Soil preparation for planting. Soil preparation for planting - spring work in the country

Preparation for the gardening season begins in early spring. But before that, at the end of winter, careful planning must be done so that preparatory work proved to be the most effective. If you have a site plan, great. If not, you will have to make a trip to the dacha and conduct a “reconnaissance” of the area. You need to get an accurate idea of ​​what and how much you will grow in the coming season. And as soon as April comes, start preparing the land for the future bountiful harvest.

Start of preparatory work

Preparation of beds in the spring begins, depending on the climatic conditions of your area. Traditionally in the middle lane this is April. The main thing is that the snow melts and the temperature rises above zero.

You should not go "into the field" as soon as the last snow has disappeared. Wait for the sun to dry upper layer soil, and moisture from melting snow will go deeper into the ground.

While the garden looks like a mud bath, the summer resident has something to do. Gardening also requires attention. And so as not to waste precious time on processing and pruning fruit trees and berry bushes do it first.

They need to be freed from insulation and protective shelters, whitened, if you have not done this before, spend sanitary pruning until the buds wake up, and perform preventive treatment to keep the young green leaves that will appear soon from greedy pests.

How to know that the soil is ready for cultivation

To understand whether or not the land is ready for spring preparation of beds, people have long used a proven method. Take some earth in the palm of your hand and try to crumble it. The soil should break up into small fragments.

If it lies in a sticky block, it is too early to process. But if it crumbles as soon as you touch it, then you are a little late, and the earth has dried up.

You should not wait for the soil to dry out, otherwise you will have to carry out water-charging watering of the entire garden before sowing. To make the soil ready for cultivation faster, for sowing cold-resistant and early cultures, pour peat on the remains of snow in the beds. This will speed up the warm-up and allow you to start processing earlier.

Preparation by stages

As with any planned action, spring training the beds have their own stages, each of which must be completed in its own time. Much depends on what garden work was carried out in the fall.

Digging

If you have not dug up the ground since autumn (it is recommended to do this in October, when the crop is harvested, the remains are removed, but the cold has not yet come in full force), digging will be the first step in preparing for sowing. Don't dig deep in the spring. If a autumn digging it is done 25 cm deep, in the spring 15 cm is enough. But the turnover of the reservoir must be complete so that all the lower part of the soil is on top.

Fertilizer

Simultaneously with digging, the soil is saturated with nitrogen. You can only apply well and completely rotted compost or manure. If in the fall you dug up the garden and added organic matter, you can skip these two steps and go directly to loosening. If you are digging and fertilizing in the spring, wait a week for the soil to recompact slightly.

loosening

The dug up earth must be loosened. The loosening layer should be shallow - 5-10 cm. In this case, all roots are removed weeds so that they do not germinate, becoming an obstacle to the sprouts of sown cultivated seeds. If digging is carried out with a shovel, then for loosening it is better to use a rotary cultivator or, in the case of the formation of earthen blocks, a star roller.

These devices can break up earth seals, give the soil uniformity and light structure.

Weeds and other plant waste that you have removed from the garden can be composted. Also, autumn foliage collected from the site is allowed here, if the trees are not affected by fungal diseases. Plants can be transferred to compost pit manure or sprinkle with humus. In the first case, it will take more time to rot the compost mass.

Leveling and marking ridges

Loose soil must be leveled. This can be done with an ordinary rake. After that, you can start marking the ridges. Traditionally maximum width beds should not exceed 1.2 m, so that it is convenient to carry out sowing, weeding, breakthrough and other plant care work. The length can be any, at your discretion.

Along the edge of the bed, if there is no border on the border with the passage, it is good to fill in earthen rollers, up to 8 cm high. They will not allow moisture to drain from the ridge during irrigation and protect the usable sown area from the penetration of weeds from the outside.

If the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe garden allows, create ideal beds, the width of which will be 60-70 cm. Between them, arrange paths of approximately the same width. Then everyone, even tall garden plants will have enough sunlight moisture and space in the soil to grow to its full potential.

Interesting way:

The paths are also dug up, like the ridges, but not as deep, only to remove weed rhizomes from the soil. After the beds are ready, the paths are sprinkled with sawdust or other mulching material. So weeds will not grow on them, which otherwise will soon be in the usable area of ​​the garden, interfering with cultivated plants and taking away nutrients from them.

Can be equipped high beds. This is especially true in the northern regions. Their borders are outlined half a meter wide wooden beam, slate, board, any materials so that you get a kind of box. The inside is filled with earth at a level higher than 35-45 cm than the level of the garden. The width can be about a meter, but not more than 1.2 m.

How to improve the soil

Sometimes it is necessary to improve not only the structure, but also the quality of the soil. In the spring, this is done by fertilizing. To understand exactly what substances need to be applied, evaluate the quality of the soil. This can be done manually by determining the type by the nature of the earthy coma. Clay soils from a lump do not break. Fertile chernozems break up with medium force. Sandstone crumbles instantly.

What can be used.

1. organic fertilizers.
2. mineral fertilizers.
3. Peat or sand bedding.

When applying fertilizers and auxiliary substances, the measure is important. Don't cut many components, choose one or two, depending on the needs of your soil.

What ingredients are added to the soil.

How to cook ridges in greenhouses

In the greenhouse in the spring, it is also necessary to prepare the area for sowing. This is done two weeks earlier than the weather allows you to start preparing in the garden.

Often in greenhouses, crop rotation is not observed very carefully. They have been sown the same crops in their places for years. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully prepare the soil for sowing in a greenhouse.

