Fertile soil is a guarantee of the health of cultivated plants, juicy and tasty fruits. To improve the composition of the soil, fertilizers are used - useful substances that enrich and improve its composition and structure. Organic fertilizers are additional nutrition from nature itself, they are safe and help to get environmentally friendly crops. Organic matter naturally transforms the structure of the soil, stimulates the vital activity of beneficial microorganisms.

All organic fertilizers have a long-term effect, having a beneficial effect on cultivated plants and on the composition of the soil. Vegetables grow better, ripen faster, give rich yields and tasty fruits... After the application of organic fertilizer, the soil fertility and the ecosystem of the site are restored. In the ground, the ratio of beneficial microorganisms and components is restored, which ensure the healthy state of the soil as a habitat for living organisms. Organic fertilizers are great for depleted soils with a lack of organic matter.

Organic fertilization

Horticultural crops grow well on soils flavored with organic matter - this is a necessary element of fertile soil on any summer cottage... However, even when preparing simple fertilizers with your own hands, you need to have sufficient experience and minimum qualifications.

An inexperienced summer resident risks burning the plant or ruining the crop using homemade nutritional mixtures. Therefore, novice gardeners need to know the basic recommendations for the introduction of organic matter and use ready-made organic solutions, biological and natural preparations of industrial production.

The best time for applying organic fertilizers is autumn, when the soil is dug up, future beds are being prepared and seats... The exception is sandy soils in areas with high humidity - there is a high likelihood of leaching nutrients from the ground.

Before applying organic fertilizers, it is necessary to know the structure, chemical composition of the soil, acidity indicators. The timing and rate of application of organic fertilizers will depend on the level of soil fertility, culture and method of application.

Organic fertilization methods

1. The main, or pre-sowing- application of organic fertilizers before planting in spring or autumn. Such fertilization is necessary to provide plants with the necessary basic nutrition for the entire period of growth and development.

In this case, in the fall, they fertilize the soil, make beds, prepare places for planting and at the same time introduce organic matter. Consumption: 5-9 kg of organic fertilizers per 1 sq. m. Organic fertilizers on heavy and clayey soils need to be embedded to a depth of 14-15 cm. fertilizers per 1 sq. m of plot, the structure of the soil improves markedly, humus remains in the soil

Moreover, for different types soils, you must select the appropriate fertilizers. So, for fertilizing sandy soils, high-moor peat or compost is suitable - they will help to accumulate moisture in the soil, structure the earth. For enrichment with useful substances, manure or bird droppings are additionally introduced. Alumina soils love manure, and in addition, on heavy soils, fertilizers are best applied in liquid form so that the nutrition is evenly distributed. It will help clay soils and biohumus - it will lighten them, make them looser. So that chernozem does not lose its nutritional properties, it is useful to "feed" it with manure, compost and bird droppings, and every 5 years to give the earth a rest at all, without making any plantings.

2. Seeding- application of organic fertilizers during sowing and planting in rows, nests, holes and planting pits. Fertilizing during planting provides young plants with the necessary nutrition during the initial period of growth. The dose of pre-sowing fertilizers should not be large, because the plants use the nutrients from the planting hole only at first. Pre-sowing fertilization contributes to the formation of a powerful root system in plants, rapid development and resistance to adverse factors environment- weeds, pests, weather conditions.

3. Post-sowing, or top dressing- application of organic fertilizers during the growing season. Top dressing is designed to provide plants with useful substances during the period of their intensive growth and consumption of nutrients. It all depends on the fertilized horticultural crop - each plant has its own needs.

Composition of organic fertilizers

The composition of organic fertilizers is quite diverse and depends on the specific type and conditions for its production. The most important thing is that any organic matter saturates the soil with the necessary material for the vital activity of beneficial microorganisms, stimulates the formation of humus, improves air permeability and moisture capacity, increases the content carbon dioxide in the soil.

Organic fertilizers contain a full range of nutrients, macro and micronutrients, growth stimulants. The main part of the fertilizer is organic matter (60 to 80%). It also contains all the essential macronutrients in approximately equal proportions (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). In different doses, such useful trace elements as calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, boron, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc are present in organic matter. The acidity level of organic matter is usually elevated - the pH is about 8.

If we compare the nutrient content of the main types of organic fertilizers (manure, slurry, compost, peat, bird droppings and straw), we get the following picture. Each of them contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium in different proportions. At the same time, poultry (chicken droppings) and low-lying peat contain the most nitrogen. Lowland peat, straw and compost are equally rich in phosphorus. Straw contains more potassium, while low-lying peat and compost contains more calcium. At the same time, poultry manure is the most nutritious in terms of the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. However, calcium is completely absent in it.

Moreover, the composition of each specific type of organic fertilizer can also vary significantly. The composition of the manure depends on the type of animal, on what it was fed with and what kind of bedding was laid. The storage methods and the degree of decomposition of manure are also important. Sheep and horse manure contains more nitrogen as well as manure on peat bedding.

Irrational use of organic (home) fertilizers can worsen the quality of the soil, change the level of its acidity. In addition, organic fertilizers cannot be considered a complete source of nitrogen. On the other hand, an excess of organic fertilizers (like any other) can lead to negative consequences, if you do not know how to use them correctly in what doses. Therefore, in order not to harm the plants in the garden, it is better to know the approximate composition of organic fertilizers, recommendations and contraindications for their use.

Types of organic fertilizers

Among organic fertilizers, different types can be distinguished - it all depends on how you look at it. We propose to consider such a division of organic fertilizers.

Natural organic fertilizers- they are also called home fertilizers, which everyone can make with their own hands. Often, of course, you have to spend your time and energy on this, and not every gardener has access to such natural substances as ash, vermicompost, manure, peat, bird droppings, bone meal, sapropel. But to use green manure, to make vegetable compost - even for novice gardeners. Household organics also include other substances used in everyday life: from ordinary food (yeast, mustard) to garbage (banana peel, eggshell, onion skins).

Industrial organic fertilizers also have natural origin, belong to the group of safe and environmentally friendly substances. They are much more convenient to use, they have a clear dosage and detailed instructions... These include natural preparations from plant extracts, preparations of biological origin, EM preparations. These are natural concentrated fertilizers with a high content of humic acids. It is easy and effective to use them: following the instructions, it is impossible to overdo it with one or another element (unlike home organics, when useful substances are introduced at random).

Liquid and solid organic fertilizers can be of both natural and industrial production. They are based on the same substances and nutrients. In liquid form, organic fertilizers are used as top dressing and foliar spraying. The range of use of solid (dry) fertilizers is wider. They are also effective for top dressing, and are also applied during digging, during planting and sowing, as mulch.

Organic fertilizers for root and foliar feeding differ in form and application rate, are recommended for different cultures in different phases and periods of growth and development.

Organic fertilizers of plant and animal origin... Grass, tree leaves, weeds, green stems and non-lignified shoots, algae and a number of lake plants (for example, duckweed) are used as plant organics. Plant organics also include green manure (green manure) and sawdust. Organics of animal origin have long been widely known (manure, droppings and various variations). There are also fertilizers that contain both plant and animal residues - manure (in combination with bedding), sapropel, peat, composts.

Solid organic fertilizers

Manure most often refers to solid (dry) organic fertilizers. different types: cow, horse, pork, bird or rabbit droppings. The composition of this fertilizer also includes the remains of plant litter (straw, sawdust, shavings). The quality of solid manure will depend on the animal and the bedding material

Dry organic fertilizers are simply spread over the surface or mixed with the topsoil. When fertilizing trees and shrubs, organic matter is applied along the perimeter of the crown, and not in the near-stem circle (to provide food for young roots). The use of solid organic fertilizers is always accompanied by watering - before and after application, so that the dissolved nutrients better penetrate the soil.

Liquid organic fertilizers

Liquid organic fertilizers are obtained from manure or plant residues - organic matter is diluted in water in the right ratio and fermented for a certain period. Liquid fertilizers are especially effective for foliar feeding of fruit trees and shrubs from the moment of bud formation to fruit ripening. Fertilizers in liquid form are absorbed by plants faster, however, when using them, you should be careful and know when to stop so as not to get a crop oversaturated with nitrates and phosphates.

Feeding with liquid organic fertilizers is recommended no more than once every 10 days. In this case, it is better to use such dressings more often, but use weak nutrient solutions. Only rooted plants are watered with liquid organic matter, and the dry soil is pre-moistened.

In a small garden plot, liquid fertilizers work great to improve soil fertility, especially when it is not possible to carry out crop rotation and green manure. Modern liquid fertilizers allow you to maintain soil fertility for many years without harming the ecology of the site and the composition of the soil.

Liquid organic fertilizers can be processed (these include manure, droppings and bone meal) and natural in the form of plant infusions.

Nutritious herbal infusions can be prepared from weeds collected on site. Good for infusions of nettle, various healing herbs and their flowers. Plant residues are placed in a deep tub, filled with water and left to ferment for several weeks, stirring constantly.

Manure as organic fertilizer

Manure is a well-known natural source of macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and trace elements (magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, silicon). However, the value of dung is not at all in wealth. mineral composition... How full source its use of mineral components is difficult and inconvenient - the composition is precisely unknown and unbalanced, there is a high probability of "overfeeding" the planting with nitrates or "burning" the plant. However, manure as an organic substance very successfully participates in the formation of a fertile layer, turns over time into humus and creates humus, without which no garden will bear fruit.

Experienced summer residents do not advise to get carried away with manure fertilizers, especially fresh manure. There is too much nitrogen in it, and this can lead to an unwanted growth of vegetative mass to the detriment of the harvest and, even worse, to poisoning with nitrates, which accumulate in large quantities in vegetables and end up on the table.

Excess nitrogen during seed germination can cause ammonia poisoning of plants. An excess of nitrogen leads to a delay in the ripening of vegetables, an increase in the accumulation of nitrates in the food organs. Therefore, late fertilizing vegetable crops should not be applied.

Manure is of different types and differs in composition, consistency and methods of use:

- cow (considered the least nutritious),

- horse (more preferable of all types of manure),

- pork (one of the most caustic, oversaturated with ammonia and hydrogen sulfide),

- rabbit (from which you can make dry powder, suitable for feeding indoor plants).

Manure as fertilizer is used in 3 main forms: fresh manure, rotted manure (humus) and slurry.

How to use fresh manure:

- preparation of liquid infusion for dressing in evening time;

- during autumn digging of soil, the average consumption is 3-5 kg ​​per 1 sq. m. with a depth of embedment on a shovel bayonet;

- fertilization of the soil in winter: fresh manure is scattered directly over the surface of the snow cover, spending 1-2 buckets per 1 sq. m;

- when arranging warm beds (they are made about 1 m in height).

Rotten manure

Overripe manure contains minimal amount ammonia, there are no harmful microorganisms in it. Humus, unlike manure, is usually used in the spring as a pre-sowing fertilizer - to be applied to the holes when planting seedlings.

How to use rotted manure (humus)

- scatter 0.5-1 kg per 1 sq. m on the surface of the earth during spring plowing;

- add during autumn digging, 3-5 kg ​​per 1 sq. m;

- as mulch (for example, for garden strawberries);

- when planting vegetables and fruit and berry crops, humus is placed in the planting holes.

Liquid manure

Poultry manure as organic fertilizer

Poultry droppings act quickly, and in terms of chemical composition, it is several times richer than manure. Nutrients are freely soluble in water, so they are easily absorbed and retain their effect for two to three years. At the same time, chicken droppings are much more nutritious than duck and geese droppings.

An overdose should not be allowed when applying the droppings, otherwise the accumulation of nitrates in vegetables cannot be avoided. To neutralize possible harm fertilizers, bird droppings are applied together with straw, peat or sawdust in a ratio of 3: 1

How to use bird droppings:

- in liquid form for feeding fruit and berry crops;

- to prepare the solution, the droppings are diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 7 and the solution is kept for two days. Then the mixture is thoroughly shaken and, before adding to the soil, it is again diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio. Nutrient solution consumption - half a bucket per 1 sq. m

- during the autumn digging of the site: 250-300 g per 1 sq. m.

Vermicompost as organic fertilizer

The preparation of vermicompost (aka biocompost and vermicompost) is widely used in organic farming, when nutrients in the soil are restored naturally without use mineral fertilizers... Vermicomposting uses earthworms, which are actively involved in the processing of soil, manure, compost.

Vermicompost is a universal fertilizer that is formed after the life of earthworms. Vermicompost is saturated not only with all the necessary chemical elements nutrition, but also a rich microflora. Such a composition not only nourishes the plants, but also gives them health and immunity to resist diseases and pests. You can buy vermicompost, cook it yourself (a rather troublesome task) and purchase a concentrate in liquid form.

The introduction of vermicompost makes the soil looser and helps to get rid of weeds. Vermicompost works especially well on heavy clay soils. Biocompost is introduced both before planting and during the entire growing season.

How to use vermicompost:

- 200 g per well at planting potatoes,

- 150 g under a strawberry bush when transplanting;

- 700 g per 1 sq. m is mixed with the top layer of soil with continuous fertilization in the fall;

- 500 g per 1 sq. m before planting in the spring;

- 5-10 kg per planting pit when planting fruit seedlings;

- as a mulch for any plant, it improves fruiting.

Application of liquid vermicompost

An aqueous solution of vermicompost is also called vermicompost tea, it is used for irrigation, root and foliar dressing. To prepare the solution with your own hands, you need to dilute a glass of biocompost in a bucket warm water and insist at room temperature for a day, stirring occasionally. Industrial liquid vermicompost is diluted according to the instructions.

The resulting "tea" is used for direct feeding under the root, on the leaf and for watering young seedlings. The use of liquid vermicompost to fertilize apple, pear and plum, many vegetable crops makes their fruits tastier and larger, the starch content in potatoes increases.

Ash as organic fertilizer

Wood ash is suitable for feeding most vegetables, fruit and berry and flower crops. The most useful is wood ash, which is obtained by burning young shoots of deciduous trees and shrubs. Cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, grapes, roses and houseplants will approve of its introduction. Ash needs to be brought in for digging 100-120 g per 1 sq. m. Ash can also be applied during the entire growing season. Ash helps to grow cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, cabbage. Ash treatments save vegetable seedlings from root rot (the so-called "black leg"). Ash water (ash infusion) can serve as a liquid fertilizing and a solution for spraying fruit and berry crops.

There is no nitrogen in the ash, but there is calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium and other substances that are useful for the full growth and development of plants and help fight against various diseases... The value of wood ash is in the calcium content. It is necessary for building up green mass, provides balanced diet during the growing season. Calcium is especially needed for such vegetables as tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, etc. It is effective to use ash for flowers (buds are larger and more luxuriant), seedlings.

How to use wood ash

- with a lack of calcium in plants (green shoots of indoor plants begin to turn white, the tips of the leaves are bent upwards, and the edges curl, peduncles fall off tomatoes, and dark spots appear on the fruits, etc.);

- with a lack of potassium, when the leaves of fruit trees wither ahead of time, but do not fall off, roses lose their smell, leaves of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants begin to dry along the edge, curl up into a tube;

- with a lack of magnesium, when identical symptoms appear as with a lack of potassium;

- ash is also used to lower the acidity of the soil - 1-2 kg per 1 square meter;

- ash cannot be used on soils with high alkalinity, where calcium and potassium are already in excess. For example, if there is too much calcium, the leaves fall off the flowers, the shoots of the tomatoes die off, the leaves turn white. With an excessive presence of potassium, the pulp of apples and pears becomes brown, pits appear on the fruits, the leaves of indoor plants fall off ahead of time.

