High peat

High "red" sphagnum peat, unlike soil mixtures, is characterized by high porosity (about 95%) and excellent moisture capacity (60 - 70%). It is not microbiologically degradable for a relatively long time, which means it can be used for a long time. Thanks to its long-fiber structure, high-moor peat is able to retain mineral fertilizers added to it, while they are not washed out for a long time and are stored in a form accessible to plants.

The long-fiber substrate based on high-moor peat is light in weight. It also has good thermal insulation properties, does not cake and does not shrink when growing plants.

The root system of crops planted in such a substrate easily entwines the entire peat lump.

High peat in its natural form has an acidic reaction (pH 2.8 - 3.6) and can be used to acidify the main soil. It is especially convenient to use it for plants that prefer to grow in an acidic substrate: rhododendrons, hydrangeas, heathers, some types of violets, strawberries, potatoes, sorrel. For these crops, aerated peat is applied at a rate of 1:1 (for clay or sandy soil).

For rhododendrons, hydrangeas and azaleas, you can also add one part of pine litter.

Based on high-moor peat, you can prepare a substrate and grow seedlings of vegetable and flower crops on it, or use it as the main soil in a greenhouse. To do this, add lime or dolomite flour on average 9-10 kg/m3 and mineral fertilizers (for complex mineral fertilizer, dose 1-2 kg/m3) to well-ventilated and mixed peat. Then measure the pH (acidity). The optimal soil acidity for most vegetable plants and flowers ranges from 5.5 to 6.5.

The prepared substrate must be kept for 1.5 - 2 weeks, stirring occasionally. Then water it and plant the plants. During the growing season, cucumbers are watered with slurry diluted with water (1:10), and the remaining plants are fed with compost and mineral fertilizers.

The advantage of this method of growing in a greenhouse is that the soil spent during the season can be replaced without special costs.

And as you know, changing the soil helps get rid of root infections that accumulate over the season.

Lowland peat

Lowland peat is mostly black. It is characterized by a high degree of decomposition, a high concentration of minerals, especially calcium, and can be neutral or slightly acidic (pH 4.2 - 4.7). Lowland peat is rich in humic acids, but absorbs a large amount of water and does not release it well (humidity more than 70%). It is prone to caking, clumping and silting.

For ventilation, lowland peat is kept in the open air for several days. It is poured into heaps, which allows compounds harmful to plants to erode.

It is better to use lowland peat in a mixture with compost and mineral fertilizers as a source of replenishment of organic matter in mineral soil, as well as to lighten and aerate clay soils and bind and retain moisture in sandy soils.

ON A NOTE

Peat is most often extracted directly from the surface of the earth. This method is called milling. Less commonly, peat is extracted from quarries.

Low-lying or high-moor peat is distributed evenly over the surface of the earth and dug up along with the soil to a depth of 10 cm. The application rate is 20 - 30 l/m2. For new plots of land it is necessary to apply 50-60 l/m2.

When peat is added, the soil becomes optimal for plants - finely lumpy and granular (soil particles are stuck together into lumps with a diameter of several millimeters). Land with such a structure contains a lot of air necessary for the root system to breathe; it absorbs and retains water well, which creates conditions for plants to more fully and productively use atmospheric and soil moisture.

Lowland peat is perfect for mulching lawns in the spring. First, the grass is combed out and nitrogen fertilizers are applied, and then peat is spread over it in a thin layer (3 - 5 mm is enough).

Peat mulching is also useful for sandy and clay soil and for retaining moisture at the roots when watering. It is usually carried out in the spring. We pull out all the weeds, water them, and apply fertilizer if necessary. Peat is distributed in a layer of 2 - 5 cm, without pouring it close to the stems. For large plants and when using a large fraction of peat, the thickness of the mulch can be increased. In autumn, peat is incorporated into the top layer of soil.

Peat compost

Peat perfectly removes odors from compost heaps consisting of household waste. To do this, it is laid in a layer of 25 - 30 cm, household waste, slurry, etc. are poured on top, which are periodically covered with peat on top.

