Sandy soil that grows. How to make the soil fertile. Characteristics of sandy soils

Every grower knows that a lot depends on the type and quality of the soil on the site: the amount of the crop, the amount of investment and labor. The more fertile the composition, the less effort and money is needed to obtain a high yield. Therefore, everyone seeks to find a site in the best place, and increase the fertility of the existing one.

Soil types and their differences

The following species are found on the territory of our country:

sandy
sandy
swampy
calcareous
loamy
clayey

IN pure form they are rare, they are combined with each other in various proportions. Each type has its pros and cons, what is suitable for growing one crop may not be suitable for another.

Knowing these basics guarantees 80% success in harvesting.

Characteristics of clay, swampy, loamy, sandy, black soil and calcareous soil

clayey

It has a structure with lumps, does not absorb moisture well, sticks strongly after precipitation, has a high density, and is heavy. This takes a long time to warm up, almost does not absorb water. It is very difficult to grow plants on uncultivated clay soil.

To improve it, sand, ash and are periodically added. Of the organic fertilizers, horse manure is preferred. The amount of fertilizers and components applied depends on the initial state of the site, but on average no more than 40 kg of sand per 1 sq. m, lime - 350 gr per 1 sq. m.

loamy

Most optimal view for most crops. Easily processed, contains a set of useful substances, light, warms up, while keeping heat for a long time.

It is not necessary to improve such land, it is enough to maintain its fertility: apply organic fertilizers before winter, mulch, enrich, if necessary, with mineral supplements.

Sandy

Fluffy, light, fluffy. Passes water, well gives in to loosening, quickly heats up. But at the same time it also cools down quickly, poorly retains substances useful for plants, as a result, it is poorly saturated with microflora and is not suitable for agriculture.

To improve the qualitative composition, regular application of peat, clay flour is required.

For cultivation, onions, strawberries, fruit trees and currant bushes.

lime

It heats up quickly, dries up, does not enrich the root system of plants with iron and manganese.

It is possible to improve by introducing organic matter into autumn and spring processing, use top dressing, mulching, and green manure. It is possible to grow all vegetables, fruit trees and shrubs, but observing agricultural technology: you will need to systematically loosen, fertilize, water.

Swampy or peaty

It is difficult to call such land suitable for growing vegetables, trees and shrubs: it has a high temperature, it warms up for a long time, useful material are in an unsuitable state for plants.

But it is perfectly saturated with mineral fertilizers and can be improved.

For refinement, the following methods are used:

bring in the sand
dig up the bottom layers
liming is used on acidic soils
contribute potassium, phosphorus, manure, microbiological additives

Chernozems

This is a highly fertile land. It is characterized by a high content of humus, calcium, high air and water permeability, fast heating, it best soil for agriculture.

But with active development, it is necessary to maintain its qualitative composition; for this, green manure is sown and fertilizers are used.

Chernozem can have an acidic, neutral or alkaline environment, and each type requires its own adjustment.

Characteristics of sandy soil

In its composition, it is very similar to the sandy type, but contains a larger percentage of the clay component, which means it retains moisture and heat better, contains more mineral and organic substances.

All crops can be grown on such land, but it is recommended to fertilize regularly, observe crop rotation and mulch the site.

How to determine the type of soil on the site

To start growing any, flowers, ornamental and fruit trees, you need to determine the type of soil on the site. This will help to adjust the actions, the plan for fertilization and soil treatment.

There are several ways to determine the type of land, but the simplest and most effective is the method of rolling out a ball and a kind of "sausage", studying its properties and color.

clayey

If you roll a sausage from a moistened clay look and then roll it into a ring, it will not crack or break. It has a brownish or red tint.

loamy

You can easily roll out a sausage from a handful of loam in your hand, but you won’t be able to roll it into a ring: it will crack and crumble.

Sandy

Picking up a lump of soil, you will not be able to roll a ball out of it, it will crumble.

sandy loam

The earth is similar to sandy, when forming a “sausage” from wet earth in the hands, the desired shape is obtained, but it is not very stable, it crumbles almost immediately. The color is most often greyish-brown.

lime

It dries quickly and becomes very hard, similar to sandy, crumbles when shaped, as it contains a large number of small stones.

marshy

When squeezing a clod of earth, the ball turns out to be dense, heavy, reddish-brown.

