Experienced gardeners and gardeners know whether it is necessary to dig up the soil in the fall in the garden: the rules of digging. Working on the land requires a responsible approach, and before deciding how to cultivate the soil, you should find out the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Thanks to digging, the soil can be filled with mineral and organic fertilizers and loosened. In the process, weeds are removed. There are also opponents of digging up the garden. Their arguments should also be taken into account.
It is imperative to dig up your garden in the fall before the coming winter. This procedure is necessary to prepare the soil. In the autumn season, during the digging period, there is an ideal supply of manure, compost and humus. Also, in farms where planted crops are regularly attacked by the Colorado potato beetle, wireworm and other types of pests, digging up the soil will be relevant. The procedure allows you to destroy the larvae hidden in the soil. To do this, plow the ground to a depth of 25 cm.
What benefits does cultivating the land in autumn provide?
Every gardener and gardener has a separate opinion as to whether it is necessary to dig up your garden in the fall. Not everyone knows why the earth is being dug up. Some refuse this procedure, while others, on the contrary, completely cultivate their land. You must first study the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure, and then decide whether you need to dig up the soil in the fall in your garden. Tips from experienced gardeners will help you understand the intricacies of digging.
Pros and cons of digging
The main advantage of the procedure is the ability to cultivate the site, enrich it with minerals and organic substances, and loosen the soil. In addition, this is an excellent method of controlling weeds, which germinate well in the warm autumn. We must not forget about the disadvantages of plowing. The procedure is quite difficult and takes a lot of time and effort. There is no need to dig in areas where it is not required.
The soil is home to a large number of worms, spiders, various microorganisms and fungi. Under a microscope, even on a small piece you can see billions of living microorganisms. They live at different depths. During the opening and turning over of the soil, local residents change places, some die.
Note!
The value of soil lies in its inhabitants. The more there are, the more fertile the land becomes. Therefore, debates about whether it is necessary to dig up your garden in the fall do not subside even among agronomists.
Weed control
Weed control by weeding, even in a small area, requires a lot of time. Digging up fertile soil helps to effectively fight weeds. However, it should be borne in mind that it will not be possible to completely get rid of them, but plowing the area will significantly weaken the development of the weed.
In addition, in addition to weed seeds, there will be fungi and other pathogenic bacteria on the soil surface that affect crops grown in the garden. Since cold weather begins in the fall, all microorganisms will die at low temperatures. Therefore, digging the soil in the garden is the best way to disinfect it.
Fertilizer and soil deoxidation
Enrichment of the soil with nutrients and the deoxidation procedure require mixing it. This can only be done by digging up the ground. It is better to add ash to the soil and fight weeds and their seeds with a shovel. Only a shovel ensures high-quality cultivation of a plot of land, of course, if it does not occupy a large area. In other cases, you will have to spend money on shovel replacements and plow with equipment adapted for this.
Is digging in the garden necessary?
It is imperative to plow your garden in the fall, but you must resort to such a procedure in your garden plot with the utmost caution. Many gardeners mistakenly plow the tree trunk with a shovel, because this is the most dangerous procedure for it. It helps destroy the smallest roots. Therefore, it is not recommended to dig up the garden for the approaching winter. You can only slightly loosen the surface with a hoe.
Dependence on soil type
Before digging your garden in the fall, it is important to consider its features:
- Clay and loamy areas, as well as land with close groundwater, cannot be left untreated. The dug up area, every pore and hole will be filled with oxygen. This will help double the volume of soil. The soil, enriched with oxygen and carbon dioxide, copes faster with decomposing plants, and useful humus is formed. After planting plants in the spring, they will be more resistant to frost and drought, and their root system can penetrate into the deep layers of the soil.
- If the soil is light, loose, and saturated with humus, it is better to loosen it shallowly with sand, but not dig it up. Digging is only necessary in areas contaminated with weeds. It is impossible to regularly resort to deep plowing, since the procedure negatively affects the structure of the soil.
You need to plow before the onset of cold weather and the first snow. If it is plowed together with the soil, the process of heating the soil in the spring will slow down significantly. You also need to do it before the rainy season, otherwise the top layer will become too dense.
