Leaves of which plants to use as mulch. Use fallen leaves. Using Organic Mulch

• Preservation of water in the soil - moisture evaporates much less from a covered surface, there is no need for frequent watering;
• Temperature control - on hot days root system will not overheat, and will not freeze in winter;
• Weed control - mulching with a layer of 4-6 cm thick prevents the appearance of unnecessary plants;
• Soil improvement - closed ground remains loose, permeable to air and water longer;
• Enrichment nutrients- organic mulch decomposes over time, saturating the earth with useful components;
• Acidity regulation - applied pine needles, cones, bark or spruce branches, gradually acidify the soil;
• Decoration of the site - the mulch under the trees looks neat, which means that the decorativeness of the garden increases.

What can be used for mulching?

It is not necessary to go to the store, suitable materials for mulching can be on the site or in the neighboring forest. Consider available options mulch with your own hands.

Dry leaves

A natural material found almost everywhere. Fallen leaves are collected in their own garden or in the nearest forest belt, then they are poured around the trunks with a layer of about 5 cm. The “fur coat” created in this way perfectly protects the rhizomes from frost.

Coniferous plants love acidified soils, which is favored by spruce and pine sawdust or shavings introduced under them. Large wood waste hold back the snow, organizing additional shelter. Before mulching, the land is enriched with nitrogen fertilizers.

The surface covered with ordinary pine cones, which used to lie to no avail. Any synthetic fabric is placed under this mulch to control weeds. If you do not walk on the bumps, then they lie whole for a long time. Bark is used similarly coniferous trees, which is sold in many nurseries.

Coniferous needles

Buying bark in bags is expensive, so for mass coverage it is easier to pick up the top layer of half-ripened needles in the forest. A thin layer should be raked so as not to harm the trees. The “prickly” layer protects the soil well, and small rodents and slugs do not like such shelter.

Gravel, stone or expanded clay

Mulching with pebbles or stone chips solves several problems: keeps moisture in the ground, protects against overheating, prevents the growth of weeds and performs an aesthetic role. Inorganic materials do not rot, so they retain their original appearance for decades.

dry branches

Even in small garden Branches are constantly being cut. Usually they are burned, but if they are taken from healthy plants, then it is more expedient not to throw them away, but to cut them into small pieces with a pruner and use them as a mulching component for coniferous plantations.

How are coniferous plantings mulched?

The branches of plants located close to the ground are lifted or tied up, so they will not be damaged, and it will be more convenient to work. The boundaries of the covered area are outlined, the sod is removed. Trying not to tear the rhizome, the soil around the trunk is carefully selected with a loosener to a depth of 5–10 cm. The soil is dug at a distance of a meter or more from the trunk, starting from the far border and, moving closer to the plant, stop plowing when surface roots appear.

The earth can be fertilized with mineral additives or organic, for example, clover with pine needles. The surface is leveled and compacted, then the mulch is laid out in an even layer.

The considered methods of mulching are simple and can be used by most gardeners. The choice of a particular option depends on availability - why spend money when suitable material eat next to your garden.

One of the extremely useful agricultural practices used by gardeners in different climatic zones is mulching. This procedure is the covering of the soil surface with artificial or organic material, while the rows are covered completely or only in the aisles.

Mulching man learned from nature itself. In forests, in meadows under shrubs and trees, the soil is never bare in life - a layer of dried grass, fallen leaves and needles protects the earth from drying out, protects plants from cold weather and pests.

Under a layer of mulch, the soil retains its structure, a soil crust does not form. Moreover, the mulch protects the soil around the plant from being washed away by water during irrigation, conserves moisture, and does not allow weeds to grow.

By mulching the beds, you can significantly reduce the number of waterings and virtually eliminate loosening.

How to mulch the soil in your area? What mulching materials should be used? There are plenty of options, as usual.

In order to mulch the soil on summer cottages roofing material, roofing felt, lutrasil, colored and black polyethylene film are widely used.

They are lined on beds, holes are made into which plants are then planted. Holes are best made slotted (cutting the film across or along), rather than square or round. So the soil will be best protected from moisture evaporation, and rainwater will penetrate well into the soil.

