The two best ways to grow potatoes. Using Pine Needles and Coniferous Concentrate in the Country - Fertilizer and Pest Control

The needles of pine and spruce are known to most readers mainly by their medicinal properties which are well studied and widely used in medical practice. According to well-known herbalists in the country, with the help of needles today it is possible to cure up to 2/3 of all diseases, including cancer. However, needles, as experience shows, are capable of more, including serving a person in his fight against pests and diseases, in increasing soil fertility and plant nutrition to enhance their growth and development.

The most effective results of the use of pine and spruce needles are known in the fight against pests and diseases. fruit crops: codling moth, moth on currants and gooseberries, weevil on raspberries, etc. In all these cases, it is enough to take 1-1.5 kg of needles, insist it in 10 liters hot water, cool, strain and use a sprayer to process trees and bushes, and it is best to first trunks, then branches and then a green crown. Such treatment of trees and shrubs is advisable at the beginning of their flowering and 2-3 more times with breaks for a week.

The experience of using needles against aphids and suckers is also very effective, and they take 2 kg of needles per 10 liters of water and insist for a week, keeping the infusion for about 7 days in a dark place and stirring daily. Before use, the infusion is diluted to a ratio of 1:3 or 1:5 in water. Both pine and spruce needles give good results in the fight against cruciferous flea on salads, cauliflower and a number of root crops (radish, turnip, radish, rutabaga, etc.). Moreover, the plants are either sprayed with a solution of infusion in water at a ratio of 1:5, or a mixture of needles and water at a ratio of 1:1 is introduced into the aisles of plants. There was also a positive experience of using needles in the fight against colorado potato beetle on potatoes.

It should be noted that spraying with a solution of needles of fruit and berry and vegetable crops can be carried out both in the morning and in the evening, avoiding only periods of dew and rain. In order for the solution not to be lost, you can add 30 g to it laundry soap. According to my observations, some gardeners add an ash extract to the needle solution, which, in combination with soap, eliminates the likelihood of soil acidification that occurs when using needles. The addition of chopped coniferous branches and cones to the infused mixture of needles and water by individual gardeners, according to available information, only weakens the insecticidal properties of the solutions.

A certain experience in the use of pine and spruce needles in last years I also acquired when growing tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes. In the first case, we added ash to a mixture of pine and spruce needles, boiled the mixture in water, filtered it, and then treated 10 tomato bushes twice with a solution having a ratio of 1:5. By this we managed to induce them to more intensive growth and eliminate the backlog in development. What is important, the treated bushes bloomed earlier and more amicably than all the others and did not hurt anything, and the harvest on them was greater than on the untreated bushes.

But, perhaps, strawberries and potatoes were the most pleasing, when planting which, in the first case, a mixture of needles with sand, ash and compost was used in equal proportions, and in the second - a mixture of needles, bark, ash and compost in the same ratio, and on In a strawberry bed, the mixture was embedded in the soil of the upper layer, and when planting potatoes, it was applied under the tubers and on them in a volume of about 1 liter per bush. As it turned out, strawberry bushes, being in such soil and having enough nutrition and moisture, did not have pests and diseases, bloomed faster than others and yielded a crop of almost 1.5 times more than before. At the same time, the berries differed not only in their big size, but also had a particularly pleasant taste.

However, the potato was the most surprising, the planting tubers of which were affected by scab. When digging up its first bushes, we were surprised to note that none of the tubers had not only scab, but even any of its very tenacious sclerotia. The harvest of grown tubers turned out to be quite good, although the weather that year was not very pleasing.

Excellent results when using needles are obtained by an experienced gardener L. Rendyakov. In his practice, he covers planting onions with coniferous spruce branches, and after removing the spruce branches in 2-3 weeks upper layer The soil is well mulched with needles, due to which the soil retains friability, nutritional value and moisture for the entire period of onion cultivation, does not have weeds and protects plantings from diseases and pests. As a result of all this, from 1 kg of sevka, the yield of a full-fledged onion is up to 40 kg, and for about 4 years and regardless of the weather.

