Is it possible to mulch vegetables with reeds? Mulching: types of mulch and features of the use of each material. The benefits of mulching for plants

Is it possible to mulch vegetables with reeds?  Mulching: types of mulch and features of the use of each material.  The benefits of mulching for plants
Is it possible to mulch vegetables with reeds? Mulching: types of mulch and features of the use of each material. The benefits of mulching for plants

This question is often asked by beginning gardeners. After all, this issue is often covered in articles very briefly, but the method really, without special costs, ensures an increase in the yield of vegetables, berries and other crops without weeds or with a minimum amount of them and regardless of the heat. And at the same time getting excellent harvests. Mulching the soil in combination with drip irrigation is especially effective, of course, if it is available. If there is no drip irrigation, it doesn’t matter; natural mulch itself perfectly protects the plantings from the sun and improves the gas regime in the soil. Let's consider its main advantages.

  • Protects the soil from overheating and retains moisture in the root zone of the soil at an optimal level.
  • As grass decomposes, it releases carbon dioxide, which is additionally absorbed by plants.
  • Reduces or significantly suppresses the development of weeds.
  • Preserves the most important layer of soil for plants from erosion and washout.
  • Plays the role of fertilizer if organic materials are used for mulch.
  • Makes your vegetables, fruits and berries marketable and beautiful, preventing them from contacting the ground during rain or watering.
  • After the crop has matured, the grass mulch can be sent to a compost heap, plowed with organic components to increase soil fertility for the next year, or burned, fertilizing the area with mineral components.

Now I will describe the different types of mulching

The easiest and most affordable way is to use our hated weeds for this purpose. Dandelions, of course, are not suitable due to their juiciness and volatile seeds, but large weeds such as quinoa, wheatgrass, other similar herbs, and river reed are perfect for this purpose. In general, anything will do, the main thing is to remove them from the ground in time, before the flowering period, in order to exclude the possibility of sowing seeds. I boldly use all weeds on my site during the first weeding in May-June. The only caveat: large weeds, such as quinoa or ragweed, when uprooted and then placed on the ground, do not die immediately, but can take root if the ground is poorly cleared and form additional roots from the lateral roots or stem. And continue to grow. To prevent this from happening, I try to lay out this mulch in layers, like slate, so that each subsequent layer of weeds touches the ground only with a shoot, and the roots lie on the shoots of the previous row. In this case, even despite the remaining soil on the roots, the weed dies completely and is not restored. It is still advisable to avoid ragweed, because... it contains substances that are poisonous to other plants. I usually set it aside and burn it.

It is advisable not to use hay, as it is a rather expensive mulch option. In addition, it is usually mowed during the period of maximum development of the grass stand, when seeds of rapidly vegetating plants can already appear in it. If we don’t know when it was cut or if it contains a large number of seeds, it is better not to use it. I apply hay by placing it in a furrow with seeds only when planting cucumbers and watermelons for better soil drainage.

Straw is a simple and affordable mulching option if you have a field nearby. If there is no free access to it, this is a rather expensive method of mulching, just like hay.

Lawn grass - this option is well suited for city residents. After mowing lawns, whole mountains of this material remain in parks and squares. Take it and take it out. Such hay is not always suitable for livestock feed, but it is easy for mulch. It is only advisable to dry the herb before use. Since the grass will lie for a long time, its layer should be at least 3-5 cm. In this case, it will effectively delay the emergence of weeds. The effect is especially good if you install drip irrigation under a layer of such mulch. Only when using this type of coating is a distance of several centimeters from the plant stem necessary for normal ventilation. In fact, this is one of the most widespread and successful materials. Its only drawback is that slugs and earwigs breed well under it, which need to be fought. I believe that you cannot only use grass that grows near particularly large roads. Where traffic is less intense, the level of heavy metal pollution is not so great and does not exceed the background.

River reed, which is often incorrectly called “reed” or “sedge” by some, grows in large quantities along the banks of reservoirs and in wetlands. Old stems are not suitable for mulch due to difficulties with harvesting and the abundance of seeds. Therefore, in winter or spring, I try to carefully burn them at the root. After this, young growth quickly forms, which is mowed like ordinary grass with a hand scythe. The big advantage of reed is the rapid growth of shoots and the proximity of moisture, so it can be mowed several times a season. When freshly cut, it is laid out in a small layer on beds with dill, coriander or other summer plantings. When drying, the reed forms a white-silver loose layer, which, moderately shading the ground, does not allow it to dry out and overheat. At the same time, it does not interfere with the shoots of our culture. Gradually, the reed is compacted and after harvesting is embedded in the ground as fertilizer. There are no seeds left after it.