Chernozems

If you form a ball or sausage from such fertile land, then you will get a stable shape, and a distinct black spot.

The difference between sandy and sandy soils

They have common positive qualities:

Useful organic matter quickly decomposes, but during prolonged rains it is washed out of the upper layer. Such types of soil warm up well and lend themselves well to processing.
Sandstones are not very suitable for crop production, as they do not good nutrition and moistening of crops, cultivation and enrichment are required.
Both are loose and light.
They do not retain moisture and nutrients for a long time.
High breathability.
Rapid warm-up.

Sandstone, in contrast to the sandy type, is ideal with proper cultivation for the cultivation of various crops. It is quite fast, not expensive, and does not require large investments of labor from the summer resident.

It warms up easily, organic matter and moisture are stored in this type for quite a long time.
It retains heat well, which means that there are no sudden temperature changes for the root system.

The positive moment - the soil is easily processed.

Sandy soil is the best option for growing vegetables

The main facts to know about sandstone:

Developed in sandstone biological life, in this favorable biological environment, many plant species actively grow and develop. The root system receives sufficient water, minerals and organic matter.
After moistening, it dries quickly, but no soil crust forms on the surface.
Conducts oxygen well.
Heats up quickly, rarely "soaking" of plants.
Long delay thermal energy.
Rarely appear fungal diseases, less often root rot appears.
Flexibly responds to changes in day and night temperatures.
On such soils, they are especially successful: early, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, green salads, celery, but the seeds should be planted deeper than usual when planting.

Measures to improve the fertility of sandstones and sandstones

To improve the sandy type, peat should be regularly applied to bind solid particles. In autumn and spring, organic fertilizers are added (in normal doses) to maintain microflora, mineral supplements are applied strictly in accordance with the instructions.

For such soil, ash is necessary. It is distributed directionally, laid out in each well. For sandy loam, with a large percentage of sand contained in them, it is recommended to add clay - to improve moisture absorption, up to 25 - 28 kg per 1 sq. m.

Also, advance sowing will not be superfluous, that is, plants, when the green mass is plowed up, the earth is saturated with nitrogen, the thermal regime increases, and the oxygen saturation indicator improves.

This technique has a lot of advantages, and most importantly: it is environmentally friendly, reliable and has a low cost.

It is desirable to mulch the earth: this will help retain moisture and heat longer, the root system will also receive additional nutrition.

Determining the type of land plays an important role for every grower, and proper cultivation and care of sandy and sandy soils makes it possible to increase the quality of the product at times.

It is not difficult to observe agricultural technology for sandy loam and sandstones, it is enough to follow some simple rules, and the result will please any summer resident.

You will learn more about why information about the type of soil is needed when watching the video:

Any gardener knows that when growing horticultural crops, the yield on his plot depends primarily on the land, its composition and properties. It is known that each natural zone has its own special climatic conditions. Due to such differences in weather conditions, and different types soils with different characteristics.

Basic soil properties

All soils are different appearance, structure and many other characteristics. According to them, the composition of the soil is estimated and attributed to one or another type. Here are the main criteria for soil quality:

Color is an external property, a description of the soil, according to which it can be attributed to chernozem, gray soil, red soil or yellow soil. Of course, the color depends entirely on how wet the soil is, what is included in its composition. For example, more humus stains the soil dark or even black. A whitish color indicates the presence of salts - calcium, magnesium, gypsum, silicon and the leaching of minerals. Red and brown tones - the presence of iron and manganese in the rock.

This indicator is not as simple as it seems. Humidity depends not only on meteorological conditions.

In other words, if you saturate the earth with moisture different type then it will look different. Influenced by underground currents, level ground water, mechanical composition of the soil mixture.

For example, the predominance of large sand particles does not retain moisture, passing it into the lower layers. Also, water evaporates quickly from this type of soil. The presence of clay particles leads to an increase in its moisture capacity.

Description and characteristics of species

The soils with which gardeners, gardeners, agronomists most often work are as follows:

sandy;
sandy;
loamy;
clay;
peat.

Properly organizing planting means knowing the characteristics of the soil and ways to improve its properties by proper processing, making the necessary minerals and fertilizers.

