Do I need to dig the earth in the fall. Why do we need autumn digging of the site
Experienced gardeners and gardeners know whether it is necessary to dig up the ground in the fall in the garden: digging rules. Working on the land requires a responsible approach, and before deciding how to cultivate the soil, you should find out the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Thanks to digging, the soil can be filled with mineral, organic fertilizers, loosened. In the process, weeds are removed. There are opponents of digging the garden. Their arguments should also be taken into account.
Digging up the garden in the fall for the coming winter is a must. This procedure is necessary for soil preparation. IN autumn time year, during the period of digging, ideal manure, compost and humus sets in. Also, in farms where planted crops are regularly affected by the Colorado potato beetle, wireworm and other varieties of pests, digging the soil will be relevant. The procedure allows you to destroy the larvae hiding in the soil. To do this, plow the earth to a depth of 25 cm.
What gives the cultivation of the earth in the fall
Each gardener, gardener has a separate opinion whether it is necessary to dig up his garden in the fall. Not everyone knows why digging the earth is carried out. Some refuse this procedure, while others, on the contrary, completely cultivate their land. You must first study the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure, and then decide whether you need to dig up the ground in the fall in your garden. Tips from experienced gardeners will help you deal with the intricacies of digging.
Pros and cons of digging
The main advantage of the procedure is the ability to cultivate the site, enrich it with mineral, organic substances, and loosen the soil. In addition, it is an excellent method of weed control, which warm autumn grows well. We must not forget about the shortcomings of plowing. The procedure is quite difficult, takes a lot of time and effort. No need to dig in areas where it is not required.
A large number of worms, spiders, various microorganisms and fungi live in the earth. Under a microscope, even small piece billions of living microorganisms can be seen. They live at different depths. During the opening and turning of the soil, local residents change places, some die.
Note!
The value of soil lies in its inhabitants. The more of them, the more fertile the land becomes. Therefore, disputes about whether it is necessary to dig up your garden in the fall do not subside even among agronomists.
Weed control
Weed control with weeding even on small plot requires a lot of time. Digging fertile land helps to effectively control weeds. However, it should be borne in mind that it will not be possible to completely get rid of them, but plowing the site will significantly weaken the development of the weed.
In addition, in addition to weed seeds, fungi and other pathogenic bacteria that affect crops grown in the garden will appear on the surface of the soil. Since cooling begins in autumn, all microorganisms will die when low temperatures. Therefore, digging the earth in the garden is The best way carry out its disinfection.
Fertilizer and soil deoxidation
The enrichment of the soil with nutrients and the deoxidation procedure requires its mixing. This can only be done by digging the ground. It is better to bring ashes into the soil, fight weeds and their seeds with a shovel. Only a shovel provides quality processing land plot, of course, if it does not take large area. In other cases, you will have to spend money on shovel substitutes, plow with equipment adapted for this.
Do I need to dig in the garden
Plowing your garden in the fall is a must, but resorting to such a procedure on garden plot needed with the utmost care. Many gardeners mistakenly plow with a shovel trunk circle tree, because this is the most dangerous procedure for him. It contributes to the destruction of the smallest roots. Therefore, it is not recommended to dig the garden for the approaching winter. You can only slightly loosen the surface with a hoe.
Dependence on soil type
Before digging your garden in the fall, it is important to consider its features:
- Clay, loamy areas, as well as land with a close location cannot be left without processing. ground water. The dug up area, every pore and hole will be filled with oxygen. This will help to double the volume of soil. The earth enriched with oxygen and carbon dioxide quickly copes with decaying plants, useful humus is formed. After planting the plants in spring, they will be more resistant to frost, drought, their root system can penetrate into deep soil layers.
- If the earth is light, loose, saturated with humus, it is better to loosen it shallowly with sand, but not dig it up. Digging is needed only in weed-contaminated areas. It is impossible to regularly resort to deep plowing, since the procedure negatively affects the structure of the soil.
Plowing should be done before the onset of cold weather, and the appearance of the first snow. If it is plowed together with the ground, the process of heating the soil in the spring will slow down significantly. You also need to be sure to have time before the rainy season, otherwise the top layer will become too dense.
When to dig a vegetable garden in autumn
It is necessary to start plowing the land before cold snaps, usually this is done immediately after harvesting the grown crops. Fertilizing the soil during this period has an impact on the next year's yield. Spring plowing is in no way able to replace autumn plowing. It should end before the heavy rainy season, since after them it will be impossible to loosen the soil, especially if it is a clay area. The ideal period to start digging is the end of September and the beginning of October.
