How to improve soil fertility on the site: fertilizer methods and ways to improve soil composition + classification

What is soil fertility

Fertility is the property of the earth to fully provide the planted plants with the necessary nutrients and microelements. Such soil contains a balanced composition of all key components. Another important factor is the correct interaction of these substances with each other. If one or more components are missing in the soil, it is considered to be infertile.

Video “How to increase soil fertility”

This video shows 8 effective ways to improve soil fertility.

Fertility Classification

The soil can contain a large amount of nutrients due to natural processes. Otherwise, you can increase its nutritional value by special methods of agricultural technology. In addition, it is possible to classify the quality of the land in relation to the harvested crop or profitability. Based on the foregoing, there are the following types of fertility.

Natural

Such soil is the most valuable – it is characterized by a rich composition that does not depend on the actions of the farmer, does not require the use of special agricultural techniques, and also does not respond to weather conditions.

Potential

Potentially fertile land periodically demonstrates excellent yield indicators, which directly depend on a set of conditions: agrotechnical manipulations performed by the farmer on this site, weather conditions. An example of a potentially fertile land is podzolic: if the summer turns out to be dry, it will please you with a much more abundant harvest than the most fertile black soil.

Artificial

In this case, the nutritional value of the earth is entirely determined by man. The farmer decides which components need to be added to the soil so that its composition acquires the necessary indicators.

Efficient or economic

In this case, the assessment of land quality depends on a combination of a number of factors: these are the properties of the soil and the agrotechnical measures that the farmer takes. The unit of measurement here is precisely the crop or its total value.

Determination of soil fertility

The yield indicators of the crops you planted directly depend on how nutritious the soil in the beds will be. That is why, before planting plants, it is important to determine the content of the soil, and, if necessary, increase fertility by known methods.

You can determine how rich the soil is in nutrients by its properties:

1. Physical. The composition, structure of the soil, the depth of groundwater are assessed. The quality of the land can be assessed by a careful examination – the fertile one will be loose, noticeably porous, and have a pronounced texture.
2. Chemical. An analysis of the chemical composition of the soil will make it possible to give a more detailed description of the earth, to assess the presence of essential components – potassium, humus and phosphorus.
3. Biological. If live bacteria and microorganisms are present in the earth, this has a positive effect on its quality characteristics. They contribute to improved aeration of the soil, retain moisture, increase warming. Conversely, if living organisms are almost or completely absent, such land is considered poor.

Soil fertilization methods on the site

Even if it’s a sin for you to complain about the fertility of the soil, you should familiarize yourself with the generally accepted methods of maintaining and improving its quality characteristics:

• you can plant green manure plants that restore the optimal balance of trace elements in the soil;
• the earth is given a kind of vacation every 4-5 years: in spring and autumn we apply organic fertilizers, as usual, but we do not plant any crops, giving the beds a rest;
• we plant so-called medicinal plants that have the unique property of disinfecting the earth, such as wormwood or garlic.

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Such land is characterized by low fertility for a number of reasons:

• it has a dense structure;
• does not warm up well;
• air circulation in the soil is difficult;
• moisture is unevenly distributed between the soil layers.

But even with such characteristics, this soil is considered rich, the main thing is to process it correctly. So, loosening must be done deep – at least 25 cm, in order to improve aeration, you need to regularly apply organic fertilizers (compost or manure), use the liming method to reduce acidity.

sandy soil

This earth contains almost no nutrients, but it has an excellent structure – it warms up well and passes water and air. To bring the quality indicators of such soil closer to optimal, it is necessary to regularly add compost or peat to it in order to retain moisture. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is also of great importance.

acid earth

Determining acidic soil is easy – you will definitely notice a whitish layer that resembles wood ash located near the surface. As a rule, this is podzolic land, for which high humidity is a characteristic feature. Here, all useful trace elements and minerals are found in the deep layers of the soil, while humus and other micronutrients are practically absent.

To bring quality indicators to the optimum level, ash or lime is added to such soil, which enriches the soil with calcium. In addition, such a manipulation evens out the acidity indicators, after which standard organic or complex fertilizers can be used.

Salt licks

A characteristic feature of such land is the high content of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. With an increase in the level of humidity, solonetzes quickly become sticky, lose their structure, and dry for an extremely long time in the spring. But when the moisture completely evaporates, solonetzes become extremely hard, which makes the cultivation of such land much more difficult.

You can improve the quality of the earth by adding phosphogypsum to it.

Another proven method is calcium sulphate, which absorbs excess calcium, removes salt from the lower layers of the soil.

waterlogged horizons

If your area is dominated by factors that significantly increase the level of soil moisture, you need to master the methods of draining it. It is necessary to divert excess ground and surface water, to prevent soil washout. To this end, beds are formed across the allotment, perennials with small roots are cultivated, and terracing is practiced.

Ways to increase fertility

A gradual decrease in fertility indicators is fraught not only with a decrease in the volume of the crop – crops in the beds necessarily begin to hurt, in some cases they may die. If you notice that your beds need support, take action immediately.

Earthworms or “live fertilizer”

Earthworms are excellent natural cultivators, which not only crush large earthen clods, contributing to improved aeration. They also actively process manure, contributing to the formation of biohumus. In addition, they are not afraid of epidemics, they do not spread infections and diseases.

Use of organic fertilizers

Good organic matter is natural compost. But if you don’t have traditional compost, you can make a liquid “cocktail” from plants. Take a large barrel of water, place it in a sunny place, cover with a tight lid. Add chopped plants inside – dandelions, nettles, plantains – and let it brew and ferment well for 10-15 days. As a result, you will receive a concentrated fertilizer, which remains only to be diluted with water (at a ratio of 1:10) and water the plants.

Planting green manure

The best siderata farmers include mustard, cereals, legumes and radishes. These crops significantly enrich the soil, improve its quality characteristics, and contribute to improved aeration. Another plus is that green manures inhibit pathological microorganisms, preventing them from actively developing.

Crop rotation

If you grow the same crop on the site for a long time, the plants gradually deplete the soil, pulling out the same microelements from it. So, cabbage planted in the garden for several years in a row increases the acidity of the soil, and onions will inevitably cause an increase in the number of nematodes. To avoid such problems, farmers practice alternating crops on the site, then the land does not “get tired” of the same plants, but successfully regenerates itself.

mixed landings

You can maintain an optimal soil balance using the practice of mixed plantings: plants have a beneficial effect on each other, while enriching the earth. Spicy or medicinal plants are considered excellent “neighbors” for vegetables, for example, dill makes the taste of beets and peas brighter and richer, and parsley improves the taste characteristics of tomatoes. The main thing is that the planted crops belong to different families.

Let the earth rest

From time to time, the land just needs to stand “fallow” – leave the land unplanted for a year, and it will certainly thank you with a future rich harvest. The rules are simple: fertilizers and organics are applied to the soil as usual, but crops are not planted.

It has long been known that the earth is a complex living organism, so be attentive to it, and then you can count on its generosity.