The width of the stack should be twice its height. For one weight part of peat, take 2-3 parts of waste (slurry) in summer, and half as much in winter. The mixture is stirred periodically. The ripening period of compost depends on the time of laying - in spring and summer 2-4 months, in autumn and winter 6-12 months. In dry, hot weather, the composted material should be moistened.

If you raise poultry, rabbits and larger animals, then you will not find a better disinfecting bedding than peat.

Vegetables, fruits and flower bulbs are also perfectly stored in dry peat.

And if you are the owner of a peat-covered swampy area, don’t worry! Grow what others cannot: hydrangeas, rhododendrons, heathers, azaleas, varietal cranberries, blueberries, lingonberries with huge fruits and a storehouse of essential amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins.

Well, was it worth it to be afraid of this truly wonderful raw material? If you are too lazy to bother with preparing peat for use or it is not available in your region, it can be purchased in stores and from enterprises specializing in the production of peat substrates. From all of the above, choose what suits you!

ON A NOTE

For garden toilets, the best choice is high fluffy peat, which can absorb 400% of liquid waste and at the same time absorb odors.

Any peat - highland, lowland or transitional - can be used to cover plants for the winter. Fertilized and neutralized peat can be used to cover the rhizomes of raspberries, roses, grapes, and add strawberry bushes.

It is ideal to cover rhododendrons, azaleas, and hydrangeas with high peat in its pure form, and then wrap it with agrotextile on top to protect against sunburn.

Covering with peat is very convenient because in the spring you just need to lightly scatter the top layer of peat around the plants, freeing the trunks and branches. The same substrate will also serve as additional nutrition for plants in the spring.

Peat: both mulch and fertilizer

It is often recommended to mulch seedlings with peat. But peat is also a fertilizer?

Both lowland and highland peat are a mixture of semi-decomposed plant remains. Indeed, this is an organic fertilizer. But don’t expect peat to instantly increase soil fertility. Peat has almost no effect on the saturation of the soil with nutrients. However, it greatly improves the structure of the soil - it makes it loose, so water and air penetrate to the roots faster. It is useful to add peat to sandy soil, since, unlike sand, it perfectly retains moisture and nutrients.

Pay attention to the types of peat (see table).

Berry and vegetable crops can be grown on lowland peat. High-moor peat is only suitable for growing blueberries or cranberries, or it can be added to compost and covered plants with it for the winter. Peat can be added both in spring and autumn - for digging at the rate of 35-40 kg per 1 K8.M.

It is good to add peat to the tree trunks of trees and shrubs to a height of 5-6 cm. This mulch is especially useful after prolonged rains, when a dense crust forms on the soil surface. In this case, peat also acts as a leavening agent.

NOTE: High-moor peat must be neutralized before application: add 2-3 kg of lime or 3-4 kg of ash per 100 kg of peat.

Colors black thickening fabric pot plant pot container...

Peat soils, their improvement

There is a popular opinion that such soils seem unsuitable for growing vegetables and berry bushes, but after two to three years of their development, most garden crops can already be grown on them.

But the approach to the development of each type of peat bog must be individual- depending on what type of swamp was previously in this place.

Peaty soils are very diverse in their physical properties. They have a loose, permeable structure that does not require special improvement. But they all contain little phosphorus, magnesium and especially potassium; they lack many trace elements, primarily copper.

Depending on their origin and the thickness of the peat layer that forms them, peaty soils are divided into lowland, transitional and highland.

Low-lying peatlands, often located in wide hollows with a slight slope, are most suitable for growing garden and vegetable plants. These soils have good vegetation cover. The peat on such peatlands is well decomposed, so it is almost black or dark brown, lumpy. The acidity of the peat layer in such areas is weak or even close to neutral.

Lowland peatlands have a fairly high supply of nutrients compared to transitional and especially high-moor peatlands. They contain a lot of nitrogen and humus, since plant residues are well decomposed, the acidity of the soil is weaker, and they contain enough water that must be drained into ditches.

