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A close "relative" of sandy soil in terms of the texture of the soil can be called light sandy loam soil. The only difference between the presented samples of sandy and sandy loam soil is the content of a greater percentage of clay inclusions in sandy loam soil than in sandy one. From this it is possible to draw not only a conclusion, but also to determine the main characteristics of sandy loam soil.

Characteristics of sandy loam soil

The sandy loam soil of your site has many unique components, therefore:

  • better retains nutrients at plant roots,
  • useful organic substances in the soil quickly decompose, which favorably affects the development of the plant,
  • warms up quickly by the sun's rays,
  • retains heat for a long time when the temperature drops with the onset of night time.
  • sandy loam soil does not pass streams of water through itself so quickly,
  • dries out rather slowly, feeding the plant root system with the required amount of moisture,
  • after watering, like any soil, sandy loam soil dries out, but does not form a crust on the surface of the soil, does not crack,
  • breathable and moisture-absorbing soil,
  • no water stagnation at the roots, root rot is rarely observed,
  • the soil is very well aerated, has good flowability,
  • breaks down well and is not prone to lump formation,
  • contains a greater amount of mineral and organic substances than sandstone due to the increased presence of clay components,
  • simple and easy to handle - the soil does not stick to the shovel even when digging a wet area,
  • root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes are always removed from the ground clean and dry.

How to determine the type of soil?

When a handful of damp earth of a grayish-brown color is squeezed into a sausage or lump, the sandy loam soil will easily take the desired shape, but it will not be able to hold it, it will crumble when it dries. This means that in front of you is a handful of sandy loam soil, which is rightfully considered fertile soil capable of producing good yields. vegetable crops subject to the regimes of frequent watering and the introduction of complex mineral and organic fertilizers. Sandy loam soil is considered one of the good options for garden plots, but, nevertheless, one should not neglect the methods and methods of soil cultivation, which can significantly affect a good harvest of vegetable crops.

Plants for sandy loam soil

On the sandy loam soils of the garden plot, varieties of all types of cabbage are recommended for growing, early, medium, late, cauliflower, broccoli give excellent and large fruits. A good harvest of tomatoes and cucumbers, parsley, dill, celery, cilantro, which experienced gardeners recommend sowing a little deeper than the usual sowing method.

Almost all vegetables and vegetables are grown on sandy loam soils. berry crops, subject to the introduction of the necessary fertilizers, compliance with crop rotation and the mandatory use of a mulch layer consisting of rotted foliage, crushed sawdust or dry twigs, dried cut grass or straw.

Conifers of shrubs and trees grow practically without losses on sandy loam soils. Fir trees, pines, firs, cypresses, European larches and juniper bushes thrive on sandy and sandy loam lands.

Found their place on sandy loam soil and decorative flowers and shrubs. Garden plots are decorated with bushes of barberry and hawthorn, white turf and Potentilla shrub, and even dyeing gorse. Perennial flowers include plantations of Italian aster and thyme, cornflowers and oregano, tansy and herbal carnations, yarrow and sage, as well as decorative cereal plants. Annuals such as marigolds and kosmeya, calendula and nasturtium, sweet pea and lupine, ornamental beans, purslane and irises decorate the flower beds of a garden plot equipped with sandy loam soil.

From fruit trees, Japanese quince takes root very well and gives large fruits.

Describing plants that take root well and give a bountiful harvest on sandy loam soils, it should be noted that the most favorable soil for growing wine grapes such as Alepo, Rkatsiteli, Pinot is considered to be sandy loam soil.

Ways to improve the fertility of your garden sandy loam soil

Despite the initial good characteristics fertility, I recommend fertilizing any soil, thereby controlling and significantly improving the quality and quantity of the crop. Therefore, to maintain high quality, do not forget:

  • to bind solid particles in the soil, regular peat application is recommended,
  • to maintain microflora and chemical composition mineral and organic fertilizing is needed,
  • the introduction of ash from burnt sawdust, since ash has a beneficial effect on plant growth, as a potash fertilizer,
  • the introduction of clay, because when digging up sandy loam soil, it is necessary to add clay components that affect the moisture absorption of the cultivated soil,
  • sowing green manures - plants that increase the saturation of the soil with nitrogen and oxygen when plowing the site and deepening the green mass into the soil. This is an environmentally friendly way of enriching poor soils, reliable and fairly economical financially.
  • mandatory mulching of plantings and rows between plants, because mulch retains moisture well at the roots, provides additional nutrition and enrichment with microelements,
  • addition of manure and grass compost, affecting the physical properties and fertility of sandy loam soil.