- ash infusion is effectively used during flowering and fruiting. Dilute 3 tbsp. l. ash in 1 liter of water and leave for at least a week.

Bone meal as organic fertilizer

Bone meal as a fertilizer contains nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium. It is used to fertilize nightshade and pumpkin crops, as well as to reduce the acidity of the soil. When buying bone meal, you need to make sure that it is dry and thoroughly evaporated.

Bone meal contains calcium and phosphorus, which are essential nutrients for plant growth and development. It is used after the introduction of nitrogen-containing fertilizers (organic manure, bird droppings, compost and green manure).

A type of bone meal is fish meal, which contains more nitrogen - it can be applied as a pre-sowing fertilizer and as a top dressing.

How to use bone meal:

- 200 g per 1 sq. m for fruit trees every 3 years (especially beneficial for the restoration of the root system)

- 60-90 g in the planting hole when transplanting berry bushes in spring and autumn (more in autumn);

- 100 g per 1 sq. m when digging a site for potatoes;

- 15-20 g under a tomato bush.

- for composting;

- for digging soil for any plants;

- for soil deoxidization

- to improve the taste of the fruit, it can be applied two weeks before harvest.

Sapropel as organic fertilizer

Sapropel (lake silt) contains rotted remains of vegetation and aquatic organisms... By its composition, it is a complex organic fertilizer and a powerful growth stimulant. Due to the high content of humus and organic matter, sapropel is able to increase soil fertility by 30-50%.

How to use sapropel

- v pure form, when the sludge is pre-ventilated, shovel and freeze. The application dose is approximately 3-6 kg per 1 sq. m;

- in the form of composts with the addition of other organic substances;

- it is useful to use sapropel on acidic and light sandy and sandy loam soils.

Peat as organic fertilizer

Peat is often found in wetlands and is used to create a highly nutritious environment for plants. Wherein different types peat have different purposes. High-moor peat that has not been rotted can be used for mulching. Especially as a mulch, it is good where it is required to additionally warm the soil or protect the plants from the cold - in winter shelter, for example. The so-called fertilizer is used. transitional and lowland peat, in which the process of decay has already begun to varying degrees.

Especially the use of peat is recommended in greenhouses, where high humidity remains. And peat has a moisture-absorbing capacity. At the same time, excess moisture is retained in peat and is used by plant roots when it is lacking. In addition, peat reduces the development of pathogens in protected ground.

Peat needs to be renewed annually. Fertilizing the soil with peat in combination with other organic fertilizers contributes to the abundant fruiting of crops in greenhouses.

Peat benefits

1. Make the soil lighter, more porous, improves the penetration of oxygen and moisture to the roots of plants.

2. In combination with other organic matter, it feeds poor barren depleted soils. Peat has a particularly beneficial effect on loamy and sandy soils.

3. Possesses natural antiseptic properties that help fight disease-causing pathogens in the soil, harmful bacteria and fungi.

4. Can be used to acidify (increase acidity) soil.

Disadvantages of peat

1. If used incorrectly, peat can inhibit and slow down the growth of plants, leading to their death.

2. It is necessary to monitor the acidity indicators when using organic fertilizers based on peat. If the pH is below 4.8, then a peat-based fertilizer with such a reaction cannot be used, it will harm the plants.

How to use peat

- do not fertilize the soil with peat by continuous application;

- use peat only together with other organic fertilizers;

- high-moor peat is not used as a fertilizer;

- do not use peat on light loamy, sandy loam and fertile soils;

- for the greenhouse, you can prepare a special soil containing peat and organic fertilizers. Garden soil and peat are mixed in equal proportions (4 parts each), 1 part cow manure is added, ash and sawdust in equal amounts (0.5 parts each).

Organic fertilizer compost

Compost has long been a widely used and widespread organic fertilizer. It is obtained as a result of the decomposition of a mixture of various organic substances. Therefore, there are many types of compost and "recipes" for its preparation.

Many summer residents consider mature peat-manure compost the best option organic fertilizer. Ideally, it should “mature” (lie) for three or four months, after which it should be thoroughly mixed - “shoveled”. It is recommended to apply compost in warm weather.

Peat compost

1. Sawdust is poured onto the ground in a layer of 20 cm.

2. On top it is necessary to lay layers of earth and peat in equal proportions.

3. Then the chopped tops are placed - you can put more of it.

4. The final layers will again be earth and peat.

5. The entire compost heap is spilled with mullein infusion or bird droppings.

The total height of the compost heap should be 1.5-2 m so that the decomposition processes take place in it evenly. In a year and a half, the compost will be ready. The readiness of the compost can be determined by the state of the heap - it should turn into a homogeneous crumbly mass.

Manure compost

1. At the base of the compost heap, lays last year's manure substrate.

2. Layers of any plant residues are superimposed on top.

3. Vegetation layers alternate with manure layers until “ layered cake"Will not reach 1-1.5 m in height.

4. Finally, the pile is spilled and left to cook for several months, ideally a year.

Biological products in organic farming

A biological product is a live feeding that affects plants and soil at the microbiological level. Biologicals are made from microorganisms that, once in the soil, contribute to the development of a healthy and natural microenvironment in an impoverished soil. During biological disinfection of the soil, useful flora is additionally introduced into it, which contributes to the formation of a fertile nutrient layer.

Organic and biological products are especially useful in adverse weather conditions. In plants, the absorption of nutrients decreases, and the development of pathogens, the prevalence of pests and weeds, on the contrary, increases. Natural and biological products are designed to help plants grow and bear fruit. The preparations have the properties of growth regulation, improve the adaptation of plants to factors external environment and increase stress resistance, develop immune system... For the most part, such drugs also help in the fight against diseases, pests, weeds.

It is very beneficial to use solutions of biological products. For example, if the seeds are soaked in a solution, then the same solution can be used to water indoor plants and seedlings.

EM drugs

The group of biological products includes EM drugs - drugs containing "effective microorganisms" (hence the name). They are useful for preparing the soil and producing healthy seedlings. If you use soil from your own garden to prepare soil, it must be disinfected and disinfected.

This EM preparation is a real healthy food for plants in the garden. They contain lactic acid, nitrogen-fixing, photosynthetic bacteria and yeast. Such a composition helps to cleanse the land of harmful chemicals, helps fight weeds, prevents the spread of diseases and pests, rejuvenates the plant by restoring plant cells and tissues. The presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the preparation is interesting. In his natural form they are present on the nodules of the root system of many legumes - beans, cowpea, beans, which are used as green manure. These nitrogen-fixing nodule bacteria retain nitrogen in the soil layer in the required amount and have a positive effect on plant development at all stages.

How to use EM drugs

- to improve the characteristics of the drug, gardeners use special recipes. EM drugs are more effective in a sweet glucose environment. Therefore, when preparing a nutrient solution, it is necessary to dilute the em-preparation in boiled or clean filtered water and add honey, sugar or molasses there.

- the use of em-preparations is effective on warm soil heated to 12-15 ° C - this is a comfortable temperature for the vital activity of beneficial bacteria.

- as a root top dressing and for foliar spraying “on the leaf” - this top dressing will work especially well on trees, shrubs and vines.

- to restore the natural fertility of the soil with em-preparations, the beds are treated. When preparing the site in the fall, the ridges are sprinkled with sawdust and spilled with a nutrient solution. Repeat the treatment with anaerobic bacteria in the spring.

- to speed up the composting time.

Benefits of em-drugs:

1.improve seed germination and rooting after planting;

2. accelerate plant growth and fruit ripening;

3. improve flowering, taste of fruits and vegetables;

4. neutralize unpleasant odors that appear during the decomposition of organic matter - composts, herbal infusions, in cesspools;

5. restore the natural fertility of the soil;

6. lower the level of nitrates, neutralize salts of heavy metals;

7. increase the shelf life of garden products;

8. disinfect and disinfect the soil.

Natural preparations as fertilizers

Natural preparations are based on plant extracts. Their use stimulates the growth of plants and helps them to protect themselves from pests (aphids, suckers, moths, apple moth, cruciferous flea, weevil. Caterpillars, etc.). Natural preparations often act as repellents - they simply scare away unwanted insects without harming plants or insects.

For example, natural preparations may contain pine needles extract, wormwood extract, tobacco. Contained resins, glycosides, essential oils, organic acids, phytoestrogens, a wide range of vitamins, macro- and microelements have a complex effect on plant flora, stimulate the development of plants, inhibit insects. Plant extracts have high biological activity. They often contain powerful natural growth promoters. Root formation and disease resistance.

In addition to protective properties natural preparations stimulate plant growth, accelerate the development of seedlings, make them strong and healthy, improve flowering and ripening, increase the yield of vegetables, and increase the number of flower stalks. Natural preparations have stimulating and disinfecting properties.

Benefits of natural preparations

1.safe - they do not have a toxic effect, do not accumulate in the soil (unlike aggressive insecticides and fungicides);

2.absent harmful effect on the stems, leaves and roots of plants;

3. have a complex stimulating effect on plants, enhances growth processes;

4. begin to act quickly (after 10 hours) and retain protection for a long period (within a month);

5. increase the yield, quality and taste of fruits;

6.shorten ripening time

7. fight most diseases of seeds and seedlings, including blackleg;

8. increase resistance to disease;

9. have a beneficial effect on the quality of seedlings, prevents stretching;

10. stimulate root formation.

How to use natural products

- are used as root dressing and foliar spraying, when germinating seeds;

- can be used during any growing season;

The growth and development of most vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs cannot be provided solely by soil reserves. The soil in the summer cottage is depleted, the plants take away the most valuable nutrients necessary for the growing season, and pathogens and pests, on the contrary, remain in the ground, making it unsuitable for growing subsequent crops. The task of any responsible summer resident is not only to supply garden crops necessary nutrition, but also to restore the fertile soil layer without disturbing the natural environment, to maintain a healthy ecology of your site.

Part 2

Nutritional features of fruit and berry plants

To set up a reasonable system of fertilizers in gardens, first of all, you should know how great the need of plants for nutrients is. To calculate the doses, it is necessary to take into account the biological removal, that is, the amount of elements that the plant absorbs per year for the development of the entire plant (flowers, leaves, roots, fruits, wood). In addition to biological removal, it is necessary to take into account the actual removal - the alienation of nutrients from the garden. It occurs with the crop and the large branches removed by pruning. Some of the nutrients are found in wood, bark and roots. They cannot be fully attributed to removal, since they are partially used a second time to build new tissues. Relatively few nutrients are carried out with large branches. Consequently, the actual removal, for example from an apple tree, occurs mainly with fruits and depends primarily on the harvest.

The absorption of nutrients by a plant depends not only on the content of these substances in the soil, but also on the plant itself. So, during flowering, the plant requires a large amount of nutrients. Plant nutrition in the second half of summer has great importance for next year's harvest. During this period, it is important to ensure the good condition of the leaf apparatus. Phosphorus and potassium nutrition greatly affects the winter hardiness of the plant. When applying fertilizers, one cannot ignore the nature and strength of root development. The intensity of root growth and the nature of their placement is significantly influenced by the density of the soil, watering, fertilizers.

For fertilizers that do not move in the soil with water or move very slowly, you can establish the following rule: they must be applied to those layers that do not dry out in summer, but at the same time remain loose enough and where the bulk of the roots is or will be. Therefore, depending on the properties of the soil, on the depth of the roots, there should be different depths of fertilization.

Plants react weaker to the application of phosphorus fertilizers than to the application of nitrogen and potassium. Therefore, potash fertilizers, excluding very potassium-rich soils (serozem), are applied in high doses, as a rule, in autumn. In the spring, fertilizers are applied in relatively low doses.

Chapter 1. Methods and timing of fertilization

Choosing the optimal methods and timing of fertilizing the soil, you need to strive to ensure that the plants are provided with the nutrients they need during the entire period of their growth and development. Only in this case it is possible to achieve high yields and quality products.

Even with a slight change in the timing of the introduction of a particular fertilizer, it is possible to influence the entire biochemistry of plants: to accelerate or slow down the rate of their development, to change the ratio of generative and vegetative organs, as well as the chemical composition of the crops grown.

Fertilizers are embedded in the ground so that they are in a moist soil layer in the area of ​​active activity of the plant root system (15–20 cm). With shallow placement of fertilizer or surface application without embedding (0–5 cm), useful substances are located in the dried layer and do not bring the desired result.

There is a scattered method of applying mineral fertilizers with their subsequent incorporation into the soil using a plow, harrow and cultivator, and a local method in which fertilizers are applied using machines that embed them at a given depth in the form of belts, nests, foci (Table 3).

Table 3. Influence of fertilizers applied by different methods

Spread fertilization is done by ground vehicles, usually centrifugal spreaders or by air. However, this method is not very convenient, since the machines unevenly distribute fertilizers over the area of ​​the field, as a result of which uneven growth and maturation of plants and the associated variegated crop and a decrease in its quality can occur.

Local fertilization

Local application of fertilizers allows the fertilizer to be embedded at a given depth, as a result of which it becomes possible to place fertilizers within the soil layer where the roots are located, which makes them easily accessible for assimilation. Thus, with the help of local fertilization, favorable conditions are created for the absorption of nutrients by plants from fertilizers and their movement. Apply fertilizer locally economically and efficiently.

With surface local application of fertilizers over the soil surface, they are distributed in concentrated foci, mainly in the form of ribbons of various widths, after which they are embedded in the soil with various tillage implements.

Intrasoil local fertilization is divided into the following types: row, main (tape), nest application, inter-row, root fertilization, local volumetric method, etc.

With local application of the main fertilizer, nutrients do not mix with the soil, are closer to the feeding part of the root system and are used more efficiently.

The increased content of ammonium nitrogen in the fertilizer belt slows down nitrification and helps to reduce nitrogen losses due to the washing out of nitrates from the root layer. With this method, the contact of fertilizers with the soil is reduced, which makes it difficult for the transition of phosphorus to a hard-to-reach state and contributes to its more complete assimilation by plants.

With local application of fertilizers, the utilization rate of nitrogen from fertilizers by plants increases by 10–15%, phosphorus - by 5–10%, potassium - by 10–12%, compared with spread application.

From the general focus of fertilizers, the nutrients migrate from different speed... The most mobile are nitrates, less - molybdenum, ammonium nitrogen and exchangeable potassium, less moving phosphorus. The speed of movement of nutrients also depends on the composition of the soil. On bound soils, the movement of nutrients from the fertilizer focus is usually completed during the first 2–3 weeks.

There is evidence that the local method of fertilization activates microbiological activity more than the scattered one.

On soddy-podzolic loamy soils, the movement of ammonium nitrogen and potassium from the center of the fertilizer center in the horizontal and vertical directions does not exceed 6–7 cm. Nitrate nitrogen spreads over the entire arable horizon, the radius of phosphorus distribution is 2–3 cm. On sandy loam and sandy soils, the radius zones of movement of phosphorus - 3-4 cm, potassium - 10 cm. Nitrates are distributed in the same way as in bound soils.

Nutrient-rich areas develop better root system plants. It is noted positive influence local application of fertilizers on the dynamics of the accumulation of dry matter and the supply of nutrients to plants, which contributes to the accelerated development of plants. This is especially true for plants with a short growing season, such as flax, sugar beets, etc.

