How to improve the fertility of the land in the garden. How to increase soil fertility in a summer cottage

Summer residents usually get not the best land plots: low soil fertility, a small arable layer, which, unfortunately, is not enough to get high yields. What is left for us?

Yes, improve them. And in a fundamental way. Most fruit crops a layer of soil of at least half a meter is required. And we have it 15-25 cm. Is that why trees have a hard time? They are forced to form a mostly superficial root system. Here it suffers more from drought, frost, weeds, etc.

Improving the structure with liming

Liming also improves soil structure. In conditions middle lane RF is vital. All our soils are acidic to varying degrees. It's good that at least some plants put up with this. But most still do not like strong acidity.

Potatoes and currants are easily tolerated, but cucumbers, onions, cabbage, beets are not respected. In addition, from acidic soil phosphorus is poorly absorbed, no matter how much superphosphate you add, there will be no sense. Because the subsoil is also acidic. To defeat acidity forever is unlikely: after 3-5 years it is restored. Therefore, liming should be carried out every 3-5 years with a full dose of 0.5-1 kg per square meter. meter. Or you can apply lime in small doses every year: 100-200 g in the fall for digging. It must be remembered that the introduction of excess lime leads to a decrease in the absorption of potassium. So keep the measure.

Increasing the amount of humus

Fertile soil contains a lot of organic matter, humus. It is possible, of course, to have good yields on mineral fertilizers. But then the soil will gradually lose its structure (cloddy), become dusty, and compress. Roots in such soil suffocate.

The structure, as you know, is improved by organic substances - manure, peat, grass, sawdust, waste, etc. Better rotted. If the soil is very clayey, sand is added; if it is too sandy, clay can be thrown. Sand should not be introduced into loose soil, it immediately falls down, and there is little sense from it (some kind of drainage).

Addition of phosphate fertilizers

Useful substances are removed from the soil with the harvest, so fertility must be maintained. From the atmosphere, plants obtain water (in the form of rain), carbon dioxide, and possibly some trace elements from the polluted atmosphere in the form of acid rain. Everything else must be applied - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace elements in the form of mineral and organic fertilizers.

Only leguminous plants are able to use nitrogen from the atmosphere thanks to nodule bacteria living on their roots. The rest take it from the ground.

Fertility is affected by moisture conditions. Excess moisture leads to suffocation, rotting of the roots. What a harvest. Unstable moisture also reduces the yield and its quality: cracking and ugliness of root crops and even fruits.

Preservation of beneficial microorganisms

An important role is played by microorganisms living in the earth. Useful ones contribute to plant nutrition, decompose organic matter to a soluble, assimilable form by plants, and improve soil structure. Harmful microorganisms cause disease, rot. Which group will dominate the site depends on whether you create favorable conditions for their active life. That is, will there be food (organic matter), water, air for them.

Now artificial microorganisms (EM technology) are often introduced. In a certain sense, we can say that there is some sense in this. But not everyone gets the desired results. For some reason, it is overlooked that organic substances (manure, peat, grass) are needed for the work of these microorganisms. If microorganisms are simply introduced into empty soil, there will be no effect.

Summer residents should be warned against trying to disinfect the soil with the help of pesticides, because at the same time beneficial microorganisms are killed. There will be dead ground. Residual substances will also get through the roots into the fruits. It is better to fight the infection through crop rotation, alternating crops every year and returning them to the old place after four to five years.

When using the moldboard plowing method, as well as when applying herbicides, pesticides and mineral fertilizers, the soil becomes unsuitable for growing plants in a very short time. There is salinization of the soil, the destruction of its structure, the washing out of humus as the main source of fertility, the complete destruction of soil microflora and fauna. As a result of such short-sighted human actions, crop yields are falling sharply, and a thoughtless increase in the application of mineral fertilizers further exacerbates this process.
It takes at least 300 years to create a centimeter layer of chernozem under natural conditions. For 10 years of improper exploitation of the soil, it is possible to destroy what nature has created for more than one thousand years.

How to quickly fix this difficult situation?

It is very simple - thanks to the developed biotechnologies, in 3-5 years it is possible to increase the humus layer by 1 cm.
If compost, manure or humus is introduced into the soil, then soil bacteria will transfer them into digestible forms of fertilizers for plants. But this process is lengthy and inefficient. Earthworms will help speed it up.

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The development of a summer cottage, where nothing cultural has grown for a long time, is not a quick matter. How to make beds that will give next year good harvest? The well-known gardener and gardener Nikolai Kurdyumov tells how to improve clay soil, sandy and how do-it-yourself beds differ from ordinary ones.

