What to sow after potatoes to improve the soil? The best types of green manure for potatoes Why potatoes do not grow after green manure

Potato is a very labor-intensive crop to grow. The soil in the area under it should be nutritious, loose and enriched with trace elements.

Due to photosynthesis, atmospheric gases, green manure tenfold those nutrients that they take from the earth. And then they return the food in the form that is most easily digestible. cultivated plants, in particular potatoes.

Green manures from the legume family are best suited for preparing the soil for potatoes. They provide the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus. These include peas, lupins, sweet clover, alfalfa, sardella.

Oats, wheat, rye, mustard are also suitable for potatoes. They are no worse than legumes protect the soil from drying out and enrich it with vitamins.

But there is a small minus, cereals attract wireworms, and this is perhaps one of the main pests of potatoes, but there is also an important plus, cereals help in the fight against potato scab.

Rye heals the soil after such root crops as garlic and onions, beets and carrots. Both bulbs and root crops, in essence, are "roots" that develop in the ground.

Therefore, in the places of their growth, pests such as nematodes and rot accumulate. Winter rye effectively cleans the soil from these pests and infections.

About 2 kg of winter rye seeds are planted per one hundred square meters of land. The seed material is simply scattered over the soil surface, and then deepened with a rake a few centimeters. Any seeds are suitable for sowing, even freshly harvested.

If you plant rye or mustard in autumn, then in winter they will protect the soil from severe freezing. They also improve the structure of the soil, but they emit much less nitrogen than the rest.

What green manure is better to sow in autumn for potatoes?

If the site is heavy clay soil or loam with too much acidity, then it is worth sowing phacelia, and besides this, it will not hurt to reduce the acidity of the soil by introducing ameliorants, the most common of which is limestone flour.

With acceptable acidity, legumes can be planted - lupins, peas, sweet clover, red clover, vetch, and so on. In addition to loosening the soil, legumes saturate it with nitrogen, which is especially important.

If you choose green manure for potatoes, in order to get rid of diseases and pests, then you should plant:

• flax (repels the Colorado potato beetle), flax leaves emit tannin, the smell of which repels the pest;
• mustard (repels wireworms, nematodes, slugs and other pests);
• lupine alkaloid varieties;
• phacelia.

These plants also contribute to the destruction of pathogenic bacteria, viruses in the soil.

They help well against weeds: phacelia, mustard, buckwheat, peas.

For getting good harvest potatoes, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil and fertilize it in time. Modern industry produces a large amount of chemical fertilizers for these purposes, but after their application, the crop will no longer be environmentally friendly and safe. In order to enrich the soil with useful substances and increase its fertility, but at the same time not to conflict with the environment, it is necessary to sow green manure in the area between the rows of potatoes.

Siderats belong to natural fertilizers. After their landing, the soil is plowed, as a result of which the green mass is in the ground. There it begins to decompose, as a result of which useful micro and macro elements are released.

During the season, you can significantly increase the supply of humus in the upper soil layer.

Besides upper layer enriched with such elements necessary for potatoes as:

• potassium
• nitrogen;
• phosphorus, etc.

Necessary control the amount of growing greenery, because if there is a lot of it, then it will no longer be decomposition, but souring of the plowed vegetation. This can lead to the multiplication of pathogens.

Siderata not only fertilize the soil and fill it with the necessary nutrients. They also help get rid of the most common diseases and pests that affect potatoes.

How to prepare the soil

Siderates, like any culture, require pre-training soil before planting. After harvesting, the land is leveled with a rake or other tool, nitroammophoska(at the rate of 10 liters per hundred square meters).

If the acidity of the soil is high, then you can add a little lime. Strongly dry soil must be watered before planting green manure. For these purposes, it is better to use a shower head. Only after that you can proceed directly to the sowing of seeds and their incorporation.

How to deposit

The time for sowing green manure is selected depending on the purpose for which they are brought to the site. If the plants are intended to repel pests, then seeds can be sown right in the middle. In this case, it will be necessary to periodically cut them to prevent the seeds from ripening.

Sowing green manure in the spring is carried out immediately after the snow has melted.

