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Fertilizer during planting is a highly effective way to achieve maximum yield of agricultural crops, incl. on depleted and poor soils, which is especially important in small private farms and in the country. The concentration of nutrients in the feeding zone minimizes their leaching, migration in soil structures and theft by weeds; it also promotes the development of a compact, powerful root system, which is the key to plant health and its resistance to diseases and pests.
The Dutch, for example, largely thanks to the widespread use of spot (cluster) feeding of plants during planting, manage to harvest fantastic, stable yields of environmentally friendly products from patches of land. This method is more labor-intensive than thoughtlessly scattering fertilizer across the field, but when a family runs a farm on an area of up to 100-250 acres, it is more than economically justified.
However, fertilizing during planting should be done with full consideration of the biology of this particular plant species, the properties of the soil underneath it and the method of maintaining its culture, because the same increased concentration of elements necessary for the plant in the nutritional zone can lead to the accumulation of substances harmful to humans, primarily nitrates, in fruits. Simply put, when planting, you need to fertilize plants much more carefully and carefully, whether feeding will be nested or by area before planting/sowing. This article provides initial information on agrobiology and agrochemistry of fertilizing crops during planting and recommendations for their use for a number of important crops in private farming.
Chemistry or organics?
The general rule for fertilizing the soil when planting plants is that the further the fruits are from the roots, the more preferable it is to apply organic fertilizers when planting.
In addition to poorly soluble ones (for example, phosphate rock), they are easily accessible to roots, but also quickly migrate in the soil and are leached. Their concentration in the feeding zone, as a rule, drops to environmentally acceptable values long before fruit set. relatively slowly releases nutrients into the soil, but for a long time keeps a spot of their increased concentration around the place of application, the side effect of which is an increased risk of accumulation of undesirable substances in tubers and root crops. This is not so dangerous for plants with above-ground fruits, because almost all of them have certain biomechanisms that prevent the penetration of substances necessary for the growth and development of the plant itself into the fruits. However, the peculiarities of the biology of individual cultures and groups of cultures make significant adjustments to the general pattern.
Tubers, roots, fruits, greens
The biology of tuber and root crops is noticeably different from that of plants with fruits “on top”, so fertilizers for them are applied in a slightly different way when planting. Root/tuber crops quickly develop a very active root growth system and increase green mass. At this phase, the rate of migration of nutrients from organic fertilizer into the soil may not be enough for the full development of the plant. Then the plant switches to the development of underground storage organs. By this phase, the initial fertilizing should be completely spent on the formation of feeding roots and aerial parts.
Based on the above, fertilizers should be applied when planting various groups of crops in general according to the following scheme:
- Roots and tubers on light, permeable soils(sandy loam, light loams) - in 2 stages: in the fall, under fall plowing, manure or slightly soluble mineral fertilizers, and in the spring, when planting in holes, light (not particularly concentrated) organic fertilizers - humus, compost. When sowing/planting under agrofilm in the spring, instead of organic matter, use mineral fertilizers, see below.
- The same when planting in a hole on heavy soils– each plant is individually given mineral fertilizers before planting. On depleted soils, it is very, very desirable to organize crop rotation with nitrogen fixers, because all root/tuber crops are very draining on the soil and heavy soils are slow to reclaim. Experienced gardeners know: the best fertilizer for potatoes is green manure peas in the fall.
- Annuals with above-ground fruits– organic matter on light, permeable, non-depleted soils; in all other cases, mineral fertilizers.
- Woody and shrubby fruit and stone fruit crops – organic to the maximum, respectively. local conditions for the best development of plants. The harvest is most often not harvested in the first year, and there is no need to worry about the accumulation of nitrates.
- Green crops and plants with above-ground storage organs used for food (for example, cabbage) - applying fertilizers when planting without basic knowledge in the field of agrochemistry, agrobiology and gardening experience is not recommended: either there will be no benefit, or you will have to eat your own nitrates.
About nitrogen
The golden rule of soil fertilization when planting plants is not to overdo it with nitrogen! It is better to underfeed them than to overfeed them!
From excess, young plants will stretch out and wither; Leaf chlorosis may develop. It is better to completely avoid adding nitrates during planting. If the land is completely depleted (for example, potatoes are planted after potatoes last year), the soil is replenished with nitrogen in the fall before the fall. And yet - highly effective in many cases (see below) is incompatible with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Either one or the other.
Potato
It provides a vital, highly valuable food product, but it is also a decent glutton and greatly depletes the soil. The homeland of potatoes is the high plateaus of the Andes, the so-called. altiplano, with a harsh climate and sudden changes in weather, therefore the development features of tuber crops described above are especially characteristic of potatoes. Potatoes are grown in a variety of climatic conditions by planting in holes and under agrofilm, as a result of which Fertilizer for potatoes when planting should be done in accordance with one of 4 typical cases:
- Heavy poor soil;
- It is also quite nutritious;
- Light poor soil;
- It's also quite nutritious.
Note: planting potatoes under agrofilm is becoming increasingly widespread in areas of 20-30 acres, because allows to significantly reduce labor costs. The yield of potatoes planted under film in competent agriculture is no lower than when individually planting tubers in holes.
The earth is heavy and skinny
Prepare a mixture for spring per hundred square meters: 2-3 kg, 1-1.5 kg, 30-50 kg and the same amount of sand (this is filling the soil for planting). In the absence of humus, take 3-4 kg of superphosphate, 1.5 kg of potassium sulfate and 2-3 kg per hundred square meters without sand, but this option is worse, because a lot of ballast will get into the soil.