Known from the press is the experience of the craftsman gardener V. Shchelkov, who uses needles mixed with sawdust to fumigate potatoes stored in the cellar with smoke. Such processing of the cellar is carried out for about 0.5 hours, and monthly, until the end of the storage period. At the same time, potatoes not only do not rot, but also retain their properties well.

From all of the above, it can be seen that the needles effectively serve not only as a doctor of the garden and vegetable garden, but also as a fertilizer for the soil and plants. This is explained by the fact that the needles contain, first of all, a very rich complex of physiologically active substances; it also has many chemical elements: calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, cobalt, zinc, etc.

Of course, there are also obvious opponents of the use of needles in areas, pointing to the harmfulness of removing green needles from trees and the possibility of terpenes, ethers, etc. garden and garden are very small, and scientists have not found a noticeable difference between the properties of green and fallen needles. So, it is quite possible to get by with fallen needles.

Anatoly Veselov, gardener

Spruce and pine needles are widely used in suburban area. This is not only an excellent mulch and natural covering material for the winter, but also an excellent fertilizer, as well as a remedy for pests and garden diseases.

coniferous mulch

For mulching, it is preferable to use pine needles rather than spruce needles. It perfectly retains moisture in the soil, prevents the germination of weeds, protects cultivated plants from fungal diseases and pests.

This covering material is best suited for garden strawberries. The berries will not touch the ground, which means that crop losses from their decay will be minimized. In addition, the needles will not allow slugs to fatten on the berries.

Also, the needles are suitable for mulching near-stem circles at berry bushes and fruit trees.

Be sure to consider that the needles acidify surrounding soil. For this reason, it is not used for mulching many flowers. The only exceptions are heather, hydrangea and rhododendrons.

It is necessary to use coniferous litter or rotted collected needles as mulch. Fresh needles will not work!

Lapnik as a covering material

Many gardeners use spruce branches as a covering material. The structure of the material allows you to effectively retain the snow cover. In addition, sharp needles reliably protect wintering plants from rodents.

An important advantage of spruce branches in comparison with many artificial covering materials is its breathability. That is, no dampening during the winter thaws threatens your wards.

This mulch is suitable for sheltering strawberries, various perennials, tree trunks. garden shrubs and trees.

Fertilizer

Like other organics, needles are perfect for laying in compost heaps. After overheating, it will turn out to be extremely useful natural fertilizer, which not only effectively feeds the plant, but also improves the structure of the soil.

For indoor plants you can make a nutritious infusion based on spruce or pine needles, which has not only nutritious, but also pronounced bactericidal properties.

To prepare it, fill a three-liter can by a third with coniferous sawdust (small twigs are acceptable) and pour boiling water on top to full volume. Infuse the composition for 3-4 days, then strain through cheesecloth. Dilute before use clean water in a ratio of 1 to 2. Such top dressing will be useful not only for domestic, but also for garden plants.

Spruce mulch is very good when growing onions. From 1 kg of sevka, you can get a crop of up to 40 kg, and in any summer!

Pest control

Needles have long been used to protect potato crops from wireworms and bears. It is placed in each planting hole for 1 handful, adding half a glass on top wood ash. Such a composition will protect the tubers from scab.

It has already been mentioned above that pine needle mulch will keep slugs and snails away from strawberries. Feel free to use it to protect against these pests and others. garden plants which grow well in acidic soils.

To combat weevil on raspberries, codling moth, gooseberry and currant moth, use coniferous infusion. For 10 liters of boiling water take 1.5 kg coniferous needles. The composition should be properly infused, after which it must be filtered through cheesecloth. Pour the finished mixture into a spray bottle and spray.

The optimal time for the first treatment is the flowering period. Follow the next two sprays at weekly intervals.

A more concentrated coniferous infusion (2 kg of needles per 10 liters of water) will help to cope with aphids, suckers, Colorado potato beetle and cruciferous fleas. You need to insist in a dark place for a week, stirring the composition daily. In some cases, reduced concentrations of the solution also help (the infusion is diluted with water 1 to 3).

For better stickiness, these formulations can be added immediately before use without a large number of grated laundry or liquid soap.

