Everyone knows that the best harvest grows on well-fertilized soil. Fertilization is especially important if the land is depleted. Many, including experienced gardeners, are sure: in order to grow a good harvest, it is necessary to add manure to the soil - the more, the better. Or humus, or other organic fertilizer. Moreover, due to their ignorance, they sometimes do it right before sowing seeds. But it is undesirable to do this just before sowing. The salts that are contained in mineral and organic fertilizers, in large quantities, do not have a stimulating, but a destructive effect. This fully applies to planting cucumbers.
Each garden bed has its own fertilizer
The concepts of humus and manure are often confused. Compost and humus also add confusion. In fact, these are all different things that have one thing in common - the underlying organic matter. So, compost is the result of decomposition of plant residues - the compost component is weeds, and old tops, and table residues, which are also suitable as fertilizer.
Excellent cucumbers are obtained with the correct application of organic fertilizer in the form of manure
Humus is an organic substrate (of plant and animal origin), which is processed by earthworm enzymes and makes up the most useful part of the soil. Manure is the remains of animal life combined with elements of forage bedding.
Important! Humus, as the name implies, is rotted manure. Manure, in order to become humus, must be overheated for at least a year, connecting to the ground.
Fertilizer types based on manure
Manure for vegetables is very useful in any form. It is different, depending on which animal produces it:
- horse manure is very good for cucumbers, it decomposes quickly, dry and loose, goes well for mulching in greenhouses and in the ground, for making fertilizing from slurry;
- cow - the most common, although the volume of nutrients is inferior to horse. It is more liquid, a mullein is prepared from it for liquid feeding. They will not be able to mulch, but it is indispensable for arranging a warm garden;
- sheep - it is rarely used, but it is even more useful than horse. The downside is that it rots longer than usual;
- bird droppings are also a type of fertilizer necessary for feeding. The peculiarity of the litter is that its shelf life is no more than a month, and fresh it is ineffective. If you insist on it, the return will be good.
Which is better: fresh or rotted?
And what type of organic fertilizer to choose and do cucumbers generally like manure? Yes, they respond well to the introduction of organic fertilizers, they also perceive mineral fertilizers well, but they treat chemical additives badly.
On a note! In addition to increasing yields, fertilization also helps plants resist disease.
However, not all manure can be applied to the garden. It is undesirable to use fresh either for cucumbers or for other plants. Firstly, weed seeds can remain in it. Worse, if the bed also acquires helminths with manure - this is already dangerous for human health. So it is better to use rotted manure. Better yet, humus is a loose, dark brown substance. The most useful is the one that lasted for three years.
If manure was nevertheless brought to the dacha, it is more efficient to use it for the construction of a warm bed. To do this, manure is laid along the edges of the holes, covered with earth so as not to burn the cucumber stalks. But down, where the roots will be located, manure is not put. The roots can sprout and burn. When applied correctly, the bed will be warm, which is what is needed for thermophilic cucumbers.
Manure is used in different ways and in varying degrees of decay
On a note! It is useful to use rotted manure. And this should be done not at the time of sowing the seeds, but much earlier - when the bed is being prepared, a rotted mixture is laid in it under the upper soil layer.
Do cucumbers like ready-made humus? Yes, this is the best organic fertilizer that is suitable for greenhouses and open ground. Cucumber, tomato, and other plants grow on humus. The best "cucumber" manure - horse or cow, is also suitable for poultry. For a warm garden bed, a little rotted or fresh manure is laid in the fall. In the spring it will already be rotten, therefore it is not afraid of the roots. A layer of bird droppings can also be put inside this warm bed, shifting with vegetative layers of grass or foliage. And on top of the finished garden bed before winter, it is still good to lay horse manure - in the spring, when the snow melts, it will penetrate down and be absorbed. As soon as the earth dries up, the garden is dug up and, adding a little humus, cucumbers are planted.
Open ground allows repeated feeding of cucumbers with mullein. The first time they are watered two weeks after germination, a couple of weeks later, feeding is repeated. For the third time, it is already good to use an ash extractor.
If there is a greenhouse or greenhouse, when planting in them, special conditions for organic matter must be observed. Plants can really like manure, but you don't need to overdo it. Plants react very strongly to humus, and what is recommended for planting in open ground is not always suitable for use in a greenhouse.
Important! Horse manure is the only one of all types that will not lead to oversaturation of the soil with nitrogen.
Planting in greenhouses is carried out after the preparation of the soil. It is good to prepare a mixture of sod land with manure - a ratio of two to one. It is also good to sprinkle it with phosphate rock. And with acidic soil, add lime.
