We all know that u different plants your preferences. Some love good drainage and do not survive in loams, others grow only in acidic soil, others easily develop on the poorest soils. Having noticed which weeds grow best and most of all on your site, you can determine the type of soil, find out in which direction to move in order to improve it.
Soil acidity.
At extremely acidic soils
develop: moss, sphagnum and green mosses, common heather, sticking out whitebush, tsetraria, small sorrel, buttercup, torus, mint, plantain, horse sorrel.
Medium and slightly acidic soils
they prefer more than others: horsetail, coltsfoot, lungwort, Veronica Dubravnaya, fern, field torus, marsh marigold, poisonous buttercup, bearberry, meadow core, violet tricolor, pickulnik, plowed clover, spurge, cornflower, larkspur.
On neutral soils
most plants grow well, including those that prefer small deviations towards more or less acidity: shepherd's purse, sweet clover, common cuff, soapwort, creeping wheatgrass, dyeing grass, wild radish, chamomile, field bindweed, meadow clover, chicory.
But lovers of an alkaline environment
:
white nap, poppy, tenacious bedstraw, burnet, bugs, thistle, nigella field, tenacious, full-time field color, spurge, plantain lanceolate, field mustard, centaury umbrella, Siberian elder, rough elm.
How to change the acidity of the soil read
Soil fertility.
On poor, depleted soils
you can find: common heather, sticking out whitebuck, sandy immortelle, blueberries and lingonberries, sedum, mosses and lichens, filamentous rush, fragrant spikelet.
Here comes the fertile soil be sure to take a fancy: lamb, nettle, quinoa, black henbane, raspberry, woodlice, liverwort, ivan-tea, meadowsweet, snyt, celandine, gingerbread.
There are also plants indifferent to soil fertility ... They do well on both the poor and the rich. useful substances soils: caustic buttercup, shepherd's purse, meadow bluegrass, blackhead, hedgehog, common pine, purslane.
Mineral composition of the soil.
On nitrogen-rich soils they like to grow: stinging nettle and stinging nettle, fireweed, spring rose, Tartar quinoa, hops, thrown back, marigold.
On soils with a lack of nitrogen
most likely you will meet: sundew, alfalfa and astragalus, legumes.
On nitrogenous and fertile soils
grow: nettle, wood lice, shepherd's purse, quinoa.
On great content in soil phosphorus
will indicate: purslane and mustard.
Soil density.
Light loose soils they prefer: sandy immortelle, caustic stonecrop, medicinal smoke, common pickle, field forget-me-not.
But on dense clay more common: creeping buttercup, cinquefoil goose, big plantain, chamomile chamomile, bird highlander, warty euonymus.
Read about soil improvement methods
Soil moisture.
On dry soils develop well: hairy hawk, stonecrop (acrid, purple, large), feather grass, bearberry, white bent grass, terrestrial lichens.
Moderately demanding on moisture : meadow foxtail, creeping wheatgrass, hedgehog, meadow clover, mouse peas, meadow rank.
Prefers the wettest , sometimes even swampy, habitats: lingonberry, wild rosemary, cloudberry, marigold, meadow geranium, forest reed, marsh cinquefoil, meadow meadowsweet, snake mountainweed, field mint, marsh celandine.
Bedding groundwater.
With a close occurrence of groundwater You will find on your site: foxglove, hemlock, cinquefoil, coltsfoot, autumn crocus and horse sorrel, sedge, cattail, horsetail and nettle.
In waters located at great depths , develop well: wormwood, naked licorice, larch, Cossack juniper, buddleya, large-flowered action, cotoneaster.
Read about what weeds look like and how to deal with them.
And about insect helpers you can find out
Garden soils are surprising in their variety. They are loose, dense, sandy, clayey, saturated, poor in organic matter ... One is characterized by a high permeability of water. There are lands that hold it well. Each site owner should at least know the acidity of his soil. Acidic and alkaline soils differ not only in chemical composition, but also according to the possibilities of growing specific crops on them.
Weeds are ubiquitous. Moreover, they are different at each site. Many of them, like cultivated plants, need certain conditions. So the abundance of clover, round-leaved sundew indicates that there is not enough nitrogen in the soil. Quinoa, medium starweed, caustic buttercup, black elderberry indicate a high nitrogen content, mustard - phosphorus. The soil is rich in calcium, if sunflower, lady's slipper grows on it. Protruding whitebush, fern, heathers, dog violet indicate a low calcium content. Sea buckthorn grows on soils with a high carbonate content. But the unkempt and too dense soil is an ideal place for the common coltsfoot and creeping wheatgrass.