This is a light type of soil, consisting mainly of sand grains and a small part of clay particles. It passes water well and is extremely free-flowing. If you take a handful of earth in your palm, you won’t be able to form a lump out of it. She crumbles. Its other qualities are high air permeability, thermal conductivity, easy workability. It is difficult to apply fertilizers to such soil. They do not linger there, they go along with the water into the deeper soil layers.

Such lands are poor and not very suitable for growing crops. But to grow garden trees, as well as carrots, onions and strawberries on it is quite acceptable. For the cultivation of sandstone, it is good to introduce peat, humus and clay flour.

Sandy loam type

This soil is the best, similar in composition to sandy, but still contains a greater percentage of clay impurities. Taking a handful and squeezing it, you can get a lump. But he doesn't hold up well. The qualities of such soil are more valuable. It retains moisture and minerals better, is breathable, dries out more slowly, warms up better, and is easier to process. You can grow all crops, not forgetting about the methods of increasing the fertility of the land. Ways to improve such soil: the application of potash and organic fertilizers, mulching, green manure and fairly frequent loosening.

loamy lands

The best type of soil in terms of characteristics, also called loam. Contains the largest percentage of nutrients. It perfectly retains moisture and is endowed with the ability to distribute it over the thickness of the horizon. Easy to handle and retains heat. From such a sample, a lump is well formed and a “sausage” can be rolled out, but it cannot be bent into a ring. This is a special technique in agronomy for determining the mechanical composition of the soil. Such land should not be improved, but only to maintain its fertile properties, for which it is mulched and humus is introduced during autumn digging.

clay soil

Or clay, as it is also called. The content of clay rocks is up to 80%. Very heavy and dense, poorly absorb water, sticks to shoes when wet. The structure is lumpy.

If you take a lump of damp earth, you can easily mold a long sausage and roll it into a ring. At the same time, it will not crack or tear.

We can say that it looks like plasticine. Accordingly, its quality deteriorates: it contains little air, does not warm up well and passes water. It is not easy to grow horticultural crops on such land.

Proper cultivation will help such land become fertile. To do this, lime, ash, compost, manure are regularly added. Careful loosening and mulching will also benefit.

acid balance

The acidity of the soil plays an important role in the cultivation of crops., the optimal value of which is called acid-base balance. It is one of the most important indicators of the quality of fertile land. Acidity is denoted by the symbol "pH". When this value is equal to seven units, the acidity is called neutral. If the pH is below seven the earth is acidic. Above pH 7 they are called alkaline.

With an increase in acidity, there is an increase in the content of aluminum and its salts in the soil, as well as manganese and other minerals. This does not allow plants to develop normally. Moreover, pathogenic bacteria, microorganisms and pests begin to actively multiply in such soil. The applied fertilizers do not decompose. All this leads to a violation of the imbalance of the soil.

Determining acidity is very simple at home. To do this, use a simple method of litmus indicators. Acidified soils are very common. The most common method is liming. At the same time, lime displaces aluminum and its salts from the upper layer of the earth, replacing them with calcium and magnesium. This reduces the toxic effect on the plant.

The amount of lime per square meter depends on soil type and characteristics. The table gives the application rates of lime to reduce acidity.

The principle is simple: the heavier and clayey the soil, the more lime it needs. It is important to remember that when making lime, they simultaneously lay boron fertilizers. Acidity should be checked periodically if adjustment is needed.

After all, this indicator affects the fertility of the land, and, accordingly, the yield.

soil types

For the gardener and gardener the most important factor is the quality of the land on his plot.

The different types have the following characteristics:

structure;
ability to pass air;
hygroscopicity;
heat capacity;
density;
acidity;
saturation with micro and macro elements, organic matter.

For a practicing gardener, knowledge of the types of soil and their characteristics will allow you to choose the right crops for cultivation on personal plot, select and optimally plan agrotechnological processes.

clayey

This is a land with a high density, a weakly expressed structure, contains up to 80% clay, slightly warms up and releases water. Poorly passes air, which slows down decomposition in it. When wet, it is slippery, sticky, plastic. From it you can roll a bar 15-18 cm long, which is then easily rolled into a ring without cracks. Clay soils are usually acidic. Improve agrotechnical indicators clay soil can be done in stages over several seasons.