Ash feeding
Ash for feeding cucumbers
Manure and all its derivatives are primarily a source of nitrogen. An overly fertilized soil with organic matter will provoke plants to the active growth of green mass, instead of forming fruits, it will spend all its strength on the development of leaves. In addition, excess nitrogen at the beginning of the season can lead to a lack of potassium, especially potassium starvation is possible in the second part of summer.
Usually, a lack of potassium manifests itself in an unreasonably strong growth of cucumber lashes, in the darkening of the leaves to a dark green color, the lower row of leaves gradually changes color to light, a yellow border appears along the edges.
Note! At the time of ripening of zelents, potash deficiency manifests itself in the curvature of the fruits, they take the shape of a pear.
This does not mean that cucumbers cannot be saved. The situation can be corrected by applying at the root, as well as in the form of foliar top dressing with an aqueous solution of wood ash. You can also dilute potassium sulfate.
Is it possible to plant cucumbers directly in black soil
Chernozem is not fertilizer, not compost, but earth, it's just of the highest quality, rich in nutrients. Those who have a plot on black soil are just lucky. Others buy more or less good soil, which is called black soil on sale. Although, strictly speaking, black soil is a certain composition of the soil, and not every black earth can be called it. Almost everything can be grown on it, the only exception is melons - it is better to plant watermelons on the sands. Real black soil is self-sufficient, does not need fertilization.
With proper care, the harvest will be excellent
Cucumbers can and should be grown using humus. However, everything, including feeding, should be approached intelligently. If the plants look healthy, one feeding per season is sufficient. But if the soil is poor, then it is better to start taking care of the application of organic fertilization in the fall.
When organizing a subsidiary farm on a new untreated plot, the owner inevitably faces the problem of soil enrichment. Unfortunately, far from everywhere on the territory of Russia, the soil is suitable for the successful cultivation of traditional agricultural crops.
Therefore, sometimes it is necessary to add soil richer in nutrients and microelements, for example, black soil, humus, to future beds. And often in such cases, the gardeners of Krasnoyarsk and other cities of Russia have a natural question about what is better black soil or humus, what to give preference to and what will provide a richer harvest? There are many different opinions on this, which we will try to understand.
Humus and black soil - what is it
To begin with, let's find out what humus is, because without understanding their basic properties, it will be impossible to understand the features of use for agricultural purposes.
Chernozem is a special type of soil that is widespread mainly in the central part of Russia. Its main feature is large amount of humus and, as a result, high fertility.
Humus is a type of organic fertilizer. This is a mass of manure or special plants called green manure rotted over several years. From this point of view it is customary to divide humus into manure and grass... They differ from each other in the content of nutrients, but in the mainstream of comparison, that humus or black soil is better, this difference is insignificant.
Thus, the main difference between humus and black soil is that the first is not soil and cannot be used in its pure form to create beds. No matter how high-quality humus is, it will still have to be mixed with soil in certain proportions. Chernozem is already formed soil, which can be distributed over the site without any preliminary processing.
Pros and cons of humus
So, we have already identified the main disadvantage of humus - the need for additional soil preparation for use for agricultural purposes. Usually, humus is buried in the ground before winter, thoroughly mixing with the main soil. As a result, the resulting mixture gradually reaches the desired state and in the spring is a very fertile environment for growing plants.
Another very a significant drawback that is characteristic of humus is its weed infestation... With the arrival of spring, they begin to break through in large numbers on the surface of the beds, and the fight against them turns into a real test for gardeners. This problem can be partially solved by using special mulching films. They allow water and air to pass through, but retain light, without which the development of any plants is impossible.
Disadvantages of black soil
Considering the question of which black soil or humus is better, you need to understand that in itself real high-quality black soil is just an ideal tool for organizing fertile beds. No other soil, even artificially formed in special laboratories, can compare in its characteristics with black soil.
But all this concerns the real black soil, which is not so easy to get in Krasnoyarsk today. Firstly, high-quality soil is very expensive. A cubic meter of good black soil, depending on the region and delivery conditions, can cost from 1.3 to 1.7 thousand rubles. At the same time, it is quite natural that even for a small plot a cubic meter is a drop in the sea and the minimum lots, as a rule, are 15-20 cubic meters. Although it is not a pity to give such money for a full-fledged product, because the costs will more than pay off due to the high yield.