Next, when the top water disappears from the ground a little and the tubercles “wither,” you need to evenly scatter the mixture over the area under the potatoes and dig it up. When planting, add complex fertilizers to each hole: 3-5 g, or 2-3 g (about 30 or 20 granules, respectively, if the fertilizer is granular) and a pinch (1/4 - 1/3 teaspoon). An alternative is potato Kemira according to the instructions without bone meal. On acidic soils, add a pinch of ground eggshells or dolomite flour (liming the soil). Sprinkle the fertilizer nest with 5-7 cm of soil, throw in the tuber, and wrap it in soil. It is not recommended to plant potatoes under film on depleted soil.
Note: nitrophoska is an explosive substance. Heating it is unacceptable, incl. packaged with sunrays. Storage - strictly according to instructions!
Autumn under potatoes
Autumn filling of the soil for potatoes with fertilizers will have a beneficial effect on the yield and condition of the soil for any method of its cultivation. When planting potatoes over potatoes, autumn fertilization of the soil under them is mandatory. An alternative to manure in fairly warm places is to fill the soil with plant fertilizers - green manure. After harvesting the potatoes, the area is sown with nitrogen-fixing plants: peas, clover, lupine, sainfoin, let them grow as long as they can before the cold weather. In the spring, the area with withered nitrogen fixers is plowed/dug up. In this case, refilling the soil before planting is not required; it is enough to add mixtures into the holes or over the area when planting under a film.
The soil is heavy and has average nutritional value.
It is not necessary to amend the soil before planting. Instead of complex fertilizers, you can add a mixture to the holes per 1 square meter. m: a third of a glass of wood ash and half a shovel of humus. The mixture is prepared for the sown area and divided into portions according to the number of holes. When planting under film, the mixture is evenly scattered over the potato plot and the ground is dug up. Liming if necessary - as before. case.
The earth is light and depleted
In this case, it is necessary to fill the area under potatoes with nitrogen in the fall: add cow manure at the rate of 30 kg/acre or humus or food waste 60-70 kg per hundred square meters for fall plowing (digging). On acidic soils, add additional phosphate rock at 2-2.5 kg per hundred square meters. In the spring, amendments are added to the soil for planting, as in the case of heavy, depleted soil. The same complex fertilizers are added to the holes, mixed with a handful of humus and a pinch of grated onion peel or dried ground nettle. You can prepare the mixture in advance for the entire area, but without adding sand, and divide it into portions according to the number of holes. When planting under film, spring dressing is evenly distributed over the area.
Earth light normal
Autumn and spring refueling is not required. In the mixture for adding into the holes, the dose of nitrophoska or nitroammophoska is reduced by 2 times, but bone meal is given 1.5 times more. and won't hurt. Complex fertilizers can be replaced with ash and humus, as in the case of heavy normal soil.
Note: The above rates for applying fertilizers to a hole are averaged for Central Russia. They can be more accurately adjusted to the properties of the local soil (nutrient reserves in it), knowing that per 1 sq. m of potato crop during the growing season requires 5 g of phosphorus, 10-20 g of nitrogen and 15-25 g of potassium. The theft of fertilizers by weeds when applying fertilizer to the hole can be neglected.
Video: example of planting potatoes
Tomatoes
The plant is unpretentious, but the biobarrier from nitrates and phosphates between the greens and the fruits is weak: tomatoes “count” that the rotting pulp of the fruits will become fertilizer for the germinating seeds. That's why Under no circumstances should you give easily migrating mineral fertilizers to tomatoes when planting; in general, tomatoes are fed mainly as plants develop.
Note: tomato trick - after planting the seedlings, sprinkle the ground around each bush with a pinch of baking soda, but so that not a single grain gets on the leaves and stem. The fruits will be sweet and without a white column inside.
When planting tomatoes, the soil must first be pickled, not abundantly watered with a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a filtered daily infusion of 10 g of baking powder in 10 liters of water. A day after etching the soil, the seedlings can be planted. Place into each well to a depth of approx. 10 cm with a pinch of wood ash and crushed into dust. Then fill the nest with 3-5 cm of soil and plant the sprout. If tomatoes are planted in a greenhouse, holes need to be dug approx. 20 cm deep, and instead of the indicated ingredients, mix nitrophoska with dry humus (sold in jars and bags) in such a way that it comes out in a tablespoon without top and a full handful of the finished mixture per hole. If nitroammophoska is used, the calculation is made based on a teaspoon with the top per hole. The same method is suitable for planting tomato seedlings in depleted soil.
Note: You should not fertilize the soil for tomatoes and cucumbers (see below) - with an extremely small amount of nutrition, the sprouts will stretch out and wither. Seeds for seedlings are soaked in a solution of humate or other growth stimulant, this is enough. Having then found themselves in favorable conditions from cramped conditions, the young plants will begin to develop rapidly and produce a good harvest.
