Vasilyeva Ekaterina, member of the Organic Farming Club

Farming on peat soils

On well-calcified soils with a neutral reaction, any plants can be grown. But on peat soils with a slightly acidic and medium acid reaction, it is necessary to plant plants that like this level of acidity. Below is a list of plants that love acidic soil, they can be grown in the first years of peat bog cultivation.

Table. List of plants for acidic soil

undersized shrubs	shrubs	deciduous trees	Coniferous trees
Ledum marsh Cowberry heather Blueberry crowberry Wintergreen lying down blueberry Derain swedish common cranberry Cloudberry Podbel multi-leaved Polyanika (arctic raspberry) Blueberry	Aronia chokeberry birch dwarf deadly wolfberry Voskovnitsa common Hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata Derain white woolly willow vegric lilac	Birch white willow willow Alder Common bird cherry	spruce glen Common juniper Thuja western

Among the flowers of lovers acidic soils can be distinguished: rhododendrons, magnolias, astilbes, hosts, azaleas, lilies of the valley and others.
Also, garden strawberries tolerate slightly acidic soils well. Fruit trees prefer neutral soils to a greater extent, and it is also important that water does not stagnate in the root layer.

Features of planting plants on peatlands

As already mentioned above on peat bogs with high level ground water it is necessary to grow plants in raised beds.
Everything vegetable crops after measures for sanding, liming and applying various fertilizers, they are planted on beds raised above general level plot by 30 - 40 cm. It is also convenient to divide plants according to their preferences for soils: plant lovers of acidic soils on a separate bed, where lime is not added or applied in minimal doses.
Important! Plant on waterlogged soils fruit trees on low-growing rootstocks, root system which are found in the top layer of the soil.

To grow fruit trees peat areas with a high level of groundwater, it is necessary to form mounds. Under each tree we pour a hill 0.5 - 1 m high. If the peat on the site is slightly decomposed or moderately decomposed, then the entire planting pit under the tree must be filled fertile soil: black soil or loam mixed with organic fertilizers.
After planting a tree, as it grows, it is necessary to expand the hill to the sides, but do not add soil from above. Otherwise, the grafting site may sink into the ground, and the tree will disappear.

Peat as fertilizer

Many gardeners use peat as fertilizer on mineral soils. Sometimes they don’t even pay attention to what kind of peat they brought, they just scatter it on the surface of the soil and wait for plentiful harvests.
As we already know, there is high-moor and lowland peat. If you were brought high-moor peat, then in no case should it be applied to the ground immediately. To begin with, compost is prepared from it. Lay in compost pit or a pile, sprinkled with manure, organic residues, grass, sod, weeds, sometimes slurry and feces are added.
In hot weather, compost is watered warm water, and also every 2 - 3 months they are thrown. After 2 - 3 years, the compost will fully mature and be ready for use. To speed up the composting process, you can add to compost heap preparation with microorganisms Baikal - EM1, EM-1, Emochki-Bokashi or others. You can also populate prospector worms or California worms. In one season you will have wonderful compost.
Lowland peat also needs to be activated before being introduced into the ground. By the way, if you have fertile soils: black soil, loam or sandy loam, then the introduction of peat will not particularly improve fertility. It is better to sow green manure. But if you have heavy clay or dry sand, then you can add peat mixed with manure and compost.
When developing peat soils, the most important thing is patience. It is difficult to cultivate them in one year. But you really want to plant the whole garden as soon as possible. But this is only possible if you got a plot with well-decomposed lowland peat. Otherwise, you should gradually cultivate the soil and only then plant vegetables and fruits. In the first year of using the site, it can be sown with perennial green manure grasses.

Over time, any soil is depleted and requires systematic fertilization, otherwise cultivation cultivated plants it becomes difficult for her. In this case, gardeners resort to feeding the substrate with organic substances.

One of these is peat - natural fertilizer formed from particles of dead marsh plants. Peat, as a mineral, is mined in swamps, riverbeds or watersheds.

