What is leaf land for plants. Types of garden land

cut sod

Sod land. It is used in horticulture, pot and tub culture of ornamental plants, as one of the elements of the earth mixture.

In the composition of various earth mixtures, turf land is included in an amount from 1/8 to 3/4 of the entire composition of the mixture. It differs from other garden soils by a low content of organic matter and a smaller amount of humus, nitrogen and absorbed bases. It is characterized by high water-lifting capacity and low moisture capacity and moisture permeability. In terms of acidity and the presence of basic nutrients, sod land is similar to compost land.

Depending on the mechanical composition of the soil of the site from which the sods were taken, there are light-sod (the sum of clay and silt particles is about 29%) and heavy-sod (the sum of clay and silt particles is more than 61%) soil.

Sod land is harvested in spring or late summer. It is prepared from sods cut in meadows and fields (the most valuable are plots from under clover and other perennial fodder plants). The sod is cut in layers 6-12 cm thick, 20-25 cm wide and 25-35 cm long. Sods are stacked in a semi-shady place.

Sods are laid in rows so that the upper surfaces covered with grass (lower and upper rows) are adjacent to each other. If possible, to speed up the decomposition process and improve nutritional qualities, when laying the sods, they are layered with cow or horse manure in a layer of 10-15 cm every 50 cm of folded sods. In case of excessive acidity of the soil at the place where sods are harvested, when laying sods, they are poured with lime, at the rate of 50 g per 1 m² of sods folded in two rows.

Stack sizes vary within the following limits: height 1-1.2 m, width 1.5-2.5 and length 2-20 m. With higher stacking, aeration deteriorates and decomposition slows down. The stack is shoveled at least 1 time per summer. In dry weather, watering is carried out. Sod land is ready for use in 1-2 years.

Sometimes sod land is used in undecomposed form. In this case, the turf is carefully crushed. A small amount of sod land can be obtained by shaking out pieces of meadow sod.

For some plants, in particular for cyclamen, more fibrous soddy ground is required. In this case, the turf is cut and crushed into small pieces and, in this crushed form, is used for planting.

In floriculture, specially prepared garden soils are used. They are obtained by the decomposition of sod, leaves, manure, heather, peat and other organic substances containing humus. The original substrate affects the physical and chemical properties of garden soils. Flower growers harvest the following types of garden land: soddy, leafy, humus, peat, compost, etc.

sod land

Turf land is rich in essential nutrients that last for many years. Sod land is obtained from meadows and pastures, fallow lands, with grass-clover herbage. Soddy soil is distinguished as heavy (with a large amount of clay), medium (with equal proportions of clay and sand), and light (with a predominance of sand).

Sod land is harvested in the summer (at the time of maximum development of the herbage), in such a way that the sod has time to partially decompose by winter.

Sod with the help of discs or a shovel is cut into layers 20-30 cm wide, 8-10 cm thick, depending on the thickness of the turf layer. It is stacked in stacks 1.2 m wide, 1.5 m high and of any length. When forming stacks, the grass cover of the first and second layers of sod is turned towards each other. To accelerate the decomposition of the sod and enrich it with nitrogen, the layers are moistened with a solution of mullein or slurry (at the rate of 0.2-0.5 m 3 per 1 m 3 of sod). To reduce acidity, lime is added - 2-3 kg / m 3. From above, the stack is periodically moistened with slurry. The following summer, it is shoveled two or three times.

Only after two seasons do they get good quality sod land. In the second year (autumn), the earth is passed through a screen and removed into a closed room. Sod land left in the open loses nutritional value, porosity, elasticity and other qualities.

leaf ground

Leafy soil is light and loose, but contains fewer nutrients than soddy soil. For heavy soddy lands, it serves as a good cultivator. Leafy soil mixed with peat and sand is used as a substitute for heather soil.

Leaf ground is harvested in autumn during the period of mass leaf fall in parks, gardens, squares, forests. For this purpose, the leaves of linden, maple, fruit trees, etc. are most suitable.