Video: example of planting tomatoes
cucumbers
They are less inclined than tomatoes to accumulate nitrates in fruits, but are more demanding on soil quality, and their superficial root system is weaker. Therefore, feeding cucumbers when planting or sowing is done in a slightly different way. For sowing in the ground or in a greenhouse, a universal means for fertilizing cucumbers is nitrophoska 30 g/sq.m. m or nitroammophoska 20 g/sq.m in open ground or 1.5 times more in a greenhouse. Cultivating cucumbers by planting seedlings will give an earlier harvest, but fertilizing the soil for it is more difficult:
Pepper vegetable
Vegetable (sweet, Bulgarian) is actually very far from plants of the pepper order. It is from the nightshade family; its relatives are potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, but its fruits are somewhat similar to pods of spice peppers. Sweet peppers deplete the soil very much; it cannot be planted after any of its relatives, as well as pumpkin, bulbous and root crops. In terms of its tendency to accumulate nitrates in fruits, it is somewhere between a tomato and a cucumber.
Vegetable peppers also have a rather rare feature: Sweet pepper seedlings definitely need feeding half a month after the first leaf appears. Its options, per 1 sq. m tray with seedlings, in descending order of effectiveness:
- Kemira-lux, 1.5 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water;
- Crystalon, 20 g per 10 liters of water;
- Solution of dry mineral fertilizers: 2 tsp. , 3 tbsp. l. superphosphate, 3 tsp. potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water.
Sweet peppers do not tolerate heavy, dense, poorly permeable soils, so before planting seedlings, you need to add 3-4 kg of peat or finely chopped straw to heavy soil. Vegetable pepper seedlings are planted in peat pots (it is not advisable to grow them in a common tray). Depending on the properties of the soil, sweet pepper seedlings require the following feeding when planting:
- On dense soils - a handful of peat, 5-10 g of superphosphate in granules and the same amount of potassium sulfate for each pot.
- On soils of average permeability and looseness (loamy) - before planting, 30-40 g of superphosphate and a glass of wood ash per 1 sq. m of soil. Apply in dry weather and immediately dig up with a spade, otherwise a crust will form on the surface of the soil from the ash.
- On loose permeable soils (sandy loam) - 30-40 g of superphosphate and half as much potassium chloride per 1 sq. m. Apply before planting, then dig up the ground in front of it by half a bayonet.
Strawberry
This is tasty and commercially valuable, but fertilizing it when planting is very labor-intensive:
Berry bushes
There is no point in waiting for a harvest from a fruit tree in the fall after planting, but berry bushes can become a pleasant exception, at least for a trial, and next year produce a bountiful harvest.
To do this, bush berry seedlings fertilize the trail when planted. way:
- A 200-liter barrel is filled 1/3 with bird droppings, or fresh.
- Fill to the top with water.
- Allow to ferment for at least 5 days in a warm shaded or, better yet, dark place.
- The sludge is drained: it, diluted 1:15-1:20, will be used for fertilizing watering of the garden during the growing season.
- The sludge is raked out, dried in the shade and mixed with peat in a 1:1 ratio by volume.
- Holes for seedlings are dug deeper by a bayonet (approx. 30 cm) than with normal planting.
- 15 cm of the resulting mixture is poured into each hole and covered with 15 cm of excavated soil.
- Plant shrubs as usual.
Free fertilizers
The above-mentioned onion peels, nettle dust and wood ash are natural fertilizers, which in many cases can replace store-bought fertilizers for planting: they contain almost no nitrogen, but they contain a rich set of microelements.
Wood ash is obtained from the combustion of any plant waste, incl. weeds; It is often sold as furnace ash.
The nettles are mowed down to be as young as possible; in any case, before flowering, and dried for grinding for 2 weeks. From nettle you can also make a very effective fertilizing infusion for watering during the growing season, and fertilizers for the garden can be obtained from plant food waste: drunk tea, coffee grounds, banana peels, fallen leaves, etc., incl. for the winter in a city apartment, see, for example. video.
It is important to fertilize the soil correctly, since a number of mistakes by gardeners can lead to unpleasant results.
Improper fertilizer and its application can lead to protracted growth of shoots, reduce winter hardiness, deteriorate the quality of fruits and reduce the lifespan.
Also, if you fertilize the soil incorrectly, you can ruin the plants or not get any results at all.
For the rapid growth of vegetables and other plants, nutritional elements are needed, which are contained in fertilizers.
We will talk about what fertilizers exist, how and when to use them.
Types of soil fertilizers
There are several of them:
- organics;
- nitrogen;
- minerals;
- phosphorus;
- potassium
Phosphorus fertilizers for soil
They are important elements in the life and growth of plants. They provide energy and are involved in the formation of DNA and RNA.
Phosphorus fertilizer is very convenient because even with an excess of it, you will not spoil it. They will take as much phosphorus as they need.
A lack of phosphorus in plants can lead to:
- underdevelopment of seeds;
- slow growth;
- coloring plants dark green and purple;
- change in plant shape;
- dark spots.
Phosphorus fertilizers for the soil are applied mainly in the fall, because during the winter period difficult-to-digest fertilizers will be able to move into the soil-retaining complex and by the summer they will begin to fully deliver nutrients to the plants.
If you want to fertilize the soil in the spring, then use tuk. They contain fast-acting components.
Choose phosphorus fertilizers for the soil such as:
- Superphosphate (suitable for any plants, especially suitable for tomatoes);
- Double superphosphate (suitable for trees and shrubs);
- Ammophos (for vegetables, lawns, trees and ornamental plants);
- Diammophos or ammonium hydrogen phosphate (potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers);
- Bone meal (processed pet bones, suitable for tub crops, potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes, also suitable for ).
You can also make phosphorus fertilizers yourself from the herbs wormwood, feather grass, hawthorn, rowan, and thyme.