They should be fairly cold-hardy, because by the time the potatoes are planted, these plants are already cut. Autumn sowing involves treating the soil and enriching it with useful microelements for the next season. All necessary measures carried out after the crop is harvested and the site is completely free.

Why bring in the spring

During the spring sowing of green manure, potatoes will gradually receive nutrients from their decomposition throughout the entire growth period.

Sowing is carried out immediately as soon as the snow melts and the earth starts to warm up. Cultures must be cold hardy.

In the spring it is very good to sow plants such as:

• mustard;
• rape;
• rye;
• oats;
• phacelia.

You can also use green manure, which will grow at the same time as potatoes, enrich the soil and repel pests.

They may be:

• leguminous plants;
• calendula;
• nasturtium.

Can I plant in autumn

If it was not possible to fertilize the soil in the spring, then it is quite possible to do this in the fall, thereby taking care of the future harvest.

Autumn sowing of green manure will not only fertilize the land, but also suppress weeds , contribute to the saturation of the soil with oxygen, reduce the number of pests.

When calculating the timing of sowing, it is necessary to consider that before the onset of frost, the crops must have time not only to sprout, but also to grow. Otherwise, they cannot be used as fertilizers.

Most often, the following plants are used as autumn green manure for potatoes:

• mustard;
• radish;
• oats;
• alfalfa;
• phacelia;
• rape.

At the same time, it is especially appreciated white mustard, since it is she who tends to grow rapidly even at low temperatures. But later you can not mow oats, but plant potatoes directly into it. The dried plant in this case will serve as mulch and protect the crop from the negative effects of the external environment.

How to choose

The key criterion when choosing green manure for potatoes is general state soil. It should be loose, with a sufficient amount of minerals, free of pests and diseases.

Unfortunately, one type of plant is often not able to solve all problems. For this, apply combinations of several plants.

In order to increase the fertility of the soil and its fertilizers are planted at the place where potatoes grow. legumes. It is they who save gardeners from the need to use fertilizers of inorganic origin and saturate the earth with all the necessary trace elements.

In the fight against pests (wireworm, phytophthora) helps well mustard or colza. But to scare away the Colorado potato beetle, it is good to plant flax.

Also green manure will help to cope with the main weeds. To do this, sow on the site buckwheat, nasturtium, radish, clover, alfalfa.

Which green manure is best for potatoes

It cannot be said that any particular green manure is better than others for potatoes. Each plant performs its own function, so it is best to combine them when sowing and make a mixture.

However, there are also universal option – phacelia. It is frost-resistant, quickly gaining green mass and is able to provide good air permeability to the soil. That's why given plant gained immense popularity among gardeners.

Can I plant if the soil is infested with pests or fungus

Potatoes should never be planted in infected or diseased soil. Before landing, such a site must be treat. DO NOT rush and resort to chemical treatment. Siderats can come to the rescue.

Natural healers can serve:

• oil radish;
• white mustard;
• colza;
• rape.

These plants not only treat the soil, but also get rid of pests that are in it. In particularly infected areas, seedlings can be left in the aisles. Thus, phytosanitary officers will do their job throughout the season.

Types for potatoes

Legumes

By right, legumes are considered one of the best siderates, which have the ability to saturate the soil with useful trace elements.

Worth paying attention to vetch. This is a climbing annual that not only prevents soil erosion, but also significantly improves its structure. Worked well on neutral soils.

A plant like sweet clover can not only improve the structure of the soil on the site, but also help in the fight against nematodes and wireworms. Thanks to a powerful and branched root system, it has the ability to extract useful material from the very depths of the earth.

It is best to plant in the fall and leave the plant for the winter. This will achieve the maximum effect.

cruciferous

Cruciferous plants are used not only as a natural fertilizer, but also as soil treatment agent. They help in the fight against viruses and pests.

Most common in this group white mustard. It has the property not only to quickly increase the green mass, but also to loosen the earth, improve its structure. After mowing, it acts as an excellent fertilizer, and in the process of growth protects the site from weeds.

Deserves no less attention oil radish. Thanks to its powerful root, the plant loosens the soil well, helps retain moisture, destroys pathogenic microbes, and fights fungal diseases well. It has the ability to suppress weeds. When decomposed, it forms a large amount nutrients.

cereals

Cereal crops are very successfully used as green manure crops.