Sawdust - when used, rots easily and, if fresh, acidifies the soil. Therefore, it is necessary to use either old, stale sawdust, or add them in a small layer, purely to protect the surface layer of chernozem from direct sunlight. The same applies to tree bark, although it is impractical, but for decorative purposes such mulch looks amazing.

Recently, waste from mushroom production has become widespread: sunflower husks after growing oyster mushrooms. This is a good mulch and a good fertilizer, because... Oyster mushroom is a cellulose-degrading fungus; during the growing process, it significantly facilitated the work of other bacteria when disposing of the husks. In addition, such husks are a source of vitamins needed by plants. The only risk is to use such mulch near fruit trees due to the fact that, under favorable conditions, oyster mushrooms can settle on any of them. Well, there is nowhere for it to grow in the garden, so such mulch can be safely used. In addition, after autumn digging, it will help the soil become looser and more structured, and therefore more fertile.

Black or white film is used from artificial materials. Especially when industrially growing strawberries. The film retains water, so an optimal regime is formed inside the pile, provided that drip irrigation is used. All this significantly increases the yield and makes harvesting convenient and practical.


Mulching WHAT AND HOW? One of the most useful agricultural techniques used by gardeners in different climatic zones is mulching. This procedure involves covering the soil surface with organic or artificial material, while the beds are covered completely or only between the rows. Man learned to mulch from nature itself. In meadows, forests, under trees and shrubs, the soil is never bare - a layer of dry grass, fallen leaves and pine needles protects the soil from drying out and protects plants from cold weather and pests. Under a layer of mulch, the soil retains its structure and a soil crust does not form. In addition, mulch protects the soil around the plant from being washed away by water when watering, retains moisture, and does not allow weeds to develop. By mulching the beds, you can significantly reduce the number of waterings and virtually eliminate loosening. How to mulch the soil on your site? What mulching materials should I use? As usual, there are plenty of options. Mulching with inorganic covering materials For the purpose of mulching the soil in summer cottages, roofing felt, roofing felt, lutrasil, black and colored film are widely used. They are spread on the beds, cutting holes into which the plants are then planted. It is better to make the holes slotted (by cutting the film along or across), rather than round or square. This way the soil will be better protected from moisture evaporation, and rainwater will penetrate well into the soil. Black synthetic film is used to mulch beds with zucchini and cucumbers to get rid of weeds and reduce the frequency of watering. In strawberry beds mulched with film, the berries will always remain clean. Tomatoes grow better in red film mulch, while cabbage prefers white film. Transparent film is not suitable for mulching; it does not prevent the growth of weeds, but, on the contrary, causes their rapid growth. The film used as mulch must meet the following qualities: not transmit light; be thin and elastic, fit tightly to the soil surface; be strong so that weeds cannot break through it. Film mulch increases the temperature of the earth by 1.5-2°C, which is very important in the unstable climate of the middle zone with short summers; on the other hand, the film reduces the evaporation of moisture, thereby reducing the temperature on the soil surface on hot days. That is, the film saves the plantings from cold, heat, and drought. Mulching with opaque black film is widely used to kill weeds without chemicals. Perennial rhizomatous weeds, such as wheatgrass, sow thistle, and loach, die under the black film. Under the black film mulch, a soil crust does not form, which does not allow oxygen to reach the seedlings in the required quantity, and as a result, they suffocate, and gardeners receive rare, unfriendly shoots. Mulching with film prevents soil compaction by precipitation. Even after 5 years of growing strawberries under film, the soil will remain loose. In addition, film mulch helps to increase soil fertility: due to the decomposition of weeds, nitrogen accumulates in the upper layer of the soil, soil microorganisms, reliably protected by the film cover, are activated, begin to feed intensively, and the humus content in the soil increases. Soil mulched with film retains heat better in winter; beds covered with 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 great as ordinary ones, and strawberries, the roots of which are at a shallow depth. Mulch films suppress the development of gray rot of strawberries and also help reduce the number of nematodes. However, film mulch has a significant disadvantage - unlike organic mulch, it does not decompose and does not nourish the soil. For this reason, many gardeners prefer to first mulch the beds with humus, and then lay film, non-woven fabric, etc. Using organic mulch No matter how many advantages films and other synthetic materials have, modern summer residents