It is customary to grow some vegetables and berries in greenhouses, especially in the northern regions. However, if a specially prepared garden bed is laid out at the summer cottage, which can replace a greenhouse, vegetables grow well in the open field.
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Advantages and types of warm beds
The advantage of warm beds is that with their help you can create an optimal microclimate for an active growth of vegetable crops due to the fact that during the decomposition of organic matter under the soil layer, there is a constant production heat. From above, the entire structure should be covered with some kind of non-woven material or plastic wrap to help maintain an elevated temperature. Thus, a warm bed can be a good alternative to a greenhouse.
In addition, one of the advantages of warm beds is that during the entire season there is no need to regularly apply fertilizer to the soil. Organic matter, which is inside such a structure, gradually turns into humus, which successfully replaces feeding.
There are 3 types of such structures:
- Deeper ridge. It should be placed in a trench with a depth of 50-100 cm. The main advantage of the design is that the soil does not dry out for a long time, so frequent watering is not required.
- High ridge. Most often, it looks like a box filled with fertile soil. These beds warm up faster than others.
- Bed-hill. The organic matter heating the soil is placed inside a high fill mound. Thanks to this shape, the sown area can be significantly increased.
In one summer cottage, you can place several warm beds of different shapes.
Construction of beds replacing greenhouses
To build a buried ridge, first of all, you need to dig a ditch up to 1 m deep, depending on how many layers you plan to put. In order for the plants to receive as much sunlight as possible, it is recommended to place it in the direction from east to west.
At the bottom of the structure, it is imperative to pour a drainage layer to avoid stagnant water. It can be expanded clay, large river pebbles, broken brick. The drainage layer must be at least 5 cm.
The next layer is fallen leaves, which can be collected both in your own area and in the forest.
On top of the leaves, you need to lay out a layer of organic matter (for example, cow dung) with a thickness of at least 15 cm and tamp it tightly. Sprinkle fallen leaves on top again. The top layer should be fertile soil mixed with rotted compost. Its thickness is 20 cm and more.
The optimal dimensions of a buried bed are: width - 40-120 cm, depth - 50 cm-1 m.
If the garden bed is being built in spring, each layer can be treated with biofertilizer (for example, the Radiance preparation). In this way, the fertility of the soil can be increased, since organic matter will quickly turn into humus.
To break a high ridge on a site, it is necessary to build a box of scrap materials - wooden boards, slate, pieces of sheet metal, bricks or large stones. Most often, the frame is made of wood, in this case it must be impregnated with some kind of composition that prevents rotting.
If the soil on the site is fertile enough, you can build a ridge about 15 cm high. On too poor soil, the bed-box should be at least 30 cm high. Below you need to attach a fine-mesh mesh to protect the plants from rodents and moles. Drainage should be laid out on the grid, which can be fallen leaves, crushed tree bark and shavings. The next layer is fertilizer (manure, compost). You need to lay out drainage on it again, and then organic matter, to which it is recommended to add complex mineral fertilizer. The top layer is fertile soil (at least 10 cm).
To create a bed-hill, layers should be laid out according to the same scheme as in the construction of high structures, however, the first 2 layers should be buried 30-40 cm into the ground. This will make the bed more stable.
The optimal period for laying such structures is autumn, when the crop is harvested. You can break such ridges in the spring, but only when the soil on the site is completely warmed up.
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