First, it is better to use a rake and slightly loosen the ground after harvesting the previous crop. This will encourage weed germination. After a couple of weeks, all the seeds will germinate and you can proceed to the usual digging with a shovel. If you skip a deep plow, then the weeds will still have to be removed, only this will require more effort.
Note!
After digging, the soil heals, most varieties of weed disappear (coltsfoot, dandelion, wheatgrass). Young growth quickly dies because it has weak roots.
What is the best way to dig
The digging method directly depends on the crop grown next year. For carrots, potatoes, beets, melons, pumpkins and parsley, you need to dig about 30 cm. In areas for tomatoes, peppers, legumes, cucumbers and radishes, a depth of no more than 10 cm is sufficient.
It is better to simply shift the soil than to turn it over - this allows you to save the local microflora. Remove the found roots of weeds immediately, in no case should they be buried. Stony, hard soil is dug up on two bayonets of a shovel, turning the soil over - the method is used in extreme cases.
For digging, you can use:
- on small area you can use a shovel. It is suitable for all types of soil, but requires a lot of effort and time;
- pitchforks are suitable for obtaining a soft structure, which is considered the best for young crops;
- the cultivator allows you to quickly loosen the site, destroy weeds.
Processing the site with a walk-behind tractor
When using a walk-behind tractor, it is recommended to replace the cutter with a tool with a wedge-shaped, oval or flat edge. Large lumps will remain on the cultivated land, they cannot be destroyed - after the start of rains, the necessary saturation with moisture and oxygen will not occur. In addition, large blocks help to keep the snow. The inverted soil is saturated with nutrients, which favorably affects future yields.
Treating areas with trees
Digging near trees should be as careful as possible so as not to damage the small roots. From them new seedlings grow. It is better to loosen the earth in last days September. The digging depth should not exceed 15 cm. The treated area should be sprinkled with mulch, dry foliage, protecting the root system from freezing.
Application of mineral fertilizers in autumn
Gardeners, when they begin to dig up plots, apply fertilizer. organic matter must be distributed among the beds where it is planned to grow cabbage, cucumbers and seedlings. The amount of fertilizer should not exceed 1 bucket per sq. m. Used compost, manure. Fertilizers of mineral origin are allowed for all crops. The soil for mineral compositions must be dug up by at least 20 cm. Liming is carried out if the soil is acidic.
Not everyone succeeds in completing all the work before the first cold weather. After harvesting cabbage, parsnips or celery, the tops do not need to be taken out of the garden, it is worth finely chop them with a shovel, dig in. This will become organic humus, which will be useful to plants in the spring.
Note!
If the furrows were plowed deep, it will be necessary to increase the dose of mineral fertilizers used, otherwise the desired effect cannot be achieved.
Do I need to dig up the ground in the greenhouse in autumn
Experienced gardeners It is advised to completely replace the layer of fruit-bearing soil every year. To do this, the upper part by 10-15 cm must be removed and brought in new land. Not everyone understands why this needs to be done. So, it will turn out to increase productivity, reduce the risk of developing soil and plant diseases. Even with an understanding of the importance of replacing the soil, not everyone succeeds in doing this. In this case the best option becomes digging beds. It is necessary to carefully select all the remaining plant roots, found insect larvae.
During this period, gardeners prefer to fertilize. Its type depends on the plants that will be grown in the greenhouse. More commonly used:
- ash;
- compost;
- humus.
To improve the fertility of the soil and its structure, gardeners plant mustard in a greenhouse after harvesting the entire crop. It not only allows you to raise the yield of other crops, but also effectively copes with the harmful microflora that is in the soil.
When is the best time to plow the garden: in spring or autumn
Gardeners have different opinions about when it is better to dig up the beds. Experienced professionals explain why such a procedure should be carried out in autumn period. This will greatly benefit the soil. It is imperative to dig the beds in those areas where the soil itself is bad. When the soil turns over, weeds freeze over the winter, pathogens die, which lead to diseases of crops grown in the garden. Annual digging in the autumn months will increase yields, the number of problems during its cultivation will decrease.
If it was not possible to dig up a garden in the fall, you can do this after the snow has completely melted and the earth becomes soft, ready for the upcoming loosening. It is carried out subject to a number of rules:
- the soil should not be frozen;
- it is necessary to dig the site with furrows;
- during loosening, you need to carefully break the lumps;
- In the spring, it is best to work the garden with a shovel. It will help to loosen the soil well and break up the forming lumps.