When to dig a garden in the fall
It is necessary to start plowing the land before the cold weather, usually this is done immediately after harvesting the crops. Treatment with soil fertilizer during this period affects the yield next year. Spring plowing is in no way capable of replacing autumn plowing. It should end before the season of heavy rains, since after them it will be impossible to loosen the soil, especially if it is a clayey area. The ideal period to start digging is the end of September and the beginning of October.
First, it is better to use a rake and lightly loosen the soil after harvesting the previous crop. This will trigger the weed to germinate. After a couple of weeks, all the seeds will germinate and you can start digging with a shovel. If you skip deep plowing, you will still have to remove the weeds, but this will require more effort.
Note!
After digging, the soil becomes healthier, most varieties of weed disappear (coltsfoot, dandelion, wheatgrass). Young shoots die quickly because they have weak roots.
What's the best way to dig?
The digging method directly depends on the crop grown next year. For carrots, potatoes, beets, melons, pumpkins and parsley, you need to dig about 30 cm. In areas for tomatoes, peppers, legumes, cucumbers and radishes, a depth of no more than 10 cm is sufficient.
It is better to simply shift the soil rather than turn it over - this allows you to preserve the local microflora. Discovered weed roots should be removed immediately; under no circumstances should they be buried. Rocky, hard soil is dug up using two bayonets of a shovel, turning the soil over - the method is used in extreme cases.
For digging you can use:
- In a small area, you can use a shovel. It is suitable for all types of soil, but requires a lot of effort and time;
- forks are suitable for obtaining a soft structure, which is considered best for young crops;
- The cultivator allows you to quickly loosen the area and destroy weeds.
Processing the area with a walk-behind tractor
When using a walk-behind tractor, it is recommended to replace the cutter with a tool with a wedge-shaped, oval or flat edge. Large lumps will remain on the treated soil; they cannot be destroyed - after the rains begin, the necessary saturation with moisture and oxygen will not occur. In addition, large blocks help to retain snow. The inverted soil is saturated with nutrients, which has a beneficial effect on future yields.
Treatment of areas with trees
When digging near trees, you need to be as careful as possible so as not to damage the small roots. New seedlings grow from them. It is better to loosen the soil in the last days of September. The digging depth should not exceed 15 cm. The treated area should be sprinkled with mulch and dry leaves, protecting the root system from freezing.
Application of mineral fertilizers in autumn
Gardeners, when they start digging up plots, apply fertilizers. Organic matter must be distributed over the beds where it is planned to grow cabbage, cucumbers and seedlings. The amount of fertilizer should not exceed 1 bucket per square meter. m. Compost and manure are used. Mineral fertilizers are allowed for all crops. The soil for mineral compositions must be dug up at least 20 cm. Liming is carried out if the soil is acidic.
Not everyone manages to complete all the work before the first cold weather. After harvesting cabbage, parsnips or celery, the tops do not need to be removed from the garden; you should finely chop them with a shovel and dig them in. This will become organic humus, which will be useful to plants in the spring.
Note!
If the furrows were plowed deeply, you will need to increase the dose of mineral fertilizers used, otherwise the desired effect will not be achieved.
Is it necessary to dig up the soil in a greenhouse in the fall?
Experienced gardeners advise to completely replace the layer of fruit-bearing soil every year. To do this, the top 10-15 cm must be removed and new soil brought in. Not everyone understands why this needs to be done. Thus, it will be possible to increase productivity and reduce the risk of developing soil and plant diseases. Even with an understanding of the importance of soil replacement, not everyone succeeds in doing this. In this case, digging up the beds becomes the best option. It is necessary to carefully select all remaining plant roots and insect larvae.
During this same period, gardeners prefer to apply fertilizers. Its type depends on the plants that will be grown in the greenhouse. More commonly used:
- ash;
- compost;
- humus.
To improve soil fertility and its structure, gardeners plant mustard in the greenhouse after harvesting the entire crop. It not only allows you to increase the productivity of other crops, but also effectively copes with the harmful microflora that exists in the soil.
When is it better to plow the garden: in spring or autumn?