prefer mulch made from natural materials. A cover of organic matter in the beds not only prevents the growth of weeds, protects the soil from overheating and freezing, and retains moisture in the ground; as the mulch decomposes in the ground, a fertile layer is quickly created that feeds soil microorganisms and plants. To achieve the maximum possible effect from mulching with natural materials, you need to know when and what kind of mulch should be used. Mulching with freshly cut grass Grass is rich in nitrogen and other beneficial substances necessary for the full development of plants. You can use grass remnants after mowing the lawn, weeded and slightly dried weeds, and torn tomato shoots as mulch. By the way, mulch made from tomato leaves is an ideal option for cabbage beds; it repels cabbage whites. Don't rush to use freshly cut grass as mulch; let it dry in the sun for a day or two. Damp grass will rot too quickly. In the northern regions, grass mulch is applied when the soil has already warmed up sufficiently and the plants have sprouted and become stronger. In the southern regions, it is better to mulch with grass before planting, then it can enrich the soil with nutrients. Mulching the soil with compost Compost is an almost ideal, universal material for mulching. It is suitable for all vegetable crops and is completely safe. Compost mulch reduces the likelihood of plants being affected by diseases and provides them with excellent nutrition. So do not take out organic garbage, kitchen waste, weeds, tops, etc. from your dacha; put it all in a compost heap along with sawdust, wood shavings and paper. In just a year you will have excellent organic material for mulching your garden. Mulching with straw Straw is ideal for mulching mail under nightshades - tomatoes and potatoes. It serves as a barrier between tomato fruits and pathogenic microbes contained in the soil, protecting the bushes from early rot, anthracnose and leaf spot. And on potato beds mulched with straw, the main potato pest, the Colorado potato beetle, is observed much less frequently. In addition, straw mulch has a beneficial effect on crops such as basil, garlic, strawberries and blackberries. Mulching with newsprint You can safely cover your beds with black and white and colored newspapers (shredded or whole) - newsprint makes excellent mulch and a good weed control agent. Newspapers are laid in four layers on the ridge that is supposed to be mulched, and sprinkled with hay, grass, straw or earth on top. Many summer residents are afraid to use newspapers because of the printing ink that gets into the soil with them, however, according to American scientists, not a single chemical substance from modern newspaper ink poses a threat to the garden. Mulch made from Kraft wrapping paper and cardboard has proven to be no less effective in controlling weeds. These materials can also replace film mulch when it is necessary to warm the soil. If you cover the bed with kraft paper a few days before planting seedlings in the ground, the soil in it will warm up by 3°C. Mulching with paper is especially effective on plantings of raspberries and legumes - it helps to increase their yield. Mulching with Fallen Leaves Fallen leaves are an ideal mulch for cabbage and bean beds. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants can also be mulched with leaf litter, but only after the soil has warmed up well. Leaf mulch on flower beds is very good; it protects flowers from freezing and, in addition, does not allow bulbous plants to germinate during early spring thaws. Mulching with tree bark Tree bark is one of the most durable materials for mulching. It repels water, so it takes a long time to rot. Most often, such long-term mulch is used around fruit trees and shrubs. The bark of coniferous trees should not be used to mulch tomatoes - the volatile substances it releases can harm the bushes. But bark mulch has proven itself well in berry gardens and flower beds. Due to its durability, it is often used as a decorative material in landscape design. Mulching with sawdust or wood chips Sawdust or is best used where the soil is rarely cultivated and practically not dug (furrows, paths in the garden), because wood chips take more than a year to completely rot. Sawdust can be used to cover the ground in a raspberry patch, or before winter, scatter it on beds with winter crops (for example, garlic and tulips). Never use caked sawdust as mulching material. If sawdust lay piled in a heap for a long time, most likely oxygen stopped flowing into the deep layer, and it “soured.” Such sawdust must first be scattered in a thin layer and dried. Mulching with pine needles. Needles have proven themselves well as mulch for eggplants and strawberries. Many gardeners do not use pine needles because the needles allegedly acidify the soil. However, experience shows that soil pH, covered with a 7-centimeter layer of pine needles for two years in a row, remains at the same level as before mulching. In addition to the above materials, humus, reeds, peat chips, peat, sunflower or pumpkin seed cake can serve as mulch. Often a combined mulch of two or three materials is used, for example cake with freshly cut grass or cardboard with straw. Mulch made from sawdust mixed with fresh grass gives excellent results.

