What crops can be grown in rocky soil?

Depleted and sandy soil is not the most favorable environment for growing spectacular ornamental plants. Lack of nutrients, regardless of the cause of this problem, forces us to use only the most hardy and unassuming species in the design of garden plots, surprising with their modest needs. But the correct selection of crops allows you to create colorful landscaping even in such conditions. From "wild" perennials to brightly colored annuals and fashionable shrubs, the list of plants for poor soil is very significant.

Flowers for poor soil

Content:

• Poor soil characteristics
• Features of landscaping poor soils
• 10 favorites for flower beds and beds on poor soil
• Other plants for poor soil

Poor soil characteristics

Barren, depleted, poor soil are terms that almost any gardener and gardener are afraid of. But more often than not, they are not at all such a big problem as it seems. Soil depletion occurs only as a result of improper use. The lack of measures to restore fertility, fertilizing and mandatory processing can lead to the same consequences as the natural features of the soil with a structure that is not able to retain nutrients and water.

Poor garden soils are different. Depending on what exactly is the "source" of infertility, they are divided into two types:

1. Oppressed or misused... These are originally high-quality and fertile soils that have suffered from their irresponsible use. Like any other garden soil, such soil is restored thanks to the introduction of the correct fertilizers and high-quality processing, changes in processing methods.
2. Natural poor soils... They include sandy or stony soils, which, along with excellent heating and water permeability, also have unpleasant characteristics - the inability to retain both water and nutrients.

How to determine the condition of the soil on your site, read our detailed material: "Determination of soil quality indicators"

Soil correction, preparation for planting and measures to improve structure, composition and characteristics help to cope with any problem. For depleted soil, especially if the decrease in fertility is associated with the neglected state of plantings or the absence of any treatment for several seasons, the restoration process sometimes has to be extended over several years. But if you wish, you can correct and update any garden soil.

Restore soil fertility with the help of:

• organic fertilizers embedded in the soil or used as mulch;
• green manure plants;
• biological products and microbiological fertilizers;
• peat and high-quality substrate;
• rough organic materials (from sawdust and crushed bark to dry leaves and cut grass);
• soil conditioners and soil improvement preparations;
• full of mineral fertilizers.

The soil does not always need to be improved.In the process of creating a decorative garden, flower beds, rabatki, groups and other ensembles, infertility is not at all a contraindication to landscaping. It's just that poor soils are one of the special cases that require an equally special approach. If we are not talking about the characteristics of the entire site, but only about individual zones or small territories, then there is no need to carry out drastic measures to improve the soil (it happens that there is simply no such opportunity), it is worth assessing the prospects for using such sites for growing special plants and creating unique objects. After all, as the foundations of gardening art say, there is no such thing as "wrong" or "right" conditions on the site - there are only drawbacks in the planning and selection of plants. And the choice is so great that even for the specific task of landscaping poor soil, you can find your ideal solution.

Flower garden on poor soil

When faced with the problem of poor soil, they are often the first to seek solutions to change its characteristics. But if you want to use your chance to create an original decoration of the site and use the initial conditions wisely, then there will be as many options as strategies for improving the soil.

On poor soil, you can equip:

• alpine slide;
• rockery;
• rocky flower garden;
• dry stream and other water bodies or their imitations;
• steppe corner;
• imitation of the prairie;
• relaxation corner surrounded by plants;
• a flower garden imitating wild plantings;
• landscape array;
• a clearing of ground cover with large plants-accents;
• a flower bed or mixborder that does not require maintenance;
• herb garden.

And whichever option you choose, the main thing is to choose the right plants for solving your problem. After all, it is the decorative cultures that are able to revive any corner, breathe life into the most boring area and turn their main problem into the real pride of the owners of the garden.

Choosing plants that can please the eye even on poor soil is not as difficult as it might seem.... If you take a closer look at the best garden herbaceous perennials and shrubs, then there are quite a lot of species that can do with modest soil, which also have enviable drought resistance or are afraid of waterlogging. When selecting candidates for a place in a flower garden, rabatka or rocky garden, it is always better to be guided by these three parameters. Crops that are afraid of excess fertilizers and abundant irrigation feel especially good in poor soil. If the soil on your site is sandy, then you need to look for plants that prefer laying drainage when planting. True, you should be prepared for the fact that almost all candidates for the design of infertile soil are cultures from among those who prefer sunny places. Of the shade-tolerant and shade-loving species, only exceptional plants can come to terms with poor soil.

