Soil is special natural body, formed on the surface of the Earth as a result of the interaction of living (organic) and dead (inorganic) nature. The most important property What distinguishes soil from rocks is its fertility. It is due to the presence in soils organic matter humus, or humus. Thanks to soil fertility, they are the greatest natural wealth, which must be used very wisely. Soils form very slowly: over 100 years, soil thickness increases by 0.5 - 2 cm.
Soil formation factors
Outstanding Russian scientist - founder of soil science (pedology) V.V. wrote that soil is the “mirror” of nature. , climate, water, microorganisms, plants and animals are involved in the formation of soils. Among these factors special place occupies human activity.
Soil structure. The formation of soils involves the formation of humus and the movement of organic matter, and the formation of humus and the movement of organic and mineral compounds within the soil profile.
The upper horizon is humus. It is densely permeated with roots. Here the accumulation of organic matter and the formation of humus occurs. The humus horizon is the darkest. Its color depends on the accumulated humus. The amount of humus decreases from top to bottom, so the horizon is lighter in the lower part. When precipitation falls and snow melts, moisture seeps through the humus horizon, which dissolves and removes some of the organic and mineral compounds from it. In soils formed under conditions of large soil conditions, a leaching horizon forms under the humus horizon.
This is a very clarified horizon, from which a significant part of organic and mineral compounds has been removed.
Sometimes everything that can dissolve is taken out, and only silica remains. This is a podzolic horizon.
Below lies the washout horizon. It gets what it loses top part soil. Beneath it is a slightly altered parent rock, on which the process of soil formation initially began. There is a continuous exchange of matter between the soils through the circulation of the soil solution.
According to the structure of the soil profile, i.e. according to the degree of expression of individual horizons, their thickness and chemical composition, determine whether the soil belongs to a certain type.
According to the mechanical composition - the ratio of different sized mineral particles (sand, clay) soils are divided into clayey, loamy and sandy.
The maintenance of water and air regimes favorable for plants is facilitated by soil structure - the ability of soil particles to combine into relatively stable lumps. The shape and size of the lumps are not the same in different types soil The best is a granular, or finely lumpy, structure with lumps with a diameter of 1 - 10 mm. If there is little humus and clay particles, then such soils are usually structureless (sandy and often sandy loam).
Soil diversity and placement
The type, mechanical composition, structure of the soil, its fertility, etc. depend on the combination of soil formation factors in specific conditions. The distribution of soils on Earth depends primarily on. There is a change in soils, and in the mountains - from the foot to the peaks.
Under the same climate, soil diversity is determined by topography and rocks. Each territory is characterized by its own combination of soils and certain properties. The main types of soils common in Russia are: tundra-gley, podzolic, gray forest, chestnut.
Black soil, black soil, fertility... And it dries out into stone. One year after mulching with hay, the spring was very loose, but with mulch there was tension.
What can you use to loosen it? Some advise adding sand and peat. I don’t know about sand, but peat... The soil is already acidic, why voluntarily acidify it additionally?
I read some more tips:
High soil density can be caused by high sodium content. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to exclude liquid humate fertilizers, which contain sodium. Adding compost or manure, limestone flour or peat will help increase the looseness of the soil.
To make the soil loose, I would add sunflower husks, and if you want to have depleted and acidic soil, then add sand and peat.
- “In the fall you sow the rye, in the spring you dig it up as late as possible and that’s it.” Well, I’m wary of rye, but in general green manure should help. Although - there is a big discussion about green manure and whether they are beneficial
It helps a lot (if possible) to bring in a couple of humus machines, add buckwheat husks, add sawdust and sand to the ground. One of my friends does this - after weeding, she buries them along the paths, and next year makes beds on them.
Use peat, compost or rotted manure; it is also good to add ash or lime. You lay it all out on the future bed and carefully dig it up with a shovel, and then shake it all out again with a pitchfork. That's all. In the fall, after harvesting the super harvest, you can add more peat and ash to the garden bed and again gently shake the soil with a pitchfork, picking out any debris. In the spring, all that remains is to loosen it with a pitchfork and you can plant again.