1. Replace the top layer first. Remove about 15 cm of the old soil, take it out of the greenhouse (it can be used in open beds) and fill this place with freshly prepared soil.
2. For topping up, the soil is prepared from soddy soil, river sand, humus and peat in a ratio of 1: 1: 3: 5.
3. Next, the poured soil must be well moistened by choosing any method of watering. You can, if there is still snow outside the greenhouse, throw it on the greenhouse beds. When melted, it will provide the necessary moisture.
4. The last step is loosening, marking the beds and arranging holes or furrows for sowing seeds.

One of the most important stages in the annual work of a gardener is soil preparation for planting seedlings. How to properly prepare the soil, what components and in what proportions to mix - about this in our today's article on the website for.

To obtain strong and healthy seedlings, a properly prepared soil mixture is necessary. What does it mean? The substrate should be light, homogeneous, air and moisture permeable, nutritious and non-acidic. Many gardeners have learned how to create the right soil. Today we will share a few proven recipes with you.

Preparing the soil for seedlings - farming methods

1. Direct food. Growing plants on mineral fertilizers gives a quick result, but the taste of such vegetables and usefulness become lower. Mineral ions are instantly absorbed by root threads, but do not protect plants from diseases. In the future, it is necessary to repeatedly apply pesticides.
2. Mediation food. Through bacteria and fungi, which process elements into suitable for absorption by plants. This natural farming does without pesticides. Plants do not get sick, as fungi and bacteria secrete substances that prevent diseases.
3. Complementary food. Used as direct power supply elements ( mineral fertilizers), and intermediary nutrition (through living organisms).

Mineral fertilizers do not protect seedlings from diseases

Soil preparation for seedlings - method 1

If you want to get a truly healthy and tasty crop of vegetables, use this recipe for preparing soil for growing seedlings. It was created according to the principle natural farming without the use of fast digesting nutritional supplements.

Take fine-grained soil from the garden, which has in its composition fungi and bacteria necessary for the processing of nutrients. Preparation for sowing seeds involves sifting it.

Garden soil contains beneficial bacteria and fungi

To increase the proportion of nutrients, add a fifth of biohumus to the soil. These are the waste products of worms, valuable for their composition. In the process of passing through the digestive tract of the worm, the soil is treated with bacteria that subsequently protect the plants from diseases.

Add ash from hardwoods or herbs to the composition. You can burn old hay or cut grass. On a bucket of soil - half a glass of ash. It contains all the nutrients that were in the plants. Especially big variety valuable substances in forbs.

For growing seedlings when preparing the soil, it is useful to add ash

Soil preparation for seedlings - method 2

The second recipe proposed by gardeners is based on the principle of mixed farming. In other words, it combines direct food and intermediary food. In this case, many components are involved in creating the soil for seedlings. For all cultures, you can prepare the same mixture.

High-quality nutrition for young plants will provide:

Sopravell - 0.5 l;
biohumus - 0.5 l;
bioneks - a handful;
farmed chicken manure - a handful;
fermented bran - a handful;
liquid bio-cocktail of mineral fertilizers ("Ecoperin", "NV", "Vostok", etc.).

The soil for seedlings should be loose and nutritious.

First of all, we mix all the dry ingredients, thoroughly rubbing the soil in our hands. Next, we produce moistening while maintaining a lumpy structure. To do this, do not pour, but spray the composition on the soil, mixing in your hands. To prepare the solution, you can not use chlorinated water - it is better to take rain, melted water or settled water.

The ideal moisture, which must be achieved when preparing the soil for planting seedlings, is determined as follows: when compressed, a lump should form, which easily disintegrates when moving.

Moistened nutrient soil mixture should be placed in a dark bag and tightly tied. A minimum of 2 weeks should be expected for soil preparation, a maximum of 2-3 months.

It takes at least 2 weeks to prepare the soil for planting seedlings.

Soil preparation for seedlings - method 3

Consider another recipe for preparing soil for seedlings from experienced summer residents. In this case, take peat or old humus (at least 2 years old), dried soddy soil in a state of small lumps and coconut flakes. All in the same amount.

To disinfect the earth, you can use the method of pickling in the oven or watering with a solution of potassium permanganate. But in this case, the result will be dead earth. It is better to use biological products: "Fitosporin", "Baikal", "Azofit".

Coconut shavings - an affordable soil baking powder for seedlings

As baking powder, vermiculite or perlite is suitable. More simple and affordable option- coconut shavings. A bucket should take 7-8 liters. It turns out a loose mass. In a month, microorganisms will do their job, there will be no pathogens in the soil, it will become like fluff. When preparing, ash should also be added to the soil - 1 cup per bucket - and 1 tsp. AVA fertilizers.

Preparing the soil for growing seedlings - method 4

The last method that we will consider does not involve the use of mineral supplements. As a basis, you can take the cheapest soil available for sale. It consists of peat of different layers: high-moor (not completely decomposed) and lowland (completely decomposed). It should not contain any other additives.

To improve the composition, we add sand to the soil for seedlings (in a volume identical to the volume of peat or slightly less). It is air and water permeable, makes the soil less dense, crumbly. The sand heats up quickly, which is good for seedling roots. In addition, it is heavy and serves as a counterweight for tall seedlings, preventing the pot from falling. sandy soil likes almost all seedlings.

When preparing the soil, it is worth adding sand

Sand can be taken at a construction site, it must be gray or white. Best of all - river. The main thing is not to take red sand, which contains iron oxide. It shouldn't be too small.

Peat soil is usually deoxidized at the production stage, but this is often not enough. Therefore, gardeners are advised to produce additional deoxidation - 1 tsp. chalk per liter of soil. For the nutritional value of the soil, biohumus is added - 1 liter per 10 liters. Good biohumus is dried, sifted, without large fractions. It is necessary to mix the composition very well, kneading with your hands. After two weeks, you can start growing seedlings.

Peat soil usually needs additional deoxidation

We examined 4 ways to prepare the soil for planting seedlings. You can also learn how to properly prepare the soil from the video.

