If the ground on the site is very hard. How to make the soil loose and fertile

Clay soil is difficult to cultivate; such soil is not fertile and allows the cultivation of limited varieties of garden crops. It is possible to correct the situation, but it will take time and a lot of effort. There are proven methods based on removing excess moisture by changing the topography, applying fertilizers, and growing green manure.

Clay soil

Clay consists of many tiny particles that become highly compacted when exposed to moisture. The monolithic mass allows oxygen and water to pass through itself in small quantities, which is detrimental to most plants. Biological processes are inhibited in clay. Garden crops begin to wither, productivity decreases and many plants die.

Clay soil is considered to be soil that contains up to 80% clay and 20% sand. At home, it is impossible to accurately determine the percentage. An approximate analysis can be done with a simple experiment:

• In the garden, dig a hole half the depth of a spade bayonet. Take a handful of soil with your hand and knead it into dough. If the soil is dry, you need to add a little water.
• Roll out the finished mass into a sausage, then roll up a ring with a diameter of 5 cm.

If the sausage cracks when rolled into a ring, it means the soil is loamy. The absence of cracks indicates increased clay content. In order to grow garden crops on such soil, it needs to be prepared.

Clay soil has negative qualities:

• heaviness;
• conducts heat poorly;
• does not allow oxygen to pass through;
• water stagnates on the surface, which swamps the bed;
• moisture does not reach the roots of the plant well;
• Under the sun, wet clay turns into a crust, the strength of which can be compared to concrete.

All of these negative qualities interfere with the normal biological process necessary for every plant.

It is important to know! The surface of clayey soil up to 15 cm thick may contain a small amount of humus. This is more of a minus than a plus. The problem lies in increased acidity, which has a bad effect on plants.

It is possible to turn clay into fertile soil, but the work is labor-intensive and will take at least three years.

Site preparation

Water and clay form an explosive mixture, which, when hardened, differs little from concrete. Stagnation of moisture in rainy summers threatens the area with waterlogging. Nothing will grow in such a garden. Improvement begins with the arrangement of drainage. The system is designed to remove excess moisture. To figure out whether drainage is needed, conduct a small experiment:

• A hole of about 60 cm is dug in the area. The width of the hole is taken arbitrarily.
• The hole is filled to the top with water and left for a day.

If after the specified time the water is not completely absorbed, the area needs drainage.

Surface drainage

The system involves digging small trenches along the entire perimeter of the site. Moreover, they are dug at a slope so that the water is drained by gravity to a designated place, for example, a ravine.

Dig trenches along paths, along the perimeter of beds, lawns, and recreation areas. Drainage trays covered with gratings are laid around buildings. All surface drainage is connected into one system, which can drain water into wells.

Deep drainage

Heavily flooded areas with high groundwater levels require deep drainage. The principle of the system is the same, only instead of the usual small grooves, perforated pipes - drains - are buried deep in the ground. Mains are usually laid to a depth of 1.2 m. The pipes are connected to storm drainage trays, surface drainage trenches and drainage wells. The distance between drains depends on the depth of their installation and the composition of the soil, but not more than 11 m.

To improve drainage in a heavily flooded area, it is optimal to arrange a combined drainage system, consisting of a surface and deep system.

In addition to arranging drainage, they are improving the relief in the clay area. They try to raise beds, flower beds, and vegetable gardens by adding soil. Water will drain faster from higher ground.

Fertilizer application

Clay soil is infertile. Mineral fertilizers will not help here. Only organic matter will help. Sand will help loosen the soil, and liming can reduce acidity.

Peat with manure

Improving clay soil begins with the addition of manure or peat. Organic matter is added at the rate of 2 buckets per 1 m2 of garden. The earth is dug up to a depth of 12 cm. Over time, earthworms and beneficial microorganisms will breed in this layer. The soil will become loose and moisture and oxygen will begin to penetrate inside.

Attention! Only rotted manure is used, otherwise the roots of the plants will burn. Peat should not have a rusty tint. This indicates large iron impurities that have a bad effect on vegetation. Before adding to the soil, the peat is well ventilated.