However, many suppliers today, instead of chernozem, offer a surrogate, which, in terms of its basic properties and characteristics, is as far from real chernozem as humus is from scented soap. For example, one of the most common types of deception is that the buyer sells old land from greenhouses. Naturally, its fertile potential is greatly depleted, while such soil is very often infected with fungi and other diseases.
The top layer of construction sites is often sold under the guise of black soil. Such soil contains a large amount of various construction waste, including clay and broken glass, and in addition, there are unwanted chemical elements, the presence of which adversely affects the health of plants and their fruiting.
Thus, we summarize the information provided regarding whether humus or black soil is best used on personal plots. The advantage of humus is the high content of organic matter necessary for the normal growth and development of crops. Also, the pluses include the fact that rural residents may well prepare humus on their own, saving a lot of money on this. The main disadvantage is the presence of a large number of weeds in the humus, as well as the larvae of beetles and other pests. Chernozem is good because it is ready-to-use soil and does not need additional processing. However, when buying black soil, you need to be vigilant, since there is a very high probability of acquiring low-quality soil.
Chernozem is a rich fertile soil that can be called the pride of Russia, its national heritage. The magnificent properties of black earth are also mentioned in the ancient chronicles of the 5th-6th centuries: "the black earth is the best breadwinner for the people, because it is not afraid of cold weather, winds and showers, or drought."
No fertilizers can replace the natural perfection of black soil, because it is formed in nature for several thousand years. It is also impossible to create black soil artificially, since hundreds of natural factors (geological, climatic, biological, and so on) influence its formation.
Characteristics of chernozem
Chernozem soils are characterized by a rich humus content (especially in the upper layers), nutrients, a granular or lumpy structure, a high (up to 70%) calcium content, a huge number of microorganisms useful for plants and excellent water-air qualities. Chernozem contains useful humic acids (a mixture of organic compounds) - the most valuable fraction of humus, easily assimilated by plant roots.Taking black soil in your hands and squeezing it slightly, you will see a bold black imprint on your palms. This is the first sign of the fertility of a land with a high humus content. Chernozem does not "bake" under the influence of the sun and moisture, like clay soils, and cannot boast of such a porous structure as sandy soils. Nevertheless, the root system of plants feels itself in soils rich in humus, more than at ease and is provided with oxygen and nutrients in abundance. You can be called lucky if your site is rich in black soil, because in this case you are pleased with excellent harvests and you are for some time relieved of the introduction of different "chemistry" (mineral fertilizers), dietary supplements and organic matter into the soil.
The use of black soil in the country
Many tons of chernozem plant in their suburban areas, considering: once delivered - for many years good harvests are provided. Alas ... it is not. Please note that after 2-3 years, even highly fertile soil becomes poorer and needs fertilizers. Some of the nutrients are washed out with water, some are absorbed by the roots of plants, and microorganisms living in the chernozem imported from the outside, getting into an unusual habitat, partially die. Consequently, the soil becomes scarce, and the harvests are getting lower every year.
Suburban area, rich in black soil
In addition, keep in mind that the absence of plants with a powerful root system on the site significantly affects the decrease in soil fertility. After all, the developed roots of large trees and shrubs loosen the soil, thereby providing an oxygen flow. And if you grow mostly small garden plants, then over time the soil will turn into a hard, heavy substrate and your green pets will feel extremely uncomfortable, with all the ensuing consequences ...
Therefore, it is better to use black soil where you plan to plant large plants (trees, tall shrubs), and it is better to add it in small quantities to garden beds and under plants with an underdeveloped root system to improve the physiological properties of the soil. Usually, garden land for planting vegetable crops is diluted with black soil in a ratio of 3: 1.
Do I need to fertilize black soil
Typical chernozems with normal (from 7pH) acidity do not need deoxidation. As needed, acid fertilizers can be added to them: potassium sulfate, nitrate (except sodium nitrate), ammonium sulfate and others. For the rest, chernozem, as well as other types of soils, needs the usual standard additives: (0.5-1 tons per hundred square meters), manure, organic and mineral fertilizers. It is useful to sow on the site once every 5-6 years (plants grown as with subsequent embedding in the soil).And here acidic (below 5pH) chernozems need. To do this, it is enough to add slaked lime to the ground at the rate of 0.2 kg per 1 m². And if the soil is poor in magnesium, replace the lime with dolomite flour (in the same proportions).
By the way, there is a special indicator paper on sale, with the help of which, with a small error, it is possible to determine the acidity of the soil at the summer cottage.