It is impossible to place fertilizers in the immediate vicinity of the seeds, but it is also not recommended to place fertilizers far from them. Tape application of fertilizers simultaneously with sowing (planting) is most preferable, since it provides a fixed placement of fertilizers relative to the planting rows and their uniform distribution over the feeding area of ​​individual plants. The optimal placement of the main fertilizer belts when planting root crops is 5–6 cm to the side and 2.5–7.5 cm deeper than the seeds.

The efficiency of local fertilization depends on the meteorological conditions, the grain size distribution of the soil and the level of its fertility, biological features cultivated crops, forms of fertilizers and the depth of their embedding. The most responsive crop for local fertilization turned out to be potatoes (this must be taken into account by landowners in areas with a moisture deficit in the soil).

An increase in the utilization rate of nutrients during local application of fertilizers makes it possible to reduce the dose of fertilizers by 25–30% in comparison with the spread method. Often, applying a half dose of fertilizer locally provides the same yield and removal of nutrients as with a full dose randomly.

The effect of solid and liquid forms of complex fertilizers with local application is approximately the same. Granular complex fertilizers turned out to be more effective than fertilizers. A higher yield increase was observed with local application of phosphorus together with nitrogen, and even higher with a combination of three main nutrients at once.

The efficiency of local application is largely determined by the solubility of the phosphate component. In this respect, they turned out to be the best when applied under potatoes nitroammophos, nitroammophos, carboammophos.

The movement of substances is also influenced by the properties of the soil itself and the quality of fertilizers. For example, on heavy clay and loamy soils, fertilizers pass very slowly, much slower than on light sandy ones. But it should be borne in mind that the easier the fertilizers move along the soil, the greater the danger that they will be outside the root layer. Therefore, clay soils are fed less often than sandy ones, but the maximum allowable doses are used.

Depending on the degree of movement, five groups of substances are distinguished:

1) insoluble in water;

2) phosphoric, water-soluble;

3) potash;

4) nitrogen ammonium;

5) nitrogen nitrate.

Fertilizers insoluble in water practically do not move in the soil, but remain in the place of their application until the next treatment. Of the soluble fertilizers, the least labile is phosphorus of phosphorus fertilizers, and the most mobile is nitrogen of nitrate fertilizers. This data should be used when choosing the timing and methods of fertilization.

Depending on the timing of fertilization, there are:

- main (pre-sowing) application, which implies deep embedding with a plow or digging to the depth of a shovel bayonet;

- pre-sowing, carried out simultaneously with planting seeds in the soil or when planting seeds in holes, rows or nests;

- root dressing with or without incorporation into the soil, followed by watering during active growth;

- foliar feeding, which implies spraying plants with weak fertilizer solutions during the growing season of plants.

The main fertilization is carried out in autumn or spring, depending on the soil and weather conditions, as well as on the characteristics of the introduced fertilizer and crops. The main fertilizer supplies plants with nutrients for the entire period of their growth and development.

Pre-sowing fertilization provides young plants with nutrition during a period when they do not yet have a powerful root system, and therefore they are poorly absorbed by useful substances. In this case, the smallest dose of fertilizer is usually used in order to avoid the accumulation of a large concentration of nutrient organic and inorganic elements in the soil, which can adversely affect the plants. Superphosphate or ammophos is usually used as a pre-sowing fertilizer.

Top dressing is carried out in order to improve the nutrition of crops at certain periods of their development and to compensate for the missing trace element in the soil. When feeding, the required amount of mineral fertilizers, mainly nitrogenous, must be dissolved in a large volume of water and the area must be poured with the resulting solution. It should be borne in mind that the more water the fertilizer is dissolved in, the more evenly it will be distributed over the site.

Exists general provisions carrying out dressings, which must be taken into account when applying fertilizers, namely:

- during root feeding, fertilizer is applied in the immediate vicinity of the plant root system (in the grooves along the crop row or around it);

- when spraying during root dressing, the concentration of the fertilizer solution should not exceed 1%, otherwise leaf burns may appear. In addition, fertilizers must have good water solubility.

It is necessary to mix fertilizers in accordance with the rules recommended in the instructions. Otherwise, in the resulting mixture, processes sometimes begin, leading to the loss of nutrients. For example, the release of ammonia, the transition of substances into a less digestible form, or an increase in hygroscopicity, at which the fertilizer quickly becomes unusable, may occur.

Before fertilizing or feeding the soil, it should be analyzed in an agrotechnical laboratory to determine the level of soil supply with nutrients, primarily phosphorus and potassium. There are high, medium and low levels.

If the soil has a high level of supply with useful elements, then the dosage of fertilizer should be reduced, and, conversely, if it is low, then it should be increased. For example, for fruit trees growing on sod-podzolic and gray soils, the average level is the content of 8-10 mg of phosphorus, 7-10 mg of potassium per 100 g of soil in a layer up to 20 cm.

With an increased level of nutrient supply to the soil is 12-16 mg of phosphorus, 11-14 mg of potassium, with high level- 16–20 mg of phosphorus and 15–18 mg of potassium. In the deep soil layer (20–40 cm), phosphorus should be 2 times less, and potassium - 1.5 times less than in the upper layer of the earth.

Taking these data into account, when the soil is supplied with phosphorus and potassium below the average level, the fertilizer dose is doubled, with an average and increased level - by 1.2–1.5 times, and with a high level (more than 40 mg per 100 g of soil), it is reduced 2 times.

The presence of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in the soil determines the intensity of the growth and development of plants and the ability of them to absorb others. useful microelements... An increase in the level of nitrogen nutrition contributes to the better assimilation of potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc by plants. Otherwise, too high a concentration of phosphorus in the soil impairs the absorption of microelements by plants.

The methods of fertilizing existing in the practice of gardening can be conditionally divided into three groups: filling the soil, basic fertilization and feeding. These techniques are interconnected, but do not completely replace each other. Only with a skillful combination of them can you achieve the best effect.

Refueling the soil

When filling the soil, fertilizer is applied in large doses and on great depth... For the assimilation of nutrients by plants, direct contact of the fertilizer focus with the roots is necessary. In relation to annual plants, this task is easy to solve. Fertilizer is usually spread over the surface of the plot and mixed with the topsoil. The fate of the applied fertilizer depends on its mobility in the soil. Of all the elements, nitrogen is the most mobile. Phosphoric acid of superphosphate, combining with the ions of calcium, iron, aluminum available in the soil water, goes into insoluble salts... Potash fertilizers are fixed in the place where they were applied. Therefore, all sedentary fertilizers must be applied to those soil layers where plant roots will develop most intensively. There is no need to enrich the entire root layer with nutrients to its full depth. To provide good food fruit tree, it is enough to deepen only the upper part of the root layer, up to about 40 cm.

Filling the soil is best done before planting. To ensure good nutrition for the long term, fertilizers are applied in increased doses. This is done not only to meet the current demand of plants for phosphorus and potassium, but also in reserve, so that in the future, when it will no longer be possible to cultivate the soil deeply and the fertilizer will have to be applied shallowly, the plant could absorb a sufficient amount of ash elements from the previously created stock. nutrition. The introduction of phosphorus fertilizers in high doses has a positive effect on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of the soil.

Potassium behaves differently on different soils. In light sandy soils, it does not linger and sinks into the lower layers. On clay soils and rich in organic matter, potassium accumulates in the places of application. Part of it is included in the absorbing complex. This potassium is easily utilized by the plant. When filling the soil, potash fertilizers on loamy and clayey soils should be given at first in increased doses. When the soil is sufficiently enriched with potassium, these fertilizers should be applied by carry-over, that is, as much as of this element food is taken out with the harvest and how much it is fixed in the plant.

The duration of the action of the fertilizer depends not only on the dose and form of the fertilizer, but also on the properties of the soil and other conditions. Agrotechnical methods can reduce the proportion of fertilizer that becomes inaccessible in the soil. For example, so that phosphoric acid of superphosphate does not combine with iron and aluminum in the soil, which translate it into an indigestible state; acidic soils containing these elements in large quantities lime.

Fertilizer is applied to the filling of the soil either throughout the site, or in separate foci. Continuous filling of the soil is carried out before planting, when the entire area can be processed to a great depth. It is also possible after planting: when processing the row spacing of young orchards.

Main fertilizer

The main ones are those fertilizers that are applied annually, in autumn or early spring for plowing, and on personal plots - for digging. Fertilizers are applied to improve the nutritional conditions of plants during the entire growing season. Filling the soil beforehand is not enough. After all, not only deep, but also the upper layers of the soil strongly affect its condition. The upper soil layer also affects the water-air regime of the lower, root-inhabited layers. If the top layer is not improved, a crust will form on it after rain, which, in turn, impairs all the properties of the soil.

To improve the top layer, it is recommended to enrich it with organic matter (humus). For this, manure or other organic fertilizer is applied. Potash, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers are also suitable as the main fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilizers, which contain nitrogen in the ammonia form, are applied in spring and late autumn. Nitrogen in nitrate form (nitrate) should be applied in the spring.

No matter how strongly potassium and phosphorus are fixed at the place of application, there is always a certain amount of water-soluble compounds of these elements in the soil. These substances penetrate into deeper layers, which, in turn, improves the ash nutrition of fruit plants. Fertilizer potassium, as already noted, easily penetrates downward on light sandy soils. - On soils with a heavy texture, potassium gradually, in small quantities, penetrates downward and after a long period of time accumulates not only in the upper layer, but also in the subsoil layers.

Quite noticeable increases in the amount of potassium on sandy soils are observed in the layer up to 80 cm, and on clay soils - up to 60 cm.

The main fertilizer has a strong effect on the development of the fruit tree. It helps to cultivate the soil in the garden.

Top dressing

Plants need constant consumption of nutrients and water useful for them. They need some substances in large quantities. These include carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium. Other substances are consumed less, for example boron, manganese, copper, zinc, molybdenum, cobalt, etc. Basically, these and many other trace elements of the plant are obtained from the soil, hydrogen - from water, and oxygen, carbon and nitrogen - from the air.

Crops, growing for several years in the same field, alienate nutrients from the soil. A large number of them are washed out, evaporated or converted into forms that cannot be absorbed by plants. Therefore, the soil needs to be enriched from time to time with organic and inorganic fertilizers.

Fertilizers are substances of organic and inorganic origin used to improve plant nutrition.

Organic fertilizers include manure, slurry, compost, peat, bird droppings, feces, green manure, sediment Wastewater, food, leather industry waste. Organic fertilizers are used everywhere for all agricultural crops, they contain almost all trace elements necessary for plants, and also improve the structure of the soil, stimulating biological processes occurring in it. Organic fertilizers contribute to the accumulation of humus in the soil, increase the permeability and moisture capacity of the soil composition, which leads to better absorption of precipitation and irrigation water.

If the plant lacks the necessary micronutrients, this leads either to its death, or to low yields. Diseases such as hollow beets, fruit rosette disease, chlorosis, apple cork spot and some other diseases are the result of a lack of microelements in the soil.

Inorganic, or mineral, fertilizers are divided into solid (powdery and granular) and liquid. Solid nitrogen (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, urea, ammonium chloride, etc.), phosphoric (single and double superphosphate, precipitate, phosphorus flour), potassium (potassium chloride, potassium salts, sylvinite and kainite, potassium sulfate, etc.) complex (ammophos, diammophos, potassium nitrate, magnesium-ammonium phosphate, nitrophoska, etc.) and micronutrient fertilizers (boric, molybdenum, copper, manganese, etc.).

Today, many complex mixed mineral fertilizers are produced, into which trace elements are introduced. The most effective macro - and microelements include superphosphates (simple and double), nitrophosphate and ammonitrophosphate with additives of boron, manganese, zinc; phosphorus-potassium fertilizers containing molybdenum and molybdenum with boron; various fertilizer mixtures with the addition of boron, zinc, copper and other trace elements.

Organomineral (humic) fertilizers include fertilizers containing both organic and mineral trace elements.

Microfertilizers are fertilizers that contain all trace elements necessary for a plant. These include boric, copper, cobalt, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, magnesium and other fertilizers.

Bacterial fertilizers are preparations made from bacterial cultures. They contribute to the accumulation of nutrients in the soil, mineralize its organic matter, improving plant nutrition.

Plant feeding is an agrotechnical method involving the application of fertilizers for agricultural crops during their growing season in order to improve plant nutrition and increase yields. Top dressing is an addition to the main soil fertilization. Only a combination of basic fertilization with top dressing can give the best result. The effectiveness of feeding is determined by the quality and properties of fertilizers, their degree of solubility in water and the ability of nutrients to move through the soil, and also depends on weather conditions.

The first plant feeding was carried out in late XIX century by the German scientist P. Wagner. In Russia, the first experiments with surface foliar application of fertilizers took place at the Derebchinsky experimental field in Ukraine in late nineteenth century. As a result, the yield increased to 6 c / ha. However, despite the success of the experiments, this technique has not found wide application in Russia. Only in 1935 did they begin to actively use fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers.

Top dressing usually takes place in the stage of active plant growth; it is not recommended to carry it out at rest. Early spring feeding on frozen soil is considered very effective, since in the spring the plants absorb the greatest amount of nutrients, and in the soil at this time they are usually not enough.

The amount and time of top dressing depends on the fruiting of the plant, weather conditions and on the soil itself. With a good filling, the soil does not need phosphorus and potash fertilizers. In the year of fruiting, the plant consumes more nutrients, which means that they need to be given more fertilizer. Phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied in the same way in productive and lean years, while nitrogen fertilizers are applied in different ways. The latter are introduced taking into account the strength of growth and color of the leaves. In a lean year, nitrogen fertilizer is applied once, in the spring. If the leaves of the plant are light green in color, another nitrogen fertilization is carried out at the end of May.

In a year with a high yield, the dose of nitrogen fertilizers is increased. They are brought in in the spring and additionally in the summer after the June shedding of the ovaries. In dry weather, it makes no sense to feed, even though the plants grow poorly, since at this time they suffer from a lack of moisture, not nitrogen.

Distinguish between root and foliar feeding. When root feeding, fertilizers are embedded in the soil, and nutrients are absorbed directly by the roots.

Foliar dressing involves spraying plants with fertilizer solutions, in which nutrients penetrate through the leaves and stems.

Root dressing

There are several ways of root feeding of plants:

1. Dry fertilizers are spread over the field without embedding into the soil with fertilizer seeders, spreaders by air or manually.

2. Dry fertilizers are scattered and embedded in the soil with harrows, cultivators and other implements.

3. Aqueous solutions of fertilizers are applied by plant feeders.

4. Aqueous solutions of fertilizers are applied during irrigation with rain or irrigation machines.

Top dressing is more effective when fertilizers are applied in dissolved form. In this case, they act much faster. Fertilizers in dry form are used only with heavy rains or watering. For liquid dressings, it is most effective to use mineral fertilizers that are readily soluble in water. All nitrogen fertilizers are readily soluble, but it is better to use those that contain nitrogen in the nitrate form - saltpeter. Potash fertilizers also dissolve easily in water, especially hot water. Of the phosphorus fertilizers, superphosphates and ammophos are readily soluble.

For feeding with aqueous solutions, readily water-soluble fats are usually used, namely:

- nitrogen - such as ammonium nitrate (35% nitrogen), sodium (17% nitrogen), ammonium chloride (45–46% nitrogen), ammonium sulfate (20% nitrogen);

- potash - such as potassium salt (35% potassium oxide);

- phosphoric - such as superphosphate (from 16 to 20% of assimilated phosphoric acid).