But, unfortunately, this nitrogen is found in low-lying peatlands in a form almost inaccessible to plants and can only become available to plants after aeration. Only 2-3% of the total nitrogen is in the form of nitrate and ammonia compounds available to plants.

The transition of nitrogen to a state available to plants can be accelerated by draining the peat soil and enhancing the activity of microorganisms that contribute to the decomposition of organic matter by adding a small amount of manure, ripe compost or humus to the soil.

High-moor peatlands are usually overly moistened, since they have a rather limited runoff of rain and melt water. They are highly fibrous because they do not provide conditions for greater decomposition of plant residues. This leads to severe acidification of the peat, which explains its very high acidity. Such peatlands are light brown in color.

The nutritional elements in high-moor peat, which are already scarce in any peat soil, are in a state inaccessible to plants. And soil microorganisms that help maintain soil fertility are often simply absent from them.

When planting gardens and vegetable gardens on such soils, their cultivation requires large expenses. In order for such soils to become suitable for growing garden plants, they must be supplemented with lime, river sand, clay, rotted manure, and mineral fertilizers.

Lime will reduce acidity, sand will improve the structure, clay will increase viscosity and add nutrients, and mineral fertilizers will enrich the soil with additional nutrients. As a result, the decomposition of peat plant residues will accelerate and conditions will be created for growing cultivated plants.

And in its pure form, high-moor peat can practically only be used as bedding for livestock, since it absorbs slurry well.

All types of peaty soils are characterized by low thermal conductivity, so they slowly thaw and warm up in the spring, and are much more often exposed to return frosts, which delays the start of spring work.

It is believed that the temperature of such soils on average during the growing season is 2-3 degrees lower compared to the temperature of mineral soils. On peat soils, frosts end later in the spring and begin earlier in the fall. There is only one way to create a more favorable temperature regime on such soils.- by draining excess water and creating loose structural soil.

Peat soils in their natural state are almost unsuitable for growing garden and vegetable plants. But due to the presence of a large amount of organic matter in them, they have significant “hidden” fertility potential, all four “keys” to which are in your hands.

These keys are lowering the groundwater level, liming the soil, adding mineral supplements and using organic fertilizers. Now let’s try to get to know these “keys” in a little more detail.

REDUCTION OF GROUNDWATER LEVEL

To remove excess moisture from the area and improve the air regime, peat soils very often have to be drained, especially in new areas. It is, of course, easier to do this throughout the entire garden area at once, but much more often you have to do this only on your own site, trying to create your own local simple drainage system.

The safest way to arrange the simplest drainage is to lay drainage pipes in grooves two spades wide and deep, pour sand on top of them, and then soil.

Much more often, instead of pipes, branches, cut stems of raspberries, sunflowers, etc. are placed in drainage ditches. They are covered first with crushed stone, then with sand, and then with earth. Some craftsmen use plastic bottles for this purpose. To do this, they cut off the bottom, screw off the plug, make holes in the side with a hot nail, insert them into each other and lay them in place of the drainage pipe.

And if you are very unlucky and you have an area where the groundwater level is very high and it is quite difficult to lower it, then there will be even more worries.

In order to prevent tree roots from coming into contact with these very groundwaters in the future, you will have to solve not one, but two “strategic” problems at once- reduce the groundwater level in the area as a whole and at the same time raise the soil level in the area where trees are planted by creating artificial mounds from imported soil. As the trees grow, the diameter of these mounds will need to be increased annually.

SOIL DEACIDIFICATION

Peat soils come in different acidities- from slightly acidic and even close to neutral (in peat bog lowland soils) to strongly acidic (in peat bog high soils).

Deoxidation of acidic soil means adding lime or other alkaline materials to it to reduce its acidity. In this case, the most common chemical neutralization reaction occurs. Lime is most often used for these purposes.

But, in addition to this, liming of peat soils also enhances the activity of various microorganisms that assimilate nitrogen or decompose plant residues contained in peat. In this case, brown fibrous peat turns into an almost black earthy mass.