Types of chernozem
Chernozem is deservedly called the standard of soil, since it mainly consists of humus (humus), which is formed naturally during the decomposition of plant and animal remains. Depending on the territorial occurrence of fertile soils, their composition differs markedly. Chernozem is typical, leached, merged, carbonate-free, and so on, but any of its types is distinguished by the highest fertility. I will not describe the chemical properties of each of the types of chernozem, in our summer cottage it is unlikely to be useful to anyone. I will only note that chernozem soils differ in the thickness of the humus layer by:- super-powerful, where humus lies at a depth of 1.2-1.5 m;
- powerful, the depth of humus is from 0.7 to 1.2 m;
- medium and low-power with a depth of the humus layer from 25 cm to 0.7 m.
Heavy-duty chernozem, humus depth - 1.5 m
Also, chernozem differs in the percentage of "pure" humus to soil:
- highly humic (fatty) soils (9-10%);
- medium humus (5-9%);
- low-humus (4-5%);
- slightly humus (up to 4%).
When asked, Over-matured compost looks like regular soil. Can you use it not as a fertilizer, but plant plants directly into it? given by the author Fitter The best answer is You can plant it directly into rotted compost, I always do this (summer cottage experience 18 years). But all the same, it is better to sift it in order to get rid of unrecoverable roots, weeds, stones. I sow through a regular bed net and add this earth everywhere.
Answer from 22 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics to answer your question: Over-matured compost is like ordinary soil. Can you use it not as a fertilizer, but plant plants directly into it?
Answer from European[guru]
No! must be mixed with earth!
Answer from Secret[guru]
dangerous
the roots will "burn"
Answer from Wolf rabinovich[guru]
Can. will not burn, but keep in mind that it contains too many nitrates, high acidity and little mineral salts. If it doesn't matter, then plant it boldly. but you don't write what you will plant. For example, I very successfully germinated citrus seeds, then transplanted. And, of course, it must be completely burnt out so that there is no smell of shit
Answer from rapid-fire[guru]
no mix usually 1 part compost 1 part sand 2 parts soil
Answer from tatiana savchenko SIBERIA[guru]
It is possible, but not necessary. Most of the plants will "fatten" - give powerful stems, magnificent leaves, delight with their growth, but the fruits - fig in vegetable oil. An exception to this rule is zucchini and cucumbers - that's it! .., especially zucchini. But do you need it? Once, out of stupidity, I planted them like this, I collected it from two plants, God knows how much, I lost count by 40, then I could not stand it, I pulled out one. Since then I have been using compost more efficiently
Answer from Valentina Avilova[active]
Overripe compost is an organic fertilizer. For successful growth, it is necessary to add mineral fertilizers. If it is well quail and looks like soil, it will not damage the roots. Remember that there are plants and (especially flowers) that cannot tolerate either organic matter or a large amount of humus.
Answer from Nina Ablalimova[guru]
I would advise you to heed the advice of Tatiana Moiseeva and Victoria Tchaikovskaya.
Answer from Marina Crow[guru]
Of course it is possible. But you can get huge tomato bushes without an ovary. Huge potato bushes with small, gnarled or empty tubers inside. Onion cracked at the bottom, which will start to rot after a few weeks of storage. Carrots will be clumsy and tasteless, the same radishes, beets and other root vegetables. That is, excess nutrients are not beneficial either. I, like Tatyana and Victoria, add such compost when planting, vegetables, flowers. In general, they say that manure, as a fertilizer, must be applied to the soil every 3 years. It is better to cover manure and compost with earth. I read somewhere that in sunlight something decomposes in them, and there are fewer useful substances.
Answer from Lisa17 q[guru]
of course it can already be burned out if it looks like the ground
Answer from Tatiana Moiseeva (Ivanova)[guru]
No, this is not worth doing. I add a little (1 bucket per 1 sq. m. I add at shallow digging of the beds) After sprouting of onion beet cucumbers (all vegetables and do not forget the flowers), I feed 0.5 buckets of such manure, add water, and water the best feeding with this compote. Try it.
Answer from Victoria Tchaikovskaya[guru]
Elena, the overabundance, as in humans, is obtained in plants. That is, it will grow, but not as much as we would like, and the yield is not high. Then the compost itself does not allow moisture to pass through so well because of this, the plant will suffer from a lack of moisture. There is no iron or magnesium in the compost itself. , phosphorus and other components that are important for plants.
