Few of the Russian people imagine their life without a garden. This is not just work "up to a sweat", but also self-realization, an opportunity to be alone with nature and enjoy the grown crop.
But if a careful attitude to plants is already the norm, then the soil is seen as an ordinary substrate, without which berry and vegetable crops do not grow. And the question of whether it is necessary to dig up the earth is not on the agenda.
Our ancestors have always loosened the soil, and we continue the centuries-old traditions. Meanwhile, this issue should be seriously considered.
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Soil structure
The right approach to tillage is the key to a successful harvest
The structure of the soil is its ability to form separate aggregates (small lumps). Mechanical components glued together with humus and silt particles provide nutrition, moisture and allow the roots to breathe. Between them are neoplasms and inclusions.
This structure is formed over 10 years with the help of plants, animals, microorganisms. In each climatic zone, the soil is special, but in general, its fertility is determined by the presence of humus.
The earth is an unusual living organism. It looks like a sponge, consisting of roots, saturated with worms and microorganisms. It has a porous (loose) structure due to the numerous passages of "underground inhabitants". If the summer resident digs it under the beds, then the whole biome changes (the community of living beings that “work” on the structure of the soil).
Russian geologist and soil scientist V.V. Dokuchaev wrote: “Try to cut a cube of soil out of the virgin ancient steppe, you will see in it more roots, grasses, bugs, larvae than earth. All this drills, drills, sharpens, digs the soil, and it turns out an incomparable sponge.
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High-quality soil consists of lumps-conglomerates and contains humus
The site is prepared for planting twice a year: autumn and spring. Loose soil, clean from weeds land, fertilizers applied on time - and the owner is satisfied. After digging, the site was created for planting vegetables and berries. But is everything so clear?
autumn processing
If the soil has not been cultivated for a long time, then it is necessary to dig it up
To prepare the beds since the fall has always been considered a mandatory event, but today many gardeners are not so willing to take up shovels.
And it's not laziness. They give quite reasoned arguments, naming the minuses of digging the earth:
- The earth recovers for a long time, as the soil ecosystem and the processes occurring in it are destroyed
- Earthworms, which are the main processors of humus, are dying. Their underground passages are violated, and some of the worms are on the surface, which is dangerous during the first frosts or early snow
- The balance of microflora is disturbed.Bacteria and other inhabitants that decompose plant residues (aerobes and anaerobes) change places and die
- The roots of perennials are cut weeds, which inevitably leads to an increase in their number. Weed control is futile
- Seeds of annuals fall into the thickness of the soil, which actively grow in spring
Autumn tillage
So is it necessary to dig up the ground in the fall? This event also has its advantages, for which gardeners work tirelessly:
- soil enrichment with air
- easy access and moisture retention in spring
- death of pathogenic microflora
- introduction of nutrients into open ground
- light version of spring treatment
And if autumn processing is a traditional event, then it must be carried out on time, otherwise it will be useless and harmful. Damp and cold weather is not suitable for this: at the same time, the clay soil becomes even more dense. It is advisable to do this on a sunny, fine day in late September - early October.
spring processing
Spring tillage
Do I need to dig the ground in the spring? This question usually does not arise: you need to dig a garden. This is a procedure without which it is simply impossible to get loose soil and subsequently a good harvest. Spring processing is necessary for growing seedlings and vegetables.
It has a lot of advantages:
- Enriches the soil with oxygen. Gives looseness and porosity, improving the structure
- Deeper layers are involved, where the root system of cultivated plants goes. Here is the absorption of nutrients that are in an accessible form
- Eliminates debris, pebbles, glass, remnants of weeds. A homogeneous composition is created
- Fertilizers of a predominantly organic nature are applied: compost, humus, ash, biohumus to increase fertility. The use of manure is undesirable because it contains pathogenic bacteria, weed seeds, helminth eggs
- Ash and fluffy lime are added, which helps to reduce the acidity of the soil
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Controversial issues and the need to dig the soil
The soil is saturated with living organisms that form its structure.
How and when to process a summer cottage, each gardener decides for himself. Much depends on climatic conditions and the quality of the soil layer.
With loose soils and an even, warm climate, the soil does not need a special approach. If the climate is cool and humid, then lumps will have to be broken up on clay soil, otherwise growing vegetables will be problematic. Frozen ground should not be touched.
Positive sides
fertile top layer
With a centuries-old method of processing the soil layer, the vegetable grower receives:
- clean (without debris and weeds) soil
- neatly marked high beds
- fertile top layer
- moisture-air-intensive soil
Negative sides
Loosening the soil has its positive and negative sides.
If you think about whether you need to dig up the earth, some questions arise. Usually they are associated with excessive "fanaticism" of gardeners.