Important! For better heating of the beds in clay areas, they are formed high enough, the seeds are buried less into the ground. In autumn, before the onset of frost, they dig up the earth, do not break the lumps.

Optimize such soils by introducing:

lime to reduce acidity and improve aeration - 0.3-0.4 kg per sq. m, is brought in the autumn period;
sand for better moisture exchange, no more than 40 kg / square meter;
to reduce density, increase friability;
to saturate with minerals;
for replenishing organic matter, 1.5-2 buckets per sq. m per year.

Peat and ash are brought in without restrictions.

This type of soil must be carefully loosened and mulched. and with a developed root system grow quite well on clay soils.

Did you know? Red grapes of technical grade« Merlot» grows well on clay-pebble soils of Pomerol, the smallest wine region in France, province of Bordeaux.

loamy

Outwardly similar to clay, but with the best for Agriculture characteristics. Loam, if you want to visualize what it is, is soil, which can also be rolled up into a sausage when wet and bent into a ring. A sample of loamy soil holds its shape, but will crack. The color of loam depends on impurities and can be black, gray, brown, red and yellow.

Due to neutral acidity, balanced composition (clay - 10-30%, sand and other impurities - 60-90%), loam is quite fertile and versatile, suitable for growing almost all crops. The structure of the soil is distinguished by a fine-grained structure, which allows it to remain loose and pass air well. Thanks to clay impurities, loam retains water for a long time.

To maintain the fertility of loams, perform:

fertilizing crops with fertilizers;
manure application for autumn digging.

Sandy

Light, loose, loose sandy soil contains a high percentage of sand, does not retain moisture and nutrients.

TO positive properties sandstones can be attributed to high air permeability and rapid heating. Grows well on this kind of soil.

and berry trees;
plants of the gourd family.

To increase the yield under crops, they also apply

Sandstone can be cultivated by adding additives that increase viscosity:

Sideration improves the mechanical structure and saturates it with organic and mineral substances.

To save resources, there is another method of organizing beds - a clay castle.

In place of the beds, a layer of clay 5-6 cm is poured, on top of which a layer of fertile soil is applied - loam, black soil, sandy loam soil, into which plants are sown. The clay layer will retain moisture and nutrients. If fertile soil is not available for planting beds, it can be replaced with improved sandstone mixed with additives for viscosity and fertility.

sandy loam

To determine this type of soil, we also try to mold a bagel from wet earth. Sandy loamy soil will roll into a ball, but it will not be possible to roll it into a bar. The content of sand in it is up to 90%, clay up to 20%. Another example of what kind of soils are that do not require costly and long cultivation. The substrate is light, warms up quickly, retains heat, moisture and organic matter well, and is quite easily processed.

It is necessary to choose zoned plant varieties for planting and maintain fertility:

dosed application of mineral and organic fertilizers;
mulching and sideration.

Lime

Soils of this type can be light and heavy, their disadvantages are:

poverty - low level nutrients;
low acidity;
rockiness;
fast drying.

Improve the following soil:

making
enrichment with ammonium sulfate and to increase acidity;
mulching;
sideration;
application of organic fertilizers.

To retain moisture, calcareous soils must be loosened regularly.

Peat

Enlarge text

A close "relative" of sandy soil in terms of texture soil can be called light sandy loamy soil. The only difference between the presented samples of sandy and sandy loam soil is the content of a greater percentage of clay inclusions in sandy loam soil than in sandy soil. From this, one can draw not only a conclusion, but also determine the main characteristics of sandy loamy soil.

Characteristics of sandy soil

The sandy soil of your site has many unique components, therefore:

better retains nutrients at the roots of plants,
useful organic substances in the soil decompose quickly, which favorably affects the development of the plant,
warms up quickly in the sun
retains heat for a long time when the temperature drops with the onset of night time.
sandy soil does not pass water through itself so quickly,
dries out rather slowly, nourishing the root system of the plant with the required amount of moisture,
after watering, like any soil, sandy loam soil dries out, but does not form a soil crust on the surface, does not crack,
breathable and moisture-absorbing soil,
there is no stagnation of water at the roots, root rot is rarely observed,
the soil is very well aerated, has good flowability,
crumbles well and is not prone to the formation of lumps,
contains large quantity mineral and organic substances than sandstone due to the increased presence of clay components,
simple and easy to process - the soil does not stick to the shovel even when digging a wet area,
root crops, such as carrots and potatoes, are always taken out of the ground clean and dry.