Disadvantages of sandy loam soils

  1. Weak structure. After the surface layer has dried, humus particles easily evaporate, even in a weak breeze.
  2. Mineral dressing in the upper layer is poorly retained due to the lightness of the soil.
  3. Rainwater or irrigation water carries nutrient particles into deep clay layers inaccessible to plant roots.

It is not difficult to observe agrotechnical rules when cultivating sandy loam soils. It is enough to adhere to some tips experienced gardeners, apply the recommended methods and methods of cultivating the fertile layer, and the result will undoubtedly delight the summer resident.

Soil is a complex biological complex, which includes mineral (mechanical) and organic parts, soil air, water, microflora and microfauna. From this complex and a set of influencing factors, such as climatic conditions, planting time, variety, timeliness and literacy of agrotechnical techniques depends on the quality of growing garden crops on your personal plot... Also no less important when laying a garden, lawn or setting up a vegetable garden is the type of soil... It is determined by the content of mineral and organic particles.

The choice of crops, their placement, and ultimately the harvest depends on what type of soil prevails on your site. Depending on this, a specific complex is developed to maintain fertility by proper processing and applying the necessary fertilizers.

The main types of soils that owners of backyards and summer cottages most often encounter are: clay, sandy, sandy loam, loamy, calcareous and swampy. A more accurate classification is as follows:

  • By organic composition - chernozems, gray soils, brown and red soils.

Each soil has both positive and negative properties, which means it differs in recommendations for improving and selecting crops. In their pure form, they are rare, mainly in combination, but with a predominance of certain characteristics. Let's consider each type in detail.

Sandy soil (sandstones)

Sandstones are light soil types. They are friable, free-flowing, water easily permeable. If you pick up a handful of such earth and try to form a lump, then it will crumble.

The dignity of such soils - they warm up quickly, aerate well, and are easy to process. But at the same time, they quickly cool, dry out, weakly retain mineral substances in the root zone - and this disadvantage... Nutrients are washed out by water into the deep layers of the soil, which leads to a decrease in the availability of useful microflora and suitability for growing crops.


Sandstone

To increase the fertility of sandstones, it is necessary to constantly take care of improving their compacting and binding properties. This can be achieved by introducing peat, compost, humus, clay or drill meal (up to two buckets per 1 m²), using green manure (embedded in the soil), and high-quality mulching.

A more non-standard method of improving these soils is the creation of an artificial fertile layer by clay. To do this, in place of the beds, it is necessary to arrange a clay castle (lay out the clay in a layer of 5 - 6 cm) and pour 30 - 35 cm of sandy loam or loamy soil on it.

On initial stage processing allowed growing the following crops: carrots, onions, melons, strawberries, currants, fruit trees. Cabbage, peas, potatoes and beets will feel somewhat worse on sandstones. But if you fertilize them with fast-acting fertilizers, in small doses and often enough, then you can achieve good results.

Sandy loam soil (sandy loam)

Sandy loam is another version of soils that are light in texture. They are similar in quality to sandstone, but contain a slightly higher percentage of clay inclusions.

The main advantages of sandy loam - they have a better holding capacity for mineral and organic substances, quickly warm up and hold it for a relatively long time, it passes moisture less and dries out more slowly, is well aerated and easy to process.


Sandy loam soil

With conventional methods and the choice of zoned varieties, anything can grow on sandy loam soil. This is one of the good options for gardens and vegetable gardens. However, the methods of increasing and maintaining fertility for these soils are also acceptable. This involves the introduction of organic matter (in normal doses), sowing green manure crops, and mulching.

