Why do we need green manure: when and what varieties to sow in the greenhouse in the fall to improve vegetable yields

Have you noticed that where people do not engage in farming, various wild crops grow beautifully without any chemical fertilizers? The soil in such fields and meadows is famous for its fertility and itself provides the plants with all the necessary nutrients. Why is this happening?

Many summer residents are familiar with the term “green manure”. But for newcomers to the world of gardening, it is difficult to navigate and understand what it is. In fact, these are special plants that can bring significant benefits to your summer cottage. Let's figure out why green manure is needed and how to grow it correctly.

Green manure in a greenhouse

What are green manures?

Green manures are special helper plants, which are also called “fertilizer plants.” They are grown in summer cottages for the purpose of subsequent embedding in the ground, due to which it is possible to radically and for the better improve the condition of the land, enrich it with microelements, and control weeds. They loosen heavy clay soil, making it softer and more pleasant for plants, while sandy loam and sandy soils, thanks to green manure, become more dense and suitable for farming.

Features of using green manure in a greenhouse

Growing green manure is not a new method of changing the condition of the soil for the better. And over time it becomes more and more popular. The fact is that this is a fairly simple and not labor-intensive way to provide good soil on your site. For example, if you use manure as a fertilizer, you will have to work a lot with it: wait until it turns into humus, bring it, unload it, scatter it around your summer cottage, dig it up. In addition, manure itself can become a source of bacteria and a supplier of weed seeds. And the effect from it will be much worse than from using green manure - judging by the reviews of gardeners who have tried both methods, the harvest in this case will, as a rule, not be as good.

In a greenhouse, to improve the condition of the soil, the soil is often simply replaced completely. However, sometimes it is enough to use green manure for just a few years so that you no longer have to do such labor-intensive work.

Often the condition of the soil is improved by completely replacing it.

Green manure contains all sorts of useful compounds and elements. These are nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, other microelements, nutrients that, after the decomposition of plants, remain in the soil and improve its characteristics. Very often, thanks to green manure, it is possible to completely eliminate the use of artificial fertilizers, thereby increasing the environmental safety of products grown on such soil.

Prices for green manure mixture

green manure mixture

When to plant green manure in the fall and how to do it effectively

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Many summer residents are wondering: when to sow green manure in the fall in a greenhouse so that they bring the greatest benefit? This procedure can be carried out:

• from late August to early October, after harvest;
• in November (before winter), at the end of the summer season.

The timing of planting green manure in the fall determines whether they will increase the necessary green mass. Plants sown in early September will have time to sprout before frost; they can be left in the beds until the new season without mowing. But green manure sown in the fall before winter will sprout only in the spring. Before flowering, they can be mowed and embedded in the soil, preparing the soil for planting seedlings. This is especially true when growing early-ripening varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Planting green manure to improve the soil in the fall follows the following rules:

• first remove the weeds and dig up the beds;
• water the sowing area thoroughly;
• then scatter the seeds according to the instructions (if you sow before winter, scatter more seeds, as some of them may not survive until spring);
• after sowing, beat the soil with the flat side of the shovel;
• You can sprinkle everything on top with a small amount of humus.

Green manures are easily propagated by seeds and can turn into weeds, so if they bloom in your greenhouse before the onset of cold weather, cut off the flower stalks. Otherwise, there is no need to cut off the grown plants, you can only mow them down a little. Before frost, they will have time to completely cover the soil and, rotting, will saturate it with useful microelements.

Functions of green manure

As a rule, slightly grown green manure (at the beginning of flowering or even before the beginning of this period) is simply plowed into the soil, thereby introducing completely natural fertilizers into it. Thus, natural compost is created, which protects the soil from various types of erosion, and when decomposing, enriches it with proteins, nitrogen, starch, sugars and other substances. Due to the rather strong, powerful, branched roots of helper plants, the soil becomes looser or, on the contrary, compacted (depending on its structure), and beneficial worms and microbes are also attracted to the site, which process them and, again, loosen the soil. Also, the roots of “green fertilizers” are also suppliers of useful substances from the depths of the soil to its top layer.

Phacelia green manure

On a note! By rotting, the roots create unique microchannels in the soil, through which the water and air that plants need so much penetrate.

The green manure plants themselves grow quite quickly, creating a powerful green part, thanks to which light-loving weeds are constantly in the shade and die from lack of light. Also, certain species of these plants secrete certain substances that can inhibit the growth of seeds - this also helps to reduce the amount of weeds. Green manure plants, growing among garden crops, are capable of diverting some of the pests to themselves, thereby protecting your work. And some are even able to scare them away and drive them away from the site - for example, nematodes are afraid of radishes.

Crop rotation scheme

Green manures are also assistants in pollination. Their flowers and pollen are attractive to pollinating insects: bumblebees and bees will constantly hover over them, simultaneously pollinating neighboring plants. And a good harvest largely depends on high-quality pollination.