Organic fertilizers for soil
Mainly these include:
- manure;
- humus;
- bird droppings;
- deciduous soil;
- turf land;
- peat.
Organic fertilizers are suitable for any soil and are considered the most natural.
Manure is the most easily accessible and inexpensive way to fertilize the soil.
It contains a number of nutrients that, when decomposed, turn into carbon dioxide.
Thus, clay soil will become loose, and sandy soil will become viscous and moist, resulting in...
Fresh manure is applied in the autumn season, and rotted manure in the spring.
Humus can be obtained from the decomposition of plant leaves and roots.
It is very popular to use it for seedlings, adding 50 kg per m2.
Bird droppings It is rarely used because it is a highly concentrated fertilizer for the soil.
It needs to be diluted by adding 0.3 liters. bird droppings per ten liters of water.
Peat As a fertilizer, choose light high, transitional and lowland.
Do not use it in its pure form because it contains many acids. Peat should be used in.
You can fertilize the soil in spring or summer.
In the spring, it is added during digging at a rate of 6 kg per sq.m. In the summer, a layer of about half a meter and 20 cm of manure is poured, and the top is covered again with 50 cm of peat. Cover and leave for a year.
Sod land Easy to use if you do it yourself.
Take and collect the fallen leaves, compacting them into a wooden box. Then add water to slightly moisten it. Add superphosphate in the amount of half a kilogram per 1 cubic meter.
Add 2 tablespoons of ash to the mixture and let it sweat. Good to use for various vegetables.
Mineral fertilizers for soil
Usually used in conjunction with organic matter. With their help, you can grow a large harvest that will exceed all your expectations.
It is better to use mixed mineral fertilizers. Basically these are:
- Ammonium nitrate;
- Urea (urea);
- Copper sulfate;
- Phosphate flour;
- Microfertilizers;
- Nitrophoska.
Mineral fertilizers can be used in spring and summer when cultivating the land and sowing seeds. Only phosphate rock is applied in the fall so that it has time to saturate the soil.
Potassium fertilizers for soil
These include:
- Potassium sulfate (20 grams per meter for watering, 10 grams for dry sprinkling);
- Potassium chloride (for greenhouse soil in the autumn season 5 grams per meter);
- ash (100 grams per square meter, for 2 years);
- Nitrophoska (20 grams per 10 liters for watering and 50 grams for dry feeding).
Nitrogen fertilizers for soil
These include:
- Ammonium nitrate (note that the soil may become acidic);
- Urea (15 grams per 10 liters of running water, use every 12 days);
- Potassium nitrate (20 grams per square meter).
How to properly fertilize the soil?
If you have clay soil, it is worth adding river sand to it and vice versa, so that the nutrients are not washed out by rain.
Maintain crop rotation and do not plant one crop for two years in a row.
As a general rule, start fertilizing the soil in the fall. Remove all plant debris and treat the soil against harmful insects.
For root crops, fertilize the soil with superphosphate and add organic fertilizers.
Don't forget about liming the soil. By doing this every 4 years, you will get a good harvest.
After adding lime, plants such as:
- radish;
- cabbage;
- radish;
- turnip.
Do not add organic matter with lime. This only reduces efficiency.
In this case, apply fertilizer when planting.
If you are going to grow dill, lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers and pumpkin, then add manure during spring digging.
Nitrogenous elements can be added to manure.
By June, it will be important to feed the garden with potassium fertilizers. This will help rid them of diseases and accelerate growth.
Potato fertilizer
Fertilizing soil for potatoes is the most common question.
It is worth remembering that watering and hilling does not guarantee a good potato harvest. You can't do without fertilizers.
For potatoes, it is better to choose the following fertilizers:
- ash (combine ash with nitrogen fertilizers and apply in the spring or autumn season);
- nitrogen (easily washed out, so they are applied every year);
- phosphorus (mixed with manure and applied once every 2 years);
- manure (fertilize in the same amount as the potato harvest was harvested, i.e. for 50 kg of harvest, take 50 kg of manure).
Add organic matter when planting potatoes or when digging them up for the winter. Mineral fertilizers - after germination and during flowering.
To fertilize potatoes with organic elements, make a hole and add 100 grams of old manure, sprinkled with soil. You can add 10 grams of ash and 15 grams of bird droppings on top. Place potatoes on top and dig a hole.
When shoots appear, dilute the manure with water (10:1) mixing with nitrogen and phosphorus components (10:8). Water the sprouts with the solution and wait for the harvest.
During flowering, use the same method, only without manure.
Strawberry fertilizer
Apply mineral fertilizers to fertilize the soil under strawberries carefully; it is better to use the instructions indicated on the package.
Strawberries are a very delicate plant, so you shouldn’t experiment with them.
Manure and humus are the most suitable option for fertilizing strawberries. It will not only provide nutrients, but also protect against various diseases.
To ensure strawberries have a bright red color, large size and sweet taste, use chicken manure.
The main thing is not to overdo it with it, because you can ruin the harvest.
Add ten liters of water to 1 liter of chicken manure and leave for three days. You need to fertilize strawberry bushes half a liter (per 1 bush).
There are also traditional ways to fertilize the soil for strawberries. These include fermented milk products.
Mix a few tablespoons of ash with humus, manure and fermented milk product.
Strawberries love yeasty soil, so bread is an excellent feeding option.
