil exist. What types of plants can be grown in peat land, how and with what it is permissible to improve its characteristics to increase crop yields.

What is peat soil

The profile of such a soil, all or the predominant part, consists of peat of varying degrees of decomposition and organic composition. The thickness of the horizon can reach 0.5 m or more, under it there is a mineral rock - dense or viscous gleyed.

The color of the peat strata is in the range of brown shades, from light brown to black-brown. The mass is friable, relatively light and moist, breaks or crumbles in the hands.

Peat land is typical for the northern regions - tundra and taiga, especially for Western Siberia, it is found, although less often, in swampy flat areas or on slopes. Already in the forest-steppe zone, there are practically no such soils. Peat soils are formed under moss or herbaceous vegetation, less often under small-leaved and coniferous forests.

Features and main features

Peat soils are formed in regions with a humid climate, that is, when moisture, surface and ground, exceeds the evaporation of moisture from the surface. Insufficient impregnation of horizons with oxygen is also characteristic, due to which anaerobic processes predominate during the decomposition of organic matter.The soil of peatlands is therefore acidic, requiring liming.

Peat soils have the following characteristics: they warm up for a long time and slowly, on average, they are colder than soils of other types, frosts occur more often on them. In summer, during the daytime, they can get very hot, cool at night, which adversely affects the roots of plants. The earth is constantly waterlogged, it has little humus, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, trace elements.

Varieties

The type of peat land and its properties, chemical composition and appearance determine the type of bog in which it is formed. Raised soils are formed in swamps located on the plains, in which water flow is limited, so they are highly moistened. They are characterized by a low degree of decomposition, acidity, fibrous structure, moist, do not contain many nutrients and beneficial microorganisms, compounds harmful to plants may be present.Painted yellowish brown.

Low peat soils are formed in swamps, which are located in wide hollows with a slight slope. Moisture comes from below, from the lower horizons, therefore it is saturated with minerals that enrich the upper layer. Low-lying peat land has a higher degree of decomposition of residues, slightly acid reaction, it is drier and darker, it has more humus and nutrients. Its natural fertility is higher, it is better mastered, the vegetation on such soil is more diverse than on horseback.

According to the thickness of the peat layer, peat soil is divided into 3 groups: less than 20 cm - thin, 20-40 cm - medium, more than 40 cm - powerful.

What can be grown in peat land?

Despite the generally low fertility, berry bushes can be grown on such soil: raspberries, blackberries, honeysuckle, currants and ornamental varieties. It is also suitable for flowers that love an acidic environment, for vegetables: nightshade, cucumbers, cabbage, zucchini, onions, root crops, lettuce and other greens. But to get a good harvest, it is imperative to apply fertilizer.

Advantages of peat soil for growing plants: it is light and loose, does not require frequent digging and loosening, hilling and weeding is easier than, for example, on loam. Does not compact after rains, weed roots well break out of it.

Seedlings of vegetables and flowers grow well in peat soil, cuttings take root, optimal conditions are formed in it for seed germination and seedling growth, it is moist, light, soft, warm. Marsh soil can be used to cover greenhouses for growing early vegetables. Due to the loose structure, it is easy to take care of it, the plants will develop quickly, they will soon begin to bear fruit, since water and nutrition are easily accessible to them.

Ways to improve

Often, peat soils require: drainage (since the level of moisture in them is increased), special treatment and fertilizers. Be sure to apply organic (humus, compost, fresh manure) and mineral fertilizers, both in autumn, spring, and during the season for top dressing. Usually, peat land requires deacidification, therefore, before planting the first plants, slaked lime or chalk, wood ash must be added to it.

You can improve peatlands by sanding - bring coarse dry sand to the surface and dig it up until it is evenly distributed in the thickness. Sanding improves the physical properties of peat soils. When forming a peat bog on loam, the volume of sand must be increased and mixed as deeply as possible.

The same effect is produced by dried and crushed clay, which, when mixed, improves the structure, allows the soil to retain more mineral elements, which makes it more fertile.Doses of fertilizers, sand, lime depend on the type of peaty soil, acidity level, chemical composition, and physical characteristics.

Peat land can be used in agriculture only after mandatory drainage and improvement. Without carrying out agrotechnical measures, it will not be possible to get a good harvest on it. This is prevented by the natural characteristics of the soil: acidity, low heat capacity, excessive moisture saturation, poverty of humus and mineral elements.

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