Many people are used to thinking that the summer cottage season ends with the harvest. However, experienced gardeners have long been accustomed to preparing the beds for the next season in advance. This will saturate the earth with useful substances, and in the spring the dug-up beds are better saturated with moisture.
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True, lately one can hear more and more the opinion that it is not necessary to dig a vegetable garden at the end of the season. Does it make sense to do what you can do without? Let's figure out what is the use of autumn digging and is it necessary to perform it?
Positive aspects of preparing the ground
It should be noted that for centuries they dug up the ground in the fall for good reason. There are many useful things in this procedure:
- it is more effective to fertilize and lime the soil;
- weeds and their seeds will have fewer opportunities to germinate;
- pests and pathogens will freeze in the cold when digging or will be eaten by birds;
- loose soil is saturated with water during the winter, compacted less, and warms up more likely in spring;
- you will clear the beds from debris in advance: roots, stones, branches, weeds.
However, as is often the case, positive effects are accompanied by negative ones.
Negative points of digging
Unfortunately, digging up the soil, together with harmful organisms, we disturb the useful ones, which improve the fertility of the soil. This reduces the quality of the soil.
We also destroy the structure of the soil, bring less fertile layers to the surface.
It should be noted that manual digging has a negative effect on health, especially the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems.
When digging is really necessary
The need for autumn tillage depends on the climate in your area and the type of soil on the site. Under some conditions, it is better not to dig the ground so as not to worsen the situation. For example, clayey, heavy soil will only become harder when digging in the fall. Sandy soils only need loosening.
In a dry and hot climate, you should not often dig the ground, but if it often rains on your site, then you should dig it up so that excess moisture evaporates and the soil becomes looser.
Optimal digging time
You can prepare your vegetable garden for winter as soon as you have harvested and removed all debris and plant residues. The main thing is to be in time before the frost, when the cold seizes the soil and it becomes difficult to dig it.
Digging rules
The depth of treatment depends on what kind of plants you plan to plant. For potatoes, carrots, beets, melons, pumpkins, parsley, the soil must be loosened by 25-30 cm. For cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, peppers and legumes, 5-10 cm is enough.
Try not to turn the soil over, but just move it. This will preserve beneficial organisms. Remove weed roots.
For work, you can use a shovel, pitchfork or cultivator.
- A shovel is suitable for a small area. It is simple but time consuming.
- The pitchfork is better able to loosen the soil. Also very labor intensive.
- The cultivator will make it easier for you to work on a large area, but only if the soil on it is light enough. And in terms of cost, this is a rather expensive option.
ADVICE! Siderates will help to partially replace the digging. If you plant them on the beds in the winter, they will make the soil looser, prevent harmful organisms from developing actively, retain snow in the spring, and in winter they will protect the soil from freezing.
Do not disturb the soil too often by digging. Determine the frequency of this work by what kind of soil you have on the site.
Are you digging a vegetable garden in the fall?
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