My friend in his youth lived in the famous village of Starocherkasskaya, the capital of the Don Cossacks. Don floodplain, meadow chernozems, two meters high, soft. And his garden was also on the site of the old regimental stables.

I remember he sincerely complained: well, it's a real torment to harvest! Potatoes in weeds - almost a bucket from a bush, beets - two pieces no longer fit into a bucket! Of course, to improve such soil is only to spoil it. It is enough for her to return as much organic matter as has grown on it. And digging it is a crime. But we have few such happy places. My friend is just lucky.

For us, simple clayey, in order to achieve good fertility, we need to work with the soil. And in order not to wait years, it is better to immediately improve the soil in the beds - the first and last time, but dramatically. Oh, how many times I regretted not doing it right away!

Soil improvement during site development: where to start

If your soil is heavy loam, then you need humus, sand, and, if possible, a fine screening of expanded clay. If it is poor sandy loam, clay and humus are needed. In both cases, a third of the new volume of the beds should be organic matter, which has rotted to varying degrees. And only a peat bog needs fresh nitrogenous organics: grass or hay, kitchen waste, unusable grain or spoiled feed. And also some clay and sand.

Renowned Austrian permaculturist and nature farmer Sepp Holzer uses his method to rapidly build up humus reserves in extremely poor soils and harsh climates. A trench 40–50 cm deep and of the same width is dug in place of the beds. It is clogged with dry trunks, branches, rotten. This is the primary supply of slow organics and a "sponge" for moisture during the drought.

Then the trench is dug in, and in the Sepp version, the earth is thrown from the sides, fitting into a rampart 70–100 cm high. The meaning of the rampart is a huge difference in microclimate. Sunny windward side - hot and dry. Sunny lee - hot and humid, subtropics. Shady without wind - humid and not hot, shady with wind - not hot, but it blows out moisture.

On the shady side, the plants will climb up the ridge. In the sun - they will bush and fly, like on the beach. Considering all this, Sepp sows the shaft with a mixture different plants- cereals, pumpkins and marrows, beans, corn and sunflowers - everything that has large seeds and quickly increases biomass.

By the way, the area of the slopes of the rampart is one and a half of the area of its base.

The finished shaft is covered with straw or hay, strengthened from the wind with branches, and the branches with longitudinal poles. The great dignity of the shaft - early and fast heating of the soil. A trench formed between the ridges - branches were also placed in it and covered with straw. The roots will reach here too.

Sowing is done directly into the straw using a pointed peg. Seeds germinate after rains. All plant residues remain on the ridge. A year later, potatoes are planted here, and various rutabaga with turnips, and pumpkins with zucchini, and on top - a wall of corn.

Beautiful, deep, natural! But to be honest, this is for the most enthusiastic permaculture and personally Sepp owners of a hectare. For my garden, three acres is not an option. We are not accustomed to climbing steep ramparts and unraveling freely mixed bushes. We do not know the behavior of different plants so much. I won't take it from the air. So I'm leaning towards more conventional methods.

In my early books - "according to John Jevons". In fact, all smart gardeners and growers do this. But it just so happened: Jevons wrote a bestseller, I read it in the late 90s and was impressed.

John is an American organ farmer and hard worker, the inventor of "bio-intensive mini-agriculture" (BIMZ). The yields from his beds were many times larger than traditional ones - you must admit, this is impressive.

He began to invent on extremely bad, poor soil. Therefore, I improved it immediately, and then increased fertility not from scratch. The meaning is simple: you need to mix the soil with organic matter (and, if necessary, with sand or clay) to a depth of two bayonets of a shovel. Well, two bayonets - this is in hot California. One and a half (35-40 cm) is enough for us. And three or four spades wide.

Jevons suggests mixing the soil with additives, gradually moving along the garden: removed upper layer, mixed the bottom with compost, returned the top layer, mixed it with compost, moved a little further ... I make it easier. Improving my clay bed with sand, I take out the most fertile top layer entirely and fold it from the edge. I mix additives into the bottom and return the top layer to its place, also mixing something.

The top, most organic layer is taken out, it is on the left. The bottom is mixed with sand. The top layer is returned in the same way with sand. This is the only way I have been able to drastically reduce the density of my clay soil. The comfort zone for the roots has almost doubled in depth. It remains to re-structure the soil - this will be done by worms and roots.