Clay soil (alumina)

Alumina refers to heavy soils with a predominance of clay and loess (silty) sedimentary rocks. They are difficult to cultivate, have little air and are colder than sandy soils. The development of plants on them is somewhat delayed. On the surface of very heavy soils, water can stagnate due to the low coefficient of water absorption. Therefore, it is quite problematic to grow crops on it. However, if the clay soil is properly cultivated, it can become fertile enough.

How to identify clay soil? After digging, it has a coarse, lumpy, dense structure, moisturized sticks to the legs, poorly absorbs water, and easily sticks together. If you roll a long "sausage" out of a handful of moist alumina, then it can be easily bent into a ring, while it will not crumble or crack.


Clay soil

To facilitate the processing and enrichment of alumina, it is recommended to periodically apply substances such as coarse sand, peat, ash and lime. And you can improve biological qualities with the help of manure and compost.

The introduction of sand into the clay soil (no more than 40 kg per 1 m 2) allows to reduce the moisture capacity and thus increase its thermal conductivity. After sanding, it becomes suitable for processing. In addition, its ability to warm up and water permeability increases. Ash enriches with nutrients. Peat loosens and increases water absorption properties. Lime reduces acidity and improves soil air conditions.

Recommended trees for clay soils: hornbeam, pear, pedunculate oak, willow, maple, alder, poplar. Shrubs: barberry, periwinkle, hawthorn, weigela, derain, viburnum, cotoneaster, hazel, mahonia, currant, snowberry, spirea, henomeles or Japanese quince, mock-orange or garden jasmine. From vegetables potatoes, beets, peas and Jerusalem artichoke feel good on clay.

On clay soils, special attention should be paid to loosening and mulching.

Loamy soil (loamy soil)

Loamy soil is the most suitable view for growing garden crops. It is easy to process, contains a large percentage of nutrients, has high air and water permeability, is able not only to retain moisture, but also distribute it evenly over the thickness of the horizon, and retains heat well.

You can determine the loam by taking a handful of this soil in the palm of your hand and rolling it up. As a result, you can easily form a sausage, but when deformed, it collapses.


Due to the combination of the available properties, the loamy soil does not need to be improved, but it is only necessary to maintain its fertility: mulch, periodically apply organic and mineral fertilizers.

All types of crops can be grown on loams.

Lime soil

Calcareous soil is classified as poor soil. Usually it has a light brown color, a large number of stony inclusions, does not give iron and manganese to plants well, and can have a heavy or light composition. At elevated temperatures, it quickly heats up and dries out. Crops grown on such soil have yellow foliage and unsatisfactory growth.


Lime soil

To improve the structure and increase the fertility of calcareous soils, it is necessary to regularly apply organic fertilizers, mulch, sow green manure, apply potash fertilizers.

Everything can be grown on this type of soil, but with frequent loosening of row spacings, timely watering and the thoughtful use of mineral and organic fertilizers. Weak acidity will suffer: potatoes, tomatoes, sorrel, carrots, pumpkin, radish, cucumbers and salads. Therefore, they need to be fed with fertilizers that tend to acidify (ammonium sulfate, urea), and not alkalize the soil, for example.

Swampy soil (peat bog)

Swampy (peat) soils are not uncommon for garden plots... Unfortunately, it is difficult to call them good for growing crops. This is due to the minimum content of nutrients for plants. Such soils quickly absorb water, give it up just as quickly, warm up poorly, and often have a high acidity index.

The only advantage of marshy soils is that they retain mineral fertilizers well and are easily amenable to cultivation.


Swampy soil

To improve the fertility of swampy soils, it is necessary to enrich the land with sand or clay flour. Liming and fertilization can also be applied.

To lay a garden on peat soils, it is better to plant trees either in pits, with soil individually laid for culture, or in bulk hills, from 0.5 to 1 meter high.

Using a peat bog as a vegetable garden, it is necessary to thoroughly cultivate or, as in the version with sandy soils, lay a clay layer and pour loam, organic fertilizers and lime mixed with peat on it. For growing gooseberries, currants, chokeberry and garden strawberries, you can do nothing, just water and weed out the weeds, since these crops grow on such soils without cultivation.