Often, leafy soil is obtained from forest litter, removing the top layer by 2-5 cm. Collected dry leaves or forest litter with grass residues are formed into piles 1.2 m wide, 1.5 m high and of arbitrary length. When laying, the leaves are moistened with slurry or mullein solution and compacted. During the next summer, the leaf mass is moistened two or three times with slurry, lime is added and shoveled. Composted leaves rot and turn into leafy soil only by the autumn of the second year. Before use, the leaf earth is passed through a screen to separate undecomposed residues. Coniferous soil is prepared in the same way.

humus earth

Humus soil is a loose, oily, soft, homogeneous mass, rich in nutrients. It contains a large amount of nitrogen in a form easily digestible for plants. Such land is used for most potted crops and seedlings, as well as organic fertilizer in the open field.

Humus soil is formed from rotted manure mixed with old greenhouse soil. Manure planted in greenhouses as biofuel turns into humus by autumn. When cleaning greenhouses, humus is stacked in piles (as for soddy and leafy soil), moistened and shoveled once or twice during the next summer. The humus soil is kept outdoors for a year, then it is passed through a screen and stored indoors.

peat land

Peat land is a very moisture-intensive, soft and loose mass, consisting of slowly decomposing residues. But in its pure form, peat land is not very nutritious. It is used for various soil mixtures as a ripper to improve the physical properties of soddy land. Peat soil is also used in a mixture with light sandy soil, which improves their moisture capacity, as well as for soil mulching.

This land is harvested in low-lying peat bogs. For its preparation, peat chips and briquettes are also used. Decomposed peat is formed into piles up to 0.8 m high. When laying, layers of peat are moistened with slurry every 20 cm and sprinkled with lime - 10-15 kg / m 3. If riding peat is used, then the dose of lime is increased.

At the end of the first year of harvesting and in the middle of the second year, the mixture is shoveled and used in the third year (at this time, the acidity of peat decreases and its biological activity increases). When harvesting sod from peat meadows, sod-peat soil is prepared, which is used for peat pots, soil mulching and planting some plants.

Compost land

The quality of compost land depends on the type of waste and the nature of the composted material. According to the content of nutrients, compost soil occupies an intermediate position between soddy soil and humus soil.

This land is prepared by composting into piles, heaps, pits of various plant and animal residues, garbage, weeds, greenhouse and household waste. As it accumulates, the remains are sprinkled with lime, moistened with slurry and covered with peat or peat chips on top. In the second and third years, the compost mass is shoveled two or three times. Compost soil is usually ready only by the end of the third year. Before use, it is passed through a medium screen.

heather land

Heather land has practically lost its importance. It is successfully replaced with a mixture consisting of leafy earth - two parts, peat - three to four and sand - one part. The technology of preparation is the same as that of leafy soil.

Garden and garden land

Garden and garden soils are a nutrient layer of earth enriched with humus, which is harvested and stacked in autumn, adding lime, peat and potassium. In summer, the stack is shoveled twice. These lands, mixed with a small amount of sand, are successfully used for flower crops.

tree land

Woody soil is prepared from roots, stumps, branches, chips and other wood waste. As a result of the decomposition of wood residues, a light earth is formed, close in composition to the leaf, but poor in nutrients. It is used in the cultivation of orchids, ferns and bromeliads.

Composted bark

Composted bark is prepared as follows. The bark is crushed and composted into piles up to 3 m high with the addition of slag (from the sump of pulp mills) and other organic materials, which ensures the decomposition of the bark by microorganisms. Microbiological and biochemical processes during composting proceed more actively in the substrate with a particle size of 1-7 mm and the addition of urea (4.3 kg/m3) during the first few weeks. With constant shoveling, the duration of composting in summer is 4-4.5 weeks, in winter - 16-18 weeks.