So let's take the best of both worlds. We take out the upper 10–15 cm of the fertile soil. We deepen the bottom with a trench deep into the bayonet of a shovel. In the trench - logs and thick branches, but not thick, so that the capillary connection with the subsoil is quickly restored.

It is harmless to lightly powder this windbreak with some kind of nitrogen fertilizer, moisten it with a dung mash or the contents of a dry closet - it will rot faster. It is useful to throw in some fresh weeds - the same nitrogen. In the dry south it is exceptionally harmless to pour hydrogel, circles per square meter.

We return down the subsoil from the trench, pushing it between the pieces of wood. We scatter the excess subsoil in the aisles or take it away. At the bottom we put one or two strips of immature compost or grass, flavored with EM, "Shine" or another bioactivator. Then we fill the bed with the top layer taken out, interspersed with additives (sand / clay) and humus.

It turns out a raised bed - a convex gentle shaft. The bulge adds a lot of space and light to the plants, and in the spring it better receives the sun's rays. For the damp Non-Black Earth Region and - an ideal option for do-it-yourself beds. IN steppe zone need and .

In the photo - beds-ridges on the site of Irina Kalmykova on Taman. They warm up much earlier and better. Here, in a very dry area, they are covered with a special mulch film, under which drip tapes lie.

The result of our sweating: the bed is ready to immediately give a decent harvest. The difference is visible in the first year. Look at the photo. Three cucumber bushes on the right are on improved soil, two on the left are on normal soil. Garden L. Lobanov, Ivanovo.

In the next photo, the soil on the right is also improved. Filling with organics and bioactivator at the same time added warmth to the soil. Eggplant yield is 9 times more than from the left control bush. Experience of A. Bushikhin, Yaroslavl.

Already a lot! But this is only the beginning. The soil is not yet inhabited by living creatures, not structured, not pierced by roots, not sown with coprolites of worms and other poop. Now we will improve it every year with natural forces: plants, worms, microbes and fungi. But it is already easy. Our main business is feed the soil workers and all kinds of organic matter. Another important work don't disturb them. The rest they will do themselves. And I assure you - they will make it as wonderful as you never dreamed of.

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How to increase soil fertility, improve its composition, structure - these are the most important issues that summer residents have to solve.
The soil is called fertile if it contains the necessary amount of nutrients for plants. If the yield of the beds is gradually decreasing, and the planted plants often get sick or do not look quite right, the reason is most likely a decrease in soil fertility. What can be done?

Method number 1: give the earth a rest

Can be given the opportunity various sites land just to rest. This means that for a whole year they will not be planted there. cultivated plants. But the weeds, which will immediately grow, must be removed in a timely manner, without giving them the opportunity to grow and produce seeds. By winter, you should dig up the ground in a rested area, turning the top layer down.

Method number 2: dig up the weeds

Most cheap way improving the fertility of the land is to mow weeds that have not yet formed seeds from the surface of an unsown bed. If the weeds have become tall, they must be crushed and scattered over the surface of the bed (the layer can reach 10-15 cm), and then they are dug up to a depth of 20-25 cm. Under the soil layer, the weeds will rot and provide the soil with many important nutrients. The soil structure will also improve.

Method number 3: Sow the beds with winter rye

It is possible in the fall, having removed the entire crop and dug the ground shallowly, sow the beds with winter rye. In the spring, overwintered rye should be dug deep along with the weeds that will be there by this time. And after two weeks you can already sow.

Method number 4: plant lupine

An excellent tool for enriching the earth is lupine. He has developed root system contributing to the loosening of the earth. As a plant of the legume family, lupine enriches the earth with nitrogen. Usually it is sown somewhere at the end of April, the ground has barely thawed. Lupine grows quickly, and as soon as the peduncle appears, the bed is urgently dug deep, crushing the lupine with a shovel. Then the lupine should be re-sown. He will have time to grow before the cold weather, the buds will appear again. They dig it up again (or you can leave it to winter). After three times, the fertility of the soil will increase greatly.

Method number 5: we plant peas, mustard and other herbs

Peas are also used to improve fertility. Moreover, in this case, the gardener has the opportunity to harvest, but it is important not to miss here: you need to dig up the tops while the plants are still green, do not begin to fade, do not wither. Next, it is recommended to sow mustard, which will die after the first frost. She is immediately dug up.
Here are the herbs that can be planted with further digging: vetch, lupine, beans, alfalfa, rapeseed, sweet clover, clover, buckwheat. These plants improve the soil and suppress weeds.