When growing various types of crops in the garden, it is important to provide them with protection from diseases and pests. Mulch is just an excellent solution to this issue. Understanding what soil mulching is, it is worth saying that this is a layer of organic or industrial materials with which the gardener covers the soil where berry bushes, trees or vegetables grow. The types and methods of mulching will be discussed in more detail below.

What is mulch and what is it for?

A gardener must know how and with what to mulch the soil correctly, because this is the path to a high-quality and rich harvest.

This special technology allows you to protect plants from weeds and diseases. A variety of materials can act as mulch, the structure of which allows them to be used to cover the soil. In addition to the fact that mulch is often used for decorative purposes, it can also provide:

  • Protection of roots by maintaining the required level of moisture and acidity in the soil;
  • maintaining temperature in the soil, as well as the nutrient medium;
  • care during sudden drops in temperature;
  • protection from weeds.

A useful property of properly selected mulch is that it does not harden and thereby does not form a hard crust, allowing plants to develop.

It is worth noting that mulch, depending on the material chosen for this procedure, can be organic or inorganic. We will tell you about each option so that the gardener can decide for himself what he wants to use to make mulch for his plot.

Types of Organic Mulch

Organic mulch, as the name suggests, involves using organic materials. This is usually what remains after standard agricultural practices. Let us describe in more detail the most popular and widely used options.

Sawdust and wood chips

Chips and sawdust are great for mulching garden shrubs, for example, or, as well as those beds in the garden that rarely lend themselves to digging and other treatments. The fact is that such mulch completely decomposes in about one and a half to two years. This must be taken into account so as not to encounter problems when working on the site in the future.

The discussed method works best on raspberries, or in those places where winter crops are located. In this case, the organic matter itself must be added at the end of autumn.

If you have decided to make mulch from wood chips or sawdust, you need to understand that such material can develop a lack of nitrogen in the soil, since the wood absorbs this substance from the soil during the process of decay. You can avoid nitrogen starvation in a completely simple way. Before laying out the material, it is necessary to feed the soil with mullein infusion or.

Note! Sawdust, which was stored for a long time in a corner of the garden, most likely had time to “sour”, because in the depths of this heap there is probably a deficiency of oxygen. Such material is absolutely not suitable for mulching beds, because not only will it not benefit the plants, but it can also cause harm. In this case, the sawdust must first be spread out in a thin layer and allowed to dry thoroughly.

Mulch made from sawdust and wood chips is great for keeping slugs at bay. The latter prefer smooth and well-moistened surfaces, and therefore wood material will not be attractive to them.

Straw

Mulching beds with straw is a very common option. It is recommended to lay this material in a layer of about 15 centimeters thick. It should be understood that such mulch will not interfere with the further development of plants, because very soon the straw will settle by at least 7-8 cm.

Straw is best used for mulching potatoes and tomato beds. Tomatoes will be saved from many bacteria in the soil; they will not succumb to early rot, leaf spot and anthracnose. Potatoes under straw mulch will be protected from the attack of the Colorado potato beetle.

This material can also be used to cover the soil under garlic, blackberries, and basil.

Conifer bark

Making mulch with your own hands from bark is not at all difficult, because almost every summer resident has such material. The bark can repel water, causing it to take a long time to decompose. The bark is best used for garden trees and shrubs.

Bark taken from coniferous trees should not be used for mulching tomatoes. The fact is that the aromatic volatile elements released by such material will become destructive for tomatoes.

Among other things, the bark looks very attractive as mulch. Many gardeners prefer to take advantage of its decorative properties by mulching their flower beds. Such elaboration of the site will be not only useful, but also beautiful. Modern designers increasingly recommend using crushed bark in garden design.

Needles

Strawberries, blueberries and eggplants really like mulching with pine needles. Despite the fact that some gardeners refuse such material because they believe that pine needles oxidize the soil, it has been experimentally proven that covering the bed with a 7-centimeter layer of pine needles will only have a positive effect on the plants. Even if you mulch the same beds for two years in a row, the acidity of the soil will remain virtually unchanged. Mulching strawberries with pine needles should be done in the fall.

It is worth remembering again about the decorative properties of mulch. Needles are often used to mulch flowers in flower beds, using the material as decoration. Additionally, reeds and crushed pine cones can be used.

