River silt: useful properties and its use as fertilizer for the garden

To feed cultivated plants, gardeners use both organic and mineral fertilizers. They contain nutrients that stimulate plant growth and fruit set. Without top dressing, it will not be possible to harvest a rich harvest. The beneficial properties of river silt were appreciated by both farmers and owners of small summer cottages. Before using fertilizer, you should find out the rules for its use and the timing of application to the beds.

What silt consists of

Bottom silt is formed as a result of the work of some beneficial microorganisms, the function of which is to purify the water in lakes and rivers from organic and animal residues by their decomposition.Most of it is found in ponds with stagnant water. It is impossible to name the specific composition of sapropel, since even in different places of the same reservoir it may differ. Each type of sludge contains a set of trace elements and organic substances that have a beneficial effect on the development and growth of cultivated plants.

The most useful is the type of organic fertilizer that has formed at the bottom of a reservoir with stagnant water, the least nutrient components in river silt.

Characteristics of different types of top dressing:

River mud. Since the water in the reservoir is in continuous motion, organic particles do not have the opportunity to accumulate and decompose, so only mineral sludge is taken from the bottom. In this form, it does not have a beneficial effect on crops, so it is recommended to mix it with organic matter (manure or bird droppings) before use.
Swamp silt.At the heart of the swamp variety are the remains of plants and moss, which over time become compacted and turn into peat. In addition to the main set of nutritional components, it has an antiseptic effect on the soil. Thanks to him, pathogens that are in the soil are destroyed. Since the composition also contains acids that are dangerous for crops, sludge is used no earlier than six months after being removed from the bottom and kept in a compost heap.
Lake silt, or sapropel. The percentage of organic matter in lake silt is about 80%, so it is considered the most useful. It contains: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, humic acids, natural growth stimulants, amino acids and trace elements such as boron, iron, manganese and molybdenum.

You can distinguish between mineral silt and sapropel by their appearance - after drying, the first crumbles into powder, the second becomes hard as a stone.

Useful properties of river and lake silt

Silt from a pond or lake is much more useful than the one that forms at the bottom of flowing reservoirs, however, subject to the introduction of additional organic matter, the latter can also be used as plant nutrition.

Useful properties of sapropel are as follows:

moisture capacity and air permeability of the soil increases;
forming a fertile layer on clayey, heavy and depleted soils;
starting the vital processes of garden and garden soils;
nitrates and other harmful substances accumulated in the ground are neutralized;
causative agents of dangerous diseases of cultivated plants are destroyed;
improves the survival rate of young plants after planting in a new place;
stimulates the growth of the root system of seedlings;
blooming period increases;
crop development and growth accelerate;
increases immunity to diseases and plant resistance to adverse weather conditions;
the concentration of vitamins and nutrients in fruits increases;
absolutely safe for crops even when the application rate is exceeded.

Sapropel is much more useful for crops than other organic top dressings, and its only drawback is the difficulty of extraction.

How to mine?

The most favorable time for the extraction of fertilizer is a dry summer period, when the reservoirs become shallow. It is necessary to wait until the liquid mass at the bottom dries slightly, and transfer it to the infield.

If the lake or pond is not shallow enough, use a scoop with small holes, it is important that it has a long handle (at least 3 meters).

It is forbidden to take sapropel from reservoirs located near industrial enterprises and sewers, as it contains a lot of harmful substances that will harm cultivated plants. If it is not possible to get fertilizer on your own, it can be purchased at a garden store. It is available for sale in the form of powder, tablets and granules.

What is it used for?

Il is used on depleted soils to improve the structure of the soil and make it looser, to activate beneficial microorganisms living in the earth, to increase the air permeability of the soil. Also, after applying fertilizer, it is possible to saturate the land on the site with useful macro- and microelements, and increase crop yields.

Can silt be applied directly to the garden?

If the top dressing was purchased at a gardening store, it can be used immediately for its intended purpose, as it has undergone all the necessary processing and preparation.In the case of independent extraction of fertilizer, it must first be prepared in order to get rid of harmful components in its composition.

Processing and composting

Sapropel, obtained by hand, needs to be prepared. Spend it like this:

The mass is distributed in a thin layer on the grating and left in this form for the entire winter period so that the silt freezes. With the onset of spring, the mass is crushed and added to the soil.
The mineral variety of sludge needs to be composted. A layer of top dressing is laid out on the prepared site, a layer of manure goes on top. It is necessary to form a collar about 1 meter high, alternating layers. You can also add plant residues or slops. Periodically, the pile is watered with water and shoveled. After about six months, fertilizer can be applied to the soil.

If the gardener does not have manure, it is allowed to replace it with bird droppings, the composition will turn out to be more nutritious and saturated, which will need to be taken into account when applying to the soil.

Agricultural applications

It is possible to apply the received fertilizer on the plot in different ways.

Soil preparation

Sapropel is considered ideal for improving sandy and sandy soils. When used on clay and heavy soils, it is necessary to add humus or peat to top dressing. Fertilizer is applied at the time of digging the land on the site - in spring or autumn. For sandy soils, no more than 10 kg per hundred square meters will be needed, for heavy soils they use half as much. First, top dressing is distributed over the entire surface of the site, and then dug up to a depth of 25 cm.

Preparing the beds

Fertilizer is also used in the preparation of beds for planting. The amount of fertilizer needed depends on the type of crop.So for beets and potatoes you will need 8 kg of fertilizer per hundred square meters, for cabbage and cucumbers - no more than 4 kg, and for tomatoes and bell peppers - 2 kg per hundred square meters.

It must be remembered that if not manure, but bird droppings were added to the fertilizer, the amount of fertilizing applied is halved so as not to burn the plants.

Planting seedlings

Use fertilizer in the garden when planting seedlings of any fruit and berry crops. The soil selected from the pit is mixed with fertilizer at the rate of 1 to 3-4 and a small amount is poured back into the hole. They put a seedling and pour the rest of the soil, you can lay a top dressing layer 2 cm thick on top, it will act as mulch.