Attracts the attention of gardeners due to its cheap seed and undemanding to the soil. When decomposed, it forms a large amount of organic fertilizers, but cannot fix nitrogen in the soil.

If applied as green manure oats, then you can replace it with one crop of 200 kg of manure per hundred square meters. This plant is able to improve soil structure, helps in the fight against weeds, nematodes, fungal diseases, scab, root rot.

Can phacelia be green manure

Phacelia has very short period maturation. The plant loosens the soil well, enriches it with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus during decomposition, and can inhibit the growth of weeds.

Due to these properties, the plant has become widespread as a green manure. It tolerates frost quite well, which makes it possible to get several crops per season. Green mass can also be used as animal feed.

Pros and cons

Siderata among gardeners nicknamed green manure. This is not without reason: these plants, when plowed into the ground act like manure, peat or other organic fertilizers. When they decompose, a lot of useful micro- and macroelements are formed, which are so necessary for the full growth and development of potatoes.

Some green manure can not only fertilize, but also treat the soil, as well as repel the most common types of pests.

Sunflower should not be used as a green manure for potatoes. This plant itself consumes a lot of nutrients in the process of growth, and its hardened trunk decomposes very slowly.

Negative sides such fertilizers are probably not used. Except that the very process of growing them requires some material costs and investments. own forces, labor. Yes, and the growth process takes some time, so you need to be patient and wait until the green mass grows.

When using green manure for potatoes, you can not only increase the yield of the site, but also grow an environmentally friendly product. After all, natural fertilizers are absolutely safe for the human body, which cannot be said about chemical analogues.

Even the annual application of fertilizers cannot always provide vegetable crops with the necessary nutrients during their growth period. Potatoes, like other vegetables, take a lot of minerals from the soil during growth.

Once every few years, you have to change the field for its cultivation or apply a large amount of fertilizer to the soil. But there is not always the possibility of such a crop rotation or money for the annual application of top dressing. In this case, it is possible to grow green manure for potatoes on the site. What is soil manure and why is it needed will be discussed below.

What are siderates for?

Green manure is a variety of plant species whose root system grows well, they are sown to increase soil fertility (in autumn period), to improve its structure, to protect against harmful insects. And the branched root system of green manure plants protects the soil from erosion during the rainy season and from weathering. The vegetative mass of green manure serves organic fertilizer, which:

• is environmentally friendly;
• normalizes the acidity of the soil;
• enriches the soil with macro- and microelements, including nitrogen and potassium;
• enriches the earth with organic matter, the effectiveness of which is at the level of cow dung;
• saves beds from weeds - they cannot break through growing green manure;
• contributes to the conservation of water in the soil;
• protects the earth from rapid drying.

Weeds, such as nettles, are laid in the aisles of potato beds.

Their crushed vegetative mass is used as a mulch layer, helping to fight insect pests. The aerial part of the comfrey is brought into the soil under the potatoes to saturate it with potassium.

Pros and cons

The main advantages of green manure plants for growing potatoes:

• during decomposition, they enrich the soil with important mineral elements - potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen;
• supply other useful active substances necessary for the growth and maturation of tubers and vegetative mass of potatoes;
• with the help of the biomass of green manure plants, the supply of humus in the soil is renewed in one summer season;
• sowing them next to potatoes protects them from many diseases;
• oil radish, rapeseed, colza, white mustard planted to protect against wireworms, nematodes and slugs.

There are practically no downsides to this method. It is only necessary to monitor the amount of biomass plowed into the soil: if there is too much of it, this leads to souring of the green mass. And this, in turn, will increase the acidity of the soil and can provoke the development of fungal diseases on the root system of potatoes. It is also not worth growing sunflower as a green manure - this plant takes a lot of useful substances from the soil, and its stems quickly coarsen and decompose too slowly when plowed.

Ways to use green manure

The essence of this method is the use of the vegetative mass of grown plants as a green top dressing. Such vegetative mass, which is grown before planting or after harvesting vegetables, can be buried in the ground, used as mulch or laid in compost pit. Planted in the same place every season different kinds green manure, observing the rules of crop rotation: in one area do not grow related to the previous vegetable crops green manure plants.