This type of raw material has been used for a long time as the basis of fertilizers for the land and in other areas of activity. The substance consists of decomposed plants and synthesis products - humus, mineral particles and water. The composition also contains a small amount of mineral and chemical elements.

Peat deposits are used in many areas. Mainly as a fuel in power plants, in animal husbandry, for cleaning drains, in development medicines for medicine. In the construction industry, peat-insulating materials are used.

A large proportion of peatlands is used by gardeners and gardeners to improve soil fertility. Peat deposits are used to make fertilizers that stimulate plant growth, pots for seedlings and covering biomaterial for the winter.

Many products of photosynthesis and carbon are accumulated in the peat material, which, when introduced into the soil improves its permeability to moisture and air, makes loose, and also changes the microbiological composition.

Substance improves the structure of the earth, reduces the content of nitrates, reduces the effect of pesticides, suppresses harmful bacteria and fungi, increases acidity. The humic and amino acids which are a part improve development of plant cultures. That is why peat, as a fertilizer, is so often used for vegetable gardens.

There are the following types of peat:

1. Lowland. This species is formed from particles of tree species, mosses, sedges and reeds in swampy areas. The decomposition of plants occurs without access to oxygen with the help of microorganisms in the lowland layer. This variety is different high humidity and density. The peat layer consists of low-lying undecomposed plants: alder, fern, birch, spruce, willow, etc. It occurs in floodplains and deep ravines.
2. Horse. From its name it indicates that it is formed in the upper layer of wetlands from grass and plants. Oxygen is involved in the formation. It has a light and loose structure, consists of the remains of plants of the upper type: larch, pine, marsh sedge, etc.
3. transitional. It is an integral part of high and low peat.

Lowland peat: application and properties of raw materials

This type of raw material is characterized by a high concentration of minerals and rapid decomposition. Mostly black.

Neutral or slightly acidic composition (pH 4–6) is saturated with humic acid, strongly absorbs water, so the humidity reaches 70%. Due to moisture, it is prone to the formation of clods, caking and silting.

Before use lowland peat ventilate for several days on the outdoors, pouring into small piles. Used in combination with compost and adding mineral fertilizers for enriching the soil or retaining moisture in clay or sandy soils.

Lowland peat evenly laid out on the surface of the earth and dig the soil to a depth of no more than 10 cm. Optimal norm an application of 20 to 30 liters/m² is considered. If the land on the site is new and has not been fertilized before, then they contribute from 50 to 60 liters / m².

The introduction of peat raw materials makes the soil structure granular, due to the fact that the particles of the earth are fastened into small lumps. The soil freely passes air, is well saturated and retains moisture, which has a beneficial effect on the root system of plants.

Lowland peat is often used for mulching lawn surfaces in spring period. Before that, the lawn is combed out, fertilizers from nitrogen are added and a thin layer of peat no more than 3-5 mm is distributed on the surface.

Mulching with low-lying peat is resorted to in the case of sandy and clay soils, so that moisture is retained during irrigation longer. To do this, weeds are removed, watered and fertilized, then the peat cover is distributed. thin layer on the surface(2-5 cm), trying not to affect the area around the stems.

Horse peat: characteristics and uses in horticulture

High-moor peat is characterized by porosity and high ability retain moisture. Long time does not give in to biological decomposition.

Due to the long fibers of the structure, it retains for a long time minerals in composition. The earth, saturated with long-staple high-moor peat, is light, has thermal insulation qualities and does not shrink when growing plants.

Unfortunately, horse peat little rich nutrients . High-moor peat deposits have an acid pH of 2.5–3.1. and are often used to acidify the soil.

Some plants require just such an environment for development. For example, for potatoes, strawberries, hydrangeas, sorrel, violets, heather. In this case, ventilated peat is added in proportions of 1: 1 for loamy and sandy soils.

In order not to inhibit plant cultures with high acidity, high-moor peat compost in pits or heaps until complete decomposition of organic residues.