Fallen leaves

Mulching the soil in the fall is also often done with fallen leaves. Almost any foliage is suitable, but some summer residents prefer the leaves of individual plantings, for example, a walnut tree.

You need to understand that the leaves, during the process of decay, turn into a very valuable organic fertilizer. They contain potassium, calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen, etc. Such elements work very well to improve the quality of growth and development of plant crops.

An interesting experiment was carried out in one of the forest districts. The staff removed natural forest floor from fallen leaves in a certain area and repeated this for several years. As a result, the growth of plantings in the forest decreased by approximately 20%. In order to restore the forest soil to its original state and thereby resume the growth of new trees, it took twice as long.

You can use fallen leaves to mulch cabbage, beans, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. It is important to carry out the procedure after the soil has warmed up thoroughly.

Deciduous material can also be used in flower beds. In case of severe frosts, this product will perfectly protect the root system, and as soon as the first spring warmth arrives, the bulbs will not be able to germinate quickly, thereby protecting them from possible repeated frosts.

Grass clippings and weeds

It is no secret that herbaceous plants contain a large amount of nitrogen-containing substances. Any weeds that are collected after weeding the area can be used. Grass clippings can also be taken for mulching, for example, after mowing the lawn.

You should definitely pay attention to the fact that Mulching is best done only with dried mown grass - hay. Or at least well dried. The fact is that freshly harvested plants will attract slugs and snails, and may also begin to rot in the area.

If you mulch cabbage with tomato leaves, you can protect this crop from cabbage whites, a very unpleasant pest.

But raw grass can also be used. Only the soil should be mulched when there is no longer a harvest on the site. This can be done in late autumn, during the rainy season. Before the first frost arrives, the grass and weeds will already have time to rot well and become an excellent fertilizer for next season's vegetables.

Nettle

Not many people know that nettles may not grow in every area. This weed plant is very capricious and can only grow in soil that is rich in humus and has a high-quality structure. This means that a gardener who notices nettles on his plot can only rejoice, because this is a clear signal that the soil in this place is quite good.

Nettle is an excellent material for mulching. It contains many vitamins and minerals. Eg, In terms of the amount of iron, this weed can compete with many medicinal plants. As for the presence of nitrogen in its composition, nettle leaves even peat and straw far behind, not to mention manure.

It is best to use young nettles as mulch. This will not be a problem, since mulching begins just at the beginning of summer.

Moss

This material is only suitable for areas with non-acidic soil, because moss can increase the acidity level.

It is prohibited to use moss as mulch for strawberries and strawberries, because these berry plants will simply rot under it. And here for blueberries, raspberries, radishes and potatoes, moss will be an excellent mulch.

This material can also be used to safely mulch roses, azaleas and some other flowers. Many gardeners also cover pears and pears with this mulch. Moss has the ability to collect excess moisture from the soil, thus protecting trees from waterlogging, but during a drought it will give back the same moisture. In addition, the material under discussion is an excellent antiseptic.

Peat

Mulching with peat, perhaps, was carried out by almost every summer resident. The material is accessible and very useful; no gardener doubts its beneficial properties.

This fertilizer from swampy areas is often used in the process of planting a variety of plants. Peat perfectly protects the soil from weathering and leaching of useful components, and also does not allow pathogenic flora to develop in it. At the end of the season, such mulch does not need to be removed from the garden bed, because it will gradually combine with the soil and thereby improve its composition.

In the garden, it is best to mulch with peat those crops that need increased care, for example, tomatoes. Such a substrate for nightshades should be applied as soon as the tomatoes take root well, this is about a few weeks after planting the seedlings in the soil.

Peat mulch is ideal for raspberries. The material is able to create excellent conditions for the development of such a shrub, which, as you know, loves moisture very much. The soil under the peat will store water and become looser, thereby allowing the raspberry bushes to take root better.

Inorganic mulch

Mulching with inorganic materials involves covering an area with rocks or industrial products. Such mulch protects the soil well, but, naturally, does not perform the additional function of fertilizer.

In general, inorganics can be classified as follows:

  • Film (usually black, but sometimes colored), cardboard and paper;
  • stones - pebbles, crushed stone, gravel, etc.;
  • expanded clay

The second and third types from the list are often used for decorative purposes, as they perfectly decorate landscape and garden compositions. Today you can find stones of different colors on sale, which allows you to realize any design fantasies.

