Country gardens small. It is difficult to observe crop rotation on them. Gardeners plant green manure legumes to replenish nutrients in the soil, to cleanse it of pathogens and pests. Legumes are good precursors to tomatoes, as they enrich the soil with nitrogen. To get real benefits, you need to choose the right green manure for a specific type of soil.
Which legume siderates are suitable for tomatoes
Legumes store nitrogen well. This type of plant is a good substitute for manure. Unlike others vegetable crops, they can be planted in one place annually. Legumes are suitable for open ground and greenhouses. They are usually sown under tomatoes in spring or late summer.
Clover
If the soil in the garden has a low level of acidity, then clover can be sown under the tomatoes. Its roots loosen the earth, prevent weathering. Biomass is buried in the ground before flowering, it is at this time that it accumulates the most nutrients.
Clover is sown from March to April, seed consumption is 2 g / m². Tomatoes can be sown 2 weeks after planting green manure in the ground. Thanks to clover, the concentration of soil bacteria increases in it. They contribute to the formation of humus.
Lupine annual
By the time of planting tomato seedlings in the open ground, lupine, which was sown before winter, manages to gain green mass. This green fertilizer performs specific tasks:
- fixes atmospheric nitrogen;
- preserves and reproduces the natural fertility of the soil;
- protects the soil from erosion.
Lupine has a taproot, it loosens the soil, normalizes gas exchange, and prevents leaching. During growth, the roots produce enzymes that convert phosphorus compounds into a chelated form that is available for assimilation.
Lupine for tomatoes can be sown both before winter and in spring (April). The earth needs to be loosened (dug up) with a cultivator (shovel). Seeds must be sown in rows, observing an interval of 10-15 cm.Fill with a layer of earth of 2 cm.
Approximate consumption of lupine seeds for square meter- 25 g.
Lupine grows quickly. At the end of May, it can be mowed, crushed, embedded in the ground. The resulting biomass is buried to a depth of 8 cm.Pros of sowing lupine:
- the soil becomes loose;
- tomato bushes do not get sick;
- the yield is higher;
- less weeds.
The plant has disadvantages: it grows poorly in partial shade, the seeds germinate hard, to accelerate germination, the soil must be moist.
Fodder beans
This annual plant is a nitrogen source. It is especially useful to sow coarse beans on heavy and podzolic soils. Siderat lowers the pH level, prevents weeds from growing, structures the soil, improving its air and water permeability. Beans assimilate nitrogen from the air, this is facilitated by nodule bacteria that live on the roots.
The beans are not afraid of cold weather, they can be sown at the end of summer, they can withstand a short-term drop in temperature to -8 ° C. To sow 1 hundred square meters of seeds, you will need 2.5 kg, they are sealed when planting to a depth of 6 cm. It takes about 2 months to accumulate the required volume of green mass. Before embedding in the soil, the vegetative mass is crushed.
Vika
This green manure prefers neutral soil. Vika quickly builds up its vegetative mass, so it can be sown under tomatoes in spring. Tomato seedlings are planted 2 weeks after the vetch is embedded in the soil. Purpose of legumes:
- enriches the soil with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium;
- inhibits the growth of weeds;
- makes the soil structure better.
Vicu is considered the best precursor for tomatoes.
Spring vetch is sown in the spring. They begin to cut it when the buds form. The percentage of nutrients decreases if tightened with the incorporation of green mass. Coarse stems will rot for longer, this can slow down the growth of tomatoes.
Peas
Gains the required volume of green mass in just 1.5 months. Peas are afraid of frost, but they endure a slight cold snap. It is better to sow it at the end of August, cut off at the very beginning of flowering. Peas grow well in moist, neutral soil. Does not like sandy, clayey, sour, waterlogged soil.
The benefits of green manure for the soil:
- health improvement;
- nitrogen enrichment;
- improvement of the structure.
To obtain the desired result, 3.5 kg of peas must be sown per 1 hundred square meters.
Seradella
The plant is annual, loves moisture, tolerates frost, grows in the shade. If seradella is watered, it will grow on any soil, but light, neutral is preferable. They sow green manure in early spring, spend 500 g of seeds per one hundred square meters. Seradella must be mown and repaired before flowering. It takes 1.5 months for the green mass to grow back.
