Measures to improve podzolic soils: assessing fertility and 7 ways to increase yields

Soil fertility determines how well plants will develop and bear fruit in them. There are several ways to improve performance. Consider a set of measures to improve podzolic soils: fertilizing, liming, reclamation, growing green manure, observing crop rotation, creating vermicompost and improving with mixed plantings. As well as mistakes not to make.

Fertility assessment

Podzolic soils contain 3-7% humus, the thickness of the humus layer is up to 10 cm, their overall fertility is generally low.The composition is dominated by fulvic acids, contains a low percentage of essential nutrients and trace elements. In terms of acidity, the upper layers of soils of this type are acidic and strongly acidic (pH 4.0-5.5).

Sod-podzolic soils do not pass water well enough, they can swim. According to the mechanical composition, these soils are predominantly sandy and sandy, less often loamy. Cultivated soddy-podzolic soils have a finely cloddy or granular-cloddy structure.

How to improve podzolic soils

To improve the fertility of such soils, it is necessary to apply various agricultural practices. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Fertilizers

Introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers is one of the main methods of increasing soil fertility. From organic matter, manure, a mixture of manure and peat, compost or humus are added to them. On light and medium loams, 3 kg of organic matter per square meter should be applied.m. At the same time, 15 g of nitrogen, 7.5 g of phosphorus and 18 g of potassium enter the soil for each meter. On clays, 4-6 kg of organic matter per square meter are applied. m. Organics improves the water properties of sandy loam, clay and loam, aerates and loosens, this helps them become more saturated with air.

In addition to organics, mineral fertilizers are applied. Since there is a constant lack of nutrients in podzolic soils, chemical fertilizers can be applied in autumn before winter, in spring when digging and during the season in small portions to feed plants. Dosage - 5-10 g per sq. m., on cultivated and light soils, 3-5 g is enough

Liming

Reducing the acidity of podzolic soils is carried out by adding lime. The substance not only normalizes acidity, but also improves the structure, aeration, the level of heat and water absorption, the conditions in which soil microorganisms develop. The dose of lime depends on the mechanical composition of the soil and acidity (in g per sq.m.):

sandy and sandy loam - 100-300;
light and medium loam - 250-550;
heavy loams and clays - 400-700.

Lime must not only be scattered on the ground, but it must be dug up with soil. In addition to the lime itself, ground dolomite, lime tuff, wood or shale ash, fertilizers with calcium and magnesium can be used for liming. After liming, fertilizer must be applied.

Reclamation

Since moisture accumulates in soddy-podzolic soils, they are wet and flooded. Drainage will help remove excess moisture and make the soil more suitable for growing plants.

Drainage is carried out by the following methods: the installation of a drainage system that constantly drains water, the construction of a well or a decorative reservoir, raising the soil and leveling the site.

Siderates

Green fertilizer can also be used on sod-podzolic soils. On the plots, you can sow legumes and grain green manure, phacelia. For 1 sq. m. you need to spend 10-20 g of seeds, that is, 1-2 kg per hundred square meters. Grasses are sown after harvesting the production of early vegetables, mowed and buried in autumn.

Green manures perfectly enrich the soil with organic matter, which is formed after decay, the soil structure improves. Sandy soil becomes more cohesive, and clay soil becomes loose. After digging the green manure mass, such a volume of organic matter is introduced into the soil, which is comparable to the introduction of 3-4 kg of manure per square meter. m.

Crop rotation

On well-groomed and cultivated soils of this type, all vegetable and horticultural crops can be planted if acidification has been carried out. Otherwise, only species that grow well in acidic soil can be planted.Legumes, cereals, cucumbers, herbs and onions, root vegetables, tomatoes are especially sensitive to acidity.

Vermicultivation and biohumus

Increase soil fertility and earthworms that produce vermicompost. Worms are bred in boxes, the mass processed by them is poured onto the beds. The fertilizer accelerates the germination of seeds, the growth and development of plants is accelerated, the growing season is shortened, the crop can be harvested faster by 2-3 weeks. Plants become stronger, their immunity increases, they better tolerate bad weather, and resist infections. Productivity increases, products become better in quality.

Mixed fit

The essence of the method is that next to the plants of the main crop, a companion crop is planted in the beds, the proximity to which leads to an improvement in the condition of the crops, a decrease in disease, and an improvement in the taste of the harvested fruits.

Medicinal and spicy herbs are planted to the main crops, they are sown in the aisles along the paths. During the flowering period, they attract bees that pollinate plants, which greatly increases the formation of ovaries.

Beginner Mistakes

Common mistakes are: not carrying out liming, incorrect determination of the degree of acidity or dose of lime, not applying organic and mineral fertilizers every year, without which plants on soddy-podzolic soils do not give a good harvest.

The next mistake - when digging, some gardeners dig up the ground too deeply, raising the podzolic layer and mixing it with humus, as a result, soil fertility drops. Therefore, when digging, you should not bury the shovel too deep into the soil.

They also make a mistake when choosing a crop that will grow in the current year; you can not grow the same crop in one place for several seasons, this avoids the spread of common pests and diseases.

Podzolic type soils are not naturally fertile, without cultivation and constant care they will not be fertile. But for use in garden plots, you can use some agricultural techniques to increase soil fertility. It is recommended to carry out the proposed work, since the complex effect of agricultural methods will be greater than from any one method.

The most important and necessary are 2 methods - liming and fertilizing. Basic and additional feeding should be carried out every year, regardless of which crop is grown. Fertilizers are also applied, even if the site remains fallow or green manure is planned to be grown on it. Unused nutrients will then be used by the future crop.