Fertile soil is the "habitat" of common snow, nettle, creeping buttercup, plantain, dandelion ... If among these plants the main specific gravity falls on plantain, then you are dealing with dry soil. The predominance of buttercup is a feature of wet soil. Nettle is the leader in whimsicality. Therefore, if such a weed grows in your garden, then you are lucky. The soil on which the nettle grows is characterized by looseness, saturation with organic matter. Land with these weeds is of interest to people planning to grow lush perennials.
Acidic soils "avoid" green mosses, heather, mint ... In places with medium and slightly acidic soil, field horsetail, fern, poisonous buttercup, cornflower, euphorbia are often found ... Shepherd's purse, sweet clover, chamomile, wild radish prefer soil with neutral acidity. Alkaline soil "attracts" poppy, white doze, tenaciousness, rough elm. Interesting fact- on alkaline lungwort with purple flowers, on acidic - with pink flowers.
If you notice dandelions and buttercups on the site, therefore, the soil is heavy and clayey, too wet. Most often, such soil is found on a site that has not been processed for a long time. This soil is poor in oxygen. Therefore, when planting plants in such a territory, the soil is dug up, a drainage layer is laid, and in planting pits the soil is replaced with loose and nutritious. Although such a site will work well for some ornamental plants(Japanese iris ...).
On light, acidic and depleted soils, thickets of sorrel and wild violets prevail. Acid-loving crops such as ropes and rhododendrons are well adapted to such soils.
Weeds growing alone are naturally not a reliable indicator of soil type. But at the same time, they are useful. In particular, they can indicate the optimal location for a particular plant. On the ground with a brisk one, paniculate phloxes will be appropriate. Horsetail will indicate the rationality of Siberian irises. Land with nettles is suitable for leguminous plants, dimples - for lungwort.
By digging up a medicinal dandelion, you will make the ideal place for the delphinium. It will be correct to replace field mustard with St. John's wort, plantain - catnip, lichnis, tenacious bedstraw - chrysanthemums, cornflowers.
As you can see, the determination of the weeds prevailing on the site makes it possible, without any analysis, to quickly determine the composition of the soil and, accordingly, its fertility. It is enough to look closely at the weeds and determine what measures should be taken to improve the characteristics of the soil to increase its yield.
An axiom that does not require proof: the amount of harvested, and the decorativeness of plants, and their durability. But how to determine the type of soil, and is it possible to at least slightly adjust its characteristics? For all the apparent complexity, there are no special wisdom here, you only need special litmus leaves.
What should be the soil on the site and how to determine its type
Before planting, you need to know on which soil the plants grow best and how much your plot corresponds to growing crops on it. It is important to take into account the type of soil, the pH of the soil, the occurrence of groundwater, the location in the cardinal directions, the direction of the prevailing winds, the movement of light spots, the relief of the site.
The best soil for planting is medium loamy, with small cracks. The ideal acidity is pH 5.6-7.2. The occurrence of groundwater should be below 1.5 m. Also, knowing on which soil the plants grow better, we must not forget that the planting site must be leveled.
And how to determine the type of soil on the site and is it possible to correct its granulometric composition? Determining the type of soil is quite simple. To do this, a handful of wet earth is rolled into a flagellum or stick, which is folded into a ring. If at the same time it does not crack, then the soil is clay; small cracks - heavy loamy; large cracks - medium loamy; the ring will break - light loam, does not fold into a ring, crumbles - sandy loam, sandy.
Clay or heavy loamy soil does not conduct water well, and therefore the nutrients dissolved in it. You can fix this soil by adding sand. Clay is added to sandy soil to improve it.
Acidic soil is formed from the rotting of a large number of plant residues (leaves). Usually acidic soils are found in wooded areas in central Russia. V steppe zone there are chernozem, alkaline soils. To establish the acidity of the soil, you can use a litmus notebook. Some plants grow poorly in acidic soils. The introduction of carbonic lime in the amount of 350 g / m2 changes the pH by 1.
With groundwater above 1.5 m, the likelihood of tree death increases. It is recommended to grow shrubs that can withstand a groundwater level of up to 1 m. It is possible to reduce the groundwater level by building drainage.
Knowing what the soil should be, do not forget that before planting plants it must be prepared: in the fall, plow or dig up and. Dig to a depth of 30-50 cm (up to 2 shovel bayonets), and without wrapping the layer. Apply organic fertilizers (manure). In spring, sand and peat are added to heavy soils, and clay is added to light soils.
Weeds are truly a headache for all gardeners. Spreading with cosmic speed, wild herbs annoy the whole summer period... It takes a lot of time and effort to get rid of weeds. But at the same time, these annoying herbs can be beneficial and tell the owner garden plot about the properties of the soil.
To learn about the properties of the soil, take a close look at the weeds that inhabit your garden. Each species of a weed plant tells about the quality and fertility of the soil, acting as a kind of bioindicator. The most reliable indicator of soil acidity is a collection of weeds. Look carefully at your site, remember which weeds are more. With some knowledge of weed habits, you can take immediate action to improve the soil characteristics of your garden.