Advantages and disadvantages
Leguminous green manures enrich the soil with nitrogen, this accelerates the development of tomatoes, they quickly build up their vegetative mass. Green fertilizers are environmentally friendly, the effect of their use lasts longer than from application mineral fertilizers.
Thanks to a powerful root system legumes suppress the growth of weeds. They enrich the fertile layer with nitrogen, roots accumulate it, and the green mass, rotting, turns into organic matter, increasing the concentration of humus. With the help of lupine, they loosen the earth and fight pests.
Illiterate use of green manure can harm:
- oversaturation of the soil with nitrogen can provoke fattening of tomatoes;
- legumes that deoxidize the soil, planted in alkaline soil, will lead to its further alkalization.
Tomatoes grow best on neutral soil if the pH is 6.
Alternative siderates
Lovers of natural farming, other crops are sown under tomatoes:
- phacelia;
- oats;
- mustard;
- rape;
- rye.
With their help, soil fertility is restored, filling the soil with humus, enriching it with nitrogen, treating infections, and destroying weeds.
Conclusion
Green manure is a guaranteed clean crop. The greatest effect is achieved by sowing several crops at the same time. Having spent time planting and caring for green manure, gardeners without mineral fertilizers maintain the fertility of the garden land, grow healthy, productive tomatoes.
In many regions of the country, climatic conditions make it possible to obtain high yields of tomatoes only in protected ground: a greenhouse, a greenhouse, a greenhouse. The amount of soil in such structures is limited, so over time it becomes poorer and depleted. Excellent fertilizer, improving the structure of the soil in a short time, can be a properly selected green manure.
When and why to plant green manure
In the greenhouse, siderates can be sown in late autumn or in early spring, although the latter option is considered more effective - all substances remain in the ground and are not washed out when the snow melts. Most green manures grown before tomatoes have a high cold resistance, therefore, with early spring sowing, they will have time to grow, and with timely mowing and adding to the soil, they will decompose.
Siderata in the greenhouse in spring are sown under tomatoes in order to improve the composition of the soil, saturation of the soil with nutrients. As a result, there is no need to apply any other fertilizers before planting a crop - in the soil ennobled with green manure, tomatoes feel great, develop well, grow and are practically not affected by common pests and diseases.
Important! Sideractive crops drown out and displace weeds, which also belongs to the list of their advantages.
Greenhouse tomato greenhouse
Greenhouse siderata
When deciding which green manure is better to sow in spring for tomatoes, it is imperative to take into account the acidity of the soil, the type (light / heavy) and the lack of a specific element that needs to be replenished. Recommended green manures for tomatoes belong to the cruciferous, cereal, and legume families.
Cruciferous. This group of green manure is considered the most popular among Russian gardeners. Most often sown:
- oilseed radish. This green manure is considered one of the most effective for controlling the nematode soil pest, it is distinguished by its rapid growth and unpretentiousness. Radish displaces even the most tenacious weeds. Enriches the earth with a lot of potassium;
- mustard white. The most common green manure. The plant gives quick and friendly shoots, rapidly gains green mass. Structures the ground to a depth of several meters. Seeds of white mustard, in comparison with the planting material of other green manure, are inexpensive.
Cereals. Representatives of this family have a good root system, therefore, when it decomposes after cutting, loosening and aeration of the soil is provided. For tomatoes, it is recommended to sow oats as green manure - it enriches the soil mainly with potassium, which is consumed by the crop throughout life cycle in large quantities.
Cereal siderates
Legumes. Siderata, belonging to the legume family, saturate the soil with nitrogen, necessary tomatoes for growth and green mass gain. In the greenhouse in front of the tomatoes, you can plant:
- Vick. it climbing plant often sown with oats (it supports vetch stems). Grows well on neutral soils;
- lupine. Due to the deep root system, lupine is able to restore soil fertility in a short time. Grows well in any soil. It is sown 2 months before the tomatoes are planted in the greenhouse. The seeds of this green manure are quite expensive;
- alfalfa. This green manure is considered the most fastidious, therefore it is not used so often: alfalfa requires constant soil moisture, grows poorly and blooms quickly in drought. The type of soil is also important - it will not grow on heavy, acidic and waterlogged soils.