10 favorites for flower beds and beds on poor soil

1. Gaillardia large-flowered (Gaillardia x grandiflora)

The most popular decorative forms and varieties of the brightest perennial Gaillardia are united under this name. She easily becomes the main summer star of any composition with her brightly colored, yellow-red-brown “circles” covered with baskets and modest lanceolate leaves.

Compact varieties of half a meter in height are as common as larger varieties up to 70-80 cm high.The beauty of the Gaillardia color is preserved even on the poorest soil, but the duration of flowering, starting in early summer, will directly depend on the quality of care: only 2- 3 dressings per season will allow this plant to bloom as well as when planted in fertile soil. Gaillardia prefer dry, light soils and are excellent candidates for poor sandy soils.

Gaillardia grandiflora (Gaillardia x grandiflora)

2. Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

This plant rightfully claims to be the most underestimated of herbaceous perennials.Oregano is often perceived only as a medicinal and spicy plant, but meanwhile, in the ability to grow in any conditions and at the same time preserve beauty, it has no equal.

Oregano forms charmingly dense bushes ranging in height from 30 cm to half a meter, the density and size of which can be easily controlled by pruning. The rich color of small rounded leaves emphasizes the beauty of the lace cords of the inflorescences, which do not lose their beauty even after drying. Oregano creates texture spots, it is fragrant, adds volume to compositions, looks elegant regardless of the season. This is one of the most versatile plants that can be found in the arsenal of modern landscape design. It is also suitable for depleted and neglected soil.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

3. Common goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)

This is one of the most variable herbaceous perennials, not only in size, flowering and growth patterns, but also in terms of requirements for the place of cultivation. The most humble natural species of goldenrod, also known as the golden rod or autumn mimosa, adapts perfectly to even the most scarce soils and can grow in both heavy and light soil (unlike other species of goldenrod).

The dense branching of straight shoots allows goldenrod to create stunningly beautiful arrays from 60 cm to more than 2 m in height. The lanceolate leaves are arranged alternately and are distinguished by a rather dark color. Complex panicles and clusters of inflorescences are remembered thanks to small but beautiful baskets with a bright yellow-golden tone of reed flowers. Goldenrod blooms late and is one of the best autumn perennials that can grow in very difficult conditions.

Common goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)

4. Steller's wormwood (Artemisia stelleriana)

The favorite of the design of rocky gardens, the best accompaniment for gravel filling, the most hardy ground cover species - these are the epithets that the magnificent and compact perennial type of wormwood deserves.

Steller's wormwood forms a dense covering of outstretched half-meter shoots and attracts even from a distance with luxurious carved silvery leaves that seem to glow against the background of stones. Loose inflorescences, consisting of small yellowish baskets, can hide all the beauty of the plant, so it is better not to allow it to bloom. Exceptional drought resistance and the disclosure of the beauty of the silver edge only on poor soils makes this plant, like other wormwood, a favorite for the design of depleted, stony and sandy soils.

Steller's wormwood (Artemisia stelleriana)

5. Eryngium planum and Eryngium bourgatii

Most of the erythematosus, despite their invulnerable appearance, still achieve the greatest decorative effect on fertile soil. But the flat-leaved erythematosus and Bourget's erythematosus are an exception to the rule. They are able to grow in the densest or poorest soils, showing full blue only when there is a lack of nutrients.

Erythematosus flat-leaved (Eryngium planum) is a beautiful perennial meter in height with branching shoots in the upper part and tough thin leaves, all attention in which is attracted by ovoid heads of inflorescences up to 2 cm in diameter.

Einehead Bourget (Eryngium bourgatii) - a contender for the title of the most unpretentious erythematosus. At a height of up to 40 cm, it forms wide, sometimes lodging bushes, flaunts bluish, with a white edge, strongly dissected leaves and luminous round heads of inflorescences with very large leaves of the envelope. The plant is stunningly catchy and hardy at the same time.