On the basis of raw materials, substrates are prepared for growing seedlings of vegetables and flowers, and are also used in the greenhouse as the main material. Before that substance stir and ventilate, add mineral fertilizer and dolomite flour.

Be sure to measure the acidity, since the pH level of 5.5–6.5 is considered optimal for plants. The prepared base is kept for 1.5–2 weeks, periodically stirring, after which the plants are planted.

To use useful raw materials in gardening, you should know some rules. Before use, peat fertilizer is “dissolved” and aired for about two weeks.

It is best to sift the material additionally through a special mesh. Ventilation is performed in order to reduce toxicity. Then the raw materials are piled up and kept for up to two or three months, periodically shoveled.

Peat fertilizer has shown itself well in growing flowers. Airy and porous soil contributes to rapid restoration of flowers after transplants. Peonies are especially favorable to the peat substrate. Flowers develop quickly and delight bright colors, while exuding more intense odors.

Gardeners often use instead of manure peat compost. The only drawback of this method is the longer decomposition of peat in the soil than manure. In addition, high-moor peat has an increased acidity, which requires aging before use. But at proper preparation, peat compost is in no way inferior to manure.

Composting is done from early spring to late autumn. Add to compost heaps with peat various material, which serves as an excellent addition to beneficial microorganisms.

Most often, these are fallen leaves, plant waste, tops, weeds, food debris and sawdust. Compost is prepared for about one to a year and a half. During this time, it is considered ready if the mixture has turned into a homogeneous mass.

The use of peat on suburban area leads to positive results. Natural substance is used for the following purposes:

How should peat be applied? The method is ineffective if you simply scatter raw materials on the surface of the soil. To attain maximum effect, peat material is mixed with turf, humus and other components, then bring 2-3 buckets to an area of ​​1 m². Such top dressing can be performed every year, which will increase the level of soil fertility by 1%.

Should be considered simple rules when making peat top dressing at their summer cottage:

• The amount of peat matter in the soil composition should not exceed 70%.
• Before use, be sure to mix with humus and sand.
• Apply additional mineral fertilizers.
• Use low-lying peat deposits.
• Apply on loam and sandy soils.

The result of top dressing is affected by the degree of decomposition of peat raw materials, which should not be less than 30–40%. If a lowland type of material is used, then it must be ventilate and grind. At the same time, it is impossible to overdry the material, the optimum humidity should be 50-70%.

Peat for the garden: the benefits and harms of raw materials

Gardeners use peat raw materials to give looseness to earthen coma and create the correct structure of sod-podzolic soils, where sand and clay predominate. As you know, sand weakly retains water, and clay is airtight.

That's why, the best option not found for such soil. How to choose peat for the garden? You can choose depending on the degree of decomposition of the substance. There are three categories:

• Lowland type. More than 40% degree of decomposition. Due to the neutral composition, it is best suited for the garden.
• transitional type. The degree of decomposition is from 25 to 40%. Used as a material for composting.
• Riding type. The minimum degree of decomposition, which is 20%. It is not recommended to apply in its pure form to the soil due to its high acidity, it requires pre-treatment.

The main benefits and harms of peat in the garden land plot. Let's determine what the beneficial effects of the peat composition are:

1. Allows you to increase productivity by improving the soil, is minimal in cost.
2. Increases the humus layer of the earth, thereby improving fertility.
3. Increases porosity, air and water permeability of the substrate, improving the functioning of the root system of plants.
4. Fights pathogenic microflora, fungi, bacteria, is a good antiseptic.
5. With a low acidity of the substrate, this indicator can be normalized if you choose the right type of peat.
6. Quickly warms the ground, is able to delay useful material and stop them from washing out.
7. Possesses hygroscopicity. Increases the moisture content of the soil.