A good harvest is always several components. All of them are important: the quality of the seeds, their proper preparation for sowing, the choice of variety, conditions and care. But there is one parameter whose influence is most important. This is the qualitative composition of the soil in which seedlings are grown. The yield of all seedling crops (and in our climate most vegetables are grown through seedlings) depends to a large extent on properly composed seedling soil.

There is no one universal soil that meets the needs of all plants. Every horticultural crop requires individual approach. Any plant makes its own demands on the soil mixture. But there are general rules that allow you to create a base soil, so that you can then optimize it for one or another crop with minimal effort.

Initial requirements for seedling soil

Depending on the type of plants that are grown by seedlings, the soil mixture can be composed of different components mixed in various proportions. But in all cases, it is necessary to comply with the initial requirements for seedling substrates.

Soil constituents

In the land intended for sowing seeds, components of organic and inorganic origin must be present.

Organic Ingredients:

• soil - soddy, leafy, garden;
• vegetable compost;
• decayed cattle manure;
• peat - lowland and highland;
• sphagnum, coconut fiber, seed husks, bark, sawdust;
• wood ash.

Peat is one of the most popular components of seedling soil mixtures.

It is not necessary that absolutely all the components from the list be present in the soil, but most - yes. The soil is best mixed from the three different soils: garden, which can be taken directly from the ridge (unless, of course, diseased or insect-affected plants did not grow there); leafy (from leaves that have rotted with the ground); turf (which is obtained by cutting turf). The soil is the basic element of the seedling substrate.

Compost - rotted plants - is necessarily mixed with rotted manure, which is called humus. This is the supplier of the necessary substances.

Advice! Do not sow vegetable seeds in manure, compost or lowland peat. Too much organic matter will cause the seedlings to overgrow leaf mass at the expense of rooting. As a result, seedlings will not take root well when planted on a garden bed or in greenhouse soil.

Peat is required, it is he who makes the soil fertile. The lowland contains about 70% of organic matter, the horse, consisting of sphagnum, makes the soil structure loose.

Peat is found in most potting mixes for seedlings. It is mined from swamps. This is not to say that it is a non-renewable resource. From decaying organic components under influence natural processes it is formed in swamps, but very slowly - over thousands of years. In addition, peat is part of the natural ecosystem - if you completely remove it from the swamps, or at least create a serious deficit, the ecological balance will be disturbed.

That is why scientists over the past decades have been trying to find a replacement for peat. And finally found. More and more producers of seedling soil mixtures are switching to use today.

Benefits of Coconut Fiber.

1. It is 100% organic with no chemical additives.
2. They are able to absorb and retain water, working like a sponge, retaining moisture for plants and not removing nutrients from the soil.
3. A layer of earth in a pot or container with a substrate that includes coconut fiber remains dry, which prevents soil fungi.
4. Coconut fiber has a pH level of about 6, so it normalizes the overall acidity of the entire substrate.
5. The fiber contains phosphorus, potassium, and other needed by plants substances in significant quantities.

Also, sunflower seed husks, tree bark, rotted sawdust, dry moss and other rippers are used to loosen the soil. Wood ash is added to normalize soil acidity.

Advice! Do not add nutrients to the soil more than the norm - an abundance of dressings is appropriate during the growing season, the seeds, inside which the plant embryo, have a sufficient supply of substances to form and release a full-fledged sprout. Enhanced nutrition of the seed is not required.

Inorganic components:

• river (in last resort, career) sand;
• perlite;
• vermiculite;
• expanded clay;
• mineral supplements.

Advice! Do not grind the components of the soil mixture too much and do not sift the mixture through a sieve with small cells - the fine-grained substrate will turn sour and “float” after each watering.

It is an excellent component of seedling soil mixture. This substance has a number of significant advantages.

1. Sterility - spores of fungal diseases and pathogens of infectious diseases do not settle in perlite.
2. The absence of insects - they simply do not start in the substance.
3. The absence of weed seeds - they do not take root in the soil mixture with perlite and do not germinate.
4. Preservation in its original state for a long time - perlite does not rot.
5. Light weight – perlite is very light.

Vermiculite- porous, environmentally friendly material that contains record number necessary sprouts already on early stages life of magnesium, potassium and calcium.

Drains the soil, acting as an organic leavening agent and helping to improve the structure and moisture capacity of the soil.

- a polymer compound, which, due to its properties, also serves to maintain a high moisture capacity in the soil.

Advice! For ease of watering and maintenance required humidity add to ready soil before sowing works hydrogel.

In addition to the required components, the following elements are also included in the soil mixture:

• ash;
• urea;
• potassium sulfate;
• chloride and potassium sulfate;
• ammonium nitrate;
• superphosphate.

What should not be in the soil

This small but important point is often overlooked. Amateur gardeners neglect it, as a result, all efforts to compile the right soil are wasted.

The following components should not enter the soil mixture:

• clay;
• fresh manure;
• not rotted plant residues;
• tea leaves, coffee grounds and other similar waste;
• salty sea sand.

Clay will make the soil heavy, impermeable to moisture and air, dense. Not rotted organics and coffee / tea will cause decay processes - they can begin to decompose, raising the temperature of the substrate, which will be detrimental to many seeds and seedlings. Also, the decomposition of organic matter will entail the release of nitrogen, which will evaporate, depleting the substrate.

Soil for various crops

The table below shows the composition of the soil for each of the most commonly grown vegetable crops.