The temperature in the stacks rises to 65-70 °C. The compost contains (g / m 3): potassium -300; phosphorus - 60; magnesium - 30; iron - 30; manganese - 20, as well as copper and other trace elements.

Moss

Moss is harvested in moss swamps. After drying, grinding and sieving, it is used in earthen mixtures to make it light, loose, and hygroscopic. In its pure form, moss is used in the forcing of lilies of the valley, to cover the earthy coma of orchids and other plants. Used for stratification and germination of large seeds.

Charcoal

Charcoal in the form of small pieces is added to earth mixtures for plants that do not respond well to waterlogging. Charcoal has the ability to adsorb excess water, but with a lack of the latter gives it away. In powder form, charcoal is used as an antiseptic for powdering cuts on dahlia tubers, gladiolus corms, cannes rhizomes, etc. In addition, it adsorbs herbicides and other chemicals from the soil.

Sand

The most commonly used coarse-grained river sand. It is added to earth mixtures without pre-treatment (1/5-1/10 of the total volume) to make it loose. When cutting, the sand is thoroughly washed with clean water from silty and clay particles. For hard-to-root plants, quartz sand is used.

Storing and mixing earth

For floriculture and horticultural purposes, a two-three-year supply of garden land is created. They are stored in closed, frost-free places. For each type of land, special bunk beds are made or separate rooms are allocated.

For florists and gardeners, all the indicated lands are needed. They are protected from pests and diseases. When compiling earth mixtures, the biological characteristics of plants, their age, culture conditions, as well as the reaction of the soil solution (pH) at which this plant can grow are taken into account.

Gardeners, especially beginners, are interested in how to use forest soil more efficiently: what to do with the top layer of forest soil brought to the site - mix it with garden soil or use it in its pure form.

Fertile forest soil can be a good addition to garden soil (about 1/3), but it is not practical to use it in its pure form.

In some cases, it is included in seedling mixtures. Be sure to figure out from which forest, from which places it is supposed to be taken.

Deciduous land includes leaf litter and the top layer (about 10 cm) of soil. The best earth has a dark color, contains a lot of organic matter, has a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. They take such land in mixed or broad-leaved forests, where linden, maple, aspen, and birch grow. You can also take clean litter without soil, add it to the compost, mulch it around the trunk circles of trees and shrubs.

Earth and litter from coniferous forests are suitable for mulching or adding to the soil for crops that prefer an acidic environment (rhododendrons, heathers, hydrangeas, blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries). It is believed that pine litter is more acidic, while spruce has a moderate acidity. The soil under spruces is quite fertile, so that it can be added to ordinary trees and shrubs. The litter of coniferous plants well suppresses the growth of weeds and increases the friability of the soil.

At the edge of the forest, you can take sod - the upper part of the soil, densely intertwined with grass roots. After rotting in the compost heap, it is used both for making mixtures for growing seedlings, and as a substrate for various perennial crops.

You should not dig the ground from a depth of more than 15-20 cm, in the middle lane the soil is not very fertile, there will be no benefit for the garden. At great depths, you will find only dense rock, often clay, that does not contain nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. If there is a need to improve the soil structure, add peat, sand (on clay soils) or clay and compost (on sandy soils).

It is very important to take good care of the forest. Do not remove large pieces of turf, they will be restored for more than one year. Do not expose tree roots. Do not make pit traps in the forest - it is dangerous for people.

Land from under the oak. Soil for seedlings is collected under oaks

Cherkasy 63-year-old Valentina MOROZ has been preparing the ground for seedlings and flowerpots since autumn. While picking mushrooms, he collects forest land from under oaks in bags. Until February, when he plants seedlings of tomatoes and peppers, he stores the soil in the cellar.

-There is no better soil for seedlings than forest soil, - says. - It is best if you can find a molehill in the forest, near the oaks. There are no worms, insects, because moles eat them. In a coniferous forest, the land is not so nutritious. I store in the cellar in several two-bucket bags. Also in the autumn I transplant flowerpots into the forest land. I add a handful of humus to the pot. Before transplanting or sowing seeds, I pour the soil into a bowl with a 3–5 cm layer. I pour heavily with boiling water.