- phacelia. The second most popular siderat for tomatoes after mustard. Brings three essential elements- nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. The plant itself can change the acidity of the soil, making it neutral. Phacelia, growing in the same greenhouse with tomatoes, protects the crop from common viral and fungal diseases.
Important! Siderates sown in spring for tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers growing in the same greenhouse can be different. The main thing is that the previous (siderative) cultures should not be related to the subsequent ones.
Phacelia is considered a universal green manure; it is suitable for all vegetables.
Planting tomatoes in mustard
In areas with an unfavorable climate, even such a cold-resistant green manure as mustard cannot always be sown in greenhouses. Therefore, it can be sown later and not buried in the ground, but the tomatoes can be planted directly into the mustard. Below is the detailed instructions planting tomatoes with mustard.
In early spring, as soon as the soil in the greenhouse thaws (late February - mid-March), you need to plant mustard seeds. There are two seeding methods: continuous and row. To determine the choice of method, you need to consider each of them separately.
- Whole sowing of mustard seeds consists in mixing planting material with sand in equal proportions and dense distribution over the surface of the garden. They can be shallowly loosened into the ground with a rake or simply sprinkled with a small layer of soil or peat.
- For drill sowing, the land must first be loosened, then the planting furrows with a hoe must be sown, mustard is sown and sprinkled with soil or mulch.
Technically, a continuous sowing of mustard is much easier.
Mustard in the greenhouse
Tomato seedlings are planted in accordance with the planting scheme in the aisles of mustard (with its row sowing) or in pre-prepared areas (with continuous sowing, you will have to pull out the green manure in the planting places).
Within 2-3 weeks, the two crops grow together. Mustard must be cut off in time so that it does not give seeds, this happens already a month after planting. When cutting siderates, you need to retreat from the surface of the earth about 5 cm. After that, the mustard starts growing again.
During the season, it is necessary to periodically cut off the newly growing mustard when the crop reaches a height of 20-30 cm.
Advice! The cuttings can be used to mulch the soil under the tomatoes throughout the season.
You can use green manure once, cutting it off before flowering after planting tomatoes using a flat cutter. In this case, the roots of the mustard remain in the ground and decompose, turning into an excellent top dressing and loosening the soil. The mowed green mass is used to mulch the beds.
Important! Not all green manures have the ability to grow back after cutting, for example, phacelia is not used to grow tomatoes in this way.
This technology of planting and growing greenhouse tomatoes in mustard plantings is considered quite laborious, but the end results are worth it.
- Tomatoes receive all the necessary nutrients for nutrition, which are easily absorbed by the root system, therefore they take root well after planting, quickly adapt to new conditions and start growing.
- After cutting the mustard, the soil becomes loose, air and moisture permeable - there is no waterlogging of the soil during irrigation.
- Mulching tomato bushes with mowed mustard greens helps to reduce air humidity in the greenhouse.
- The mustard sown around the tomatoes protects garden culture against pests and diseases - the phytoncides that make up this green manure prevent the occurrence of phytophthora, and essential oils scare away harmful insects.
It is not difficult to plant and grow unpretentious greenhouse greenhouses - they even practically do not need to be watered, there is enough water after the snow melts. Correct mowing of green manure tops is very important. Below are some tips and tricks for running your event.
Mowing green manure
- Siderata in the spring for tomatoes must be cut in advance - 2 weeks before planting.
- An excess of nitrogen in the soil will negatively affect the yield of tomatoes, therefore, the growth of leguminous green manures must be carefully monitored and not allowed to grow to large sizes.
- Timely mowing of the tops is important for another reason - overgrown green manures decompose more slowly in the soil, since their stems become denser as they grow.
- After cutting, it is recommended not to plow the tops into the soil, but simply spread it out in the beds. The fact is that when plant residues are embedded in the soil, many nutrients are lost.
- When mowing green manure, it is important not to damage their root system, so the plane cutter is not buried more than 5 cm into the ground.
The correct choice, early sowing and timely mowing of green manure will allow naturally prepare greenhouse tomato beds in the spring before planting crops without the use of agrochemicals.