Table. The composition of the soil mixture for common vegetable crops.

culture	Soil components and their proportions
	About 2 kg of garden soil, 1 - humus, ½ kg of sawdust (rotted), fine-grained wood bark or coconut fiber. For 6 kg of finished substrate - 40 g of ash, 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of urea.
	5 kg of soddy soil, 5 kg of high-moor peat, 2.5 kg of sand, 2 kg of humus, 1/4 kg of lime, 1/2 kg of ash or dolomite flour.
	6 kg of peat or 3 kg of leaf earth and coconut fiber, 2 kg of soddy soil, 1 kg of humus, 1 kg of sand, ¼ kg of lime.
	4 kg of peat, 2 kg of soddy soil, 1 kg of rotted sawdust or coconut fiber, 1 kg of humus.
	2 kg of peat, 2 kg of soddy soil, 2 kg of humus, 1 kg of coconut fiber or rotted sawdust, 1 kg of sand. For 6 liters of the mixture - 40 g of ash and 15 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate.
	8 kg of peat, 2 kg of sod land, 1 kg of river sand, mullein or humus, or 2 kg of vegetable compost, 1 kg of sawdust or coconut substrate. For 6 kg of the mixture - 10 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride, 20 g of superphosphate and 45 g of ash.
	2 kg of sheet soil, 2 kg of humus, 2 kg of peat or coconut substrate, 1 kg of sand. For 6 kg of the mixture - 50 g of ash, 15 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate.

How to prepare the soil mixture

In the process of preparing the soil for sowing seedlings, it is recommended to follow the instructions and follow step by step recommendations. It is necessary to start harvesting components in the fall. Also in the fall they are mixed. Then the finished soil is sent for freezing, which will serve as additional sterilization.

Important! At the stage of mixing the soil components, do not add nutritious mineral additives. Nutritional Supplements are introduced into the soil in spring, after the main sterilization, before planting seeds, in the form of solutions.

Soil preparation step by step instructions

Step 1. Prepare all the necessary components that you plan to add to the substrate. They must be dry and in different containers.

Step 2 Spread an oilcloth or other suitable bedding on the floor in the utility room, or take a large container (basin, trough, bath, tray) in which you will mix the soil components.

Step 3 Take a measuring container (glass, mug, etc.) or prepare the scales. Prepare tools - a spatula, small rakes - and put on gloves.

Step 4 Measure out right amount necessary components, place in a container or pour on an oilcloth, mix thoroughly.

Step 5 Pour the finished substrate into small bags (ideally - no more than 20 liters). If the bags are plastic, make a few small holes at the top so that the soil “breathes”.

Step 6 Install soil bags in a barn, utility room, where it will keep in winter subzero temperature.

If we talk about the middle lane, then watermelons here (as well as some other crops - for example, melon) are preferable to grow through seedlings. In fact, there is nothing complicated in this process, the main thing is to know how to do it.

Decontamination procedure

Harmful microorganisms contained in garden, leafy, soddy soil, peat, sand, humus and other essential components of the seedling substrate can harm the seeds, introducing an infection and reducing their germination. To prevent this from happening, the substrate must be disinfected. This is a very important procedure, which should not be neglected if you want to get a strong healthy seedlings and productive plants.

There are four ways to disinfect a substrate:

• freezing;
• steaming;
• calcination;
• pickling.

You can limit yourself to one method, but it is better to combine any of the first three with subsequent etching.

Important! Freezing is carried out during the winter. All other methods begin to be applied in January - February, when it is time to prepare the soil for sowing.

freezing

The method of disinfection by freezing consists in the fact that a bag of soil is left in a room where sub-zero temperatures are maintained in winter. If there is no such room, closer to spring, the soil is taken out to frost and left for a week at a temperature of about -10 ° C ... 15 ° C. Then the frozen soil is returned to heat and allowed to thaw for a week. During this time, all the germs of weeds and pests that were not destroyed by the first freezing will “wake up” in it. After that, the soil is again sent to frost. And so two or three times.

Steaming

by the most effective method freezing is considered disinfection. The most favorable for the soil is steaming. During this procedure, not only disinfection is carried out, but also the soil mixture is saturated with moisture. For steaming, the soil is poured into a sieve with a fine mesh (so that it does not spill out) and, while stirring, is kept over a container of boiling water for 8 minutes.

In order for the crop harvested from the fields to be rich and healthy, the farmer must know the basic properties of the soil, its types and the rules for preparing it before planting. By improving the qualitative composition of the soil and using biologically and chemically active preparations, the owner will be able to increase the yield and quality of the harvested products.

Soil is a substrate, formation, consisting of small solid particles of organic or inorganic origin with a distance between them that allows oxygen and water to penetrate into it in certain quantities. Soil is the main, most important and valuable resource in agriculture. From the state of the soil, its saturation with mineral elements, nutrients, water and air depends on the productivity, and, as a result, the profitability and efficiency of any production. Has long been owned fertile soil was considered a sign of prosperity, and the ability to properly cultivate it a century or two ago was one of the most important skills of any average person.

Basic soil properties

As an agricultural resource, soil has the following properties:

• indispensability;
• limited quantity;
• inability to move;
• fertility.

These features emphasize the need for an exceptionally careful attitude to soil resources and constant concern for increasing soil fertility (fertility is such a soil structure in which plants are freely provided with water and minerals).

The natural level of fertility is rarely conducive to the cultivation of demanding crops that require a large amount of nutrients. In addition, it decreases over time, as the number useful substances is limited, and every plant planted on a given soil absorbs them. Applying fertilizers, organic or mineral, fighting weeds, planting crops herbaceous plants, using plowless and high-tech tillage systems, any agricultural enterprise or farm can achieve high level so-called effective fertility: the state of the soil in which it is able to supply nutrients to a given number of plants.

Scientists say that in terms of mechanical composition, the best soils for growing different cultures are rich in humus, loose sandy and loamy soils. Agriculture is carried out in areas with suitable soils for cultivation, under climatic conditions characteristic of the area and easily tolerated by plants. Production in small areas does not make sense. In this regard, agro-industrial enterprises, as a rule, are based on large areas, which leads to the need for mechanization of production.