Take dry bread and soak it in water until fermentation (about 10 days). Dilute the solution with water 1 to 10.
You can also use nettle infusion. Take the nettle and fill it with rainwater, pressing it down with a weight.
Stir the infusion every 2 days. Dilute with water 1 to 20 and apply before foliar feeding.
Fertilize the soil first when digging for the winter. The second is after picking the berries.
Do not fertilize strawberries during fruiting.
The third fertilization of the soil for strawberries is done in September. For this, ash and mullein are used (for 1 bucket of mullein, half a glass of ash).
When replanting, fertilize the new soil with 8 kg. organic fertilizer and 30 gr. mineral fertilizer!
We are publishing two more chapters from Pavel Trannoy’s book “Encyclopedia of a productive vegetable garden on reasonable soil” (of course, with the permission of the author).
Chlorine
A curious element. We study it at school as a poisonous gas, but it is present in every living creature!
Probably due to the fact that all the plants came out of sea water, they still contain a proportion of chlorine, about 0.1% (in animal meat 0.2%, or twice as much).
The soil more than covers the needs of plants when the usual cycle of substances takes place in it with the participation of animals and their droppings.
Manure contains the required amount of chlorine, just like ash.
But people who abuse salty foods, eating a matchbox of table salt a day in various sauces, cheese, cookies, can poison plants with chlorine through fecal compost.
Just do the math: a person produces about a liter of urine per day, and a box of salt is dissolved in it (chlorine is excreted from the body mainly through urine)!
So, you see, there is a pack of salt in the compost, then a second one... The first to suffer are the crops that tolerate high chlorine content the worst, among garden plants this is potatoes.
Fecal compost is applied to the beds only in the fall so that the chlorine is washed out by melt water, and at the same time it should be dug in as evenly as possible.
The chlorine ion is negatively charged, so it is poorly retained by clay soil and is strongly washed out by rain. For this reason, with a leaching water regime, the soil can quite quickly be freed from excessive amounts of chlorine added with fertilizers. With sodium, things are more complicated.
Should I fertilize in spring or fall?
With experience, you confidently conclude that in all respects it is preferable to fertilize in the fall.
There is, perhaps, not a single serious reason in favor of spring fertilizer, except for the “human factor”: the difficult habit to eradicate of doing everything at the last second.
Soluble nitrogen will be washed away by melt water, you say again.
Research and calculations by farmers have long since clarified everything: the PPC retains almost everything from the applied nitrogen and potassium fertilizers.
On clayey, well-humused soil, about 10% of the applied nitrogen is washed away by melt water, and 90% remains. No more than 30% of the applied fertilizer is washed out on the sand, and 70% of the applied fertilizer remains.
And this is in areas with a leaching water regime; on black soil there are even fewer winter losses; there it’s generally strange to hear horror stories about some kind of nitrogen leaching.
If we talk about cultivated garden soils, where limestone or ash (a source of calcium), compost or manure (organic matter, a source of humus) was added, then on most loamy soils in the Middle Zone - soddy-podzolic, gray forest, floodplain - you can, on average, accept losses from the winter-spring leaching of fertilizers applied in the fall, no more than 10-15%. On sandy loam soils - no more than 15-25%. Well, on almost clean sands and podzols, introduced manure or urea will lose about 30% of nitrogen.
No matter how clean your sand may seem, it still contains “turbidity,” a clayey part that is found when you shake it in a jar of water. This turbidity retains nitrogen.
It also feeds the plants planted there with everything they need. A bit of fertility, but there. And we need to increase it, and not be afraid to fertilize it.
In gardening, floriculture, and even more so in fruit growing, professionals accept these relatively small losses for the sake of incomparably greater gains from autumn fertilization.
An experienced plant grower knows how unpredictable sowing can be with freshly applied fertilizer. Sometimes the fertilizer applied just before planting turns out to be so “caustic” (by-products in high concentrations) that it undermines the strength of the sowing.
The behavior of plants on freshly fertilized soil is unpredictable: sometimes it’s a twig, and sometimes they don’t like something.
Fertilizer that has settled and “calmed down” in the soil is much more reliable.
In such cases, they say “the fertilizer has been absorbed by the soil” - it has not disappeared, but has stabilized in it, its beneficial substance has become part of the soil colloids: now it does not burn the roots, and cannot cause poisoning of the plant by quickly drawing in too large a dose.
There is no need to rush in plant growing. Plants are accustomed to a very slow life, and should be adjusted to it.
What other benefits from early fertilization, besides reliability? Is it not enough for you?
Reliability is already a very big gain. It, like a premium on an insurance policy, already covers small losses due to early spring leaching: do not forget that crop production is a very unpredictable and risky business for those who neglect the measured steps.
Reliability in crop production is worth a lot. And there are additional winnings.