Method number 6: collect autumn leaves

Every autumn, nature gives us a huge amount of leaves. But it is also an excellent source of improving soil fertility. The leaves are collected. If there are not enough of them, they bring them from the forest. Put in a pile, sprinkled with earth. The leaves will rot, rot, fungal spores and larvae die from high temperatures. By spring, fertilizer is ready, which can be applied to the soil.
If you don't want to pile up, lay directly on the beds (15 cm high). In this case, be sure to pour a strong solution of potassium permanganate and dig.

Method number 7: we plant medicinal plants

Sometimes the soil, like us humans, needs medicine to repair itself. In these cases, plant medicinal plants: calendula, marigold, garlic, etc.

Method number 8: we populate Californian worms

A very effective, but not yet popular enough tool is to use California worms, which, unlike ordinary ones, are very prolific and live long.

Method number 9: use fertilizers

And, of course, they improve productivity very well. land plot organic fertilizers. But we must remember that this is not fresh manure, which is very aggressive as it destroys plants by burning them. Only after overheating, manure turns into organic fertilizer. Significantly more time will be needed for the overheating of bird droppings and pig manure. But cow and horse manure overheats faster.

The soil is the basis of the harvest. The development and growth of plants depends on the quality of the soil. Therefore, everything must be known about the soil on the site - in particular, what determines its fertility and how to increase it. In order for all garden crops to grow strong and healthy, the soil must be saturated nutrients. In the article we will tell you how to increase soil fertility in various agrotechnical ways.

What are the types of soil?

The soil is fruitful if the plants can absorb the necessary trace elements and moisture from it. In poor soil, there are few substances necessary for plants, and its structure is such that access to them is poor.

The composition of the soil can be: sandy, sandy, clay, loamy and podzolic.

Soil fertility can be improved by folk ways and chemical fertilizers

Clay soil is infertile, because it has a poor structure: it warms up for a long time, and there is not enough air in it. Water does not penetrate deep into such a land, it swims and, drying up, forms a crust on the surface. Clay chernozem is considered an exception.
Loamy soil is a cross between sandy and clay. It (except for strongly podzolic) has an excellent structure, a large reserve necessary elements and has increased fertility, therefore it is suitable for growing various crops on it.
Sandy and sandy soils are the poorest. They contain a lot of sand and little silt and dust. Such lands pass water well, however, in their lower part, all useful microelements are washed out by water. They warm up quickly, but due to lack of moisture, they are not highly valued.
Podzolic soil high humidity considered acidic. Horsetail and sorrel grow well on it. It can be determined by the whitish layer, which is not very deep. Useful minerals it is located in the lower layers, there is almost no humus, and there are few elements for plant nutrition.

Salt licks contain sodium sulphate and sodium chloride (easily soluble salts) at shallow depths. At high humidity, salt licks become structureless and sticky, since the silty particles absorb little sodium. In spring, salt licks dry for a long time, and when completely dry, they become hard. Therefore, they are not easy to handle.

Types of fertility

Before you equip a garden on your site, you need to determine how fertile the soil on it is. If it turns out that it does not meet the requirements for growing crops on it, then the situation can be corrected by increasing its fertility. Read also the article: → "". But how does it happen?

Soil fertility is of several types:

Natural. This fertility is characteristic of the agrolandscape in its natural state - this is determined by the efficiency of natural phytocenoses.
Artificial. This fertility is achieved by changes in the structure of the soil, thanks to human activities.
Potential. It is characterized by the ability of the soil to produce a crop. This possibility is not always realized, because much depends on economic activity people and climatic conditions. High potential fertility is fully characteristic chernozem soil, low - podzolic. However, this indicator is relative: in arid zones, chernozems show a much lower yield than podzolic ones.
Effective. This is potential fertility, which can be realized under certain conditions - agrotechnical and climatic. Effective fertility depends not only on the properties of the soil, the type of landscape, the economic activity of people, but also on the crops grown.
Economic. It is measured by the value of the crop.

Basically, the level of soil fertility increases due to fertilizers and top dressings.

What determines soil fertility?

To determine the composition of the soil, one should: take a handful of earth from arable land, add a little water, mix thoroughly, bringing it to a pasty state; roll the mixture into a tourniquet and give it the shape of a donut. Then parse the result:

When bent, the “donut” does not crack, which means that the soil is clayey.
When bent, the "donut" cracks - you are dealing with loam.
It is possible to roll a tourniquet from the mixture, but not to make a “donut” out of it: the soil is sandy loam.
The dough from the mixture is not kneaded at all, which means that the soil is sandy.