Over time, any productive force wears out. The soil at rational use of its resources, regular fertilization, carrying out restoration work does not deteriorate, but, on the contrary, it becomes better, soil fertility increases. It performs many functions in the biosphere, the main ones are:

• is the habitat of some animals;
• is a "supplier" of nutrition for plants;
• collects and accumulates an impressive amount of chemical energy;
• maintains the balance of the biosphere.

All of the above speaks of the value of the soil and its exceptional benefits with proper, rational use. To provide optimal conditions germination of the crop, it is necessary to carefully prepare the soil.

First you need to understand what type of soil should be cultivated:

• Clay soil is hard, with strong moisture such soil becomes viscous, easily deformed, but breaks with difficulty. Some varieties of roses, irises, raspberries, figs, apple trees, cherries, hawthorn, many legumes and nightshade grow on such soils.
• Loamy soil in a dry state is ground into powder, with detailed consideration which contains grains of sand and dust particles. When wet, it becomes easily deformable. Under the conditions of the development of modern agrarian science, any crops grow on such soils, but plants of the legume, cruciferous and nightshade families give the highest yield.
• Dry sandy soil is ground into a homogeneous powder between the fingers. When viewed, sand can be discerned. Wet is hard to deform. Suitable for growing various root crops, legumes and cruciferous.
• Sandy soil in a dry state is a coarse powder. When moistened, it does not deform. Allows you to grow some Solanaceae and Root Vegetables.
• Crushed, or cartilaginous soil contains clay, sandy, crushed stone and cartilaginous particles. Suitable for growing coniferous trees.

Soil preparation before planting

There are several methods of tillage, the combination of which gives a complete preparation of the soil for sowing:

1. Mechanical loosening.
2. Fertilization with organic and mineral substances.
3. Treatment with biologically and chemically active substances.

Mechanical loosening

Mechanical loosening is carried out in order to saturate the soil with oxygen and minimize obstacles to the root system of the plant. It can be done with your own hands or with the help of special equipment, be simple or double.
Before starting loosening, it is checked whether it should be done. If the soil crumbles easily from a depth of 8-20 centimeters, then it is possible to loosen, the absence of this effect indicates that it is too early to loosen.

Before the procedure, all plants from the selected area are removed. The top layer of turf is removed by about 8-10 centimeters. Double (plantage) loosening is carried out at a depth of 45-60 cm, which improves drainage, destroying hardened soil layers. When the sod is removed, a kind of “trenches” are dug out in strips over the entire area, no more than 30 cm wide, the earth dug out of one “trenches” is poured into another. After the end of plantation loosening, the soil surface rises slightly. Planting begins after leveling the soil level.

The lack of organic and mineral substances is filled with fertilizers. For example, with an increase in the acid-base balance, sulfate-containing fertilizers are introduced into the soil, and with a decrease in it, limestone. The mineral balance of the soil is determined by special instruments.
As organic fertilizers any plant waste is suitable - sawdust, fallen leaves, small pieces of tree bark, dead herbaceous plants, mowed grass, rotten fruits. All this is collected in one container, poured, and after two months it is ready for use.

Features of soil preparation for sowing:

1. Training is carried out annually.
2. It is necessary to create a fertile soil layer with a thickness of 35-40 centimeters, every year the thickness of this layer should increase by 3-5 centimeters.
3. Soil cultivation is mandatory.

Treatment with chemically and biologically active substances

Microorganisms play an important role in creating soil fertility. Microorganisms are involved in many processes, such as organic decomposition. Microbial cenosis on plant roots is strictly specific. Microorganisms help the plant to feed, sometimes carry out a protective function. Some microorganisms are able to break down harmful substances- phosphates. The formation of humus is completely due to the activity of microorganisms.

Before sowing, preparations "EM-1", "Oksizin", "Baikal-1" are introduced into the soil, containing microorganisms that maintain soil fertility. Phytocide preparations or pesticides are applied to control plant pests.

Soil preparation in a greenhouse occurs using the three steps described above. Fertilizers rich in magnesium, molybdenum, manganese, nitrogen, calcium, potassium, sodium, boron are applied. For example, siderates.
Green manure - plants that easily form a shoot grown on cultivated land. These plants subsequently "plow" into the soil, become sources of organic matter and a habitat for soil microorganisms. The most commonly used siderates are:

• representatives of the legume family (clover, sweet clover, vetch and others);
• representatives of the Cruciferous family (shepherd's purse, rape and others);
• representatives of the Cereal family (Sudanese grass, breadbasket and others).

They should be sown in spring (between March and April) and autumn (after harvesting), and plow in 1-2 weeks before planting. It is also important to moisten and warm the soil in early spring, as it usually dries out a lot in greenhouses, therefore it is a good heat insulator. To do this, it is recommended to warm the ridges simultaneously from three sides after loosening the soil. You can make small furrows to increase the contact area of ​​warm air with the soil. After that, the soil is moistened with an EM solution and watered.

Soil preparation for planting cucumbers

Cucumbers are plants that are quite demanding on environmental conditions. You can grow them as outdoors, as well as in the greenhouse. They need special conditions. The main ones are:

1. High illumination.
2. High air humidity (up to 80%).
3. Medium high temperatures (about 25◦С).
4. Soil pH 6-7.5. Acidic soils must be limed before planting cucumbers.
5. watering warm water(not lower than 18 C).

Tillage before planting cucumbers requires a special approach, as this vegetable crop is quite capricious.