As for the film, it retains moisture in the soil well. But at the same time, such material can only be used once, since by next year it will already become unusable. Those who decide to use film for mulching should be aware of a number of issues that they will likely have to face:

  • Watering. You need to think about how the plants will be moistened - by drip or through holes in the coating;
  • Slugs. They can collect under the film, so you will need to deal with this too;
  • Heat. You should understand how high the ability of plants covered with film is to tolerate overheating, which is enhanced due to the greenhouse effect under the film.

You can extend the life of the film by covering it with an additional thin layer of straw or hay.

The film is often used as mulch in rock gardens. It does not allow weeds to grow. But in order not to spoil the aesthetic appearance of the compositions, decorative stones are laid on top of it.

Today, textile materials (geotextiles), which are produced on the basis of polypropylene fiber, are very popular among summer residents. This material is cheap, but high quality. It is able to absorb the sun's rays and prevent weeds from sprouting on the site.

Mulching film

Such a film needs to be laid on the bed, and secured along the edges with staples made of thick, strong wire. You can also use ordinary boards to secure it, or the earth itself, which should be poured around the edges.

In order to plant garden crops, you will need to make small cuts in the form of a cross or a gap directly at the planting site. Next you need to dig a hole and plant the plant itself. The garden bed should be watered thoroughly through the slits.

If perennial plants, for example, strawberries, were covered with film mulch, then at the end of the season it is not at all necessary to remove the film from the garden bed. Such inorganic mulch can remain there as long as the strawberries themselves grow, which is about 3-4 years. But at the same time, you must not forget to fertilize the soil, because the film does not decompose, which means it cannot work as a fertilizer. It is best to add humus to the soil before carrying out this type of mulching.

Despite the fact that the film helps retain moisture in the soil for a long time, the area still needs to be watered periodically. In this case, natural moisture in the form of rain or fog is excluded, so you should always remember about watering.

Features of mulching with paper

Any type of cardboard and paper can be used as mulch. Suitable sheets of newspaper, leaves from notebooks, craft paper, etc. This material can be used in its entirety, or it can be pre-shredded. The thickness of the mulch layer in the area should be approximately equal to the thickness of a newspaper sheet folded four times.

Paper mulch perfectly protects garden plants from weeds, and to increase its effectiveness, you can additionally lay straw, hay, or ordinary soil on top of the paper. Surprisingly, it has been experimentally proven that using paper instead of film, you can literally warm the ground by 2-3 degrees in just a day, which is very helpful when planting seedlings. Also, according to reviews from summer residents, the use of paper as mulch can significantly increase the yield of legumes and raspberries.

There is a misconception that printing ink present on newspaper sheets can harm plant crops. It is worth noting that experts reject this myth, arguing that none of the components included in such material harm garden and garden plants.

Video: egg trays as mulch

Some gardeners have learned to use pressed paper egg trays as mulch for potatoes, onions, carrots and other garden plants. You can learn more about this interesting option by watching the video:

Mulching the soil in a greenhouse

Many gardeners, especially beginners, often wonder about the need to mulch the soil in greenhouses. According to experts, this is definitely worth doing. Thanks to mulch, you can not only prevent the growth of weeds, but also preserve many useful substances in the soil.

An equally important factor in favor of laying mulch in a greenhouse is that many of the plants that grow there cannot tolerate excess moisture. Thus, mulching tomatoes and cucumbers in a greenhouse will protect them from bacteria and fungal diseases. The seedlings will be separated from the moist soil using mulch, which will help them stay healthy and avoid rotting.

Also, mulching in a greenhouse will significantly simplify the care of plantings and reduce the number of waterings and tillage. And within a year the soil itself will become noticeably more fertile and richer in microelements.

Conclusion

To summarize, it is worth once again noting the importance and usefulness of such an event as mulching. Each gardener will be able to choose material for covering the area to suit his taste. At the same time, caring for plants will be significantly simplified, as well as the yield will significantly increase.

The invention relates to agriculture. A method for producing fertilizers from lignocellulosic material includes processing the feedstock by grinding it under simultaneous heat exposure and a pressure of 3-50 MPa, while the processing is carried out in a mixer at a shear stress of 0.03-3 N/mm 2 at a temperature of 130-150 °C in the presence of lime Ca(OH)2, introduced in an amount of 2-10% of the absolutely dry matter of the lignocellulosic material, and at least one salt in an amount of 3 to 10% of the absolutely dry matter of the lignocellulosic material, at the humidity of the lignocellulosic material at least 20%, and reeds, and/or grass, and/or straw, and/or sawdust, and/or peat are used as lignocellulosic material. The invention makes it possible to obtain organomineral fertilizers with different contents of humic substances and to expand the raw material base. 4 ave.