Sometimes the soil is suitable only for growing weeds. To determine this, you need to know the conditions of its fertility:

With a fertile layer thickness of less than 10 centimeters, you won’t even be able to form a lawn on such land.
If thickness fertile soil 15-17 centimeters, perennial grass crops can be sown on it.
For planting trees, the thickness of the fertile layer should be 25-30 centimeters - it is at this depth that the root system is formed.
For shrubs, the thickness of fertile soil is 15-20 centimeters. According to experts, fertile layer soil should average 18-20 centimeters. Read also the article: → "".

How to fertilize different types of soil?

Having learned the properties of the soil on their site, gardeners understand that it needs to be improved. But a large number fertilizers will not be tolerated by poor land. Peat application is not the most effective way.

Clay soil: how to increase fertility

In order to restore the fertility of clay soil, you must adhere to the following instructions:

IN autumn period start spreading: 3 kg/sq. m of fertilizer, 0.2-0.3 kg of ash, 0.35-0.6 kg of lime.
Plow the soil to a depth of 25 centimeters. On clay soils, heat-loving vegetables are grown on beds and ridges.
On heavy soil, seeds should be sown at a shallower depth, and seedlings should be planted at an angle so that its roots are in warmer layers.
When planting potato tubers on a flat surface, they should be at a depth of no more than 6-8 centimeters. When backfilling tubers, composted peat must be added to the soil.

Tip #1 Hilling plants should be done in two stages. After the second stage, the height of the crest should be 15-18 centimeters.

Clay soils are improved by adding sand

How to improve sandy soil

To increase the yield of such soil, it is necessary to improve its structure and balance its moisture content.

Fertilizers should be applied to the soil in stages and at different depths - in order to activate the reproduction of microorganisms useful for plants, which will increase the yield.
Take the annual rate of fertilizer (0.4 kg of lime, 4 kg / sq. m of manure) and divide it in half.
Apply one part in the fall to the soil to a depth of 25 centimeters, the other - in the spring to a depth of 15 centimeters.
For the best effect, the ashes are placed in rows and holes.
To improve the fertility of sandy soil, lupine should be planted in it.
IN spring period mineral fertilizers contribute along with organic. A mixture of fertilizer with humus in a ratio of 1: 2 is more effective.
After fertilization for sandy soil early heat-loving plants grow well, which must be grown on a flat surface.
Seeds in the soil should be sown quite deep, and potato tubers - to a depth of at least 12 centimeters.
There is no need to carry out hilling. (In rainy weather - 1 time).

Acidic soil: how to enrich the composition

To enrich the composition of acidic soil, you need to add wood ash and lime, which contains calcium, which is often lacking. To get rid of acidity, 1 kg / sq. m limestone. Then the soil is fed with organic and mineral fertilizers.

Salt licks: how to improve the soil

To improve soil fertility with a predominance of solonetzes, the following should be done:

Phosphogypsum should be added to a deeply plowed solonetz - 500 g / sq. m. on solonetzic soils - 200 g / sq.m.
Fine gypsum can also be used to improve salt licks. It can be alternated with manure: first you need to add gypsum, and in next year- manure. Read also the article: → "".
On the small areas solonetzic soils contribute a layer of fertile soil 20 centimeters thick.
To increase the fertility of solonetzic soil, calcium sulfate is also added to it. It will absorb calcium and remove salt from the bottom layer. After that, the soil absorbs water well and becomes structural.

To improve fertility, the soil must be prepared for top dressing.

Waterlogged soil: how to dry

In this situation, the removal of ground and surface water is needed.
It is necessary to prevent soil erosion in certain areas. The beds are usually placed across.
If the soil is on slight slope and well processed, it absorbs much more water.

Tip #2 Lands suffering from erosion are best planted perennials with a small root system.

Ways to increase soil fertility in the country

If the indicators of soil fertility decrease, then this is expressed not only in a decrease in yield. Plants become vulnerable to various diseases, damage by insect pests. What do we have to do?

Organize correct crop rotation, which provides for the following: annual and biennial crops it can be planted in its original place after about 5 years. Thus, it is desirable to change the seeding site of crops every year.
Sow in the field healing herbs. In particular, garlic, marigolds, nettle, shepherd's purse, wormwood, etc., have a healing effect on the soil.
Use California worms. The popularity of this method is just beginning to grow - the soil rich in worms is becoming much more fertile. A subspecies of ordinary worms - Californian help to restore the soil. Red Californian long-lived worms are especially effective. Their advantages: they are very prolific and perfectly digest various organic matter.
Treat the soil thermally. This is a radical method. At heat treatment pests and weeds are destroyed. Unfortunately, it is not possible to process large areas. This method is often used in greenhouses and greenhouses.
Apply organic fertilizers - manure, ash, compost.
Give rest to the soil, as it also gets tired. Do not sow anything on it for a year. In between, it is necessary to weed, mulch the soil, and fertilize it. In autumn, such a site must be dug up so that the top layer is at the bottom.