Gardeners have different opinions about when is the best time to dig up the beds. Experienced specialists explain why this procedure should be carried out in the autumn. This will greatly benefit the soil. It is necessary to dig up the beds in those areas where the soil itself is poor. When the soil turns over, weeds freeze out over the winter, pathogenic microorganisms die, which lead to diseases of the crops grown in the garden. Annual digging in the autumn months will increase the yield, and the number of problems during its cultivation will decrease.
If you were unable to dig up your garden in the fall, you can do this after the snow has completely melted and the ground has become soft, ready for the upcoming loosening. It is carried out taking into account a number of rules:
- the soil should not be frozen;
- It is necessary to dig up the area in furrows;
- during loosening, you need to carefully break up the lumps;
- In the spring, it is best to cultivate the garden with a shovel. It will help loosen the soil well and break up the lumps that form.
People who constantly work on the land know that annual digging of the soil to the same depth leads to the formation of a compacted lower layer. To avoid this, once every 4-6 years you need to carry out a 2-tier digging of the soil.
- You need to dig to the full depth of the shovel bayonet and return the raised soil to the hole.
- This will saturate the soil with necessary substances.
- The weed seeds will rot before spring.
- The land needs to be well cultivated. Do not dig in soil that is too wet or dry.
- The shovel should be held in a vertical position, picking up a small amount of soil.
In the fall, the garden needs to be dug in 40-centimeter furrows. First you need to cover the soil with compost and manure. First, the first furrow is dug, followed by the second, which buries it. So, all the nutrients will end up in the soil. Organic fertilizers can be applied to the dug furrows.
Bottom line: to dig or not to dig
Digging up the soil allows you to destroy weeds and evenly distribute the fertilizers that were applied. In the process, pests and underground rodent burrows will be destroyed. This helps to increase the yield in the garden. You can choose to process the area manually or mechanically. In order for digging to be successful and for the benefit of the earth, it is worth listening to the advice of specialists and experienced gardeners.
The correct answer is not to dig at all.
And now in detail. We are accustomed to the fact that we have to dig the garden in the fall. Moreover, scientists even provided a scientific basis for this. But when opinions began to appear that spring digging was more useful, scientists did not make a mistake here either and also provided a scientific basis for this.
And when the opinion arose that it was advisable to dig up the garden as little as possible, or even better, not dig it up at all, scientists... well, you know. Let's consider these options.
Autumn digging has the following advantages (cons in parentheses, according to opponents):
When digging, the grass from the surface moves inward and rots. (At the same time, weed seeds are preserved, which, remaining on the surface, must freeze out. That is, by fighting weeds, we cultivate them.)
Pests brought to the surface (wireworms, false wireworms, cutworm caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles leaving for the winter and many others) will be eaten by birds or die under the influence of the sun, wind and other factors. (The beneficial worms should also die along with them. However, no more than 10 percent of both will be destroyed, since the rest of the animals are in clods, and digging is carried out when the earth is kept in clods, otherwise it is not effective.)
In loosened soil, nitrogen-fixing microorganisms are activated, which enrich the soil with forms of nitrogen available to plants. (Let us add that they work in vain. And this is a significant factor in favor of spring digging. In the newly dug up soil, all processes begin to actively develop, and the soil gives up everything useful to new grains and plants. In order to prevent the weathering of all this wealth into the air, it is necessary clog the soil. Another plus in favor of spring digging.)
When digging, the bottom layer, rich in minerals and fertilizers, is turned up to the surface of the earth. (But this is a misconception. If we assume that the usefulness of the soil at a depth of 5 cm is equal to 100 percent, at a depth of 10 cm it is equal to 90 percent, and so on until it goes into the subsoil. The deeper, the worse. Digging would be close to ideal top 5-10 cm. It is logical that this can only be done in the spring.)
Autumn digging allows for moisture retention. (You first turn the soil out to dry it, and then do the moisture retention.)
Autumn digging in a garden where there are trees helps to bury the leaves. (Rotten leaves are good. But along with the leaves, their diseases persist in the soil. Considering that nowadays a healthy tree is a rarity and the advice of the same scientists that leaves should be removed from the garden - the answer is obvious. But, it’s better to do it again in the spring, since the earth must be covered with something in autumn and winter and early spring.)
