Peat or humus - which is better. Peat as a basis for growing seedlings Proportions of peat and sand for a flower bed

Many summer residents prefer to plant seeds for seedlings on their own. This is an exciting process that allows you to control the emergence and development of seedlings. The resulting sprouts should be strong, with a developed root system.

General ground requirements

quality nutrient soil- the main and inalienable conditions for obtaining healthy and strong seedlings. Young plants are especially demanding on growth-stimulating nutrients and mineral components.

The soil mixture must contain organic and mineral components in the required proportion and comply with the general rules.

Loose porous structure providing moisture and air access to plant roots
Neutral acidity (pH in the range of 6.5–6.7)
High content of organic and mineral substances
Nutrients must be available to plants in an easily digestible form.
Free from toxins, weed seeds, eggs or larvae of pests, spores or other pathogens

On sale there are many different substrates for seedlings. You can use ready-made soil directly from the bag without adding anything to the mixture. Usually, high-moor or low-lying peat, river sand, humic acids and a complex of fertilizers are used as part of the purchased substrate.

home soil mix

It is not difficult to prepare the basis for seedlings on your own. For 5 kg of finished home-made soil, add 25 gr. double superphosphate, 10 gr. ammonium nitrate, 20 gr. potassium sulfate and 2 tbsp. spoons of ash. There are several universal recipes for mixtures for vegetable seedlings.

Lowland peat, sawdust, garden soil (5:3:2)
Lowland peat, sawdust, river sand (5:2:3)
Humus, garden land in equal parts

The ingredients for a good homemade soil can be taken from your own garden or bought. Peat gives lightness and airiness to the finished substrate. When using acidic high-moor peat, it is necessary to add 3 tbsp. spoons of lime per 10 liters of packaged peat. Lowland peat does not require liming.

Land for the base can be taken from a bean, bean or pea bed. Land after potatoes or cucumbers is unsuitable for seedlings. The humus is rich in plant nutrients. You can cook it yourself using manure or compost from two years ago.

river sand it is better to use coarse-grained light.

Leaf soil is recommended for seedlings of root crops that do not respond well to the application of manure. Maple, linden, birch leaves are placed in a specially prepared place. To speed up the process of decay, the deciduous mass is watered with special preparations. Leaves and shoots of willow and oak are not suitable for creating leafy ground.

Peat tablets

Relatively recently, new individual containers have appeared that can be used to breed seedlings. For the manufacture of tablets, lowland or acidic peat is used, mixed with nutrients necessary for the normal development of seedlings. Treatment of the material with growth catalysts and fungicides prevents the development of diseases and promotes healthy seedlings.

The compressed tablets are top coated nonwoven fabric, which allows the peat soil to keep its shape. Containers on the market different size and diameter. You can choose a peat tablet for small or large seeds, for rooting cuttings.

Before use, peat molds are poured with warm water, the height will increase by 6-7 times, the diameter will remain unchanged. Seeds or cuttings are planted in a special recess (it can be used to determine where the top of the container is).

Before planting in peat tablets, the usual pre-sowing preparation of seeds can be replaced by soaking in warm water during the day.

Small seeds can be planted with a toothpick, large seeds are laid out by hand.

Ready seedlings are placed in a transparent container not too close to each other. During the development of seedlings, the roots of plants receive enough moisture and oxygen, the roots can germinate through peat. When transferred to open ground, the seedlings do not dive, but are planted along with the tablet. This procedure is especially convenient for vegetables and flowers with a fragile root system or small seedlings (cucumbers, Saintpaulia, petunia, etc.).

peat pots

Individual containers of conical shape, made of pressed peat. A very convenient and environmentally friendly way to grow seedlings at home. Lightweight, long shelf life. Such containers do not contain harmful microorganisms or pathogens, are in a safe way for seedlings of vegetable and flower crops.

Use peat cups better than a trusted manufacturer. First, a mixture of peat, sawdust, cellulose and water is prepared in special equipment. Next comes the molding of products of the required size and drying. At each stage of production, quality control and compliance with prescription requirements are carried out. Peat pots have a lot of advantages for seedlings.

Special drainage holes prevent moisture stagnation and mold growth
The containers do not get wet from moisture and keep their shape until transplanted to a permanent place in the garden
Promote the development of the root system of the plant
When planting seedlings in the ground, the plant is protected from external influences, the root system is not damaged
In the open field, peat containers completely decompose without interfering with plant growth.

The choice of peat cups is approached carefully. You can buy containers in a specialized store or on the Internet. The buyer must be provided with a full description of the goods and the composition. Products with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm decompose in open ground for about a month. This is the most acceptable option. The composition of the peat cup should be 75% peat and 25% cellulose. The size of the container is selected according to the seedlings. The larger the sprouts are expected, the larger the capacity is chosen. The pot should be light and porous, airy.

Peat is a universal nutrient basis for planting seedlings. natural material on the basis of rotted algae, sphagnum moss and microorganisms is formed in natural conditions. Peat-based soil mixtures have earned a good reputation among professional gardeners.

Probably everyone knows what peat is? For those who do not know, I will reveal a “terrible” secret: peat is the rotted (to a greater or lesser extent) compressed remains of plants and animals. In nature, peat is formed in swamps, under conditions high humidity and obstructed airflow. used as combustible material(contains up to 60% carbon), fertilizer and thermal insulation material.

How is peat formed?

Plants and organisms that live in swamps, in overgrown reservoirs, lakes with low-flowing water die over time, forming a biomass, which every year more and more overlaps each other and, accordingly, is pressed. Thus, in conditions of high humidity and lack of air, peat is formed. Depending on the degree of decomposition, there riding(almost undecayed) lowland(completely decomposed) and transitional(an intermediate state between upland and lowland).

Peat as fertilizer: pros and cons

Is pure peat, that is, without any third-party additives, suitable for fertilizing the garden? After all, some not very experienced summer residents buy it in large quantities. They scatter them in the beds, under trees and shrubs and happily rub their hands in anticipation of record harvests. Alas ... they cannot be obtained in this way ... Although peat (lowland and transitional) consists of 40-60% humus, it is highly not recommended to fertilize the site only with them.

Why? Yes, because it is quite poor in nutrients. Yes, it is rich in nitrogen (up to 25 kg per ton), but nitrogen from peat is very poorly absorbed by plants. Out of a whole ton, our green pets get only 1-1.5 kg of nitrogen, not to mention other vital elements for plants. So never fertilize your plots with peat alone, use other types and fertilizers.

It is useful for enriching the earth. Due to the fibrous porous structure, it significantly improves the physiological properties of soils of very different composition. The soil, well flavored with peat, becomes water and breathable, "breathes" easily and freely, and the root system of plants feels more than comfortable in it. I'm talking about now low-lying and intermediate peat, and here riding generally not used as a fertilizer, as it strongly acidifies the soil.

It should be noted that there are many plants that require acidic or slightly acidic soil for normal development. These include, for example, heathers, ericas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, blueberries. When planting such plants in a permanent place in landing pit it is high-moor peat that is added, and then periodically they are mulched with it.

So is “clean” peat (that is, without any additives) needed as a fertilizer? And here a lot depends on the quality of the soil itself. If the soil is fertile, sandy or light loamy, then applying peat as a fertilizer will give practically nothing, do not waste your efforts and money)) But if the soils on your site are sandy or clayey, depleted and poor in organic matter, applying peat together with other fertilizers will greatly improve the yield and appearance of your decorative pets. The value of peat as a fertilizer can only be considered in combination with other types of organic and mineral supplements and in the form of composts.