Pre-season preparation of beds in a greenhouse is a whole range of agrotechnical works, from surface cleaning to fertilization. It is possible to fully enrich the soil with the help of inexpensive but highly effective green manure. In order to choose the right siderates to sow in the greenhouse in autumn and spring, study the characteristics of these plants, compatibility with other crops, properties and tasks that they can solve.
Mustard as a siderat
What are siderates and how to use them
Siderata are fast-growing annuals or perennials with lush greenery and a fibrous, highly branched root system. They are used for weed control and as a green fertilizer, since the ground part is an excellent biological humus for the soil. Best periods When it is best to plant siderates, are spring after the snow melts, and autumn after harvesting in a greenhouse or in open beds.
Finely branching root system helper plants
The benefits of green manure for vegetable growing
Sideration is an extremely significant event for organic farming in greenhouses, in vegetable gardens, in the fields. The plowing of useful greens is actively carried out on an industrial scale, and not only by amateur gardeners. Greenhouse plants perform many useful functions:
- normalize soil acidity;
- inhibit the growth of weeds;
- create comfortable conditions for the reproduction of beneficial bacteria, worms;
- enrich the earth with nitrogen, phosphorus, humic acids;
- make the dense soil looser and more airy;
- help to destroy pests;
- some flowering species lure beneficial insects, which is significant for varieties of bee-pollinated vegetables in a greenhouse or trees outside.
Species that gardeners are especially fond of
Types of green manure crops
Sideractive crops are subdivided into types:
- Legumes, these include lupine, vetch, chickpeas, alfalfa, peas, clover, lentils. The legume type of grasses contributes to the active accumulation of nitrogen in the soil. Legumes planted three times in a row in the same place are compared to applying manure to the ground.
- Cruciferous plants include mustard, rapeseed, oil radish. This species is known for its ability to decontaminate the soil and helps in pest control. In addition, herbs are able to adapt organic matter to any plant for easier assimilation.
- Buckwheat (buckwheat). Natural source of phosphorus, potassium and organics.
- Cereals, which include rye, barley, wheat. This species, growing, is able to suppress the growth of unnecessary weeds.
- Hydrophilic, they include phacelia. Numerous shoots actively decompose, saturating the soil with nitrogen.
- Asteraceae - sunflower, calendula. The strongly branching root penetrates into the deeper layers, the root processes loosen and ventilate the soil.
- Amaranth (amaranth). Increases soil fertility, its structure.
Features of different green manure, soil requirements and functions performed
Several seeding variations are practiced plant helpers in a greenhouse or in a vegetable garden:
- independent, when the main crop is planted after planting green manure;
- compacted, in which the seedlings are planted directly between the rows of green manure, and the latter are pruned at a level of 5-7 cm;
- rocker, with it, the main crop grows separately, and fertilizers - in the aisles.
Green manure for open ground
Among gardeners, the most suitable green manure for open ground are:
- oil radish;
- phacelia;
- white clover;
- rape.
Oil radish is an excellent option for natural fertilizer for open ground
The radish normalizes the soil PH level, neutralizes nitrate pollution, and the secreted essential oils repel pests. It is sown in open ground mainly in summer and autumn. The cut leaves are used as mulch or left as compost for the next season.
Phacelia is an excellent honey plant that attracts pollinating insects, it is distinguished by its rapid growth, which requires mowing several times. The resulting dense "litter" perfectly retains moisture and shades vegetable seedlings. Seeds are sown in early spring, as the plant is not afraid of low temperatures.
White clover is distinguished by a wildly growing, branching root system, which in an excellent way loosens and puffs up the ground, preventing stagnant and decaying processes in it, improving aeration. Sowing in open ground - in early spring. The cut stems and leaves are used as mulch and compost.
Clover can be planted not only as a beautiful lawn, but also as useful fertilizer
Rapeseed is known for its ability to improve soil structure and quality. In terms of the content of trace elements, it can be compared with manure. Powerful green mass perfectly shades plantings and protects from strong winds. Seeds are sown in early spring and autumn, mainly in rows between beds.
Greenhouse plants for open ground are distinguished by extremely fast germination and cold resistance, are resistant to keel, and reduce the leaching of minerals from the soil. These plants are capable of as soon as possible improve the condition of the earth, make its structure more airy and permeable.
The selection of crops depends on the pursued purpose of their use.