People who constantly work on the ground know that digging the soil to the same depth every year results in the formation of a compacted bottom layer. To avoid this, once every 4-6 years it is necessary to carry out a 2-tier digging of the soil.
- It is necessary to dig to the full depth of the shovel bayonet and return the raised earth to the hole.
- This will saturate the soil with the necessary substances.
- Weed seeds will overheat until spring.
- The land must be well cultivated. Do not dig too wet or dry soil.
- The shovel should be kept in vertical position by picking up a small amount of soil.
In autumn, the garden should be dug up with 40-centimeter furrows. First you need to cover the soil with compost, manure. First, the first furrow is dug, followed by the second, which digs it. Yes, everything nutrients will be in the ground. Organic fertilizers can be applied to dug furrows.
In summary: to dig or not to dig
Digging the soil allows you to destroy weeds, evenly distribute the fertilizers that have been applied. In the process, pests, underground burrows of rodents will be destroyed. This helps to increase the yield in the garden. You can choose manual or mechanical processing of the site. In order for digging to be successful and for the benefit of the earth, it is worth listening to the advice of specialists and experienced gardeners.
Is it necessary to dig up the garden in the fall - this is probably the most common question among gardeners and gardeners, both beginners and quite experienced ones. After all, few people want to, on a dank and cold autumn day, standing knee-deep in mud, in heavy rubber boots covered with the same mud, shoveling heavy, damp earth with a shovel. Is not it? Now let's try to figure it out.
Do I need to dig up the garden in the fall: different opinions.
Almost all gardeners and gardeners of the "old school" will advise you to dig up the garden in the fall (before winter) and in the spring, before planting. Although there are many scientifically based opinions not to do this, but to give preference to spring digging. But the autumn version also has its undeniable advantages.
+ And the most important of them. Easier tillage in spring. Her best warm up and more early landings. As they say spring day - year feeds.
+ It is also claimed that all the leaves from the surface move underground and rot there during the winter. This is true, but there is another side to the coin.
- In addition to foliage, you also bury the seeds of all weeds, which now will not freeze, but will safely overwinter and possibly germinate in the new season.
+ Although on the other hand, when digging, you dig up large roots of old weeds from the ground that will simply freeze on the surface. So, what about weeds, the statement is twofold.
+ When we dig a garden in autumn, before winter, insect larvae and other pests (caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, Medvedka) are on the surface. As a result, birds will either peck them, or they will die under the influence of frost.
- But as it turned out, about 10% of pests die in this way, and the rest safely overwinter.
+ When digging the garden, all nitrogen-fixing organisms are activated, which in turn enrich the soil with nitrogen forms, most suitable plants. But the effect is visible only if the soil is harrowed.
- Otherwise, everything useful that began to develop in the soil simply disappears.
- Many gardeners, when asked whether it is necessary to dig up the garden in the fall, nod affirmatively and motivate this by the fact that a layer of minerals and fertilizers comes to the surface. This is a delusion: the deeper you dig, the less useful will be in the soil. Ideally, the depth of digging varies between 5-10 cm, which is more advisable to do in the spring.
+ Many summer residents do not even wonder whether or not to dig a garden if there are a lot of trees on the site. This is another way of processing leaves. Of course, rotted leaves are an excellent fertilizer.
- But along with the foliage, all diseases remain in the soil. So it's best to leave everything as it is, and then in the spring remove a layer of foliage and dig up the ground. This also applies high beds in boxes that are generally not recommended to be dug up.
So is it still necessary to dig up the garden before winter or not?
As you can see, there is no unequivocal answer to this question, and it cannot be, since everything depends on the land on the site.
Farmers advise digging a garden on heavy soils, especially when fertilizing. But on light soils, you can not waste precious time digging. It is enough to make weeding. On such an "air" land, this is quite simple to do.
If, after reading the article, you still decide to dig the garden before winter, then this should be done correctly.
The best time for autumn digging the garden falls in mid-late autumn, it all depends on the climate in your area. In any case, this must be done before the start of the rainy season.
In no case do not break large clods of earth, this contributes to better freezing of the soil to a greater depth, retention of snow and moisture, less compaction (surveillance) of the soil, which in turn will have a positive effect on the spring warming of the soil and its cultivation.
During digging, if necessary, you can immediately lime the soil, you can also apply other organic fertilizers (per 1 square meter of beds, a bucket of humus or 0.5 buckets of rotted mullein). It is not recommended to apply pure manure, as diseases may appear.