Agronomist 61-year-old Volodymyr Tarasenko from Cherkasy is gaining forest land in the lowlands.

-During the rains, most of the humus is carried there, - he says. - I remove the top layer with a shovel, 15 centimeters thick. But it doesn't need to be over-moisturized. To remove insects and worms, in winter I take out a bag of earth to frost. Below minus 10 degrees, pests will die, but beneficial organisms will remain.

He says that pouring boiling water over the soil or roasting it harms.

-Beneficial nodule, azotobacteria die from temperature. They provide nutrients to plants. Before planting flowerpots or seedlings on a bucket of earth, I add a kilo of humus.

Since autumn, Vladimir Tarasenko advises to prepare humus as well. He says that in winter in the pits in the open air, it becomes waterlogged. Because of this, it will not be possible to mix it well with the soil. Therefore, one part of the seedlings will receive an excess of nutrition, the other will receive less.

Worms injure the roots

36-year-old Nikolai Dryzhenko from the village of Radovanovka in the Cherkasy region drives worms out of a transplanted flowerpot with water.

-If a worm gets into the pot, it will harm the root. He does not eat living roots, but feeds on overripe remnants. But he makes a lot of moves. Exposes the roots, injures them. Worms are indicated by breasts on the surface of the soil.

The owner puts the flowerpot in a bowl. Fill the pot with water so that the soil picks it up to the top.

-In a day or two, the pest will surely crawl out to the surface, because it will not have anything to breathe, - Nikolai Dryzhenko laughs.

Video HOW TO PREPARE SODF LAND FOR SEEDLINGS? Olga

Sod it. Turf

m. () f. cf. cf. sodden earth; the top layer of soil, densely overgrown with cereals, spike, meadow grass; meadow, oven rye, grass, ant, mur; fine-grass layer; n plow or virgin land. the name of the removed layer is also called, to transfer the ant, and each plate of it, in places, is spoken. erroneously vm. turn, and vm. blackthorn. grave. cf. , a place where the sod is removed, cut off in layers, or torn off, raised with a plow, under arable land. well. mezhnik, covers, turf gap between arable land, stripes. From verb. fight, goof, cry, quarrel. Turf O vy, made of turf. Sod edging of roads. Dernov O th, pertaining to turf. Sod iron ore. Turf and dense, strongly turfed, densely sprouted with roots of steppe, meadow grass. Soddy land, the same, to a lesser extent. || The turfy (turfy) peasant is old. assigned to, attached to the earth, serf, from the old. shit real estate in eternal inviolable possession, property, sobina. Thou hast been sold to him in turf, completely, irrevocably, in eternal possession; still remains adv. v O deren, completely, completely, forever. Turf at cabinet a dugout, a shack covered with turf or earth. Turf and be at bare heap, overlay, cover it with turf. Twitch, be twitch. Turf e nie cf. action is, work, according to vb. Turf e Th, turn into turf, densely grow (overgrow) with ants. Abandoned on bail, arable land pulls for ten years. Turf e nee cf. the state of twitching, overgrown with ants. Dernov a t slopes, pull, dress with turf. Dernov a nah, turf O vka turd, action. by vb. Turf or turf a dchik, a worker dressing slopes, edges of paths, etc. with cut turf or ant. Dernor e z m projectile for cutting and lifting turf. || Sod cutting worker.

Flower growers are often faced with the fact that turf land or a mixture of it with various fillers is recommended for planting. Experienced summer residents usually have a good idea of ​​​​what it is, but for a beginner, such a concept may turn out to be new. Today we will analyze in detail what turf land means, where to get it, and what effect it has on the growth and development of plants. If this is your first time transplanting a plant, then sometimes it seems that it is easier to buy a ready-made substrate in the store. In fact, the soil mixture prepared at home is no different from the one that you will be offered in a beautiful, factory-made package.