In this case, you sift it and use it to supplement and improve your soil. That is, when planting plants, you interfere; 1: 2- for vegetables, flowers (1 part humus and 2 parts turf / own land)
1: 1: 2- for shrubs, trees, lianas (1 part of humus, 1 part of sand (white) / sifting, 2 sod).
you can add superphosphate based on a 20grm soil mixture bucket.
then you will not know the problems that they lack and will give you the opportunity to develop well and please you. When planting, try to dig more holes so that the root system develops well. So if the roots develop well, then your seedlings will delight you.
and do not be alarmed about what they have written to you about nitrates in the compost. It is not in it.
Many have heard that black soil is a very high-quality soil and bears fruit the best. However, for what purposes it is worth using this soil, because it is far from always necessary to bring it in to make the flower bed better. Sometimes the use of black soil is necessary to improve the condition of the flower bed and, accordingly, landscape design, but some use this soil for more practical purposes. For example, for growing garden plants, or for growing a garden. The latter is the most compelling reason, since it allows you not only to create an eye-pleasing picture on your site, but also to get real benefits from the use of high-quality soil.
How to use chernozem for planting garden plants?
If you decide to use chernozem not only to improve the quality of life of your plants in a flower bed, but also to get practical benefits from the soil, then you are probably interested in the question: how to properly use this soil for growing plants? And indeed, if you brought black soil, then it should be placed on the site in a certain way, and plants should also be grown on it, observing certain rules. First of all, you need to take care of preparing the place where you will unload the black soil and in the future you will grow plants. Usually, chernozem is divided in a ratio of three to one if they want to make the soil more fertile for growing garden plants. Indeed, the organization of a garden bed or flower bed for plants with a not very developed root system does not require too much black soil. It will only be enough to improve the quality of the existing soil on your site.
Do I need to fertilize black soil?
Over time, the fertile qualities of the soil deteriorate. This is due to the fact that part of the microorganisms living in the soil, after transportation, dies when used in a new area. This does not allow the soil to independently replenish the supply of minerals, therefore it must be done artificially.
If your chernozem has a normal acidic environment, then you need to apply acidic fertilizers to it, for example, you can use potassium sulfate, or nitrate, and other similar fertilizers for these purposes. You can also prepare special additives for the soil yourself. These can be special composts, as well as manure or other organic fertilizers.
What types of black soil exist and what can they be used for?
Today, chernozem is rightfully considered one of the best types of soil for growing plants, since it contains a maximum of useful elements. This material consists mainly of humus, which is a natural fertilizer and is formed during the decomposition of plants or animals.
Of course, depending on the area in which you collect chernozem, its properties and characteristics, the level of fertility may also differ. Also of no less importance is the depth at which you collect soil.
Today chernozem is usually divided into several main types, depending on its purpose and characteristics. In particular, you can find greenhouse, leached, and carbonate-free chernozems. In any case, this type of black soil will be fertile, but it is necessary to select a specific type for the cultivation of certain plants. Also, chernozem may have a different humus layer.
Heavy-duty chernozem is the soil where the depth of humus reaches one and a half meters. The soil is considered to be a powerful black soil, where humus occurs at a depth of 1.2. And medium or low-power chernozem can rightfully be considered the soil with the occurrence of humus layers at a depth of 0.7 meters.
When choosing black soil, you need to focus on the types of soil and choose the option that is optimal for growing a certain type of plant. You can buy a special fertile soil, which will have the maximum humus content. Of course, remember that the brought soil will need additional fertilization in a few years, as it will begin to lose its fertile properties. In order to slow down this process, we advise you to plant plants with a powerful root system in the ground. For example, small dwarf trees or similar plants can be planted.
Use of black soil
If you choose a soil for a specific type of plant, then you should understand that super-powerful black soil is suitable for growing almost any type of garden or other plants, since its fertility is very high. And even if you mix this soil in a ratio of 1 to 10 with your soil, the yield will still greatly increase.
If you use black soil to improve the fertility of your land, then you must adhere to several rules that will allow you to extend the life of the soil without applying fertilizers. In particular, you need to try not to dig up the soil. Especially do not dig with a shovel, as this leads to compaction of the soil.
Also, in order for water and oxygen to penetrate into chernozem, it is necessary that earthworms live in it. They will help you to loosen the soil and will also be producers of natural fertilizers.
Where can you buy high-quality black soil?
If you want to buy black soil, then you need to contact the Stroyshans company. In the company "Stroyshans" you can find several options for different types of black soil, which are ideal for growing plants in the country. We guarantee you the most fertile soil, as well as the fact that the yield will not decrease for several more years. In order to place an order, you need to call our office. You can also order delivery across the territory of Nizhny Novgorod or to nearby settlements.