For followers organic farming needles can be a great helper. To use it, you do not need to cut down trees or cut off their branches (except for the case of collecting spruce branches), it is enough to collect spruce or pine litter from time to time.

Potatoes, as a second bread, on the plots among cultivated crops, and in the diet of amateur gardeners clearly dominate, and, despite the abundance, starting from the end of July, vegetables and fruits.

Based on this and striving to achieve good harvests healthy potatoes, gardeners managed to successfully work out the original fertilizer mixture and master two fundamentally new ways of growing it on their plot.

A fertilizer mixture for potatoes is a compost substrate with the addition of ammophos, ash, sawdust or shavings and needles at a ratio of the first to the second 1:2. When using such a complex mixture for planting potatoes with its consumption of 1 liter per hole, the first three components give the soil in the holes the necessary enrichment with all elements, and the last two - friability, moisture-air capacity and a healing effect.

At the same time, if the first factor is not new, then the latter turned out to be literally amazing. Almost 5 years of experience in such cultivation of potatoes has convincingly shown that when planting any of its varieties affected by scab, the latter main enemy completely disappears, although its sclerotia are very tenacious.

Thanks to the innovation, I completely abandoned the expensive elite varieties of planting tubers and boldly purchase them even on the market, not at all afraid of this disease. At the same time, the potato yield, as a rule, is not lower than 4.0-4.5 kg/m2.

If only the tubers are preliminarily kept for a month in spruce-pine sawdust with needles, then the tubers with scab, after such exposure before planting, will throw off their “shabby clothes”, and the harvest from only one bush will reach 30 weighty potatoes. Coniferous sawdust, bark and needles, added to the soil or covered on top of the tubers, relieve potato plantings from the attacks of the worst pest - the Colorado potato beetle.

Both in the first and in these cases, the richness of physiologically active substances in these components and, above all, the resin contained in them, influenced the effect achieved.

For inexperienced gardeners and amateur gardeners who are just starting to develop plots, the method of growing potatoes with mulching of their plantings is of undoubted interest. freshly cut grass or hay.

Plant the tubers directly into the ground, making only very small mounds of earth above them. Then, as the tops grow, just cover it with grass. At the same time, the grass will compact and settle, the tops will penetrate through it again and again, and you will immediately fall asleep with more and more portions of mulch. Only by the end of July, such grass additions can be stopped, since it doesn’t matter whether the stems stand or lie, intertwined with their neighbors on the grass litter.

We emphasize that the yield of potatoes with such cultivation is not at all bad and reaches 1-1.5 kg per bush. It also turned out that this method of growing potatoes in developed areas is suitable for any soil, including clay, waterlogged, and even with garbage (stones, iron, glass, etc.).

It is also important that planting potatoes in this case does not require hilling and does not need weeding, since weeds self-destruct under layers of grass. In addition, when harvesting potatoes, you can use not a shovel, but a pitchfork. Neither pests nor diseases were observed in the plantings.

The second method of growing potatoes is based on the double row method. In order to implement this method in conditions of a 150 cm wide bed sheathed with croaker instead of the required 210 cm, it was necessary to change both all dimensions and the very principle of forming ridges over pairs of rows, as well as the principle of moisture supply to the roots and stolons of potatoes.

First, in the middle of the bed, a soil collar was made along the cord, and at its sole there were two slightly inclined planes for double rows of tubers planted in holes in these planes in a checkerboard pattern with a step of 30 cm, and between rows of 25 cm. A fertilizer mixture was introduced into the holes described above.

When the tubers began to germinate, the stems that appeared were repeatedly covered with soil from the pile, and this was done until a furrow with a bottom at the level of the roots formed in place of the pile, and the double rows did not take the form of a ridge.

Part of the soil for its addition to the extreme rows was taken from the passages between adjacent beds. Moisture supply in the root zone was regulated both by creating (with a lack of moisture) and eliminating (with an excess of moisture) small grooves in the middle of the ridges, and by closing or opening earthen ledges made at the ends of the main furrow. In the absence of rain, water was supplied from a hose into the main furrow, and from a watering can into the minor furrows.

