Improving loam soil with straw. Soil types. Calcareous soils. Characteristic

If you have clay soil on your plot and you are asking what to do, then this article is for you and after reading it you will not have to climb the forums and ask experienced gardeners what to do.

Determination of clay soil

The soil is considered clayey if 80% of its composition is clay and 20% is sand. Clay, in turn, consists of particles that fit tightly one to another. Accordingly, this causes problems, since air and water do not pass through such a surface well. The absence of air in it inhibits necessary biological processes.

How to determine soil type (video)

Soils that consist mainly of clay are very inconvenient because their structure is not ideal. They are very compacted and heavy, since the clay itself is poorly drained.

Clay soil freezes quickly and takes a long time to heat up, despite the fact that nutrients are present in greater quantities compared to light soils. Processing clay is very difficult, and plant roots do not penetrate well into such a surface. After snow melts, rains or watering, the water remains at the top for a long time and very slowly passes into the lower layers.

Clay soil allows moisture to pass through for a long time

Accordingly, stagnation of water occurs here, which in turn helps to displace air from the layers of the earth, and the soil becomes acidic. When the water in the ground is high, then, in principle, the same processes occur with it. When there are heavy rains, the clay floats, a crust forms on top of the soil, with which nothing good happens - it dries out, hardens and bursts. And if then it rains rarely, the ground hardens so much that it is very difficult to dig up. The crusts that form on top of the soil do not allow air to penetrate, which dries it out even more. Processing becomes even more difficult and blocks form when digging.

Clay soil often contains little humus, and it is mainly located 10-15 cm from the surface. But even this is more of a disadvantage than an advantage, since such soil has an acidic reaction that plants do not tolerate well.

But, fortunately, all these disadvantages can be corrected in a few seasons. We are, of course, not talking about “transforming” heavy soil into light soil. It will also require some effort and quite a lot of material costs from the owner. This work may take several years.

It doesn’t matter for what types of crops you want to improve the soil - on a garden plot or any other, the principles of action are almost the same everywhere.

First, plan the plane on your site so that it is as level as possible, otherwise water will stagnate there. The boundaries on the garden bed should be directed in such a way that it ensures the drainage of excess water.

Before winter, it is necessary to dig up the clay soil, but in such a way as not to break up the lumps. It is advisable to do this before the autumn rains, otherwise the soil will become even more compacted. In winter, due to water and frost, the structure of the lumps will be better. This will speed up the drying and warming of the soil in the spring. In the spring, the soil needs to be dug up again.

When cultivating such soils and increasing the plowed layers, it is prohibited to turn up most of the podzol. The depth should increase to a maximum of two centimeters, and fertilizers and various lime materials should be added.

In cases where the soil is very dense and difficult to even dig up, it is allowed to add crushed bricks, hay, chopped brushwood or bark. But if you don't have bricks, you can add burnt weeds. They are burned with roots and loose soil, and then added to our soil.

Improving clay soil with fertilizers

Be that as it may, all of the above works well, but the main method for improving clay soil is adding fertilizers. This could be manure or different types of peat or compost.

Peat

At first, it is recommended to add manure or peat at least 1-2 buckets per square meter. Make the cultivated soil layer no more than 12 cm, because this promotes the high-quality development of minerals. Thanks to this, beneficial soil microorganisms and earthworms develop well there. As a result, the soil will become loose, its structure improves, and air penetrates there better. This all contributes to the good life of the vegetation.

Humus for fertilizer

The manure that will be added to the soil must be well rotted, otherwise it will be harmful to the roots. Use manure that decomposes quickly - horse or sheep manure.

The peat must be well weathered. If the peat color is rusty, then it is better not to add it. This indicates a high iron content, which can harm vegetation.

Wood sawdust

If you have sawdust that has been sitting for a long time, this can also give a good result. However, you should add no more than 1 bucket per square meter. But this can reduce soil fertility. This is due to the fact that when sawdust decomposes, it takes on soil nitrogen. This can be prevented if, before adding to the soil, you make a solution of urea, the concentration of which should be 1.5% with water. You can also use sawdust that was laid under livestock and moistened with their urine.

Sawdust as fertilizer

Sand and humus

There is also another method - during autumn digging, add river sand to the clay soil. Although it is not easy, it gives a good effect. But you need to know the correct proportions, since each type of crop grown requires a different soil composition.

Sand for fertilizing clay soil

In soils such as fine loam, vegetables and many flowers grow well. To achieve this composition, add one bucket of sand per square meter.

Half a bucket needs to be added if you want to plant cabbage, beets, apple trees, plums, cherries or some flower crops such as peonies or roses. They love heavy soils.