Weed plants of acidic soils
An ongoing challenge for many gardeners middle lane Russia is soil acidification. On such soils, field horsetail and marsh horsetail, curly sorrel, meadow cornflower, creeping buttercup, torus actively grow. The growth of the daisy and the mountaineer pochechuyny is one of the factors high acidity soil.Acidic soils are often light, sandy, and dry quickly. To improve the nutritional value and change the acidity of such soils, lime and organic fertilizers are used. To restore the composition of the soil, compost is made using plant components and a share of lime (instead of lime, it is possible to use dolomite flour). Also add clay soils... This neutralization of the soil is repeated every 5 years. Improper processing can lead to soil acidification, so focus on loosening and do not allow water to stagnate on the surface, do not overuse the application of mineral fertilizers.
sorrel:
Weeds in alkaline soils
Alkaline soil contains a large amount of calcium salts and is characterized by an increased pH of the soil solution. Heavy, sticky, viscous soils are indicative of an elevated alkaline environment. Stony loam or simply clayey soils are unfavorable for the development of cultivated plants, they are extremely saturated with lime and have low fertile indicators. However, such extreme conditions excellent for growing samoseyka poppy, coltsfoot, field loach. Good seedlings produce plants that can adapt to high level lime and lack of moisture. If your garden has an area with alkaline soil, then you can arrange a natural rockery for drought-resistant plant species.field bindweed:
Weeds in depleted soil
Depleted soil suffers from a lack of humus. It is very dense, almost no oxygen penetrates into it, and therefore it is difficult for plants to develop normally in it. Errors of gardeners lead to the formation of a similar soil on the site. The appearance of such weeds as yarutka, shepherd's purse, field mustard, odorous chamomile clearly indicates the absence of loosening of the topsoil and mulching. The listed weeds often appear where the crop rotation is disturbed or improperly built. On poor, with a soil crust, soils are found sandy immortelle, common heather, fragrant spikelet, cinquefoil goose, mosses and lichens. To change the situation, large doses should be applied organic fertilizers, apply green manure (cereal-legume mixtures are ideal) and regularly loosen the subsoil.shepherd's bag:
Weed plants of fertile soils
Naturally, the higher the soil fertility, the more rapidly weeds fill the garden. Preferred cultivated soils are shchiritsa, quinoa, woodlice, dandelion, nettle, field thistle, celandine, willow, meadowsweet, willow-herb, plantain, horsetail. For centuries, these wild grasses have grown alongside cultivated plants and prefer fertile soils.Interesting plants are weeds, we fight with them, they are with us. It turns out that the composition and structure of the soil can be determined by one or another type of weed. A plant that has appeared from a neighbor does not necessarily grow from you. Why is this happening? It all depends on the composition of the soil, its acidity. Weeds in this matter will become one of the benchmarks.
If the soil is acidic, then you will stumble upon mint, sedge, plantain, common heather, pink-flowered lungwort and green moss. Medium and slightly acidic environment is suitable for the appearance of horsetail, poisonous buttercup, milkweed, cornflower, tricolor violet, coltsfoot, larkspur.
According to the appearance of shepherd's purse, woodlice, chamomile, sweet clover and wild radish, it is possible to designate a soil with neutral acidity.
Alkaline soil perfectly meets the seeds of poppy, tenacious, and lungwort with purple flowers. Quinoa, bindweed and field mustard grow on slightly alkaline.
On fertile soil flies, buttercup, nettle and plantain grow well. Such land is well suited for growing perennials, the splendor of flowering will be ensured. But each weed has its own preferences, for example, nettle is demanding on the soil, it needs looseness and organic matter, so its appearance in the garden should first cause a smile, and only then the thought of a method of struggle. Plantain prefers fertile but dry soil. Whereas buttercup and dandelion grow in moist soil.
What can you say about the mineral content?
When there is not enough nitrogen in the soil, sundew, alfalfa and clover can be found from weeds. And with its abundance, quinoa, hops, marigold, caustic buttercup and black elderberry will appear.
On uncultivated dense soil, the common mother-and-stepmother takes root and reproduces.
A weed in the country is bad, you need to look for methods of struggle with it, but on the other hand, it can be used to determine which cultivated plant in this place will take root, and will delight you. Where horsetail grows, you can plant Siberian rice. After digging up a medicinal dandelion, plant a delphinium.
Acidic soils are limed, and strongly alkaline (pH above 7.0) are acidified with coniferous needles or a solution of potassium permanganate. And these procedures are carried out annually.
Of course, it is not always possible to find out what kind of weed appeared in the garden, and many of them are "omnivorous", so it is possible in other ways.