At the same time, hard-to-reach forms of nutrients contained in peat are converted into compounds that are easily digestible by plants. And phosphorus and potassium fertilizers applied to the soil are fixed in the upper layers of the soil, are not washed out of it by groundwater, remaining available to plants for a long time.

Knowing the acidity of the soil on your site, add alkaline materials in the fall. The dose of their application depends on the level of soil acidity and for acidic peat soils averages approximately 60 kg of ground limestone per 100 sq. m. meters of area, for medium acidic peat soils- on average about 30 kg, on slightly acidic- about 10 kg. On peat soils with acidity close to neutral, limestone may not be added at all.

But all these average doses of lime fluctuate greatly depending on the level of acidity, especially on acidic peatlands. Therefore, before adding lime, its specific amount must be clarified again depending on the exact acidity of the peat bog.

A wide variety of alkaline materials are used for liming peat soils: ground limestone, slaked lime, dolomite flour, chalk, marl, cement dust, wood and peat ash, etc.

APPLICATION OF MINERAL ADDITIVES

An important element in improving the physical properties of peaty soils is their enrichment with minerals- sand and clay,- which increase the thermal conductivity of the soil, accelerate its thawing and enhance warming. Moreover, if they are acidic, you will have to add an additional dose of lime to neutralize their acidity.

In this case, clay must be added only in dry powder form so that it mixes better with peat soil. Adding clay to peat soil in the form of large lumps gives little result.

The lower the degree of peat decomposition, the greater the need for mineral supplements. On heavily decomposed peat bogs, you need to add 2-3 buckets of sand and 1.5 buckets of dry powdery clay per 1 square meter. meter, and on weakly decomposed peatlands these doses should be increased by a quarter.

It is clear that such an amount of sand cannot be added in one or two years. Therefore, sanding is carried out gradually, from year to year (in autumn or spring), until the physical properties of the soil improve. You will notice this yourself by the plants you grow. The sand scattered on the surface is dug up with a shovel to a depth of 12-18 cm.

APPLICATION OF ORGANIC AND MINERAL FERTILIZERS

Manure, peat manure or peat-fecal composts, bird droppings, humus and other biologically active organic fertilizers are applied in quantities of up to 0.5-1 bucket per 1 square meter. meter for shallow digging to quickly activate microbiological processes in peat soil, promoting the decomposition of the organic matter in it.

To create conditions favorable for plant growth, it is necessary to add mineral fertilizers to peat soils: for basic tillage - 1 tbsp. spoon of double granulated superphosphate and 2.5 tbsp. spoons of potash fertilizers per 1 sq. meter of area, and in the spring additionally- 1 teaspoon of urea.

Most peat soils have a low copper content, and it is in a form that is difficult for plants to reach. Therefore, adding fertilizers containing copper to peat soil, especially on acidic peat soils, has a significant effect. Most often, copper sulfate is used for this purpose at a rate of 2-2.5 g/m2, first dissolving it in water and watering the soil from a watering can.

The application of boron microfertilizers gives good results. Most often, for foliar feeding of seedlings or adult plants, take 2-3 g of boric acid per 10 liters of water (1 liter of this solution is sprayed on plants over an area of ​​10 sq. m).

Then the peat soil, along with mineral soil, manure, organic and mineral fertilizers and lime poured on top, must be carefully dug to a depth of no more than 12-15 cm, and then lightly compacted. It is best to do this in late summer or early autumn, when the soil has dried out significantly.

If it is not possible to cultivate your entire plot at once, then develop it in parts, but by adding to them all the above-mentioned amounts of mineral additives and organic fertilizers at once, or by first filling the planting holes with loose, fertile soil, and in subsequent years carrying out work on cultivating the soil in between the rows. But this is already the worst option, because it is better to do it all at once.

On already developed peat soils, there is a gradual decrease in the thickness of the peat layer by about 2 cm per year due to its compaction and mineralization of organic matter. This happens especially quickly in areas where the same vegetables have been grown for a long time without observing crop rotation, requiring frequent loosening of the soil.