Greenhouse greenhouse crops
The greenhouse soil in one planting season is very depleted, the surface layer is subject to erosion. Usage natural helpers in this case it becomes ideal option for its restoration and enrichment.
Greenhouse greenhouses are capable of disinfecting the soil from diseases, getting rid of pests, and saturating the soil with missing microelements. The most important thing is to prevent soil fatigue and oversaturation. This means that the same fertilizing crops should not be grown all the time in one place; crop rotation is mandatory.
The best greenhouse greenhouse crops are:
- Representatives of cereals - oats and rye, they are able to clean the soil from fungi and infections, help in the fight against late blight. The dense greens of cereals are not buried in the ground during cutting, but are left to rot on the surface.
- Mustard is a popular, multifunctional green fertilizer. She is a kind of "orderly" in the fight against different kinds rot in the greenhouse, scab, rhizoctonia. Planting mustard in the greenhouse helps to reduce the number of wireworm larvae.
- Types of legumes - peas, beans, beans get along well with all crops in the greenhouse. They do not differ in their ability to inhibit pathogenic microflora, but they are excellent sources of organic matter.
Green helpers will help solve land problems
When is it better to do sideration
Greenhouse greenhouse crops can be planted in spring and autumn. Some gardeners practice planting in the summer, sowing seed between rows of vegetables. In such a case, the compatibility of green manure and vegetable crops should be taken into account.
In the spring, green manures are sown in a greenhouse, having previously saturated the soil with snow abandoned from the street. Seeds are sown not in rows, but chaotically. After the crop has grown approximately 20 cm, it is cut off, leaving the greens on the surface to decompose and turn into humus.
When sowing siderates in a greenhouse in the fall, the seeds are densely poured into the ground, humus is added, spilled abundantly with water and left until spring. After overwintering, the plants will quickly pick up greens. Preventing overgrowth and flowering, the herbs are mowed with a Fokin flat cutter and slightly dripped with top layer soil.
Video: Autumn landing in the greenhouse
Having chosen what to sow in the greenhouse in the fall, you need to sow the seeds with the expectation that they have time to germinate a little. Advantages winter planting obvious - green fertilizers long time are in the soil, and, consequently, the time of their favorable fertilizing effect increases.
Planting siderates in a greenhouse in autumn
Many people decide to sow mustard in the greenhouse for greenhouse beds. And they do this absolutely for good reason, because mustard can become a precursor for any vegetables, except for the cruciferous family. For vacationing sites closed ground green manures of any family are suitable; for predecessor sites, it is important to take into account the compatibility of the planted and future crops, according to the table below.
Siderat-Vegetable Compatibility Chart
The benefits of cucumber greening
Do not underestimate the benefits of green manure when growing cucumbers. In order to grow healthy and abundantly fruiting cucumbers, a number of conditions must be met:
- fertilize the soil generously;
- disinfect it;
- protect young cucumber seedlings from the scorching sun rays;
- ensure optimal water and air permeability of the soil mixture.
The mown greens of fertilizers will generously supply the soil with trace elements
Green manure plants can easily cope with all these tasks. Having chosen green manure for cucumbers, it is necessary to calculate the sowing time seed material, they need to be sown 2-3 weeks before planting the vegetable. You can sow seeds right among the plantings. When the first cucumber sprouts emerge ground part siderates are mowed and rolled on the surface of the beds in the greenhouse.
As fertilizing plants for cucumbers, crops of the family of cereals (rye, oats) and legumes (lupine, beans, clover) are perfect. Growing them will help the depleted land restore its supply of nutrients. In addition, they have proven themselves well as liquidators of harmful colin - a substance secreted by the roots of cucumbers that can harm subsequent plantings.
Siderata for tomatoes in a greenhouse
Tomato is a late ripening culture. When choosing greenhouse tomatoes for tomatoes, you should opt for cold-resistant plants such as oil radish, phacelia and rapeseed. It is recommended to sow them in early spring, you can even under the film, so that by the time the seedlings are planted, the cultures are already fully ready to perform their functions.
By this time, cold-resistant green manures have already grown to such a stage that, when mown, they completely cover the top layer of the beds, protecting the soil from drying out, and young greens from possible night frosts.