How to determine the type of soil?

When squeezing a handful of moist greyish-brown earth into a sausage or lump, sandy loamy soil will easily take the desired shape, but it will not be able to hold it, it will crumble when it dries. This means that in front of you is a handful of sandy loamy soil, which is rightfully considered fertile soil capable of producing good yields. vegetable crops subject to the regimes of frequent watering and the introduction of complex mineral and organic fertilizers. Sandy loamy soil is considered one of the good options for garden plots, but, nevertheless, one should not neglect the methods and methods of cultivating the soil, which can greatly affect a good harvest of vegetable crops.

Plants for sandy soil

On sandy soils garden plot recommended for growing varieties of all types of cabbage, early, medium, late, cauliflower, broccoli give excellent and large fruits. good harvest tomatoes and cucumbers, parsley, dill, celery, cilantro, which experienced gardeners recommend sowing a little deeper than the usual sowing method.

Almost all vegetable and berry crops are grown on sandy soils, subject to the application necessary fertilizers, compliance with crop rotation and the mandatory use of a mulch layer consisting of rotted leaves, chopped sawdust or dry twigs, dried mowed grass or straw.

Coniferous shrubs and trees grow almost without losses on sandy loamy soils. Spruces, pines, firs, cypresses, European larches and juniper bushes grow well on sandy and sandy loamy lands.

Found their place on the sandy soil and decorative flowers and shrubs. Garden plots are decorated with bushes of barberry and hawthorn, white turf and cinquefoil, and even dyeing gorse. From perennial flowers, plantings of Italian aster and thyme, cornflowers and oregano, tansy and herbal cloves, yarrow and sage, as well as ornamental cereal plants can be distinguished. Annuals such as marigolds and kosmeya, calendula and nasturtium, sweet peas and lupins, ornamental beans, purslane and irises adorn the flower beds of a garden plot equipped on sandy loamy soil.

Of the fruit trees, the Japanese quince takes root very well and gives large fruits.

Describing plants that take root well and give a bountiful harvest on sandy loamy soils, it should be noted that sandy loamy soil is considered the most favorable soil for growing wine grapes such as Alepo, Rkatsiteli, Pino.

Ways to improve the fertility of sandy soil in your garden

Despite the initial good performance fertility, I recommend fertilizing any soil, thereby controlling and significantly improving the quality and quantity of the crop. Therefore, in order to maintain High Quality, Do not forget:

regular application of peat is recommended to bind solid particles in the soil,
to maintain microflora and chemical composition mineral and organic supplements are needed,
the introduction of ash from the burnt sawdust, since ash favorably affects plant growth, like potash fertilizer,
the introduction of clay, because when digging sandy loamy soil, it is necessary to add clay components that affect the moisture absorption of cultivated soil,
sowing green manure - plants that increase the saturation of the soil with nitrogen and oxygen when plowing the site and deepening the green mass into the soil. This is an environmentally safe way to enrich poor soils, reliable and quite economical in financial terms.
mandatory mulching of plantings and rows between plants, because mulch retains moisture well at the roots, provides additional nutrition and enrichment with microelements,
addition of manure and grass compost affecting physical properties and fertility of sandy soil.

Disadvantages of sandy soils

Weak structure. After the surface layer dries, humus particles easily escape even with a slight breeze.
mineral supplements in top layer poorly held due to the lightness of the soil.
Rain or irrigation water carries nutrient particles into deep clay layers that are inaccessible to plant roots.

It is not difficult to observe agrotechnical rules when cultivating sandy loamy soils. It is enough to follow some advice from experienced gardeners, apply the recommended methods and methods for cultivating the fertile layer, and the result will undoubtedly please the summer resident.

Each of us who is at least a little familiar with biology understands that the success of growing horticultural crops immediately depends on a combination of many versatile factors. Climatic conditions, planting dates, variety, timeliness and literacy of agricultural practices - these are far from all that have a direct impact on the harvest.