Chernozems

Chernozems are soils of high potential fertility. A stable granular-lumpy structure, a high humus content, a large percentage of calcium, good water-absorbing and water-retaining properties allow us to recommend them as the best way for growing crops. However, like any other soil, they tend to deplete from constant use. Therefore, already 2 - 3 years after their development, it is recommended to apply organic fertilizers to the beds, sow green manures.


Chernozem

Chernozems can hardly be called light soils, so they are often loosened by adding sand or peat. They can also be acidic, neutral and alkaline, which must also be controlled. To define black soil, you need to take a guest of the earth and squeeze it in the palm of your hand. This should leave a black, bold print.

Serozem

For the formation of gray soils, loess-like loams and loess with pebble bedding are required. Plain serozem is formed on clayey and heavy loamy deluvial and alluvial rocks.

The vegetation cover of zones with gray soils is characterized by a pronounced zonation. At the lower level, as a rule, there is a semi-desert with bluegrass and sedge. It gradually passes into the next belt with semi-desert and representing it bluegrass, sedge, poppy and barley. The higher regions of the foothills and low mountains are mainly occupied by wheatgrass, barley and other crops. Willows and poplars grow in areas of river floodplains.


Serozem

The following horizons are distinguished in the profile of gray soils:

  • Humus (from 12 to 17 cm thick).
  • Transitional (15 to 26 cm thick).
  • Illuvial carbonate (60 to 100 cm thick).
  • Dusty-loamy with inclusions at a depth of more than 1.5 m. Fine-crystalline gypsum.

The sierozem is characterized by a relatively low content of humic substances - from 1 to 4%. Moreover, they differ elevated level carbonates. These are alkaline soils with low absorption capacity. They contain some amount of gypsum and readily soluble salts. One of the properties of serozem is the biological accumulation of potassium and phosphorus. Soils of this type contain a lot of easily hydrolyzable nitrogen compounds.

IN agriculture gray earth soils can be used subject to special irrigation measures. Most often, cotton is grown on them. In addition, beets, rice, wheat, maize and melons can be successfully cultivated in areas with gray soils.

To improve the quality of gray earth soils, in addition to irrigation, measures are recommended to prevent secondary salinization. It will also require regular application of organic and mineral fertilizers, the formation of a deep arable layer, the application of the method of alfalfa-cotton crop rotation and sowing of green manure.

Brown soils

Brown forest soils are formed on variegated and red-colored rubble-loamy, proluvial, alluvial and alluvial-deluvial rocks of the plains located in the foothills under deciduous, beech-hornbeam, oak-ash, beech-oak and oak forests. In the eastern part of Russia, they are localized on the foothill and intermontane plains and are located on clay, loamy, alluvial and eluvial-deluvial bases. Mixed, spruce, cedar, fir, maple and oak forests often grow on them.


Brown soils

The process of formation of brown forest soils is accompanied by the emergence of products of soil formation and weathering from the soil profile. They usually have mineral, organic and organo-mineral structure. To form soil of the specified type special meaning has the so-called litter (fallen parts of plants), which is a source of ash components.

The following horizons can be identified:

  • Forest litter (0.5 to 5 cm thick).
  • Coarse humus humus.
  • Humus (up to 20 cm thick).
  • Transitional (25 to 50 cm thick).
  • Maternal.

The main characteristics and composition of brown forest soils vary significantly from one horizon to another. In general, these are soils saturated with humus, the content of which reaches 16%. Fulvic acids occupy a significant part of its components. Soils of the presented type are acidic or slightly acidic. Claying processes often take place in them. Sometimes the upper horizons are depleted in silty components.

In agriculture, brown forest soils are traditionally used for growing vegetables, grain, fruit and industrial crops.

To determine what type of soil prevails on your site, it is best to contact a specialist. You will be helped to find out not only the type of soil by the content of minerals, but also the presence of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and other useful microelements in it.

Apply fertilizers, apply pesticides, water and loosen, from morning until late at night in the beds, but the harvest is not happy? Spend money on zoned modern varieties and hybrids, and as a result, there are miserable sick plants on the site? Maybe it's the soil?