Cucumber and zucchini beds are mulched with black plastic wrap in order to get rid of weeds and reduce the frequency of watering. On strawberry beds mulched with a film, the berries will always remain clean. Tomatoes grow best in red film mulch, while cabbage prefers white film. A transparent film for mulching is not suitable, it does not interfere with the growth of weeds, but, on the contrary, gives rise to them active growth.

The film, which is used as mulch, must comply with the following qualities:

• do not let light through;
• be thin and flexible, fit snugly to the ground surface;
• be strong so that weeds cannot break through it.

Film mulch raises the temperature of the earth by 1.5-2°C, which is very important in an unstable climate middle lane with a short summer; on the other hand, the film reduces the evaporation of moisture, thereby lowering the temperature on the soil surface on hot days. That is, the film saves planting from cold, and from heat, and from drought.

Mulching with opaque black film is widely used to control weeds without chemicals. Under the black film, perennial hard-to-remove rhizomatous weeds disappear - sow thistle, wheatgrass, loach.

Under the black film mulch, a soil crust will not be created, which does not allow oxygen to flow to the seedlings in required quantity, and subsequently they suffocate, and gardeners receive rare unfriendly seedlings. Film mulching prevents soil compaction by precipitation. Even after 5 years of growing strawberries under a film, the earth will remain loose.

Moreover, film mulch helps to increase soil fertility: due to the decomposition of weeds in top layer Nitrogen accumulates on the ground, soil microorganisms reliably protected by a film cover are activated, they are actively fed, and the humus content in the soil increases.

The soil mulched with a film saves heat better in winter, the beds covered with a film do not freeze as much as open ones. This advantage of film mulch is especially important when growing dwarf apple trees, whose frost resistance is not as high as that of ordinary ones, and strawberries, whose roots are at shallow depths.

Mulching films inhibit the development of strawberry gray rot, and also help to reduce the number of nematodes.

Nevertheless, film mulch has a significant minus - it, unlike organic, does not decompose, does not nourish the soil. For this reason, most gardeners choose to first mulch the beds with humus, and then cover with a film, non-woven fabric, etc.

Using Organic Mulch

No matter how many merits the films and other synthetic materials, modern summer residents prefer mulch made from natural materials.

The organic cover on the beds not only prevents the growth of weeds, protects the soil from overheating and freezing and saves moisture in the ground, as the mulch decomposes in the ground, a fertile layer is formed faster, which nourishes soil microorganisms and plants.

In order to achieve the maximum possible effect from mulching natural materials, you need to know when and what kind of mulch to apply.

The grass is rich in nitrogen and other nutrients necessary for the full development of plants.

As mulch, you can use the remnants of grass after mowing the lawn, weeded and slightly dried weeds, ragged stepchildren of tomatoes. By the way, mulch from the leaves of tomatoes (tomatoes) is an impeccable option for beds with cabbage, it repels cabbage whites.

Take your time to apply freshly cut grass as mulch, let it dry out in the sun for a day or two. Raw grass will rot very quickly.

In the northern regions, grass mulch is applied when the soil has already warmed up well, and the plants have sprouted and grown stronger. AT southern regions mulching with grass is best done before planting, then it can supply the soil with nutrients.

Mulching the soil with compost

Compost is actually ideal, universal material for mulching. It is suitable for everyone vegetable crops and absolutely safe. Compost mulch reduces the likelihood of plant diseases and provides them with excellent nutrition.

So do not take organic garbage, weeds, kitchen waste, tops, etc. from the dacha, put it all in a compost heap along with sawdust, wood chips and paper. And in a year, you will have a wonderful organic material for mulching your garden.

Straw is the best suited for mulching mail under nightshade - potatoes and tomatoes.

It is intended as a barrier between the fruits of tomatoes and pathogenic microbes in the soil, protecting the bushes from early rot, anthracnose and leaf spot. And on potato beds mulched with straw, it is much less often noticed main pest potatoes - Colorado beetle.

What's more, straw mulch works well on crops such as garlic, basil, strawberries, and blackberries.

With black-and-white and color newspapers (shredded or whole), you can safely cover the beds - from newsprint comes out great mulch and good remedy for weed control.

Newspapers in four layers are laid on the ridge, which is supposed to be mulched, and sprinkled on top with hay, grass, straw or earth.

Many summer residents are afraid to use newspapers because of the printing ink that gets into the ground with them, yet, according to American scientists, not a single Chemical substance from modern paint for newspapers does not pose a threat to the garden or garden.