1. If the soil is acidic, lime must be applied.
2. Carry out mechanical loosening of the soil.
3. Apply 10-15 kilograms of organic fertilizers per m 2.
4. Apply mineral fertilizers (about 10 grams of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus).
5. Form beds with dimensions of 80x60 centimeters with a layer of soil of at least 45 centimeters in thickness.

Soil preparation: the best experience of domestic enterprises

LLC "Bogoroditsky Alliance" is recognized as a leader in the potato industry. In 2014, the organization became the "Best Machine Operator" and "Organization that has achieved the best results in the field of crop production" in the Tula region. A high degree of mechanization, the operation of plowless systems, the creation of an artificial irrigation system, hydrotechnical measures, the use of modern fertilizers that are safe for the soil allow them to keep the soil in perfect condition - and this is bearing fruit - huge crops. Since 2013, the company has been implementing a precision farming program.

To maintain the organic balance of the soil, the employees of the farm actively use green manure, plant herbaceous and earthen crops. To maintain a sufficient amount of minerals, the organization uses high-quality fertilizers based on nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium.

Experienced gardeners grow most crops through seedlings. Its quality, and hence the future harvest, significantly depend on the soil in which the seeds will fall. If you intend to receive excellent harvests from your site, find out what the land for seedlings should be like and how to cook it with your own hands from various components. Understand the intricacies of soil mixtures, how to prepare them for sowing, and your green pets will grow strong, persistent, healthy.

The most correct nutrient soil for seedlings, one that fully meets the needs of a particular culture. One plant needs fertile, moist soil, for another it is a real disaster - give it poor, dry land. Some specimens like acidic soil, and most react negatively to increased acidity. In a word, the dreams of gardeners-gardeners about a universal soil for seedlings are untenable.

Young seedlings need best soil

However, there are some basic requirements for the potting soil in which you plan to sow the seeds. Do-it-yourself soil for seedlings should be:

• Moderately fertile, containing the substances necessary for nutrition and beneficial microflora.
• Balanced in the composition of minerals and organic matter, which should be contained in the soil in a form accessible to plants.
• Waterproof, able to retain moisture for a long time.
• Environmentally friendly - free from toxins, heavy metal salts, waste hazardous industries.
• With a neutral level of acidity.
• Having a good structure - light, crumbly, breathable, not containing lumps, foreign inclusions.

Soil for seedlings

1. clay. Being added to soil mix, clay makes it too dense, poorly permeable to air and water, which leads to diseases of the seedlings.
2. Plant residues, actively decomposing components. Unripe leaves or manure can begin to decompose, releasing heat and reducing the nitrogen concentration in the soil, which is detrimental to young plants. The lack of nitrogen negatively affects their development, and when the soil temperature exceeds 30 ° C, the roots may even die.
3. Weed seeds. By themselves, they are not so dangerous, but pathogens can be present on them.
4. Worms, insect larvae. After all, even an earthworm, so useful for garden beds, being in a seedling pot, can cause considerable harm to a young plant.

It is important to consider the requirements of plants

We prepare the soil for seedlings according to all the rules

All of the above requirements can hardly be met by ordinary soil, hastily dug up in your favorite garden, in a garden or in a forest. It is part of the soil for growing seedlings, but usually it is made multicomponent by adding peat, sand, humus and other components. However, the basis of the soil still remains the earth, which makes up 25-50% of its total volume.

Where is it better to take land - in the forest or in the garden

wonderful integral part forest land will become if you prepare it at the end of the summer season and leave the soil mixture prepared on its basis until spring. In this case, it is necessary to understand from which trees it is better to take land for seedlings from the forest in order to achieve an impressive result. In the role of a healthy basis for the best soil, sod and deciduous are most interesting.

Harvesting turf land is not an easy task. In vain, some summer residents believe that it is enough to remove the sod and dig up earth from under it. In reality, soddy soil refers to a substrate formed as a result of a long process with laying layers of sod in a pile or pouring with mullein. High-quality soddy soil can be obtained only after two seasons, just taking it and bringing it from the forest will not work.

At the end of the season - for the gifts of the forest

But you can dig up land from under forest trees. You should not take it where the trees and undergrowth are stunted, look sickly, as well as under trees whose foliage contains a lot of tannins: these are oak, chestnut, willow. Suitable land from under the trees of most hardwoods. Land from a pine forest for seedlings is also suitable, but it must be remembered that coniferous soil has high acidity.

Most summer residents practice harvesting land for seedlings in their own beds every fall. It is convenient, fast and, by and large, reliable, if you follow some "security measures". In addition, there is an opinion that is not devoid of rational grain that it is better to collect garden land for seedlings where it is determined for the future. permanent place. In this case, the seedlings will be adapted to the soil into which they will be transplanted, and will take root better.

The security measures are simple:

1. Comply with crop rotation requirements:

• do not use borage land for seedlings cucurbits;
• do not sow tomatoes after nightshade.

1. Be sure to disinfect garden soil. Sanitation methods will be discussed below.

Ready soil - pros and cons

Not everyone has the opportunity to prepare and store soil mixtures. When deciding which soil to choose for seedlings, modern vegetable growers and florists often opt for beautifully colored bags of ready-made mixes from garden stores. The finished soil has the following advantages:

• prepared according to the standards of a conscientious manufacturer, it is completely ready for use;
• it is light, nutritious, moisture-intensive;
• deoxidizers, macro- and microelements needed by plants are added to it;
• convenient packing in packages of various capacities.

Ready soil

However, the purchased soil also has significant disadvantages:

• Manufacturers do not indicate the exact content of mineral elements on the packaging, it is given as a range.
• Soil acidity is often also reported as a large range (5.0-6.5) and it is difficult to judge the actual acidity.
• It happens that a soil mixture is packed into bags that contains not peat, but peat dust, unsuitable for growing plants.
• Sometimes the expiration date is not indicated on the packaging, and expired peat is capable of self-heating, which can kill plants.