It is necessary to add sand and humus to clay soil regularly - at least every year over the years. This is all because the humus will be taken up by the plants, and the sand will settle, and the soil will again become unfavorable.

As practice shows, after five years of such work, the soil will turn from clay to loamy. The thickness of the layer will be about 18 cm.

Fertilizer from green crops

Annual green crops, which are used as fertilizer, produce a good effect.

They are usually sown after harvesting vegetables or potatoes, and in the same season they are dug up for the winter. In August you can also sow winter rye and dig it up in the spring. Such crops have a positive effect on the soil, and it is enriched organically. But the main thing is that this way the clay soil is loosened.

Creating loose soil

If the soil has very little organic matter, sowing perennial clover is a good solution. It is regularly mowed without collecting the grass. Clover roots die over time and have a beneficial effect on the soil. After three years, it is better to dig up the clover to a depth of 12 cm.

Earthworms also loosen the soil well, so it is advisable to populate them there. If you have any empty areas, you can plant them with ground covers. They prevent the soil from drying out, overheating and increase the level of organic matter.

Soil liming

If you have heard about such a method as liming the soil, then this is done only in the fall. This is done infrequently - once every 5 years. Lime deoxidizes the soil and thereby has a beneficial effect on it. Calcium, in turn, increases soil fertility, as it allows water to penetrate deep into the clay. Basically, this method, like most others, loosens heavy soil well.

But the question arises, in what dosages to add alkaline materials? It depends on the amount of calcium in the soil, the level of acidity and mechanical composition. In autumn you can fertilize with ground limestone, slaked lime, dolomite flour, chalk, cement dust, wood and peat ash.

Enrichment with lime has a beneficial effect on both heavy and light soils. The heavy ones turn into more loose ones, and the light ones, on the contrary, become coherent. Also, the effect of microorganics is enhanced, which better absorbs nitrogen and humus, which improves the nutritional value of plants.

Clay soil can produce crops, but it requires work

To find out what type of soil you have, do a simple experiment - Squeeze a handful of soil in your hand and moisten it with water. Knead the soil until it resembles dough. Try to make a “donut” with a diameter of 5 cm from this handful. If it is cracked, then you have loamy soil, if there are no cracks, then you have clay soil. Accordingly, it needs to be put in order.

Preface

To take care of the longevity and productivity of cultivated plants, you need to know what types of soils are suitable for them. Several main criteria are combined: mechanical composition, acidity and fertility. It is important for a gardener to learn to recognize each of them.

The main types of soils are: light (sandy and sandy loam), medium-heavy (loamy), heavy (clayey). Determination of the mechanical composition is carried out using a test familiar to many. Moisten a handful of soil well with water, trying to obtain a thick paste-like consistency. Now take the moistened lump in your hands and try to twist it into a “sausage” and make a ring. The result of the experiment will tell you what type of soil you are holding in your hands. If the soil rolls up well and forms a tight ring, then the soil is heavy.

Determining the type of soil

If it rolls well, but when twisted into a ring it forms cracks, it is classified as a medium type. And if it crumbles in your hands and it is impossible to make even a thin rope out of it, this means that the earth is light. These are water- and breathable, differ in density and moisture-holding capacity. Each of them is adapted for growing various cultivated plants, with an individual approach to care and feeding.

Those who have encountered this type probably know that it has high viscosity and is literally difficult not only to grow, but also to process. The tendency to stick together and the density make the soil difficult to work with. It forms large lumps and compactions that are difficult to grind. This is also reflected in air permeability, which limits the supply of the required amount of oxygen to the root system and microorganisms present in the soil. As a result, the process of decomposition of organic substances into decay products slows down, and the plant experiences a deficiency of the organic fertilizers and other nutrients it needs.

Clay soil

The next important factor is water permeability. Soils with a heavy structure have difficulty allowing moisture to pass through. However, having absorbed a sufficient amount of liquid, they are able to retain it in the root layer for a long time. As a result, the formation of long periods of stagnation and low availability of moisture to the lower layers of the soil lead to rotting of the root system and gradual withering of the plant. Clay soils pose a special triple hazard during precipitation, which, after drying, form a hard crust of the earth, also called “concrete soil.” . Such a dense layer does not allow the penetration of sunlight, air and moisture, completely interfering with the life processes of the plant. It is possible to increase fertility by introducing a biologically active and nutrient medium.

Among the most accessible means are compost and manure, which every gardener has in stock. It is also necessary to ensure good looseness. Lightening components such as lime, ash, coarse sand and peat will help you in this matter.