As a result of the implementation of this method of growing potatoes in a bed, it was possible to ensure continuous hilling, significantly increase the volume of ridges and provide stable favorable moisture to the soil in the zone of roots and stolons.

In combination with the above complex fertilizer mixture, all this made it possible to increase the potato yield by almost 1.7 times and harvest it from 1 m2 of area in the amount of 6.5-7 kg instead of 3.9 kg. As before, the potatoes did not have any diseases and had very good taste.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that all of the above applies to seed potatoes bought on the market, presumably of the Elizaveta and Nevsky varieties. If we take into account that today there are stronger elite varieties of potatoes on sale, then the yield on the plot at specified conditions maybe more.

No plant can produce as much oxygen as evergreen trees. It is not for nothing that people choose forests where spruce, pine, and fir grow for the treatment of respiratory organs. Sanatoriums, which are located in pine forests, have amazing properties to heal the body thanks to the phytoncides found in the resin of these plants.You can recreate a piece of the forest in your summer cottage by planting the types of trees you like. Before that, you need to familiarize yourself with the growing method and the nutrition system of conifers.

It is necessary to feed spruce, thuja and other tree species with needles carefully. These breeds are unpretentious in nutrition and extra feeding can only harm them.When growing on a beauty plot, you need to knowhow to feed coniferswhen is the best time to do so. Professionals advise not to be too zealous with mineral supplements, it is better not to use anything at all than to use it incorrectly.

What is the difference between the nutrition of conifers and ordinary trees

Top dressing for conifers plants different from what is usually used for fruit trees, berries and vegetables. They do not need nitrogen in such concentrations as for hardwoods, so complex mixtures - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - will not work.

The necessary elements are potassium and magnesium, as well as small amounts of phosphorus. This is due to the fact that the necessary chlorophyll, which is always present in the modified foliage, is obtained by plants through photosynthesis. The role of roots in this process is secondary.

Video: What kind of fertilizer for conifers is better to use

The process of photosynthesis depends on magnesium. This trace element is part of chlorophyll, which is very abundant in needles, and its amount during all year round stays on the same level. In fact, magnesium is needed in small quantities for the growth of new branches that are located on the tops of trees.

Why top dressing for coniferous trees not needed in large quantities

evergreens do not shed their leaves, so they do not need construction material for restoration in the spring;
do not produce a crop, therefore do not consume many nutrients;
plants can get the nitrogen they need from the air.

Given the type of nutrition, growth characteristics and the shape of the “foliage”, you don’t have to worry too muchhow to fertilize coniferous plants.

Why nitrogen is dangerous for evergreens

Fertilizers for coniferous treesmust not contain nitrogen. Plants need it, but in comparison with deciduous trees- in tiny amounts. Specialconiferous fertilizersplants contain in their composition a small amount of phosphates, potassium and magnesium. Thesenutrientsenough trees.

First, nitrogen can burn root system and destroy the plant. Secondly, a large amount of nitrogen causes rapid growth, which does not have time to lignify before the onset of cold weather and the tops freeze. Moreover, evergreen trees are considered the most frost-resistant on the planet. In the Siberian forests, the temperature often drops to -65 degrees, but this does not harm pines and spruces. All because in natural environment no one applies.

For this reason, it cannot be used as fertilizer for conifersmanure. Not in any form, even divorced. Manure is good source nitrogen for deciduous plants but it will destroy the evergreen tree

Mineral top dressing for evergreens in autumn

Considering that soil fertilization is carried out in early May and in the middle of summer, it is worth considering whatautumn fertilizers for coniferswon't hurt. You can use mulching around the root zone - this will protect the roots from freezing. Tree bark, hay, fallen needles, humus, crushed stone, stones are used as mulch.

Feeding conifers in autumn includes superphosphates. Dry fertilizers are scattered around the perimeter of the plants and watered. You can bring in for digging and also water. During the winter, phosphorus transforms and becomes available to the root system in spring.Autumn top dressing coniferous plants superphosphate is not dangerous, since the effect of it will be noticeable only after 4 to 6 months.