To prevent this from happening, cultivated peat soil in gardens, and especially in vegetable plots, requires annual additional application of organic fertilizers.

If this is not done, then every year on your site there will be a gradual irreversible destruction of peat (its mineralization), and after 15-20 years the soil level on your site may be 20-25 cm lower than it was before the development of the site began, and the soil will become swampy.

In this case, the soil on your site will no longer be fertile peat, but low-fertile soddy-podzolic, and its physical properties will greatly change for the worse.

To prevent this from happening, in addition to everything else that was mentioned above, a well-thought-out crop rotation system rich in perennial herbs must be constantly operating on your site.

In the future, you will have to annually import and apply either a sufficient amount of organic fertilizer (10-15 buckets per 100 sq. meters) or other soil.

And if there is no manure or compost, then green fertilizer can help out. Sow and bury lupine, peas, beans, vetch, sweet clover, and clover.

V. G. Shafransky

It has long been known that peat is the most important organic fertilizer for all types of plants. Without adding peat, it is almost impossible to grow a good and rich harvest, since garden soil is depleted every year.

What is the best peat for seedlings?

Peat can not only be beneficial, but also harm your favorite plants. The fact is that it has a certain acidity (it is different for each type), and each fruit or flower needs these nutrients to varying degrees.

For agricultural and garden use, the Russian manufacturer now offers a fairly wide range of peat-based fertilizers, but for seedlings it is better to use species with a neutral pH. These include the following.

Peat for seedlings Can be combined with any soil. Add it in accordance with the application table (it is usually on the packaging of the container in which you purchased the peat). Many people do not recommend using soil from their own plot, as it may have been contaminated since last year with insect larvae, late blight, and so on. To do this, scald the soil with boiling water (or a weak solution of potassium permanganate), and adding peat will completely saturate it with the necessary elements.

When transplanting seedlings into the ground, a plant grown in already familiar soil will be more resistant to diseases and will take root faster and more painlessly. At the same time, if you buy ready-made soil for seedlings (vermicompost), there is no need to additionally feed it with peat, since it is usually already saturated with it.

Lowland peat is characterized by low oxidation and a very high organic content. Such peat for seedlings is indispensable in regions where clay soils with a high acid content predominate. At the same time, lowland peat will not be destructive for temperate soils, since its pH neutrality practically does not harm plants and promotes growth well.

What you need to know when using peat for seedlings

When planting seedlings, peat is necessary, but it must be used wisely. Here are the basic rules for its use:

• If you are planting seedlings in a ready-made soil, study its composition. It is quite possible that it already contains the necessary peat content. In this case, there is no need to add it.
• When purchasing pure peat, pay attention to the quality of the peat (extra inclusions, sticks or stones). If there is one, it may be better to find another manufacturer.
• If you are planting seedlings in the ground from your own plot, you can use lowland peat, which will later serve as fertilizer for your site.

Many summer residents prefer to plant seeds for seedlings themselves. This is an exciting process that allows you to control the emergence and development of seedlings. The resulting sprouts should be strong, with a developed root system.

General soil requirements

High-quality nutritious soil is the main and essential condition for obtaining healthy and strong seedlings. Young plants are especially demanding of growth-stimulating nutrients and mineral components.

The soil mixture must contain organic and mineral components in the required proportions and comply with general rules.

• Loose porous structure providing access of moisture and air to the roots of the plant
• Neutral acidity indicator (pH in the range of 6.5–6.7)
• High content of organic and mineral substances
• Nutrients must be in an easily digestible form available to plants
• Contain no toxins, weed seeds, eggs or larvae of pests, spores or other pathogens

There are many different substrates for seedlings on the market. You can use ready-made soil directly from the package without adding anything to the mixture. Typically, the purchased substrate uses high-moor or low-lying peat, river sand, humic acids and a complex of fertilizers.

