Soils of the Northwestern region: what are common, their features and problems

The composition and type of soil varies by region. In the south, the soil is more fertile, its layer can reach a meter. To the north, the soil becomes heavier, the fertility of the land decreases, it is more difficult to grow crops on it. A detailed description of the soils of the Northwestern region will be useful to gardeners and gardeners living in this district, which includes several regions.

Features

The Northwestern Federal District includes the territories of the republics of Karelia and Komi, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Novgorod, Murmansk, Pskov, Kaliningrad, Leningrad regions, the city of St. Petersburg, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Across the entire area of the district, the combination of complex (acidic, highly swampy) soil and a cold climate with an abundance of precipitation has led to poor development of agriculture.

What are the soils in the Northwest region

The region has various types of podzolic soils, typical of areas with a cold, humid climate. By properties, they are similar to clay, dense, poorly permeable to air and moisture. Such soil is typical for northern coniferous forests, taiga, mixed forest areas, with an abundance of precipitation. Previously, it was called belozem for the light, gray or white shade of the earth. Distinguish:

• podzolic - coniferous forests, various types of shrubs, lichens, mosses grow on it;
• glee-podzolic - slightly lighter, high in iron;
• soddy-podzolic - this type of soil contains a higher percentage of organic matter in areas where the taiga is adjacent to deciduous forests, besides mosses and lichens, grasses grow in such areas.

Any variety of podzols is poor in organic matter, low air and soil temperatures do not allow plant residues to decompose quickly, soils contain a large amount of silicic acid, which contributes to the weight of the soil and makes it poorly permeable to air and water. The acid is found in the earth in an amorphous state.

The following features are typical for podzols:

• low nitrogen;
• low temperature and slow warming of the soil;
• leaching water regime (when the amount of precipitation is greater than the amount of moisture evaporated from the soil);
• weak microbial activity, a small amount of organic matter in the soil.

For successful farming in the areas of this district, it is necessary to constantly apply fertilizers (nitrogen, organic matter), planting plants in greenhouses, and equipping a drainage system in a summer cottage.Only the Kaliningrad region is characterized by the presence of a European (much milder) climate, where pears, plums, and cherries grow well.

Despite the fact that the Northwestern Federal District is the region of the most successful economic development, agriculture is not very developed here due to the difficulty of planting and caring for plants. Gardening fans manage to grow excellent crops of vegetables and fruits in the Leningrad and Novgorod regions by planting zoned varieties.

Main issues

High humidity, waterlogged lands, low amount of organic matter in the soil, combined with a cold climate, made the cultivation of agricultural products in the regions of the North-West region a difficult and time-consuming process. Fertilizers are required here, liming the soil to reduce acidity, the use of organic matter (manure, humus), the use of greenhouses and greenhouses to create the optimum temperature for plants.

Systemic measures to improve the composition of the soil, climate warming, the work of breeders make it possible to grow plants in the northern regions that are familiar to the southern regions and improve the yield of familiar crops.

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