Of organic fertilizers for liquid feeding, slurry, bird droppings, mullein and others that are readily soluble in water are best suited.

Fertilizers for root liquid feeding are prepared as follows. Ash, slurry, well-rotted manure and micronutrient fertilizers are placed in containers for 1/3 of the volume and filled to the top with water. The resulting mass should be infused for 5–8 days, stirring daily until it begins to ferment. Then the resulting solution is diluted with water.

To prepare a mullein top dressing, you need to half-fill the tub with a mullein, pour water to the top and mix the contents of the tub several times. The result is a strong mullein solution called a mash, which is then left in a tub to ferment for 1–2 weeks. Mullein solution is usually diluted with water before application to the soil. The drier the soil, the more water you need to add. The soil can be watered before fertilizing.

Liquid top dressing from bird droppings prepared as follows. First, a mash is prepared from bird droppings, then it is diluted 3-4 times with water and the resulting solution is introduced into the soil.

Superphosphates for liquid feeding are prepared in a separate way. Pour half a bucket of water, pour 300-500 g of superphosphate (powder or granular) into it and mix well. Then the solution is infused for some time, after which it is separated from the sediment. Then water is poured two more times in portions of a quarter of a bucket, the solution is infused and separated from the sediment. Thus, superphosphate goes into solution, and gypsum remains in the sediment, which is part of simple superphosphate as an impurity. Double superphosphate does not contain gypsum, therefore it dissolves completely in water, practically without forming a precipitate.

It is recommended to apply liquid dressings in the grooves made around the plant. The more cooked, the better, since more roots will come into contact with the fertilizer. Sometimes the grooves are made in a circle around the plant at the level of the crown border. For berry and vegetable crops, this is enough. For fruit trees, in addition to the annular groove, several more grooves should be made under the crown (fig. 11). In wet weather, grooves are usually not made, but the soil around the plant is watered with a solution.

Rice. 11. Introduction of liquid dressings

The more water the fertilizer is diluted with, the better. At high soil moisture, strong solutions can be used, at low soil - weaker ones. You can apply a strong fertilizer solution, and then immediately water the soil. After the soil has been watered with a fertilizer solution, the plants must be sprayed with water to avoid scalding the leaves and stems that have been accidentally hit with fertilizer.

Dry organic top dressing is humus, peat, leafy soil, bird droppings. When fertilizer is introduced into the soil, the top layer of the earth is first removed with a thickness of about 1–2 cm, then the nutrients are evenly distributed over the site and covered with a thin layer of the soil removed before.

Mineral fertilizers for feeding are used at the rate of 3-4 g per m2 of active nitrogen substance (9-12 g of ammonium nitrate, 15-20 g of ammonium sulfate) and 4 g of active substance of potassium (8 g of potassium chloride). Doses of fertilizers in top dressing are determined by the fertility of the soil and the amount of fertilizer applied in the spring.

Potash fertilizers containing chlorine (potassium chloride, potassium salts) are best applied in the fall. In small doses, they can be fed the soil in the spring. Other potash fertilizers (potassium sulfate, wood ash), as well as phosphoric fertilizers, are applied in autumn and spring. On sandy soils, potash can be applied in summer.

Nitrogen fertilizers in the autumn period are rarely fertilized and not large quantities, more often they are brought in in the spring. On clay and loamy (not sandy) soils, fertilizers containing nitrogen in the ammonia form are recommended to be applied in autumn.

In summer, nitrogen fertilizers are mainly used for dressing.

Foliar feeding of plants

To provide plants with better nutrition, foliar feeding is often used, which differs from the root one in that the nutrients of the applied fertilizers reach the plant much faster. However, foliar feeding cannot provide crops with useful substances for a long time, they cannot be applied in large quantities, since strong fertilizer solutions can be detrimental to the plant. The main dressings should be considered root, non-root ones are additional.

For foliar feeding, the leaves are sprayed with a nutrient solution. Spraying should be carried out early in the morning, in the evening or in the afternoon in cloudy but not rainy weather, so that the solution on the leaves does not dry out quickly. It is necessary to correctly determine the concentration of the solution. When spraying young plants in early spring, use weaker solutions. Of nitrogen fertilizers, urea is preferred, which can be used in stronger solutions than other fertilizers. (tab. 4).

Table 4. Doses of fertilizers for summer foliar dressing (for 1 bucket)

Features of plant nutrition

When feeding plants, the biological characteristics of their development should be taken into account. First, nitrogen-containing substances must be added, during the budding period - phosphorus-containing elements, when fruits, tubers, bulbs appear - potassium.

Plants with slow development are fertilized once every 3 months, large plants - 2 times every 3 months.

Depending on the age of the plants, various are used, the most useful for them in this period liquid mixtures. To feed young plants, you can use a mixture of 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of potassium salt, 15 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water. For flowering plants during the budding period, a mixture of 25 g of superphosphate, 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 15 g of potassium salt per 10 liters of water is used. After flowering, mixtures of 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of potassium salt, 25 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water are used.

For feeding, you can buy ready mix, their packaging is usually labeled "flower mix" and the dosages required. If chlorosis is found in a plant, it should be fed with iron sulfate at the rate of 2 g per 1 liter of water. Four such dressings should be carried out once a week.

As a top dressing, some amateur gardeners use milk, which, after mixing it with water (1 teaspoon per liter of water), water the plants or use water from meat or fish for this purpose. Such solutions contain nutrient salts necessary for plants, for example, derivatives of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium. They also include calcium, manganese, iron, boron, copper, zinc. The water from under the meat must first be filtered through cheesecloth to free it from the fat present, which makes it difficult for air to reach the plant roots.

You can also use soot that contains a large number of nitrogen. The soot should be placed in a cloth bag and immersed in water. After a while, the resulting soot solution can be watered over the plants.

Foliar dressing should be carried out as an addition to the general care of houseplants. For its implementation, a solution containing 0.3% ammonium nitrate, 2-3% superphosphate and 0.5% sodium chloride is used. The solution is placed in a spray bottle and sprayed on the leaves and stems of the plant. Such an event is best done in the evening or on cloudy days. In the summer, the plants are fed in this way 4–5 times. It is useful to spray the plant with 0.1% aqueous solution of ammonium nitrate once every five days, and the next day after feeding, spray it with clean water.

For the purpose of disinfecting the plant, it is useful to water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This procedure must be carried out about 3 times a year.

Top dressing should be carried out in conjunction with other plant care measures. Only in this case will they provide beneficial action... Fertilizers should not be overused. We must not forget that in large quantities they have a detrimental effect on plants.

Providing a fertilizer system

The fertilization system should ensure that the planned yield is obtained from high quality grain, increasing soil fertility; environmental protection; obtaining biologically pure products, - high efficiency of fertilizers.

To ensure the high efficiency of mineral fertilizers in fields with acidic soils, liming must be carried out in such a way that the reaction of the soil solution is close to neutral.

The fertilization system for winter wheat consists of the main fertilizer, which is applied for tillage; pre-sowing - for pre-sowing cultivation; row, or pre-sowing, - when sowing in rows; dressing during the growing season of plants. For winter wheat, manure, peat compost, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied as the main fertilizer. Manure is the most valuable fertilizer in all winter wheat cultivation zones. When winter wheat is placed on a clean fallow, organic fertilizers are applied under the fall or in the spring for plowing, on occupied pairs - under a fallow crop or directly under winter wheat.

When applying organic fertilizers, it should be borne in mind that 1 ton of cattle manure contains (kg): N - 5.0, P2O5 - 2.5, K2O - 5.0 (of which, in the first year, plants use 20-30, respectively, 25–35 and 50–60%).

For the introduction of solid organic fertilizers, MTT-4, PRT-7A, PRT-11 machines are used, for liquid organic fertilizers - MZhT-6, MZHT-11, APZh-12.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied fractionally. When placing winter wheat in pure fallows, on legumes, perennial legumes and when applying organic fertilizers, nitrogen fertilizers are usually not applied since autumn, but used in the spring as top dressing.

When placing winter wheat on unpaired predecessors and on infertile soils, nitrogen fertilizers are applied under the main tillage or under pre-sowing cultivation in an amount of 20-30% of the total calculated norm, the rest is applied as top dressing in spring and during the growing season. When growing winter wheat on soils with low content nitrogen when sowing in the rows are applied complex fertilizers - ammophos, nitrophos, nitroammophos. The nitrogen dose in this case should not exceed 10 kg / ha.

Chapter 2. Fertilization of the soil when planting fruit trees

In the mind of every garden, there are many fruit-bearing trees. However, in order for the trees to produce crops, they must be carefully looked after. And the first thing a gardener should do when laying a garden is to apply fertilizer to the soil in the areas allocated for trees. To carry out this operation, planting holes are dug: the soil is taken out, mixed with the fertilizers necessary to fix it physical properties and enrichment with nutrients, after which they are again placed in the old place.

Experts advise digging and filling holes for both spring and autumn plantings in mid-September. The question of the size of the planting pits is controversial: of course, how most of the soil is fertilized, so much the better, but the huge physical costs are not always justified. In this regard, many professional gardeners advise to dig small holes: for apple trees - 100 cm in diameter, 60 cm deep, for plums and cherries - 80 cm in diameter, 40 cm deep, for berry bushes - 50-60 cm in diameter, 35 cm.

These dimensions are correct only for soils with an average fertility rate; the change in these numbers depends both on the type of soil and on the climatic conditions of a particular zone. In the Chernozem region, as well as in areas with an arid climate, planting pits should be deeper than in areas with moist podzolic soils, and holes dug on sandy soils should be wider and deeper than on loamy soils.

In those places where a layer impervious to water is located under the upper soil layers, holes are dug wide, but shallow (for an apple tree - 1.5 m, for plums and cherries - 1.2 m). The fact is that when heavy precipitation falls, water quickly penetrates downward, creating anaerobic conditions undesirable for tree roots (complete absence of air). The volume of a cylindrical pit is calculated as follows: the squared diameter of the pit (in cm) is multiplied by the depth and by a coefficient equal to 0.8. The resulting figure is divided by 1000 and the volume is obtained in liters (preferably converted to cubic meters). Let the diameter of the planting pit be 130 cm and the depth 50 cm.The volume will be (130 x 130 x 50 x 0.8): 1000 = 676 l or 0.676 m 3. In the process of digging, the upper, darker soil (arable layer) should be thrown to one side, and the soil from the lower layer to the other. The pits are usually filled with the soil of the upper layer mixed with fertilizers, if there is a shortage of it, the arable layer of row spacings is used, and the soil of the lower layer, taken out of the pit, is scattered between the trees.

The success of the operation, as well as the growth rate of planted trees and the speed of their entry into the fruiting period, largely depends on the quality of the soil with which the planting pits are filled. If the arable land is fertile enough, then fertilizers can not be applied to it, the plants will take root well.

In the course of numerous experiments, it was found that the application of mineral fertilizers is not necessary if there are 14 mg of available phosphorus (in the form of P 2 O 5) and 15–20 mg of exchangeable potassium (K 2 O) per 100 g of the arable layer. In other cases, the soil has to be enriched with ash nutrients (phosphorus and potassium) and organic fertilizers (humus, compost, peat), and liming should be performed on acidic soils.

It is undesirable to introduce semi-rotted manure, since with a lack of air in the lower layers of the planting pit, it will rot and decompose, releasing elements and compounds that are harmful to young plants. It is most effective when composting with straw and manure, while additions from decomposed peat will improve the physical properties of the soil.

Experts recommend applying mineral fertilizers to the planting pits in large quantities, however, excessive diligence is fraught with serious consequences, since the concentration of the soil solution can be increased so that the plants will adapt to new conditions for a long time and will not bear fruit.

Among the phosphate fertilizers, the most effective is superphosphate, which contains about 40% gypsum. This fertilizer is relatively easy to dissolve in water. Double superphosphate of gypsum increases the concentration of the soil solution somewhat weaker, but due to the higher content of phosphorus, it should be applied to the soil half as much as ordinary superphosphate. Negative influence An excessive amount of phosphorus fertilizers is explained not only by a sharp increase in the concentration of the soil solution, but also by the transfer of the zinc contained in it into an insoluble state, as well as a decrease in the intake of potassium into plants.

Experts recommend adding slowly dissolving phosphorus fertilizers to the soil with a long period of action (phosphate slag, phosphorite and bone meal, defluorinated phosphate, etc.). Even when used in very high doses, they do not have a negative effect on plants, since they slightly increase the concentration of the soil solution. The optimal proportions for the introduction of phosphorus-containing fertilizers into the planting pits are 1 part of superphosphate and 4–5 parts of phosphate rock.

Potash fertilizers dissolve well and significantly affect the concentration of the soil solution, for this reason they need to be applied to the soil in small quantities. Note that fertilizers of this group have a different effect on the survival rate of fruit trees. Wood ash, for example, contains trace elements such as boron and manganese, which have a positive effect on the development of young plants; potassium sulfates and potassium chloride also have a beneficial effect on the growth and vitality of seedlings.

When potassium is added to the soil solution, as a result of the exchange reaction, there will be mainly gypsum. And when potassium chloride is added, potassium chloride will appear in the soil solution. Gypsum, unlike potassium chloride, is poorly soluble in water and increases the concentration of the solution less. Hence, it follows that potassium sulfate can be added in large quantities, in contrast to potassium chloride. By the time of fruiting, chlorine is washed out of the soil.

In order to increase the potassium content in the soil, it is recommended to apply mineral and potash fertilizers along with humus. It is not necessary to apply mineral nitrogen fertilizers in large doses, as this has a bad effect on the survival rate and retards the growth of plants. Lime should be added to the planting pits only on acidic soils. The soil does not need to be limed if ash, phosphate rock and humus are introduced into the planting pit.

So that a large concentration does not form in the soil solution, you can apply part of the fertilizer to the bottom of the pit or to its lower part. As a result, the concentration of the soil solution decreases, but this is not effective for all soils. On heavy soils, fertilizers are applied deeply and, because of this, are poorly used by plants. Therefore, it is best to fertilize the entire soil of the planting pit.

In highly wetted soils, the roots of plants will absorb nutrients from the upper layers of the soil, and as they dry out, from deeper layers. In any case, fertilizer should not be applied to the very roots.

In the spring, for autumn planting, compost is laid from manure and clay, for one part of the land you need 2-3 parts of manure. During the summer, the compost must be mixed at least 2 times. For faster maturation of the compost, it is recommended to add 2% of the total weight of lime. This compost contains all the necessary substances. It can be made from other materials, the main condition is the presence of organic matter and clay in the compost.

At the bottom of the pit, compost is poured in an even layer no more than 3 cm thick. Then the soil taken out of the pit is mixed with fertilizer and covered with a layer of 20 cm, after which the second layer of compost is leveled and laid. Then a layer of soil about 20 cm is poured and again a layer of compost. So in the planting pit, three layers of compost are obtained, which consists of organic and mineral particles. These interlayers retain water and prevent mineral salts from being washed down.

In order to avoid increased labor costs, digging planting holes, you can instead create a furrow 1–1.5 m wide on top and 45–50 cm deep along the future row of trees with two plantation plow passes.

Fertilizer can be applied throughout the furrow or at planting sites. It must be scattered along the bottom and sides of the trench. After plowing and filling the furrows, the fertilizer is mixed with the soil. In this case, the fertilizer is placed over the entire depth, part of it will be embedded deeply, and part - shallowly. After planting the plants, the soil must be mulched.

