On what soils does the common gooseberry grow? Gardener's tricks: determining soil type by weeds and wild plants. What kind of soil should there be on the site and how to determine its type

"There is no bad land, there are bad owners." This is exactly what our ancestors have long argued, trying to get abundant harvests on infertile soils.

If you purchased country cottage area recently, you still probably don’t know what type of soil predominates on it. How do you know if you are lucky and all the crops will grow without any extra effort on your part, or if you will have to replace and endlessly fertilize the fertile layer in order to achieve at least a minimal yield? Typically, land plots are assessed from two positions:

• overall assessment geographical location, topographical features of the area and the prevailing flora on it;
• soil factors: composition, acidity and soil level groundwater. In the article we will pay attention to the second position and learn how to improve the soil on the site.

How to determine the mechanical composition of the soil

If you have often picked up clods of earth from different places, then we noticed that the soil has different density, friability, moisture, stickiness, ability to hold its shape, etc. The composition and “character” of the soil largely depends on the ratio of sand, clay, silt, dust and small stones in it. This is called mechanical composition of the soil. To determine it, you do not need to use any complex equipment or go to a laboratory for analysis. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps:

1. take a handful of earth;
2. moisten it with a small amount of water;
3. knead with your hands until the dough becomes thick;
4. make a ball no larger than a walnut;
5. if you succeed in completing the previous step, roll it out into a “sausage”;
6. roll the “cord” into a ring;
7. compare the result with the data in the table.

The harvest depends 70-80% on the quality and condition of the soil

If loamy soil predominates on the site, then the owner is lucky - it requires minimal intervention, has good air and moisture capacity, and is also easy to grind. It does not need to be dug up often, you just need to periodically apply fertilizer. Loamy soil is suitable for all types of plants. But the owners of sandy or clay soils you need to work on improving them, and we will tell you how to do this.

sandy soil

Sandy soils predominate in many areas. They have good water permeability, i.e. They quickly pass moisture through themselves, but almost do not retain it. In spring such soils warm up quickly which allows you to grow vegetables early varieties. However, sandy soil dries out faster and contributes to the rapid decomposition of humus, which negatively affects fertility.

How to Improve Sandy Soil

If your site is dominated by sandy soils, then get ready for the fact that you will need to constantly look after them:

• in order not to disturb the already unstable structure of sandy soils, they need to be dug up only once a year in the autumn;
• You should water the sandy loam often and little by little, regularly wetting the root layer;
• sandy soils need huge amounts organic fertilizers– up to 700 kg per 1 hundred square meters. Give preference to manure or compost with a high content of peat and manure;
• use green manures such as peas, lupines, beans and sweet peas. After the green mass grows (before flowering), green manure plants need to be mowed and embedded in the soil in the beds, as well as in tree trunk circles trees.

The main sign of improvement in composition sand compositions are earthworms

What fertilizers are suitable for sandy soils?

To grow cultivated plants, use nitrogen And potash fertilizers(spring) and phosphate rock (autumn), covering them to a depth of 20-25 cm. Apply them no more than once a year. Replenish magnesium, the deficiency of which is observed in sandy loam, by adding dolomite flour (200-400 g per 1 sq.m.).

A more radical method is considered to be “transformation” of the soil and turning it into loamy or sandy loam. For this upper layer replaced with clay, black soil or turf soil from river floodplains (up to 50 kg per square meter).

Clay soil

Those who have a predominant clay that is heavy and unsuitable for cultivation are also not very lucky with the site. Such soils wet And cold, in the spring they thaw worse And warming up. Precipitation and the melting snow is almost do not penetrate into the lower layers, stagnating on the surface in the form of puddles. As a result, the roots do not receive oxygen and die.

When such areas are deeply dug, heavy loam falls on the surface. If this coincides with prolonged rainfall, it will be very difficult for plants to obtain oxygen and moisture from upper layers soil. It is also impossible to cultivate wet soil - this will only eliminate voids and compact it. It is better to take care of organizing the drainage.