Gardening and horticulture is aimed at getting good yields. Suitable plant varieties, timely application of fertilizers and pesticides, watering - all these affect the final result.

But correct agricultural technology gives the desired result only when taking into account the characteristics of the soil in this area. Let's take a look at the types and types of soil, their pros and cons.

Soil types are classified according to their content:

  • minerals (main part);
  • organic matter and, first of all, humus, which determines its fertility;
  • microorganisms and other living things involved in the processing of vegetation residues.

An important soil quality is the ability to pass air and moisture, as well as the ability to retain the incoming water.

For a plant, such a property of the soil as thermal conductivity is extremely important (it is also called heat capacity). It is expressed in the period of time during which the soil is able to heat up to a certain temperature and, accordingly, give off heat.

The mineral part of any soil is sedimentary rocks formed as a result of weathering of rock formations. Water currents over millions of years have divided these products into two types:

  • sand;
  • clay.

Limestone is another mineral-forming species.

As a result, 7 main types of soils can be distinguished for the flat part of Russia:

  • clayey;
  • loamy (loam);
  • sandy;
  • sandy loam (sandy loam);
  • limestone;
  • peat;
  • black earth.

Soil characteristics

Clayey

Heavy, difficult to process, drying for a long time and slowly warming up in spring. Poorly pass water and moisture to the roots of plants. In such soil, beneficial microorganisms develop poorly, and there is practically no decomposition of plant residues.

Loamy

One of the most common soil types. In terms of quality, they are second only to chernozems. Suitable for growing all garden and vegetable garden crops.

Loams are easy to work with, have normal acidity. They heat up quickly, but do not immediately release the stored heat.

Good environment for the development of underground microflora. The processes of decay and decay, due to the access of air, are intense.

Sandy

They are easy for any treatment, they pass water, air and liquid fertilizers well to the roots. But these same qualities also have negative consequences: the soil quickly dries up and cools down, fertilizers are washed out by rain and irrigation with water and go deep into the soil.

Sandy loam

Possessing all the positive qualities of sandy soils, sandy stones better retain mineral fertilizers, organic matter and moisture.

Lime

The soil is poorly suited for gardening. It contains little humus, as well as iron and manganese. An alkaline environment requires acidification of the lime soil.

Peat

Plots in swampy places need cultivation and, above all, land reclamation work. Acidic soils must be limed annually.

Chernozem

Chernozem is a soil standard and does not need to be domesticated. Competent agricultural technology is all that is needed to grow a rich harvest.

For a more accurate classification of the soil, its main physical, chemical and organoleptic parameters are considered.

Soil type

characteristics

clayey loamy sandy sandy loam calcareous peat black earth
Structure Large blocky lumpy, structural Fine-grained Fine lumpy stony inclusions loose Grainy-lumpy
Density high average low average high low average
Air permeability Very low average high average low high high
Hygroscopicity low average low average high high high
Specific heat (heating rate) low average high average high low high
Acidity Slightly acidic Neutral to acidic Low, close to neutral slightly acidic alkaline sour Slightly alkaline to slightly acidic
% humus Very low Medium, closer to high low middle low middle tall
Cultivation Adding sand, ash, peat, lime, organic matter. Maintain the structure by applying manure or humus. Introduction of peat, humus, clay dust, planting green manure. Regular application of organic matter, autumn sowing of green manure Application of organic, potash and nitrogen fertilizers, ammonium sulfate, sow green manure Sand application, abundant liming, manure, compost. When depleted, the introduction of organic matter, compost, sowing green manure.
Crops that can grow trees and shrubs with a developed root system extending deep into the soil: oak, apple, ash Almost all zoned varieties grow. Carrots, onions, strawberries, currants Most crops grow when using the correct agricultural technology and zoned varieties. Sorrel, salads, radishes, blackberries. Currant, gooseberry, chokeberry, garden strawberry Everything grows.

The main types of soils in Russia

More than a hundred years ago V.V. Dokuchaev discovered that the formation of the main soil types on the Earth's surface follows the law of latitudinal zoning.