Do I need to dig deep into the soil often? Twice a year (often incorrectly) tillage and its continuous loosening in the summer do not contribute to improvement, as many gardeners believe, but to spraying the soil structure. This means that such deep tillage in the garden should not be abused without the need, although in autumn it is practically impossible to do without it on heavy clay soil.
Digging heavy soil to a depth of no more than 15 cm should be done only in the fall, and not turning the soil over, but only shifting it and removing the roots of perennial weeds.
Leveling the ground in autumn
A mandatory operation is leveling, which refers to surface tillage. It is usually produced with spring processing using a rake. When the soil has dried sufficiently, it is necessary to level its surface in order to reduce the evaporation of water from the spring melting of snow. To do this, they break up the clods of earth left since autumn and evenly distribute the entire volume of soil over the site with a rake, at the same time you can scatter mineral fertilizers and level them with the ground. The rake is driven back and forth with constant force, smooth continuous movements, making sure that the teeth slide over the surface of the soil without digging it up. The pre-dug soil is leveled
reciprocating movements of the rake, first in one and then in the perpendicular direction. With a rake, they usually lightly cover the seeds after sowing, shift the soil into the furrows, collect leaves, dry grass, last year's mulch, and any garbage on the site.
When to till the soil in autumn
There are several ways of autumn tillage according to this technology, both with the use of an EM solution and with the use of an EM compost. But there is one general condition: the higher the temperature of the soil, the more actively the microorganisms work. Therefore, the sooner you work the soil, the more benefit they can bring. 
The first way: weed the weeds and, without removing them, treat the soil with a solution of the EM preparation. Microorganisms immediately begin to work, decomposing the cut parts of plants and the roots remaining in the ground. Weed seeds germinate together, with the onset of frost, the seedlings die.
Method two: treat moist soil with a solution of an EM preparation, loosen it by 5-7 cm and cover it with a layer of fallen leaves, plucked grass (mulch). Decaying roots and mulch by spring will make the soil much more fertile and improve its structure.
What gives the cultivation of the earth in the fall
First of all, this simplifies and facilitates planting work in the spring. Even those who are against such an event agree with this. After all, when the last vegetables are harvested, the cold weather is still quite far away. And if the weather is warm, then the beds are overgrown with weeds. This means that if you do not remove them now, then next season it will be more difficult to fight the dominance of weeds. At autumn processing soil for plants creates a good water-air regime;
The thermal properties of the soil also improve in the spring, the earth will ripen faster for planting.
To the pluses autumn work it can also be attributed to the fact that the remains of stems, stones and other debris were removed ahead of time.
To dig or not to dig a garden by autumn
And the black earth is his work. How does the worm do it? It experiences a feeling of hunger, rises to the surface, captures plant remains along with the earth, descends, passing them through itself along the way, then is freed from waste products. And so in a circle. 
During its movement, the worm leaves behind a passage that has access to the surface of the earth. This passage, it turns out, is filled with air and waste products of the worm - roughly speaking, its manure.
Soil cultivation in autumn with a walk-behind tractor
Deviations to the sides often occur - these are withdrawals that usually occur on furrows that have already been cultivated. From here, another question may arise - how to plow with a walk-behind tractor so that the rotating knives do not go into the ground? Only the appropriate manipulation of the handles can help in this. Unfortunately, careful control must be on any soil. So, on loose ground, it is necessary to ensure that the cutters do not sink too deep, and in the process of processing hard soil and virgin soil, it may also be necessary to perform several approaches. It is desirable to carry out the first processing at low speeds, while it is important to adjust the coulter position accordingly. 
Top dressing of mineral fertilizers in the soil in autumn
These inorganic substances receive during chemical reactions, which are controlled by man, or mined from the bowels of the earth. Mineral fertilizers are potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Moreover, they can contain various micro and macro elements necessary for the normal life of trees.
Saltpeters: calcium, sodium and ammonium;
Urea;
Ammonium sulfate.
Top dressing with ash
You can make ash yourself. Just burn the weeds, tops and branches and scatter about 1 kilogram per square meter of soil, after digging up the ground. This is done once every 3 years. Like this food:
- strawberry;
- raspberries;
- currant;
- cabbage;
- potato.
Don't overdo the ash. This is dangerous because the plants will begin to rot after planting.
