Siderata are of great use in the garden and vegetable garden. They are planted both in open ground and in a greenhouse. The plants are then mowed down and buried in the soil to provide a cheap and natural fertilizer. But you cannot sow the first seeds that come across, since all garden crops have bad and good predecessors. It is necessary to take into account the influence of green manure on those plants that will replace them.
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Why do you need to plant siderates in a greenhouse
With the help of sowing the site with green manure, a full-fledged crop rotation is started. For example, after harvesting tomatoes, phacelia was planted. In October, it was mowed and mustard planted. After that, in the spring, you can safely plant tomatoes in the same beds again.
But this is not their main function. The main advantages of planting green manure:
- Tight planting prevents weeds from germinating.
- Green manure roots create a natural soil structure. The earth becomes more permeable to water and air.
- Green manure is an excellent natural fertilizer. They make up for the lack of mineral salts in the soil and restore the fertile layer.
- Most green manure repels insect pests well.
- These plants prevent the development of pathogenic microflora in the greenhouse, as they create good conditions for beneficial microorganisms.
Siderata are planted both in spring and autumn. But when planted in autumn, they also perform a protective function. Plants do not freeze and do not dry out in winter due to the vegetation remaining in the beds.
How to plant correctly
The best planting time for green manure is considered:
- late August - early October (immediately after harvesting from the garden);
- in November, when the summer season ends.
The timing of planting will depend on whether the plants have time to increase the required amount of green mass. If you sow green manure in September, then before the arrival of frost, they will have time to rise. You can not mow them, but leave them until next year. Plants planted before winter will begin to sprout only with the arrival of spring. Before flowering, they will need to be mowed and embedded in the ground, thereby preparing a bed for planting seedlings. This method is especially relevant when growing early varieties of cucumbers and tomatoes.
Landing is carried out taking into account certain rules:
- First, you need to remove all the weeds and dig up the area.
- Water the beds.
- Sow seeds according to crop specific instructions. If planting is carried out before winter, then you need to increase the number of seeds by about a third.
- After sowing, the soil is leveled with a rake.
- You can put a small layer of humus on top.
Siderata reproduce quickly by seed method, so they can turn into weeds. If the plants have bloomed before the arrival of frost, the peduncles should be cut off.
It is not necessary to cut off completely grown plants, you can only cut them down a little. Before the cold weather, they completely cover the soil, giving off useful trace elements during decay.
Landing
Different plants are planted in greenhouses depending on the needs. Most often these are legumes, cereals and cruciferous crops. It is imperative to take into account the germination time. The best greenhouse greenhouses are considered to be rye, phacelia, mustard and oats.
Some gardeners prefer to plant a mixture of seeds, as one crop cannot cope with all the problems.
Mustard
Mustard is sown indoors before frost. By the onset of winter cold weather, the plant has time to cover the entire soil, due to which it prevents the appearance of pests and weeds. With the advent of frost, the mustard is slightly mowed and left to rot on the ground.
The seeds can be bought at almost any specialty store. Before planting, the soil must be loosened and watered thoroughly. Try to distribute the seed evenly. During planting for the winter, it should be embedded in the soil to a depth of 2-3 cm.
Oats
If the soil in the greenhouse is already depleted and it is difficult to grow a good crop on it, oats can help solve this problem. The plant saturates the soil with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and also makes the earth more breathable.
Oats are very easy to sow, spring up quickly and do not require maintenance. The aboveground part of this culture is small. If you supplement the oats with alfalfa, vetch and pea seeds, the result will be even better.
When planting before winter, the process must be completed before the arrival of frost. Sprinkle the seeds with a 3-4 cm layer of earth.
In order for oats to sprout in the fall, planting is carried out in early September. By winter, the plant will have time to give a large amount of green mass.
Rye
Rye is one of the most unpretentious crops. It also disinfects the soil very well. It is necessary to sow it before winter, since it will not have time to grow enough in the fall.
Rye prevents pests and loosens the soil. It also fights well against most types of weeds. But it must be borne in mind that this culture reacts badly to being close to its own kind.
The seeds are planted 3-4 cm deep.
Phacelia
It is used as a universal fertilizer. The crop grows quickly and tolerates harsh conditions, including drought and cold. In addition, it differs in that it has a decorative appearance.
Phacelia can be used as a precursor for all cultivated plants. It helps fight nematodes, wireworms, aphids, and fungal infections.
Planting is carried out at the very beginning of autumn or before the arrival of winter. With early planting, the phacelia will have time to give a lot of greenery, and also protect the earth from frost. When planting before winter, you can get an excellent natural fertilizer, which will come in handy when planting seedlings.
When sowing phacelia, the seeds are not sprinkled with earth. If this is done, the planting material will rot. The seeds should simply be scattered over damp ground.
Siderata for tomatoes
In greenhouse conditions, tomatoes and cucumbers are most often grown. Since there is practically no crop rotation, the use of green manure is simply necessary.
Before planting tomatoes, you can sow all varieties of cereals, crucifers and legumes. But the phacelia is considered the best option. Also good predecessors are alfalfa, goat's rue, buckwheat, vetch, oats and lupine. The use of these crops as green manure can increase the tomato yield by at least 30%. In addition, they protect the seedlings from most pests.
After harvesting tomatoes, it is advisable to plant plants in the same place that destroy phytophthora in the soil and enrich the soil with nitrogen. Oil radish, mustard and phacelia are best suited for this.
Siderata for cucumbers
Cucumbers feed mainly from the topsoil, so it is very important that it is fertile. To do this, use the following siderates:
- peas;
- Vika;
- rape;
- phacelia;
- barley;
- oats, etc.
The listed plants can also be planted in the summer between the rows of cucumbers. This will greatly improve the taste of the fruit.
It is undesirable to plant rye before planting cucumbers. After that, cucumbers develop more slowly than usual.
After harvest, it is advisable to plant legumes such as beans or peas. These plants enrich the soil with nitrogen and restore its fertility.
Do you plant greenhouse greenhouses?
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