Eryngium planum

6. Violet mullein (Verbascum phoeniceum)

Among large herbaceous perennials with powerful vertical inflorescences, perhaps only the mullein prefers not nutritious, but poor soil. This is a special plant in every sense. On poor soil, hybrid mullein and other species grow and develop well, but the absolute favorite is the purple mullein.

At a height of up to 1 m, this plant with powerful straight shoots and large basal leaves surprises with the beauty of simple but large clusters of inflorescences. Graceful flowers with a lilac corolla are a true decoration of this large plant. It is difficult to imagine any garden without mullein blooming in the first half of summer.

Purple mullein (Verbascum phoeniceum)

7. Yarrow (Achillea)

Even the most spectacular varieties of hybrid yarrow remain one of the most unpretentious garden plants. This perennial grows well in any soil, even when it comes to depleted soil. The exquisite colors of large inflorescences of the best modern varieties offer you to enjoy cherry, coral, orange, golden hues. But the species yarrows are also very good, even if their flowering is more modest.

Pillow-shaped yarrows on poor soils show their characteristics especially clearly. All yarrows are easily recognizable. These are perennials that form dense sods with numerous straight shoots, alternate whole or feathery leaves and are collected in dense shields, umbrellas and clusters of inflorescences in small baskets. Blooming yarrows give the compositions layering and structure.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

8. Ajuga

All representatives of this genus surprise with their ability to grow even in the most inappropriate conditions, sometimes radically different in their soil characteristics. The tenacious bloom reaches the greatest decorativeness in the nutrient soil, but they better show the beauty of the leaves and original colors on poor soil. Creeping shoots, rooting in the axils of the leaves, allow the survivors to effectively fill the soil.

Stolon shoots are usually hidden under decorative leaves collected in rosettes. Large, usually with a beautiful jagged edge, Ayuga offer a huge selection of unusual - dark, chocolate magenta and ink - colors. Flowers in spike-shaped inflorescences are decorative due to their intense blue-violet colors. Plants are very different from each other, but they always look like luxurious and original decorative deciduous wilds that can take root anywhere.

Tenacious (Ajuga)

9. Sedum

Dividing all sedum plants into two groups - preferring poor or nutritious soils - makes it easy to find luxurious plants for growing in all types of infertile soils. Preferring stony, sandy and sandy loam soils, stonecrops of the first group are low ground cover species with a bright color of fleshy leaves and abundant flowering

From spectacular sedum hybrid (Sedum hybridum) with its flat wedge-shaped leaves and tall umbrellas of yellow-orange inflorescences to low evergreen rugs stonecrop white (Sedum album) and spiny snake-like shoots stonecrop of pale yellow (Sedum ochroleucum) - there are plenty to choose from.

Sedum, or sedum (Sedum)

10. Common meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris)

It is one of the most undemanding (and least moisture-loving) species of meadowsweet. Common meadowsweet is a powerful, delicate and very effective perennial that looks great both during flowering and after. Height from 40 cm to 1 m allows the meadowsweet to easily fit into any composition.

Cirro-dissected, lacy large leaves create a luxurious root rosette, emphasizing the beauty of flowering. Large creamy or white flowers are collected in dense panicles of inflorescences capable of reaching 15 cm in length. Meadowsweet bloom in late spring, delighting with luxurious flowering foam for almost a month. But the leaves of the plant continue to decorate the composition further.

Common meadowsweet (Filipendula vulgaris) Other plants for poor soil

The list of perennials that are excellent at coping with nutritional deficiencies is not limited to the above-mentioned top ten.Many species of perennials associated with landscape design also thrive in poor and sandy soils.