Homemade soil mix

It is not difficult to prepare the basis for seedlings yourself. Add 25 grams to 5 kg of finished homemade soil. double superphosphate, 10 g. ammonium nitrate, 20 gr. potassium sulfate and 2 tbsp. spoons of ash. There are several universal recipes for mixtures for vegetable seedlings.

• Lowland peat, sawdust, garden soil (5:3:2)
• Lowland peat, sawdust, river sand (5:2:3)
• Humus, garden soil in equal parts

The ingredients for good homemade soil can be taken from your own garden or purchased. Peat gives lightness and airiness to the finished substrate. When using acidic high peat, you need to add 3 tbsp. spoons of lime per 10 liters of bagged peat. Lowland peat does not require liming.

The soil for the base can be taken from a bean, bean or pea bed. The soil after potatoes or cucumbers is unsuitable for seedlings. Humus is rich in plant nutrients. You can make it yourself using manure or two-year-old compost.

It is better to use coarse-grained light river sand.

Leaf soil is recommended for seedlings of root crops that do not respond well to the use of manure. Leaves of maple, linden, and birch are placed in a specially prepared place. To speed up the process of decay, the leaf mass is watered with special preparations. Leaves and shoots of willow and oak are not suitable for creating leaf soil.

Peat tablets

More recently, new individual containers have appeared that can be used for growing seedlings. To make tablets, lowland or acidic peat is used, mixed with nutrients necessary for the normal development of seedlings. Treatment of the material with growth catalysts and fungicidal agents prevents the development of diseases and contributes to the production of healthy seedlings.

The top of the compressed tablets is covered with non-woven material, which allows the peat soil to keep its shape. There are containers of various sizes and diameters on the market. You can choose a peat tablet for small or large seeds for rooting cuttings.

Before use, the peat molds are filled with warm water, the height will increase 6-7 times, the diameter will remain unchanged. Seeds or cuttings are planted in a special recess (you can use it to determine where the top of the container is).

Before planting in peat tablets, the usual pre-sowing preparation of seeds can be replaced by soaking in warm water for 24 hours.

Small seeds can be planted using a toothpick, large ones can be spread out with your hands.

The finished seedlings are placed in a transparent container, not too close to each other. During the development of seedlings, the plant roots receive enough moisture and oxygen; the roots can grow through the peat. When transferred to open ground, the seedlings are not planted, but are planted together with the tablet. This procedure is especially convenient for vegetables and flowers with a fragile root system or small seedlings (cucumbers, Saintpaulia, petunia, etc.).

Peat pots

Individual conical-shaped containers made of pressed peat. A very convenient and environmentally friendly way to grow seedlings at home. Lightweight, have a long shelf life. Such containers do not contain harmful microorganisms or pathogens and are a safe way to obtain seedlings of vegetable and flower crops.

It is better to use peat cups from a trusted manufacturer. First, a mixture of peat, sawdust, cellulose and water is prepared in special equipment. Next, the products are molded to the required size and dried. At each stage of production, quality control and compliance with recipe requirements are carried out. Peat pots have many advantages for seedlings.

• Special drainage holes prevent moisture stagnation and mold development
• The containers do not get wet from moisture and keep their shape until transplanted to a permanent place in the garden
• Promote the development of the plant's root system
• When planting seedlings in the ground, the plant is protected from external influences, the root system is not damaged
• In open ground, peat containers completely decompose without interfering with plant growth

The choice of peat cups is approached carefully. You can buy containers in a specialty store or online. The buyer must be provided with a complete description of the product and the composition indicated. Products with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm decompose in open ground for about a month. This is the most acceptable option. A peat cup should contain 75% peat and 25% cellulose. The size of the container is selected according to the seedlings. The larger the sprouts are expected, the larger the container is chosen. The pot should be light and porous, airy.

Peat is a universal nutrient base for planting seedlings. Natural material based on rotted algae, sphagnum moss and microorganisms is formed under natural conditions. Peat-based soil mixtures have earned a good reputation among professional summer residents.