The basis of floriculture

Mixtures for planting houseplants can vary greatly in composition. The main difference is which ingredient predominates in it. Knowing their properties well, you get the opportunity to take into account the individual characteristics of each potted plant and select the soil in which they will develop favorably.

Turf land is considered the main one in floriculture. It is used in the manufacture of most soil mixtures. Plants adapt very well to it, developing intensively.

Substrate differences

Sod land is a term that refers to various garden soils. At first glance, it is enough to simply remove the top layer of soil, which contains plant humus. However, garden soil can be obtained from the decomposition of sod or other organic matter. The original substrate will influence the physical and chemical properties of the resulting soil mixture. Therefore, today we will consider several options, as well as the possibilities of their optimal combination with each other.

sod land

It is very rich in nutrients. Moreover, the potted plant will be provided for several years ahead, without requiring additional fertilizing. It is obtained mainly from meadows and pastures, as well as fallow lands. The main selection criterion is the presence of grass-clover herbage in the places of the final collection of the substrate. However, it cannot be said that it will be the same in any case. Distinguish:

• heavy sod substrate, which is characterized by a large amount of clay;
• average;
• light, which has the most sand.

seasonal factor

And we continue to deal with the concept of sod land. What it is, where to get such a soil mixture, now we will tell you in detail. Harvesting is carried out in the summer. To do this, you need to choose the period of maximum herbage. At the same time, the calculation is made in such a way that the sod will have time to partially decompose before the winter cold. But it will take much more time to get the finished substrate. Initially, the turf is cut into layers, 20 cm wide and 8 cm thick. Now it is necessary to fold it in stacks, up to 1.5 meters high. To accelerate decomposition, the layers are moistened with a solution of slurry. Another task is to reduce acidity. For this, lime is added. The next summer, you need to properly shovel the stack 2-3 times. Only after two seasons will it be ready for use. In the second year, in the fall, it is recommended to pass it through a screen and clean it indoors.

Gathering place

You already know what turf land is, but collected in different places, it will be very different. It is necessary to cut it on the clover, where the herbs grow especially violently and do not have a nutritional deficiency. It is easy to appreciate in appearance. All herbage should be bright green, without yellowing and spots, speckles and dry tips. If, on the meadows accessible to you, the grasses are stunted, they begin to turn yellow and dry early, then taking land here does not make any sense. It is poor in nutrients.

The location of the meadow also plays an important role. Since you can cook soddy land only directly in the meadow, choose the highest places. In swampy lowlands, the soil will be too acidic. Medium loams will be optimal in composition. Sandy loam turf is characterized by high water and air permeability, but at the same time it is poor in nutrients, for which it is used in gardening.

leaf humus

As you can see, the preparation of sod land is not difficult, you only need access to open meadows. If there is nothing like this near you, then you can try similar mixtures, which are also perfectly perceived by house plants. Now we will discuss in detail what kind of substrate is used to replace soddy soil. First of all, it is leaf land. It is characterized by friability and lightness. On the other hand, this drawback is easily corrected by mixing different mixtures and obtaining the optimal composition. Particularly good results are given by leaf humus mixed with heavy, soddy soil. Often flower growers use leafy soil mixed with peat and sand. It turns out an analogue of the heather mixture, light and nutritious.

blank

Even in urban conditions, you can easily find a place to harvest leafy land. If you can go out of town, into the forest, then here you can find its natural deposits. Year after year, the leaves fall and rot under the trees, forming a nutrient layer. In city parks, you can collect during the period of mass leaf fall in parks and gardens. The most suitable are the leaves of linden and maple, fruit trees. But willow and oak are completely unsuitable for these purposes.