The present invention relates to agriculture and can be used to improve soil fertility.

The use of straw as a fertilizer is known (see Kurdyumov N.I. Mastery of Fertility. - Rostov-on-Don: Vladis Publishing House, 2006. - 512 p., p. 185).

The use of straw as a fertilizer is known (see Kurdyumov N.I. Mastery of Fertility. - Rostov-on-Don: Vladis Publishing House, 2006. - 512 p., p. 188-189).

The disadvantage of these fertilizers is their low quality.

There is a known method of preparing cellulose-containing raw materials for use, including processing the raw material by grinding it under simultaneous heat exposure and a pressure of 3-50 MPa, while the processing is carried out at a shear stress of 0.03-3 N/mm 2, a temperature of 180-260 ° C at the presence of sulfuric acid at the rate of 3-5% by weight of dry substances (see USSR author's certificate No. 1410298, class A23K 1/12, 1985).

The disadvantage of this method is the low quality of the fertilizer.

The closest in technical essence to the proposed one is the method of producing fertilizers from straw, which includes processing the feedstock by grinding it under simultaneous heat exposure and a pressure of 3-50 MPa, while the processing is carried out in a mixer at a shear stress of 0.03-3 N/ mm 2, at a temperature of 130-150°C in the presence of lime Ca(OH) 2, introduced in an amount of 2-10% of the absolutely dry matter of straw, and at least one salt in an amount of 3 to 10% of the absolutely dry matter of straw straw, with a straw moisture content of at least 20% (see RF patent No. 2400460, class C05G 1/00, publ. 2010).

The disadvantage of this method is the inability to obtain organomineral fertilizers with different contents of humic substances and a limited raw material base.

The purpose of the present invention is to obtain organomineral fertilizers with different contents of humic substances and to expand the raw material base.

This goal is achieved by the fact that in the production of fertilizers from lignocellulosic material, which includes processing the feedstock by grinding it under simultaneous heat and a pressure of 3-50 MPa, while the processing is carried out in a mixer at a shear stress of 0.03-3 N/mm 2, at a temperature of 130-150°C in the presence of lime Ca(OH) 2, added in an amount of 2-10% of the absolutely dry substance of the lignocellulosic material, and at least one salt in an amount of 3 to 10% of the absolutely dry substance substances of lignocellulosic material, with a moisture content of lignocellulosic material of at least 20%, and/or reeds, and/or grass, and/or straw, and/or sawdust, and/or peat are used as lignocellulosic material.

Example 1. In a mixture of lignocellulosic materials taken in the following ratio:

reed - 20%;

grass - 20%;

straw - 20%;

with a humidity of at least 20%, lime Ca(OH) 2 is introduced in an amount of 5% of the absolutely dry substance of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials and potassium chloride salt (KCl) in an amount of 5% of the absolutely dry substance of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials. After this, the mixture is continuously fed using a vibrating feeder into the loading opening of, for example, a twin-screw mixer. The generated shear stress in the mixer is 1.5 N/mm 2, the temperature of 150°C can, for example, be maintained by electrically heating the mixer body or in another way. The output is a high quality product with the same content of humic substances.

Example 2. In a mixture of lignocellulosic materials taken in the following ratio:

reed - 10%;

grass -15%;

straw - 15%;

with a humidity of at least 20%, lime Ca(OH) 2 is introduced in an amount of 7% of the absolutely dry substance of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials and urea salt (NH 2) 2 CO, superphosphate (Ca(H 2 PO 4) 2), kalimag (KClMgCl 2) and potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3) in the amount of 9% of the absolutely dry matter of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials. After this, the mixture is continuously fed using a vibrating feeder into the loading opening of, for example, a twin-screw mixer. The generated shear stress in the mixer is 2.0 N/mm 2 , the temperature of 145°C can, for example, be maintained by electrically heating the mixer body or in another way. The output is a high quality product with a different content of humic substances.

Example 3: In lignocellulosic material

with a humidity of at least 20%, lime Ca(OH) 2 is introduced in an amount of 5% of the absolutely dry substance of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials and potassium chloride salt (KCl) in an amount of 5% of the absolutely dry substance of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials. After this, the mixture is continuously fed using a vibrating feeder into the loading opening of, for example, a twin-screw mixer. The generated shear stress in the mixer is 1.5 N/mm 2, the temperature of 150°C can, for example, be maintained by electrically heating the mixer body or in another way. The output is a high quality product with a third content of humic substances.