How to make peat compost

Peat compost includes organic matter: tops, uprooted weeds with clods of earth, wood ash, sawdust, shavings, food waste and other natural components. A compost heap is very easy to set up. Somewhere aside, away from places of rest, organize a platform measuring 2x2 m. First lay peat about 30 cm high on it. Sprinkle sawdust (10 cm) on top, then lay tops, weeds, food leftovers mixed with garden soil. Make this layer 20 cm high.

If you have manure, great! Put it on top of the above layers to a height of 20 cm. Absolutely any manure will do: horse, mullein, bird droppings, and so on. Now cover this entire multilayer structure with another layer of peat (20-30 cm) and leave to rot for 12-18 months. Do not raise the compost heap to a height of more than 1.5 m, but cover it with peat or garden soil from the sides in order to ensure an appropriate microclimate inside the heap. Moisturize Periodically compost heap water with the addition of superphosphate (100 g per bucket).

If manure is tight for you, at least find the opportunity to water the compost with diluted slurry (5 kg of mullein per bucket of water). Or a solution of dry bird droppings (0.5 kg per bucket of water) or fresh droppings (2 kg per bucket of water). 2-3 times over the summer, thoroughly shovel the compost heap, trying to upper layer got inside, and the bottom, respectively, out.

It is very useful to close the pile from the scorching sun with a special canopy. In the fall, cover the compost heap: fill it with dry leaves, high-moor peat, earth, spruce branches or other mulching material. And when the first snow falls, wrap the pile of compost in a snow coat.

Now we can talk about nutrition country plants, since such compost is in no way inferior in its nutritional properties manure, and if it was not overdried and frozen, then it even surpasses manure in its value for plants.

They fertilize the land with peat compost in the same way as with manure: they are evenly scattered over the sown area, poured into the near-stem circles of trees and under shrubs. But here it should be noted that properly prepared peat compost is a more valuable fertilizer than manure, and much less is required to fertilize the soil. If 60-70 kg of manure is usually applied per 10 m² of soil, then only 10-20 kg of peat compost is required for the same area (in addition, it more generously gives nutrients to plants than manure).

To begin with, it is worth noting that it is impossible to “refertilize” the land with peat. They bring it both in spring and in autumn, evenly scattering it over the site and digging it onto a spade bayonet, 30-40 kg per 1 m². In the future, pour peat into the near-stem circles of trees, shrubs and places for planting plants to a height of 5-6 cm.

Such bedding is especially useful on those soils where, after prolonged rains, a dense crust forms on the surface. In this case, peat also acts as a mulching material. It is quite friendly to any soil and will not spoil any soil. But there is a small nuance here: peat has high acidity (pH 2.5-3.0), so it should be neutralized with lime, dolomite flour or wood ash at the rate of 5 kg of lime or dolomite flour per 100 kg of peat or 10-12 kg of wood ash per 100 kg of peat.

So we have considered beneficial features peat as a fertilizer for our green pets. Or maybe you know any other ways to use peat in the country? Share with us!

Peat as a fertilizer for the garden

For many years, peat has not lost its position in the fertilizer market. Gardeners regularly buy peat for their summer cottages and often introduce it into the composition of the soil for indoor plants. However, practice shows that far from always peat can justify the hopes placed on it. Let's see why this happens.

Very often, novice gardeners decide to increase yields. garden plants by fertilizing the soil with peat. But time passes, and for some reason the plants do not begin to grow by leaps and bounds, and even, on the contrary, wither and wither. Gardeners immediately have the idea that peat is a rather poor fertilizer that does more harm than good. But in fact, you should not blame peat, but your inexperience. Before using peat, you need to properly prepare it, take into account the type of peat and the characteristics of the soil in the garden when buying.

The composition of peat includes dead plant residues, and it seems that in itself it should be super-nutritious. In fact, peat can only boast of a high nitrogen content, but there is practically no sense in this nitrogen. Plants take only a small part of nitrogen from peat, and the rest of the mass of this useful substance is simply not absorbed. With poor ventilation, peat can cause toxic poisoning of plants, and this is no longer a joke. Fresh peat is also quite toxic. Good ventilation of peat reduces its toxicity, however, fresh peat in the spring is still not recommended.

When buying peat, it is necessary to take into account its type. Peat is raised, lowland and transitional. Transitional peat is a hybrid of upland and lowland peat. All varieties of peat are used for fertilizer, but each of them has its own individual characteristics.

Do not forget that peat is a fertilizer with high acidity. High-moor peat has the highest acidity, therefore, it is not introduced in its pure form into the soil (especially acidic). Such peat needs long-term composting with manure, which makes it possible to convert some of the nitrogen compounds into a form more accessible to plants. It should be noted that peat will begin to change its composition if the temperature in the compost reaches 60 degrees.

Both lowland and transitional peat have neutral acidity, so they can be introduced into the soil after aeration without prior composting, but it’s better not to do this, since peat will not be useful for plants right away.

To ventilate low-lying peat, it is kept for outdoors within a few days. Peat is poured into heaps, which allows you to weather compounds harmful to plants. The freezing of peat has a positive effect, however, when freezing and drying, it is very important not to overdry the peat, because in this way it will lose some of its useful properties.

Before you buy peat, you should definitely analyze the composition and condition of the soil. Not every soil needs peat fertilizer. Well-cultivated soil with 4-5% humus and a good mineral composition does not require additional feeding. But if the soil is clay or sandy, then peat can improve its properties and composition.

Having fertilized the soil with peat, one should not expect incredible growth rates of plants, because peat is intended primarily to improve the composition of the soil and its properties. Peat makes the soil looser, allows it to better retain moisture, improves air access to the roots. Due to the phenolic compounds it contains, peat is also an excellent antiseptic. If the composition of the soil is already good, but you need to feed the plants, it is better to use fertilizers intended for these purposes, and not peat.

Leaf and herb compost.

Leaves, small grass are collected in a pile. large stems herbs, branches, coarse weeds are finely chopped (2-3 cm) with an ax. Separately, they are dried in the air for 2-3 days. Then everything is mixed, collected in a heap, covered tightly with film, oilcloth or other waterproof materials. Once a week, the pile is watered with water (1 bucket per 2 m3 of garbage) and carefully closed again. After 5-6 months, the compost is ready.

High-moor peat, depending on the process of decomposition of its constituent elements, is of various colors: from brown-yellow to brown turning into dark black. But this is not the main thing that characterizes its properties. By itself, high-moor peat is not the best fertilizer - this is mainly due to the low percentage of ash particles in it, but it retains the optimal ratio of water and air in the soil for plants.

Soil and a wide variety of mixtures based on peat - the main field of activity of our company. The reliability and quality of our products: sand, peat, soil - is confirmed and guaranteed by all the necessary certificates of quality and conformity.

Plant soil is a particular form of soil. That is, the soil, in fact, is upper part fertile soil layer. But also a wide variety of mixtures of soil with any other nutrient elements, such as peat, mineral fertilizers, microelements, and others, also represent high fertility plant soil.

Most of the vegetable soil is used to restore the fertile properties of depleted soil. Peat and peat-based soils are already self-sufficient quality helpers in restoring the fertile soil functions. Moreover, by purchasing vegetable soil from us, you guarantee yourself high quality fertilizer properties.