Mulch made from wrapping kraft paper and cardboard proved to be no less effective in weed control. These materials can also replace film mulch when it is necessary to warm the soil. If a couple of days before planting seedlings in the ground, cover the bed with kraft paper, the soil in it warms up by 3 ° C.

Paper mulching is especially effective on planting raspberries and legumes - it helps to increase their productivity.

Mulching with fallen leaves

Fallen leaves are the perfect mulch for bean and cabbage beds. Peppers and tomatoes, eggplants can also be mulched with cast litter, but only after the soil has warmed up well.

Very good leaf mulch flower beds, it protects flowers from freezing and, moreover, does not allow bulbous plants germinate during early spring thaws.

Tree bark is one of the most durable mulching materials.

It repels water, so it rots for a long time. Most often, such a long-term mulch is used around shrubs and fruit trees.

The bark of coniferous trees does not need to be used for mulching tomatoes - allocated to it volatiles can harm bushes.

Mulching with sawdust or wood chips

Sawdust or is best used where the soil is not often cultivated and hardly dug up (furrows, paths in the garden), but because the wood chips take more than a year to completely rot.

Sawdust can be used to cover the ground in raspberries, or before winter, scatter them on beds with winter crops (for example, daffodils and garlic).

Never use packed sawdust as mulching material. If the sawdust lay piled up in a pile for a long time, most likely oxygen stopped flowing into the deep layer, and they “soured”. Such sawdust must be scattered in advance thin layer and dry.

Many gardeners do not use pine needles due to the fact that the needles seem to oxidize the soil.

And yet, experience shows that the pH of the soil, two years in a row covered with a 7-centimeter layer coniferous needles, remains at the same level as before mulching.

In addition to the above materials, mulch can serve as humus, reeds, peat, peat chips, pumpkin seeds or sunflower cake. Often, a combined mulch of two or three materials is used, for example, cake with freshly cut grass or cardboard with straw. sawdust mulch mixed with fresh grass gives an excellent result.

We wish you success and good harvests!

Soil mulching was invented by nature itself. A person only peeped how a fertile layer is formed under the fallen leaves, moisture is preserved, and plants survive even the most severe colds without problems. Today, there are many mulching technologies using variety of materials. But the principle remains original, natural - covering the soil with an outer protective layer, which gives the desired effect. To properly carry out this procedure, you need to learn everything about soil mulching.

The benefits of this procedure for cultivated plants are undeniable.

So why do you need mulching? To free the gardener-gardener time for other work or recreation, without prejudice to plants, and even for their benefit.

materials

All mulching materials, of which there are currently more than two dozen, are divided into two large categories: organic and inorganic origin.

The discussion about which type of materials is better is ongoing both among specialists and among amateur gardeners. The choice of category depends on the goals that are supposed to be achieved by mulching, and on the place of application of the material on a particular crop.

When mulching with any materials, you must observe important rule- it is carried out only after the soil warms up well. If you lay the mulch on unheated soil, the effect will be the opposite of what you expected - the plants will develop poorly, their growth will slow down.

organic materials

This group includes the following:

All organic materials differ from inorganic materials in that they are able to rot in the soil and turn into nutrients that saturate plants, form a humus layer and increase soil fertility.

Organic mulch is considered by many to be the healthiest and the only usable mulch. But there is one caveat - when some of its varieties rot, nitrogen is pulled out of the ground. It is needed to activate the process of decay for sawdust, bark and shavings. Of course, the plants are deficient in nitrogen.

There are drawbacks to organic mulch (just like inorganic mulch). For example, if it takes nitrogen from plants, it is necessary to first shed the soil under a layer of mulch with an infusion of manure, litter or urea to replenish it.

Wood mulch (sawdust)

Sawdust can clog over time and cause plants to rot.

There are restrictions on the use of bark, wood chips and foliage from non-fruit trees. For example, it is better not to use birch and oak trees at all, or to use them only for conifers. The high content of tannins in them can damage the garden and garden plants hindering their development.

For decorative conifers, birch and oak mulch can be used. They like it when the soil is acidified, and they are not afraid of tannins, since the growth of conifers is already slow.

