Natural farming. Three groups of siderates

In natural agriculture, the only way to structure the soil is used - sowing siderates in the garden. These plants enrich the soil with trace elements that increase its fertility. Siderata are divided into three groups:

• cruciferous plants;
• legumes;
• cereal plants.

Buckwheat and phacelia are distinguished separately.

All these plants accumulate minerals in the soil, which are useful for a certain type of cultivated plants. For instance, mustard, and other cruciferous plants enrich the soil with phosphorus. Beans, peas, or other legumes are supplied with nitrogen, while cereals such as oats are supplied with potassium.

When sowing green manure, it must be borne in mind that each group is suitable for growing certain crops. After the mustard, other cruciferous plants should not be planted in the garden: radishes, cabbage, and it is also not advisable to sow tomatoes.

Selection of suitable green manure

When sowing siderates, the rule of crop rotation also applies: if siderates from the cruciferous group were planted in the garden, then other cruciferous plants cannot be planted. After cruciferous siderates, it is better to plant solanaceous crops, for example, potatoes, in the garden. Legumes are the best precursors for all cultivated plants, they enrich the soil with nitrogen. Green manures from the cereal group loosen and structure the soil well, since their root system develops to a depth of 3 m, so cereal green manures are well suited for moisture-loving crops.

Sowing time of green manure

Siderata can be sown all season. The best time for sowing green manure crops is autumn. After the autumn planting, they need to be mowed and embedded in the soil before winter. The root system of green manure will rot, and by spring the soil will be well structured.

When planting green manures in autumn, use a mixture from all groups, next spring the soil will be enriched with all the necessary trace elements for the growth and development of cultivated plants. In summer, during the period of active growth, plants need a large amount of nitrogen, so legumes are planted on the garden bed. During the period of flowering and the formation of the ovary, mustard or rye are sown on the garden bed.

Phacelia belongs to the family of gimbal plants. There are no cultivated plants from this family in our gardens, so this green manure is a good predecessor for all crops, including legumes.