Humus, mulch, green manure, plants. residues through the shredder. The earth became like fluff.
He brought everything into the beds: sand. manure, peat, ash, compost, leaves, pine needles, mowed grass. I watered it with the biological product “Revival”. As a result of many years of effort, soil appeared in the beds instead of clay. IN last years I use another method: I simply take out lumps of clay from the garden bed and dump them outside the site in a dump.
Local hotheads brought sawdust to the potato beds by dump truck. The ridge was dug up with sawdust. After this, there was no potato harvest at all for 3 years.
I decided to use sawdust last spring. I did as the experts recommended: I added mineral fertilizers to the sawdust: a lot of nitrogen and little phosphorus and potassium. The reduction in potato yield in these 2 experimental beds was very noticeable: approximately 2 times. This season, the restoration of the yield of these 2 beds began.
[I soaked sawdust in a urea solution and laid it on the paths. In the fall everything was loosened, the beds were laid out in a new way]
To increase fertility [on clay] I would do this (preparing the beds) remove upper layer fertile soil to clay, poured the clay with an infusion of compost, manure, and added baker's yeast to it at the rate of 20g per bucket of water + a third of a glass of jam. It turns out to be a “lake”, then I take a crowbar and make depressions in the clay at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. And we get - yeast getting into the clay begins to loosen the clay, releasing carbon dioxide, and fills the formed cavities nutrient medium diluted organics. And so we get a more structured soil
With my soil [granite and granite screenings +8 KAMAZ chernozem] (same technology on sandy soil) I make similar “lakes” only instead of yeast I add closter (I make it from flour)
As for the potato harvest, it loves warmth, long daylight hours, and loose soil rich in potassium. (potato tops contain 30-40% potassium)
If you invite earthworms as rippers, they will work almost for free. Well, just food waste, grass and maybe a little manure. I got some work done.
The book "Ploughman's Madness" is about the cultivation of such a site
Eggplants - tall, erect plants with wide, dark green leaves and large fruits - create a special mood in the garden beds. And in the kitchen they are a popular product for a wide variety of dishes: eggplants are fried, stewed and canned. Of course, to grow a decent harvest in middle lane and further north is not an easy task. But subject to agrotechnical cultivation rules, it is quite accessible even to beginners. Especially if you grow eggplants in a greenhouse.
Experienced gardeners always have crystalline iron sulfate, or ferrous sulfate, in their garden medicine cabinet. Like many others chemicals, it has properties that protect garden and berry crops from numerous diseases and insect pests. In this article we will talk about the features of using iron sulfate to treat garden plants against diseases and pests and about other options for its use on the site.
Retaining walls are the main tool for working with complex terrain on a site. With their help, they not only create terraces or play with planes and alignment, but also emphasize the beauty of the rock garden landscape, the change in height, the style of the garden, and its character. Retaining walls allow play with raised and lowered areas and hidden areas. Modern dry or more solid walls help turn the disadvantages of the garden into its main advantages.
There were times when the concepts of “garden tree”, “family tree”, “collection tree”, “multi tree” simply did not exist. And it was possible to see such a miracle only on the farm of the “Michurintsy” - people who were amazed by their neighbors, looking at their gardens. There, not just varieties ripened on one apple, pear or plum tree different terms ripening, but also in a variety of colors and sizes. Not many people despaired of such experiments, but only those who were not afraid of numerous trials and errors.
On the balcony, in the apartment, on summer cottage– enthusiastic people everywhere find a place for their favorites. It turns out that growing flowers is a very troublesome task and requires only endless patience, hard work and, of course, knowledge. Providing flowers with varied and healthy nutrition is only one, not the biggest, but a problem on the difficult, exciting path of a florist. One of the most responsible and complex work for caring for indoor plants is replanting them.