How to Improve Clay Soil

Clay soil is very difficult to modify, and the main measures are as follows:

• add washed or river sand to the soil at the rate of 15-30 kg per 1 sq.m. The composition of clay soil is also improved by manure, peat, compost, humus at the rate of 800 kg per 1 hectare (frequency of application - once every five years). For heavy loams, it is necessary to apply up to 300 kg of fertilizers annually;
• the most effective fertilizing– These are granular superphosphate and potash fertilizers. You can also apply other fertilizers twice a year - ash in the fall, and any nitrogen compounds in the spring. Plant fertilizers to a depth of 10-15 cm;
• carry out liming at the rate of 400-600 g per 1 sq.m no more than once a year.

Most vegetables, many flower crops, especially bulbous and annuals, as well as strawberries grow best on light loams

Starvation of plants - signs of a lack of microelements

It is not always possible to conduct a detailed analysis of the condition of the soil, but often the plants themselves tell you what they are missing. Signs of a lack of macro- and microelements are reflected primarily in appearance plants.

• Nitrogen deficiency. Leaves turn pale green and are stunted in growth.
• Phosphorus fasting manifests itself in smaller flowers and shortening of stems. The leaves turn violet-red or purple and soon fall off.
• Potassium deficiency leads to “burning out” of the leaves, their lightening, then to the dying off of the edges and woodiness of the shoots.
• Copper shortage causes chlorosis of leaves, tillering of shoots (their formation near the ground in large quantities), shoot death and reduced fruiting.
• Boron deficiency manifests itself in the fact that young leaves turn pale, internodes are shortened, and the apical bud and roots gradually die off.

Plants feel best on sandy loam and dry soil. clay soils Oh. However, even these types of soil require fertilization.

Soil acidity - what to pay attention to

The mechanical composition of the soil is an important, but not the only characteristic of the soil. The reaction of the soil environment, or acidity level, also affects growth and yield. country crops. There are soils sour, neutral And alkaline. Soil acidity levels are determined using test kits consisting of indicator sticks that measure the reaction of the soil environment.

The optimal soil for most cultivated plants has a neutral reaction with a pH level of 6.5-7.

It is necessary to regulate acidity if the pH level is below 5 (acidic soil) or above 7.5 ( alkaline soil). On soils with such indicators, plants develop poorly, their immunity is weakened, root system often gets sick and dries out, and diseases and pests attack plants with a vengeance.

You need to measure the acidity level at least once a season.

For neutralize acidic soil use:

• lime;
• dolomite flour;
• ordinary ash.

For eliminating alkaline environment gypsum is used.

Substance application rates range from 100 to 300 g per 1 sq.m., depending on pH values.

The soil neutralizer is applied in autumn or in the spring when digging it up, removing all vegetation from the surface. The substance is scattered thin layer along the surface and dig it up, embedding it to a depth of 25-30 cm. After this, the soil reaction changes and within 4-5 years reaches the desired level.

What are the benefits of green manure?

One of universal methods increasing soil fertility is the use of green manure. The benefits of green fertilizers are as follows:

• they are environmentally friendly and unpretentious to growing conditions;
• green manure contributes to the flow of nutrients from the lower layers of the soil to the upper ones;
• additionally loosen the soil;
• suppress the development of pathogenic microorganisms;
• prevent the growth of weeds.

The most common and effective green manures:

• peas;
• mustard;
• buckwheat;
• sweet clover;
• lupine;
• alfalfa;
• oats;
• rape;
• radish;
• rye.

Clover can be used between rows garden crops, where it grows without reseeding for 2-3 years

Green manure is grown from early spring until late autumn in pre-designated beds or scattered among vegetables and herbs. in spring The beds are sown with green manure before the main crops are planted. Growing up, they shade young shoots from the scorching sun, and then serve as mulch and environmentally friendly pure fertilizer. In summer green manure is sown on vacant beds, and in autumn or V early winter winter rye and oats are sown. In spring, they are plowed into the soil 3-4 weeks before planting the main cultivated plants.

Loosening is the final stage of all work

After completing all activities, the soil must be loosened. This one is simple agrotechnical technique provides air access to plant roots, promotes moisture penetration into the soil, normalizes temperature regime soil and accelerates the decomposition of nutrients in it and their conversion into a form easily digestible for plants.