Sawdust

Sawdust is considered a good organic matter and perfectly loosens the soil. However, during decay, they pull nitrogen from the soil, reducing its fertility. The problem can be corrected by wetting the sawdust before adding it to the soil with a urea solution. The fertilizer is diluted with water to a concentration of 1.5%.

Advice! Wood chips soaked in pet urine that have been used as bedding work best.

Sawdust is added at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 m2 of garden. The earth is dug up to a depth of 12–15 cm.

Sand with humus

Sand will help loosen clay soil. However, it is not fertile in itself. Sand is added with humus. This needs to be done every fall. The amount of sand depends on what crops will grow in the garden bed. Let’s say that to grow vegetables and flowers, 1 m2 of land is covered with 1 bucket of sand. When growing cabbage, apple trees, and beets, the amount of sand per 1 m2 is reduced to 0.5 buckets. In at least 5 years, the thickness of the fertile layer will reach 18 cm.

Important! Sand with humus must be added annually. The beneficial substances from the humus of the plant will be taken away and must be replenished. The sand will settle within a year. If you do not add a new portion, the soil will again become clayey and heavy.

Soil liming

Liming the soil helps reduce acidity and increase fertility. This is done in the fall once every five years. Slaked lime is added to the soil to reduce acidity, and chalk helps to increase fertility, as it contains a lot of calcium. The addition of wood ash, dolomite flour and ground limestone shows good results. The amount of substances applied depends on the composition of the soil. This cannot be done at random. A preliminary analysis is required.

Growing green manure

Annual plants called green manures are well suited to fertilize the soil. They are sown before planting vegetables or after harvesting. Young greens are mowed, but not removed from the garden, but dug up with soil. The most common green manures are:

• Rye. Sow in August after harvesting. Greens can be dug up late in the fall or in the spring before planting.
• Clover. The site cannot be used for planting garden crops for three years. Clover is mowed annually and the green mass is left to lie in the garden. In the third year, the plot is dug up to a depth of 12 cm. The clover roots will also rot and become additional fertilizer.
• Phacelia. Sow in spring after snow melts. At least a month after germination, but three weeks before planting, the green mass is mowed. The garden is dug up to a depth of 15 cm.
• Mustard. White mustard is considered green manure No. 1. It is sown in early spring and mowed when the seedling height reaches 10 cm. It can be sown in August after harvesting vegetables, and mowed in the fall before frost. The soil with green manure is dug up to a depth of 12 cm.

Empty areas of the garden can be planted with ground cover plants. In hot weather, they will prevent overheating of the soil, retain moisture and become an organic fertilizer in the future.

Gardeners adopt the experience of the older generation and often use traditional methods of improving clay soil. Here are a few of them:

• Large clods help improve the structure of the soil. In the fall, the site is not interrupted with a walk-behind tractor, but dug up manually with a shovel. Large clods of earth retain snow in winter and warm up better in spring. Fertility will not increase, but the soil will become more pliable in processing.
• The clayey area cannot be dug deeper than 25 cm. This will not make the soil looser. As the depth increases, the properties of the clay become even more pronounced.
• Using mulch on the beds gives good results. Straw, sawdust, leaves or pine needles are spread on the ground around garden plantings. Mulch prevents rapid evaporation of moisture and the formation of crust on clay soil. The thickness of the mulch depends on the material used and is a maximum of 5 cm. In the fall, it is dug up with soil in the garden bed to obtain organic fertilizer.

Advice! It is easier to dig up clay soil in dry weather. It is difficult to work with wet clay, plus you will end up with lumps that are difficult to break after drying in the sun.

Recently, gardeners have begun to adhere to an innovation that involves partial improvement of the soil. The area with clay soil is not dug up and fertilized, but only the beds where garden crops are supposed to be planted.

If all else fails

If work to improve clay soil is unsuccessful, do not abandon the site. Even on such land you can grow useful crops:

• from flowers you can plant peonies, aconite, Volzhanka;
• among garden crops, many varieties of strawberries, cabbage, salads, and peas take root well;
• Among the fruit crops that grow on clay are currants, plums, cherries, and grapes.

It all depends on the varieties of each crop. Those plants and trees that can withstand a lack of oxygen and high humidity will grow on clay.

Plants should not be tested for survival. The composition of any clay soil can be improved, you just need to put in as much work as possible and be patient.