You can buy soil and order delivery in our company. To ensure all the necessary fertile properties, to ensure the optimal quality of growth, leveling - in general, for any need, we will select the optimal soil, which you can buy from us at the best prices.

Sale of peat and a wide variety of mixtures and fertilizers based on this natural substance. We sell peat for fertilizing poor, weakened, depleted soils. Moreover, peat is a good independent fertile soil, as well as a high-quality baking powder for clay soils and a binder for sandy soils.

Fertile soil - the optimal combination of vegetable soil and various additives: peat, sand, minerals and fertilizers. Thus, fertile soil has the widest application for a wide variety of landscaping, lawn laying out, etc.

Soil, the price of which pleasantly surprises, you will find with us. By purchasing the soil, the price of which is quite flexible and acceptable in the current market conditions, you ensure the quality of the ordered fertilizer, as well as a guarantee of delivery on time and at the destination.

Delivery of soil and peat, sand and any mixture ordered by you. With a significant fleet of vehicles, we guarantee the quality of deliveries on time as agreed. With our company, the delivery of soil and sand, peat and mixtures becomes easier, faster and more affordable.

Buy peat and other mixtures based on it to improve the quality and volume of harvested crops. And it is important to remember that buying peat means providing your site with environmentally friendly natural fertilizer.

Peat soil is a loose building and landscaping material for a wide range of applications. Soil based on peat and / or sand is used to improve the structure and restore the fertility of the soil. Also, peat soil can, in particular, be used as a material for leveling the surface of the site, for example, when laying out lawns.

The soil, the cost of which will pleasantly please and surprise you, can be purchased from us. We are ready to offer you the most diverse vegetable and fertile soil, the cost of which on average ranges from 750 to 800 rubles. per m3, taking into account delivery at the place of demand.

Soils wholesale across the Moscow region and Moscow - we carry out delivery. Thanks to our own extensive fleet of vehicles, we are able to quickly supply the ordered soil in bulk at the place of your requirement. We carry out work in the shortest possible time according to the schedule convenient for our clients.

High and lowland peat is the main type of division of this natural substance. Diametrically opposite names reflect the essence: high-moor and lowland peat have completely different, polar properties.

Lowland peat is more fertile, due to the products from which it originated, it is characterized by high ash content, nutrient and microelement content, medium and slightly acid reaction of the environment, and low calorific value. Due to these properties, lowland peat has become widespread.

Peat mixture is one of the most common options for improving the effective indicators of soils. The specialists of our company will give you all the necessary information on the properties of the soil and select best option. With us, you will provide high-quality peat mixture for your site - optimally suited to these conditions.

Peat delivery and, most importantly, guaranteed quality of the supplied products. Turning to us, you not only acquire high-quality peat, delivery is also included in the scope of services provided by the company.

Peat sand mixture - a mixture of transitional and lowland peat and sand in specified proportions. Active natural raw materials (sand and peat) ensure that the peat-sand mixture optimizes the agrochemical properties of the soil, increases the bearing capacity of the soil, etc.

Peat mixtures are the basis of plant soil and, in particular, a suitable solution for problems that arise during landscaping. In general, peat mixtures are the best option for providing fertile soil in the most difficult conditions.

Peat, the price of which is acceptable in relation to quality and the payback result obtained in the future, is a unique gift of nature: it contains humic acids, plant fibers. Moreover, peat, the price of which is so attractive, is a source rich in mineral elements.

Peat is the basis for a large number fertile soils used in personal plots and farms. Peat-based mixtures improve the fertility of low-saturated soils, and are also used when planting fruit-bearing shrubs and trees.

Peat with sand can be used as a spot fertilizer when planting black and red currants, chokeberry, apple trees of some varieties. This mixture is also optimal as a top layer of base soil for growing strawberries, strawberries, tomatoes, courgettes and eggplants.

A peat-sand mixture is often used in routine replanting of trees - both fruit bearing and non-bearing - to ensure survival.

Due to the high content of trace elements, ash content, low acidity, as well as the ability to maintain a certain temperature of the soil, peat-sand mixtures contribute both to the survival of plantings and to an increase in fertility. All peat sand mixtures have a quality certificate.

Our experts are ready to advise you on any questions about the conditions of use and properties of peat-sand mixtures.

Soil preparation, planting, care, fertilizers

Poorly prepared, infertile soils cause premature aging of plants, premature loss of decorative qualities. Inflorescences and flowers are crushed, the flowering period is reduced.

The soil for phloxes should be loose, fertile and sufficiently provided with moisture.

Heavy clay soils are less suitable for phlox, sand and organic fertilizers - manure, peat should be added to them.

Light sandy soils without the addition of clay, organic fertilizers, and lime are also unsuitable for phlox cultivation.

Despite the moisture-loving phloxes, they do not grow well on poorly drained soils where water can stagnate.

Phlox sites should be taken even, protected from the winds, not very illuminated during the day. Strong solar illumination of plants not only dries out the soil, but also leads to fading of the color of flowers, especially bright colors.

Prepare the soil for phloxes planted in spring in the fall to create a deep arable layer provided with sufficient moisture and nutrients.

It is necessary to deeply plow or dig up the soil (by 20-25 cm), fertilize it well with manure or peat (5-8 kg per 1 m2). On acidic soils, 200-300 g of lime per 1 m2 is applied in autumn.

In spring, the soil is again dug up a little smaller than in autumn, harrowed, applying mineral fertilizers (the doses of fertilizers that should be applied before planting phloxes are given below).

Peat-fecal composts, which are laid in the spring along with mineral fertilizers, have a good effect on the decorative qualities of phloxes.

After organic and mineral fertilizers have been applied and the surface of the site has been leveled, phloxes are planted.

The best time for planting these plants is the second half of April or the first half of May (depending on the weather). Autumn planting should be completed before August 15.

In autumn, phloxes should be planted with the above-ground part cut off. Usually, in bushes that have undergone division, the stems are retained (no more than 20-25 cm high). Uncircumcised plants take root worse, as the root system dries out, the ratio between the remaining aerial part and the root system is disturbed. In winter, at severe frosts, such plants freeze faster.

After planting phloxes, they are watered abundantly. In the early days, watering is carried out every day, and it is better to do this in the evening. . .

Summer transplantation of phloxes should be carried out with a clod of earth and without dividing the root system. Planting density depends on the variety.

When planting undersized phloxes, you can take a smaller feeding area: 40x40 and 40x35 cm.

Tall phlox should be planted 50x50 or 60x50 cm.

Phlox care consists in periodic loosening, watering and top dressing during the growing season. In order to maintain looseness of the soil and destroy weeds, loosening is carried out 6-8 times.

In the second half growing season when loosening, the plants should be slightly spud. This speeds up the formation of the root system.

An important measure in the care of phlox is the application of mineral and organic fertilizers, both in the form of top dressing. during the growing season and before planting. The most valuable organic fertilizer is manure.

The systematic use of manure improves the microbiological activity of the soil, the availability of carbon dioxide and its physical properties. The quality of manure depends on the degree of its decomposition, since the content of nitrogenous substances in it and the improvement physical and chemical properties soil.

On medium-heavy soils, manure is used in the first year by 50%, in the second - by 30%, in the third - by 10%, in the fourth - by 5%.