The front garden is the face of the garden and its owner. Therefore, for these flower beds it is customary to choose plants that are decorative throughout the season. AND special attention In my opinion, front garden perennials that bloom in spring deserve it. Like primroses, they bring us special joy, because after a dull winter, more than ever, we want bright colors and flowers. In this article, we suggest getting acquainted with the best ornamental perennials that bloom in spring and do not require special care.
Climatic conditions Our country, unfortunately, is not suitable for growing many crops without seedlings. Healthy and strong seedlings are the key to a high-quality harvest, in turn, the quality of seedlings depends on several factors: Even healthy-looking seeds can be infected with pathogens that long time remain on the surface of the seed, and after sowing, getting into favorable conditions, are activated and affect young and immature plants
Our family loves tomatoes very much, so most of the garden beds are devoted to this particular crop. Every year we try to try new interesting varieties, and some of them take root and become favorites. At the same time, over many years of gardening, we have already developed a set of favorite varieties that are required to be planted every season. We jokingly call such tomatoes varieties “ special purpose» - for fresh salads, juice, pickling and storage.
Coconut pie with cream - “kuchen”, or German coconut pie (Butter milch shnitten - soaked in milk). Without exaggeration, I will say that this is an incredibly tasty pie - sweet, juicy and tender. It can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time; cakes with cream are prepared on the basis of this sponge cake in Germany. The recipe is from the “Guests on the doorstep!” category, since usually all the ingredients are in the refrigerator, and it takes less than an hour to prepare the dough and bake.
The snow has not yet completely melted, and the restless owners suburban areas They are already in a hurry to evaluate the scope of work in the garden. And there really is something to do here. And, perhaps, the most important thing you need to think about in early spring is how to protect your garden from diseases and pests. Experienced gardeners know that these processes cannot be left to chance, and procrastination and postponing processing can significantly reduce the yield and quality of the fruit.
If you yourself prepare soil mixtures for growing indoor plants, then you should take a closer look at a relatively new, interesting and, in my opinion, necessary component - coconut substrate. Everyone has probably seen at least once in their life a coconut and its “shaggy” shell covered with long fibers. Many delicious products are made from coconuts (actually a drupe), but the shells and fibers used to be just industrial waste.
Fish and cheese pie is a simple lunch or dinner idea for your daily or Sunday menu. The pie is designed for a small family of 4-5 people with a moderate appetite. This pastry has everything at once - fish, potatoes, cheese, and a crispy dough crust, in general, almost like a closed pizza calzone, only tastier and simpler. Canned fish can be anything - mackerel, saury, pink salmon or sardines, choose according to your taste. This pie is also prepared with boiled fish.
Fig, fig, fig tree - these are all names of the same plant, which we firmly associate with Mediterranean life. Anyone who has ever tasted fig fruits knows how delicious they are. But, in addition to their delicate sweet taste, they are also very beneficial for health. And here’s an interesting detail: it turns out that figs are a completely unpretentious plant. In addition, it can be successfully grown on a plot in the middle zone or in a house - in a container.
This delicious creamy seafood soup takes just under an hour to prepare and turns out tender and creamy. Choose seafood according to your taste and budget; it can be a seafood cocktail, king prawns, or squid. I made soup with large shrimp and mussels in their shells. Firstly, it is very tasty, and secondly, it is beautiful. If you are preparing it for a holiday dinner or lunch, then mussels in their shells and large unpeeled shrimp look appetizing and pretty on the plate.
Quite often, difficulties in growing tomato seedlings arise even among experienced summer residents. For some, all the seedlings turn out to be elongated and weak, for others, they suddenly begin to fall and die. The thing is that it is difficult to maintain in an apartment ideal conditions for growing seedlings. Seedlings of any plants need to be provided with plenty of light, sufficient humidity and optimal temperature. What else do you need to know and observe when growing tomato seedlings in an apartment?