In poor soils, they perform well:

• oak sage (Salvia x sylvestris);
• tansy (Tanacetum);
• mordovnik ordinary (Echinops ritro) and other types of mordovnikov;
• all types of perennial and annual poppies (representatives of the genus Papaver);
• alpine aquilegia (Aquilegia alpina), fan-shaped (Aquilegia flabellata), green-flowered (Aquilegia viridiflora), dark (Aquilegia atrata);
• pearl anaphalis (Anaphalis margaritaceae);
• cornflowers large-headed (Centaurea macrocephala), mountain (Centaurea montana), Russian (Centaurea ruthenica);
• Kermek Tatar (Goniolimon tataricum);
• leathery adonis (Silene coronaria, better known as crown lychnis);
• sunflower heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides);
• evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa);
• gypsophila paniculata (Gypsophila paniculata);
• medicinal hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis);
• Macleaya cordata (Macleaya cordata);
• all types of monarda (Monarda), subject to feeding during the season;
• all types of Mediterranean herbs - from thyme and tarragon to lavender and rosemary.

Kosmeya, or Cosmos Arctotis Tatar Kermek (Goniolimon tataricum)

The selection of annuals that feel good in the most difficult conditions is also quite rich. Sandy, dense or poorly fertile neglected soils are not at all contraindicated for growing bright-blooming seasonal stars. These annuals include:

• kosmeya (Cosmos) with its airiness, carved foliage, quivering bright pastel flowers; cheerful and uniquely gentle, but also striking in its endurance;
• original and bright annual with a dazzling color of touching flowers large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora);
• the original blooming beauty Cleome, able to cope with any drought;
• arctotis (Arctotis), whose flowers in terms of the brightness of colors and structure would resemble a gerbera, if not for the grace of the touching plants themselves;
• annual Anacyclus flaunting inflorescences so similar to chamomile;
• able to decorate any garden under any conditions calendula (Calendula officinalis);
• never out of fashion marigolds (Tagetes);
• undersized, up to 30 cm in height, forming a beautiful mass of dark leaves and large golden baskets with a watercolor transition, harsh gazania (Gazania rigens).

Species that are not very demanding on soil fertility can be found among shrubs and trees. On poor soils, you can grow junipers (Juniperus), yews (Taxus), acacia (Acacia), super-hardy rose hips (Rosa rugosa), spiraea (Spiraea), mockery (Philadelphus), silver birch (Betula pendula), willows ( silver oak (Elaeagnus commutata), alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus), field maple (field maple,), steppe almonds (Prunus tenella), viburnum bleb (Physocarpus opulifolius), white berry (Symphoricarpos albus), hawthorn (Cornus alba), etc.

Views: 14058 Published: 30-06-2011, 08:12 Comments: 0

Even if you bring several cars of black soil to the site, you still cannot get away from the soil that was initially on the site. In order to get the most benefit from your six hundred square meters, you need to correctly recognize it. So, if you have just bought or are starting to develop an abandoned land plot long before you, the first thing you should do after clearing it of weeds is to recognize , what type of soil prevails on it. The ease of its processing, the yield of certain crops, the ability, in principle, to grow a certain plant depends on this.

We offer you a simple classical way of determining the type of soil and basic information about the most common types in Russia.

Clay soil Is one of the most famous among amateur gardeners. Even a beginner can determine whether the land on his site is clay. To do this, it is enough to squeeze a handful of earth in your hand. If it shrinks into a lump and does not return to its previous shape, rest assured - this is the type of soil in front of you. It can also be determined by its greater weight, stickiness. Clay is the best environment for roses, irises and plants growing in swamps, next to ponds.You can hardly create an alpine slide on such a site - mountain plants will not be able to take root on clay soil, but it will not be difficult to arrange a rose garden.

Sandy soil - the exact opposite of clay. It is easy to dig, water passes through it with ease. It is not difficult to identify sandstone - a handful of such earth will disintegrate immediately after you open your hand. Almost any plant grows well on this soil, and if you bring in some black soil, you can count on a good harvest.

Limestone soils - a variety of clay, sandy, stony soils, etc. Limestone can be found in any soil without significantly affecting its external characteristics, but giving it a high Ph. You can accurately determine limestone only with the help of special tests that are sold in special stores for gardeners. They are often no more difficult to use than a litmus test. There are also some features of areas with limestone soil. If the site has relatively good, loose soil without stones, but there are practically no plants, and those that exist are weak, small, with yellowed leaves, you can be almost sure of a high soil Ph. It will not be possible to plant acid-loving plants on it, but others can be grown with appropriate fertilizers, if necessary.