It must be remembered: green manure is not allowed to bloom. After the appearance of buds, the vegetative mass of plants is plowed or mowed for laying in a compost pit.

What green manure is suitable for potatoes

What siderata for potatoes are best suited? Most plants that are grown as green manure can be sown before planting potatoes or after harvest, as well as in between rows.

Legumes

Of the legumes, the best green manures are:

• lupine,
• Vika.

Many vegetable growers recommend growing peas or beans between the rows of potato beds, and after harvesting these plants and digging up potato tubers, simply dig up the aerial part of the legumes during the autumn plowing of the garden. They also plant phacelia in the spring and autumn - when plowing into the ground, this plant can replace the introduction of other organic top dressings (manure, compost), and also “drives away” the wireworm.

cruciferous

Cruciferous siderates are very useful not only for improving soil composition, they repel many potato pests. The most popular cruciferous green manure plants grown next to potatoes are:

• oil radish,
• white mustard.

Mustard as green manure is most often used in growing potatoes - this plant repels most potato pests with its aroma, and its green mass is used in the preparation of salads and other dishes, and not only plowed into the soil.

cereals

Among all representatives of cereals, it is most preferable to plant rye under potatoes. Best time landing - autumn. Cereals grow well on infertile soil, they are excellent baking powder. For planting in the ground, the seed of last year's harvest is used.

When to sow green manure

Green manure plants are planted on a potato field in spring or autumn. But it is preferable to grow them in the fall.

spring planting

In the spring, green manure plants are planted after the snow melts, when the soil warms up to 10-12 ° C (all planted crops must be resistant to cold). When planted in the spring under potatoes, green manure rots gradually, as a result, nutrients will be supplied to vegetables in portions. Potatoes after green manure grow better, the tubers begin to ripen faster due to the fact that a large amount of nutrients enter the soil. Best crops for planting under potatoes in the spring:

• rape,
• mustard,
• phacelia,
• rye,
• oats.

When to sow green manure in the spring for potatoes depends on the specific weather conditions in the region. Green manure plants planted before planting potatoes will protect these vegetables from pathogenic microorganisms and pests, and will not allow weeds to grow. Green manure planted under potatoes can grow simultaneously with these root crops, improving the soil structure at the same time, repelling pests. These plants can be:

• vegetables from the legume family;
• from flowering plants- calendula, nasturtium.

autumn planting

At autumn planting of such plants, seeds are planted after harvesting potatoes 1–2 months before the onset of frost. In this case, siderates do not have time to bloom, and under the cover of snow they rot almost completely. The decayed vegetative mass is plowed into the ground during the spring digging of the site. Beginning vegetable growers are often concerned about the question, which green manure is better to sow for potatoes in the fall? There are many such plants:

• mustard,
• oil radish,
• oats,
• alfalfa,
• phacelia,
• rape.

When sown in autumn, green manure will improve the structure of the soil, contributing to its saturation with oxygen, suppress the growth and development of weeds, prevent pests from entering the soil for wintering and become a source of nutrients for the soil. White mustard is mainly grown in the autumn period, because it grows well even at air temperatures below 11-13 ° C. Oats do not have time to grow before the onset of cold weather, but in the spring it should not be mowed - you can plant potatoes directly in green manure. The dried stalks of oats will protect the growing root crops from cold snaps and other negative weather conditions, as they turn into a mulching layer.

How to properly sow

Spring or autumn sowing seeds of green manure crops are carried out by simply scattering the seeds over the soil surface, covering them with a layer of compost or humus from above (the thickness of such a layer is 1.5–2 cm). You can sow in another way: in small furrows up to 2 cm deep, seed is laid and covered with earth, then watered.

How to sow green manure with potatoes is another of the nuances of using green manure crops. Usually, grooves are made in the aisles of potato beds, into which the seeds of such crops are laid. Then the edges of the furrows are leveled. Watering green manure in this case is carried out simultaneously with watering potatoes.