Example 4. In a mixture of lignocellulosic materials taken in the following ratio:

reed - 50%;

grass - 50%;

with a humidity of at least 20%, lime Ca(OH) 2 is introduced in an amount of 5% of the absolutely dry substance of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials and potassium chloride salt (KCl) in an amount of 5% of the absolutely dry substance of the mixture of lignocellulosic materials. After this, the mixture is continuously fed using a vibrating feeder into the loading opening of, for example, a twin-screw mixer. The generated shear stress in the mixer is 1.5 N/mm 2, the temperature of 150°C can, for example, be maintained by electrically heating the mixer body or in another way. The output is a high quality product with a fourth content of humic substances.

The possibility of obtaining organomineral fertilizers with different contents of humic substances and expanding the raw material base are the advantages and advantages of the proposed technical solution compared to the prototype.

The high quality of fertilizer due to the increase in the rate of its processing by microflora is an advantage and advantage of the proposed technical solution compared to analogues.

A method for producing fertilizers from lignocellulosic material, including processing the feedstock by grinding it under simultaneous heat and pressure of 3-50 MPa, while the processing is carried out in a mixer at a shear stress of 0.03-3 N/mm 2 at a temperature of 130-150 °C in the presence of lime Ca(OH)2, introduced in an amount of 2-10% of the absolutely dry matter of the lignocellulosic material and at least one salt in an amount of 3 to 10% of the absolutely dry matter of the lignocellulosic material, with a moisture content of the lignocellulosic material of at least 20 %, characterized in that reeds, and/or grass, and/or straw, and/or sawdust, and/or peat are used as lignocellulosic material.

Reed, production of fertilizers from reeds. - I’m calling you for a reason, I have a problem, I’m in trouble, help me out! - Let’s go in order, what are you doing, what is the problem, maybe there isn’t one at all, and you’re already singing prayers for the repose of your soul... - Yes , There is a problem. I coveted free raw materials, reeds, we have thousands of tons of reeds in our estuaries. And even in the ducts... By autumn it is dry, just collect, grind and produce fuel pellets. Organic - it is organic, it burns and gives a temperature. I thought that the population would come to me for fuel and bring money, because everyone wants to sit by the stove and look at the light. But that was not the case... But I took out a loan for the production line of these damn fuel pellets. Can you imagine what it’s like for me now, I can’t even pay the interest on the loan. Where should I put them, these pellets? We supplied gas while I was installing the line, and people know that I produce these pellets from reeds; there is so much reed, the population is not going to pay me $100 per ton. In flew in... I started thinking, however, there was nothing to think about, I need to install an extruder from Agro-stimulus and start producing fertilizers, for now for potatoes, because the matrix for pellets is made with holes with a diameter of 6 or 8 mm. They won’t go into fertilizer feeders of seeders for cereals; they need granules 3 or 4 mm in diameter. But where will he get the money for an extruder, for chemicals for enriching fertilizers with “mineral water”? - Do you have any friends in Turkey, by any chance? - Yes, but they don’t take pellets from me to Turkey, the price is even lower there, I’ll never break even if it’s $100 and then in five years... Turkey has nothing to do with it. - I I recommend buying an extruder and starting the production of fertilizers, the guys from Agro-stimulus will finalize the project for you, they will install the extruder, but they won’t do it for free, on credit too, you need money. And fertilizers are four times more expensive than granules, so go ahead and start producing fertilizers. They will send you the ingredients, they will send you a description of the fertilizers, go to Turkey, look for a buyer with your friend, look for a business partner, the business becomes attractive, the profitability is good. And in Turkey, no one knows what your humic fertilizers are made of, but we will get humates from reeds, we will make excellent fertilizers, at the level of world standards! He called back a week later and said that according to European rules, you can get 30% of the annual contract in advance, so they did, and his friend also took out a loan, and they closed the loan in Russia, and that’s how he got a partner in Turkey. He knows the local market, money there is cheaper than here, and certification is faster than in Russia. And I sat and once again thought: how many entrepreneurs in our country did not reach the finish line and became bankrupt. Because at some stage they stopped believing in themselves and stopped looking for solutions for a new level of business. And you need to believe in yourself! author Vyacheslav Kostin.