What disadvantages and harm can bring:

1. Peat is only harmful if it is misused or combined with poor quality fertilizers. Then the plants slow down development, and in some cases even death is possible.
2. The substance is able to increase the acidity of the soil, which adversely affects the growth of the crop. To avoid acidification of the soil, peat material is limed - 4–6 kg of lime are added per 100 kg.
3. Peat will not bring any benefit if the land is fertile and loose. The content of trace elements in the substance is minimal and will be absorbed only by 5%. This should be taken into account.

Peat as a fertilizer for vegetable crops

Almost all crops give a good harvest when using peat. Tomatoes, sorrel, potatoes, strawberries, strawberries and blueberries react especially favorably to the beneficial substance.

Top dressing is carried out in the spring, simultaneously with the planting of potatoes. Peat material mixed with manure thrown right into the hole, which allows nutrients to better penetrate to the seeds.

Peat also works well on the growth of strawberries. The fruits ripen faster, and the harvest becomes richer. No less good impact planting material for tomatoes. Top dressing is carried out once every 14 days root or foliar method.

The color of most peat soils is dark, almost black, which pleases inexperienced gardeners, who consider this a sign of fertility. Peat is even often brought to the plots and applied to the soil as a valuable fertilizer. In fact, peat is not a fertilizer at all. Peat soils are indeed fertile, but this fertility is potential. Nutrients for plants, in particular the main ones - nitrogen, in such soils are in bound state and cannot be used by plants. The transition of these substances in the process of soil cultivation into forms assimilated by plants (soil humus) occurs gradually, over many years. Therefore, the cultivation of peatlands is reduced not only to their drainage, but also to the enrichment of nutrients with the help of organic and mineral fertilizers. Most marsh soils are poor in copper (an essential trace element for plants). This means that when applying mineral fertilizers, it is necessary to choose those that contain this trace element.

Peat soils are cold. In winter, they freeze strongly, and in spring they thaw very slowly. Landings, especially young ones, have to be additionally insulated with snow, and removed in the spring.

Over time, peatlands turn into the most fertile soils, on which you can get rich harvests of vegetables, fruits, and berries.

In the southern regions, soils are quite common, almost entirely consisting of stones and rubble. They are called skeletal. To make such soil suitable for plant life, one has to choose large and medium stones from the upper half-meter layer and pour fertile layer land at least 15-20 cm for growing vegetables, berries and flower crops. For trees and shrubs in such cases, it is more expedient to dig deep landing pits and add earth there along with organic fertilizers.

But even such barren lands as rocky ones are not the worst. Much more difficulties arise in the development of saline soils. They have an alkaline reaction of the environment, high density, in the wet state these soils are viscous, and in the dry state they crack, tearing the roots of plants. To improve alkaline soils, gypsum and phosphogypsum are usually applied; in case of secondary salinization with groundwater, expensive drainage is built.

According to the mechanical composition, all soils are divided into three groups: sandy and sandy, light and medium loamy, heavy loamy and clayey. Most crops grow best on light to medium loam. Sandy and sandy soils do not hold water well. On heavy loams and clays, plants, on the contrary, suffer from excess moisture. Cultivation sandy soil is reduced to the introduction of clay into them, and the structure of clay soils is improved by the addition of sand. Gardeners who once received plots with heavy clay soils, they say that in 25 years they brought about 5 trucks of sand. They scattered sand along with fertilizers over the surface before digging, added it to planting pits, simply scattered it over the surface. As a result, during this period, the upper layers of soil on the site turned from clay to loamy.

The cultivation of any soil is impossible without fertilizers, especially organic ones, which not only compensate for the lack of nutrients, but also improve physical properties soil.

On heavy soils, it is better to apply manure and bird droppings in the fall, for digging, and on light soils - in the spring (evino) manure and fresh chicken droppings cannot be used). An alternative to ethyl fertilizers is compost. It is prepared from any plant residues and kitchen waste for several months (rhizomatous weeds like couch grass are not recommended).

Layers of peat, manure, feces, mineral fertilizers and ash improve the quality of the compost.