Let's list them:
- when applied in the fall, possible excess chlorine is washed out of fertilizers (toilet waste comes first here: if they are used as a “guarantor of maintaining the predominance of nitrogen in the N: P: K ratio in the soil,” which is very important, then they should be applied mainly in the pre-spring period);
- soil fertilized in the fall allows for extremely early sowing immediately after the snow melts, without digging, of the following crops: onions, lettuce, celery, parsley, carrots and beets - all this under a film: in early April the ground is wet and does not dig, it it is inconvenient to mix with fertilizers; if desired, you can sow in such soil even during the March thaw;
- a whole range of vegetable crops - brassicas: white cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi and with them ordinary turnips are planted as seedlings under caps or under lutrasil tunnels as early as possible, in April, in order to catch the attacks of the cruciferous flea beetle, in wet soil, fully prepared in advance from autumn;
- in low, damp places, potato tubers are planted by laying them out along the surface in a line (without holes) with immediate hilling with a hoe - if this method is also used, it will be on soil that has been completely prepared in advance in the fall; for potatoes, the abundance of moisture in the soil is very important when the tubers begin to sprout;
- when digging in the fall, the soil in the spring during sowing is much cleaner from weeds than if it is left untouched in the fall: it happens that in May people dig up a thick green carpet; sowing something in such beds means obviously getting a weak harvest;
- In the spring, it’s generally more pleasant to work in the garden, when your soil, at least in the garden, at least in most of the beds, is already completely ready (after all, there is so much to do on the plot!) - and now you just have to “go up and stick a few onion bulbs on the greens from the edge " How it makes life on the estate easier when you don’t have to always be in a hurry;
- all root vegetables and potatoes need as fully matured organic matter as possible: if you give them decomposed compost or manure humus, it is still better to do this in the fall, thoroughly mixing with the soil in order to “soften” the organic matter even more;
- garlic should immediately take root in October in fertilized soil, the start is very important for all crops, garlic should immediately “feel the abundant environment with its roots,” so it is too late to fertilize it in the spring; therefore, so that the soil has time to settle, the garlic bed is fertilized even earlier, in the summer;
- At the same time as organic fertilizers, limestone materials are also added for digging (so as not to dig again), and they are added only in the fall.
The list shows how many vegetable crops actually require advance soil preparation in the fall.
These are early-start crops, for which their cold resistance allows them to make much better use of precious soil moisture.
It is advisable to sow and plant them before the May holidays. Many gardeners can only start digging into the soil with a shovel in May, when it is already too dry and becomes even drier before our eyes every day.
There remains a very small group of heat-loving open ground crops: cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, sunflowers, corn, beans - they are all “row-crop”, that is, they are very easy to protect from weeds with a hoe, they all love an abundance of nitrogen, they can be used for anything slowly continue to apply fertilizers throughout the spring until mid-May (manure or waste
toilet), leaving 1-2 weeks before planting for the fertilizer to be absorbed: this is enough for them.
But the planting area for them can also be fertilized in the fall.
When the soil as a whole has been fertilized since the fall, then in the spring nothing prevents us from adding something “forgotten” to it for loosening.
Autumn is a flexible concept. Someone will decide that this means the time before winter itself. No, the earlier you start fertilizing, the better for the absorption of fertilizers and self-purification of the soil. It makes more sense to fertilize not the entire garden at once, but as the beds become vacant, back in August, and carry out the main work in September. This is real, because onions and garlic are harvested early, potatoes are also harvested in August, cucumbers and pumpkins are harvested in the first half of September... Well, cabbage and root vegetables remain until frost, nothing can be done about it.
Book in "Labyrinth"
The book by Pavel Trannois “Encyclopedia of a productive vegetable garden on reasonable soil” can be purchased in the Labyrinth online store, where you can also look at spreads and reviews of it.
Organic fertilizer such as manure is deservedly popular among gardeners. It not only contains a large amount of minerals and trace elements needed by plants, but also improves the structure of the soil, increasing its ability to absorb water. However, it is not recommended to apply manure more than once every three years, and it is not always possible to purchase it. How to fertilize the soil in autumn in this case?
Organic fertilizers used for application in the fall
Fertilizers of natural origin contain less minerals than those offered by the chemical industry, but they restore soil fertility. In addition to manure, the following organic materials can be used as natural plant food:
- , which is safer for plants than fresh manure. The compost mass begins to be prepared in the spring, adding all possible plant residues (excluding plants that may contain spores of fungal diseases). Treatment with a solution containing EM preparations will significantly speed up the processing process, and by autumn you will receive an excellent organic fertilizer. Compost can be used for digging up beds, or added between strawberry rows. Even if it is not fully ripe, mulching the tree trunks of fruit trees or the ground around bushes is allowed. This work is carried out before the onset of frost.
Foxgloves, tomato and potato tops, castor beans, broom, lily of the valley and aconite cannot be added to compost, as these plants kill microorganisms that contribute to the processing of organic matter.
- A good organic fertilizer is. In the fall, it can be applied without diluting with water in dried form at the rate of 1 - 1.5 kg/m2 for future beds with cabbage, potatoes, lettuce and onions. The droppings are added under digging or embedded in the ground with a rake.
- Also perfect for application in the fall under perennial plants. It is rich in phosphorus, potassium and microelements, and contains almost no nitrogen. Fertilizing can be carried out in the form of a solution (300 g of ash per 10 liters of hot water and leave for several hours) or in dry form. When using dry ash, it is introduced into shallow grooves and covered with earth. Ash fertilizing can be done for fruit trees, berry bushes, strawberries, and perennial flowers. Ash is also added when digging beds (1 kg/m2), and it can also be sprinkled on plantings of winter garlic and onions.
- contains up to 35% phosphorus and potassium, in the fall it is used to feed perennial flowers (roses, bulbous plants), berry bushes (150 g per bush) and fruit trees (250 g per trunk), but not more than once every 3 year. In the fall, it can also be applied to planting potatoes and tomatoes. Flour is added before digging the site or embedded in the soil.