Autumn digging reduces the time to prepare the soil for spring planting. (But this is the main advantage and probably the main argument.)
We examined the advantages of autumn digging only. The advantages of spring digging are the disadvantages of the first. Considering that the most useful layer of soil is the topmost, it was better for the soil to use a small cultivator. That is, prepare the soil purely for planting.
Is it possible to refuse digging altogether? Can. Moreover, this is an ideal option. True, this is very difficult to accept. We're not used to this. But we are accustomed to the fact that the ground must be dug up and weeds must be removed along with the roots. We are used to destroying the structure of the soil, which needs time to restore it. We are used to removing weeds with their roots, while we move closer to the soil in the transition from biologically active soil to passive soil. We are accustomed to the fact that we must ventilate and release all minerals into the air. We definitely need to remove all the weeds and “fry” the surface under the sun, dry it and drive the worms deeper. However, maintaining a garden without digging also has its own characteristics, the main one of which is reasonable weed control. However, this is a topic of extensive discussion.
Trying to find the answer to the question of when is the best time to dig, I came across the most diametrical advice on the Internet. Moreover, while some categorically advised doing this in the fall, others also categorically pointed out that digging in the spring was mandatory.
I do not indicate, I suggest you make your choice, which should be deliberate. I hope I've convinced you. I'll go convince my grandmother.
Evgeniy Sedov
When your hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)
Content
After all the harvest has been harvested, you need to put the beds in order. Some summer residents are interested in the question of whether it is necessary to completely dig up the garden in the fall, and what is the best way to dig up the earth before the onset of winter. Proper execution of the work largely depends on the type of soil and the type of tools with which the process will be performed.
When is it better to plow the garden, in spring or autumn?
According to gardening experts, deep digging of the soil in the autumn is much more effective compared to spring procedures. The procedure helps eliminate most problems, especially for regions with poor soil. This method is called “fall plowing”, when after digging the weeds, turned upside down, become chilly and freeze. It is recommended to carry out this treatment annually, then the result will be noticeable.
What benefits does cultivating the land in autumn provide?
If you dig up the soil regularly in the autumn, after the entire crop has been harvested, the quality of the soil will improve. Gardeners with many years of experience advise performing the procedure at this time because:
- the surface layer is disinfected, harmful larvae and microorganisms are eliminated;
- the soil becomes looser;
- ventilation of the lower layers occurs;
- easy application of fertilizers is ensured;
- the roots of the weeds freeze, their number in the garden decreases;
- the fertile layer is deepened by placing compost from weeds removed from the beds onto the lower layer of soil;
- The land is being prepared for spring planting.
After the snow melts, the soil dries, the beds will be ready for planting seeds. You just need to loosen the lumps. Such processing, carried out in the autumn, has ancient roots, because it greatly facilitated the work of the farmer when there were no modern devices that would help with mechanical digging.
Digging up the earth for the winter
During digging, the soil is prepared for winter. This period is good for adding manure, humus or compost to the site. In farms where plants suffer from wireworms, mole crickets, Colorado potato beetles, and other pests, digging up the soil for the winter will help get rid of larvae and adult insects that lie in the lower layers of the soil. In this case, you need to turn it over into the ground to a depth of 20-25 cm.
Dependence on soil type
In order to understand whether it is necessary to dig up the garden in the fall or in the spring, you need to find out what type of soil is in the garden. At a summer cottage located in a region with heavy clay soils, fertility can be increased mechanically. However, you need to dig the soil without breaking up the lumps. After snow falls, pieces of soil will begin to become saturated with oxygen. In spring, the soil will be more loose and supplied with nutrients. For wet soil, fertilizers are not so important, so with this type of soil it is better to dig up the beds in the spring months so that the remaining moisture evaporates.
When to dig a garden in the fall
It is important to consider the timing in which the garden will be processed in the autumn. In different regions, the time when gardeners dig up their garden may vary slightly. After all the beds have been removed, the tops should be chopped, evenly distributed over the surface of the earth and plowed manually or mechanically. It is advisable to plan all work for mid-to-late autumn before severe frosts. Therefore, experienced gardeners answer positively the question: is it possible to dig the soil after covering.