Application of organic fertilizers to the soil in autumn
Humus. From organic fertilizers in the fall, humus, chicken manure, and compost are usually added. On poor soils, fresh manure is applied up to 300-500 kg per hundred square meters. In September-October, they are scattered over the allotted area and buried in the soil. 
Introduction of chicken manure. Concentrated organic fertilizer. Apply directly under the root, the fertilizer causes a burn of the root system of plants. For top dressing, bird droppings are also bred in the form liquid solution used for dressings.
Compost. Compost is an organic fertilizer obtained from plant and animal waste with the addition of soil and (if any) peat.
Green fertilizers or green manure. Green fertilizers, or green manures, also belong to organic fertilizers. Podzimnye green manure is sown after harvesting the main crop in the fall for digging or leaving until spring soil preparation. They are used on heavy floating soils for the purpose of loosening (rapeseed, oats, phacelia, mustard, colza and others).
Destruction of weeds by autumn
Weed destruction by chemical means I spend in conditions of calm and cloudy weather. For this purpose, I use Roundup herbicide. Before spraying the weeds, I cover the growing useful crops with a film, otherwise they may die along with the weeds.
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Mulching beds against weeds in autumn
You can use shredded bark, straw or grass clippings. Before laying the mulch, I weed the soil well to remove perennial weeds along with the roots. Then I mulch the ground with a thick layer.
Improving the water and air regimes of the earth in autumn
Autumn digging of a summer cottage seriously improves the indicators of the water and air regimes of the soil. Thanks to this, in the spring the soil will ripen much earlier, it only takes a little work in the fall. 
Removal of diseases and pests
Viruses that have settled in the soil feel good enough in compacted solid soil, but if you expand it well, then most of the pathogenic flora can die in the winter frost, since unbroken pieces of dug up soil will freeze already with the first drop in temperature. Naturally, frost alone will not save you from all soil diseases, and additional disinfection will also be required, but at least you will seriously make your work easier.
Digging your garden or garden will help you get rid of many pests as well. You can always select adult representatives of this class and their larvae manually, and small pests will also die in the cold at the next drop in temperature.
Nature… How many touching, enthusiastic words we dedicate to it, how much we talk about the need to preserve it! But for some reason we don’t consider it necessary to learn from nature: she has her own tasks, and in our garden and garden - our own. Nature is somewhere out there, behind the fence, but here we have a private household. And she, nature, looks at us with tears - either from pity, or from laughter ...
Once in the spring, for the first time, I dug the ground for a future vegetable garden. When the work was done with great difficulty and I admired the fruits of my efforts, the next step came: now it was necessary to form the beds. So what - to stomp now on the newly dug up earth? Does everyone do that? For a long time I did not dare to step on soft ground ...
An unpleasant feeling of wrongness, illogicality did not leave me alone. Something was wrong here. I made the beds. Then, during the season, I had to walk along the paths: water, fertilize, weed, harvest. At the end of the season, part of the garden under the paths was, in my opinion, simply killed - trampled down, heavily compacted. In the fall, everything had to be restored, dug up, so that the earth would become soft again. In the spring, everything was repeated all over again - p digging, shaping, walking, etc.
Everyone tends his garden in his own way, one digs, and the other does not. In one, the land is cleanly weeded, in the other it is covered with straw and grass. In one it is black by late autumn, in the other it is green from grass. And everyone thinks that everything is right with him. What does right mean?
The thought of an ideal garden did not leave me alone: what is it - ideal, one where everything is logical, correct, balanced, convenient and beautiful? You don't have to go far for hints, just watch the untouched shovel and plow on the virgin land - how it fulfills the Creator's program. I offer you my thoughts on this topic.
So what do we see in untouched nature?
- The earth does not dig itself.
- The earth is quite dense. Not loose.
- Black, bare earth - is it in nature? It is always sown with something, something constantly grows on it, and sometimes several types of plants in one place.
- With the onset of winter, snow never falls on clean ground, but always on plant residues, leaves, i.e. there is always a layer between the snow and the ground.
- No one digs anything into the ground on purpose, all the remains of plant life are on the surface.
Yes, there is something to think about. Let's figure it out.
The first question: to dig or not to dig?
The earth does not need digging, it is not in the program. Who is in charge of natural gardening? The most important agronomist is an earthworm. Take a look around. If somewhere something in nature grows well, it is his merit. Gardeners are accustomed to judging the earth by its color: the blacker, the better.
And the black earth is his work. How does the worm do it? It experiences a feeling of hunger, rises to the surface, captures plant remains along with the earth, descends, passing them through itself along the way, then is freed from waste products. And so in a circle.