On loose sandy soils, manure is used by 60% in the first year, by 30% in the second, and by 10% in the third.

The looser the soil, the more manure should be used.

On heavy clay soils under phloxes, it is harmful to introduce weakly decomposed manure into deep soil horizons. With an excess amount of moisture and a lack of oxygen, harmful non-oxidized products accumulate in the deep horizons of the soil.

Besides; when slightly decomposed manure is introduced, especially if it contains a lot of sawdust, cellulose bacteria develop, which begin to consume manure nitrogen. And if there is little nitrogen in the manure, then they absorb the mineral nitrogen of the soil. In this regard, the amount of nitrogen in the soil is reduced, and plants are tested in it; flaw. On such soils, phloxes, as a rule, develop poorly in the initial period, have light green leaves and small inflorescences. And only in the second half of the growing season begins a rapid process of decomposition of organic matter, microorganisms die off, releasing the nitrogen they have absorbed. At this time, the growth of plants improves markedly, but still they are far behind those fertilized with more available forms of nitrogen.

For autumn top dressing, it is more expedient to use horse manure, which at the same time warms the soil. At spring application cow dung is preferred.

Peat is a good organic fertilizer. It is advisable to make peat under phloxes before planting. In autumn, it is also used as mulch and protects phloxes from freezing.

Distinguish between lowland and high peat. High (or moss) peat is acidic (pH 3-4.5), with a very low content of nutrients (nitrogen - 1%, phosphorus - 0.1%, potassium, 0.05-0.15-%). Lowland (or meadow) peat is less acidic (pH 5-7), the nutrient content in it is much higher (nitrogen 2-3%, potassium 0.05-0.15%).

When making peat for phloxes, it should be remembered that peat is not a complete substitute for manure. Nutrients in peat are in an indigestible state. Nitrogen can only be available to plants after the peat has decomposed well. And the process of decomposition of organic matter in peat is very slow. Very valuable organic fertilizers for phlox are humus, peat-fecal compost, which is effective, as prof. B.V. Kvasnikov, liquid feeding with feces. This fertilizer increases the vitality of plants and enhances their flowering. Mineral fertilizers play an important role in the development of phloxes. From mineral fertilizers of particular importance are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

organic fertilizers

Organic fertilizers contain almost all of these nutrients.

Manure is the main organic fertilizer, slow acting. It contains all the main nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, lime, sulfur. It is better to store manure in manure storages in a cold way, in a dense heap: less nutrients are lost. Within six months, he overheats by half. With long-term storage of manure in order to obtain humus (rotted manure), it is useful to add phosphate and potash fertilizers. This will ensure an increase in the content of nitrogen by 2, and phosphorus and potassium - by 3 times, than in fresh manure. After applying manure, the soil should be quickly dug up, otherwise there will be a large loss of nutrients. It is better to apply manure in combination with mineral fertilizers in the form of humus and composts, since few plants need fresh manure (it can be applied under cabbage, parsley, cucumbers, early potatoes).

Peat among organic fertilizers in the Non-Black Earth region takes the second place after manure. Peat is distinguished between low-lying (less acidic pH-5 and more nutritious) and high-moor (more acidic pH-3 and less nutritious). It is more expedient to use peat in peat-dung, peat-fecal, peat-muck composts or with the addition of liquid mullein and phosphate fertilizers,

Composts are the most valuable organic fertilizer. They are obtained by composting manure, peat, straw, household waste and garbage with slurry, phosphate rock and lime. In composts, nutrients are converted into the most accessible form for plants. best term introduction of composts into the soil - autumn, when loosening the site. Only on sandy and waterlogged soils, it is advisable to apply compost in the spring so that nutrients are not washed out.

Composts are prefabricated, peat-dung, dung-phosphorite, dung-earth, peat-liquid, peat-fecal, peat, manure, peat-lime, etc.

Methods for preparing composts are different, but not complicated.

Peat composts are prepared in layers: 30-40 cm of peat, 20-25 cm of manure (or 10 cm of feces) and moistened. The mass is kept in a loose state in order to better decompose organic matter. The width and height of the shoulder should be about one and a half meters, and the length is arbitrary,

In home gardens, it is most advisable to prepare prefabricated composts (from various garbage, kitchen waste, garbage, tops, leaves, weeds). In order to comply sanitary regulations a place for composts is determined on the border of the site away from the house, gazebos and wells. The size compost pit arbitrary (if the soil is poor and fertilizers are needed a lot, then large pits are dug). But don't make them too big. It is best to dig a hole 1 m deep, 1.5 m wide and 3 m long. Line the bottom of the pit and the walls with synthetic film. Divide the length of the pit into 3 equal parts with partitions in order to clog one part with compost in the first year and cover it with earth on top, the second part on next year etc. After 2 years, the first hole can be opened and good fertilizer can be taken. After cleaning the pit, it must be kept open for 5-7 days (for ventilation) and compost should be put into it again.

At the bottom of the pit, be sure to pour a layer of peat 10-15 cm or garden soil so that the liquid components are absorbed into this layer, and do not go beyond the pit. Then a layer of garbage, waste, leaves of 15-20 cm is thrown in. And again a layer of peat or earth. Add 15-20 g of superphosphate, 30 g of lime (if the soil is acidic), a handful of wood ash, water it. And so the layers clog the pit to the top and cover it with earth from above. But you can also speed up the maturation of compost. To do this, it is necessary to build the walls of the pit (with boards, slate, stakes) up 70 cm, and fill this space with grass and garbage. Every 15 cm, pour plenty of iodine on them, add superphosphate and a little urea. Make a saddle at the top of the stack in the middle so that water does not drain. For the winter, close the stack with earth (10-15 cm), and later with snow. After 10 months, the crumbly, homogeneous nutrient mass is ready for application to the soil.

Prefabricated composts can be prepared without a pit, by ground method. First, a layer of peat or a layer of leaves is poured onto the ground. Then garbage, waste. Everything is stacked, not compacted (for quick decay). The stack is regularly watered with water or slurry, shoveled several times. So that the stack does not dry out, it is lined with earth, grass or turf from the sides and top. When shoveling, add 20-30 g of superphosphate, 30 g of lime and a handful of ash. Such compost in the warm season is ready for use after 4 months.

Peat-manure composts are laid (loosely) in piles right on the site, in layers: a layer of ventilated peat 30-40 cm and the same layer of manure. The width of the stack is 2-3 m, the height is 1.5 m, and the length is arbitrary, depending on the amount of mass. The lower and upper layers are necessarily covered with peat. In such compost, less nitrogen is lost, as it is absorbed by peat. Adding phosphate rock to the compost significantly improves its quality.

Composts from peat, manure and peat fecal require caution. Fecal matter or slurry is poured onto peat. All this is mixed and arranged in a stack. For disinfection, the collar is laid loosely. Peat is heated up to 65-70°. The heated part of the peat is loosened again. So that the collar does not dry out, it must be watered. After 3-4 months, the fertilizer is ready, but this fertilizer must be applied somewhat in smaller doses than manure.

Dung-earth composts: this is a mixture of 70% manure and 30% earth + 2% phosphate rock. Mixing is done in summer. Add lime. They are brought into the soil and dug up.

Peat phosphorite compost is prepared from peat (upland and lowland), phosphate rock, lime and ash, which are added before stacking.

Bird droppings compost is composted with peat, straw, sawdust, superphosphate powder. For 3-4 parts of litter add 1 part of peat.