Loam - one of the most versatile soils, combining the advantages of sandy and clayey soil. By squeezing a handful of such earth in your fist, you can mold it into a dense lump that will not fall apart. But it will quickly disintegrate if you poke it with your finger. Loam is good for many plants, especially vegetable crops. Depending on the Ph reaction (and this soil can be both alkaline and acidic), almost all crops can be successfully grown on the soil.

Peat soils - dark, with a spongy, fibrous structure. If a handful of earth, squeezed into the palm, quickly recovers, and water flows from it, in front of you is "peat". Water retains well in it, therefore, moisture-loving crops can be successfully grown on such soil.

There are no soils "bad" and "good": even on stony ground, you can arrange a rock garden, so you should not alter the existing soil to suit your preferences. It is smarter, more efficient and easier to use the benefits that you already have.

Tags: agricultural technology, soil types, how and what to grow

Why do you need fertilizers? When beginners first get acquainted with various recommendations and tips for fertilizing the soil in garden plots, they usually have ...

Planting potatoes It is better to plant potatoes in furrows directed from south to north, for better lighting of the bushes. Distance between furrows 70-75 cm, between tubers - ...

Acidity test If you do not have time to determine the pH of the soil, which would be nice to do always before starting the cultivation of a summer cottage ... ...

Green manure plants, or green manures, are an effective natural fertilizer. These plants are sown on a vacant plot in a vegetable garden or in a bed with major crops. Then a lush green mass, which grows very intensively and quickly, without digging, is cut and buried in the ground.

This technique allows you to enrich the soil with valuable nitrogen, inhibits the growth of weeds, and prevents the spread of bacterial and fungal diseases. It is also a good alternative to chemical fertilizers and a suitable option for adherents of natural farming. You haven't practiced sowing green manure yet? Well, it's time to get started!

The most commonly used siderates are:

• legumes crops - field and fodder peas, fodder beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, beans, clover, spring vetch, annual lupine, alfalfa, seradella, sainfoin, sweet clover;
• cereals crops - spring oats and barley, winter wheat and rye, millet, sorghum; as part of mixtures - ryegrass, fescue, timothy;
• cruciferous plants - mustard, colza, rapeseed, oil radish;
• hydrophilic - phacelia;
• aster - sunflower, marigold;
• buckwheat - buckwheat;
• amaranth - amaranth, squid.

If you do not want the siderates to scatter over the site and turn into annoying weeds, mow them before the flowers appear

Green manure plants enrich the soil with useful micro- and macroelements and organic substances, improve the properties and structure of the soil, air and water permeability, prevent erosion (weathering and leaching), and in addition, they act selectively on different types of soils, changing their composition and acidity. Experienced farmers say that the land should never be empty. Therefore, it is recommended to plant green manures not only together with cultivated plants, but also after harvesting them.

Legumes you can sow any soil, from light sandy to very heavy and dense. These plants loosen the soil and saturate it with nitrogen, prevent the growth of weeds and clear the area of ​​nematodes. In their effect on soil quality, these plants are similar to fresh manure.

Cereals "Work" on any type of soil, including loamy and high sand content. These plants improve the permeability of the soil, replenish the content of potassium and nitrogen in it, and prevent soil leaching and weathering. The most preferable planting of cereal green manure on acidic soils.

The associated action of cereals is the suppression of the growth of weeds. This is due to the branched root system, through which weeds do not have enough strength.

Cruciferous green manure improves the quality of any soil, only soil with high acidity is not suitable for them. They build up a lush green mass and their roots act as a natural baking powder. In addition, they make phosphorus compounds difficult to assimilate by cultivated plants available for absorption and prevent the leaching of other minerals from the soil.

Compared to other green manures, rape is the most capricious. It develops poorly on poor and waterlogged soils with high acidity.

Cruciferous siderates (radish, rapeseed and mustard) should never be sown in front of cabbage: because of the mutual "conflict" between these biological relatives, the harvest of cabbages cannot be expected.

Hydrophilic plants are a reliable "weapon" against weeds and pathogenic bacteria. They improve the aeration of the soil, making it lighter, and reduce the acidity towards neutral values.

Buckwheat green manures make the soil lighter, enrich poor, barren land with organic compounds, phosphorus and potassium.