Along with adding a large amount of organic fertilizers, compost, green manure, it is important to add a soil loosening agent. This can be either one component or several at the same time, depending on the condition of the soil and its type. The following disintegrants are known: perlite, vermiculite, sand, expanded clay, helium balls, peat, Christmas tree needles, pine bark, etc.

The plants that live in our gardens are not indigenous representatives of its biota. Vegetable, flower, and coniferous representatives of the flora are always brought to our summer cottages from outside, so that plants that have different requirements for growing conditions cannot end up there on their own. But I really want the dacha to be buried in the luxurious greenery of gardens, coniferous trees, ornamental, overseas plants and flowers, and not to be overgrown with dull but native sparse vegetation, more typical of meadows.

It is good if the soil is rich in nutrients, fertile, perfectly structured and aerated, and even fully meets the requirements of a particular crop. But this is such a rarity now! Due to our anthropogenic activities, every year we ourselves destroy the structure of the soil. What to do? How to correct the situation and return the structure? This can be either one component or several at the same time, depending on the condition of the soil and its type.

Important functions of baking powders

Firstly, leavening agents are a source of air for the soil (aerator). Due to their heterogeneous structure, they are able to form small air cavities in the soil filled with oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, which are so necessary for plant roots for full growth and development. In addition, thanks to the introduced loosening components, a soil crust ceases to form on the surface, the soil does not become heavier, does not cake, or is not pressed under its own weight even after watering.

Secondly, baking powders soften environmental temperature fluctuations. The roots feel comfortable in it even on cool nights, this is especially important for seedlings in the spring, when sudden temperature changes are inevitable. This protects the roots from stressful situations and, as a result, from the possibility of easily becoming infected with mycotoxins of fungal and bacterial diseases. But not all types of baking powder can ensure temperature balance in the soil. For these purposes, it is better not to use the following disintegrants: coarse sand, fine gravel, brick chips. They have the property of becoming very cold at night and, on the contrary, heating up during the day so that they can burn the roots and even cause the death of the plant.

Thirdly, baking powder disinfects the soil. Thanks to the first two qualities, they inhibit the development of pathological flora in it, protecting plants from infection. In addition, some leavening agents, such as coal, moss, and algae, also have antiseptic properties.

What type of baking powder should be used?

The need to add a certain type of baking powder is determined by the type of soil itself: sandy, loamy, clayey, podzolic, soddy-podzolic, chernozem, as well as its pH level. Thus, high peat has low acidity (3.0-4.5), which most cultivated plants do not like, while low peat, on the contrary, has a normal pH level (6.0-7.0).

Most dacha dwellers prefer soil with the following composition, in a ratio of 1:2:1, respectively:

• leavening agents (perlite, sand, vermiculite);
• humus, compost;
• the earth itself.

Disintegrants to improve the properties of sandy soil - in a ratio of 2:1:2, respectively:

• litter, grass, compost;
• turf soil (layered with manure in the fall), which allows the sand to retain moisture and enriches it with nutrients due to the applied fertilizers.

Raising agents for improving clay soil, in a ratio of 2:2:2, respectively:

• manure;
• sand.

Disintegrants that improve very heavy soils (clayey, podzolic, sod-podzolic) are best applied in the fall during digging, in the ratio, respectively: ½: ¼: ½: 3:1:

• straw, finely chopped twigs;
• crushed brick;
• bark;
• manure.

The addition of all these components over several years in a row can restore the soil structure. It is easy to identify well-prepared soil. To do this, you need to squeeze a small lump of slightly moistened soil in your hands:

• if the earth sticks together in a lump, it’s bad;
• if it crumbles like sand and becomes dusty, it’s bad;
• if the structural components of the soil remain on your hand in the form of small soft lumps - great, this is a highly structured soil.

Soil loosening agents for seedlings

So, the soil should be light, crumbly, aerated, well-drained and structured due to correctly composed soil fractions. One of the main components that are perfect for this role is baking powder. Let's look at baking powder separately:

Perlite

It is a leavening agent made from natural material of volcanic origin (“volcanic glass”). It contains oxides of magnesium, calcium, aluminum, sodium, iron, and other elements vital for plants.