But back to useful properties organic mulch. Large sawdust and wood chips repel slugs. They are not comfortable crawling on them, and if you mulch the beds with these materials, the slugs will leave your garden, despite the presence of tasty plants.

grass mulch

Also, slugs do not like straw. If you put a layer of fine straw (hay) about 12 cm, after shrinking it will give perfect coverage, about seven centimeters high, able to completely and environmentally protect your plants from all misfortunes.

Plant waste - weeds, grass taken from the lawn, the remains of green manure are very well suited for mulching not only between rows, but also near the trunk circles of fruit trees. It is not recommended to lay this type of coating on the beds. Mulch should decompose over time, and cut grass and weeds will quickly dry out in the sun and not have time to decompose. If you wish, you can cover the soil with herbal plant mulch in the fall, before the rainy season. Then by spring you will have a good fertile layer.

Pine and spruce needles - best material for covering flower beds. Looks very decorative and contributes healthy growth colors.

Manure and compost

This species rightfully ranks first in the ranking of organic materials for mulching.

Decayed manure has the only drawback, or rather, a feature of use that must be taken into account. He has dark color so it attracts heat. If the site is located on sunny place, and the plants planted on it are not particularly thermophilic, it is better to choose a light mulch.

moss and turf

They are used mainly for the garden, arranging turfing in the near-trunk circle of fruit trees and shrubs. You can cover the ground with ready-made moss taken from the forest, or with pieces of sod, or by planting any ground covers. Such mulch will grow to the soil and will be durable. In addition to preserving moisture and warming for the winter, it will keep the garden from erosion and increase the amount of nutrients in the soil.

sheet mulch

Fallen leaves should be treated with caution. It has already been mentioned above that the foliage of oak and birch will not bring much benefit to garden and flower plants. In addition, the foliage can become a carrier of fungal diseases, which are transmitted through the soil to cultivated plants, or, picked up by the wind, spread fungal spores throughout the site.

Foliage in its pure form, if there is a suspicion of the presence of fungal diseases, it is better not to use it for mulching. But it can be processed by special means put in compost. And when it turns into a nutritious fertilizer, mulch the garden with compost.

inorganic mulch

• film;
• nonwoven materials;
• pebbles, crushed stone and gravel;
• coarse sand;
• paper and cardboard waste;
• expanded clay.

These materials do not contain nutrients and do not decompose to form humus. Therefore, their properties are limited to protective and decorative. But since they do not rot, they are durable and do not lose their properties and appearance for a long time.

Inorganic mulch is mainly used in floriculture and horticulture. Garden beds that need constant cultivation are not covered with crushed stone or gravel, as they interfere with the cultivation of the soil.

gravel and crushed stone

Bulk inorganic materials are usually used as a decorative mulch in flowerbeds, rose gardens, Alpine rollercoaster. They can also fill up tracks and trunk circles shrubs and trees. But keep in mind that between the pebbles, no matter how tightly you put them, weeds will still sprout. It is necessary to think in advance about how to remove them in the future.

Film and non-woven cover

The black film perfectly retains moisture and also protects cultivated plants from weeds, as it inhibits their growth.

But watering is difficult. It has to be carried out manually, getting exactly into the film holes left for plant growth. Can be held under the film automatic drip irrigation, but it is not easy to control the level of soil moisture.

under a film or nonwoven fabric if the humidity is high, slugs can accumulate, which will damage the young shoots.

The black film has another significant drawback - it enhances the heating of the soil. In extreme heat, the roots of trees in the ground can “burn out” or rot if overheating is combined with high humidity.

The film is used for mulching plantings of potatoes, tomatoes, garden strawberries. It is desirable to use it in tandem with straw, with which the film is covered from above.

paper waste

They can only be used as auxiliary material, mixed with another type of mulch. It alone draws moisture out of the soil, dehydrating and drying it out. Paper or cardboard works well under organic mulch. In this way, the germination of weeds can be almost completely prevented (

Mulching is the most useful agricultural technique that gardeners use in many climatic zones. During this procedure, the soil is covered with organic or man-made material, and the beds can be covered completely or only the space between the rows.

A layer of mulch allows the soil to maintain its structure and prevents the formation of a crust. In addition, mulched soil is not washed away by water during irrigation, retains moisture and inhibits the growth of weeds. Mulch significantly reduces the number of waterings and makes loosening almost unnecessary.

What can you use for mulching on your site? There are enough options.

