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The way to increase yields according to the method of the American vegetable grower Mitlider is based on the use of narrow beds. The simplest technology does not require large investments and is available to any novice gardener. Each summer resident is able to make beds on a mitlider on his own plot with his own hands, you just need to follow the instructions and have a desire.
What is the essence of the Mitlider method
The Mitlider method is based on the specifics of arranging the beds and planting vegetables. First of all, let’s deal with the processing of the land. The famous vegetable grower proves that there is no need to annually dig up all the land in the garden. The site should be marked out only on narrow beds with a wide aisle. The beds themselves have special requirements. Firstly, they should be long for the entire garden and strictly even. Secondly, earthen mounds are necessarily made in the beds, that is, a kind of edging.
Standard bed parameters:
- length – 9 m;
- width – 45 cm;
- the height of bulk mounds is 10 cm;
- row spacing – 1,5 m.
Mitlider justified such sizes of beds with optimal space and better access of light to plants. The backyard becomes easy to maintain. In a narrow bed, the grower is able to approach the plants from both sides, which makes weeding easier. Wide aisles create free space. Plants receive light from all directions. It is easy to roll a garden wheelbarrow along the aisle or lay irrigation pipes.
It is easy to make a narrow bed according to the Mitlider, besides, it does not have to be done every year. The long-term process of operation provides only for the correction of the edges of the edging. It is desirable to sow the aisles with grass. Vegetation retains moisture in the soil.
The next feature of the Mitlider method is based on the rules for planting vegetables. Cultures are arranged in two rows at a distance of 10–15 cm from the earthen edging. At the same time, an aisle between the plants themselves is formed with a width of 15 to 20 cm. The step of planting plants in one row depends on the characteristics of the variety and the agricultural technology of the crop, but in any case, thickening should not be allowed.
Opponents of the technology claim that when using the Mitlider method, the number of planted plants decreases. In other words, the garden area is used unreasonably. To refute such misconceptions, calculations were carried out. Two plots of 1 ha of land were taken, where the usual planting of plants was carried out with a row spacing of 70 cm, and according to the Mitlider method. It turned out that 43 thousand crops fit in the first plot, and 66 thousand plants in narrow beds.
Some domestic vegetable growers have long appreciated Mitlider’s beds, but they could not do without their improvement. This is due to saving space in small cottages. So, our vegetable growers reduced the row spacing to 0,9 m, and between the main crops they sown radishes, greens or non-weaving beans.
Is it always possible to apply the Mitlider method on your site
Bad places for arranging narrow beds were identified by the creator of the method himself:
- land plots with a high level of groundwater;
- in lowlands where there is a threat of flooding after rain or spring snowmelt;
- areas with difficult terrain, where hills are abruptly replaced by depressions, which does not allow perfect horizontality in the garden;
- shaded or heavily windswept vegetable gardens;
- areas without irrigation water.
After analyzing all the prohibitions, we can conclude that Mitlider’s beds are not suitable for many domestic dachas. Most suburban areas are located in wasteland without water sources, swampy areas or lands with difficult terrain.
The composition of fertilizers for growing crops
The technology of growing vegetables is not limited to the arrangement of some beds. You will need to prepare two mixtures of fertilizers, and apply them strictly according to the recommendations of Mitlider.
Preparation of mixture No. 1
The first fertilizer mixture is made only after determining the properties of the soil. The analysis is carried out independently, using litmus paper, or they find data on the average annual rainfall in a particular area.
If the annual precipitation exceeds 500 mm or the paper has turned red, then the pH of the soil is less than 4,5. In this case, the fertilizer is prepared from the following ingredients:
- lime or chalk powder – 5 kg;
- boric acid powder – 40 g, but can be replaced with borax – 60 g.
With a blue color of litmus paper or an indicator of up to 450 mm of precipitation per year, the fertilizer is prepared from the following ingredients:
- gypsum – 5 kg;
- boric acid powder – 40 g or borax – 60 g.
The amount of fertilizer is kneaded with a large margin. You can store it for many years, most importantly, in a dry place.
Preparation of mixture No. 2
Fertilizer number two consists of substances vital for garden crops. Mitlider deduced the general formula for the composition of the fertilizer as a percentage:
- nitrogen -11%;
- phosphorus – 6%;
- potassium – 11%.
It is better to buy such a composition in the store, since it is difficult to prepare it at home. If you have good experience in this matter, for self-preparation of fertilizer at a specialized outlet, you need to buy all the components, a mixture of which will help to obtain the required percentage of substances.
The procedure for self-arrangement of Mitlider’s beds
To make beds according to the mitlider method, they begin with fertilizing the soil, provided that the pegs are broken on the site and the cords are stretched:
- Fertilizer number one is evenly scattered along the marked borders of a narrow bed. Consumption is adhered to at the rate of 100–300 g / p. m. Immediately sprinkle fertilizer prepared according to the second recipe on top. The consumption is 50 g/p. m.
- After fertilizing, the soil is carefully dug up to a maximum depth of 20 cm. It is important to make the soil loose, so all lumps are broken with a rake or other convenient tool.
Now it’s time to make an edging, that is, to heat earthen mounds 10 cm high from the sides and ends. On a properly formed bed, the distance between the side embankments is approximately 35 cm.
Form the edging of the beds in this order:
- For the entire length of the beds, the soil dug up with fertilizers is raked strictly in the center with a rake;
- On one side, they grab the soil from the center of the mound with a rake and rake it under the cord, forming a side. Here it is important to take about half of the soil from the hill, as the second part will be needed for the opposite side.
- A similar procedure is repeated on the other side of the bed until a side is formed over the entire length.
- When the side boards are ready, the remaining earth in the center is leveled with a rake. At this time, it is necessary to heat the end sides.
It is advisable to check the finished bed for horizontalness with a laser level. Large flaws are corrected, and after achieving positive results, they begin to plant plants.
The video shows the technology for making beds according to Mitlider:
It is not difficult to make Mitlider beds in your garden, as long as the conditions allow. If you have experience in vegetable growing, you can try to improve them.