One of the fundamental points that often plays a dominant role in the outcome of laying a garden and laying out a vegetable garden is the type of soil. It is on what kind of soil is on your site that the possibility of growing certain crops, the need for certain fertilizers, the frequency of watering and weeding will depend. Yes Yes! All this can have significant differences and be beneficial or harmful if you do not know what kind of soil you are dealing with.

Main types of soils

The main types of soils that gardeners in Russia most often encounter are: clay, sandy, sandy loam, loamy, calcareous and swampy. Each of them has both positive and negative properties, which means it differs in recommendations for improving and selecting crops. In their pure form, they are rare, mostly in combination, but with a predominance of certain characteristics. Knowing these properties is 80% of the success of a good harvest.

It is quite easy to determine the clay soil: after digging, it has a coarse-grained dense structure, sticks to the feet in rainy weather, does not absorb water well, and easily sticks together. If you roll a long sausage from a handful of such earth (wet), it can be easily bent into a ring, while it will not crumble into pieces or crack.

Due to the high density, such soil is considered heavy. It warms up slowly, is poorly ventilated, and has a low water absorption coefficient. Therefore, growing crops on it is quite problematic. However, if clay soil is properly cultivated, it can become quite fertile.

To lighten and enrich this species soil, periodic application of sand, peat, ash and lime is recommended. Sand reduces moisture content. Ash enriches with nutrients. Peat loosens and increases water-absorbing properties. Lime reduces acidity and improves soil air conditions.

How much to contribute is an individual question, directly related to the indicators of your particular soil, which can only be accurately determined in laboratory conditions. But, in general: sand - no more than 40 kg per 1 m², lime - about 300-400 g per m², for deep digging once every 4 years (on soils with a slightly acidic reaction), there are no restrictions for peat and ash. If there is a choice of organics, then the best option for increasing the fertility of clay soils is horse manure. It will not be useless to sow green manure, such as mustard, rye, oats.

Plants on clay soils have a hard time. Poor warming of the roots, lack of oxygen, stagnant moisture, the formation of a soil crust do not work in favor of the crop. But still, trees and shrubs, having a fairly powerful root system, tolerate this type of soil well. From vegetables on clay, potatoes, beets, peas and Jerusalem artichoke feel good.

For other crops, we recommend high beds, planting on ridges, using a smaller depth of seeding and tubers in the soil, planting seedlings in an oblique way (for better heating of the root system). Among agricultural practices, special attention should be paid to loosening and mulching on clay soils.

Sandy soil refers to light soil types. It is also not difficult to recognize it: it is loose, free-flowing, easily passes water. If you pick up a handful of such earth and try to form a lump, nothing will work.

All the qualities inherent in sandy soils are both their plus and minus. Such soils warm up quickly, are well aerated, are easily cultivated, but at the same time they cool quickly, dry out quickly, and weakly retain minerals in the root zone (nutrients are washed out by water into the deep layers of the soil). As a result, they are poor in the presence of useful microflora and are poorly suited for growing any crops.

To increase the fertility of such soils, it is necessary to constantly improve their compacting and binding properties. Regular application of peat, compost, humus, clay or drill flour (up to two buckets per 1 m²), the use of green manure (with incorporation into the soil), high-quality mulching after 3-4 years give a decent stable result.

But even if the site is still in the process of cultivation, it is possible to grow carrots, onions, melons, strawberries, currants, fruit trees on it. Cabbage, peas, potatoes and beets will feel somewhat worse on sandy soils, but if you fertilize them with fast-acting fertilizers, in small doses and often enough, you can achieve good results.

For those who do not want to mess with cultivation, there is another way to improve these soils - the creation of an artificial fertile layer by claying. To do this, in place of the beds, it is necessary to arrange a clay castle (lay out clay with a layer of 5-6 cm) and pour 30-35 cm of sandy or loamy soil taken from the side onto it.

Sandy loamy soil is another variant of soils that are light in texture. In its qualities, it is similar to sandy soils, but contains a slightly higher percentage of clay inclusions, which means it has a better holding capacity for mineral and organic substances, not only warms up quickly, but also retains heat for a long time, passes moisture less and dries out more slowly, is well aerated and easy to process.