For this, color and black film, lutrasil, roofing felt, roofing material are suitable. They are laid on the beds, strengthened, after which they make holes where the plants are planted. The slots should be slotted (we cut the film across or along), and not in the form of a square or circle. So the earth will evaporate less moisture, and water will be able to penetrate well into the soil.

Black film is used for mulching zucchini and cucumbers. It will perfectly protect the planting from weeds and reduce the frequency of watering. Strawberries covered with a film will always delight you with clean berries.

Tomatoes prefer to be mulched with a red film, and cabbage - white. A transparent film under the mulch is not recommended - it does not slow down, but, on the contrary, causes active growth of weeds.

The film material used for mulching must meet the following requirements:

• Don't miss the sun's rays
• Have an elastic and thin structure
• Close to the ground
• Be strong to weeds couldn't break it

Mulch from the film increases the soil temperature by 1.5-2 ° C, and this is an important factor for the unstable climate of the middle zone, where summer is short. Also, film mulching reduces the evaporation of moisture, making the soil surface cooler on hot days. Thus, the film helps plants feel comfortable in hot, cold, and drought conditions.

This light-tight shelter is widely used for weed control without chemicals. With its help, even difficult-to-breed plants that reproduce by rhizomes are destroyed - loach, couch grass, sow thistle.

The black film prevents the formation of a soil crust, which reduces the amount of oxygen supplied to the roots, which is so necessary for seedlings. This mulch preserves the loose structure of the soil. For example, on strawberry patch under the film, the earth remains not knocked down and porous even for five years.

Another plus: film mulch increases soil fertility. Weeds in the upper soil layer decompose, enriching it with nitrogen, and the microorganisms under the protection of the film begin to actively grow and feed, increasing the humus content.

The soil covered with such a mulch retains heat better in winter, and the beds freeze less. Therefore, film shelter is very important for dwarf apple trees, whose frost resistance is not so high, and for strawberries - its roots are located close to the soil surface.

Film mulch under strawberry bushes prevents the formation of gray mold and reduces the number of nematodes.

With all the advantages, film mulch and negative quality. Unlike organic matter, it does not lend itself to decomposition that feeds the soil. This factor makes many summer residents first mulch the beds with humus, and then cover them with various non-woven materials.

Whatever the advantages of synthetic materials, today's gardeners prefer natural mulch.

Organic shelter not only inhibits the growth of weeds, protects the soil from freezing and overheating and retains moisture in it, but also saturates plants and microorganisms with nutrients. After all, gradually decomposing, the mulch forms a fertile layer in the soil.

In order for mulching with natural materials to give the maximum effect, you need to figure out when and what kind of shelter is better to use.

Mulching with fresh cut grass

The grass is saturated with nitrogen and other useful elements, which are needed for the development of landings to be complete.

For mulching, you can take grass from a mowed lawn, slightly dried weeds after weeding, stepson tomato twigs. Please note that the leaves of tomatoes will be an excellent cover for a cabbage bed, they will scare away the whites that love tight cabbages.

Do not rush to mulch the soil with freshly cut grass, let it dry for a day or two - otherwise it will begin to rot too quickly.

In the northern regions, the mulching process is carried out after the soil warms up to a sufficient depth, and the seedlings sprout and get stronger. In the southern regions, grass mulch is applied even before planting, so that it can saturate the ground with nutrients.

Mulching the soil with compost

It's hard to find a more versatile and ideal covering material than compost. It is completely safe and loved by all vegetables. Mulching with compost increases the resistance of plants to diseases and provides them with excellent nutrition.

Therefore, kitchen waste, tops, weeds, organic debris should be placed in compost pit, sprinkling with sawdust, paper, soil. A year later, you will have a quality natural material for mulching.

Straw mulching

Straw is best to cover the soil under nightshade - bushes of tomatoes and potatoes.

It will become a good barrier between ripening tomatoes and pathogens living in the soil, protect plants from rot and anthracnose, and prevent leaf spot. And if potato rows are mulched with straw, the Colorado potato beetle will more often bypass them.

In addition, straw mulch is great for planting garlic, basil, garden blackberry and strawberries.

Mulching with newsprint

A bed prepared for mulching is covered with four layers of newspapers and sprinkled with grass, hay, soil or straw.