Many summer residents due to limited area plots are forced to place a potato field every year in the same place. This leads to severe depletion of the soil and the accumulation of pathogens and pest larvae in it. In order to at least partially prevent soil fatigue, in the fall, immediately after harvesting potatoes, it is advisable to sow the site with fast-growing green manure from the cruciferous family.
Whatever siderate for potatoes you choose, when using it, you should follow a few rules:

• siderates are sown very often, with a continuous carpet - on average, for one hundred square meters of land, you will need 400 grams of seeds of the green manure plants described below;
• the green mass is embedded in the soil at the beginning of flowering (it is impossible to wait for the formation of seeds, as they will clog the soil);
• before plowing, it is advisable to chop the greens and let them dry on the spot for one to two days;
• green manure is buried in the soil during the autumn digging of the soil ( optimal depth diggers - an incomplete bayonet of a shovel).

No. 1. Mustard white

In my opinion, ordinary mustard is the most effective green manure for potatoes. So, when planting this green fertilizer during the flowering period, the soil receives 10-12 grams of nitrogen, 14 grams of potassium and about 2 grams of phosphorus per square meter beds, and in the most easily digestible form for plants. This allows you to get an increase in productivity of 50-70% even without adding additional doses of organic matter (manure, compost) to the soil.

Potatoes have a few more undoubted advantages:

1. It enriches the soil large quantity organic material that, over time, is processed by soil bacteria into neutral humus. So, in just a month from the moment of germination, mustard gains up to a kilogram of green mass per square meter of land.
2. Powerful branched mustard roots loosen the soil to a considerable depth, making it more air and water permeable.
3. Mustard leaves and stems contain a special essential oil, whose smell is not liked by many pests (for example, the Colorado potato beetle and). Thanks to this, potatoes also suffer less from, and tubers are not affected by rot and scab.
4. This green manure crop helps to clear the site from both annual and perennial weeds.

AT middle lane mustard can be sown until the second decade of September, since the seeds of this plant begin to hatch already at a temperature of +1 ... 2 degrees, and young shoots easily endure frosts down to -6 degrees.

Mustard is sown immediately after harvesting the potato crop. Seeds are sprinkled with a layer of soil no more than two centimeters. Shoots usually appear in 5-7 days. None special care planting mustard is not required.

No. 2. Rare oilseed

does not have such bright phytosanitary properties as mustard, but in terms of green productivity, it is twice the latter.

Oil radish is popular as a green manure for potatoes for a number of reasons:

• this is a very early crop - seedlings appear 4-7 days after sowing the seeds, and mustard blooms just 30-40 days after germination;
• it reduces the number of weeds on the site by 50%;
• inhibits the development of nematodes and root rot;
• improves soil structure by loosening it with its strong roots;
• cleans the soil from toxic substances and heavy metals.

Oilseed radish is sown at the same time and at the same depth as mustard, and planted in the soil during the flowering phase.

Number 3. Rape

Just like mustard and oilseed radish, rapeseed is well suited for planting after harvesting potatoes: it is resistant to cold (tolerates frosts down to -7 degrees), tolerates thickening well, sprouts and grows quickly, and also produces bountiful harvest greenery.

The only negative that can be noted in this green manure is its exactingness to the level of soil fertility on the site. On poor soils, it gives little greenery and is therefore ineffective. In addition, it is not so useful in terms of suppressing potato pests and diseases.

So which green manure is better to sow under potatoes in the fall? It seems to me that mustard is the ideal green manure for potatoes, because in addition to saturating the soil with organic matter, it also fights phytophthora, wireworm and Colorado potato beetle, which can cause great damage to the potato crop.

Potatoes occupy such a strong place in cooking that they are planted on a par with cereals. Summer residents strive with small area or fields to get the maximum yield to provide for themselves for the winter.

Some don't even use mineral fertilizers so that the products are environmentally friendly. But one cannot constantly exploit the land without adding anything in return. The soil is depleted and there may come a time when a gardener will dig out only half a bucket from a planted bucket of potatoes, which will be a great professional disappointment.

There is a way that helps maintain soil fertility, but at the same time is safe. This is the sideration of a potato field with other plants. Siderates for potatoes are plants that are sown before planting tubers, then mowed and dug up with soil. After a week and a half, you can begin to plant the main crop.

Potato needs

During the growth period, tubers need nitrogen and phosphorus more than any other elements. Because the fruit of the potato is underground and located on the roots, it means that the root system should receive a lot of nutrients during the period of tubers pouring. Roots need phosphorus.