Soil type is its attributes, which arise in similar conditions and have the same parameters and soil formation conditions, which in turn depend on the climate during geologically significant periods of time.

The following types of soils are distinguished:

  • tundra;
  • podzolic;
  • sod-podzolic;
  • gray forest;
  • black earth;
  • chestnut;
  • brown.

The tundra and brown soils of semi-deserts are completely unsuitable for agriculture. Low-fertile podzolic taiga and chestnut soils of dry steppes.

For agricultural activities, the most important are medium-fertile sod-podzolic soil, fertile gray forest and maximally fertile chernozem soils. The humus content, climatic conditions with the necessary heat and moisture make these soils attractive for working on them.

We are used to seeing beauty in the clouds, in the surrounding nature, and never in the soil. But it is she who creates those unique pictures that remain in the memory for a long time. Love, learn and take care of the soil on your site! She will repay you and your children with wonderful harvests, the joy of creation and confidence in the future.

Determination of the mechanical composition of the soil:

The importance of soil in the life of mankind:

Besides acidity and content nutrients, for planting plants, it is necessary to know the mechanical composition of soils, reflecting the content of sand, clay, dust in them. Soils, in which 10-20% of clayey small particles are referred to sandy loam soils characteristic of the temperate zone.

The mechanical composition can be determined by rolling a sausage with a diameter of no more than 35 mm from the moistened soil. If it does not crack when folded into a ring, then the soil is clay, if it cracks, then loamy, if it begins to crumble, then sandy loam. If the sausage does not roll at all, then the soil is sandy. Among all this variety, sandy loam soil is the most favorable option for gardening work.

Sandy loam soil is light. It is easily supplied to loosening, water permeable, breathable, warms up quickly, is able to retain organic and mineral substances, which means that biological life develops better on it. However, what is its advantage, in some way, is also its disadvantage. So, a weak retention of moisture in the soil will make plants suffer during a drought period, and during a rainy period it is more difficult for it to retain mineral and nutrients.

Plants for sandy loam soils

From ornamental trees and shrubs on sandy loamy soils, pine, juniper, some willows, as well as amorph, mock orange, currant, viburnum, heather feel great without additional care. If the soil is watered and fertilized, then it is quite suitable for most fruit trees.

Sandy loam soil is very fond of lawn grass... For on well-aerated soils, cereal plants develop well - fescue, awnless fire, wheatgrass. Pay attention to flower cultures - silver wormwood of Pontic, pearl anaphalis, mountain women, badans. On sandy loam soils, grayish-blue carnations and grass, Veronica, thyme, and sage grow well.

If you provide minimal care, then in a sunny area you can plant sunflowers, coreopsis, paniculata gypsophila, red skerda, broad-leaved kermek, as well as unpretentious cereals - barley, lagurus, hare borer - and flowering legumes - peas, beans, beans.

Despite the fact that sandy loam soils are considered relatively fertile, it is also necessary to take measures to improve their condition. Regular application of peat will help to bind solid soil particles better, and application of manure and compost will favor the vital activity of soil microorganisms. However, before planting plants, do not forget

When purchasing a suburban area, a summer resident, first of all, must learn about the type of soil of the future garden. If the site is intended for the cultivation of fruit trees, berry bushes and vegetables, this is an important factor in obtaining good yields.

Knowing the qualitative composition of the soil, a gardener can easily select varieties for open or greenhouse sowing, the type of fertilizer for any crop grown, calculate required amount watering. All this will save money, time and your own labor.

All types of soil include:

  • mother part or mineral;
  • humus or organic (the main determining fertility);
  • water permeability and ability to retain moisture;
  • the ability to pass air;
  • living organisms that process plant waste;
  • other neoplasms.

Each of the components is of no small importance, but the humus part is responsible for fertility. It is the high humus content that makes the soils the most fertile, providing plants with nutrients and moisture, which gives them the opportunity to grow, develop and bear fruit.

Of course, for a good harvest, the climatic zone, the timing of planting crops, and competent agricultural technology matter. But greatest value has the composition of the potting mix.