The fertilizer dose to be applied to the planting pit depends on the size of the pit. Accordingly, than more pit, the more fertilizers are given. Also, the dose of fertilizers depends on the mechanical composition of the soil and its saturation with nutrients - such as humus, phosphorus and potassium. After planting, the trees should be watered and the soil covered with peat or compost.

Fertilizing young fruit trees

In the first years after planting, the trees bear very little or no fruit. Just at this time, the crown of the tree is laid, it is desirable that it form as soon as possible short term... You also need to pay attention to ensuring the normal growth of the shoots. To do this, you need to provide the tree with good nitrogen nutrition. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied to meet the tree's current nitrogen demand. You also need phosphorus and potassium nutrition. Since these fertilizers are fixed only at the places of application, this interferes with their normal absorption by the roots. Therefore, you can enrich the soil with these fertilizers in advance to the desired depth. It is not necessary to strive to fill the soil of the entire root layer; it is enough if it is enriched top part root layer. When fertilizing the planting hole, the soil will be well supplied with nutrients. But the rest of the land will be left without fertilizers. There are many techniques for enriching the soil with nutrients. Let's consider one of them.

First, the topsoil with a radius of 2 m around the tree is filled with ash batteries. Fertilizers are applied in large quantities along this near-trunk circle. This work has been going on for 3 years. During this time, the number of doses of exchangeable potassium should be brought up to 15 mg per 100 g of soil on heavy soil, up to 8 mg on light soil, and up to 2 mg on medium soil. The amount of available phosphorus fertilizer on all these soils reaches 15 mg.

The amount of fertilizer required is in direct proportion to the fertility of the soil. The less nutrients it contains, the more appropriate fertilizers need to be applied. In the absence of data on soil fertility, it is recommended to apply 15–20 g of phosphorus and potassium per 1 m 2, that is, 75–100 g of superphosphate or phosphate rock. If there is any fruit and berry mixture, then it is brought in at the rate of 250 g per 1 m 2. Additionally, you can give organic fertilizer at the rate of 4–5 kg per 1 m 2. When applying organic fertilizer, the dose of potassium is reduced by 1/3. For the best effect, mineral fertilizers can be pre-composted or simply mixed with organic fertilizers.

You need to apply fertilizers for digging annually. When the topsoil turns out to be enriched in potassium and phosphorus (about the 4th year), the site is dug deep in this place. In order not to damage the roots when digging, the shovel is placed along the radius of the circle. The top layer of soil, filled with fertilizers, must be moved down, where the roots of the tree will be in the future. The lower, nutrient-poor soil layer needs to be moved up, in the future it will be easy to enrich this layer with fertilizers at the rate of 30–40 g of superphosphate and 14 g of potassium chloride. It is advisable to carry out deep digging of the soil in the spring, as this has a positive effect on the growth of the roots of the tree. For the entire period of time of filling the trunk circle, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers annually. The amount of fertilizer applied must be constantly increased and the fertilized circle must be expanded.

There is a technique that allows you to improve the soil of a tree in one go. First, fertilizer is applied, then a groove is dug around the tree with a depth of about 30–40 cm and a width of 50 cm. They do it completely (in a ring) or intermittently. The groove is covered with soil from the topsoil. The soil intended for filling the groove is mixed with phosphorus and organic fertilizers. You need to proceed from the same calculation as for the planting pit, and the dose of potash fertilizer should be increased 2.5 times. For example, grooves were dug at a distance of 1.25 m from the trunk, they were made with breaks from four sides of the tree (fig. 12)... The length of the dug groove is 1.2 m, the width is 50 cm, the depth is 35 cm, the volume of the groove is 0.21 m 3. The volume of all four grooves is 0.84 m 3. This means that organic and phosphate fertilizers must be applied twice as much as in the planting pit. Compost needs to be added 6–12 buckets, superphosphate mixed with phosphate rock - 2 kg, and potassium chloride - 0.4 kg.

Rice. 12. Fertilizer grooves

One-time soil fertilization can also be carried out in large gardens. For this, the aisles plow the shaft so that the crest is in the middle of the aisle. (fig. 13)... Thus, a furrow is formed by a number of trees, fertilizer can be introduced into it and repaired with subsequent processing.

Rice. 13. Land plowing

You can do it a little differently. First, spread the fertilizer along the row in a narrow strip, then draw a deep furrow with a plantation plow in this place, add fertilizer into it and close it up with soil removed from the furrow. So the whole soil is mixed with fertilizers from bottom to top. In places where the fertilizer is embedded deeply, in the future it is necessary to work the soil shallowly so as not to damage the roots.

Pears, plums and cherries have increased requirements for potassium. Therefore, on soils poor in potassium, the dose of this element is increased by about 20%.

The listed methods of fertilizing may seem difficult for someone, so we will consider the simplest method.

Organic and mineral fertilizers are applied annually for digging the trunk circle, expanding it over time, as well as increasing the dose of fertilizer applied. The soil near the tree is first dug deep, then a little shallower. If manure is applied together with mineral fertilizers, then the dose of mineral fertilizers is reduced by 1.5 times.

The absorption of nutrients by plants is also influenced by soil moisture. Some excess in the dose of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers is not dangerous. As for nitrogen fertilizers, their excess is washed out by rains and lost to the plant. Also, an increased amount of nitrogen can have bad influence for winter hardiness. Nitrogen fertilizers can be given not in one go, but in two. First, 2/3 of the prescribed dose is applied in early spring, then the weather conditions and tree growth are monitored. After that, they decide, it is necessary to make last part fertilizer or not. If the weather is cold, then nitrogen fertilization in summer can be avoided. Potassium chloride must be applied at one time, in the fall, so that chlorine is washed out of the root layer by autumn rains. Manure, potassium sulfate, superphosphate can be applied both in spring and autumn.

Fertilization of row spacings of young orchards

In gardens, the aisles are usually occupied by all kinds of crops. On poor soils, perennial lupine can be grown, fertilized with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers with the addition of a small dose of nitrogen. Lupine roots loosen the soil well and, decomposing in it, increase the amount of humus. The aerial part of the lupine can be used for mulching near-stem circles or for composting with peat. Stems and leaves of lupine quickly decompose in peat and transfer part of its nitrogen into a soluble state.

To ensure good growth of plants, they need to be watered and mulched in a timely manner. It is necessary to dig deep under the vegetables, as this creates a thick layer of soil enriched with humus and ash elements.

Any garden should have a soil management system installed. This includes operations such as crop rotation, tillage, and fertilization.

There cannot be the same system for keeping row spacings for all farms. But there are some conditions that must be identical for all farms. First of all, it is necessary to mechanize as fully as possible the care of inter-row crops, then enrich the soil with ash nutrients, which are scarce in the original soil.

The grasses that are grown in the garden can be used to feed livestock, and the crop residues should be plowed. The roots decompose more slowly than the aboveground part and have a positive effect on the soil structure.

With cultural turf, the conditions for ash feeding of trees change. During a series of experiments, it turned out that where the soil between rows was cultivated, signs of iron and potassium starvation were noted. And where turfing was practiced, these signs were absent. With cultivated turf, the supply of potassium and phosphorus to the plant increases, while the supply of nitrogen and magnesium decreases. Such sodding is unacceptable in gardens under 5 years of age. On poor soil, before sowing grasses, it is recommended to apply potash and phosphorus fertilizers in inflated doses in order to fill the soil with these fertilizers for several years. There are a number of ways in which you can significantly improve the nitrogen nutrition of a tree during cultivated turf.

There is a way in which nitrogen fertilizers are applied using a rush. The slots are made with peaks, where fertilizers are applied, as a result of which an increased nitrogen content is created. The disadvantage of this technique is that it can only be used in small gardens.

Another method is that nitrogen fertilizers are applied very early in the spring, over melted snow. Also, on personal plots, after continuous turfing, you can process near-trunk circles and apply fertilizer there.

An experiment was set up in which fertilizers were applied under the trees (60 kg of manure, 1 kg of ammonium nitrate, 2 kg of superphosphate per tree) in the near-trunk circle, placing them at different distances from the tree. top scores were obtained when fertilizing in a circle with a radius of 1.5 and 2.2 m. The results were worse when there was grass here, and fertilizers were applied in rings, placing them further from the trunk of the tree.

It is often recommended to apply foliar top dressing with urea. It is advised to carry it out from spring to mid-summer, every 10-14 days. Foliar dressing can be combined with spraying with poisons against pests and diseases. In order to ensure normal nitrogen nutrition of the tree with the help of foliar feeding, it is advisable to give urea in an increased concentration, but this is still dangerous, as it can cause leaf burns. In the fall, before the foliage falls, the danger from burns decreases, therefore, during this period, urea is fertilized at an increased concentration - up to 3-5%. This technique of supplying trees with nitrogen has already been carried out and gave good results.

Sodding is sometimes carried out through the aisle so that, due to the aisle free of grass, where nitrogen fertilization is applied, the whole plant is fed with nitrogen. After a certain period of time, the aisles that were under steam are tinned, and the other is processed under steam.

It would seem that the presence of perennial sod, even with frequent accumulation, should negatively affect water regime fruit trees. As a rule, this is observed at the beginning of the introduction of cultivated turf. But in the future, the picture changes somewhat. Plants already suffer less from lack of water. This is explained as follows: the soil under the mulch of perennial grasses is permeated with worms. Through these passages, water quickly penetrates into the lower layers of the soil and moisturizes them. In gardens where the soil is carefully cultivated, the moisture of precipitation is retained in the upper layers, often overmoistening them. With frequent mowing, the roots of the grasses do not penetrate deeply, therefore the evaporation of water from the grass is limited to the upper layer. In drought, soil moisture during turfing is lower than in fallow. For cultural turf, herbs such as timothy, red fescue, ryegrass are recommended. All of them are sown in a mixture with creeping, as well as red clover.

Some amateur gardeners use next take: in the summer, before seeding the grasses, they mow the borders and roads that are nearby, and use the mown hay after chopping as a seed. Resistant plant communities are formed on the borders and roads, which are created by natural selection and have longevity.

Cultivated turf with frequent mowing and chopping of grass is the best system soil care in gardens. Sodding preserves soil fertility, regulates the growth and fruiting of trees, reduces the possibility of ash starvation, improves fruit color, reduces pre-harvest shedding of fruits, and also creates good conditions for gardening in early spring and in very rainy weather. This technique can be carried out in gardens that are laid out on steep, non-terraced slopes, where a large soil washout is possible. This technique is recommended not only for young gardens, but also for adults (during the full fruiting period).

Fertilizing row spacings in adult gardens

In fruit-bearing orchards from the age of 12-15, the task of obtaining additional income from row spacings is no longer posed. Since that time, the main goal is to obtain stable high yields, to protect fruit-bearing trees from frost.

Row spacings are often kept in pairs. The disadvantage of this technique is that with the permanent use of the soil, it becomes depleted in humus. To avoid this, in the absence of organic fertilizers such as manure and compost, green fertilizer is applied. For this purpose, the sowing of herbs is carried out.

Herbs compete with fruit plants due to water and nutrients. In order to grow 20–30 tons of green mass, about 2500–4000 m 3 of water (250–400 mm of precipitation) must be spent per hectare. To avoid this disadvantage, grasses should be sown in summer when shoot growth stops. In the spring when it begins active development fruit trees, the soil must be kept free from other vegetation, in a loose state.

For the first time after sowing, there is no competition between fruit plants and grass. It appears when the grass begins to grow and is consuming a lot of water and nutrients. But during this period, the tree is already completing its growth, and the grass is no longer dangerous for it, and sometimes it is useful, as it helps to reduce the excess amount of nitrogen. You should not sow the grass too late, since it does not have time to give an abundant green mass before the onset of cold weather, which serves as a fertilizer for the soil.

Sowing of grasses is carried out depending on their growing season. Herbs that grow quickly can be sown later. Sowing dates must be chosen in such a way that in the fall, by the time of plowing, the grass has already bloomed and fruits begin to appear. During this period, the grass contains the largest amount of nitrogen.

Experiments have shown that, for example, plowing of lupine should be done at the stage of green beans. The sowing time is also influenced by weather conditions. In dry weather and dry soil, it is not worth sowing grass, since the seeds in this case either will not sprout, or they will sprout, but weakly. If there is no precipitation for a long time and the drought continues long enough, then the grass will have to be sown later, and this should not be allowed. Therefore, sowing grass this year will need to be abandoned.

Care should be taken when sowing grasses in areas with insufficient moisture. Trees in the second half of summer no longer need a lot of moisture. But nevertheless, if the garden is not watered, the grass should not be sown all over, but through the aisle. This technique helps to better supply the plants with water and makes it easier to maintain the garden.

Sowing grass is not done every year, but periodically. In the gardens of non-chernozem regions, lupine, vetch oat or pea-oat mixture, peas, turnips, honey plants (fanzelia, mustard, buckwheat and other crops) are sown, but lupine is considered the main plant here. Widely used in recent times fodder lupine. Its grain contains about 50% protein, in the stem and leaves - up to 3.2 protein. The green mass of lupine is used to feed livestock, and only roots and stubble are used to fertilize the soil.

It is best to mix 2-3 types of herbs in crops, for example, a mixture of lupine with phacelia. In this case, it grows more green masses. In order for lupine seeds to contain nodule bacteria, the seeds should be treated with nitragin before sowing. It is also recommended to use bacterial fertilizers for other legumes. Under non-leguminous plants, if there is little mineral nitrogen in the soil, in addition to phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, you can apply a little nitrogen (20–30 kg / ha).

Attention should also be paid to the seeding depth when sowing grasses. If the planting is too deep, they do not germinate, and at shallow planting, they fall into dry soil and also do not germinate.

Herbs are plowed in the fall. During the spring plowing of grasses in the first 3-4 weeks, biological fixation of nitrogen can occur. In this case, nitrogen fertilization is recommended to be applied in early spring.

Fertilizing fertile gardens

When fertilizing fruit trees, it is necessary to correctly calculate the doses of fertilizers, which is a rather difficult task. By choosing optimal amount fertilizers for one or another fruit tree, many factors must be taken into account: soil fertility, the quality of its processing, weather conditions, the number of trees in a given area, varietal characteristics of the tree, the age of trees, their size, harvest volume, the ability of roots to absorb nutrients, etc. etc.

Fertilizers should be correctly correlated, because the presence of one element can affect the absorption of another by a plant and vice versa. For example, a high content of calcium or magnesium in the soil negatively affects the absorption of potassium. In this case, the dose of potassium fertilizer must be increased.

Studies carried out in this area have shown that 80 kg of nitrogen, 60 kg of phosphorus, 120 kg of potassium per hectare (ratio 1: 0.75: 1.5) should be applied under cherries in non-irrigated orchards. For plums, the following fertilizer doses are recommended: 100 kg of phosphorus, 250 kg of potassium per hectare; 50 g per tree. The apple tree consumes more potassium than phosphorus. Naturally, these fertilizers should not be applied under the apple tree in the same proportions. Otherwise, the soil will be enriched with phosphorus more than potassium. Some experts recommend applying a large amount of fertilizer to the soil at once.

The fruit tree, having entered the season of fruiting, at first gives small yields, which increase over time. Nitrogen fertilizers, as mentioned above, should be applied based on the needs of plants for them in this year... The more harvest it gives fruit tree, the more nitrogen fertilizer you need to apply. Nitrogen fertilizer is applied in such a way that it is almost all consumed during the growing season. (tab. 5).