Rootsamaranth loosen the soil, increase its fertility, supply the roots of neighboring cultivated plants with the missing nitrogen.

Buckwheat loosens the ground no worse than a garden hoe

Mustard as siderat

A plant very popular with gardeners. Mustard can be sown from spring to autumn. In the spring this is done very early, as soon as the snow melts, since the plant is afraid of cold weather. The period from sowing seeds to technical maturity is 1.5-2 months, the main crops can be sown as early as 2 weeks after mowing and plowing. Lush greenery grows quickly, gives a light shade to young shoots of cultivated plants, but drowns out the growth of weeds.

When grown in beds, the mustard tops are cut off when its height reaches the growth of cultivated plants

IN summer time it is good to sow mustard on crops that take longer to ripen - peppers, tomatoes, eggplants. In addition, it is an indispensable tool in the fight against scab and late blight, which means it is a welcome "guest" in the beds with these crops and potatoes.

For the winter mustard seeds are sown in September, after the crop is harvested from the garden. In this case, the tops are cut only in the spring. Moreover, it is so tender in mustard and decomposes so quickly that it is not even buried in the ground.

Mustard seeds are sown in rows with an interval of 10-15 cm between them or randomly. The sowing rate of seeds in the first case is 1-1.5 g / m2, with spilling - 3-4 g / m2.

Phacelia as a siderat

Universal green manure, after which any vegetables and berries will feel very comfortable. Phacelia is unpretentious, cold and drought resistant, characterized by rapid growth and decorativeness.

Phacelia seeds are sown in the spring, immediately after the snow melts. Sowing rate - 1.5-2 g / m2. Grows well on clay, sandy, peaty and even rocky soil. Sown for the winter, phacelia will protect the soil from deep freezing. It loosens soils that are dense in structure, strengthens light soil, while reducing acidity.

Phacelia is a good honey plant and attracts pollinating insects to the site

Phytoncides contained in plant tissues suppress the reproduction of dangerous bacteria and fungi in the soil, causative agents of rot, scab and late blight. In addition, they scare away aphids, moths, wireworms, and nematodes. The green mass, which is rich in nitrogen and other minerals, is cut 45-50 days after sowing, when flowering begins. Close up to a depth of 10 cm. When planting seedlings, phacelia need not be mowed - it will protect young plants from wind and possible frost. After a while, the greens are cut and used as garden mulch.

Clover as a siderat

Clover prefers moist soil with a low level of acidity. Like other legumes, it saturates the soil with organic matter, nitrogen and other minerals. The roots protect the soil from weathering and leaching, at the same time loosen the soil, making it light, friable, rich in oxygen and moisture.

Clover is recommended to be embedded in the soil just before flowering, during the period of mass bud formation - at this time the plants are richest in nitrogen.

By aiding the activity of beneficial soil bacteria, clover promotes the formation of beneficial humus. However, soils with high acidity or too salty clover are not suitable. Loves moisture, but not excessive moisture. Sowing is carried out in early spring (March-April); during summer sowing, it is necessary to ensure sufficient watering. Seeding rate - 2 g / m2.

The greens are mowed shortly before the beginning of flowering, and after 2-3 weeks after that, you can plant the main crops - eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, cabbage. The only exception is legumes, since they are infected with the same diseases, and they have common pests.

Lupine as a siderat

Lupine is notable for the fact that special nitrogen-fixing bacteria live on its long (up to 2 m) roots, which absorb nitrogen from the deep layers of the soil, and then give it to the upper ones. In addition, lupine makes difficult-to-digest phosphate compounds available to other crops.

Thanks to lupine, the soil becomes less dense, its acidity decreases, and the ability to accumulate and transmit moisture improves.

Different types and varieties of lupine prefer different types of soil: plants with white flowers thrive on loam and sandy soils. The more common purple lupine loves acidic soils more, in contrast to the yellow-flowered soil that is undemanding to the composition of the soil, which only needs good moisture. Lupine is sown in early May. The green mass is ready for mowing 6-8 weeks after germination, while the stems are not coarse. The green mass is embedded in the soil to a depth of 5-6 cm. The seeding rate of seeds is 20-30 g / m2.