The loamy type is perhaps the most favorable type of soil for growing crops. It occupies an intermediate place between clay and sandy soil, having the main advantages of both and excluding their disadvantages, maintaining a balance of the necessary quality characteristics necessary for cultivating a wide variety of plants. Unlike the previous type, this land is easy to cultivate. It has a granular lumpiness, which allows it to avoid forming rough dense lumps and caking.

Thanks to good water and air permeability, uniform heating, maintaining a constant temperature and balanced moisture, such soil is rich in all necessary minerals, which are constantly replenished with organic matter, for the biological life of which all the necessary conditions have been created. To maintain the fertility of loamy soils, it is recommended to apply organic fertilizers (manure or compost). However, this rule applies to all types of land without exception.

Many gardeners consider these types of soils favorable in all respects for growing cultivated plants. Possessing high water and breathability, they absorb and retain moisture well, thus binding essential minerals and nutrients, preventing them from being washed out of the soil. The lightweight structure provides ventilation and free access of oxygen, creating favorable conditions for biological life and the development of a strong root system.

Light soil on the site

Sandy soils warm up quickly without forming a crust after being moistened. This allows them to respond to changing climatic conditions and temperature changes. In order to reduce the flowability and ensure better binding of solid particles of sandy soil, it is necessary to add peat to it. And to increase fertility, we use familiar organic fertilizers, resorting in rare cases to small portions of mineral fertilizers.

Poor types of soil are limestone and marshy. Let's start with limestone soil, which is rightfully considered one of the most complex types in terms of quality characteristics and productivity. It has a light brown tint, the advantage of an alkaline environment, it heats up quickly and dries out, practically not retaining moisture. As a result, the plant does not receive the required amount of iron and manganese, which is why its leaves turn yellow and growth slows down.

Regular fertilization with organic matter, potassium compounds, and mulching helps increase the fertility of limestone soils. Remember, all cultivated plants can be grown on such land, but subject to constant loosening, watering and fertilizing. In particular, pay great attention to caring for potatoes, tomatoes, sorrel, radishes, pumpkins, carrots, salads and cucumbers. On such land they will lack acidity, so when growing such crops, acidify the soil with urea or ammonium sulfate.

Poor marshy soil

The next type of soil that I would like to pay special attention to is swampy or peaty. It is also quite poor soil, which does not have enough nutrients. It quickly absorbs moisture and releases it at the same speed, due to which it does not warm up well and has an increased level of acidity, which many cultivated plants do not accept. There are many ways to improve the fertility of marshy soils, but the most popular is mixing the soil with sand or clay flour. Moreover, in order to achieve a good result in this matter, it is necessary to carry out deep digging.

On particularly acidic soils, it is recommended to carry out liming, and also do not forget to apply slurry, compost, microbiological additives and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. However, if you are going to grow gooseberries, chokeberries, blueberries, currants, blueberries, which love an acidic environment, on swampy soil, the previous points on increasing fertility can be neglected. The only necessary condition is to water such bushes on time and remove weeds.

Every schoolchild knows that black soil is a type of high-yielding, dark-colored soil with great fertility potential. Of course, in the conditions of a personal plot you will rarely find such a “treasure”, but if you are the owner of just such soil, luck will smile on you. According to their qualitative characteristics, chernozems have a stable granular-lumpy structure, with a high content of humus - humus, and calcium. Their moisture capacity and water permeability are excellent, which is beyond doubt.

The best type of soil is black soil

However, like other types of soil, such fertile soil tends to deplete over the years. Therefore, every 2-3 years you should not forget to add organic fertilizers to the soil and sow green manures (green manures). Inexperienced gardeners can often confuse it with peat. There are still differences between these two substrates. To find them, squeeze a handful of soil tightly in your palm; a thick black mark should remain on your hand, indicating a high level of fertility. And for greater confidence, moisten a lump of earth generously and place it in the sun. If it dries instantly, it is peat. Real black soil will dry slowly due to its increased moisture resistance.

An important factor for the development of different types of plant crops is the acid reaction of the soil. To make it clearer, experts conditionally divided the plants according to their belonging to the land with the most favorable acidity level for them:

• Group I – neutral or slightly alkaline soil (pH ≥ 6.0);
• Group II – neutral or slightly acidic soil (pH = 5.6-6.0);
• Group III – slightly acidic soil (pH = 5.1-5.5);
• Group IV – acidic soil (pH 4.0-4.5).