Green manure also helps in pollination

Don’t forget about nitrogen-fixing bacteria - they are well known to everyone from biology lessons. If you plant green manures belonging to the legume family, then thanks to them the soil will be significantly enriched with nitrogen available to other plants (this is about 50% of the total amount of the element found in the green manure plant).

To summarize, let’s consider what main functions green manures perform.

1. “Green fertilizers” significantly increase the percentage of biomass in the soil.
2. These plants provide rapid formation of humus.
3. Legume green manures are excellent suppliers of nitrogen for cultivated plants.
4. Green helpers improve soil structure, help better absorb and retain moisture, and provide excellent aeration.
5. Green manure provides the exchange of substances in the upper and deeper layers of the soil.
6. Helper plants fight weeds, pests, and diseases.
7. Green manures are excellent soil protectors from erosion, and they also help pollinate other plants.
8. These crops are able to regulate soil acidity/alkalinity.

Of course, you shouldn’t hope that green manure will change the soil on your plot or in a greenhouse in just a year. But the results of working with them will already be noticeable next season.

Mustard - green fertilizer

Planting mustard in a greenhouse in spring. How to sow mustard correctly?

Mustard is an annual plant of the cruciferous family. It is sown as green manure, honey plant and as an oilseed crop. In this article we will look at its various purposes, and give the timing and features of sowing mustard.

Why do they sow mustard?

In agriculture, in vegetable gardens and summer cottages, mustard is often used as green manure.

Green manure is a group of plants that are grown for subsequent incorporation into the soil before or at the beginning of their flowering phase.

Green manure crops of the cruciferous family include mustard:

• white (English);
• blue (Sarepta);
• yellow.

Let's consider the benefits of mustard sown on the site as green manure:

• enriches the soil with organic substances, nitrogen, microelements;
• extracts and converts sparingly soluble minerals into accessible forms;
• improves the mechanical properties of the soil (the root system loosens clay soils and keeps sandy soils from crumbling);
• forms compost, protects soils from erosion and leaching of useful substances;
• prevents the growth and development of pathogenic fungi and bacteria (for example, scab);
• inhibits the growth of weeds thanks to a developed root system, which prevents weeds from taking root, and the creation of shade;
• reduces crop rotation, allows you to sow the same crops in the same place more often;
• mulches the soil and retains snow on it.

Mustard also has other uses. It is used as:

• Companion plant - beneficial when planted next to the main crop: it attracts pollinating insects and thereby increases the yield;
• repels pests due to the content of essential oils;
• stimulates plant growth due to root secretions.

When does sowing begin?

Mustard is sown during the “rest” of the soil (green manure fallow), in the inter-row spaces during the development of the main crop. Also, depending on its purpose, mustard is grown in spring, summer and autumn.

in spring

Early sowing of mustard is justified as:

• “green manure” (green manure);
• companion plants;
• honey plant;
• source of vitamins and microelements in the human diet.

Thanks to the spring planting of mustard, it is possible to reduce the growth and spread of weeds throughout the area.

Start sowing the crop in early spring, as soon as the snow has melted. Depending on the climate, the start of planting mustard seeds in Russia varies:

• for the middle zone - March;
• for the southern regions - the 20th of February;
• for the northern ones - April.

Focus not only on long-term temperature charts for the region, but also on the weather forecast in case of late spring.

The plant is cold-resistant, can withstand frosts down to -6 °C. Seeds germinate even at +1...+2°C, and at temperatures of 10°C and above, the first sprouts will appear within 3-4 days after sowing.

If you use an annual as green manure:

1. Mow mustard before or at the initial stage of flowering (i.e. 30-40 days after planting). By this time, the plant will have gained the optimal volume of green mass.
2. Dig up the soil with a shovel.
3. Water in dry weather.
   Due to the shallow root system, plants are watered abundantly at all stages of growth.
4. Use EM drugs. These concentrates contain beneficial microorganisms that accelerate the breakdown of plant fibers and promote the rapid formation of humus.
5. Plant the main crop no earlier than a week after planting green manure into the soil. Unrotted remains of green mass will slow down the growth of vegetables.

In summer

To restore, improve and enrich the soil, planting mustard in the summer is suitable. During this season, the crop is sown on lands that:

• removed from crop rotation;
• protect from weeds after harvest.

When rotating crops, follow the rules:

• To use the fallow time more efficiently, sow annuals twice a season: at the end of May and in mid-July.
• Keep an interval between sowings of 2 weeks, give soil microorganisms time to process organic matter.
• Mow and plant plants that are in the flowering phase. If you miss the deadline, mustard seeds will form and scatter throughout the area.

in autumn

To prevent the vacated soils from becoming covered with weeds, sow the empty beds with mustard within 2-3 days after harvesting.

