In July, the harvesting of some vegetables and greens begins, and the plots are cleared of plant residues.
Before planting the next crop, the soil must be given the opportunity to restore its strength.
Therefore, smart gardeners help it to increase fertility and improve the soil structure. To do this, they sow green manure on the cleared areas.
For summer sowing, it is better to take grains of oats, rye, phacelia, mustard and other crops.
Sowing green manure
Many people sow green manure between rows of vegetables, but this is not very good for the plants themselves. Because green manure grows very quickly and can suppress or cover up the main crop.
It is good to sow them in cleared areas or in gardens and vegetable gardens under trees.
Perennial grasses such as clover, alfalfa, sainfoin and goat's rue are sown in gardens. They additionally attract insects during their flowering period.
Annual plants such as peas, beans, lupines, buckwheat and phacelia are sown in areas cleared of the main crop.
Sometimes the owners sow green manure in the desired area in the spring. They can do this up to three times during the entire season. For example, lupine is sown in early spring, when it grows up and starts to throw out flower buds, it needs to be mowed and the ground dug up. Then phacelia is sown immediately, then mustard or oilseed radish. The main condition is that the plants should not bloom. Cruciferous green manure, such as mustard, oilseed radish, rapeseed, should not be sown in early spring, all the pests will be on the site. It is better to sow them in the fall, combining them with phacelia.
Beneficial effects of green manure
To suppress pathogenic bacteria, white mustard and phacelia are sown, which additionally improves the health of the soil.
Clover, peas, and alfalfa are sown to accumulate nitrogen in the soil.
Buckwheat is sown to convert compounds such as phosphorus and potassium into an easily accessible form for other plants.
They are sown with oats and rye to quickly increase green mass.
Oil radish and phacelia - to suppress nematodes in the soil.
Green manure can be sown in a mixture, taking several different in their qualities. For example, legumes with cereals and cruciferous plants.