Collected leaves or forest floor are formed into piles and moistened with slurry. It remains to compact the stack well and leave until next summer. Over the next warm season, it will be necessary to shovel the leaf mass well several times, moisten it with slurry and add lime. That is, you will get high-quality leafy land only by the end of the second summer.

Compost land

Summer residents use this term quite often, so we will also mention it. Compost is an analogue of turf and leaf soil. Their essence is the same - it is the rotted remains of plant organic matter. The quality of compost land depends on the type of waste, that is, the material used. This is an intermediate link between turf and humus soil.

It will require a compost pit to make it, although some gardeners use heaps or stacks. During the summer, they collect all plant and animal remains, weeds and garbage, food waste. As it accumulates, the remains are sprinkled with lime and moistened with slurry, and covered with peat on top. In the second and third years, the mass needs to be shoveled. By the end of the third year, the land is completely ready for use. Now you already know what turf and leafy soil is, how to make compost, and you can choose the basis of the substrate for your houseplants.

Preparing a mixture for plants

So, it's about to land. Usually, gardeners begin to do this by spring. The soil prepared since autumn is warmed, disinfected and an ideal substrate is prepared from it. The main characteristics are:

• Moisture capacity. The soil should easily absorb water. Do not pass through yourself, as is the case with sand, but do not delay, as clay does.
• Water and breathability. This is understandable, the substrate must be loose to ensure air access to the roots.
• Nutrition.
• Suitable pH level (most often the absence of acidification).
• Purity, that is, the absence of toxic substances.

Optimal proportions

Most often, 1: 1 soddy land is mixed with a component such as leaf humus. This is easy to explain, since it acts as a baking powder. Some flower growers recommend adding earth from molehills in similar proportions. It is loose and nutritious, and also does not contain pest larvae. Humus is another important component. It is a black, homogeneous mass, which is obtained from well-decomposed manure. It is highly nutritious, but often contains seeds of weeds and pathogens, so it is extremely important to season the mixture before use.

Baking powder

In order to ensure optimal air permeability of the soil, it is necessary to observe the proportions of soddy soil and sand. It is important that only Fine is used will only make the substrate denser. Before adding to the soil, the sand is well washed. This is necessary in order to wash out all the dust and leave the necessary small pebbles. In this form, it is added to almost all mixtures for indoor plants, providing better breathability.

When planning a houseplant transplant, we often wonder if which mixture is better to use: purchased or prepared by yourself.

The first option is quick and convenient, but experienced flower growers themselves make soil mixtures, taking into account the needs of plants.

The composition of most of these mixtures includes forest soil - the so-called leafy earth: light and loose, obtained by rotting the fallen leaves of trees.

It is not as nutritious as humus or sod, but is well received by plants, especially those with thin roots. With good structure, air and moisture permeability, it is often used to loosen denser substrates.

The slightly acid reaction of the leafy ground is also suitable for most plants, but the acidity can be reduced by adding deoxidizers.

NOT ALL TREES WILL SUIT

Leaf land is usually harvested in autumn in deciduous forests and massifs. To do this, lightly rake dry leaves and collect the top loose layer of soil.

The best are rotted leaves of birch, linden, hazel, ash, fruit trees, maple. But it is not recommended to collect humus under oak, chestnut, poplar and willow because of the presence of a large amount of tannins in it. You should also not take the ground under diseased trees or in young plantings - there the layer of humus is too thin.

WE PREPARE LEAF EARTH WITH OWN HANDS

Leafy soil is easy to prepare in the garden.

To do this, the leaves collected in autumn are piled in heaps, kept moist and periodically shoveled.

To eliminate excessive acidity, ash is added. After two years, loose, ready-to-use leafy soil is formed, which can be used both in the garden and in indoor floriculture.

coniferous land

Another type of forest soil used in the preparation of mixtures is coniferous soil, or humus from fallen needles of spruce, fir, larch, and pine.

This is a loose, acidic, low-nutrient soil, similar in structure to leafy soil, but even more breathable. It is collected in a coniferous forest under a bed of needles.