During its movement, the worm leaves behind a passage that has access to the surface of the earth. This passage, it turns out, is filled with air and waste products of the worm - roughly speaking, its manure.
It is known that the worm consumes in a day as much food as it weighs about 5 g. This means that it needs to make several sorties to the surface. More moves - more manure. But he is not alone, there are many of them on good untouched land, which means that the land will breathe and be fertilized.
Where does the worm live better?
Like a person, three factors are important for his life: food, water, rest. Let's look at the garden. Food is more or less clear: plant roots, cut weeds, mulch. With water too: rain, dew, watering. But peace is always a problem. The gardener is forced to dig holes for planting seedlings, make furrows for sowing seeds, deep furrows for potatoes, loosen, weed, feed, water, fertilize, and also clean, pull out, rake, etc. What peace is here! large-scale fighting as they are.
But the worm does not run away headlong, it simply cannot run fast and, probably, hopes that this horror will someday end. Each time after a rude and unceremonious intervention in the internal affairs of the worm, he has to restore everything according to his program: the passage must come to the surface, be dense, air must pass freely through it.
But at the end holiday season the worm is waiting for another "gift": digging. The gardener rejoices: in the garden there is not a blade of grass, not a weed, the earth is loose, with mounds to hold snow, all pests have died. Hooray, victory!
And over whom?
Above our main assistants, whom we cut mercilessly with a sharp shovel. From one cut worm, two new ones will not work. A destroyed worm means direct losses. Let's calculate: a worm weighing 5 g is 5 g of processed, corrected earth per day. Multiply by at least 100 days (the period of maximum activity) - it turns out 500 g. In a store, a bag of such land costs no less than 30 rubles. The death of hundreds of worms -3000 rubles of loss, this is the cost of a small manure machine. It is a pity that we do not hear the groaning, crying, cries of impotence of the underground inhabitants: “We are trying for them, people, but they are like with us!” This is what we would hear from a person if, at the end of the construction season, a giant came and turned our house upside down: the foundation up, the roof down (digging with a seam turnover) or simply moved it 10 m to the side (digging with a shift). Funny?
Maybe we still think before sharpening the shovel sharper? Maybe we will hear the prayer of the underground inhabitants: “Please don’t kill us, don’t destroy our house…”
Conclusion: do not dig.
But the land is different for everyone, some will say that they have sand, others - that they have clay, others - that they have plowed black soil, etc. Like, you need to dig, because the earth is compacted - you can’t stick a shovel after the winter. If you work on the land in order to profit from it in the form of a crop, then at least read the information on the colorful bag of seeds: “Fertile sandy loamy, loamy soils are suitable for sowing”, i.e. balance between clay, sand and fertilizer.
To state the fact that your land is not like that is easy, to make the land correct is more difficult. But this is your task as a gardener. If you have sand - add clay, if clay - add sand, plus for the structure of sawdust, compost, which will be an excellent building material for the worm and a pillow from snow pressure in winter.
Then create conditions for the life of the earthworm, give him food - mulch, etc. And then he will do everything himself.
Conclusion: do not dig, do not interfere with the owners of the land to do their job.
The second question: is it necessary to loosen the earth or not?
There is an opinion that the earth after digging is loose and plants (seeds) feel good in it. But is it? Let's look at an untouched field: do we see loose earth? No. It is dense, calmly holds the weight of a person, does not miss. Looking closer, we will definitely see a lot of small holes in the ground. Who made them and why?
Earthworm - to saturate the earth with air (otherwise it will suffocate itself), to quickly remove water from the surface, to help in the development of plants. The worm makes its move to the surface durable, specially compacts it, pushing the ground apart. He does not want everything to collapse after the first rain, so during the creation of the move, he strengthens it. How? Only their own secretions - let's call them worm manure.
And then - rain (watering). Soft earth becomes heavy from water, under its weight it moves down, shifts, breaking, crushing, crushing tender roots young plant. And when the rain (irrigation) has stopped, the water cannot seep far into the depths - there is no structure.
You can’t go into the garden, because you can fall through, dirt forms on the surface of the soil, which turns into a crust under the rays of the sun, turns to stone. Access by air (otherwise it will suffocate itself), to quickly remove water from the surface, to help in the development of plants.
The worm makes its move to the surface durable, specially compacts it, pushing the ground apart. He does not want everything to collapse after the first rain, so during the creation of the move, he strengthens it. How? Only their own secretions - let's call them worm manure.