An excellent soil loosener. It is superior to vermiculite in its loosening properties. However, in some ways it is inferior to the latter. Disadvantages of perlite:

• very expensive;
• special storage conditions are required to prevent the material from turning into dust;
• does not have very high absorbency;
• When working with it, be sure to use a respirator and gloves.

Vermiculite

We can say that this is the most effective baking powder, giving a head start to other baking powders. It is a layered mineral formation, hydromica.

An excellent soil improver. Advantages over others:

• loosens compacted soil;
• perfectly aerates the soil, structuring it;
• rich in mineral elements: iron, potassium, calcium, silicon, magnesium, etc.
• very moisture-intensive - quickly absorbs moisture during watering, subsequently slowly releasing it to the roots, thereby making the soil moisture-intensive;
• ensures temperature balance, accumulating heat during the day and releasing it at night.

Sand

The most financially economical baking powder. Only coarse river sand is used.

Sandy soil is also a source of minerals. Makes the soil porous, aerated, reduces soil caking, prevents the formation of crust on the surface of clay soils, the soil becomes loose. Disadvantage: not moisture-intensive, unable to retain moisture in the ground.

Expanded clay

A material produced by firing clay. Very light, relatively cheap. Will loosen any soil. Just like sand, it is not hygroscopic.

Peat

High-moor peat has a light reddish, brownish tint and an acidic pH. Can only be used to increase the acidity of alkalized, chalky soils. The microelement composition is very poor. Grassroots - black or very dark. Very rich in microelements and organic substances. Always included in purchased universal primers.

Helium balloons

Very beautiful, transparent, different shades. They do not carry out loosening as such. They are used mainly for pot crops and seedlings.

They improve soil properties, healing the root system of plants. They are hygroscopic: when watered, they swell, then gradually release moisture and shrink, thereby moving the soil particles, which is where their loosening ability is manifested. Capable of increasing 10 times its original size. They swell very slowly, so you need to saturate them with moisture in advance, at least 10 hours before use, just fill them with water.

Christmas tree needles

You can type in pine. They can only be introduced in the fall under a shovel, or when preparing soil for flowers. It should be taken into account that they have an acidic environment (pH 4.5-5.5), due to which they increase the acidity of the soil. It can be applied only to crops that prefer such acidity (conifers, thyme, blueberries, etc.). Use together with dolomite flour and nitrogen fertilizers can perfectly loosen even slightly acidic soils. They can only be added as a component not exceeding 10-20% of the loosened soil.

Every gardener and gardener dreams of fertile soil on which to create a garden, beds, and flower beds. But over time, the fertile layer of soil becomes thinner, and it is colonized by diseases and pests. How to correct the situation, read our material.

The soil shows its fatigue in different ways. It can turn to dust, become covered with moss, or even rust. But for every problem there are ways to solve it. The main thing is not to wait for your yields to be equal to the planting material used.

Problem 1. The thickness of the fertile layer has decreased

If you have been growing plants with a shallow root system in the same place for a long time and skimping on fertilizing, then there is nothing surprising in the thinning of the fertile layer. After all, your green pets probably used all the beneficial substances for growth and development, and you did not apply enough fertilizers that would normalize the situation.

What to do?

Try adding compost to the soil (3 buckets per 1 sq.m.) before digging. This organic fertilizer can significantly improve the quality of “tired” soil by providing plants with the necessary microelements.

Another great way is green fertilizers (green manure). They can be sown between main crops or in vacant areas after the crop has already been harvested. It is best to select green manure in accordance with the needs of the plants that you plan to plant in this area. For example, lupine will be a good predecessor for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants or zucchini. Mustard will help fight nematodes and prepare the soil for planting potatoes or winter crops. It is a good idea to sow rapeseed before carrots or beets, as it will serve as additional protection against viral and bacterial rot.

And the most suitable green manures for improving “tired” soil are, perhaps, legumes (peas, beans, alfalfa). Nodule bacteria on their roots enrich the soil with nitrogen. And perennial legumes with a powerful root system also extract useful substances from the deep layers of the soil to the surface.

If you do not plan to harvest legumes, but decide to use them as green manure, do not mow the plants before flowering, since nodules form on their roots during this period.