Table. 5. Calculation of the required amount of nitrogen fertilizers

It is necessary to regulate the amount of fertilizers, taking into account the external signs of the development of trees, then increasing the dose, then decreasing. In the early years, fertilization can be carried out directly around the trunk itself, later - along the entire row spacing.

Fertilizers, which include nitrogen in the ammonia form, can be applied in the spring and autumn, in the nitrate form in the spring. They can be repaired in one go or in two periods: the first part (2/3 of the dose) should be applied in the spring, the second part (1/3 of the dose) - at the beginning of summer, depending on weather conditions.

Phosphorus, potassium and magnesium fertilizers, in contrast to nitrogen fertilizers, are applied not only to provide the plant with the necessary nutrients, but also for the general enrichment of the soil. Phosphorus is introduced at the rate of 50 kg of active substance per 1 ha (5 g / m 2), potassium - 70-80 kg / ha (7-8 g / m 2). On poor soils, they are given in large quantities. For local application of fertilizers to the place of root development in large gardens, a plow is made with a plow 25–30 cm deep, retreating from the crown towards the middle. Phosphate fertilizers are given at the rate of 4 years, potash - at the rate of 2 years. In order for the roots of the tree to develop better, nitrogen fertilizer is introduced into the furrow, for example, 20–25 g of ammonium sulfate per one running meter of the furrow. After incorporating the fertilizer, the furrow is covered with soil. Later, shallow soil cultivation is carried out at this place so as not to damage the roots of the plant. After 4 years, repeat deep fertilization. The second furrow is made next to the first. Potash fertilizers should be applied annually, reducing the dose to 40-50%.

In household plots, in order to deeply embed fertilizer around the trunk, grooves are dug out at the crown level with a narrow blade, 1-2 per square meter.

Fertilizer is applied to the grooves dry or in the form of a chatterbox. It can consist of superphosphate (5 parts), potassium chloride (3 parts), ammonium nitrate (1 part). The bolt is made in such an amount that 50 g of the mixture falls on each groove.

After fertilization, each groove is filled up to half with water. After the water has been absorbed, the grooves are covered with earth. After 2-3 years, deep soil fertilization is repeated.

Fertilizing currants and gooseberries

Among all fruit and berry crops, currants, gooseberries, and also raspberries are especially in need of fertile soil... They need special care, and the life expectancy of the bushes and their productivity depend on it. There are cases when, as a result of good care, even forty-year-old gooseberry bushes gave high yields.

Currants are considered less durable than gooseberries. In the first year after planting, currants give about four new strong shoots, which at first branch very weakly or do not branch at all. On next year new shoots appear, and the old ones continue to grow in length, branching out on the sides. These lateral ramifications are usually fruiting. In the first months after planting, the aerial organs of the currant develop much more strongly than the root system. This period is most favorable for fertilizing the soil. Roots develop better in the first year after planting.

In the 2nd year, the currant gives the first small harvest, the gooseberry begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year after planting. As the bushes grow, their yield increases. In order to obtain higher yields, it is necessary to fertilize the soil as best as possible, since as the fruitfulness of crops increases, the need for nutrients increases.

Crops become fully fertile when there are 15–20 strong shoots on the bush. With careful care, this period begins for currants in the 5th year, for gooseberries - a little later.

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that with good branching of the bush, the yield remains stably high, but when the growth of branches slows down, fertility decreases. Therefore, if a branch stops growing, it should be pruned. Broken and diseased branches are also removed. At correct pruning bush and good care a gooseberry branch gives yields for 9-10 years, and sometimes more. The currant branch is aging faster, already in the 4th year.

Continuous replacement of old branches with new ones is necessary to maintain high productivity of the bush. All this requires an increased dose of fertilizers.

The root system of currants and gooseberries is located in the ground at a depth of 1.5 m, its bulk is located relatively shallow (up to 30 cm from the surface on sod-podzolic soils and a little deeper on light soils and chernozem). The best soil for currants and gooseberries is a light, loose sandy soil. Therefore, one should not only monitor the provision of these crops with nutrients, but also improve the physical properties of the soil, give it looseness.

In early spring, after the snow melts, the buds of currants and gooseberries begin to bloom. During this period, the soil is characterized by a relatively low microbiological activity, contains an insufficient amount of nutrients for plants, especially nitrogen. At the beginning of the spring, crops develop mainly through the consumption of stocks deposited in the wood and roots of the previous fall. Therefore, in the fall, the plant must be provided with useful substances, otherwise they will become less winter-hardy and will develop poorly in early spring.

Early leaf fall is a characteristic sign of a lack of nutrients. The winter hardiness of the plant may decrease as a result of metabolic disorders of the plant associated with too high autumn nitrogen nutrition or lack of potassium in the soil.

In the second half of spring, as well as in summer, plants need to be fed in order for the roots and shoots to grow and develop well, as well as for filling berries and laying fruit buds.

Some experts believe that the early fall of the ovaries on the bushes (in many areas it occurs within a week after the appearance of the ovaries) is associated with poor plant nutrition. Others refute this opinion, and see the cause of shedding in poor fertilization of the ovaries.

Fertilizer is applied to currants and gooseberries in the same way, but more potassium should be placed under the gooseberries, and more phosphorus under the currants. Currants are more sensitive to chlorine than gooseberries; therefore, potassium-containing substances should be avoided for fertilization, and it is better to use wood ash and potassium sulfate.

Lime can be applied just before planting. Under the gooseberry, liming is carried out only on acidic soil in a half dose or not at all, and later manure is applied.

In early summer, a sign of a lack of nutrients in gooseberries is a discoloration of the leaves. They either acquire a colored rim along the edge of the leaf blade, or become covered with purple spots, or acquire an uncharacteristic shade. A well-fertilized bush has strong, even leaves of a dark green color.

The color of the leaf begins to change only with the arrival of autumn. It follows from this that by outward signs- such as the color and size of leaves, the size of the yield, - you can get a clear idea of ​​the level of nutrition of the plant and take appropriate measures to increase or decrease the dose of fertilizer.

Before planting currants and gooseberries, local soil improvement is carried out. The size of the planting pit for these shrubs is 60 cm in diameter and 30–35 cm in height. The amount of fertilizer applied is determined by the size of the pit.

For fertilization, humus and compost are widely used, which are covered with one or two buckets for each pit. You can also use manure, but it should be borne in mind that in the first year after planting it does not give an effect, as it decomposes slowly.

Of the mineral fertilizers, namely phosphoric fertilizers, phosphorite or bone meal and other hardly soluble fertilizers are used at the rate of 300–400 g per pit with the addition of 40–50 g of superphosphate.

Of potash fertilizers, wood ash is widely used at the rate of 400 g per pit, as well as potassium sulfate - 50–70 g. From nitrogen fertilizers, 40 g of ammonium sulfate are added.

In the first year after planting, currants and gooseberries do not need to be fertilized if the planting pit has been well filled. It is recommended to mulch the soil around the bush, that is, cover it with humus, compost or manure. In this case, the manure should not touch the plant. In the case when the plants, despite good weather conditions, have light green leaves in the first year after planting, in July they should be fed with liquid nitrogen fertilizer. To do this, dilute 12-15 g of ammonium nitrate in a bucket of water and add half a bucket of solution to each plant. From the second year after planting currants and gooseberries, the soil should be fed with phosphorus, potash and organic fertilizers. You need to fertilize the area of ​​soil that, upon the final formation of the bush, will be under the crown, since at a later date it will be much more difficult to do this. The amount of fertilizer should be chosen based on the initial fertility of the soil.

There are several ways to improve the soil:

- filling with fertilizers for several years by surface fertilization;

- one-time filling of the soil with ring circles;

- annual application of fertilizers with a gradual decrease in the depth of tillage at the crown.

In all these cases, nitrogen fertilizers are applied at the rate of 9-10 g of active ingredient per 1 m 2 (30 g of ammonium nitrate or 45-50 g of ammonium sulfate).

The area of ​​soils where fertilization is applied increases with the growth of the shrub; at the same time, it is necessary to increase the amount of fertilizer applied. The remaining fertilizers, manure, composts, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied in a circle with a radius of 1 m. Light sandy soils should be additionally enriched with peat and pond silt to reduce soil leaching. After refueling, the soil around the bush is dug to a depth of 18–20 cm. To avoid damage to the roots, when digging, the blade of the shovel should be placed along the radius of the circle, and not across (with an edge, and not with a cloth towards the bush). If there are too many roots in this area, you need to move away from the plant.

Deep digging with turning over the soil layers can be carried out in two steps: the first time from both sides of the bush, the second time, the next year, from the other two sides. In the place where deep digging was carried out, then surface tillage should be carried out in order to avoid damage to the roots, which began to actively develop at the place of deep digging.

On small backyards garden plots the soil can be improved in one go. To do this, in the place where the planting hole was located, a groove should be dug to a depth of 25 cm, 50-60 cm wide. 40-50 kg of manure or compost, 300-400 g of superphosphate, 100-150 g of chloride are added to the dug soil for each bush. potassium. Under the gooseberry, the dose of superphosphate can be reduced to 250 g. The soil must be mixed with fertilizers and poured into the groove. In the future, this area is subjected to shallow processing.

Light sandy soil should be fertilized as follows. Dig a groove and put in an even layer of 2-3 cm compost from clay soil (silt) and manure. Their ratio in compost is equal to one part of clay soil and two parts of manure. Such an interlayer reduces soil leachability and improves its properties. Then mix the excavated soil with the above fertilizers and fill the groove with it.

In large areas, a slightly different method of soil fertilization is used. At first, fertilization is carried out annually with deep embedding. After the bushes grow strongly, they switch to shallow plowing, since it becomes quite difficult to carry out deep digging. The roots will then rise slightly and begin to develop in the lower layers of the fertilized soil. Ash nutrients will gradually penetrate into deeper layers of the soil. Such use of fertilizers is considered the most rational, does not require large costs and additional processing. The optimal amount of available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium after fertilization is 15–20 mg per 100 g of soil.

In subsequent years, it is necessary to maintain the created favorable conditions for good growth of crops and obtaining high yields, from time to time feeding them with useful substances. To maintain soil fertility at a high level, it is necessary to apply 200-300 kg of ammonium nitrate, 2-3 centners of superphosphate and 1.5-2 centners of potassium chloride under the gooseberry per 1 hectare. For one bush it will amount to: 60–80 g of ammonium nitrate, 70–100 g of superphosphate, 75–90 g of potassium chloride.

Phosphate fertilizer can be applied every three years. With more frequent application, the fertilizer dose is reduced. Instead of inorganic fertilizers, 10-15 kg of manure should be applied every three to four years per bush.

Red and white currants give higher yields than black ones, respectively, and the yield of useful elements is stronger. Therefore, the dose of fertilizers for black currant should be increased.

Fertilizing raspberries

After planting, raspberries give shoots that grow in length and width in the first year, practically without branching. The next year, shoots begin to appear from the lateral buds, which subsequently become fruitful. After fruiting, they die off. They should be removed. Raspberry roots, in contrast to the aerial biennial part, are perennial. They are usually found in the topsoil and do not penetrate deep into the soil. Therefore, raspberries react sharply to drought. The roots in the middle of summer at the very base of the bush give a lot of buds, from which shoots grow the next year. The presence of a large number of annual shoots is considered to be an indicator of high yields. Raspberries love loose, fertile soil.

Sandy soils are quite loose, but they contain few nutrients and poor moisture retention. Heavy clay soils are more nutrient-rich than sandy soils, but they have water in them, which forces the air out of the ground for plants.

The best soils for raspberries are considered loamy and sandy loamy, enriched with organic and inorganic substances... In order to make sandy soils suitable for growing raspberries, it is necessary to enrich them with nutrients by introducing fertilizers such as peat, manure, pond silt into them. To get high yields of raspberries on clay soils, a favorable loose layer should be created. To do this, it is worth accumulating a sufficient amount of humus in the soil and adding peat.

An excessive number of shoots should not be allowed to germinate, as this leads to an excessive and wasted consumption of nutrients, moreover, the branches interfere and shade each other.

The most essential nutrients for raspberries are nitrogen and potassium, in lesser degree- phosphorus. They are absorbed by raspberries in summer. At this time, the soil should be at its most fertile.

Raspberry shoots do not tolerate frost. They often freeze tops. If in the second half of summer and autumn there is too much nitrogen in the soil, the plants, consuming it, slow down their growth, and the shoots do not ripen well. As a result, in winter time not only their tops freeze, but also the buds of most of the stem, which leads to a decrease in yield. Therefore, in the summer (in the second half), nitrogen fertilizers should not be applied to the soil. During this period, they most need potassium and phosphorus, since these elements contribute to the ripening of shoots.

In the first years after planting, raspberry yields gradually increase as the number of shoots and their vigor increase, and along with this, the crop's need for nutrients increases. In the 5-6th year, the fruitfulness of raspberries reaches its maximum value. At this time, she needs organic fertilizers. Digging raspberries should be carried out at a shallow depth due to the superficial location of the roots.

Chlorine negatively affects raspberries. Therefore, potash fertilizers, which include chlorine, should be applied in the fall. Raspberry tolerates soil acidity relatively well.

Some experts believe that magnesium has a positive effect on raspberries, with a lack of which the leaves begin to turn yellow, so it is worth applying magnesium fertilizer under the raspberries.

Before planting raspberries, you should enrich the soil with humus. To do this, you need to apply a large amount of manure, as well as potash and phosphorus fertilizers.

Before laying the plantation in order to enrich the soil with humus, you can sow the site with annual grasses. On small household plots, you can apply local fertilization, that is, put 1-2 kg of humus in a hole dug for planting raspberries. The introduction of 5-6 kg of compost made from soil and manure in a 1: 2 ratio with the addition of 1% superphosphate based on the mass of manure is encouraged. Fertilizing the soil before planting provides the plant with useful substances for several years.

Freshly planted raspberries after spring loosening should be mulched, that is, overlaid with loose organic material. It can be composted peat, dry leaves, humus, manure. When mulching with manure, its particles should not come into contact with the leaves of the bush, otherwise burns may appear.

Mulching is especially valuable for raspberries. It must be carried out in the first two to three years after planting.

After preplanting the soil with manure, it should be applied every year at 3-4 kg per 1 m 2. It can be closed up not over the entire area of ​​the site, but in strips along the plants, as the raspberries grow, the manure strips should be increased in width. Soils that are well filled before planting should be fertilized every three to four years, and in the intervening years, it is recommended to apply only nitrogen fertilizers (3-4 g per 1 m 2).

You can combine the application of mineral and organic fertilizers. In this case, the doses of both are halved and amount to 1 m 2: 1.5 kg of manure, 3-4 g of nitrogen, 2 g of phosphorus and 3 g of potassium. Potassium is recommended to be applied in autumn, manure and phosphorus - in autumn and early spring.

Mineral fertilizers are applied in two ways: either in one step, or in two terms (2/3 of the norm - in spring, the rest - at the very beginning of summer as top dressing). Phosphorus-potassium dressing can be carried out at a later date, in June or July.

Fertilizer doses should be adjusted based on the growth of the bush and the yield of berries. If the bush has shoots 2 m high and sufficient thickness, and the yield reaches 1–1, 5 kg per bush, this means that fertilizers have been applied correctly, the soil is enriched with nutrients and there is no need to increase the fertilizer dose. If the yield, despite the sufficient amount of moisture and the absence of freezing of the buds in winter, is not high, the dose of fertilizers should be increased and applied more often.