Leaf and herb compost. Leaves, small grass are collected in a pile. Large stalks of grass, branches, coarse weeds are finely chopped (2-3 cm) with an ax. Separately, they are dried in the air for 2-3 days. Then everything is mixed, collected in a heap, covered tightly with film, oilcloth or other waterproof materials. Once a week, the pile is watered with water (1 bucket per 2 m3 of garbage) and carefully closed again. After 5-6 months, the compost is ready.

All fertilizers enrich the soil with the necessary nutrients for plants, improve soil structure, air and water permeability, increase moisture capacity, which enhances the activity of living creatures inhabiting the soil, and increases the amount of humus in the soil - complex organic compound, in which essential elements plant nutrition.

The structure of heavy clay soils is improved by the introduction of river sand, sawdust, and the structure of sandy soils is improved by the introduction of clay, silt (sapropel). There are no soils in the middle zone of our country that do not need additional improvement. In many areas, the soils are heavy, clayey, peaty or sandy. Without preparation, without improving their fertility, they are of little use for the garden. Heavy clay soils begin to be prepared by loosening to a depth of 8-10 cm and crushing the sod. Then they apply half a bucket per 1 m2 of organic fertilizers (manure, compost, peat, bird droppings), the same amount of river sand and one liter jar wood ash. Everyone digs a shovel onto a bayonet. It is better to carry out this work in the fall. When digging, lumps do not break: snow accumulates more between lumps, weeds and pests that have taken refuge for the winter in the upper soil layer freeze better. In addition, heavy soil sags strongly during the winter, forming a crust through which air does not pass to the roots. Clay soils are rich in minerals, have good viscosity, but do not pass water and air well, which prevents the normal functioning of microorganisms, inhibits the growth and development of the root system and aboveground plant organs.

In peaty soils formed on raised bogs, plant remains are weakly decomposed. They are poor in phosphorus, nitrogen and very acidic (pH 3-4). In order for such soils to become suitable for growing horticultural plants, lime, river sand, clay, rotted manure, and mineral fertilizers must be added to them. Lime will reduce acidity, sand will improve the structure, clay will increase viscosity and nutrients, and mineral fertilizers will enrich the soil with additional nutrients. As a result, this soil preparation complex will accelerate the decomposition of peat plant residues and create normal conditions for growing fruits, berries and vegetables.

On dry peatlands, watering is necessary, since peat has the ability to take away moisture, and if it is near the roots, it will isolate the roots from the moist soil layers, that is, it will dry them.

Peaty soils formed in lowland bogs contain more nitrogen and minerals, they contain a lot of humus, since plant residues are well decomposed, soil acidity is weaker (pH-5-6), they have enough water that must be diverted into ditches. Sand and clay are added to such soils. They need little liming.

If minerals are not enough, then they can be added when preparing the soil for planting or sowing. These soils are more suitable for vegetable and berry species.

Peat is a decomposed substance of the remains of plants and animals, which includes minerals. By its nature, it is formed in swamps, where high humidity and where air does not enter. In addition, it is used as a fuel, due to its high carbon content, and it is also cultivated with soil, used as a building material.

Peat formation

In nature, various plants and organisms that live in swamps or overgrown reservoirs die out, resulting in a mass that becomes larger and larger over time. Peat formation occurs under conditions of a minimum amount of oxygen and high humidity.

Depending on the stage of decomposition of organisms, several types of peat are distinguished:

Horse, when the compressed layers have not completely decomposed.
Lowland when decomposition has occurred completely.
Transitional peat is a state of mass between upland and lowland species.

Man fertilizes the earth different means, but it is peat that has been known for its useful qualities since ancient times, so it is used not only in agriculture but also for work on private land plots.

Peat as soil fertilizer

Many gardeners and gardeners believe that the land can be cultivated with peat alone, although this is an erroneous opinion, despite the high percentage of humus in it, it is not recommended to fertilize the soil in this way. This is easily explained by the fact that the peat mass contains a minimum amount of nutrients, it should be noted that it contains enough nitrogen, but it is difficult for plants to assimilate such an additive. Experts do not advise using only peat as a fertilizer, since only a maximum of 1.5 kg of nitrogen falls on a ton of land, and other elements are also needed for the development and growth of crops. For top dressing it is necessary to use other mineral, as well as organic fertilizers.

In addition to the fact that peat contains humus, it also has a porous structure, which significantly increases the physiological qualities of the soil, this applies to any composition. Due to such fertilizer, the earth passes water and oxygen, breathes with ease, without difficulty, and the roots of the plant feel good in such an environment. This applies to low-lying and intermediate types of peat, if we talk about the riding type, then it is best used only to shelter plants from frost.

For some types of soil, peat does not play a role and does not give anything like fertilizer, especially in relation to fertile land. But if the soil in the area with impurities of clay or sand is depleted and lacks organic matter, then peat with additional fertilizers will change the situation for the better. Agricultural crops will bring good harvest, a houseplants take on an appearance.

Peat soil is exceptionally valuable, only with the addition of other mineral or organic substrates or in the form of compost, which is especially useful for plants.

Positive qualities of peat

This type of fertilizer has numerous positive features, if used correctly, for example, it nourishes not only depleted soil, but also gives it lightness, makes the structure porous, due to which both air and water enter the root system of plants faster.

In addition, peat is an antiseptic of natural origin, therefore it cleanses the soil of harmful bacteria, maintains microflora and protects against various harmful bacteria and fungi. In addition, it easily increases the acidity of the soil, if necessary, thereby increasing the effectiveness of fertilizers. The optimal pH value should be equal to 3.5, otherwise peat, as a fertilizer, can harm crops.

Important! Improper use of such raw materials as fertilizer will cause the plants to grow slowly, and in some cases even lead to death.

Negative influence

Some gardeners do not know how to properly use peat, so they make various mistakes in the process of tillage, for example, it is not recommended to apply it with a continuous method. Other feeds, organic or mineral, should be added to it. You can not use high-moor peat in the form of fertilizer, as there will be no sense, since in most cases they are used for mulching. For sandy and fertile soils, peat mass, as an organic fertilizer, is not suitable.

Do-it-yourself peat harvesting

All composting work begins with the preparation of a place for its placement, for example, a box, the raw materials are laid in layers, between which earth or manure is located.

In order for it to become fertile, it should be laid in layers no more than 50 cm thick, or it should be thoroughly mixed with plant residues. A distinctive feature of peat is that it retains moisture well, so during its storage it is necessary to cover it tightly, otherwise the rains will lead to the formation of a wet and heavy mass, which is simply impossible to dry afterwards.

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Self-made compost should be moistened until the raw material is loose so that water does not run in a stream if you squeeze the fertilizer with your hand. In the box where the peat will be stored, you must put good layer drainage, for example, from branches. As a rule, many soil harmful microorganisms do not live in an acidic environment, the pH of which is 5 units, in peat this indicator is less, therefore, before composting, it is necessary to have dehydrated raw materials. To do this, lime flour and ash are added to it, in any quantity, mixing thoroughly.

In agriculture, there are two types of peat composting:

Layered, when the mass and manure are laid in layers, alternating raw materials in turn, until the height of the stack is equal to 1.5 meters.
Focal, when peat is first laid, and then along and in the middle of the pile of manure.