Experienced gardeners advise using purchased soil, mixing it in equal parts with disinfected garden or turf soil and adding chalk, lime or lime as a deoxidizer. dolomite flour(up to 3 tablespoons / 10 liters of the mixture). This is based on the not unreasonable opinion that the finished soil mixture usually consists mostly of peat and has an acidic reaction.

Studying the composition of the purchased soil, it is useful to have information about which peat is better for seedlings - high or lowland. This will help evaluate the properties of the purchased mixture and is useful for self-compilation. High-moor peat is more loose and acidic (requires liming), but less nutritious than lowland peat. Both types of peat are used to prepare seedling soil at home.

The composition of the soil mixture for seedlings

The quality factor of a do-it-yourself soil mixture is determined by the quality and ratio of its components. For seedlings, soil components are used, both organic and inorganic origin. From organic matter, in addition to the soil, you can use:

• Peat of any kind (lowland only processed).
• Mature compost, at least 2-3 years old. The best will be a product prepared using EM technology.
• Humus. For seedlings, the humus must be completely decomposed. In the composition of the mixture for plants prone to black leg disease, it should not be added at all.
• Sphagnum (moss).
• Needles, not forgetting that it increases acidity.
• Old sawdust soaked in a solution of urea.
• Furnace ash. This is a highly desirable component that enriches the soil with various elements, deoxidizes it, and suppresses pathogens.

Soil for seedlings is made up of several components

What can be added to the ground for seedlings from inorganic substances:

• Sand. It is better to use washed river sand light yellow color, without impurities of clay. In soil mixtures for seedlings, sand is an essential component that contributes to its friability and breathability.
• Perlite, agroperlite. The mineral is also added to loosen the mixture. It is also important that it, being an excellent absorber of moisture, prevents stagnation of water in the soil and is able to gradually release the moisture accumulated in itself to plants.
• Vermiculite, crushed expanded clay, packaging foam granules are also used for the above purpose.

Technology for the preparation of high-quality soil mixture

It is advisable to prepare all the necessary components in the fall and in the same season prepare the ground for seedlings with your own hands in the proportions required for the crops planned for planting. it the best option: during the winter, all the components will have time to "make friends", certain metabolic processes will occur, due to which the soil will ripen and in the spring will feed healthy, strong plants. At home, you need to store it in closed plastic bags.

Various ratios of sand, peat and earth can be used for seedlings of various crops. But in general, these are the main components of soil mixtures, the recipes of which cannot be counted. Most vegetables (eggplants, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes) will be fine with a mixture of equal volumes of these ingredients. In the absence of peat, it will be successfully replaced by humus. A bucket of such a mixture will perfectly complement two glasses of ash.

Important! Seedlings do not need particularly nutritious soil. A school for sowing seeds can be created from disinfected turf or garden soil. And you need to dive plants into a more nutritious soil.

Soil for green pets

How to prepare the soil for seedlings

Now it's time to figure out how to prepare the land for seedlings at home in order to exclude the possibility of seedlings being affected by fungal diseases or insects. After all, it happens that from the black leg, barely appeared shoots die in full force. Awakened insects can also seriously harm seedlings and even grown seedlings.

Ways and methods of disinfection

Therefore, the prepared soil mixture must be disinfected. There are many ways to disinfect the soil for seedlings at home:

1. Thermal:

• freezing,
• calcination,
• boiling water treatment
• steaming.

1. Chemical:

• disinfection with potassium permanganate,
• treatment with special preparations,
• disinfection with copper sulphate.

1. Biological:

• fungicide treatment,
• the use of drugs with effective microorganisms.

Quality soil mix

Each method has its pros and is not without its cons. You need to understand the features of the application of each method and choose the most suitable for yourself.

Thermal disinfection - freezing and calcination

The most natural way of do-it-yourself thermal disinfection is to freeze the ground for seedlings. This method is mainly applicable for processing soil harvested since autumn in regions with frosty (–15–20 ° C) winters and is as follows:

1. In autumn, pack the soil mixture (or its components) into small cloth bags.
2. Leave the bags in the cold - in the barn, on open balcony, under a canopy.
3. Three months before the seedling season, bring the soil into a warm room, let it thaw.
4. Keep warm for 7-10 days.
5. Again, send the bags to the frost, which will destroy the weed seeds, eggs and larvae of pests that have awakened by this time.
6. This procedure can be done several times during the winter.

Important! This method is gentle on the soil, helps protect seedlings from many pests, but is unable to prevent some diseases. Therefore, before sowing seeds, the soil mixture should be treated with potassium permanganate or a fungicide: for example, Fitosporin.

Soil freezing in fabric bags

High-temperature calcination of the soil (above 100 ° C) allows you to rid it of all harmful microorganisms. But along with pathogens, beneficial soil bacteria also die, the soil loses its normal structure and fertility, and practically becomes dead. If you choose this method of rehabilitation, you need to clearly understand how to properly ignite the ground for seedlings at home:

1. Spill the soil with boiling water. It is undesirable to calcinate dry earth.
2. Put on a baking sheet with a low (up to 5 cm) layer, place on average level ovens.
3. Warm up at 90°C for half an hour.

Calcining the earth in the oven

The process described above is not only calcination, but at the same time steaming the earth for seedlings in the oven. There are other ways to steam.

Other methods of thermal disinfection of soil

The method of steaming the soil mixture for its sterilization is quite common among gardeners. If you spill the ground for seedlings with boiling water and immediately cover the container with a lid or film, this will be the simplest steaming option. But it is better to steam the soil by laying it on a slatted surface (metal sieve, colander) and placing it in a large container over boiling water for an hour and a half. The container should be covered with a lid.

