How to plant a garden? This question is asked by everyone who has just become the owner of a small plot of land.
This is a key question and the one who has a mouse (like me) or winter trees. There are different systems of gardening: here are the advantages and disadvantages of each and will be discussed.
The experience of ancestors
Our ancestors in the gardens of the always growing grass. It was mowed on hay, it grazed geese and cattle. Fruit trees grew high, but gave birth not every year and did not give large harvests.
What gives such use of land under gardens?
Hay may have received an additional a certain number, and pellets animals were left to many, but the soil after grazing herds so trampled so compacted that even a good rain could not give the garden trees enough moisture.
The earth did not receive the necessary amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide in it was not delayed. The soil was impoverished, because the mowed and eaten grass did not return to it. The conditions under which soil animals are able to restore fertility disappeared. Not the soil in the garden turned out, and the road. And how many of what on the road to grow? Right, nothing.
Soil treatment in the garden
The twentieth century brought new technologies. It is a shovel or pitchfork all the soil under the garden trees and in the aisles to dig too hard and long. But there was a plow, and gardeners realized that the land in the gardens can be plowed and fertilized every year.
And left the bare ground under the open sky, with nothing protecting it. So there was steam in the garden. Yes, it was so easy to add humus, manure, compost. But the disadvantages of using this technology was more:
- the first and most important – the soil every year became smaller. Nothing protected, it just washed off the rain, especially if the garden was located on a slope. Even on the plain redistribution of soil still occurred, because absolutely flat fields in the world is very small, and they are usually not given to gardens;
- the second disadvantage-the roots of the trees are located so that the soil fertile layer they use very little, because they lie deeper;
- the third-the roots of the trees were injured when plowing row spacing (Apple trees they extend to 15 m from the trunk). The root system is difficult to restore, so the yield of the garden falls.
Because in the gardens with tall trees to plow the aisles only to a depth of 20 cm, with average height – not more than 15 cm, row circles – no deeper than 10 cm. Well, that’s the job of a hoe might give this depth. And the man is not so much compacts the soil than a tractor.
Given the significant disadvantages, it is clear that this technology is correct to plant a garden will not work.
Procedurally technology
Seeing the above problems, gardeners recommended to reduce the depth of plowing to 10 cm, and the roots of the trees immediately took up the available space. Then I decided that the plough should not be used, switched to processing mills.
This helped the soil to partially recover itself. At the same time in the aisles began to sow green manure, then to smell them. This method of planting and maintaining a garden called procedurally.
But we already know that cover crops do not have to be plowed under. This work can be successfully performed by earthworms and other soil animals.
Sod-humus system
After the war in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan emerged a new system landing and cultivate their gardens. In our country, it is also tested, and people have seen its effectiveness. It turns out that the herbs just need to be given the opportunity to grow under the trees and in the aisles. Paternity a garden square with bluegrass, but fescue, do not allow them to form impenetrable thickets, beveling, crushing and leaving where they grew up. Mow 6-7 times per season. If a lot of rain, the most (this is from personal experience). But fertilizers still to be made. Manure is not used at all, because the role of compost (and mulch) plays chopped grass.
What is the effectiveness of sod-humus system
This garden contain just, cheap. And its yield is great. The roots of the trees grow freely in the same layer of soil in 10-15 cm, which was previously unavailable due to plowing. Here is and broke a expanse for soil animals. In such a garden, the whole earth remains in place, the rains can not wash it away. The increase in yield (compared to other planting systems) reaches 20%! Trees, sick scab, becomes less. The carrion does not beat, it can be used for processing.
Winter hardiness of Apple trees is not reduced, does not change its own biological rhythm of growth and development of trees. Almost natural agriculture.
An important condition of the garden
But there is one nuance. It turns out that planting on plowed land is considered correct: let the garden live in the steam system for the first two years of life. At this time, the soil should be actively processed and fertilized. Then-to sow honey plants, which at the same time will be green manure. To close the aisles is recommended only in gardens that have already begun to yield crops.
Sometimes suggest not all of the aisles herbs to plant, leaving some fallow.
How to plant a garden in the country
This planting system is also recommended for private gardens on tiny plots. Only a few make it easier:
- do not do any preparation and tillage in the garden at all;
- under the trees to grow lawn. Mow it in time, leaving the mowed chopped greens where it grew. But the height of the grass should be left a little more than on a decorative lawn.
In a properly planted orchard, the sod not only plays the role of a protector, it helps the soil to work in the natural rhythm and natural technologies, save water, not to suffer from drought. Trees in such a garden do not suffer from improper human actions, because it does not interfere, but helps them: somewhere with a pruner, somewhere with a garter, somewhere with the addition of humus (it must be compensated to the soil, because the trees give the harvest). In a properly planted garden needs the trees to grow modern varieties (although it is not forbidden to grow old favorite). If you got a site with ready turf (someone grown lawn or natural herbs), then mow the grass, leave the mulch on the site. On the site of the future tree trunks, remove sod, dig a well.
Properly plant the seedlings, close the turf tree trunks, pour well. And let your garden is protected by nature itself, and from you it will require minimal labor costs. Now it is clear how to plant a garden correctly?
Personal experience of planting and growing a garden
At the time of laying the garden our site was plowed. I was even glad that the trees are easy to plant, because the soil is prepared. And then I hoe all summer destroying Swan. And to cope with it to maintain steam, it was very difficult. Then came the seeds of all sorts of weeds. Soon it became impossible to perform such a huge amount of work, and the garden was abandoned. The grass in it grew above the belt, but the lawn was not formed. Only when bought a motorcycle, for two seasons managed to cope with the annual weeds.
Then we grew seedlings of lawn grass and moved them into the garden under the trees. Once free, they quickly mastered all the space. In the garden we do not walk aimlessly, we do not trample the ground in vain, we treat it respectfully. Only for the necessary work we have certain paths. Properly planted garden gives us not a huge amount of hard work, and the joy and rich harvests.
The basis of a healthy crop garden – soil fertility. And from our actions, our choice (we will help the soil or interfere) depends on what kind of garden we can grow.
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