Wheat as green manure: pros and cons, technology and timing of sowing spring and winter

To improve soil fertility, the sowing of green manure crops has been practiced for a long time. This is a good reason to naturally improve the soil without fertilizing it. When using green manure, the earth is enriched with the main components: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as humus, which is formed during the decomposition of the plant. You can use wheat as green manure along with other cereals and herbaceous crops.

Is wheat green manure?

Of course, wheat can be used for soil manure, as it has all the qualities necessary for this:

1. Unpretentious to soils and the environment.
2. Quick and abundant seedlings.
3. Plenty of green mass.
4. Short green manure ripening period.

The only obstacle to sowing a crop as green manure can be the cost of seed. That is why for the purpose of green manure, cheap varieties are used that are great for improving the soil.

Which is better: winter or spring wheat?

It is impossible to say unequivocally that winter wheat is better than spring wheat or vice versa. Each type has its own advantages and "niche" of use:

1. Winter variety is best suited for southern regions with warm winters and early spring. Seedlings appear early, the greens grow quickly and rapidly, so that the soil for the following crops can be used much earlier.
2. Spring varieties are suitable for colder regions where winters are harsh and crops can be severely damaged by late winter planting. Such varieties are more sensitive to frost, drought, pests and diseases. Also, spring varieties are sown in order to increase the fertility of already cultivated, that is, previously cultivated lands.

Varieties of wheat as green manure are selected individually, based on the purposes for which crops are carried out.

Pros and cons

When sowing wheat as green manure, you can get the following benefits:

1. A fast-growing herb that can be used in a variety of ways, including fresh succulent pet food.
2. Preparing soil for growing other crops.
3. Ennobling the land, improving its structure, nutritional value, moisture permeability.
4. Destruction of the main mass of weeds. With a dense sowing of the plot, wheat seedlings drown out the growth of annual weeds and oppress perennial weeds.

Even the roots of wheat remaining in the soil bring undoubted benefits. They loosen dense soils, saturate them with nutrients, and then enrich them when they decompose.

One of the disadvantages of growing wheat as green manure is that after cereals it is impossible to sow similar crops, that is, other cereals.

Technology and timing of sowing

Before sowing any green manure, it is necessary to clear the soil of weeds. If the green mass is not planned to be used as feed for domestic or farm animals, the area can be treated with herbicides. Otherwise, this cannot be done, because toxic components can turn into greens and harm the he alth of animals, they can even cause death.

Deep placement of grain is also of great importance, depending on the type of soil. The lighter the soil, the deeper the wheat is sown. To obtain a good crop of green manure, subsequent care is also important - weeding, watering, treatment for diseases and pests. With good preparation, care for green manure wheat is minimal.

Winter

This type of wheat, like green manure, is sown before winter, since for active germination and rapid development, the grain must be frozen, that is, exposed to sub-zero temperatures.

Before the frost sets in, the seedlings develop roots, so they regularly endure the cold. The condition for the development of wheat is snow cover. Under such a “blanket”, the vegetation safely hibernates, and in the spring it gets a start thanks to the moisture from the melted snow.

Spring

Spring wheat can be sown on siderates not only in spring, but throughout the summer, until the beginning of autumn. An important condition is that the soil warms up to +2-3 degrees Celsius and the time until autumn frosts is at least 40-45 days.

Seeds are sown in cleared and dug up soil at the rate of 30-50 grams per square meter. A couple of days after sowing, the surface should be rolled. This will compact the loosened top layer and accelerate seed germination, making seedlings more frequent and uniform.

Seedlings are cut off before the onset of the ear formation phase. The stems are not buried, leaving on the surface. If the weather is dry, after a couple of days it is necessary to water, and then cover the greens with a half-meter layer of compost. You can also speed up the decomposition and enrichment of the soil with the help of EM products.

What can be combined with?

Modern agriculture uses mixtures of plants for green manure more often than "pure" crops. For these purposes, mixtures of cereals, cruciferous or legumes are created. Two-component variations are most often used, for example, from wheat and mustard leaf.

In the Netherlands, three- and four-component formulations are considered the most popular. They are more beneficial as different plants act in different directions leading to better results. This method helps to avoid the frequent use of mineral fertilizers, cleanses the soil of the toxic secretions of some plants, and contributes to the destruction of weeds, infections and pests.

For example, in a pair of wheat-mustard, the second component allows you to restore the supply of nitrogen in the soil, which is absorbed by the cereal crop, and also effectively disinfects the soil. Mustard is so useful for soils that it can be used as a natural insecticide - pests simply leave the areas sown with it.

What to plant after?

After green manuring with wheat, the following crops can be planted:

1. Bow.
2. Root crops - carrots, beets.
3. Strawberries, wild strawberries.
4. Berries: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries.

It is undesirable to sow the same crops after green manure crops, that is, wheat, rye, oats, barley, and so on.

Recommended