Manure is laid on all sides, and in summer water or liquid is added to the pile, in addition, peat compost is useful to add fertilizers with potassium, lime, given the acidity of the soil.

Peat fertilizer for plants and seedlings

For seedlings and crops, fertilizer is prepared once a season, applied in autumn or spring, for digging, which increases soil fertility. By its composition, peat is tight, so it should be slightly modified before being embedded in the soil. When spring comes, they remove the film that covered the peat mass for the winter, add fresh feces and mix well, leave to infuse for a maximum of two days, then scatter it on a new drainage to make the fertilizing material loose and fill it with oxygen. After use, they are closed again so that rain does not get in, and left to mature until the onset of autumn.

peat formation

The main disadvantage of this fertilizer is that it does not contain clay and sand, as well as pebbles, which create a drainage effect.

Sand and clay are very important for the soil, and latest topics more, because it contains all the nutrients so that they are not washed away, it helps to form high-quality humic elements. In simple words, clay is a favorable basis for fertile soil. The fact that the peat mass is formed in a swamp environment makes it rich not only in humic substances, but also in organic matter. The parameters of the ratio of sand and clay does not matter, the main thing is that these components are present.

To fertilize the beds, it is enough to add several buckets and sand, clay, not forgetting about other ordinary mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogen compounds. fertile soil fertilized, and peat soil must be processed without fail, since many substances are practically absent in such raw materials.

As a rule, phosphorus and potassium are added either to peat compost or directly to the flower beds during their creation. In fact, they are already compost heaps, since they are mixed with as much manure and bird droppings as possible, grass mass and fertilizers, as well as ash and other additives, phosphorite and dolomite flour. After everything is mixed, the pile is left to infuse and mature for at least a few months.

For more information on how to obtain, use and store peat in the form of fertilizer, you can watch the video

What to do if the soil is peat? What agricultural techniques can be used to prepare it for growing vegetables and potatoes? A.M. Antipov.

Almost all areas with peat soils need drainage, which must be carried out before proceeding with their cultivation. Recall that soils in which the thickness of the peat upper horizon does not exceed 30 cm are referred to as peaty, and with a greater thickness (sometimes it reaches 2 or more meters) - to peat.

Peat soils come in different acidity - from slightly acidic and even close to neutral (in lowland peat bog soils) to strongly acidic (in peat bog highland soils). One of the important methods of cultivating marsh soils is the introduction of lime. Its dose is determined depending on the degree of acidity. At pH 4.7-5, it is recommended to add 100-300 g of lime per 1 sq. m, at pH 4.3-4.7 - up to 500 g, at pH 3.9-4.3 - up to 800-1000 g or more. Lime is scattered over the surface of the peat layer and dug up on a spade bayonet.

Peat soils are characterized by a high content of organic matter and nitrogen. However, only 1-3% of the total amount of nitrogen is in the form of nitrate and ammonia compounds available to plants. During drainage and numerous treatments (digging, loosening), organic matter is vigorously decomposed, a lot of nitrates are formed, plants are well supplied with them and do not even have time to use them. In this case, most of the nitrates can be washed out of the soil into groundwater and pollute them. This should be taken into account by those who have a personal plot. At the same time, peat soils are characterized by a low content of phosphorus and low potassium.

During the primary cultivation of peat soils under autumn digging it is recommended to add 40-50 g/m2 of potassium chloride. By spring, chlorine will be washed into the deeper layers of the soil and will not harmful effects, and potassium will be fixed in a form accessible to plants in the upper soil layer. In the spring, about 50 g / m2 of simple or 20-25 g of double superphosphate should be applied. Against the background of high doses of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, small doses of nitrogen fertilizers have a positive effect - 10-15 g of urea or 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m2.

Forms and doses of mineral fertilizers may be different. When making them, you should take into account the recommendations that are usually placed on the package.

Despite the fact that peat soils are rich in organic matter and nitrogen, there is a lot of evidence that the application of manure (1-2 kg/m2) increases the yield of many crops, such as cucumbers, cabbage.

On peat soils, it is necessary to apply micronutrient fertilizers, primarily copper ones: copper sulfate at the rate of 2-2.5 g / m2, previously dissolving them in water and watering the soil from a watering can.

Preparation of peat for use (Fertilizer in greenhouses - 1)

Good results are obtained by the introduction of boron microfertilizers. Most often, 2-3 g are taken for foliar feeding of seedlings or adult plants. boric acid per 10 liters of water (1 liter of this solution is sprayed on plants in an area of 10 sq. M).

When growing various crops on drained peatlands, timely watering of plants is extremely important. When drying, the top layer of peat does not absorb water well, when watering it rolls off the bed, the plants suffer from a lack of moisture.

Under the influence of drainage, numerous tillages, as well as fertilizing and changing the reaction of the soil solution as a result of liming, the activity of soil microorganisms is enhanced, and decomposition of the peat layer (mineralization) can occur very quickly. On the one hand, this process is necessary, since the peat mass is, as it were, “earthed” and enriched with forms of nitrogen and other nutrients available to plants. But, on the other hand, the peat layer is destroyed, its thickness decreases, or, as experts say, peat is depleted, organic matter is lost and nitrogen is washed out in the form of nitrates. To avoid this, to the surface peat soil mineral soil is poured - sand or clay (approximately 20-40 kg / m2 each) and mixed with peat when digging. At the same time, water, thermal and nutritional regimes are improved and the rapid decomposition of peat soils is prevented.

Another method of improving swamp soils was successfully used at the end of the last century. Sand is poured on the surface of drained peat soil with a layer of 10-15 cm. When cultivating the soil, it is not mixed with peat. Sand protects peat from drying out and from excessively rapid mineralization, in other words, from destruction.

Preparation, preparation of the ideal soil substrate for seedlings

Vegetables in the room are more demanding on the soil than in the garden, because in a pot the plant is forced to develop a root system in very cramped conditions. Therefore, the soil should be close to ideal: contain readily available nutrients in the right quantities; do not retain excess water; be clean - without pathogens, pests, weed seeds; it is good to pass air to the roots; have the acidity required for a particular vegetable.

Tricks of soil producers

There are many on the market now soil both domestic and foreign production for any kind of plants. When choosing the right mixture, it is sometimes difficult to figure out which one to give preference to.

All soils commercially available, usually consist of lowland or highland peat with the addition of sand, mineral fertilizers and humic acids. And peat, alas, is not always of high quality, because it is not extracted from the best peat bogs, and not all companies make it according to the rules. After all, peat must be removed in layers so as not to disturb its structure, the upper 5 cm must be loosened and dried. It is clear that not every company has the appropriate equipment to use this technology.

Small producers most often, peat is mined with an excavator or a shovel, mixed with lime and fertilizers, poured manually into bags. Therefore, it is heterogeneous in structure, unequal in acidity. Somewhere interspersed with pieces of dolomite flour, plant remains. Getting into such soil, the roots of our green pets burn out, the plants die.

Some manufacturers go to the trick: add mineral fertilizers several times more than the norm. As a result, the plant grows fat, gains excessive green mass, and there are almost no roots. Seedlings that have fallen into such conditions, after planting in the ground, take root for a long time, get sick, and set fruits with a delay.

Few people think that peat soil mixtures have an expiration date, and if it has expired, seedlings in the substrate may die. The fact is that old peat, especially high-moor peat, changes its physical and chemical properties in the package.