Some gardeners fear that printing ink can damage plantings, however, according to American scientists, modern formulations for printing do not pose a threat to the soil and plants.

Cardboard and kraft paper are no less effective in fighting weeds. They can replace film mulch when it is necessary to warm the soil. If two or three days before transplanting the seedlings to the garden, the bed is covered with kraft paper, it will raise the soil temperature by 3 ° C.

Paper mulching of raspberry bushes and legumes gives a high result - the yield of these crops is greatly increased.

Mulching with fallen leaves

Leaf litter is ideal for cabbage and bean beds. Leaves can be used to mulch peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes, but after deep heating of the soil.

Such a mulch is good in flower beds, it will save the flowers from freezing and will not allow the bulbs to germinate during the thaw period.

Mulching with tree bark

Tree bark is the most durable material for mulching. It rots for a long time, as it is poorly saturated with moisture. Therefore, such a mulch turns out to be “long-playing” and is often poured around bushes and trees.

Wood mulch is very good in flowerbeds and berry fields. Its durability makes it possible to use the bark as a decor in landscape design and create amazingly original flower beds.

Mulching with sawdust or wood chips

Such material is poured where the land is rarely cultivated and almost does not know what a shovel is - on garden paths, furrows. After all, wood chips need more than a year to completely rot.

Sawdust is good to cover the soil in the raspberry or late autumn cover the beds with winter crops, for example, with garlic.

Compacted sawdust should not be used for mulching. If they have been piled up for a long time, it is very likely that oxygen has not been supplied to the lower layers for a long time, and they have “soured”. Before use, such material must be scattered with a thin ball and dried well.

Mulching needles

Pine needles are loved by strawberry and eggplant bushes - it perfectly protects and nourishes them. However, many gardeners have a preconceived notion that pine needles seem to oxidize the soil.

But it has been empirically proven that the pH of the soil, where a seven-centimeter layer of coniferous needles was poured for two years in a row, remained the same as before mulching.

In addition to the materials mentioned above, peat and crumbs from it, cake of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, humus, and dry reeds are suitable for covering the soil in the beds. Often, several materials are combined under mulch, for example, freshly cut grass with bagasse or straw along with cardboard. A wonderful effect is obtained from mulching with fresh grass mixed with sawdust.

How and when to mulch will be discussed in the next article.

Technology of Effective Microorganisms offers simple and available ways improve soil fertility, significant yield increase and tangible decrease physical activity when growing. If you have a desire to lighten your work and get good result, it is best to take advantage of the opportunities EM technologies.

effect from autumn processing soil, detailed in the previous issue of the magazine, will be much larger when mulching is applied. Mulching - sheltering the fertile soil layer - is of great agrotechnical importance.

Autumn mulching provides the following benefits:

- retains moisture in the soil(in spring, snow moisture is well retained in the beds, and plants planted in autumn do without watering for a long time);

Mulching allows get rid of the need for loosening soil;

Mulch gives additional layer of humus- nutrition for plants;

Mulch is an excellent protection of the soil from overheating by the sun, which has a good effect on the life of soil microorganisms;

Mulch during winter or frost protects soil from frost, which is also saving for microorganisms and other inhabitants of the soil;

Thanks to mulching, weed seeds are left with fewer opportunities for development.

In a word, mulching the best way affects the fertility of the soil, from which it follows that it is useful for soil dwellers, which means that the productivity of our plants also increases through their work.

What to make mulch from?

Mulch can be made from a variety of organic materials. A very good mulch is made from tree leaves, straw and sunflower husks. You can also use herbs. It is very convenient to prepare mulch using a birch leaf, because there is a lot of it in the forests in autumn, and it is very useful for the soil.

Here is an option for making mulch with tree leaves:

1. Mix the leaves with the ground, then add wood ash and crushed eggshells. It is convenient to do this in a wheelbarrow, galvanized tub, trough or low barrel.

2. We take a solution of BAIKAL EM1 1:100 (half a glass per 10 l bucket of water) and evenly wet the contents of the container.

3. Now you need to thoroughly mix the future mulch with a shovel or directly with your hands - this is safe. Humidification should be uniform and not excessive. The mixture should not be very wet.