Green fertilizer is a number of plants from the legume family - lupine, phacelia, seradella, sweet clover, clover, which are buried in the soil in the budding phase. Rotting, the remains of these plants enrich the soil with organic matter and nitrogen, which is absorbed from the atmosphere (a property of all legumes). The result of exposure to the soil, for example, lupine is the same as manure.

Wood ash is an excellent fertilizer, especially for acidic soils. The best is the ash of deciduous trees (birch) and sunflower.

Mineral fertilizers do not improve the structure of the soil and do not enrich it with humus, but they quickly provide plant nutrition. In the first period of development of the site, especially with a lack of organic matter, their use within reasonable limits is simply necessary.

There is another way to increase soil fertility - breeding earthworms. It is they who process composts, turning dry plant residues into the most valuable forms of humus. Scientists believe that our famous black soils were created mainly by the activity of worms.

In addition to organic residues, the food source of worms is soil microflora and microfauna. Worms absorb a huge amount of bacteria, including pathogens, algae, fungi with their spores, protozoa and nematodes. As a result, the soil is disinfected and at the same time enriched with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium - the main plant nutrients and biologically active substances contained in the coprolites (excretions) of these animals. Worms are also capable of ameliorating the soil, improving its structure and physical properties.

During the day, the worm passes through itself a mass of earth with organic matter equal to its own mass. Based on 1 m 2, this turns out to be about 50 g, and over the summer - up to 10 kg. During the summer, 100 worms per 1 m 2 lay almost a kilometer of passages, making the soil loose, water and breathable.

The more earthworms there are in your area, the greater the yields will be. How to increase the number of worms? To do this is quite simple.

In a shady place, dig a groove, lay half-decomposed manure or dry leaves there and throw 2-3 handfuls of worms. Cover them with the same substrate, and put some matting on top. Periodically moisten the nursery, insulate it for the winter. On the next year it will teem with worms, and the substrate will turn into excellent humus. Scatter the worms around the site, and load the nursery again.

Soil is a living organism. Take care of her, like all living things, increase her wealth, and your efforts will pay off a hundredfold.

Bog peat soils, as soil scientists note, are represented in almost all natural areas. Accordingly, amateur gardeners who are lucky enough to acquire a plot of land often have to deal with this type of soil. It should be noted right away that in the minds of most owners of personal plots, relatively swamp soils not a particularly flattering opinion.

Let's take a closer look at the question: What to do if the soil on the site is marsh peat?

However, do not rush to the verdict "BAD", because with a wise approach to business and on a site with marsh-peat soil you can create green oasis. To do this, first of all, it is important to know how to properly cultivate the soil.

In general, it is customary to distinguish two types of marsh peat soils: lowland and upland . Each of them has its own set of specific qualities.

lowland soils are formed in low areas in conditions of waterlogging with hard groundwater. In nature, willow, birch, spruce, alder, all kinds of sedges, horsetail, reed grass and a number of other plants usually grow on such soils.
Formation raised soils going on elevated areas waterlogged by atmospheric or slightly mineralized (that is, soft) groundwater. IN vivo among the vegetation on such soil, pines prefer to grow, birches are less common. You can also find here wild rosemary, sphagnum mosses, honey-flower, blueberries, cranberries, etc.

The sizes of the peat layer in marshy lowland and upland soils can be different: from 20-30 cm to 2-3 m and in some cases even up to 5-6 m. However, if the level of the peat layer does not reach 50 cm, and strongly waterlogged gleyed horizons, then we are talking about peat- or peat-gley soils.
The value of peat is determined by the degree of its decomposition: the higher it is, the better it will be for plants. To find out what the degree of decomposition of peat is, it is enough to pick up a little soil, moisten it well and compress it. Then, by how easily and in what quantity water with peat particles will be squeezed out, as well as how the squeezed peat will look, taking into account the presence of dead vegetation residues in it, the degree of decomposition is determined.