Soil mulching to increase yields

Mixed planting as a way to improve soil quality

Do mixed landings crops, when a satellite plant is planted next to the main crops - one of the methods to increase soil fertility. At the same time, the general condition of plants improves, their morbidity decreases, and taste qualities fruits. This method helps prevent soil depletion. You can plant them between beds, along garden paths. In addition, they attract bees, because of which the main plants are pollinated, which means that the yield increases.

Most often, medicinal and spice plants, as well as plants with a weakly branched and highly branched root system, are used as satellite plants. So, for example, crops that have a short growing season are placed next to those that have a longer period of development and growth.

Combinations of crops in mixed planting

The table below shows the most successful combinations crop plantings:

Name of culture	Favorable combination
Basil	Tomatoes, goats, cucumbers, kohlrabi, onions
Marigold	Cabbage
Mustard
Hyssop	All horticultural crops
white cabbage, cauliflower	Dill
Coriander	Beets, potatoes, strawberries
Watercress	Head and leaf lettuce, radish, radish
Corn	Pumpkin, beans, cucumbers, potatoes
Kupyr	Head and leaf lettuce, radish
Lavender	All perennial flower and all vegetable crops
Onion	Head and leaf lettuce, beans, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumbers, onions, beets, asparagus, dill, tomatoes, savory
chives	Carrots, cabbage
Marjoram	Carrot
Nasturtium	Tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, zucchini, radishes
borage	Cucumbers, strawberries, cabbage, zucchini
Parsley	Radish, cabbage, potatoes
Radish	Head and leaf lettuce, spinach, dill
Rosemary	Carrot
Thyme	All horticultural crops
Dill	Beets, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, head and leaf lettuce

The impact of green manure on soil fertility

Sowing green manure - plants that are characterized by a high content of starch, protein, nitrogen - is one of the ways to increase soil fertility. They are sown after the main harvest - in late August-September. They grow until the time of flowering. Then they should be mowed and left over the winter on the ground.

Another great way to improve soil fertility is to use green manure.

Green manure properties:

enrich the soil with phosphorus, potassium, calcium, nitrogen, which are formed after the decomposition of the root system;
loosen, improve soil structure;
favorably affect the water-holding capacity of the soil due to its enrichment with organic substances;
stimulate the action of beneficial microorganisms;
prevent the development of harmful microorganisms, being the protection of horticultural crops from diseases;
suppresses the development of weeds;
attracts insects that pollinate plants;
protect the soil from overheating, weathering, erosion;
reduces soil acidity.

Improving soil fertility without fertilizer in one year

Green manures are able to improve the composition of the soil, affecting its fertility:

Family	The nature of the influence
Legumes	Saturate the soil with oxygen
Cruciferous, cereals	Retain nitrogen in the soil; protect against mineralization and washout
Hydrophilic, legumes, cruciferous, Asteraceae	Protect against weeds, prevent erosion
Cruciferous (colza, rapeseed)	Activate the formation of organic substances
Cruciferous (mustard), legumes	Favor the release of poorly soluble phosphate
Cruciferous (rapeseed, oilseed radish)	Prevent leaching of minerals
Cruciferous, legumes	Improve soil structure by loosening the roots of its upper horizons
Hydrophilic, legume, Compositae	Protect against nematodes
Compositae, hydrophilic, cruciferous (mustard), legumes (broad beans)	Attract honey insects

Rubric "Question-Answer"

Green manures - green fertilizers

Question. How can siderates be classified?

Siderates are conditionally divided into several groups:

cruciferous: colza, white mustard, oilseed radish, rapeseed;
buckwheat: buckwheat;
Compositae: sunflower;
hydrophilic: phacelia;
cereals: rye, oats, barley, wheat;
legumes: sweet clover, lentils, seradella, alfalfa, vetch, fodder beans, nomad, beans, lupins, peas, clover sainfoin.

Among all siderates, the most great importance have beans. They significantly enrich the soil with nitrogen, as they easily absorb it from the atmosphere. Indicators of nitrogen assimilation by cultivated plant species increase by 50%.

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