Sowing siderata on a warm bed
Supporters of natural agriculture categorically do not recommend digging up the fertile soil layer, since when digging, microorganisms die, and its fertility decreases. In order to structure the soil, gardeners plant siderates. These plants, in addition to structuring the soil, perform several more functions:
- mulch the soil;
- enrich it with microelements;
- protect cultivated plants from the sun;
- help control weeds by inhibiting their growth.
The most common green manure crops are cereals such as rye or oats, as well as phacelia and cruciferous crops such as mustard.
Method of planting green manure
These crops can be sown in furrows or as continuous sowing. There are several rules for sowing green manure. One of them is adherence to planting density. When sowing green manure in furrows, the distance between seeds of white mustard should be 4-5 cm.When continuous sowing at 10 m2 the area of the garden is planted up to 250 g of seeds. The second rule is to prepare the soil for a specific sowing method.
Soil preparation for sowing in furrows
When preparing the beds for sowing siderates in furrows, the soil must be loosened Fokin's flat cutterand then level with a rake.
Sowing white mustard into the furrows is carried out before winter, so that the root system of the cruciferous green manure structure the soil. The sowing depth of mustard seeds should be no more than 2 cm, otherwise the green manure will not grow.
After sowing mustard, the furrows are covered with earth, and then the soil is rolled with a special shaft, and in small areas - manually, with the back of a shovel. The soil is well moistened. It is better to use the sprinkler method by installing a spray nozzle on the garden bed. In order to reduce moisture evaporation, the furrows are mulched with sawdust or straw.
Soil preparation for continuous sowing
Continuous sowing of green manures allows you to get more green mass, which is embedded in the soil, but the root system of green manures develops more slowly with continuous sowing. Therefore, to prepare the beds for continuous sowing, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil. After applying nitrogen fertilizers, the soil is dug up and then sown, for example, white mustard. After sowing the seeds, the soil must be mulched. You can use sawdust, fallen leaves, or spruce branches as mulch.