Knowing the constituents of the soil, fertilizers are easily selected and appropriate care for the planted plants. Russian summer residents are most often faced with such types of soil as: sandy, sandy loam, clayey, loamy, peaty-boggy, calcareous and black soil.

In their pure form, they are quite rare, but knowing about the main component, one can draw a conclusion about what this or that type needs.

Sandy

The easiest to handle. Loose and free-flowing, they admit water remarkably, warm up quickly, let air pass well to the roots.
But all positive traits are at the same time negative. The soil quickly cools and dries up. Nutrients are washed out during rains and irrigation, go into deep soil layers, the earth becomes empty and barren.

To increase fertility, several methods are used:

  • introduction of compost, humus, peat crumbs (1-2 buckets for spring-autumn digging per 1 sq. m of the plot) mixed with clay flour;
  • sowing siderates (mustard, vetch, alfalfa), followed by embedding of green mass in the ground during digging. Its structure improves, saturation with microorganisms and minerals occurs;
  • creation of a man-made "clay castle". The method is laborious, but it gives quick and good results. In place of future beds, a layer of ordinary clay, 5-6 cm thick, is crumbled. A mixture of compost, sandy soil, black soil, peat chips is placed on top and ridges are formed. Clay will retain moisture, the plants will be comfortable.

But already at the initial stage of the cultivation of sandy soils, it is possible to plant strawberries on them, pouring humus or compost under each bush. Onions, carrots and pumpkin seeds thrive on such lands. Fruit trees and berry bushes grow without problems on sandstones. In this case, it is necessary to correctly fertilize the planting pit.

Sandy loam

Sandstones are as easy to cultivate as sandy soils. But they have a much higher content of humus and binding components. Clay components retain nutrients better.

In composition, sandy loam soils differ slightly, depending on the area of \u200b\u200bthe site, but the main characteristics correspond to the name. They warm up quickly, but cool down more slowly than sandy ones. They well retain moisture, minerals and organics.

This species is optimal for growing horticultural crops. But still, do not forget about the introduction of mineral fertilizers, compost and humus, which provide plants with everything necessary for normal growth, development and fruiting.

Growing zoned varieties on sandy loam soil and observing agricultural techniques appropriate to the climatic zone, it is possible to get excellent yields from the summer cottage.

Clayey

Considered heavy soils, difficult to cultivate. In spring, they dry and warm up for a long time, hardly letting air to the roots of plants. In rainy weather, moisture is poorly passed through, in a dry period the earth resembles a stone, it is difficult to loosen it, as it dries up.

By purchasing such a site, it must be domesticated over several seasons, making:

  • compost (humus) - 1-2 buckets per sq. meter of beds annually, to increase fertility;
  • sand to improve the transmission of moisture into the soil, up to 40 kg per sq. plot meter;
  • peat chips to improve soil looseness and reduce clay density;
  • lime and ash are added without restriction;
  • once every 3-4 years, green manures are sown on free plots, followed by incorporation of green mass during digging.

Fruit trees and berry bushes, with their powerful and branched roots, tolerate clay soils well, provided correct preparation landing pits.

During the cultivation of the site, you can plant potatoes, beets, Jerusalem artichoke, peas on it. The rest of the vegetables are planted on high ridges or ridges. So the roots will warm up well, and the earth dries out faster after the spring stagnation of moisture.

All planted plants are periodically loosened and mulched. Loosening is best done after rain or watering until the ground is covered with a hard crust. Mulch with chopped straw, old sawdust or peat chips.

Loamy

Loams are ideal for growing all horticultural crops. Due to its optimally balanced composition (60-80% impurities and 40-20% clay), it is easy to process. The advantage is that the loams have a balanced content of mineral and nutrients, which allows them to maintain normal soil acidity.

After digging, the fine-grained structure remains loose for a long time, passes air well to the roots of plants, quickly warms up and retains heat. Clay components retain water for a long time, without stagnation, and maintain soil moisture.