It is especially important not to delay agricultural work in the northern regions. Winter starts early there. If you delay sowing, there is a risk that the mustard will not have time to grow before the frost arrives. In the south of Russia, the crop can be planted until late autumn.

In the autumn, it is important to sow mustard as a green manure and to protect the soil from dehydration, freezing, blowing out, and washing out.

There are two ways to deal with grown mustard:

• Mow it if the plants have grown to a height of 17-20 cm. Then they dig it up or leave it lying on the surface of the ground until spring (as mulch).
• They are left in the beds if the mustard has not had time to grow, frost has occurred and the soil is frozen.

Main green manure plants

What plants can be used as green manure? As a rule, representatives of the Cruciferous, Legume, and Cereal families. In general, about 400 plant species can be green manures.

Green manure table for vegetables

Main plant species by family.

1. Legumes are the best suppliers of nitrogen. These are peas, beans, alfalfa, clover, lupine.
2. Grains are the best way to control weeds and replenish biomass. Suitable for greenhouses: oats, wheatgrass, rye, barley.
3. Cruciferous vegetables - disinfect the soil and help fight weeds. These are mustard, rapeseed, radish, rapeseed.

The best types of green manure

Advice! Mustard planted in a potato field will ensure a good supply of nutrients and thereby reduce fertilizer consumption.

White mustard is one of the most common green manures

Table. Main types of green manure.

For greenhouses, mustard is considered the best green manure because it has the necessary properties, grows quickly, and disinfects the soil. Tomatoes can be planted in holes made directly between mustard bushes. The main thing is that the bushes are not higher than 20-30 cm.

You can also plant rye or oats in the greenhouse. This is done immediately after harvesting in the fall. As soon as snow falls, the rye seedlings need to be sprinkled with snow, but this is not necessary.

What green manure to sow in the garden in the fall

Before choosing green manure for sowing before winter, you need to decide what you plan to plant in this bed in the spring. There is no universal plant that can be used for any crop:

1. For strawberries - rapeseed, buckwheat, Shrovetide radish or mustard.
2. For potatoes – peas, oats or white mustard.
3. Under cucumbers - carrots or beets.
4. Turnips or cabbage are planted under radishes.

Winter vetch is often sown with cereals under cabbage. She:

1. Suitable for heavy soil, protects it from weathering and washing out.
2. Does not grow well in acidic and dry soils.
3. Suppresses the growth of weeds.
4. Enriches the soil with nitrogen compounds, repels snails and slugs.

White mustard (planted under potatoes) is not afraid of cold weather, and also:

• protects beds from freezing;
• enriches the soil with sulfur, phosphorus, organic matter and loosens it;
• suppresses the growth of weeds and pathogenic organisms;
• repels nematodes, slugs, moths and wireworms.

On a note!

The sowing rate is 3-4 g/m², to combat wireworms – up to 10 g/m².

Winter rye grows on any soil. She:

• frost-resistant, enriches the soil with nitrogen, potassium and organic compounds, improves its moisture and air permeability;
• protects the soil from erosion, weeds, fungal pathogens and root nematodes;
• quickly produces green mass;
• suitable for planting under tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin;
• has a sowing rate of 900 g per 100 m².

Oats grow on any soil. Main features:

• can be combined with rye, peas, lupine or vetch;
• improves clay soil, loosens and enriches it with phosphorus, potassium and organic matter;
• suppresses weed growth, protects against root rot and fungal diseases;
• suitable for planting under cucumbers;
• sowing rate – 10-15 g/m².

Adviсe. Green manure and crops

For those who have decided to improve the soil at their summer cottage, we will give some useful tips.

1. Select green manure crops that are best suited for your region of residence.
2. Mow green manure in a timely manner so that the stems do not have time to become dense, otherwise they will rot worse.
3. Also remove legume green manures before they grow large, otherwise they will leave behind too much nitrogen in the soil. This is harmful to cultivated plants.
4. Trim green manure tops at least 14 days before planting the main crop.
5. Do not use green manure from the same family as the crops that will be grown in the same area as them.
6. Cut green manure tops using a flat cutter to avoid damaging the roots.
7. Do not mow winter green manures in the fall.

During growth, the roots of green manure loosen the soil, and after dying and decomposition, numerous pores and capillaries are left after the function of green manure.

With the correct use of green manure, you can radically change the structure and composition of the soil in just a few seasons. Those who have already tried this technology claim that it is possible to make the soil ideal. The main thing is not to wait for miracles, but simply to work, observing all the basic rules for sowing and processing green manure.

How to sow green manure correctly

Green manure is planted in loose and moist soil. It is best to sprinkle them with a little soil or mulch. This will improve the germination of seeds and protect them from birds. You cannot use green manure from the same family as the plants for the next planting. Their diseases and pests are the same. In spring, it is best not to dig up the ground with the remaining plants, but to cut off the above-ground part. Then mulch or compost it. You should not sow the same green manure every year.