Loosening prevents the growth of weeds and saturates the upper layers of soil with oxygen

Loosen with a fork or cultivator to a depth of 25 cm, and during the season, renew the surface layer several times to a depth of 10-15 cm. After heavy rain or stagnant water, destroy the crust that has formed on the surface. Loosening is especially effective during prolonged drought, since then the moisture “stuck” in the lower layers of the soil evaporates and simultaneously saturates the roots with moisture.

“The good land gives more” – with folk wisdom It's hard to disagree. And in order to “appease” the land, you need to follow a few simple recommendations, monitor physical characteristics and the level of soil acidity and respond in a timely manner to “SOS signals” sent by plants.

Summer residents sometimes get the following picture: plants grow poorly, but in their neighbors’ garden everything grows, while, at first glance, all planting is carried out correctly and on time. It is necessary to determine the acidity of the soil by weeds, because this can be main reason poor growth vegetable garden crops. Acidic soil increases the concentration of harmful metals and some substances that block the supply of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium to the roots of the plant. Most crops cannot grow in acidic environment because they lack nutrients.

Why consider acidity?

Soil acidity by weeds (photo), which will help determine acidic or alkaline soil, the first indicator that allows you to establish a fact without using special devices and other agricultural practices.

Every summer resident who respects his work must take into account the acidity of the soil when planting garden crops, because this will make it possible to grow healthy, strong plants and receive a bountiful harvest.

Acidified soil has an adverse effect on growing crops.

1. The likelihood of plant diseases, especially chlorosis, increases; an acidic environment will neutralize the ingress of phosphorus and potassium.
2. A lack of nitrogen threatens oxygen starvation.
3. Such soils are susceptible to waterlogging, which affects the proliferation of harmful microorganisms in it.
4. The amount of calcium, molybdenum, boron, copper, zinc, magnesium is reduced, which reduces the amount of yield or contributes to the reduction of fruits.
5. Accumulation occurs harmful substances, which can increase the toxicity of the plant.

The more acidic the soil, the more nutrients are precipitated and not absorbed; in such plants, protein and carbon metabolism will be disrupted, which will affect their appearance: they will be weak, lethargic and pale green.

Garden crops grow well in a neutral (pH 6.3-7), slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.2 7), slightly alkaline (pH 7.1-8) environment.

Soil acidification can be caused by:

• frequently introduced mineral fertilizers one type;
• natural environment (soil type - peat bogs, clay-turf);
• improper rotation of planting garden crops;
• acid rain, harmful emissions from industrial enterprises.

To avoid soil acidification, you need to check the soil acidity level in spring and autumn, the first sign of which may be the presence of weeds in the area.

What weeds grow in acidic soils + photo

Experts have long noticed that different weeds grow at different pH levels, but there are those that can adapt to any.

There are several types of weeds that adhere to different levels of soil acidity:

• extreme acidophiles that grow in highly acidic soil (pH 3 – 4);
• medium acidophiles, grow in slightly acidic soil;
• weak acidophiles take root in areas with neutral and slightly acidic pH;
• neutrophils, soil with a neutral pH is acceptable for growth and reproduction.

List and photos of weeds that are an indicator of acidic, slightly acidic soil.

• Sour sorrel (common or horse sorrel) is a perennial plant distributed throughout Russia. It has long-petioled basal leaves, entire-edged, elongated-oval.
• Horsetail is a perennial plant with a leafless stem and leaf teeth collected in whorls with spikelets. oval shape. Grows up to 50 cm.
  
  
• Belous protruding, it includes a number of plants belonging to the Poat grass and Poaceae families. The leaves are bristly, up to 15 cm long, and the inflorescence is a spikelet.
  
  
• Wild mint (field mint, meadow mint) is a member of the Lamiaceae family, the leaves are elongated-oval, jagged along the edges, aromatic, located on short petioles of green stems growing up to 40 cm.
  
  
• Tricolor violet(Pansy, Ivan-da-Marya) - leaves are narrow lance-shaped, lower ones are wide oval, flowers are five-petaled blue-violet flowers with a yellow center.
  