Oats as green manure

Like all cereals, oats enrich the soil with valuable organic matter, as well as macronutrients - phosphorus and potassium. To saturate the soil with the necessary amount of nitrogen, it is good to sow oats in a complex mixture with rapidly growing spring vetch or peas. It grows on soils of different types - from sandy and clayey to peat and black soil.

In terms of efficiency and ability to fertilize the soil, oats are similar to manure.

The root system of oats is able to loosen dense soil, providing air and moisture to the inner layers. Thanks to the strengthening properties of the roots, the light soils will protect the oats from erosion and facilitate the absorption of moisture by the plants. In addition, the roots of this cereal contain a substance that can suppress pathogens of root rot, bacterial and fungal diseases. Oats are sown in mid-spring (usually in April). The latest sowing date (before winter) is the first half of September. When sowing in rows, the seeding rate is 10 g / m2. The scattering method requires an increase in consumption up to 15-20 g / m2. The depth of planting grains into the soil is 3-4 cm.

Green manure plants are sown throughout the year, and since they have short growing periods, up to 3-4 harvests of useful green fertilizers can be obtained per year.

• In the spring... At this time of the year, the green mass of green manure grows rapidly and simply does not allow the weeds to manage in the beds with cultivated plants. The most popular early siderates are mustard, sweet clover, seradella, radish, oats, phacelia, peas, vetch, and alfalfa.
• Summer or at the beginning of autumn... After harvesting the main crops, to restore fertility and other valuable properties of the soil. At this time, plants of the Cruciferous family are sown - rapeseed, mustard, radish, colza, as well as legumes, buckwheat and phacelia.
• In late autumn (before winter)... The end of the gardening season is the time to sow winter oats, rye and other cereals, vetch, clover, lupine (including in mixtures), as well as phacelia. Radish, mustard and rapeseed are also sown in anticipation of the coming winter and are no longer mowed so that the soil does not freeze in winter.

Choose a place for sowing green manure depending on the goals you are pursuing.

• Free space... If the land is not occupied, the sown green manure will prepare it for future plantings - "feed" and enrich the composition.
• In the garden... In spring, siderates should be sown before planting seedlings, in summer - after harvesting the main crops, so that the bed is not empty. Sowing aromatic plants (mustard, radish, etc.) along the perimeter of the beds will scare away harmful insects from planting.
• In the aisles... The best way to disembark. First of all, it will protect against "uncontrolled" weed growth. Secondly, it will not allow the soil to crumble under the influence of wind and rain. And finally, a dense "wall" of green manure is a reliable protection against pests and good mulch after cutting.
• Between the trees... Siderata sown in tree trunks are not just a decoration, but also a natural mulch, which, after mowing, provides plants with nutrition, prevents moisture from evaporating and weeds grow.

Optimal green manure for cucumbers

The root system of cucumbers does not develop in depth, so it is difficult for the borage to absorb nutrients from the deep layers of the soil. Delivery and accumulation of nutrients (magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen) in the surface layer of the soil is the main "task" of cucumber green manure. The best for cucumbers are recognized:

• legumes - peas, vetch, clover, lupine, chickpeas, sweet clover, alfalfa;
• cereals - barley, wheat, oats;
• cruciferous - rapeseed, mustard, rape.

Sow these plants in the aisles of cucumbers - and you will be pleasantly surprised by the taste of the harvested fruits.

The best siderates for potatoes

The main tasks in growing potatoes are to prevent the spread of diseases and the invasion of harmful insects on the plantations. Therefore, siderates for tubers must be sown, taking into account these requirements. The best "allies" of the potato:

• legumes - clover, lupine, peas, beans, beans;
• flax - flax;
• cruciferous - mustard, rapeseed, radish.
• borage - phacelia.

It is better to sow under potatoes not a monoculture, but their mixtures. The most effective are a mixture of peas with oats or barley. Phacelia mixed with mustard will banish the wireworm.But cereals are bad neighbors for potatoes, because, on the contrary, they attract wireworms. Alfalfa, vetch, or honey clover will fertilize a potato patch just like manure.