On a note!

To speed up the decomposition of the remaining green manure plant parts in the ground, agronomists recommend watering the soil with preparations containing bacteria (“Shine”).

Green manure is an effective and environmentally friendly fertilizer. It simultaneously nourishes, improves the quality of the soil and protects it from diseases, weeds, pests and adverse weather conditions. Plants that are resistant to cold and temperature changes and have a powerful root system for loosening the soil are suitable for autumn planting in garden beds. They are able to quickly grow green mass. These are mainly representatives of the Cruciferous, Grain and Legume families.

Characteristics of green manures most suitable for greenhouses

Each plant (green manure) has its own advantages and disadvantages. They must be selected carefully, taking into account the needs of a particular vegetable crop. When choosing the time to plant green manure in a greenhouse, you need to know the characteristics of each plant.

Phacelia is suitable for growing on any soil. Before planting the seedlings, it manages to gain a lot of green mass; before frost, it manages to get stronger and stretch out. Once mowed, its delicate foliage quickly decomposes, releasing the nitrogen the plants need. Phacelia repels wireworms, nematodes, locusts, prevents the appearance of diseases such as late blight, root rot, and is a good honey plant. Both spring and autumn are good times for phacelia, when it is most productive to sow green manure in a greenhouse.

It grows in a short time, and after mowing it quickly rots. Due to its frost resistance, rapeseed is well suited for winter green manuring. It heals the soil, protects the crop from pests and diseases. In addition, rapeseed perfectly suppresses the growth of weeds. Chernozem or super-clay and super-sandy soil types are well suited for growing rapeseed.

Vetch is valued for its rapid ripening. It can be sown both before and after planting seedlings. Vetch is an excellent honey plant, nitrogen supplier and soil health worker. By planting vetch tightly in a greenhouse, you can completely get rid of weeds. This green manure is quite capricious, loves moisture, and does not tolerate drought well. Winter vetch is less demanding, but also less productive. It can be planted mixed with other green manure plants, such as rye and mustard.

Phacelia

Acts as a universal fertilizer. Unpretentious, grows quickly. It has a decorative appearance. Tolerates cold and drought well. Suitable as a precursor for all cultivated plants. Phacelia effectively fights aphids, wireworms, nematodes, and suppresses the development of fungal infections that cause root rot and phytoflora.

Phacelia

The rules for planting phacelia are similar to the instructions for other green manures. Do this in early autumn or before frost. In the first case, the plant will produce abundant greenery and protect the soil from the cold. By sowing phacelia for the winter, you will provide yourself with high-quality, natural fertilizer for seedlings in the spring.

In any of the proposed options, the seeds are not poured into the soil. In this form they will rot and disappear. Simply scatter them evenly onto the damp soil and loosen the top with a rake.

Plant fertilizer for cucumbers

Cucumbers extract all the beneficial substances from the top layer of soil. For their growth and fertility, it is necessary to compensate for these losses. Rapeseed, vetch, peas, barley, phacelia, and oats are suitable for this. You can sow them in the usual way. It is also effective to do this in the summer, when the crop bears fruit. Scatter the seeds between the rows. You will receive a rich harvest and healthy plants.

It is not advisable to grow rye before cucumbers.

It is not advisable to grow rye in front of cucumbers. It fights weeds well and suppresses cucumbers. They grow worse and produce noticeably smaller yields.

Some tips for beginning gardeners

The most important thing that a gardener should take into account when sowing biological fertilizer: these plants should not produce seeds and be sown in the garden bed. Otherwise, a banal weed will form in the greenhouse, which will do its best to interfere with the growth of cultivated plants and, instead of benefit, there will be a huge amount of hassle in the subsequent removal of the useful plant from the greenhouse. Therefore, it is important to mow the green manure on time. This is usually done when the grass reaches 30–40 cm and does not begin to bloom. This is the best option, since green plants will rot and saturate the soil with additional nutrients.

You cannot use the same green manure throughout the entire season and for any plant. What is a good precursor for tomatoes is not suitable for a greenhouse where cabbage or peas are grown.

With timely planting in spring, green manure will be able to protect fragile seedlings from the first bright rays of the sun.

Each type of green manure has its own planting characteristics that should be taken into account:

• legumes do not like acidic soil;
• dyeing woad perfectly tolerates any temperature changes and perfectly tolerates lack of moisture;
• vetch is a demanding fertilizer, which is best planted interspersed with cereals, since vetch needs support for its climbing stem;
• white mustard will repel mole crickets and fights well against late blight, which is so dangerous for most cultivated plants.

If all these nuances are taken into account and biological assistants are not allowed to multiply, then the soil in the greenhouse will not be able to turn into mineralized soil and the yield of cultivated plants will always be at a high level.