What's the best way to dig?
The method of autumn treatment depends on how much area needs to be dug. If we are talking about a small area, then you can loosen the soil in the fall using a plow or shovel. This method is called “manual” because it is performed without the use of mechanized equipment. The advantage of this treatment is that the fertile layer does not suffer serious damage, but plowing may not be effective enough and will take a lot of time and effort from the gardener.
If you choose a mechanical method for digging, you can dig up the soil in the garden in the fall with a walk-behind tractor with adjustable plowing depth. It is not recommended to turn the soil more than 25 cm. In this case, beneficial microorganisms may be damaged. Now there are small tractors with rotary plows that allow soil to be processed without destroying the lower layers.
Types of digging up soil
How to care for garden beds
Digging- a mechanical way to increase soil fertility.
During digging, the soil becomes looser, including at considerable depth.
The soil where vegetable or garden crops will grow must be dug up once a year.
When is the best time to dig up a kidney?
It is best to dig up the soil in the fall. There is no need to break up the earthen clods. Precipitation has a beneficial effect on the structure of heavy soils, which contain significant clay impurities. You should not dig up very damp or frozen soil, firstly, it is difficult, and secondly, it will damage its structure.
Clods of light soil are less susceptible to frost than clods of heavy soil. They crumble well, so light soil can be dug up in autumn and early spring. It is important to know that over the course of 2-3 weeks the cultivated soil will settle.
In the fall, the earth needs to be dug up or plowed deeply, but without breaking the lumps (in winter, the lumps retain the snow).
Heavy clay soils are dug to great depths and quite often.
If construction work is planned on a dacha plot, then at the place where it will be carried out, it is necessary to remove the fertile layer of soil with a bulldozer. Then rake the soil into a pile and sow it with lupine. You can also plant white clover. Planted plants need to be mowed regularly; do not remove them, but leave them as organic fertilizer.
Sandy and sandy loam soils are dug less often. Frequent digging contributes to the loss of the surface fertile layer rich in humus. In addition, if nothing grew on light soils before digging, then after processing the minerals contained in them go deeper into the ground and become inaccessible to plants.
Simple digging
Simple digging is used to cultivate almost all types of soil in which the fertile layer is relatively thick. In this case, the earth is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet.
During digging, the soil from the new furrow is poured into the previous one. The last furrow is filled with earth from the first furrow. While digging the soil, you can add manure and mix it with the soil. When soil is dumped from a shovel into a furrow, it is turned over with the top layer down. At the same time, the roots of perennial weeds are removed from the ground.
Two-tier digging
Two-tier digging is used when preparing a site for planting perennial plants, when the soil is heavily compacted, and also to improve soil drainage. The earth is dug up to a depth of two spade bayonets. Two-tier digging is carried out when the subsoil layer on the site is very hard. As a rule, this method of digging is used on virgin soil.
Digging is as follows: on one side of the site, dig a furrow 60 cm wide and one spade bayonet deep. The excavated soil is piled up, after which the last furrow is filled with it.
Then the bottom of the first furrow is loosened as much as possible, and then manure is filled in with a pitchfork or scattered on top.
Then they begin to dig the second furrow. From it the earth is poured into the first one. The clods are turned over with the vegetation side down. After digging the second furrow, its bottom is loosened with a pitchfork and manure is introduced. Similarly, the entire area is treated.
Two-tier digging helps to achieve high-quality soil preparation.
Plantage
The most complex method of tillage is called planting. It is used if the soil layer is too deep. When planting, the ground is dug to a depth of 75 cm. After which manure is added to the soil layer.
Before digging, the area is divided into two equal parts and first one is processed, and then the other in the other direction.
Dig a furrow 90 cm wide and one shovel bayonet deep. The excavated earth is placed where the future last furrow is planned. After the first furrow is dug, its bottom is divided into 2 parts. The first part is dug up to the depth of a bayonet, the soil is folded, but not mixed with what has already been dug up. At this stage, the first furrow looks stepped. Then the bottom of the lower furrow is loosened to the maximum depth with the help of a pitchfork. Then proceed to dig out the higher part. The soil from it is transferred to the loosened part. Then the bottom of the excavated part of the furrow is loosened with a pitchfork.