Siderata for tomatoes

Tomato siderates make the soil loose, enrich it with nitrogen and minerals, and reduce the growth of weeds. The most suitable for nightshade green manure is the universal phacelia. It grows quickly, "does not give passage" to weeds, its stems and leaves are easily decomposed, enriching the soil, and the unusual shape of the flowers just look beautiful in the garden.

Suitable for tomatoes:

• all legumes and cruciferous crops;
• cereals - wheat, oats, rye.

Siderata for cabbage

Cabbage is a big lover of the soil saturated with nitrogen, therefore green manure crops are suitable for it - "suppliers" of this macroelement to the soil - peas, lupine, clover, alfalfa, sweet clover.
Lupine and clover in the company of phacelia will drive away wireworms, nematodes and other annoying pests. Alfalfa sweet clover and oats planted between rows neutralize pathogens.

It must be remembered that green manure should not be from the same family with cultivated plants, since such close "neighbors" can get sick and infect each other with the same diseases.

The healing effect of green manure is an additional bonus in the collection of their useful properties.

For example leaves flax contain tannin, the smell of which will drive the Colorado potato beetle away, so it is good to plant the plant next to a potato plantation.

Colorado potato beetle is afraid of smell like fire calendula, therefore, in the aisles of potatoes and eggplants, it has its very place.

Disembarkation rye after the potato - a good tactical move in the war with the nematode. Rye roots secrete a special substance that will ward off the pest from the garden for a long time.

Rye is an excellent natural orderly, suppressing the growth of weeds

Phytosanitary functions are performed by mustard and radish - they do not allow weeds to grow, and the pungent smell of spicy plants neutralizes pathogenic microorganisms in the soil.

Phacelia prevents the spread of fungal infections - late blight, various types of rot, and also scares away wireworms (click beetle larvae). Oats, the roots of which contain a substance with a fungicidal effect, will just as well cope with rot.

Marigold or Dill, planted next to a strawberry garden, are very fragrant, which many parasitic insects do not like at all.

Marigolds disinfect the soil and scare away nematodes. Also, the smell of these flowers does not like bugs, aphids, flea beetles, a bear and a Colorado potato beetle.

Many kinds lupine - a reliable remedy for root rot, potato scab, nematodes. So its proximity to vegetables and root crops in the garden is not only pleasing to the eye, but also has a "therapeutic" effect.

Has a sanitary effect sweet clover - this plant with fragrant flowers will not allow wireworms, nematodes to your crops, and will also defeat root rot. In addition, the mown green mass of the plant improves the activity of beneficial microorganisms in the soil. And sweet clover is a wonderful honey plant, it will attract pollinating insects to your beds.

Substances that make up alfalfa, - natural antiseptics. So neither the weeds nor the harmful nematodes of the company will be happy with her. Beneficial soil bacteria and worms, on the other hand, are quite the opposite.

Alfalfa not only improves the structure of the soil and provides it with nutrients, but also suppresses the growth of weeds

It all depends on for what purpose at what time they were planted. You can cut them, not allowing flowering, half a month before planting the main crops. Leave plants with beautiful and fragrant flowers (phacelia, lupine clover) in the garden longer - they will attract pollinating insects and those who eat pests to your garden. Remove these green manures before they scatter thousands of seeds around.Cereals (rye, oats) must be fully ripe. Their dry stems are suitable material for mulching, and the seeds can be sown next season. Legumes can be cut after harvest.

Siderata in the aisles must have time to be removed in advance, before they have outgrown the main crops, otherwise they will delay them in growth and may displace them.

It is usually necessary to plow the cut tops into the soil 2-3 weeks before planting the seedlings of cultivated plants. The seeding depth depends on the structure of the soil: in light soil it is 12-15 cm, in dense soil 6-8 cm is enough.

Another way is to plow in on the eve of winter. To do this, you need to dig up the siderata cut along with the stems and leaves with the top layer of soil. The mass of green plants will rot and become fertile humus. To speed up the ripening process, you can water the plant residues with a solution of the EM preparation.

It is necessary to plan a sowing scheme for green manure next year now, in August-September. Therefore, carefully study your site, think over what kind of cultivated plants you want to grow. And decide which green helpers will be successful "companions" for them in the future.