Any gardener knows that mustard is an excellent green manure. It is unpretentious, saturates the earth many useful trace elements and later rot quickly turning into fertile soil. There is no doubt that in the early spring Mustard is indispensable for any garden. However, whether or not to put it in the fall?
Recently, on this subject I have a dispute with the familiar gardener. She claimed that the mustard seed in the autumn - a waste of time. And I had to think about. Let's investigate.
This is not about planting mustard before winter, and an autumn planting.
1. My arguments in favor of mustard
Planting mustard as a green manure has a huge number of positive aspects, these are the main ones:
- Mustard grows quickly without letting the weeds grow. It envelops the bed of a dense layer and replaces any other plant;
- Mustard deters wireworms, snails, slugs, moths and other pests;
- Disinfects the soil from late blight and scab;
- Improves breathability and moisture of the soil. It makes the structure more fertile;
- Picks up nutrients and trace elements from the lower layers to the surface;
- During the first frost green cover protects the earth from freezing;
- Attracted by the smell of bees and other beneficial insects;
- Mustard saturates earth nitrogen and phosphorus;
- Green mass rot quickly turning into fertile soil.
In addition, mustard completely unpretentious and very rapidly. She is not afraid of even small frosts to -5 degrees. In my opinion, it is better not to find a green manure.
2. What do I respond to my arguments
My friend agreed with all the pluses, but asked an interesting question. Do they really benefit the autumn and winter?
- During the growth of the mustard displaces weeds. This is true, but in autumn and winter it does not matter. Weeds simply do not have;
- Mustard deters pests. But in the winter and at the end of the autumn they are inactive and go deep into the ground to hibernate;
- The fight against late blight and scab is a good thing, but most of the infections transmitted though not across the land. In addition, following the rotation problem at all is lost;
- Mustard improves soil structure. Yes, but after the spring floods every effort will be reduced to nothing. Soil return to the previous state;
- Mustard raises the nutrients in the upper soil layers. But, after the same flooding all trace elements go back;
- Green cover protects the earth from freezing. Perhaps, but only briefly, and then why do it?
- Attracted by the smell of bees. Yes, but in the autumn and winter there is no beneficial insects;
- The saturation of the ground by nitrogen and phosphorus - necessary and useful thing. But most of the trace elements will go along with the melt water;
- Due to the fact that the green mass is converted into an excellent fertilizer, with me did not argue.
I listened to it and thought, and can really and there? Maybe it makes no sense to put mustard in the fall, and many gardeners simply spend their time and energy?
Yes, there is a small benefit of humus, remain some of the nitrogen and phosphorus. But then it is better to plant it in the spring, a month before the main landings?
What do you think, does it make sense to sow mustard fall? Share your comments.
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