After they take the rope and outline the second furrow. Its width is 45 cm. When digging the second furrow, the soil from the top layer is transferred to the first furrow, to the lower level. Do the same when you repeat. Then they begin to loosen the bottom of the second furrow.
An alternative to digging
There are various systems for cultivating land. Some suggest a decrease in soil fertility during digging. In this case, there is an alternative method of tillage. It is recommended to apply the following fertilizers: manure, peat, compost without digging. Then various insects and microorganisms begin to multiply in the soil, helping to improve its structure.
➣ Soil is the surface fertile layer of the lithosphere of our planet. It is a structure consisting of four phases: solid - rocks (mineral particles), gaseous - air, liquid - water and living organisms - plants, representatives of the animal world, microorganisms. The science of soil science deals with the study of soil.
With this approach, the seeds are planted in organic fertilizers and mulched on top.
This approach involves minimal processing, but digging is cheaper, although more labor-intensive. With deep tillage, crop yields increase.
When preparing a site for wintering, some gardeners carefully dig up the soil, while others, on the contrary, try to do this after frost in the spring. Lately, the question of digging up the garden has become more and more frequent: is it really necessary, or in this way you are only creating problems for yourself for the new season? Let's figure it out.
Is it necessary to dig a garden in the fall: opposing opinions
Almost all experienced gardeners will advise you not to dig your garden in the fall at all. Although there are many scientific justifications and opinions of gardeners who are accustomed to acting this way, spring digging is increasingly preferred. But the autumn version also has its undeniable advantages.
- All leaves from the surface move underground and rot there over the winter. This is true, but there is also a second side to the coin. In addition to the foliage, you also bury the seeds of all the weeds, which now will not freeze, but will safely overwinter and germinate in the new season. In other words, you are simply cultivating weeds on your site.
- When we start digging the garden in the fall, all the larvae of insects and other pests (caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, mole crickets) end up on the surface. As a result, they will either be pecked by birds, or they will die under the influence of wind and cold. Everyone knows how to dig a garden correctly: only in lumps and under no circumstances break them. In this way, you kill only 10% of the pests, and the rest remain in these same clumps and overwinter safely.
- When digging a garden, all nitrogen-fixing organisms are activated, which in turn enrich the soil with nitrogen forms that are most suitable for plants. But the effect is visible only if the soil is fenced. Otherwise, everything useful that began to develop in the soil simply disappears.
- Many gardeners, when asked whether it is necessary to dig up their garden in the fall, nod affirmatively and motivate this by the fact that a layer of minerals and fertilizers comes to the surface. This is a misconception: the deeper you dig, the less useful there will be in the soil. Ideally, the digging depth varies between 5-10 cm, which is more advisable to do in the spring.
- Many summer residents do not even ask themselves the question of whether or not to dig a vegetable garden if there are a lot of trees on the site. This is another way to process leaves. Of course, rotted leaves are an excellent fertilizer, but along with it all diseases remain in the soil. So it’s better to leave everything as is, and then in the spring remove the layer of foliage and dig up the ground.
As you can see, there is no clear opinion. The only undeniable argument in favor of autumn digging is that it helps reduce the preparation time for the garden in the spring. If you do not dig up the soil before the cold weather and precipitation, by spring the top layer will be very compacted and it will be difficult to prepare it.
If you decide to give preference to autumn digging, then you should do it correctly. The time when it is better to dig up a garden falls in mid-to-late autumn. 
it all depends on the climate in your region. In any case, this must be done before the start of the rainy season.
During digging, you can immediately or gypsum the soil. The lumps should be large, this is necessary so that the snow lies well on the site and it is easier to prepare the soil for spring planting.
So, whether it is necessary to dig up the garden in the fall, each gardener decides for himself. Some people prefer methods that have been proven over the years and dig up areas. More daring innovators try new options and sometimes refuse to dig at all. This largely depends on the climate and soil type on the site.