To make it easier for you to navigate, below is a list of the main external characteristics, by which it is possible to accurately determine the degree of decomposition of peat.

DEGREE OF DECOMPOSITION OF LOW-LAND TYPE OF PEAT-BOGS

More than 70%: dead plant residues are not distinguishable; water is not squeezed out; color almost black; peat is easily squeezed between the fingers and stains the hand.
50-70%: the remains of plants, wood and bark are visible to the eye; water is almost not squeezed out; the color of peat and water is dark brown; the soil is plastic, half pressed through between the fingers.
35-50%: visible plant residues; water is dark brown, poorly wrung out; pressed peat is colored gray-brown; slightly stains hands, poorly squeezed between the fingers.
20-35%: remains of mosses and sedges are clearly visible; the water is yellow, squeezed weakly; peat light brown; does not fit well and stains the hand.
Less than 20%: plant residues are clearly visible; water is practically colorless, easily squeezed out; peat is distinguished by a light gray-brown color; between the fingers is not pressed.

DEGREE OF DEGRADATION

Over 50%: bark, wood, cotton grass are clearly visible; water is not squeezed out; peat color dark brown; squeezes between the fingers and stains the hand.
30-50%: cottongrass, wood and bark are visible to the eye; dark brown water is squeezed out drop by drop; peat color dark brown; it is plastic, it is pressed through badly, soils a hand;
10-30%: you can see the remains of mosses and cottongrass; yellow-brown water, easy to squeeze out; peat brown or light brown; elastic.
Less than 10%: branches of sphagnum mosses with leaves are clearly visible; light yellow water is easily squeezed out; peat is light brown, but can be almost yellow; very elastic, does not squeeze through between the fingers.
Swampy lowland peat soils are considered fertile, as they usually have a high degree of peat decomposition, close to the neutral reaction of the environment, and a lot of useful nutrients (both organic and mineral).
Raised bog soils are not so highly valued, since for the most part they have a low degree of peat decomposition, an acid reaction of the environment, and contain few nutrients for plants.

If you got a plot with upland marsh or lowland soil, but with a small degree of peat decomposition, and you really want to create a garden, flower beds, etc., you will have to artificially improve the condition of the soil. For orchard, it is likely that it will be necessary to create a bulk arable layer.
The first step in the development of lowland marshy soils is drainage, which means lowering the groundwater level to 2-3 m. Usually, open ditches are dug for this. You should know that over time they will be overgrown with grass and covered with earth, so they will have to be cleaned periodically.
We must not forget that after lowering the groundwater level, plants may not have enough moisture. Accordingly, they will need regular watering.
It is also important to choose the right assortment of plants for drained areas. In particular, if the groundwater level is somewhere around 2-3 m, then you can safely plant an apple tree and a pear tree with a deep root system. Stone fruit crops (for example, cherry or plum) are suitable for areas with groundwater depths up to 1.5-2 m. Shrubs feel good if groundwater occurs at a depth of at least 1 m. In the same case, if the waters are at a depth up to 1 m, it is better not to plant trees on the site.
The harmful effects of groundwater can be reduced by some special techniques. These include, for example, planting seedlings on hillocks with a height of 0.5-1 m and a width that will exceed the diameter of the crown by 30-40 cm. In the future, as the tree grows, such hillocks can be expanded. Shrubs can also be planted on hillocks, but only smaller: average height - 0.3-0.5 m, width - 1-1.5 m. Floral ornamental, vegetable and berry crops It is recommended to place on ridges up to 50 cm high.
Peat from drainage ditches is suitable as soil. It is worth adding sand, clay or loam to it, since such a cocktail will significantly improve the physical properties of the soil. The rate of additives varies from 6-10 to 30-100 kg of each component per 1 sq. m.
Most plants prefer to grow in soil that is slightly acidic and close to neutral (that is, when the pH is above 5). If the pH is below 5, then liming is necessary. As a rule, it is recommended for 1 sq. m of peat soils to make about 100-200 g of lime. Instead of lime, furnace ash is often used at the rate of 1-2 kg / sq. m.
You can do otherwise, picking up plants that feel good on acidic soil.