The earth suffers in your country house with the following approach:
- Deep and moldboard processing.There are practically no microorganisms in the deep layers. This layer goes up, and the beneficial microflora goes down, where it dies
- Additional autumn digging on loose soils, which is not necessary
- The introduction of a significant amount of mineral components that pollute the soil and subsequently enter the body with products
- Untimely processing in the country in the fall, when the rainy season began or a slight cold snap occurred. Rain will compact the top layer, and the result of the work will be reduced to zero. In frozen ground, earthworms will be inactive, and beneficial microflora will die
- For work, a cultivator, a walk-behind tractor, a shovel, a rake are used. A manual cultivator destroys worms, breaks the soil structure, increases the number of weeds (shreds the roots). This is an option for the lazy, who do not want to take on the pitchfork. But if the cottage and the garden occupy many acres, then manual processing is a laborious task.
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The basis of organic farming is respect for the land
Proper, reasonable handling of the land will help maintain and increase soil fertility. That is why supporters of organic farming adhere to the following principles:
- The loose layer should be no more than 5 cm. Digging and plowing are prohibited. If digging the soil for 2-3 years, then its enrichment with oxygen is observed. The activity of microorganisms is manifested, the root system of plants extracts nutrients more easily. But then a recession sets in, and the soil becomes poorer: the amount of humus decreases and its structure changes.
- Conducting mulching. Beneficial microorganisms and worms are activated under a layer of mulch, moisture is retained, no soil crust is formed and the earth does not overheat on hot days
- Revitalization of the earth due to the feeding of living fauna with compost, green manure, organic compounds that penetrate into the deep layers during irrigation, nourishing the roots of plants. For irrigation, trenches are dug along the beds.
- In the course of garden work, the introduction of preparations with microorganisms in the composition. This technology was developed by Japanese scientists and has been successfully used for 15 years. Beneficial microbes and fungi introduced into the soil begin to actively divide, suppressing pathogenic microflora and bringing organic matter into a form accessible to plants. Effective microorganisms significantly increase yields. It's easier than waiting for them to gradually multiply.
- Crop rotation is important so that part of the land is “fallow”, and in other areas there is a change of crops. This is necessary to avoid the accumulation in the soil of pests and diseases that parasitize on a particular plant family.
organic farming
Flat-cut tillage as a soil care option
Loosening the soil with a flat cutter
In organic farming, a shovel is not needed; a flat cutter is used, which goes underground and loosens it without digging it up. This tool is needed not only in the spring. It is great for killing weeds throughout the season.
A sharp flat cutter is used:
- when surface tillage to a depth of 5 cm
- when creating beds
- for the destruction of excess shoots and raspberry cuttings
- while hilling potatoes
- to remove strawberry whiskers
- when cutting grooves for sowing seeds
- for thinning densely sprouted seedlings
The miracle flat cutter will help loosen the ground under cucumbers that have a superficial root system. But it is impossible to dig an overgrown area that has not been cultivated for a long time and the turf has already formed.
A blunt flat cutter is recommended for allotments overgrown with weeds. Weeds that fall under the blade of the tool are not only cut, but also turned out with the roots. At the same time, the soil ecosystem remains intact and does not suffer from external interference. Flat-cut cleaning of weeds is carried out throughout the summer. It will not hurt in the country in the fall.
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Tips for a beginner gardener: to dig or not to dig?
With the right approach to the land, it is not depleted, supplying the gardener with a crop
The earth is a breathing substance saturated with living organisms. Each "inhabitant" of the soil performs its role, working on its structure. With this understanding, you need to approach your land. With such thoughts, you need to take up the shovel. Think about whether you need to dig up the earth. Weigh all the pros and cons.
And do not forget about the following points:
- If the soil is loose, rich in humus (sandy loam), then autumn digging is not necessary. It is enough to clean the site, removing foliage and weeds, in which pest larvae or disease spores can overwinter. You will have to dig an overgrown area, otherwise you won’t be able to cope with weeds in the spring
- Spring digging on loose soils is carried out with a flat cutter to a depth of 5 cm.
- Make organic compounds rich in nutrients. On poor soils, mineral nutrition is needed, which is added strictly according to the instructions.
- In order not to once again injure the upper layers by loosening, use mulch or sow green manure. All this will keep the surface layer moist and loose. Mulch provides an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms.
- If the soil structure is disturbed (the earth is dusty, cracked, hard), then live preparations with microorganisms in the composition are introduced along with compost or humus. They quickly divide and begin to "work", restoring the soil structure.
Both natural and synthetic materials can be used as mulch.
Proponents of organic farming approach the issue of tillage with caution. Preserving its structure, we multiply the harvest, avoid the depletion of the fertile layer.
Intensive land cultivation technologies do not take into account such moments, so huge areas quickly become unusable. Fertilizers are introduced into them and continue to operate. this approach has a basis: it is not so easy to feed the growing humanity. But no one canceled the careful attitude and individual approach.
VIDEO: To dig or not to dig a garden in the fall? We will analyze all the pros and cons
To dig or not to dig a garden in autumn? We will analyze all the pros and cons
Do I need to dig up the ground before planting in autumn or spring: necessity or habit? Tips for a beginner gardener | (Photo & Video)+Reviews
