For the gardener and the gardener, the most important factor is the quality of the land in his plot.
Different types of soil are distinguished by the following characteristics:
- structure;
- the ability to pass air;
- hygroscopicity;
- heat capacity;
- density;
- acidity;
- saturation with micro and macro elements, organic.
Clayey
This is a land with a high density, a weakly pronounced structure, contains up to 80% clay, is slightly heated and releases water. Poor air passes, which slows down the decomposition of organic matter in it. When wet slippery, sticky, plastic. From it, you can roll a bar 15-18 cm long, which is then easily, without cracks, rolled into a ring. Usually clay soils are acidified. It is possible to improve agrotechnical indicators of clay soil in stages, over several seasons.
Important! For better heating of the beds in clayey areas, they are formed rather high, the seeds are less buried in the ground. In the autumn, before the onset of frosts, they dig up the ground, do not break up lumps.Optimize these soils by contributing:
- lime to reduce acidity and improve aeration - 0.3-0.4 kg per square meter. m, made in the autumn;
- sand for better moisture exchange, not more than 40 kg / square meter;
- peat to reduce density, increase looseness;
- ash for saturation with minerals;
- manure, compost to replenish organic reserves, 1.5-2 buckets per square meter. m per year.
This type of soil must be carefully loosened and mulched. Root crops, bushes and trees with a developed root system grow quite well on clay soils.
Did you know? Red grapes of technical grade "Merlot" grows well on clay-pebble soils of Pomerol, the smallest wine-growing region of France, Bordeaux province.
Loamy
Externally similar to clay, but with the best characteristics for agriculture. Loam, if you want to visualize what it is, is the ground, which can also be rolled up in a damp state in a sausage and bent into a ring. A sample of loamy soil keeps its shape, but cracks. The color of loam depends on impurities and can be black, gray, brown, red and yellow.
Due to the neutral acidity, balanced composition (clay - 10-30%, sand and other impurities - 60-90%), the loam is quite fertile and universal, suitable for growing almost all crops. The soil structure is distinguished by a fine-grained structure, which allows it to remain loose, to pass air well. Due to the admixture of clay loam long holds water.
To maintain the fertility of loams perform:
- mulching;
- fertilizing crops with fertilizers;
- introduction of manure for autumn digging.
Sandy
Light, loose, flowing sandy soil contains a high percentage of sand, does not retain moisture and nutrients.
The positive properties of sandstones include high breathability and rapid warming. On this ground grow well:
- fruit and berry trees;
- grapes;
- Strawberry;
- carrot;
- bow;
- currant;
- plants of the pumpkin family.
Sanding can be cultivated by making viscosity-enhancing additives:
- peat;
- humus;
- drilling and clay flour.
Important! Effective use of "green fertilizer" - green manure to improve the quality of the land. These are plants that are sown on the site, and then dug up, leaving in the ground green mass and roots. Examples of siderats: clover, vetch, alfalfa, soybean, sainfoin.Sideration improves the mechanical structure of the substrate and saturates it with organic and mineral substances.
To save resources, there is another method of organizing the beds - a clay castle.
In place of the beds, a layer of clay of 5-6 cm is poured, on top of which a layer of fertile earth is applied - loam, black soil, sandy loam soil, in which plants are sown. A layer of clay will hold moisture and nutrients. If there is no fertile land for spilling the beds, it can be replaced with improved sandstone mixed with additives for viscosity and fertility.
Sandy
To determine this type of soil, we also try to make a bagel from the damp earth. Sandy soil rolls into a ball, but it does not work out to roll into a bar. The sand content in it is up to 90%, clay up to 20%. Another example of what are the soils that do not require costly and long reclaiming. The substrate is lightweight, warms up quickly, retains heat well, moisture and organic matter, is fairly easy to process.
It is necessary to choose zoned plant varieties for planting and to maintain fertility:
- dosed application of mineral and organic fertilizers;
- mulching and green manure.
Calcareous
Soils of this species can be light and heavy, their disadvantages are:
- poverty - low levels of nutrients;
- low acidity;
- rockiness;
- quick drying
- potash fertilizer application;
- ammonium sulphate and urea to increase acidity;
- mulching;
- sideration;
- application of organic fertilizers.
Did you know? Grape varieties grow on calcareous soils of Champagne "Sauvignon Blanc" and "Chardonnay", of which make the world-famous sparkling wine.
Peat
These soils have high acidity, slightly warm, can become swampy.
At the same time, they are quite easy to cultivate. Improve the physical and chemical properties of peat or marshy soil allows the introduction of:
- sand, clay flour - for the prevention of their lowering into the ground the area is deeply dug up;
- organic fertilizers - compost, slurry;
- microbiological additives - to accelerate the decomposition of organic matter;
- potassium phosphate fertilizers.
Currant, gooseberry, mountain ash, and strawberry yield high yields on peat soils.
Chernozems
They are considered reference for their properties soils. Possess steady lumpy-grainy structure. Long retain moisture. Very fertile, contain a lot of humus and minerals, but require proper use:
- fertilizers and green manure are applied to prevent their exhaustion;
- to reduce the density of the soil, peat and sand are added;
- to correct the acid-base balance make the appropriate mineral supplements.
If you want to increase the yield of your plants, check out the fertilizer system for different soils.Using the principles of rational and organic farming, you can improve the quality of the soil of any kind.