In areas with marsh peat soil, do not neglect the introduction organic fertilizers. The fact is that, although peat is contained in in large numbers nitrogen, it is in forms that are difficult for plants to access. Therefore, it is still necessary to introduce manure and various composts into the soil, especially in the first years of development of the site. The average dose is 2-3 kg / sq. m.
If the peat soil is poor, then you can not do without mineral fertilizers. Fertilizer rates depend on the nutrients contained in the soil and the plant crops planted on the site. Usually they are: 3-10 g/sq. m nitrogen, 6-15 g / sq. m of phosphate and 10-20 g / sq. m of potash fertilizers. Once every 3-4 years, it will not be superfluous to introduce copper fertilizers into the soil. blue vitriol taken in the calculation of 2-2.5 g / sq. m.

When caring for areas with peat soil, you need to keep in mind that the soil of this type is cold. This means that it freezes heavily in winter and slowly thaws in spring. Therefore, when preparing the garden for winter, it is recommended to take care of increasing the snow cover in those places where early crops are expected. With this approach, the soil will freeze to a lesser extent. In the spring, snow should be removed from these places.

We thank the portal http://liidweb.com for the material provided.

A professional gardener will talk about peat soils, their types, brands and features. Why not take land in the forest?

Features of the use of peat as a fertilizer

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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, which also include minerals. In nature, peat is formed in swamps, under conditions high humidity and obstructed airflow. used as combustible material, since it contains up to 60% carbon; as a fertilizer and thermal insulation material in construction.

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, peat is raised (almost not decomposed), lowland (completely decomposed) and transitional (an intermediate state between highland 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 are not very experienced gardeners buy peat in large quantities. They scatter it over the beds, sprinkle it in a thick layer under trees and shrubs, and in anticipation of record harvests, they happily rub their hands. Alas ... in this way good harvests not to get ... Although peat (lowland and transitional) consists of 40-60% of humus, it is highly not recommended to fertilize the site only with them.

Why? Yes, because peat 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 of organic and mineral fertilizers.

Peat, of course, is useful for enriching the soil, because it contains up to 60% humus (humus). In addition, 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 am now talking about low-lying and intermediate peat, but high-moor peat is not used as a fertilizer at all, but is an ideal mulch material for sheltering plants for the winter.

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 loamy 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 significantly improve the yield and appearance your decorative pets. The value of peat as a fertilizer can only be considered in combination with other types of organic and mineral fertilizers and in the form of composts. Peat-containing composts are especially useful for plants.

Consider the rules for organizing 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. Pour 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! Lay 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 from the sides with peat or garden soil in order to ensure an appropriate microclimate inside the heap. Periodically moisten the compost heap with water with the addition of superphosphate (100 g per bucket). And if you have a tight time with manure, and you cannot add it to the composition of the compost, then find the opportunity to water the compost with diluted slurry (5 kg of mullein per bucket of water). Or water with a diluted 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. And so that during heavy rains the water does not flow along the edges of the heap, but is absorbed inside, raise the upper edges of the heap by 10-15 cm. . 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 under 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 for 10 sq. m of soil usually contribute 60-70 kg of manure, then only 10-20 kg of peat compost is required for the same area. In addition, compost gives nutrients to plants more generously than manure, due to the porous fibrous structure of peat.

How much peat is applied to the soil?

To begin with, it is worth noting that it is impossible to “re-fertilize” the land with peat, and it can be applied both in spring and in autumn, evenly scattering over the site and digging a shovel onto a bayonet. Some summer residents cover their plots with peat in winter, evenly distributing it over the snow. Well - and so it is possible)) It is usually practiced to add peat to the soil for digging at the rate of: 30-40 kg per 1 sq. m, and later pour peat under the near-trunk 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 loosening 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 wood ash per 100 kg of peat.