And don't forget about crop rotation. After all, as you know, different plants receive nutrients from different layers of soil. Therefore, if the top layer has become thin and has lost fertility, plant plants with a strong root system.

Problem 2: The soil crumbles like dust.

Let's say you are a conservative to the core and prefer to plant traditional vegetables (like cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage or zucchini) in the beds, which require a large amount of nutrients. At the same time, you avoid fertilizers, believing that the harvest should be environmentally friendly, and you forget about mulching, because your grandparents didn’t do that. But he’s not averse to digging up the soil properly and pumping up his muscles at the same time. And therefore, it is not surprising that after a few years the once fertile soil in your garden begins to absorb moisture poorly and scatters under gusts of wind.

What to do?

You can, of course, replace the top layer of soil, but this is quite expensive.

Try starting with fertilizers. Add 2-3 buckets of compost per 1 square meter, covering it to a depth of 10 cm. This will make the soil heavier and at the same time make it more nutritious.

Pay attention to the type of soil in your area. After all, some types of soil, for example sandy, dry out quickly, retaining almost no moisture, and therefore require special care. It is not recommended to dig them up more than once a year.

To prevent the soil from becoming dusty, mulch it with available materials, for example, young grass, straw, compost, sawdust, bark, and freshly cut weeds. Mulch will not only protect the soil from further erosion. As it decomposes, it will work as an organic fertilizer, gradually releasing beneficial substances to the crop.

Be careful when mulching the soil with fresh organic matter. In large quantities it can destroy your green pets.

Problem 3: The soil has become too dense

Hard, wet soil that is difficult to push a shovel into may be the result of improper maintenance. For example, if deep digging of clay soils, in which heavy loam appears on the surface, occurs in rainy weather, then a water- and moisture-proof crust may form on top of the ground.

What to do?

Sometimes like is treated like, so before the onset of cold weather the soil can be lightly dug up to a depth of 10 cm. Experienced gardeners believe that if you simply dig, but do not break or turn over clods of earth, then over the winter they will freeze properly and become loose.

If there is clay on the soil surface, you can add sand for digging (1 bucket per 1 sq.m).

It is also worth attracting earthworms to the site. You can, of course, dig them up from your neighbor. But if earthworms are uncomfortable, they are unlikely to stay in your beds.

These invertebrates enjoy decaying organic matter. Therefore, it would be a good idea to mulch the soil around the plants, for example, with rotted compost.

You can feed green pets with dandelion infusion, which will also attract earthworms. To do this, 1 kg of dandelion shoots and roots must be poured into 10 liters of water, and after two weeks, strain and dilute with water 1:10.

Problem 4. The soil has become acidic

Often the acidity of the soil changes simply as a result of watering. If the water is soft, the acidity of the soil, as a rule, increases, and if it is hard, it decreases. The acidity level is also affected by the plants grown and the fertilizers applied.

What to do?

In this case, liming the soil helps.

There are a number of plants that do not develop very well in freshly limed soil, so it is advisable to normalize the acidity at least a year before planting them. Such capricious crops include:

• beans,
• peas,
• carrot,
• tomatoes,
• cucumbers,
• pumpkin,
• swede,
• parsley,
• celery.

Problem 5. There is a lot of alkali in the soil

Alkaline soils are not very common. Sometimes an increased alkali content is a consequence of improper agricultural practices. This happens, for example, if you are too carried away by deoxidizing the soil.

Soils with a pH above 7.5 prevent plants from absorbing iron. As a result, your green pets develop less well, which is usually easy to notice by yellowing leaves.

What to do?

You can acidify the soil by mulching with high-moor peat, pine needles or coniferous tree bark.

Mulching also prevents moisture evaporation, weed germination and wind erosion of the soil. It is best to do this in spring or autumn after removing weeds, applying fertilizer and surface loosening.

You cannot mulch the soil before plants sown in open ground have sprung up.

Problem 6. The soil is salty

As popular wisdom says, “it’s better to under-salt than to over-salt.” If whitish salt traces appear on the soil, most often this indicates improper feeding of plants with mineral fertilizers.

What to do?

Salt, as you know, dissolves in water. After harvesting, try watering the soil deeply several times. There should be plenty of water - up to 15 liters per 1 sq.m., but it is important not to overdo it so that your area does not turn into a dirty puddle.