Green manure
Green manure is an excellent substitute for organic fertilizers; you just need to consider what crops will be planted after them. Green manure is sown immediately after harvesting - at the end of August or September.
Table: use of green manure
| Green manure | The resulting effect of application | What can you plant after it? |
| Legumes (vetch, peas, alfalfa,). | Enrich the soil with nitrogen in an easily accessible form. | Solanaceous (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers), cruciferous (cabbage, radishes) and pumpkin (cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin) crops. |
| Buckwheat. | Reduces soil acidity, enriches with phosphorus and potassium. | All crops except rhubarb, sorrel and spinach. |
| Cereals (oats, rye, barley). | They increase the nitrogen and potassium content, increase air and moisture permeability, and repel nematodes. | Nightshade and pumpkin. |
| Cruciferous vegetables (mustard, rapeseed, Shrovetide radish). | They increase the content of potassium and phosphorus, help get rid of nematodes, slugs and wireworms. | Nightshade, pumpkin, umbelliferous (carrots, dill). |
Video: green manure in autumn
Mineral fertilizers
Without applying mineral fertilizers, it is difficult to completely restore the loss of nutrients during the season. When choosing autumn feeding, more attention is paid to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Nitrogen is not applied in the fall, with the exception of urea, which retains nitrogen in the soil until spring.
Table: the most common types of fertilizers applied in the fall
| Mineral fertilizers. | Application. |
| Superphosphate contains 20–50% phosphorus, and a small nitrogen content is required for better digestibility of this substance. With a lack of phosphorus, the root system dies, which can cause the death of the plant. Therefore, its application in the fall is mandatory. | For watering strawberry rows, prepare a solution of 10 g per 10 liters of water. When feeding roses and bulbous flowers, the dosage is 15 g/10 l. Fertilizing of berry bushes and fruit trees is carried out by applying dry fertilizer and then incorporating it into the soil. Application rate for simple superphosphate:
The norms for double superphosphate are 1.5 times less. |
| Potassium sulfate and autumn fertilizing with this mineral promotes the health of plants and helps them better endure the winter. But this fertilizer increases the acidity of the soil, so on acidic soils it is applied with lime. | In the fall, you can apply it dry, trying to bring it closer to the root system. Application rates:
|
| Potassium chloride, like potassium sulfate, is necessary to strengthen plants and prepare them for winter. | When added for digging in the fall, chlorine dissolves in the soil, and potassium remains until spring. Application rates: 100–200 g/10 m2. For fruit trees, 120 - 180 g per tree is applied, depending on the type of soil. |
In specialized stores you can purchase complex mineral fertilizers (for example, “Autumn”) containing potassium, phosphorus and other microelements. The application dosage is carried out according to the instructions.
All mineral fertilizing in the fall must be completed before mid-October, since it is not recommended to loosen the soil when the rainy season begins.
Video: what fertilizers to apply in the fall
In autumn, while the earth is resting, it is a good time to improve the fertility of the earth. It is necessary not only to enrich the soil with minerals spent during the season, but also to add organic matter to improve its structure. How exactly to do this is up to you to decide.
With the arrival of autumn, dacha chores do not end; the time comes when you need to take care of the toiling earth and return to her what she gave you with a bountiful and tasty harvest. The soil needs to be fertilized and restored to structure, and for this it is necessary to introduce a variety of organic and mineral fertilizers in order to lay the foundation for future successful growth and fruiting of garden and vegetable plantings.
We nourish the earth with organic matter
Autumn fertilizing has two goals - replenishing lost nutrients and improving the air and water permeability of the soil. Autumn is the best time to restore the acid-base balance and lighten heavy clay soils.
Manure, used from time immemorial, has now become expensive; in addition, it has two significant drawbacks - it is full of weed seeds and contains pathogenic microorganisms, which in the spring can become a source of disease for cultural plantings.
Manure is replaced with other organic matter - humus, compost, wood ash. Organic fertilizers take a long time to decompose. It takes several months for the earth to receive the necessary substances. Therefore, it is advisable to apply them in the fall, so that in the spring the soil is saturated with everything necessary for the full growth of young seedlings.
Before winter, it is important not to saturate the soil with nitrogen, especially beds with perennial plants. Otherwise, new shoots will begin to grow, which will not have time to get stronger before the arrival of frost, will be damaged and will become easy prey for bacterial and fungal infections. Organic fertilizers are applied after harvesting and completely clearing the beds of weeds. Dates: end of August and September.
Humus is a mixture of rotted manure and plant residues. Due to the fact that humus consists of elastic microparticles, it loosens the soil well, allowing oxygen and moisture to freely penetrate to the roots of plants. Humic acids contained in humus increase soil fertility, and fulvic acids are needed for the formation of mineral salts in a form accessible to plants. Humus nourishes the root system of plants and serves as food for beneficial soil bacteria.
Humus is a rotten homogeneous mass that is externally similar to the soil surface
Humus is used to fertilize areas where potatoes, root crops, tomatoes, and cucumbers will be planted in the spring. First, it is evenly distributed throughout the entire area at the rate of 1 bucket (6 kg) per 1 square meter. m, and then dig up.
Under fruit trees and shrubs, humus is laid out in a circle around the trunk, 15–20 cm away from the trunk, at the rate of 300 g per 1 sq. m. m. It is better to dig it in a little (no more than 2–3 cm). Then solutions of nutrient salts will penetrate to the roots with precipitation. In addition, a layer of humus will warm the roots in winter. Fertilizer is produced after leaf fall and harvesting of fallen leaves.