Important! The smell that forms when the soil is heated (if it is not clean sand) is far from perfect. For this reason, sanitation of significant volumes is best done outdoors.

The soil can be steamed on a metal sieve

Can be armed interesting way calcination-steaming, invented by savvy summer residents. They use a baking sleeve: they put moist soil in it, heat it for 40 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 120-150 ° C. At the same time, the effects of calcination, steaming and treatment with boiling water are present, and the soil retains the existing moisture and structure.

Steaming the earth outdoors

After any type of heat treatment, you should:

1. Give the cooled earth the opportunity to be saturated with air. To do this, at least diligently mix the soil in the storage container. And it is better to scatter the mixture on the film with a layer of up to 10 cm so that it becomes looser and restores its normal structure.
2. It is desirable to “revive” the soil with biohumus and some biological product (“Baikal”, “Renaissance”, “Shine”). Give her a rest for a while, determined by the instructions for the drug.

The soil after steaming must be saturated with air

Chemical methods for sterilizing land for seedlings

It is easy to see that do-it-yourself heat treatment of the soil is a troublesome task that requires a serious investment of time. It is easier to disinfect the ground for seedlings with solutions of various chemicals that effectively deal with soil pests. When preparing soil for ornamental plants at home, you can treat it with Aktara or Aktellik. But it is unlikely that any of the modern summer residents will use such compositions when preparing soil mixtures for vegetables.

Soil cultivation for seedlings with potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) and copper sulfate is used by many. Manganese copes well with disinfection, being also a kind of potash fertilizer. Disinfection with potassium permanganate should be carried out in this order:

1. 1-2 weeks before sowing the seeds, prepare a clear raspberry permanganate solution. It is enough to add 5 g of the substance (a teaspoon without top) to the bucket hot water but not boiling water.
2. Mix well, making sure that no undissolved crystals remain.
3. Spill the soil mixture with a hot solution, cover the containers with a film.
4. Repeat these manipulations 3-5 days before sowing.
5. Treatment with copper sulphate is carried out once, 3-4 weeks before sowing the seeds. The dosage is the same as for potassium permanganate.

Important! blue vitriol and potassium permanganate are powerful oxidizing agents suitable for the treatment of alkaline and neutral soils (soddy-calcareous, chernozem). It is not necessary to disinfect the soil with an acidic reaction with them.

Potassium permanganate solution for soil sanitation

Take note is also the best folk remedy for soil sterilization - ordinary mustard powder. It will protect seedlings from bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes, thrips. All you need is a tablespoon of dry mustard powder per 5 liters of soil. It is good to combine this additive with nitrogen fertilizer.

Mustard powder is an excellent soil sanitizer

Biological methods of seedling soil treatment

In recent decades, manufacturers have been delighting gardeners with qualitatively new preparations for soil disinfection that are safe for plants and humans. These include:

1. Biological fungicides:

• Alirin-B,
• "Gamair",
• "Fitosporin-M",
• "Trichodermin".

1. EM drugs:

• "Baikal",
• "Revival"
• "Gumat EM",
• "Shine".

Biofungicides and EMs

Biofungicides contain cultures of bacteria that are effective against pathogens of bacterial and fungal diseases. The composition can also be supplemented with humic substances. The listed and similar fungicides effectively suppress diseases, relieve soil fatigue, reduce soil toxicity, and restore its microbiological balance after thermal or chemical treatment.

Using these tools is easy. In general, you need to act according to the recommendations of the manufacturers indicated on the package. Options may vary. For example, when preparing the soil for seedlings with your own hands, you can simply mix 1 g of Trichodermin with 1 liter of soil. Experienced plant growers-practitioners are advised to use Gamair and Alirin-B together:

1. 3 days before sowing seeds, dilute 1 tablet of Alirin and Gamaira in a small amount of water - 1.5-2.0 cups.
2. Bring the volume of the solution to 10 liters.
3. Spill the soil mixture, cover with a film before sowing.

EM preparations have a remarkable effect on the state of the soil. They contain useful living microorganisms, as a result of which the earth heals, acquires a good structure, becomes fertile, literally comes to life. There is no room for pathogens in such soil. To improve the soil (using the example of "Baikal EM1"), you can do this:

1. Bring the soil stored in the cold into a warm room 3-4 weeks before sowing the seeds.
2. A week before sowing, fill seedling containers with soil mixture.
3. Spill prepared according to the instructions with a solution of the drug 1:500.
4. Cover the containers with foil, keep in the dark.

Important! Biological products contain live bacteria and require strict adherence to instructions for use and storage.

Purchased soil bags

Is it worth it to process the purchased soil

Theoretically, multi-colored bags from garden stores should contain soil that is completely ready for sowing seeds - fertile, free of pests, pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Unfortunately, practice shows that confidence in this is far from always justified. If you are convinced of the quality of the purchased soil and the integrity of its manufacturer, the contents can not be decontaminated.

If in doubt, you need to decide how to cultivate the purchased land before planting seedlings and how to do it. In principle, the rules are the same as for the compiled with my own hands soil mixtures, which have already been mentioned. You can also use this technique: lower the purchased package into a bucket of boiling water, leave it in it under the lid until it cools completely, then repeat the procedure.

Some summer residents use the heating of the package in the microwave at maximum power until the soil begins to soar. At the same time, the package is pierced in several places so that it does not explode. After such treatment, it is necessary to populate the soil with beneficial bacteria with the help of biohumus, EM preparations in order to restore its vitality. You will get acquainted visually with the process of processing purchased soil by watching an informative video.

Video: Preparation plant soil do it yourself

The process of creating land for seedlings with your own hands is not an easy, but exciting task. Explore various recipes soil mixtures, choose for yourself those that you like. Treat their preparation consciously, responsibly, and green pets will thank you for your care with an excellent harvest.