Determination of soil acidity

There are many crops that adapt to the acidity of the soil in which they grow. However, in most cases, disruption of the desired soil reaction can lead to the development of disease, slow growth and even death of the plant. Therefore, it is best to play it safe and determine the acidity level of your soil. At home, to carry out this test, take 2 tbsp. l. earth and pour them into a plastic bottle, then fill it with 5 tbsp. l. warm water, preferably distilled, and then add 1 tsp to the resulting solution. crushed chalk.

Then place a fingertip on the neck of the bottle and shake it well. Next, watch the fingertip. If it starts to rise well, then the soil is acidic; if it rises poorly, the soil is semi-acidic, no reaction occurs - neutral. Approximate estimates can also be made based on plants that take root well in the soil. Sorrel, moss, sedge and conifers like acidic soil, clover, coltsfoot and nettle like neutral soil, field mustard and quinoa like slightly alkaline soil.

So, you have finally acquired your own piece of land measuring six acres and have enthusiastically begun to master the art and science of amateur vegetable growing. But then it turns out that your long-awaited summer cottage is located on clay soils, on which, as we know, only weeds feel at home. Improving clay soil is not an easy task, but it is not as hopeless as it might seem at first glance. In any case, you can say that you are lucky to have purchased a plot of land on clay and not on sand.

Making clay soil fertile

Indeed, clay soil has a dense, heavy structure, but it is also usually excessively moist and cold, contains little air and is depleted in nutrients, the presence of which is a prerequisite for obtaining sustainable yields of garden crops.

However, compared to sandstones, such soils have a much higher potential in terms of fertility: they well accumulate water and mineral compounds applied along with fertilizers, and fruit trees and shrubs planted in clay soil after its cultivation develop much better and They bear fruit much longer than on sand. So it’s definitely worth investing money and effort into improving clay soil.

The first step in increasing the fertility of your clay plot should be to drain it. For this purpose, drainage grooves are laid along its perimeter, or underground drainage is made from special pipes.

You can combine business with pleasure and arrange an artificial reservoir in the lowest place of the site, which will also perform a drainage function, collecting excess moisture during periods of spring flooding. In this way, you will make not only the water regime more favorable, but also the air regime for your plants: in dried soil, their roots will be able to breathe more freely.

As a rule, in clayey, uncultivated areas it is shifted to the acidic side, which is extremely undesirable for most vegetable crops.

Of course, you will get the most accurate results about the soil acidity values ​​on the site by resorting to the services of an agrochemical laboratory, but a number of folk methods described in the article “” will help you approximately calculate the required doses of lime materials.

How to loosen heavy soil

The next step in improving clay soil should be the introduction of increased rates of loosening materials, which will not only help make it more structured, but also enrich it with nutrients. Any available organic matter is used as such materials: peat (especially legumes).

Authoritative sources often recommend adding sand to the soil for such purposes, however, in my opinion, this is far from the optimal option. Firstly, recultivating the site in this case will cost you a pretty penny, and secondly, let’s not forget what the bricks are made of. Sawdust is also not the best choice in this regard, as it further acidifies the clay soil.

The above organic matter is scattered in an even layer over the entire surface of the site and then the soil is dug up to a depth of 20-25 centimeters. Keep in mind that such an operation will have the desired effect if it is repeated annually (preferably in the fall) for several years.

At the very least, mineral fertilizers are applied based on the composition of the given soil and the needs of the vegetable crops that are planned to be grown in this place. In principle, the process of cultivating clay soil should continue into the season through regular humus and compost, plant residues, application of liquid fertilizers, etc. And the result of such long-term and tireless efforts will be a radical improvement in clay soils, which in terms of fertility can be compared with the famous black soils.

Here, watch a short video about the main properties of clay soil and ways to improve its fertility.

Surely you are familiar with the concept of “fertile soil”. This is the one on which cultivated and ornamental plants grow well, flowers bloom, and fruit trees produce a good harvest. Loamy and sandy loam soils are considered fertile soil. They can fully provide plants with moisture and useful microelements.

Compound

Loamy soil is considered high-quality soil, as it has an optimal ratio of sand and clay in its composition. Such soil consists of 70 percent clay and 30 percent sand. Soil that contains large and small sand particles is considered capable of producing a good harvest.

Loam perfectly allows moisture to pass through and “knows how” to retain it in the required quantities needed for the proper functioning of plants. The loamy soil is rich in minerals and microelements and has excellent air permeability. Such land is considered ideal for homestead farming and gardening.

Many gardeners strive to at least bring the soil on their site closer to loamy soil. They bring more sand to the gardens if, or, conversely, they add black soil to the silty soil. And those gardeners who are lucky enough to grow plants on loamy soil simply enjoy a good quality harvest.