He can warm himself up. It is better to pour such peat on the garden bed, and not in a pot on the windowsill. Unfortunately, the market is full of such perennial soils, many manufacturers simply do not set the release date or change it to their advantage. And briquettes are generally very often made from low quality peat.

Of course, imported soils are sometimes better than Russian ones, but they are always more expensive. Although we now have firms with their own deposits, modern technologies and equipment for uniform mixing and packaging of the substrate. Mixtures have proven themselves well: "Garden Land", "Rostok", "Violet", "Bogatyr", "Living Earth", "Giant", "Ideal".

Recipes for the preparation of soil, substrate

But still, I prefer and advise everyone to make up the soil mixture on my own with my own hands, and take the purchased soil as the basis. What components are commonly used?

Here are some recipes that are quite suitable for vegetables on the window.
1. Garden land 50%, humus 50%;
2. Lowland peat 50%, sawdust 30%, garden soil 20%;
3. Lowland peat 50%, sawdust 20%, river sand 30%.

For 10 kg of the finished mixture, add 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate, 40-50 double superphosphate, 30-40 g of potassium sulfate and 0.5 cups of ash.

What components are included in the composition of the soil, substrate

Let me dwell on some of the ingredients. Where to take them from? How to cook?

Garden land. You should not "extract" it from the cucumber or potato beds, where pathogens live. In addition, there is a lot of nitrogen and minerals in the soil from under cucumbers, which is harmful, for example, for seedlings. It is best to make potting soil, taking soil from a pea, bean or bean garden, or from one where green vegetables grew. Well, the most excellent land mixture is obtained on the basis of a substrate from molehills. It has a granular structure, it does not need to be sieved, as it is well mixed with moles. During the thaw, gently pry the tubercles that the moles dug on wet areas and put them in a bag. Mole earth, mixed in equal proportions with humus, is an excellent substrate for indoor vegetable plantings.

Humus. This is rotted compost or manure 2-3 years old. It is rich in valuable nutrients that are well absorbed by plants. A special type of humus is leafy soil. The decomposition of fallen leaves comes from a specific microflora. Leafy soil is looser and lighter. It has less nutritional value, but optimal moisture capacity. The soil substrate from such humus, even in overdried room air stays wet for a long time.

leaf ground indispensable in mixtures for forcing root crops that do not tolerate manure humus. It improves soil structure, its physical properties. Humus is made from the leaves of birch, linden, maple, but oak and willow contain tannins and are unsuitable for the leafy soil of the home garden.

Periodically moistening them with a 0.5% solution of urea or adding microbiological preparations helps to reduce the time of leaf overheating. If it is not possible to prepare leafy soil, dry birch leaves in the sun, rub them and sift through a fine sieve.

Such a powder, added to vegetable pots, has a very beneficial effect on plants.

Peat. It serves mainly as a filler, giving the substrate lightness, high absorption capacity, friability. However, peat is characterized by low acidity. High-moor peat is brown and more acidic than black lowland peat. If you take high-moor peat as the main filler, you need to add 2-3 tbsp to the mixture. spoons of dolomite flour or lime per 10 liters of substrate. You can also use compressed peat, you just need to properly soak it with water before use.

Wood sawdust. They also give the soil mixture friability. Sawdust is better to take stale. If they are fresh, you first need to scald them with boiling water and add urea (40 g per bucket of sawdust). Urea will replenish the amount of nitrogen that fresh sawdust taken from plants during decomposition. More useful sawdust is obtained from deciduous trees than from conifers. But those that come out of wood impregnated with varnishes and paints are not at all suitable.

River sand. Light coarse-grained is especially good. It gives soil mixtures porosity. Ground fine-grained red sand is worse, but if it is thoroughly washed, it is also suitable. River sand is placed on the bottom of pots or boxes for drainage so that the soil does not silt.

Moss-sphagnum. It also loosens the earth, making it light and hygroscopic. Moss is preliminarily dried and rubbed through a sieve. It is useful for them to cover the ground in pots from above so that it does not dry out. Sphagnum inhibits the development of pathogens.

How to prepare the soil, freeze or steam?

Have you collected all the soil components? Now sift each ingredient through a sieve so that plant residues do not come across, because their decomposition inhibits the growth of young plants, especially seedlings.

Make a mixture for seedlings now, put it in a bag and soak it on a balcony or loggia until spring.
— First of all, in the room the earth quickly dries up.
— Secondly, it will be good if it freezes several times after the winter thaws.

Soil preparation for seedlings at home

Such a mixture will not need additional disinfection. This method of disinfection is more effective than steaming the soil. At high temperatures, dead soil microorganisms soon decompose, poisoning the substrate. Steamed soil very quickly overgrows with mold, pathogenic bacteria in it develop much faster than useful ones.

Before sowing, the soil mixture should be slightly moistened and loosened by stirring. The same substrate cannot be used for several years in a row, this multiplies the disease. By experience, it is possible to choose optimal composition soils for each type of vegetable grown in the room, combining purchased soils with additives from our own harvest.
Anastasia Lebedeva, Ph.D. Sciences

Return to the table of contents - Gardening

1. Try to guess and add what “professions” assistants a person needs to close the cycle of substances in the fields.

2. Try to make a food chain from the following living organisms: hawk, tick, spruce, squirrel. Write down the names of the participants in the food chain and connect them with arrows.

Spruce - squirrel - hawk - tick

3. Determine how living organisms need to be moved so that each of them gets into its own ecosystem and is well adapted to its conditions? Point with arrows.

4. Try to guess a part of the ecosystem by a set of words related to it. Write the name of this part.

Breathe, wind, transparency, gas - air.

Pouring, flowing, transparency, liquid - water.

Strength, solid, minerals - rocks.

Green color, release of oxygen, growth - manufacturers.

Fertility, mixture, root - the soil.

Dead remains of organisms, soil, food - destroyers.

Movement, nutrition, breathing, growth - consumers.

5. Determine what connections exist within the ecosystem. Add phrases.

Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Animals absorb oxygen from the air.

Peat in agriculture: characteristics, useful properties, methods and rules of use

Plants get water from the soil. Animals drink water. Plants grow in the soil and absorb minerals and salts from it. Animals live in the soil. Water destroys rocks. Soil is formed from broken rocks. Water is an integral part of the soil. Animals eat plants.

Harvesting - peat

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Peat harvesting consists of draining a peat bog, cleaning it from forest-shrubs and stumps, removing the upper sod layer and extracting it in a layer-by-surface method. With such extraction, peat is collected from the surface of the peat bog in layers after loosening.

For continuous peat harvesting, two sites were selected, their processing and compost harvesting were carried out alternately. As well as peat-fecal, peat-mineral composts were also prepared.

When harvesting peat for bedding, it is good to treat and loosen the surface of peat bogs with a cutter (FB-10 on the trailer of the DT-55 tractor), after which, by repeated tedding of the loose layer, bring it to the required moisture content. As it dries, peat is collected in rolls or stacks.

When harvesting peat, one of the longest processes is its drying, which until now has been carried out in the air during the summer peat harvesting period. Soviet specialists have developed methods for accelerated drying by squeezing water out of peat and chemically artificially dehydrating it. The use of these methods makes it possible to bring the moisture content of peat up to 30% within an hour.

How is peat harvested for bedding, fertilizer and for composting.

One of the longest processes in peat harvesting is its drying. Drying of peat in air lasts for months, and by artificial methods the duration of its dehydration can be drastically reduced.