Tomatoes are known for their exactingness to the composition of the soil, its regular loosening, weeding and feeding. The best greenhouse greenhouse for tomatoes will be legumes, as well as lupine and mustard. Their roots will enrich the soil, improve air exchange, preserve required humidity, will scare away pests and contribute to an increase in tomato productivity.
Video: Siderata for tomatoes
You can plant green manure in the fall. With this choice, the most suitable greenhouse crops after tomatoes in the greenhouse will be winter crops (oats, barley). They winter well, giving up a maximum of microelements during the winter season, but with the onset of spring they will quickly overgrow with greenery again.
Sowing mustard to fertilize the soil
White mustard (Sinapis alba) is a versatile spice crop that can fight many soil problems. About 40 species are known of its varieties, but it is this species that the farmers fell in love with for its unpretentiousness, cold resistance and intensive growth. Mustard seed material is very inexpensive, you can buy it at any gardening store.
Mustard is actively used as a fertilizer both in the greenhouse and on open beds. The best time for sowing seeds: spring (about a month before planting seedlings of vegetables) or autumn (after harvesting and removing plants).
When sowing mustard seeds, the following factors should be considered:
- mustard needs regular watering during the growth phase;
- does not accept clay soils;
- the crop cannot precede other cruciferous vegetables.
Mustard is very popular among farmers
In open ground conditions, the seed material is scattered on the beds, evenly distributed with a rake, lightly sprinkled with mulch to avoid pecking out by birds. Mustard germinates in 3-4 days, and in 1-1.5 months it is ready for beveling.
Sowing mustard in the fall in the greenhouse can be carried out until November. An unpretentious plant germinates at a temperature of 2-3 degrees Celsius. In a greenhouse, seeds can be sown quite thickly, the beds can be pre-fertilized. The vegetation that has grown to 20-30 cm is cut off and mixed with the top layer of soil.
The cut off residues rotted, perfectly fertilizing the soil. To accelerate the process of converting the material into vermicompost, the prepared leaves and stems are spilled with water. Thus, leaving the mustard in the greenhouse for the winter, in the spring you can get a saturated soil completely ready for the upcoming vegetable plantings, saturated with organic matter.
Mustard is truly the leader among the siderates
Video: the value of siderates and caring for them
The benefits of green manure in gardening activities are invaluable. Fertilizers created by nature itself can help without harming the ecosystem at all. Moreover, these green assistants are completely undemanding to care for, the most important thing is to water them and mow them in time.
Video: Planting rules and the benefits of green siderates in vegetable growing
Video: How to sow mustard on green manure in the fall in a greenhouse
Having correctly chosen which greenhouse to plant in the greenhouse in the fall, planting it correctly and properly processing it in the ripe phase, you can not be afraid of the state of the soil. Sideration will help both experienced gardener, and a beginner, to avoid additional expenses for the purchase of fertilizers during pre-season preparation.
Today everyone large quantity gardeners switch to natural farming, completely ignoring mineral fertilizers. In this case, the most meaningful way the use of green manure is considered to improve the quality of the soil. But their thoughtless use for tomatoes can not only be useful, but also harm, reducing crop yields.
This is the name of some types of annual plants, sowing which on the site before planting or after harvesting crops it becomes possible improve the composition and structure of the soil.
The root system creates tubules in the soil, which improves drainage. The roots become food for microorganisms, which further intensify their activity. Dense green manure protects the soil from drying out and winding.
On final stage the life cycle of the plant, decomposing, fill the soil with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus necessary for the active development of plants.
Sowing can be done early spring or autumn... It all depends on how the main crop is planned to be grown - in unprotected soil or in greenhouse conditions.
If the planting of green manure is carried out in the fall, then in next year on these beds it is again allowed to plant tomato seedlings.
Advantages and disadvantages
Some gardeners are afraid to use green manure, fearing that the plants will clog up all the beds. But this opinion is erroneous, because such plants take a long time for the seeds to fully ripen. They do not have time to do this, since they fall under harvesting long before the formation of seed material - during their flowering period.
It should be noted that there are a number of negative aspects:
- there is a group of perennial green manures that are able to germinate again and spoil your plantings;
- do not overexpose herbal fertilizers. If they form seeds or the stems become dense, it will be very difficult to get rid of the green manure. This is best done during flowering.