As soon as the salt goes to the lower layers, mulch the soil with peat.

Problem 7. The soil is contaminated with harmful insects and diseases

Insects, bacteria and harmful fungi do not sleep in the summer, populating the site at an accelerated pace. And they sleep in winter - including in the soil, so that next season they can start the battle with you for the harvest again.

What to do?

The easiest way to control insects overwintering on a site is to treat the soil with insecticides. Since a potential threat in the form of eggs and larvae of pests is most often hidden in the ground, the store needs to pay special attention to larvicides that destroy larvae and caterpillars, as well as ovicides that affect the eggs of insects and mites.

Mechanical methods of struggle will not be superfluous. For example, if you dig up the soil in the beds in late autumn (without breaking up the lumps), the pest larvae will become prey for birds. And some insects simply will not be able to burrow into the ground again and overwinter.

Experienced gardeners believe that if you sprinkle the soil with an EM solution when loosening, this will help weaken harmful bacteria.

It is also important to remove fallen leaves, as pest larvae often overwinter under them.

In order to cope with diseases, there are also a number of drugs. For example, Alirin B is a beneficial soil microflora designed to suppress fungal diseases. The drug is compatible with many insecticides, biological products, plant growth regulators and fungicides.

Problem 8. The soil is covered with a red coating

Not only metals can “rust,” but also soil and even plants.

If you use hard water with a lot of iron for irrigation, then sometimes it appears on the surface of the soil and between the veins of plants. However, a fungus can also cause the appearance of a red coating on your beds.

What to do?

Usually in such cases, soil free of plants is spilled with boiling water. If this does not help, in the fall you can also use the drug Fitosporin-M (according to the instructions) or its analogue, which also inhibits the effect of pathogenic fungi.

You cannot dissolve biological products in tap water, as the chlorine it contains will kill beneficial bacteria. It is best to use melt or rain water.

In the future, it is important to water your green pets only with settled or soft rainwater.

Problem 9. The soil is covered with moss

Moss can appear in garden beds, flower beds, and even on the lawn. Most often, the reason for this is high humidity, excessive shading, as well as dense or acidified soil.

What to do?

We described how to deal with the last two problems just above. And in order to normalize soil moisture, you can dig shallow drainage channels around the perimeter of the site into which excess water will drain.

It is also important to consider that moss, like any weed, primarily invades free areas. So if vegetables do not want to grow under the canopy of a branchy tree, plant there plants that tolerate shade well, for example, forget-me-nots, ferns or hydrangeas.

Typically, moss is removed mechanically from garden beds. And if it tries to take over your lawn, slowly but surely displacing the grass, you can use ferrous sulfate (90 ml per 20 liters of water). This amount of solution can treat 300 square meters of area.

If your dacha is a place for relaxation, and not for hard work in the garden beds, try to transfer moss from the category of enemies to allies. Moss gardens are extremely popular in landscape design today. So if you're not ready to say goodbye to an old tree that's shading a large area, and you don't want to dig up the soil while contaminating it with herbicides, just show a little imagination. And moss will certainly give your garden paths, as well as rockeries, a unique flavor of antiquity and tranquility.

The earth is not a dead substance that exists on its own. Each handful of it is filled with many living organisms that directly affect the harvest. If you properly care for the soil from the very beginning, apply the necessary fertilizers, and observe crop rotation, then you will not need our advice on how to restore soil fertility.

Happy owners of dacha acres know well that it is impossible to obtain rich land on a plot without effort. This requires a lot of work. But before you begin the transformation, it is important to determine its initial state. This determines which additives to use and in what quantities. How to make the soil loose and fertile will be discussed in our article.

How to make the soil loose and fertile

Ideally, the natural soil from the site can be taken to an agricultural laboratory, where a full analysis will be done. Its results will show exactly how to optimize the soil in your garden. Unfortunately, such testing is not available to most owners. No problem! Some characteristics can be determined independently, for example, mechanical composition. It is responsible for air and moisture content. You can recognize it yourself if you moisten a small amount of earth with water and form a ball out of it. As a result:

• the figurine crumbles, which means the soil is sandy;
• the ball can be rolled into a cord and formed into a ring - the soil is considered clayey.