Along with the accumulation of manure on the farm, it is possible to harvest peat, sapropel, accumulate bird droppings, slurry, prepare composts, use straw, green fertilizers. Since the dry matter content in these fertilizers is different, for ease of use they can be converted into bedding manure. In this case, conversion factors are used.

The task of such a permanent detachment is to obtain high-quality manure, prepare straw cutting for livestock bedding, harvest peat, various composts, collect and store slurry, bird droppings, ash and feces.

Use of peat as a fertilizer

In the planning process, they identify the need for earth-moving equipment for on-farm work (treadmilling, road repair, cleaning of livestock buildings, etc.), repair of irrigation and drainage canals and structures, harvesting of peat and lime for fertilizers and other work carried out in excess of the needs of capital construction.

At present, machine and tractor stations, in addition to current agricultural work, carry out irrigation, reclamation, road work, are engaged in the construction of ponds and reservoirs, and the improvement of meadows and pastures. In the non-chernozem zone of the RSFSR, in Byelorussia, in the Baltic Soviet republics and in a number of other regions of the country, MTS carry out work on the preparation of peat and lime. In the southern regions, where horticulture and viticulture are developed, MTS carry out planting work. All these works are, as a rule, one-off, and it is not expedient to buy machines for collective farms to carry out such work, since they cannot be fully loaded on an individual farm. It is more expedient to leave these machines at repair and technical stations so that they can rent them to the collective farms or perform the corresponding work under contracts. In certain regions, for example, in the north and north-west of the country, as well as in a number of regions of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, it is apparently inexpedient for many collective farms to acquire such a machine as a grain combine, since in these collective farms the area under grain crops is small and one combine can serve several collective farms. In such areas, repair and technical stations should have several combine harvesters to service collective farms with small areas under grain crops.

The central place in the fertilizer system of any collective farm and state farm should be occupied by a plan for the accumulation and storage of manure, slurry, peat, bird droppings, ash and other local fertilizers. In this plan, it is necessary to reflect measures to increase the bedding for livestock and improve the work of livestock brigades for cleaning cattle yards and laying manure in manure storage facilities, measures for the removal of manure in the field, the preparation of peat and compost, indicating for each year hectare doses and the timing of removal to the field of organic and mineral fertilizers.

As a serious shortcoming, we must condemn the incorrect attitude that has taken shape in recent years among workers in agricultural bodies and many heads of collective farms and state farms towards the use of local fertilizers. There is a harmful underestimation of this case. Otherwise, it is impossible to explain the situation that the plans for the accumulation of manure and peat harvesting are not being fulfilled.

Sometimes farms carry out quarry-excavator harvesting of peat. With such harvesting, the cost of peat increases, its moisture content remains very high, and the quality of peat decreases. In addition, it is practically impossible to use swamp areas for growing crops after quarry-excavator harvesting of peat.

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OLD WAY improve the balance of moisture and air, as well as replenish the supply of nitrogen and biologically active substances in the soil - add rotted manure, peat or compost. But the scarcity and high price of traditional organics hinder its widespread use. In addition, manure, especially fresh manure, is a source of pathogens and weeds, and peat must be neutralized with lime and thoroughly mixed with the soil: tender roots react poorly to excessive acidity and, if watered insufficiently, die, crushed by lumps of peat. Therefore, manure, peat and compost are usually added to the holes or furrows before planting seedlings or sowing seeds, only locally improving the fertility of the site.

FERTILITY OF THE WHOLE BED or gardens can be improved with the help of green manure - specially sown for planting plants in the soil. Cold-resistant crops - rye (cut after 25-35 days at a plant height of 15-20 cm), oats, rapeseed, mustard, oil radish, rapeseed, pelushka (after 1.5-2 months, at the time of mass flowering), winter vetch and spring crops are sown as soon as the earth ripens after the snow melts, or in mid-August - on the beds that have been vacated after harvesting. Amaranth, seradella, annual lupine, calendula are placed in the garden when the soil warms up to 10 °. Siderates are embedded in the soil to a maximum depth of 15 cm.

To increase the power of the root layer in the garden, I recommend alternating the sowing of dicotyledonous (with a taproot) and monocotyledonous (with superficial, fibrous roots) plants in time: the roots form a capillary network through which moisture can pass deep into and accumulate in the soil.

SAVE moisture in the soil, without compacting it and protecting it from erosion, overheating or hypothermia, mulch helps - a layer of plant material 3-5 cm thick. Mowed grass, cut stems of lupine, sweet clover, nettle, hay, straw, flax fire, weathered sawdust, buckwheat and sunflower seed husks, remains of corn stalks and cobs, fallen leaves, paper shavings, shredded bark. However, these materials are mostly cellulose, and the bacteria that feed on it rob the plants of nitrogen. In addition, harmful microorganisms hibernate on mulching plant residues. And mulch also interferes with the warming up of the soil in spring, the uniform sowing of seeds, especially small ones, and the amicable emergence of seedlings not only of weeds, but also of cultivated plants. That is why in the spring it is recommended to remove the mulch from the beds. The peasants, since there was no modern technology, arranged a fall - they set fire to the stubble. Today, this technique is banned, as it has been established that fire not only threatens rural homes, but also reduces the content of available nitrogen and destroys beneficial microflora and fauna in a 5-centimeter layer of soil.

MORE EFFICIENT treatment of the surface of the beds with a biodestructor - a preparation that contains a complex of soil cellulose and lignin-destroying, nitrogen-fixing, lactic acid and other beneficial microorganisms. The biodestructor accelerates the decomposition of plant residues, making the soil looser. Useful microflora accumulates nitrogen in the soil, converts poorly digestible phosphorus and potassium of the soil into available compounds, enhances the formation of active humus. They inhibit the development of pathogenic fungi, bacteria, nematodes, stimulate the development of beneficial soil microflora, plant growth and their resistance to stress, protecting the garden from infections. The addition of humates to the biodestructor will enhance the effect of the formation of "healthy soil".

Although biodestructors allow you to reduce the dose of fertilizers, without the latter, it will still not work to make the soil fertile.

Large doses (6-9 g / sq. M) of the missing nutrients are introduced in the fall (for the main treatment of the site).

Peat pots will help grow seedlings

In the spring, starting doses of fertilizers are needed, which we close up simultaneously with loosening the soil. I advise you to give preference to granular and soluble fertilizers, including those with trace elements. It will not be possible to evenly close them with a shovel, and the work is hard. On a small bed, I advise you to use a manual loosening tool. If a plot of more than a hundred square meters is being processed, electric and gasoline cultivators will provide high-quality processing.

COMBINING THE FOLLOWING, IT IS POSSIBLE TO RETURN FERTILITY TO THE BEDS IN "FIVE STEPS".

1 . In the spring, we fill the “bare” beds with starting fertilizer and fill them with green manure, and water the mulched ones with a biodestructor.

2 . At the appropriate time, we close up the plant mass, while cultivating the soil.

3 . After a week, we spill it with a biodestructor, fill the furrows and holes with humus or compost and sow the seeds.

4 . When the seedlings sprout, we loosen the aisles, once again apply the microbiological preparation, mulch the beds.

5 . After harvesting, we sow green manure or loosen it, apply the main fertilizer, close the beds with mulch and water with a biodestructor and humates.

Yu. SOSNOVA, agronomist and summer resident, Tula region

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