Sowing and care plan for tomato green manure
Most of the siderates are planted on general technology... The soil in the beds should be cleared of weeds, slightly loosened and leveled. You can sow in rows, but many people prefer to do it. solid scattering... If the necessary skills are not available, then the evenness of sowing can be achieved by mixing the seed material with sawdust or sand in equal proportions.
Sowing is completed by incorporating the seeds with a conventional rake. The depth should not be too deep.
It will be better if the bed is rolled up - this will make it possible to achieve uniform shoots. To protect the beds from birds, they can be covered nonwovens until sprouts appear.
Combining different green manure plants for tomato
There is no need to sow one plant throughout the garden. By combining herbal and cereal varieties, you can have a complex effect on the soil, perfectly fertilize it.
As a rule, this is done using ready mix containing seeds:
- phacelia;
- wiki;
- marigolds, etc.
Planting in shady areas
In such beds, green manure grows excellent green mass, as they actively reach for sunlight... By cutting off the stems, they can be easily transferred to tomato beds, using in the form of compost.
it is best to plant in the shade vetch, phacelia, oily radish, mustard.
Important rules for growing
For tomato crops, green manure plants must be planted, observing a number of requirements:
- you should not plant tomato seedlings after a fertilizer herb that belongs to the same family with tomatoes;
- sowing should be carried out, as thick as possible;
- "Fertilizers" alternate annually;
- aerial part of green manure cut before ripening.
All planting and cultivation activities must be organized a few weeks before planting the tomato. Greens from siderates are best left on the surface of the beds - they will make an excellent mulch.
The best siderates for tomatoes
As a rule, the following plants are preferred:
Alternative replacement
Unfortunately, growing green manure is an effective way, but it requires additional time and effort.
Fans organic ways agriculture recommend biologics, capable of quickly and with good quality enrich the beds with useful components without planting siderates. The raw materials for this can be food waste free from meat residues... Mowed grass, weeds that do not yet have seeds, and small twigs are also added.
Make sure that no walnut, hornbeam, oak, poplar and willow get into the compost. Hogweed, dope, nightshade and other plants containing toxins are also prohibited.
Recycled waste will save you money on the purchase of seeds and will not take a lot of time to use.
This is how many gardeners maintain the fertility of the beds in the soil and greenhouse. It is only necessary to sow the plants and then embed their green mass in the soil. If you use the above recommendations, then you can independently enrich the beds for tomato seedlings with useful elements.
When growing tomatoes in one area, a huge amount of nutrients necessary for the growth and fruiting of plants are removed from the soil annually. The amount of these elements is in direct proportion to the yield of the vegetable crop. To restore soil fertility, gardeners most often use mineral and organic fertilizers. Often, the monetary costs of feeding remain unjustified due to their high cost... Therefore, in recent times the method of sideration is gaining popularity - preliminary planting of white mustard before planting tomatoes. Useful plant can be successfully sown in spring.
What is spring planting for?
Sideration - ecological and effective method fertilizing the soil only with natural organic compounds. The essence of the agrotechnical technique is to build up the green mass of mustard, after which it is mowed and embedded in the ground. The use of this method contributes to the saturation of the soil with minerals and the improvement of its structure. Accumulates in the soil enough phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium for optimal growth and fruiting of tomatoes.
You can sow mustard in areas adjacent to tomatoes. After mowing, the green nutrient mass is transferred to the tomato beds and carefully dug up from the ground. The roots remaining in the soil quickly rot and additionally fertilize the site.
Annual white mustard is ideal as a green manure due to its ability to quickly build up green mass. It is extremely frost-resistant, which allows it to be planted immediately after the soil has thawed. Due to the rapid growth of mustard, gardeners manage to fertilize the soil in the spring just before planting tomatoes.
You can sow a plant at different time intervals.
- In the spring. Most lucky way to enrich even deep soil layers. All nutrients remain in the ground and are fully absorbed by tomato seedlings and adult plants.
- In the autumn. Mustard is planted after harvest in tomato growing plots. After the snow cover melts, many useful trace elements are washed out of the soil.