But this nutrient cannot be fully absorbed without the growth of green mass. Therefore, nitrogen is needed. Siderates for potatoes should contain in large numbers nitrogen and phosphorus. It remains to find out which plants contain these nutrients, buy seeds and sow the field.

There are several methods for using green manure for potatoes:

• otavnoe, when the roots of companion crops serve as a source of plant nutrition;

• complete, if the above-ground and underground parts are used simultaneously;

• slanting, when only the beveled above-ground part is dug up, and root system left in the same place.

Depending on what nutrients have been applied to the potato field, one of the methods can be applied.

The best green manure for potatoes

According to gardeners who have tried many plants that enrich the earth, the best green manure for potatoes - These are legumes:

• peas- it can be sown simultaneously with tubers, because it sprouts earlier and attracts nutrients, namely nitrogen, with its roots;

• alfalfa – useful plant not only as green manure after potatoes in August, but also goes to feed pets, rich in nutrients that are beneficial to humans - fresh herbs can be used in cooking;

• lupine, whose beans replace soy, greens are used in the nutrition of animals and people, contains 50% protein, 20% oil, similar in quality to olive oil;

• sweet clover – medicinal plant, honey plant, contains a lot of useful nutrients for pets, grows large - up to 2 m in height;

• Vika- one of the most early-ripening plant species, undemanding to air temperatures, suitable for feeding animals in green form and beans, used as green manure before winter for potatoes.

The effect of these plants on the soil is similar to manure, but it takes more time to decompose manure, it costs more than seeds, and it requires more labor - to prepare compost or scatter it across the field and dig it up.

It is easier, cheaper and more versatile to use siderates for potatoes, since plants can be used in other areas - for treatment, animal nutrition. In a word, planting companion plants will not be superfluous, but will bring double benefits.

The benefits of green manure for potatoes:

• rotting plants activate the activity of soil bacteria, for which plant residues serve as food;

• maintain the level of moisture in the soil - it does not weather, it is not washed out by rains;

• weeds cannot compete with green manure, because they have deep roots and grow quickly, taking nutrients from weeds;

• contain phytoncides that do not like garden pests, they become smaller on plants and in the ground;

• enrich the soil with the main nutrients - nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

The last point is the most important, since with the help of sideration you can increase the yield without using mineral supplements.

When to sow - in autumn or spring

Features of the growth of legumes are increased germination and a rapid increase in green mass due to the accumulation of nitrogen in tissues. Gardeners use this feature for their own purposes - to return plants back to the soil in order to enrich the soil and feed other crops.

Video: Siderates - potatoes on poor land

During the summer season, legumes can grow twice, so you need to use in spring and autumn. Rules for sowing green manure for potatoes:

• apply the seeds to the treated soil - for this you can make mineral fertilizers, and the plants will be transferred to safe organic matter;

• in the spring they are planted at the end of March, beginning of May, depending on the temperature, in the fall, a month and a half before the cold snap, the seedlings should grow to 15–20 cm and have time to decompose in the ground – for this they need two weeks;

• you need to mow the plants before the seeds appear, so that they do not fall back into the ground, since then it will be difficult to remove them.

Siderates need watering so that they quickly process nutrients. The fact is that useful elements nutrition can be deep in the soil, and you can get them out of there only with sufficient moisture. Therefore, in arid climates, it is recommended to regularly water green manure before potatoes in the spring until mowing.

You can mow the plants before embedding in the soil both manually and with a lawn walk-behind tractor.

Important! If the amount of greenery on the site has exceeded all expectations, you do not need to bring in everything so that there is no acidification of plant residues. Part of the fertilizer is planted on other beds for other crops.

Which green manures are not suitable for potatoes

Cereals are also sown as predecessors - wheat, oats, rye, but they do not have enough nitrogen and phosphorus, so they will not bring much benefit. The same applies to phacelia, white mustard, rapeseed.

For others garden plants they are suitable for nutritional composition, so they are best used before tomatoes, cucumbers. You can apply more than the prescribed norm, but then the fertilizer will be processed longer in the soil, which is not good in the spring, as you can be late with planting potatoes.