In the first case, additives are needed to retain moisture. You can loosen heavy soil using coarse sand or bottom peat. Any type of soil will need nutritional supplements; the best ones are organic fertilizers.

Fertilization with manure

Animal waste products contain a full range of substances necessary for plants. This is why adding organic fertilizers makes the soil fertile. Any type of manure – cow, pig or horse – is applied to garden and garden crops. Attention! It is important to follow these rules:

1. Fresh fertilizers can only be applied in the fall to empty areas, where there are no plantings, for example, in a vegetable garden. Manure in this form is an aggressive substance that is dangerous for plants. Therefore, it must be added to the soil in advance, 5–6 months before planting. During this time, it will be converted to a safe state, and nutrients will become available to plants. The additive not only serves as a top dressing, but also acts as a leavening agent for the garden soil.
2. Rotted fertilizers can be used in the spring, during planting.

• horse – 5–6 kg;
• cow - 4–5 kg.

The amount of rotted manure is reduced by half. Pig manure is not recommended to be applied fresh, even in the fall, due to the high content of aggressive nitrogen in ammonia form. The fertilizer must be kept for at least a year until it completely rots. It is better to mix it with horse or cow milk or put it in compost.

Mulching with grass clippings

Can be used from early spring to late autumn. This type of soil fertilization is classified as MDU - slow-acting fertilizers. The use of mulch allows you to:

1. Make the soil loose and soft in the garden and garden.
2. Retain moisture by reducing evaporation.
3. Provide constant feeding thanks to the gradual decomposition of the mulch.

Grass clippings are an effective loosening agent for heavy clay soils.

Planting plants with long roots

Proponents of organic farming recommend improving soil quality with the help of green manure. Plants are sown whose roots contain nodule bacteria that capture and fix nitrogen from the air. Thus, a natural, environmentally friendly fertilizer is obtained. Thanks to the powerful root system, green manure makes the soil crumbly and aerates it. This is especially important for heavy or peaty soils. To improve the structure and fertility of the soil, leguminous plants are most often used, for example, lupine, peas, alfalfa, vetch or beans. Even if your site has fertile soil, it needs to be improved periodically. To make the chernozem loose, it is also sown with green manure. This is more environmentally friendly than adding bulk additives and digging.

Green manure

Improving the soil is not a one-time event. You need to maintain optimal condition regularly. To do this, it is not necessary to purchase expensive fertilizers. You can use plant material that is available at each site:

• mowed lawn grass;
• weeded weeds;
• clipped shoots;
• wilted flowers, etc.

It's essentially garden waste, but can be turned into an effective fertilizer. Experienced gardeners offer useful tips on preparing green fertilizers. Here is one of them:

• a large capacity container, for example a barrel, is filled two-thirds with crushed plant residues;
• fill with water to the top;
• leave for a week and a half, stirring daily.

Before feeding, the resulting concentrated solution is filtered and diluted in a ratio of 1:10.

other methods

To improve the structure of heavy soil, the easiest way is to use coarse-grained washed river sand. To make light soil from medium loam, you will need 21 kg/m2. This is about one and a half buckets with a volume of 10 liters. The sand is evenly distributed over the surface and dug to a depth of 20–25 cm, to the full bayonet of a shovel. When preparing a plant mixture for seedlings, sand is almost always used. It is mixed with peat and compost to obtain a light nutrient substrate. Fertilizers that contain calcium are good leavening agents:

• slaked lime;
• dolomite flour;
• ash.

They are added to acidic soils to neutralize the pH level. Sometimes soil optimization on a site is a lengthy and costly process. It’s easier to take fertile soil from manufacturers who mix all the necessary components in advance.

Whether to improve the soil on the site yourself or add a ready-made mixture is up to everyone to decide for themselves. It depends on your financial capabilities and the amount of work.

Happy owners of dacha acres know well that it is impossible to obtain rich land on a plot without effort. This requires a lot of work. But before you begin the transformation, it is important to determine its initial state. This determines which additives to use and in what quantities. How to make the soil loose and fertile will be discussed in our article.