Video: How to properly fertilize conifers

Feeding conifers in August and Septembernot carried out because the growth cycle is completed and new shoots ripen for wintering. Growth stimulants are not needed during this period.

Organics for evergreen trees

Organic mixes that are suitable for evergreens:

biohumus;
compost (necessarily rotted), which consists of green grass and kitchen waste.

Organic mixtures are laid around the trunk and lightly mixed with the topsoil. Organic supplements are applied in the spring.

The main value of such dressings is the presence of potassium and trace elements.

Special additives for conifers

To facilitate the calculations of fertilizers for conifers, special mixtures were created:

"Fertika-Lux";
"Health turbo for conifers";
"Aquarin";
"Hvoinka";
"Green Needle";
"Fertile universal for conifers".

"Fertika Lux" is recommended by some amateurs as a fertilizer for conifers, but it does not contain magnesium and a lot of nitrogen (16%). This mixture can be used in dilute concentration once every five years.

“Hello turbo for conifers” is a more acceptable option for spring fertilizer. There are most of the necessary trace elements, among which there is magnesium. But the nitrogen content worries - 22%. It is not recommended to exceed the dosages of this mixture, and even more so to use it asautumn fertilizer for conifers.

"Aquarin" - a water-soluble mixture that can be usedfor liquid top dressing of conifers in autumn,but not later than the beginning of September.

Needle is a good supplement for dwarf evergreens. The main application is in spring and summer, since the nitrogen content is quite high. (13%) .

"Green Needle" - beautifulfertilizer for coniferous plants in autumn.A large percentage of magnesium and sulfur provide a bright green color of the needles all year round.Fertilizer for spruce and pinewill prevent yellowing of the needles. A small percentage of nitrogen (3.4%) makes it safe for all types of conifers.

"Fertile universal" - spring dressing for the growth of new shoots. Starting from August, it is not recommended to use it.

Of the traditional nutrient mixtures for conifers, Kalimagnesia is the most suitable.

findings

To support green view conifers, you can not use a large amount of nutrient mixtures, especially with a high nitrogen content. The emphasis in the care of needles is on the microelement magnesium and the macroelement potassium.

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STRAWBERRY LOVES NEEDLE. With the onset of spring, when the return of cold weather has passed, remove the old leaf from the garden, loosen the soil with fertilizers and, after new leaves begin to “sprout”, cover the entire garden with needles (dry fallen needles) with a layer of 5 cm. Grass will not grow through the needles, when watering from a watering can through the needles, the earth will not compact, there will be no need frequent watering and loosening the earth during the summer. In any rainy weather, the berries that lie on the needles are always clean. Until the end of the harvest, all worries will be reduced to watering (sometimes with fertilizer) and rationing the bushes left. Leave 1 - 2 early mustaches per bush with the first rosette. Root, pushing the needles apart for subsequent planting in the "school". After harvesting, remove the needles from the garden (no need to bury - the earth turns sour), spill it with a solution of potassium permanganate, dry it and store it in paper bags until next spring. The needles will last 3-4 years without adding fresh. The acidifying effect is not to be feared. Strawberries tolerate slightly acidic soils well and even give more high yields. As for protection against slugs, for this better fit spruce needles - it is shorter and more prickly than pine needles. But strawberries are often mulched with pine needles. This is due to the fact that we simply have more pine forests. Over time, the needles overheat and become softer. Therefore, it is updated periodically. It is better to do this before the berries ripen, when, under their weight, they fall to the ground. In the forest, needles are collected in dry weather or dried in bags. Slugs do not like dry prickly needles.

If pines or spruces grow near your site, needles can be used for mulching. It is believed that it, like sawdust, acidifies the soil. However, some summer residents, after experimenting with such mulch on their site, were convinced that this was not the case. But in order to be safe, in the fall, a layer of rotted foliage or humus should be poured under the needles.

Mulching strawberry needles is not a complicated procedure at all. The source material collected in the nearest fishing line can be laid between plants both in pure form and pre-mixed with other plant residues.