Fertilizing strawberries

Strawberries are not as picky about the type of soil as the aforementioned berry bushes. With good care and optimal weather conditions, it easily adapts to any land and gives high yields, reaching 8-10 tons per hectare. The only exceptions are calcareous soils.

Loamy and sandy loam soils with a low salt concentration, an increased amount of organic matter and sufficient moisture are best suited for it.

In terms of climatic conditions for strawberries, the most favorable are the central zone and Western part non-black earth strip. In these areas, in summer there is sufficient, but not excessive, precipitation, and in winter, good snow cover protects the strawberries from freezing.

If all the rules for growing this berry crop are observed, namely with timely soil cultivation and planting, regular control of weed areas, insect pests, diseases, etc., you can achieve high yields. But this does not mean that this crop does not need to be fertilized. On the contrary, correct fertilization is a prerequisite for good plant productivity, but fertilizers should be used in smaller doses than when fertilizing more demanding berries - gooseberries, currants and raspberries. In order to choose the optimal doses of fertilizers and get a high yield, you need to know the biological characteristics of strawberries.

Strawberries are perennial herbaceous plants... Strawberries ripen early enough, when other plants do not yet have fruits and berries. They are distinguished by high taste, contain a large amount of sugars, acids, mineral salts and vitamin C. Strawberries are considered a high-yielding crop. At proper care and timely processing of soil from 100 m 2, you can get 100–150 kg or more. It has a short, highly branched stem. The ramifications are called horns, the growth point of an individual horn is called a heart.

Strawberry roots are located shallow from the surface of the earth. The greatest depth of root penetration reaches no more than 70 cm. Due to the inability of the strawberry root system to extract moisture from deep soil layers, it does not tolerate a lack of water. But you should not water the strawberries too much, as when waterlogged, its roots rot. Due to its large branching, the plant makes good use of soil nutrients, with the exception of poorly soluble compounds, which the roots of the plant absorb rather poorly.

With a decrease in air temperature, the growth of plants and tendrils of strawberries slows down, however, the air temperature does not significantly affect the roots and rosettes.

Strawberry leaves grow throughout the growing season, but unevenly. In spring, after the establishment of warm weather, as well as after fruiting, they develop with great intensity. During the filling and ripening of the berries, the growth of the leaves slows down significantly.

The choice of a place for planting strawberries must be approached very carefully. The area should be relatively flat. It is desirable that on the north side it was protected by buildings or trees.

In areas with insufficient soil moisture (central chernozem zones), it is recommended to plant in grooves to a depth of 8 cm. The width of one groove should be 15–20 cm. Each groove is filled with water at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 running meter. Seedlings are placed at the bottom of the groove, the soil from the edges of the groove is pressed tightly to the roots. After planting, the seedlings are watered and mulched with peat or crushed humus.

On highly moistened soil, strawberries are planted in ridges to avoid getting wet. Ridges are best positioned from north to south in order to reduce their drying out. It is better to make ridges from turf, since they are distinguished by the greatest strength, they are less destroyed by water and processing. The width of one ridge is 60–70 cm. The distance between the rows should be 30 cm, and between the plants - 15–20 cm. The ridges are used only in exceptional cases, when water stagnates in the area. They are difficult to handle, they dry out faster and require frequent watering and a high expenditure of energy. The crop yield on the ridges is usually less.

Strawberries are planted in late summer or early autumn, less often in spring. Plants planted in the fall will quickly sprout roots. In the spring, few roots are formed; during this period, mainly small suction roots develop. Therefore, in the spring, the soil must be cultivated with great care so as not to damage the plant's root system. Strawberries planted in spring yield a normal harvest for the next year. If it is planted in the fall, then it will reach full fruiting only after a year.

In the autumn, planting must be completed before the onset of cold weather, since at temperatures below + 7 ° C, the root system of the culture does not develop.

In early spring, when there is a large amount of water in the soil, the small suction roots of the strawberry reach the surface. Therefore, fertilizers can be applied completely, under hoeing. In summer, when the topsoil dries up, it is better to embed phosphorus fertilizers in the grooves. In this case, the assimilation of nutrients is not entirely uniform, but throughout summer period... This is essential.

Do not forget that plants that consume fertilizers throughout the growing season result in less fertilization than if they consume more nutrients, but in a shorter time.

In the fall, fruit buds are laid. After fruiting, the mustache begins to grow vigorously in the plant.

It is known that nitrogen fertilization applied in early spring affects to a greater extent the development of a plant's whiskers than its fruiting. Therefore, when applying nitrogen fertilizer for strawberry varieties that tend to give a lot of whiskers, you should be especially careful. But if strawberries have developed poorly since the fall of the previous year, nitrogen fertilization will only be beneficial. In the autumn, plants are especially in need of nutrients, on which they depend. further growth and fruiting. In late autumn, nutrients from the leaves are transferred to the roots and stems. There, the deposition of reserve substances takes place, which in the spring will be necessary for the germination of new leaves. Some experts believe that not only the growth of leaves, but also the flowering and fruiting of the plant depends on the degree of substances stored in the fall. This feature must be taken into account when determining the timing of fertilization.

The strawberry bush has full-fledged fruiting for 5-6 years, after which the yield begins to decline significantly.

Some experts believe that strawberries are very demanding on the fertility of the soil and fertilizers for it must be applied in large doses. Others have a different opinion. It is known that nitrogen fertilization should not be overused in dry areas. Strawberries do not tolerate drought very well, and nitrogen fertilizers contribute to the active growth of leaves, which, in turn, evaporate a large amount of moisture, so necessary for the plant.

Strawberry processing must be carried out carefully and in a timely manner. Experiments have shown that filling the soil with fertilizers before planting strawberries is more effective than applying increased doses to the strawberries themselves.

After planting a crop, it is very difficult to apply fertilizer to the desired depth. Manure is usually applied to the soil surface near bushes. In this case, nutrients are poorly assimilated by plants, some of them are lost. Phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied in the grooves, but this is quite laborious.

There are several rules for filling the soil before planting strawberry plantations. After harvesting the previous crop, organic and mineral (phosphorus and potash) fertilizers must be added to the soil and dug up. The land for planting strawberries should settle well, so soil preparation should be carried out in advance (for spring planting - in autumn, for autumn planting - at the end of summer, a month before planting). If the soil is not allowed to settle before the plantation is planted, the roots of the planted strawberries will soon be exposed due to soil subsidence. The surface of the ground must be leveled with hoes and rakes to avoid sparse plantings.

Fertilization should be started one to two years before planting. Fertilizer doses should be selected depending on the degree of nutrient enrichment of the soil.

On podzolic soils, the optimal amount of fertilizers per 1 m 2 is: 6–8 kg of manure or other organic fertilizer, 40–60 g of superphosphate, 20 g of calcium chloride. It is better to plant strawberries in mid-August, at least in September.

Before planting strawberries, fertilizers are distributed over the years. At this time, the field can be occupied with vegetables. In the first year, 3-4 kg of manure, 20-30 g of superphosphate, 10-15 g of potassium chloride, 20 g of ammonium sulfate per 1 m 2 are applied.

In the summer, if the plants develop poorly, you can slightly fertilize them with nitrogen fertilizer or a solution of a vegetable (garden) mixture.

In the second year, in the spring, 3-4 kg of manure, 20 g of superphosphate or bone meal, 10 g of potassium chloride and a little nitrogen fertilizer per 1 m 2 are covered.

Strawberries are actively developing on slightly acidic soils. Liming should be carried out on acidic soils. V different types soil at the same acidity may contain different amounts of soluble aluminum. Therefore, the effectiveness of lime-lime on different soils may be different.

For example, it is known that under the action of organic matter, aluminum precipitates. On soils with a high organic matter content and at low pH, strawberries grow and bear fruit well, while on other soils with the same acidity, they develop sluggishly.

The harmful effects of acidity can be reduced by adding calcium to the soil. Soils with a pH below 5 need liming. Lime, which was introduced immediately before planting, negatively affects the survival rate of plants, delays the development of roots. Therefore, liming should be carried out not in the year of planting strawberries, but earlier, under previous crops.

Diagnostics of the plant's need for nutrients

There is no method to accurately determine the plant's need for a particular fertilizer. According to the analysis carried out for phosphorus and potassium according to the method of Kirsanov and Chirikov, the soils are grouped as follows (tab. 6).

Table 6. Content of nutrients (in mg per 100 g of soil)

If the soil analysis was done in a different way, then, accordingly, the digital data for it will be different. The phosphorus data indicated in the table refer to all podzolic soils, regardless of the texture. The potassium content refers to sandy loam soils, and also slightly to loamy soils. Clayy heavy soils should contain much more potassium. For different plants, the degree of supply with different nutrients is not the same. Some plants absorb nutrients from difficult-to-dissolve forms better than others. Ultimately, the soil for one plant can be classified as rich, for another - as medium. Black currant absorbs phosphorus from poorly soluble compounds weaker than gooseberries or apple trees.

In gardens with a compact planting, that is, with small food areas, the numbers from the table will be low. They need to be increased: almost twice for phosphorus, 1.5 times for magnesium and potassium on light soils, and 2.5 times for heavy clay soils.

It is necessary to determine the fertility of the soil before laying the garden or in the first years after planting. Analysis data make it possible to find out what kind of soil in relation to a particular nutrient you have to deal with and to what extent it should be enriched with fertilizers containing this or that element. If one site contains 4 mg of potassium, and the other - 10 mg, then in order to bring the sites to the same level in terms of potassium content, more potassium fertilizer must be applied in the first site than in the second.

Soil analysis must be carried out in subsequent years, in order to find out how the soil is being enriched, whether it is necessary to continue to apply fertilizers in the same amount or the dose should be reduced.

Fertility is not difficult to establish when fertilizers are applied all over the site. But when they are brought into the hearths or around trees, it is very difficult to decide where to take the soil for analysis. By chance, you can take a soil sample where a lot of fertilizer has been applied, and then you get the impression that the soil is well fertilized.

Fruit trees have a deep root system, they absorb nutrients not only from the upper layer, but also from deeper layers. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the soil simultaneously in a 20–40 cm layer.

There is a big difference between the nutrient content and the actual availability of nutrients to plants. Plants make significant adjustments to the test readings due to the different needs for nutrients at one time or another. These differences are especially significant for horticultural crops. All of the above creates certain difficulties for the precise establishment of doses based on these indicators alone.

Optimizing mineral nutrition through fertilization plays key role in increasing the productivity of agricultural crops.

However, the use of even optimal doses of fertilizers without taking into account the needs of plants for nutrients at certain stages of their growth and development and the nature of the intrasoil transformation of nutrients cannot give a proper increase in the yield and / or improve its quality. Harmonious supply of agricultural crops with nutrients can be achieved through the use of various techniques, methods and timing of fertilization.

Fertilizer application methods are classified based on the purpose and time of fertilization relative to the timing of sowing or planting on pre-sowing (main), pre-sowing, near-planting (row) and post-sowing fertilizers. The main and pre-sowing application of fertilizers is envisaged in the cultivation technologies of most field and vegetable crops. Plant feeding is planned in cases where they are more effective than other fertilization methods due to possible losses elements of nutrition or deterioration of the condition of plants, for example, the forced transfer of part of the fertilizers to top dressing on light sandy soils; spring nitrogen fertilization of winter and perennial grasses. Unscheduled fertilizing of plants with fertilizers is carried out, if they were not applied for any reason before sowing, in order to adjust the conditions of mineral plants when the weather conditions improve and the possibility of obtaining higher yields when applying fertilizers appears.

The main (pre-sowing) fertilizer is intended to provide agricultural crops with nutrients throughout the growing season, therefore, it includes most of the total dose. Since the main fertilizer is used by plants for a long time, it is deeply embedded in the topsoil.

In the agrochemical aspect, the use of nutrients by plants, as a rule, increases as the time of fertilization approaches the period of their most intensive use by plants.

It is important to note that as a result of the chemical fixation of phosphorus and the non-exchange fixation of potassium in the soil, their availability to plants is gradually decreasing, and it could be assumed that phosphorus and potash fertilizers should be applied for spring crops not in autumn for fall plowing, but in spring for plowing or plowing. However, to carry out spring plowing, it is necessary to postpone the sowing of early cereals (oats, barley, wheat, etc.) and leguminous crops for 10-12 or more days so that the soil dries up and could be plowed, which, as you know, will lead to significant (7 -10 centners / ha) shortage of grain harvest. Therefore, despite the expected better use of phosphorus and potassium when fertilizing in spring for plowing, the increase in the availability of phosphorus and potassium does not cover the decrease in yield due to non-compliance with the sowing time. In the steppe regions, fertilization for spring plowing is ineffective due to significant moisture loss due to evaporation.

Numerous studies carried out in various regions of the country (Ermokhin Yu.I., 2005; Mineev V.G., 1999; Myazin N.G., 1998) have shown that on all soils (except sandy) the most effective use of phosphorus and potash fertilizers in the fall for autumn plowing with a plow with a skimmer. Manure, phosphate rock, compost, peat, green manure and other fertilizers are effective as the main fertilizer.

Pre-sowing fertilizer is applied, as a rule, in a superficially scattered way, followed by embedding to a depth of 20-25 cm with a plow or other tillage implements. Phosphate flour, organic and lime fertilizers must be thoroughly mixed to the depth of the arable soil layer. Good mixing of fertilizers with the soil is achieved by treating the soil with a disc harrow, followed by plowing with a plow without a skimmer.

Deep incorporation of mineral fertilizers is necessary when fertilizing crops with a long growing season and the consumption of nutrients: potatoes, cabbage, beets, winter grain corn, perennial grasses, etc. Shallow incorporation of phosphorus, potash and organic fertilizers (for example, with a cultivator) reduces their effectiveness. However, the most effective way pre-sowing application of phosphorus and potash fertilizers is local, in which fertilizers are concentratedly placed inside the arable soil layer with a tape or a solid screen at a depth of 10-14 cm.

Preseeding(row) fertilizer serves to provide plants with nutrients and, above all, phosphorus, on early stages their development. After germination, the plants quickly use the reserves of phosphorus in the grain for growth, and since during this period they have an underdeveloped root system, they are not able to provide themselves with phosphorus on poor soils. Therefore, in the first week after germination (8-10 days), a critical period is observed in plants with respect to the main nutrients. In all cultures, at a young age, phosphorus deficiency is most acutely felt. The reason for this is its low mobility in the soil, since in water and sandy cultures, phosphorus deficiency is rarely manifested under normal conditions. To prevent phosphorus deficiency in young plants, granular superphosphate or ammophos is used as a row fertilizer at doses of 10-15 kg / ha P 2 O 5. For crops that are quite sensitive to the concentration of salts: flax, onion, cucumber, carrots and corn, the dose of phosphorus should not exceed 8 kg Р 2 О 5 per 1 ha. For potatoes, beets and other crops resistant to an increased concentration of soil solution, it is better to use complex fertilizers (azofoska, nitroammofoska, karbofoska, nitrophoska, etc.) in doses of 10-15 kg / ha of each nutrient.

High doses of pre-sowing fertilizer (15-20 kg / ha P 2 O 5 and more) significantly reduces the return on phosphorus by increasing the yield and the productivity of sowing units.

The introduction of 10-12 kg / ha P 2 O 5 in rows during sowing provides a high return on phosphorus fertilizers, especially on soils with a low phosphorus content. Depending on the soil and climatic conditions, 1 kg of Р 2 О 5 introduced into the rows during sowing pays off 8-12 kg of grain, which is 2-3 times higher in comparison with the pre-sowing introduction of phosphorus.