So, we see a strong move with fertilized walls. Now let's ask the plant: does it need loose earth? The answer is obvious: the plant has not met it in nature and does not know what it is. Loose earth is not structural, it is soft, with broken bonds. Imagine that we are a plant and we are trying to start growing in soft earth. A small seed, trying to cling to the root, makes its own way, spending energy on breaking through the layer of earth, pushes it apart, and develops suction roots.
And then - rain (watering). Soft earth becomes heavy from water, under its weight it moves down, shifts, breaking, crushing, crushing the tender roots of a young plant. And when the rain (irrigation) has stopped, the water cannot seep far into the depths - there is no structure. You can’t go into the garden, because you can fall through, dirt forms on the surface of the soil, which turns into a crust under the rays of the sun, turns to stone. The access of air to the roots stops, the seed germinated, but it is oppressed or died, did not sprout. We go to the market and scold the seller for selling bad seeds ...
And on the dense earth, riddled with the passages of a worm, a small seed, releasing a root, looks around - where to send it? Hollow a new move or use the worm's move? Why waste your energy when you have it ready? We go roots in the course - oh, yes here Fresh air, full of food and peace! Now the rain is not so dangerous for us, the water will immediately go through the channels to the lower layers of the earth - what should it do on the surface, if the earth is like a sieve? The sun will no longer be able to quickly evaporate water from the surface, it simply is not there. It is easy for her to leave, but it is difficult to get out, and the plant already has a supply of moisture.
Do an experiment: pour a bucket of water on the dug up, loosened earth and on virgin soil. An hour later, on the untouched earth - no changes, and on the loosened - traces of a dirty, swollen puddle.
Developing, the root of the plant penetrates deeper into the ground along the course of the worm, develops suction roots. The root, like a reinforcing rod, compacts the earth even more, there are less and less free ready-made moves, but this does not upset the worm, it happily digs new mines.
He knows that sooner or later the plant will die and the entire root system will become additional nutrition. So between the worm and the plant there is a cooperation beneficial to both, and so it turns out that the earth - solid construction. Yes, we are building own house We also want it to be strong. We do not acquire loose, soft material We do not want our house to collapse after the first rain.
Conclusion: digging in order to create deep loose earth is harmful.
Question three: is black earth necessary?
It is believed that a good gardener the garden is licked and cleaned - not a blade of grass, not a speck, only culture and black earth. This gardener is held in high esteem, many want to be equal to him. You know them from their letters to "Dacha"...
But in nature, there is no pure black earth at all! The black earth is not the best invention of man. Nature immediately fills all the free places, something always grows on the earth - birch, pine, shrubs, burdock, couch grass, sow thistle, etc. And on one square meter several plants at once. It turns out that the sun sees only plants, and the black earth - only in our gardens and arable land.
Let's ask nature again. We know that earthworms need food, water, and rest to develop. Yes, but it's still dark. The worm, if he is not sick, having got to the surface with the help of a gardener, is perplexed: how did he get here? And immediately tries to crawl back, hide, hide out of sight back into the ground. Ask the fishermen: where can you find a worm in summer? Where there is a strong shadow, it is humid and there are a lot of different organic matter.
Do not find it in the sun with stunted grass! The worm is covered with moist mucus, which helps it to squeeze into the ground, prevents overheating and dehydration.
In dry land, he curls up into a ball, does not eat and does not work, he would just survive. After rain, with an increase in humidity, the worm begins to move to places with the best conditions for life. Maybe your neighbor. Black, weeded, uncovered earth immediately loses moisture. Upper layer the earth becomes dry, and this worm does not like.
It can be on the surface either during rain or at night during dew. The rest of the time, performance drops sharply, as it is very hot.
Plants know that without earthworms they will feel bad, and they create them good conditions for life, cover the earth with themselves and their remnants from direct exposure to the sun.
If this is a forest, then there is always a forest floor below - foliage, needles, under large shrubs there are small shrubs and grass, in the field - dense grass, and below last year's, withered, in the shade of large burdocks couch grass and wood lice are hiding, etc.
As a rule, the scheme is observed: dominant plant + assistant. In this way, plants, like an umbrella, cover the earth from the scorching sun, and after the rain they save water, cooling the earth, and contribute to dew.