How to make the soil loose and fertile

Ideally, the natural soil from the site can be taken to an agricultural laboratory, where a full analysis will be done. Its results will show exactly how to optimize the soil in your garden. Unfortunately, such testing is not available to most owners. No problem! Some characteristics can be determined independently, for example, mechanical composition. It is responsible for air and moisture content. You can recognize it yourself if you moisten a small amount of earth with water and form a ball out of it. As a result:

• the figurine crumbles, which means the soil is sandy;
• the ball can be rolled into a cord and formed into a ring - the soil is considered clayey.

In the first case, additives are needed to retain moisture. You can loosen heavy soil using coarse sand or bottom peat. Any type of soil will need nutritional supplements; the best ones are organic fertilizers.

Fertilization with manure

Animal waste products contain a full range of substances necessary for plants. This is why adding organic fertilizers makes the soil fertile. Any type of manure – cow, pig or horse – is applied to garden and garden crops. Attention! It is important to follow these rules:

1. Fresh fertilizers can only be applied in the fall to empty areas, where there are no plantings, for example, in a vegetable garden. Manure in this form is an aggressive substance that is dangerous for plants. Therefore, it must be added to the soil in advance, 5–6 months before planting. During this time, it will be converted to a safe state, and nutrients will become available to plants. The additive not only serves as a top dressing, but also acts as a leavening agent for the garden soil.
2. Rotted fertilizers can be used in the spring, during planting.

• horse – 5–6 kg;
• cow - 4–5 kg.

The amount of rotted manure is reduced by half. Pig manure is not recommended to be applied fresh, even in the fall, due to the high content of aggressive nitrogen in ammonia form. The fertilizer must be kept for at least a year until it completely rots. It is better to mix it with horse or cow milk or put it in compost.

Mulching with grass clippings

Can be used from early spring to late autumn. This type of soil fertilization is classified as MDU - slow-acting fertilizers. The use of mulch allows you to:

1. Make the soil loose and soft in the garden and garden.
2. Retain moisture by reducing evaporation.
3. Provide constant feeding thanks to the gradual decomposition of the mulch.

Grass clippings are an effective loosening agent for heavy clay soils.

Planting plants with long roots

Proponents of organic farming recommend improving soil quality with the help of green manure. Plants are sown whose roots contain nodule bacteria that capture and fix nitrogen from the air. Thus, a natural, environmentally friendly fertilizer is obtained. Thanks to the powerful root system, green manure makes the soil crumbly and aerates it. This is especially important for heavy or peaty soils. To improve the structure and fertility of the soil, leguminous plants are most often used, for example, lupine, peas, alfalfa, vetch or beans. Even if your site has fertile soil, it needs to be improved periodically. To make the chernozem loose, it is also sown with green manure. This is more environmentally friendly than adding bulk additives and digging.

Green manure

Improving the soil is not a one-time event. You need to maintain optimal condition regularly. To do this, it is not necessary to purchase expensive fertilizers. You can use plant material that is available at each site:

• mowed lawn grass;
• weeded weeds;
• clipped shoots;
• wilted flowers, etc.

It's essentially garden waste, but can be turned into an effective fertilizer. Experienced gardeners offer useful tips on preparing green fertilizers. Here is one of them:

• a large capacity container, for example a barrel, is filled two-thirds with crushed plant residues;
• fill with water to the top;
• leave for a week and a half, stirring daily.

Before feeding, the resulting concentrated solution is filtered and diluted in a ratio of 1:10.

other methods

To improve the structure of heavy soil, the easiest way is to use coarse-grained washed river sand. To make light soil from medium loam, you will need 21 kg/m2. This is about one and a half buckets with a volume of 10 liters. The sand is evenly distributed over the surface and dug to a depth of 20–25 cm, to the full bayonet of a shovel. When preparing a plant mixture for seedlings, sand is almost always used. It is mixed with peat and compost to obtain a light nutrient substrate. Fertilizers that contain calcium are good leavening agents:

• slaked lime;
• dolomite flour;
• ash.

They are added to acidic soils to neutralize the pH level. Sometimes soil optimization on a site is a lengthy and costly process. It’s easier to take fertile soil from manufacturers who mix all the necessary components in advance.

Whether to improve the soil on the site yourself or add a ready-made mixture is up to everyone to decide for themselves. It depends on your financial capabilities and the amount of work.