4. When everything is ready, lay out the mixture in plastic bags, carefully squeeze the air out of them and tie.

5. Now we leave the packages in a warm and dark place for a couple of weeks.

6. Two weeks have passed - the mulch is ready. Open - the smell should be pleasant.

How to mulch?

In autumn, loosen the soil well with plane cutter . It is recommended to work the soil immediately EM solution 1:100 for the destruction of weeds and the suppression of phytopathogens - pathogens of plant diseases.

After loosening, we cover with mulch those beds that are already planted for spring (including strawberries and perennials).

And here is what V.N. Sopova from Novosibirsk:

"May in this (2009 - approx. ed.) year, as ordered, warm, affectionate. Only here is the trouble: the earth in the beds quickly dries out, becomes covered with a crust. Sometimes I look over the fence to my neighbor's garden and see that all her beds are dry, and we are promised water only by June 10th. Now winter garlic she has a frail one and began to turn yellow, strawberries are also unimportant. It seems that the sun and wind "pulled out" precious spring moisture from its soil. I felt sorry for the neighbors, all autumn, until the seventh sweat, they dug their garden, and spring came and did its job. The past years and I have the same picture was. If I don’t have time to loosen the ground in time in the spring, then I toil until the middle of summer, and, therefore, I lose in the harvest, and I strain in vain.

Now I work smarter. In autumn, I loosen the ground with a flat cutter, and even EM drug I water to keep weeds down. In the spring, as soon as the earth warms up, I again pick up a flat cutter and loosen it again. And then I start to cover my beds with mulch. This is what I have been doing since autumn where there are plantings.

Mulch is prepared from any organic material. Most of all I like the birch leaf. First, it comes for nothing; secondly, the birch leaf is only useful to the earth and does not become clogged. In autumn, I collect leaves in the forest with bags. Already at the dacha, I pour some of it into piles, and I immediately process some. To do this, I mix the leaf with earth, ash, eggshell, I pour it into a baby bath and moisten the mixture with a solution of BAIKAL EM1 in a ratio of 1:100, carefully mix everything first with a garden scoop, then with my hands. When the whole mixture is evenly moistened, I take a handful and squeeze it into a lump, then press the lump with my finger so that it crumbles.

It is important not to over-moisten the mixture. If everything is done correctly, I put the processed mixture into plastic bags, carefully squeeze out the air and leave the bags in a dark, warm place for two weeks. If September is warm, then the packages can be left in the country. After two weeks, the mulch is ready. You open the bag, and from there - the aroma! Why keep stuff like that in bags? I scatter the mulch on the prepared beds, and cover the plantings of garlic and strawberries with it. Thanks to this mulch, soil microflora there is extra food. I have been preparing burts since autumn. I distribute foliage, earth, food waste in layers. Each layer is watered with a solution of BAIKAL EM1 (1:100), then the collar is carefully plastic wrap I cover it, I cover the film with bricks from below, so that there is as little air access as possible.

In late April - early May, I open these piles. At this moment, I feel the joy of a true gardener: the land in piles is pure humus, you take it in your hands, and it crumbles! And no manure is needed. These piles love and earthworms. I reseed the land from the piles on a sieve. I take part for seedlings, and the rest of the land goes to the beds. She sowed radishes, poured snow water over the grooves, and sprinkled the bed with a layer of mulch on top. I do the same with carrots and lettuce. Melt water is saved, weeds do not grow, the earth does not dry up, and there is less work for me. But I eat the first radish before all the neighbors.

This year we have a humus machine already up to two thousand rubles (37 lats - approx. ed.) comes. I looked at this manure - a naked straw bedding, with such manure I will swell for another three years until I bring it to condition (if I don’t use BAIKAL EM1 ), and how many weeds I will bring into my garden. And as summer comes, herbs - whatever you want and as much as you want, just don't be lazy, collect. I love very young nettles, clover is also good. I chop the grass, mix it with sawdust, bran, ash, earth and cook the mulch slowly.

Now I don’t worry about whether the summer will be dry or rainy, because I know for sure: mulch and « B aikal EM1" my harvest will be saved and increased!

P. S. But is it not about the same role of microbiological fertilizer BAIKAL EM1 on the formation of soil structure, which made it possible to grow excellent harvest tomatoes in the current hot dry summer, Aldis Brazhunas told in the previous issue of the magazine?

Head of EM program in Latvia

Alexander Blinov, tel. 29294620