As a heater for strawberries, an old, fallen pine needles. Needle consumption is approx. 1 bag per my standard bed of 22-24 strawberries. A little less needles are spent on young strawberries, and a little more on an adult two-three-year-old.

Pine and spruce needles are known to most readers mainly for their medicinal properties, which are well studied and widely used in medical practice. According to well-known herbalists in the country, with the help of needles today it is possible to cure up to 2/3 of all diseases, including cancer. However, needles, as experience shows, are capable of more, including serving a person in his fight against pests and diseases, in increasing soil fertility and plant nutrition to enhance their growth and development.

The most effective results of the use of pine and spruce needles are known in the fight against pests and diseases of fruit and berry crops: apple codling moth, moth on currants and gooseberries, weevil on raspberries, etc. In all these cases, it is enough to take 1-1.5 kg of needles, insist it in 10 liters of hot water, cool, strain and use a sprayer to process trees and bushes, and it is best to first trunks, then branches and then a green crown. Such treatment of trees and shrubs is advisable at the beginning of their flowering and 2-3 more times with breaks for a week.

The experience of using needles against aphids and suckers is also very effective, and they take 2 kg of needles per 10 liters of water and insist for a week, keeping the infusion for about 7 days in a dark place and stirring daily. Before use, the infusion is diluted to a ratio of 1:3 or 1:5 in water. Both pine and spruce needles give good results in the fight against cruciferous flea on salads, cauliflower and a number of root crops (radish, turnip, radish, rutabaga, etc.). Moreover, the plants are either sprayed with a solution of infusion in water at a ratio of 1:5, or a mixture of needles and water at a ratio of 1:1 is introduced into the aisles of plants. There was also a positive experience with the use of needles in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes.

It should be noted that spraying with a solution of needles of fruit and berry and vegetable crops can be carried out both in the morning and in the evening, avoiding only periods of dew and rain. In order for the solution not to be lost, you can add 30 g of laundry soap to it. According to my observations, some gardeners add an ash extract to the needle solution, which, in combination with soap, eliminates the likelihood of soil acidification that occurs when using needles. The addition of chopped coniferous branches and cones to the infused mixture of needles and water by individual gardeners, according to available information, only weakens the insecticidal properties of the solutions.

In recent years, I have also gained some experience in the use of pine and spruce needles when growing tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes. In the first case, we added ash to a mixture of pine and spruce needles, boiled the mixture in water, filtered it, and then treated 10 tomato bushes twice with a solution having a ratio of 1:5. By this we managed to induce them to more intensive growth and eliminate the backlog in development. What is important, the treated bushes bloomed earlier and more amicably than all the others and did not hurt anything, and the harvest on them was greater than on the untreated bushes.

But, perhaps, strawberries and potatoes were the most pleasing, when planting which, in the first case, a mixture of needles with sand, ash and compost was used in equal proportions, and in the second - a mixture of needles, bark, ash and compost in the same ratio, and on In a strawberry bed, the mixture was embedded in the soil of the upper layer, and when planting potatoes, it was applied under the tubers and on them in a volume of about 1 liter per bush. As it turned out, strawberry bushes, being in such soil and having enough nutrition and moisture, did not have pests and diseases, bloomed faster than others and yielded a crop of almost 1.5 times more than before. At the same time, the berries differed not only in their large size, but also had some particularly pleasant taste.

Excellent results when using needles are obtained by the famous experienced gardener L. Rendyakov. In his practice, he covers the onion plantings with coniferous spruce branches, and after removing the spruce branches after 2-3 weeks, the top layer of soil is well mulched with needles, due to which the soil retains friability, nutritional value and moisture for the entire period of onion cultivation, does not have weeds and protects plantings from diseases and pests . As a result of all this, from 1 kg of sevka, the yield of a full-fledged onion is up to 40 kg, and for about 4 years and regardless of the weather.

From all of the above, it can be seen that the needles effectively serve not only as a doctor of the garden and vegetable garden, but also as a fertilizer for the soil and plants. This is explained by the fact that the needles contain, first of all, a very rich complex of physiologically active substances; it also contains many chemical elements: calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, cobalt, zinc, etc.