Post-sowing fertilization(feeding) - the method of applying solid or liquid fertilizers to vegetative plants. Top dressing is called root dressing if fertilizers are applied to the soil surface or during inter-row cultivation with a cultivator - plant feeder. Foliar fertilization includes fertilizing with a solution of macro - and micronutrient fertilizers of vegetative plants. Fertilizing after sowing (planting) before germination is not top dressing. Top dressing has a multipurpose purpose: early spring nitrogen dressing of winter crops and perennial grasses to a large extent plays the role of the main fertilizer, foliar nitrogen dressing of cereals in the flowering-milk ripeness phase is used to increase the protein content in the grain, feeding with macro- and microelements in certain periods of the growing season of plants are aimed at improving the conditions for mineral nutrition and increasing yields. In gardens and on long-term cultivated pastures, top dressing is the main method of fertilizing during the long-term growing season of plants.

Top dressing allows you to quickly meet the need of plants for the appropriate nutrients in the period of urgent need and maximum return on the crop.

The timing of top dressing, depending on the biological characteristics of cultivated crops and the intended purpose of commercial products, can be spring, summer, autumn, and southern regions year-round. For example, in orchards and berry fields, spring and summer dressings are often combined with autumn ones. Summer dressing with macro - and microelements is widely practiced on all soils, especially sandy ones, in the cultivation of vegetables, fodder and industrial crops with a long growing season: late cabbage, carrots, table, sugar and fodder beets, corn, etc. a short growing season, as a rule, do not feed. Early spring feeding of winter crops and perennial grasses is carried out during the period of renewal of plant vegetation. On long-term cultivated pastures (LKP) and meadows, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is usually carried out after each grazing or cutting.

It should be noted that at high doses of fertilizers, the transfer of some of them from the main fertilizer to the post-sowing fertilizer can significantly reduce the loss of nutrients on light soils as a result of leaching and thereby reduce environmental pollution.

Depending on the type of plants, mineral and organic fertilizers, as well as industrial waste related to them, can be used for feeding. Top dressing is carried out with fertilizer or grain seeders, machines with centrifugal spreaders, slurry spreaders or sprayers.

It should be noted that plant feeding is an important technique for increasing the productivity of agricultural crops and the quality of the harvest only if they are based on the use of operational data from soil and plant diagnostics and appropriate recommendations (Yu.I. Ermokhin, 2010).

Fertilization methods subdivided according to the nature of distribution in the soil and agrotechnical methods of application. Based on the peculiarities of the placement of fertilizers in the soil, the methods of their introduction are divided into continuous (scattered) and local; on technological features introduction is distinguished by manual and mechanized (ground or aviation) method; according to the number of applied annual doses of fertilizers, they are allocated for annual and spare (for 2-3 years) application.

The continuous (spread) method of applying fertilizers consists in the uniform distribution of fertilizers over the surface of the field, followed by their incorporation to the required depth with appropriate implements. The spreading method is widely used for pre-sowing and post-sowing application of mineral and organic fertilizers.

At present, almost all agricultural machines used for fertilizing, except for machines for intra-soil application of ammonia, operate on the basis of a continuous method of fertilizing: spreaders of mineral and organic fertilizers, fertilizer seeders and sprayers, etc. The widespread use of these machines is due to their high productivity and low the cost of fertilization.

At the same time, along with the uniform distribution of fertilizers over the surface of the field, the effectiveness of their application largely depends on the method and quality of their incorporation into the soil by subsequent tillage methods.

A big disadvantage of machines with centrifugal sifting apparatus and machines with pneumatic spreading of pulverized fertilizers is the high uneven distribution of fertilizers. The uniformity of fertilization is significantly reduced with an increase in humidity, a change in the granulometric composition of fertilizers and other physical properties of fertilizers. Uniform application of mineral fertilizers is achieved only by fertilizer seeders.

Fertilization timing are the most important factor in optimizing the mineral nutrition of plants and increasing the productivity of agricultural crops. Untimely application, even of correctly established doses of fertilizers, cannot give the expected effect. The timing of the use of fertilizers is determined by many factors, among which the dynamics of the consumption of nutrients by plants, the nature of the transformation of fertilizers into the soil and the agrotechnical capabilities of the economy are of decisive importance.

The timing of the application of fertilizers can be focused on the seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter, or the period of the year and the phase of plant development, for example, “in the spring during the renewal of winter crops or tillering”, “in the summer during the flowering period," etc. southern countries where the seasonality of the climate is weak and 2-3 harvests per year are obtained, the timing of the application of fertilizers and other agrotechnical measures are focused mainly on the phases of development and the state of plants.

In the summer-autumn and autumn periods in most of the territory of the Russian Federation, for winter and spring crops, organic, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and ameliorants should be applied (with the exception of sandy soils). In the spring, early fertilizing of winter crops, perennial grasses and fruit crops is carried out. On loamy soils for spring crops, nitrogen is applied in spring for presowing cultivation, and on sandy soils - complete fertilization (NPK).

In summer, root fertilizing with macro- and micronutrient fertilizers of vegetable, forage and industrial crops is carried out during inter-row soil cultivation, subcrusting of hayfields and pastures after mowing or grazing, and foliar nitrogen fertilization of wheat. Spare fertilization is carried out when the soil is cultivated for various agricultural lands. Winter period is not favorable for the use of organic and mineral fertilizers, however, on level fields or on fields with a slight slope with a shallow snow cover, the use of lime fertilizers is permissible.

Fertilizer placement depth... The depth of fertilization has a significant impact on the productivity of agricultural crops. The optimal placement depth of fertilizers in the topsoil is determined by morphological features the structure of the root system, the nature of the intrasoil transformation of fertilizers, climatic conditions, the granulometric composition of the soil and the duration of the growing season of plants. For example, when sowing vegetable crops, fertilizers should be applied deeply, into a layer of 25-28 cm, and when seedling method When growing (cabbage, cucumber, tomato, etc.) fertilizers should be placed in a layer of 18-20 cm, since most of the roots are spread out in the upper part of the soil, since the central root breaks off or is not developed when the seedlings are excavated.

It should be noted that, despite the importance of differentiated fertilization for different crops in production conditions, it may not be feasible if it contradicts the accepted agrotechnical conditions of crop cultivation. For example, with minimal soil cultivation, phosphorus and potash fertilizers cannot be applied to the optimal depth of 20-25 cm. In this case, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are added to the stock for those crops for which plowing or another method of deep soil cultivation is carried out.

Studies carried out in various soil and climatic zones of the country have shown that the highest efficiency of the use of organic and lime fertilizers is observed when they are deeply embedded under a plow without a skimmer. In this case, the effect of fertilizers increases significantly if, before plowing, they are thoroughly mixed with the soil with a heavy disc harrow. Phosphorus and potash fertilizers, on the other hand, after spreading, are plowed with a plow with a skimmer without first mixing them with the soil with a cultivator or cultivator, observing the localization elements.

When cultivating the soil for orchards, berry fields, dkp and in vegetable crop rotations, organic and phosphorus and potash fertilizers should be applied under plantation plowing to a depth of 30-40 cm.

Local fertilization... The main task of the local application of fertilizers is to increase the availability of nutrients to plants by reducing their interaction with the soil, leading to the formation of poorly soluble compounds. The local method of applying fertilizers involves concentrating them in the soil in the form of a tape, screen, row, in a nest or hole. It allows creating an increased concentration of introduced nutrients in the root zone of plants, reducing contact and fixing them in the soil, as a result of which the utilization rates and efficiency of fertilizers are significantly increased. The advantage of local application of fertilizers over scattered fertilizers is especially significant on poor soils.

The methods of local application of fertilizers include pre-sowing (pre-planting), tape, focal, etc. Among the local methods of fertilization, the most widespread in our country is pre-sowing and pre-planting. They allow you to place small doses (10-20 kg / ha) of fertilizers in the immediate vicinity of seeds, tubers or seedlings.

Pre-sowing introduction of superphosphate was first proposed in 1880 by Professor of Kharkov University A.E. Zaikevich in the cultivation of sugar beets. He proved the advantage of row fertilization, and then under his leadership a combination seeder was developed for row application of superphosphate in 1884. Even in those years, the high efficiency of a small dose of simple superphosphate (0.5 c / ha, 8-12 kg / ha P 2 O 5) introduced into the rows was established. Since then, pre-sowing fertilization with combination seeders has become compulsory admission for most crops. The main task of the pre-sowing introduction of phosphorus is to enhance the initial growth of plants due to the improvement of their phosphorus nutrition.

Localization has special meaning for phosphorus fertilizers, which in soils are transformed into difficult - and insoluble phosphates of aluminum, iron or calcium (chemical binding of phosphorus by the soil). The formation of insoluble aluminum and iron phosphates occurs most intensively in acidic soils, and calcium phosphates in carbonate soils; therefore, on these soils, the efficiency of local application of phosphorus fertilizers is especially high.

The high efficiency of the pre-sowing application of phosphorus fertilizers is due, on the one hand, to the relatively low phosphorus content in the seed, on the other hand, to the high demand of young plants for phosphorus, which is involved in almost all biochemical metabolic processes from the first days of their life, which determine the intensity of crop formation.

Since phosphate ions in soils are practically immobile and a weak root system cannot yet use the required amount of phosphorus from the soil, the placement of phosphorus fertilizers near young roots significantly increases the growth, development and productivity of agricultural crops.

According to the Geographical Network of Experiments, the increase in yield from row application of 0.5 c / ha of granulated superphosphate when sowing winter wheat is 3-3.5 c / ha, spring wheat, barley and oats -2.4-3 c / ha. Higher yield increases from the pre-sowing application of superphosphate are typical for vegetable crops, sugar beets and potatoes.

Pre-sowing fertilization with combined seeders ensures their spatial placement at a distance of 2-3 cm from the location of the seeds and just as deeper than them. Such a soil layer well protects seedlings and young plants from the undesirable effect of an increased concentration of salts (fertilizers) and acidity of superphosphate.

The dose of Р 2 О 5 with row application is, depending on the characteristics of the crops, 8-20 kg / ha. All plants are responsive to the pre-sowing application of superphosphate, but some of them (corn, sunflower, carrot) are noticeably inhibited by direct contact of seeds with fertilizers. Therefore, for these crops, the soil layer is especially important, and the doses of pre-sowing fertilization should not exceed 10 kg / ha.

Cereals and legumes are less sensitive and respond well to granular superphosphate, even when mixed with seed before sowing with a conventional drill.

When planting potato tubers with a potato planter and sowing sugar beet with a combined seeder, instead of superphos or ammophos, it is better to use complex fertilizers (nitrophoska, nitroammofoska, etc.) at the rate of 15-20 kg / ha N, Р 2 О 5 and К 2 О. Results of numerous production experiments have shown that the use of 10-15 kg / ha P 2 O 5 granular superphosphate in rows gives the same increase in crop yield as 30-45 kg / ha P 2 O 5 superphosphate applied as the main fertilizer.

The efficiency of local application of phosphorus fertilizers noticeably increases at low soil temperatures, when the absorption of phosphorus slows down, therefore, the intensity of all physiological and biochemical processes and in arid conditions, when the growth and development of the root system of plants is limited by the moisture deficit in the soil.

According to L.M.Derzhavin (2008), on poorly and medium-cultivated soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils, the local application of phosphorus and potash fertilizers provided an increase in the yield of agricultural crops by 1020% higher compared to the spread use of equal doses. On cultivated soils, local application of fertilizers does not have an advantage over spreading.

It should be noted that, despite a certain advantage of local fertilization, pre-sowing (row) and pre-planting fertilizers are widely used. This was facilitated by the high efficiency of the pre-sowing application of phosphorus fertilizers in all zones of the country and the production by the domestic industry of combined seeders and planters with fertilizer dispensers. Almost all types of seeders and planters (grain, vegetable, beet, potato, seedlings and corn planters) can apply fertilizers simultaneously with sowing (planting).

Wide industrial use belt application of fertilizers are hampered by the lack of special equipment and higher costs of fertilization, depending on the cultivated crops, soil and organizational conditions.

Along with the annual application of fertilizers, there is quite often by necessity abandon the annual use of phosphate-potassium fertilizers and add the total dose to the reserve once every 2-3 years. Practice shows that the reserve application of fertilizers, judging by the yield of agricultural crops, does not have a clear advantage over the annual one, however, with the reserve application of fertilizers, the costs of applying fertilizers are noticeably reduced, since there is no need for their annual deep planting with a plow.

Mineral and organic fertilizers are often added to the stock during the cultivation of the soil before laying orchards, berry fields, cultivated pastures and the cultivation of vegetable crops. With a certain degree of convention, the use of organic and lime fertilizers is also referred to as a spare.

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Terms and methods of fertilization... In early spring, the buds bloom due to the reserves of nutrients accumulated by the plants in the previous year. When the roots begin to work, nutrition comes from the soil. With a lack of nutrients, fertilizers are applied to the soil.

Basic mineral fertilizers(phosphoric, potash) and organic ( manure, composts, organo-mineral mixtures) - it is better to apply in the fall before digging the soil. They improve the nutritional conditions for plants throughout the growing season. But they can be embedded in wet soil in spring. Phosphoric and potash fertilizers trees are being used gradually. This allows you to make them periodically, after 2-3 years. The need for nitrogen fertilizers on most soils can be annual.

Nitrogen fertilizers(ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate), some organic ( bird droppings, mullein water infusion) and microfertilizers used mainly in the form of top dressing in the spring and summer.

Plants are in great need of nitrogen in spring. Therefore, during this period, it is necessary to apply nitrogen fertilizers, especially on heavy podzolic, as well as peaty soils, which warm up slowly and beneficial microorganisms develop poorly in them.

Young trees on poor soils should be additionally fed nitrogen fertilizers, but no later than the second decade of June, so as not to delay the growth of shoots.

Fruit trees respond well to nitrogen-potash feeding at the end of June - early July (after the excessive ovary has fallen off). This top dressing contributes to good growth ovaries remaining on the tree and setting flower buds for next year's harvest.

Fertilization methods depend on the type and timing of their application. So, the main fertilizers are usually applied for digging, bringing them closer to the zone where the roots are located. Good effect gives the introduction of organo-mineral mixtures into circular grooves or into separate holes 20-40 cm deep, located along the periphery of the crown of the tree.

Feed in early spring mineral nitrogen fertilizers possible on wet soil. They are scattered on the near-trunk circles and sealed when loosening.

Liquid organic feed(mullein infusion, bird droppings solution) it is better to put in grooves 8-15 cm deep.They are made around trees with a distance of 40-70 cm from the trunk and from each other.First, water is poured into the grooves (so that the nutrient solution moves more easily in the soil), and then fertilizers are applied and closed soil.

The trunk circles are leveled and mulched with organic material (peat, humus).

Nitrogen and nitrogen-potassium fertilizing in June (during dry season) they are usually combined with watering.

For fruit-bearing trees with a large yield, foliar dressing is also important - spraying the leaves with nutrient solutions. After flowering, it is recommended to use urea (3 g per 1 l of water), during the shedding of the ovaries - potassium chloride (5 g per 1 l of water), and in August and September - superphosphate (30 g per 1 l of water).

But if the root nutrition of the plants was insufficient, foliar feeding will not help. For foliar dressing, it is advisable to use micronutrient fertilizers. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the underside of the leaves, where the stomata are located, is moistened with the solution.