Do an experiment. Pour a liter of water on the bare ground in different places in sunny weather and cover one place with an armful of plucked grass. In an hour everything will become clear to you: on open space the ground will dry out, but under the grass it will remain wet. And after a couple of days, lifting the grass, you will see holes in the ground - which means that the earthworm has already shown interest here. For productive work, he definitely needs land either with good mulch, or completely covered with leaves, tops of grown plants.
Do not forget about the nutrition of the worm, because if he does not have the food that he is used to, he will eat your cultivated plant.
Alternatively, after planting the main crop, you can cover the ground with nitrogen-treated sawdust or compact the main crop with an additional one, or sow non-aggressive plants such as spinach so that they cover the ground with their leaves and serve as food for the worm. In this case, all conditions successful life worm will be respected.
: We make garden soil with our own hands ...
The season is coming to an end, collected good harvest. In summer, only a bed of leeks turns green, waiting for the first frosts. And the most eternal, controversial and, it seems, unanswered question arises ... I don’t know how it is for anyone, but I have a garden before winter dug up on the bayonet of a shovel. The debate has not ended for a long time: to dig or don't dig? I want to express my opinion.
In the Oryol region, we need to dig up the ground before winter. Still, we are in a zone of not the most favorable agriculture, and our ancestors always did this by no means because they had nothing to do in the fall. But, dear summer residents and gardeners, digging is not just a duty, as some believe: like harvested, shoveled the ground in September - and goodbye until spring.
Digging is an important agronomic technique; it was not in vain that fields were plowed before winter. But they plowed with the introduction of organic fertilizers after prolonged autumn rains and even after the first autumn frosts, in frost! Late plowing is both weed and pest control, and moisture and snow retention on suburban area. It is desirable to dig not bare earth. I do the following.
After harvesting potatoes in August (I have early varieties- Spring, Rosara, Adretta) the land on the site is leveled and slightly harrowed. In the 20th I sow mustard (you can add oats, barley if available). The plot is well harrowed with a rake and, if there is no rain, I water it. Mustard sprouts and grows until flowering, after which it is mowed, leveled over the site and lies until digging. Carrion from apples is collected and poured onto mustard.
Further: I collected the last tomatoes - I can’t stand the tops from the site. With a secateurs, I cut it at the root, cut it immediately into pieces of 10 cm, evenly distribute it over the site. The root remains in the ground. I do the same with peppers and eggplant.
--Plowing on plowing was widely used both before the revolution and in Soviet time. Agronomists identified three of its advantages:
- a significant increase in productivity;
- in the spring one labor-intensive work less;
- the possibility of early sowing.
I dug up the carrots, cut off the tops, removed the root crops. The tops were evenly spread out right there, in the garden. I do the same with beets. He cut down the cabbage, left the stumps and leaves in the garden, chopped it with a shovel, evenly spread it out. Same with zucchini. He collected the beans, chopped the stems with an ax - and back to the garden. I collect fallen leaves, I leave a part for shelter of grapes and warm beds, and the rest I take out to the area where there were tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants. The site, as it were, is covered with a kind of “blanket” and is ready for digging.
After October 25, having sharpened the shovel well, I proceed to digging. By this time, as a rule, strong, plentiful autumn rains pass, the earth is saturated with moisture, it is well cut. Even if there are first frosts, they do not interfere: the “fur coat” does not allow the earth to freeze.
I dig on a full bayonet with a coup of the earth. The width of the formation is 8-10 cm, no more. All mulch goes to a depth of 10-15 cm and quickly rots. Weeds, new grass from fallen seeds, die, because there are no plants that grow upside down. All. The earth goes lumpy in winter, which means that snow and moisture are retained. Undug areas look simply miserable by this time. And in the spring I don’t dig the site. As the soil dries out, harrow the ground, but not too finely. At the same time, moisture is retained and sprouts of weeds hatched from overwintered seeds are killed.
On plots intended for planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cabbage, I sow mustard. I plant seedlings directly in mustard - it protects from cold, wind and protects the soil from drying out. Then the mustard is chopped with a chopper, and the green meadow turns into even beds of tomatoes and peppers.
I don’t dig beds for planting carrots, beets, onions. I loosen the earth to a depth of 10 cm with a large chopper, then with a rake. I plant potatoes directly in the harrowed ground, depending on the weather and the condition of the soil, usually on April 25-30.
In my opinion, the advantages of autumn digging are obvious:
improvement of soil structure,
moisture retention,
destruction of weeds and pests,
saving precious time for planting (spring digging is not needed).
Author; Alexander Vyacheslavovich LEPISHKO. Mtsensk, Oryol region l.m.p.d.1013