Compost is the safest and most affordable type of organic fertilizer. What has accumulated in the compost pit over the summer will completely rot over the winter, and in the spring it will become an excellent feed for young plants. The first way is to add it during digging. You can use compost in other ways. Having prepared the beds for winter, spread the pulled out weeds on their surface, and on top of them - a layer of compost. Pour EM preparations on top, for example, Baikal. By spring, effective microorganisms will transform the layer into a mixture of beneficial compounds that are easily available for absorption by plants. The ground around fruit trees and shrubs is mulched with compost. Consumption for digging and mulching is 1–2 buckets per 1 sq. m. m.
The easiest way to use compost at the dacha is to distribute it over the entire usable area of the garden in a continuous layer, followed by plowing the soil.
It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of wood ash for the soil. It reduces soil acidity, promotes the conversion of nutrients into a form easily accessible to plants, suppresses pathogenic microflora and protects against pests. Ash contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, sulfur and other minerals. In the fall, it is applied in the form of a solution prepared a week before use at the rate of 300 g per 10 liters of water. In dry form, the ash is scattered on the beds at the rate of 1 cup per 1 sq.m of land. Wood ash works best on clay soil, increasing its permeability.
Bird droppings
Bird droppings serve as a complete replacement for manure. This is a “long-lasting” fertilizer and must be applied once every three years. Rotted bird droppings are sold in any specialty store.
The use of chicken manure improves the condition of the soil, its chemical composition, and promotes the proliferation of beneficial bacteria
Application rates:
- for green and berry crops, onions, garlic and root vegetables - 2 kg per 1 sq. m when digging a bed;
- for others a little more - 3 kg per 1 sq. m.
Bone meal is a universal fertilizer suitable for all types of garden plantings. It is an excellent natural source of calcium and phosphorus.
The highest percentage of phosphorus (35%) is found in nonfat concentrated bone meal
For garden crops, bone meal is applied annually; it is enough to fertilize fruit trees and berry bushes once every three years.
The amount of powder is calculated based on the type of flour. It can be ordinary, mechanically produced, low-fat and steamed. Each of them has its own concentration, so you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Fishmeal is more suitable for nightshade crops (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants) in terms of its chemical composition. It is better to bring it in for digging. Keep in mind that bone meal is not suitable for alkaline and neutral soils, as it deoxidizes the soil and can lead to severe alkalization of the soil.
Green manure
Green manure is another type of organic fertilizer that is popular among gardeners. Sideration allows you to solve several problems:
- prevent erosion, winter freezing and spring drying out of the soil;
- provide nutrition to soil microflora;
- form a fertile layer;
- loosen the soil.
For sowing before winter, green manure plants with strong roots are chosen so that they loosen the soil more effectively. Planting green manure in the fall for three years in a row enriches the soil no less effectively than manure. In cool regions, sowing should be done in August. Grass that has grown to 20–30 cm should go under the snow. It can be mowed, embedded in the soil, mulched over the beds, or left to grow. It will lie under the snow and, like mowed green manure, forms a nutritious and warming layer for the soil.
Green manure works for 6 months and during this time they manage to loosen clay soils and loams and nourish sandy soils
It is important to remember that cruciferous green manure plants (mustard, rapeseed, radish) are not planted where cabbage (any type), radish, spinach, and lettuce grew before or will grow next year. They have the same diseases, and your vegetable crops can become infected through green manure.
Table: types and benefits of green manure
Mineral fertilizers
Autumn feeding must include mineral fertilizers. They will prevent perennial plants from freezing, will help them gain strength for the next season, and will help depleted soil, which has given up its resources, to restore its proper chemical composition. Autumn mineral fertilizers are applied to warm soil before the onset of the first frost. As a rule, fertilizer is produced at the end of August or beginning of September.
It is better to purchase mineral fertilizers for autumn use in specialized stores, where they are already selected for their intended purpose.
It is best to use complex fertilizers produced industrially. Typically, mixtures have already been selected in accordance with their intended purpose - for fruit trees, berry crops, perennials, and so on. They contain potassium, calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen in the required proportions. The packages are marked “autumn” or “for autumn use.”
Phosphorus fertilizers
Phosphorus fertilizers applied in the fall will reduce the acidity of the soil, accelerate the appearance and growth of new shoots in the spring, and increase the plant’s defenses. It is especially necessary for perennials to strengthen and maintain the health of the root system. The most commonly used are superphosphate, phosphate rock and potassium metaphosphate. The most popular fertilizer among gardeners is superphosphate. To increase efficiency, it is recommended to apply it together with humus or compost. For autumn digging you will need 40–50 g of dry simple superphosphate per 1 square meter. m. Double superphosphate is added in half. The fertilizer is scattered on the garden bed and incorporated into the soil.
Superphosphate contains monocalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, magnesium and sulfur
Potash fertilizers
Plants need potassium to maintain water balance, accumulate sugars in fruits, strengthen resistance to disease and increase frost resistance. The latter property makes it necessary to apply potassium fertilizers in autumn for perennial plants.
Table: types of potash fertilizers
Potash fertilizers, like phosphorus fertilizers, are applied during digging.
Video: what fertilizers to apply to the soil in the fall
Take care of the land, fertilize it, do not leave it “bare” for the winter. And she will repay you with a bountiful harvest of delicious berries, fruits and vegetables.