In early spring, mustard quickly starts to grow and gains green mass under the first rays of the sun. Approximately 10-14 days before planting tomatoes, it is mowed and buried in the ground. It is not necessary to dig deep into the soil - some gardeners leave mustard right on the surface. Such mulch will have a beneficial effect on further cultivation tomatoes.
Features of spring planting
Tomatoes are thermophilic crops. Gardeners plant them late enough, when a stable temperature is established and the threat of frost has completely passed. So that the beds are not empty before planting tomatoes, you can sow white mustard seeds on them in early spring. The plant is a cold-resistant green manure that can withstand short-term frosts. Mustard builds up the green mass necessary for fertilizing the soil within a month, so you can roughly calculate the time of planting seeds, focusing on the time of planting tomatoes.
Using green mass as mulch, you can solve two problems at once. Firstly, the amount of water required for irrigation is significantly reduced, and secondly, the number of weeds on tomato beds is reduced.
Experienced gardeners recommend planting tomatoes directly in the growing mustard. Siderata will reliably protect immature young plants. After the seedlings start growing, the mustard is mowed and laid out on the surface of the bed. The roots remaining in the ground decompose into nutrients, while loosening the soil, providing easy access to fresh air.
The peculiarities of green manure with the help of mustard include the ability of cut plants to start growing again. This allows the gardener to not worry about fresh mulch during the growing season. The beds with tomatoes are constantly covered with green mass, and the roots of the vegetable culture receive the necessary mineral elements all summer long. After the last harvest of tomatoes in the fall, the mulch must be mixed with the ground.
How spring sowing of mustard helps tomatoes
White mustard is used in the spring as a fertilizer for many vegetable crops, except for those that belong to the Cruciferous family (cabbage), as it itself belongs to this group. The plant contains a significant amount of phytoncides - biologically active substances that protect tomatoes from infectious fungal diseases (late blight, rhizoctonia). And spicy essential oils have the ability to repel garden pests. After sideration in the beds with tomatoes, you rarely see:
- slugs;
- wireworms;
- larvae of the beetle.
Unlike other plants used as green manure, mustard germinates a few days after sowing in the spring at low temperatures. Green mass contains many organic compounds and trace elements: phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. The importance has a balanced composition of mustard - after adding it to the soil, there is no overabundance of any element, which can negatively affect the growth of tomato seedlings. Fragrant essential oils attract not only bees, but also other beneficial insects that can destroy pests and pollinate plants.
Gardeners living in areas where strong winds constantly blow, with the help of mustard crops, protect their plantings. After mowing the first green mass in spring, the seeds of the plant are planted again. This method of growing allows not only to protect tomatoes from the winds, but also throughout the summer.
Mustard is characterized by deep root penetration into the soil, which contributes to its structuring, oxygenation and protection from wind erosion. The undoubted advantage of this culture is the ability to grow on extremely poor soils. A strong root system extracts the nutrients necessary for growth even from such a soil. In the process of decomposition, the green mass of plants forms mineral compounds that are easily absorbed in spring by the more tender roots of tomatoes.
Spring cultivation technology
Planting and using white mustard as a green manure differs significantly from growing it as a spice crop. As soon as the snow cover melts, you can start gardening work. Preparing the soil consists in leveling frozen blocks of earth with a rake and digging it.
Sowing white mustard seeds can be done in two ways.
- Continuous sieving. The seeds are scattered very thickly on the ground and covered with a rake. In order for the mustard to quickly start growing, the plants are fed with nitroammophos during planting.
- Ordinary sieving. Well-loosened soil is required for this planting method. After cutting the furrows with a hoe angle, the seeds are sown and buried. Spruce branches or other mulch are laid on top of the site.
If necessary, the plants need to be watered, but usually the soil is moist enough in spring. Mustard can be mowed for planting in the ground under tomatoes after growing up to 20-25 cm.
Mustard cannot be grown as a siderat for more than a month. She will bloom and set seeds. After they enter the soil, together with the green mass, they will move into growth and will pull nutrients from the roots of tomatoes. Mulch cut late is coarser and more fibrous.
Mustard grows quickly, does not require special care, planting it does not take a lot of time and effort from the gardener. But its benefits are difficult to overestimate. Tomatoes all summer will receive useful trace elements and delight the owner of the site with large fruits. In addition, tomato beds will receive reliable protection from insidious pests.