  
• Field navel is a weed of the Asteraceae family, flowers similar to medicinal chamomile, leaves openwork, pinnately dissected, short, oblong.
  
  
• Crowberry - Heather family, other names: Shiksha, Ernik, Voronika, Bagnovka. A perennial creeping plant up to 1 m in length. The leaves are watery, alternate, narrowly elliptical in shape, similar to a Christmas tree. The fruit is a black berry, spherical, flattened in shape.
  
  
• Mariannik meadow- family Broomrapaceae, annual plant. The leaves are lanceolate, pointed, entire, up to 9 cm in length. On the stem, solitary or collected in inflorescences yellow flowers, similar to “dogs, helmet.”
  
  
• Marsh rosemary– Heather family, leaves on short petioles, elongated-elliptical, alternate. The flowers are collected in inflorescences shaped like a white ball.
  
  
• Oxalis is a weed with trifoliate, obverse-heart-shaped leaves on long petioles of green or dark purple color. The flowers consist of 5 white or yellow color with a lemon center.
  
  
  
  
• Caustic buttercup (Night blindness) is a perennial plant with pentagonal openwork leaves, flowers are yellow, bright with a glossy tint.
  
  
• Green moss (Bryochites). Most often, indicators of acidic soil are weeds of the Bryophyte department - Sphagnum, Dikran, Hylocomium.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Cornflower is an annual plant from the Asteraceae family. Flowers blue, lilac yellow.
  
  
  
  
• Heather is a low shrub with small flowers, collected in inflorescences, small triangular leaves.
  
  

Also indicators of acidic soil are weeds: lycopodium, violet, cottonwood, blueberry, knotweed, plantain, Erica, oxalis. And also meadow grass, antennaria, lingonberry, lupine, bear's ear, ground reed grass, woodlice, and spurge. It is impossible to talk about acidic soil based on one growing weed species. To accurately determine, there must be clusters of one or two types of weeds in the garden.

Interesting plants are weeds, we fight them, they fight us. It turns out that one or another type of weed can determine the composition and structure of the soil. A plant that appears on your neighbor’s property will not necessarily grow on yours. Why does this happen? It all depends on the composition of the soil, its acidity. Weeds in this issue will become one of the landmarks.

If the soil is acidic, then you will come across mint, sedge, plantain, common heather, lungwort with pink flowers And green moss. A medium and slightly acidic environment is suitable for the appearance of horsetail, poisonous buttercup, milkweed, cornflower, tricolor violet, coltsfoot, and larkspur.

By the appearance of shepherd's purse, woodlice, chamomile, sweet clover and wild radish, soil with neutral acidity can be identified.

Alkaline soil perfectly welcomes poppy seeds, tenacious, and lungworts with purple flowers. Quinoa, bindweed and field mustard grow on slightly alkaline soils.

In fertile soil, buttercup, buttercup, nettle and plantain grow well. Such land is well suited for growing perennials; the splendor of flowering will be ensured. But each weed has its own preferences, for example, nettle is demanding on the soil, it needs looseness and organic matter, so its appearance in the garden should first make you smile, and only then think about a method of control. Plantain prefers fertile but dry soil. Whereas buttercup and dandelion grow in moist soil.

What can you say about the mineral content?

When there is not enough nitrogen in the soil, sundew, alfalfa and clover can be found among the weeds. And with its abundance, quinoa, hops, marigold, ranunculus and black elderberry will appear.

The common coltsfoot also takes root and reproduces on uncultivated dense soil.

A weed in a dacha is bad, you need to look for methods to combat it, but on the other hand, you can use it to determine what cultivated plant it will take root in this place and will delight you. Where horsetail grows, you can plant Siberian rice. After digging up the dandelion, plant the delphinium.

Acidic soils are limed, and highly alkaline soils (pH above 7.0) are acidified. pine needles or a solution of potassium permanganate. And these procedures are carried out annually.

Of course, it is not always possible to find out what type of weed appeared in the garden, and many of them are “omnivorous”, so there are other ways to do this.