You can determine it by the same method of squeezing a handful of moist earth into a sausage or lump: if it forms, but does not hold its shape well, you have sandy loam soil in front of you.

Anything can grow on such soils, with the usual methods of agricultural technology and the choice of zoned varieties. This is one of the good options for gardens and orchards. However, methods of increasing and maintaining fertility for these soils will also not be superfluous. It is recommended to regularly apply organic matter (in normal doses), sow green manure crops, and mulch them.

Loamy soil is the most suitable type of soil for growing horticultural crops. It is easy to process, contains a large percentage of nutrients, has high air and water permeability, is able not only to retain moisture, but also to evenly distribute it over the thickness of the horizon, and retains heat well. If you take a handful of such earth in the palm of your hand and roll it up, then you can easily form a sausage, which, however, cannot be bent into a ring, since it will fall apart when deformed.

Due to the combination of existing properties, loamy soil does not need to be improved, but it is only necessary to maintain its fertility: mulch, apply manure for autumn digging (3-4 kg per 1 sq. M.) And, if necessary, feed the crops planted on it with mineral fertilizers. Everything can be grown on loamy soils.

Lime soil belongs to the category of poor soils. Usually it has a light brown color, a large number of stony inclusions, is characterized by an alkaline environment, quickly heats up and dries up at elevated temperatures, poorly gives iron and manganese to plants, and can have a heavy or light composition. In crops grown on such soil, foliage turns yellow and unsatisfactory growth is observed.

To improve the structure and increase the fertility of calcareous soils, it is necessary to regularly apply organic fertilizers, and not only for the main cultivation, but also in the form of mulch, sow green manure, and apply potash fertilizers.

Everything is possible to grow on this type of soil, but with frequent loosening of row spacing, timely watering and thoughtful use of mineral and organic fertilizers. Potatoes, tomatoes, sorrel, carrots, pumpkins, radishes, cucumbers and lettuces will suffer from low acidity, so they need to be fed with fertilizers that tend to acidify rather than alkalize the soil (for example, ammonium sulfate, urea).

swampy soil

Marshy or peaty soils are also used for laying out horticultural plots. However, it is quite difficult to call them good for growing crops: the nutrients contained in them are not very accessible to plants, they absorb water quickly, but they also give it away just as quickly, they warm up poorly, and often have a high acidity index. But, such soils hold well mineral fertilizers and are easy to cultivate.

To improve fertility swampy soils, it is necessary to saturate the earth with sand (for this it is necessary to carry out deep digging so as to raise the sand from lower layers) or clay flour, use abundant liming on especially acidic options, take care of increasing the content of beneficial microorganisms in the ground (apply manure, slurry, compost, do not bypass microbiological additives), do not forget about potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

If you lay a garden on peat soils, then it is better to plant trees either in pits, with soil individually laid for cultivation, or in bulk hills, from 0.5 to 1 m high.

Under the garden, carefully cultivate the ground, or, as in the variant with sandy soils, lay a clay layer and already fill it with loam mixed with peat, organic fertilizers and lime. But if you grow only gooseberries, currants, chokeberries and garden strawberries, then you can do nothing - just water and weed, since these crops on such soils work out without cultivation.

Chernozems

And, of course, speaking of soils, it is difficult not to mention chernozems. On our summer cottages they are not so common, but worthy of special attention.

Chernozems are soils of high potential fertility. Stable granular-lumpy structure, high content of humus, high percentage of calcium, good water-absorbing and water-retaining abilities make it possible to recommend them as the best option for growing crops. However, like any other soil, they tend to be depleted from constant use, therefore, already 2-3 years after their development, it is recommended to apply organic fertilizers to the beds and sow green manure.

In addition, chernozems can hardly be called light soils; therefore, they are often loosened by adding sand or peat. They can also be acidic, neutral and alkaline, which also requires its own adjustment.

To understand that you really have black soil in front of you, you need to take the guest of the earth and squeeze it in your palm, a black greasy print should remain on your hand.

Some confuse chernozem with peat - there is also a trick for checking: a wet lump of soil must be squeezed out in your hand and put in the sun - peat will dry instantly, while chernozem will retain moisture for a long time.