Due to the fact that it is not required to domesticate loams, all garden crops feel good on them. But do not forget about the introduction of organic matter for the autumn digging and mineral dressing of the plants planted in spring. To retain moisture, all plantings are mulched with old sawdust, peat chips or chopped straw.

Peat boggy

Plots cut in peat boggy places require domestication. First of all, it is necessary to carry out reclamation work. The donor must be ditched to drain moisture, otherwise, over time, the gardening partnership will turn into a swamp.

The soils in such areas are acidic, therefore they require annual liming. The composition of the soil is sufficiently saturated with nitrogen and phosphorus, but it is not suitable for growing cultivated plants, since it is not absorbed in this form.

To improve the fertility of the site, he needs sand, fresh slurry, a large amount of humus or compost, for rapid development microorganisms that improve the condition and structure of peat-boggy soil.

To lay out a garden, special preparation of planting holes is required. They include a cushion of a properly formulated nutritional formula. Another option is to plant trees and bushes on loose mounds. The height is not less than 0.8-1 m.

The method is used, as with sandstones, when the ridges are arranged on a "clay castle", and peaty-boggy soil is poured on top, mixed with sand, humus or old sawdust, lime.

Bushes of currants, gooseberries, and black chokeberry are planted on uncultivated soils. Garden strawberries bear fruit well. With minimal maintenance, consisting of watering and weeding, you can get a good harvest of berries.

The rest of the garden plants can be planted the next year after domestication.

Lime

The most unsuitable soil for gardening. It is poor in humus components; plants lack iron and manganese.

A distinctive feature is the light brown color of the soil, which includes many poorly broken lumps. If acidic soils require liming, then calcareous ones require leaching with organic matter. It is possible to improve such a structure with the help of fresh sawdust, which, moreover, acidifies the lime soil well.

The earth heats up quickly without giving up nutrients to the plants. As a result, young seedlings turn yellow, develop poorly and grow.
Potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, sorrel, salad greens, radish, cucumbers suffer from a lack of nutrients and a high alkaline environment. Of course, they can be grown with abundant watering, frequent loosening, mineral and organic fertilizing, but the yield will be much lower than on other types.

To improve the fertility and structure of the soil, humus is used, the introduction of a large amount of manure for winter digging. Sowing green manure with the subsequent incorporation of green mass into the soil will save the day and cultivate the area with limestone.

The application of potash fertilizers will improve the situation with fertility. Increase the acidity of nitrogen fertilization of plants with urea or ammonium sulfate, mulching after watering and dressing.

Chernozem

The standard of gardening soil. IN middle lane countries plots with chernozem soils are extremely rare.

The granular lumpy structure is easy to process. It warms up well and retains heat, high water-absorbing and water-retaining properties allow plants to not feel drought.

The balanced content of humus and mineral-nutrients requires constant maintenance. Timely application of humus, compost, mineral fertilizers will enable long-term use of the site with black soil. To reduce the density, sand and peat chips are scattered on the site.

The acidity of chernozems is different, therefore, to comply with permissible indicators, a special analysis is carried out or guided by the weeds growing on the site.

How to determine the type of soil

To determine the type of soil on your suburban area enjoy in a simple way... You need to collect a handful of earth, moisten it to a doughy state with water and try to roll a ball out of it. As a result, we can conclude:

  • clay - the ball not only turned out, but a sausage rolled out of it, which is easy to put in a bagel;
  • loamy - the sausage rolls out of the ground well, but the bagel is not always obtained;
  • sandstones - even a ball is not always obtained, the earth will simply crumble in your hands;
  • it may be possible to form a ball from sandy loam, but it will have a rough surface and then nothing will work out. The soil does not form into a sausage, but crumbles;
  • the alleged black soil is clenched in a fist, after which a dark greasy spot should remain on the palm;
  • calcareous, depending on the structure, can be soaked and made a bagel from the sausage, but they are easily identified by the color and lumpy components in the soil;
  • peat-boggy soils are determined by the location of the site.

Using their own methods of cultivating each type of soil, good harvest can be obtained on any type of soil. The main thing is to observe the agrotechnology of growing and caring for plants, timely weeding, feeding and watering.


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