The main advantages of loamy soil

• This is ideal for growing almost the entire huge list of plants: vegetables, fruit trees, berry bushes, flowers.
• Loamy soil is characterized by increased moisture resistance and can retain moisture for a long time.
• The soil, consisting of 70 percent sand and 30 percent clay, has good subsurface irrigation capacity.
• High aeration rates, that is, this type of soil is well ventilated and allows air to pass through well.
• It absorbs fertilizers and manure well, improving crop performance with each year of operation.

Disadvantages of loamy soils

Ways to correct deficiencies in loamy soil

Clay, loamy soil is a heavy soil. It requires care and fertilization. If a gardener decides to improve crop performance and correct minor shortcomings of such land, then there are some tips. First, you should use the mulching method. This process involves covering a plot of land with planted plants with covering material. Mulching will be an ideal way to preserve and maintain plant health. In addition, this method will save and facilitate your labor spent on watering and loosening the soil.

How to Identify Loamy Soil

Even a non-professional agronomist will be able to determine in his own plot what type of soil predominates in the garden. There is a simple way to do this - “rolling the sausage”. You need to take a certain amount of earth, moisten it thoroughly and form a small ball from a piece. Next, you should form a “sausage” from the ball and try to wrap it in a ring.

If you can easily do this, then you have clay soil in your dacha. If the earthen “sausage” rolls up easily, but when rolled up it begins to crack a little, then you have loamy soil. You will not be able to create anything from light sandy soil, even if the moisture is sufficient and the movements are careful.

Heavy soil types can also be identified by eye. Loamy or clayey soil will not dry out as quickly as sandy soil after rain. At elevated air temperatures, it will crack faster; in spring, melt water leaves the garden more slowly.

So, we can safely answer the question: loamy soil - what is it? This is the most fertile and nutrient-rich species. But experts recommend improving even this almost ideal soil. Here are some useful tips:

If your site has heavy clay soil, then do not despair. Heavy clays are often found in Kuban. It is possible to significantly improve clay soil, its condition, however, this will require a lot of time (possibly several years), and a lot of physical and material costs. How to do it? Such soils require a lot of effort to cultivate. The terms heavy or light soils characterize their granulometric or mechanical composition. It is determined by the relative content of particles of different sizes in it. In our country, the classification of soils according to the granulometric composition of N.A. Kachinsky (1943) is usually used. It is based on the ratio of physical clay (particles less than 0.01 mm) and physical sand (particles from 0.01 to 1 mm). Heavy clay soil contains more than 80% clay and less than 20% sand.

Small particles of clay adhere tightly to each other, as a result of which such soil becomes impermeable to water and air. Moreover, in the absence of oxygen in it, the process of decomposition of organic matter greatly slows down. Clay soil is rich in nutrients, but if it is too acidic or alkaline, they will not be available to plants. Due to their high density, heavy clay soils are unsuitable for growing root crops (potatoes, beets, carrots). But roses, as well as many fruit trees, thrive on them.

Heavy soils with a high percentage of clay tend to contain more nutrients but are slow to warm. Moisture falling in the form of rain or snow does not penetrate well into the underlying horizons. Often it stagnates in depressions of the relief, forming so-called saucers. Usually in such places the soil becomes acidified.

After heavy rains, a strong crust forms on the surface of heavy clay soils, preventing air from penetrating into the lower soil horizons. And during drought, it becomes very compact and cracks. At the same time, heavy clays are difficult to process manually or mechanized. A distinctive feature is their acidic reaction, which adversely affects the growth and development of most cultivated plants.

How to improve clay soil? Where to begin?

You need to start by revising the layout of your site, eliminating all uneven terrain to avoid stagnation of water. When digging up heavy soils in the fall, including clay soils, it is not recommended to break up large lumps. Winter frosts and moisture will destroy these lumps, significantly improving the structure of the upper horizon. To prevent clay soil from becoming even more compacted, autumn digging must be completed before the onset of rain. And in the spring everything needs to be dug up again.

To increase the amount of large mineral particles in the ground, experts at the beginning of the last century recommended using crushed brick sifted through a coarse sieve for digging. It should be scattered over a plot area 9-13 cm thick, and then plowed in along with fertilizers. If you carry out a similar operation for several years in a row, the clay soil can be improved beyond recognition.

It is clear that not everyone may have such a large amount of broken bricks on hand. Therefore, you can resort to a more accessible method, using plant debris (weeds, branches, bark) burned along with the soil. Plant residues are burned along with roots and adhering soil, and the ash thus obtained is added during digging. Adding sand gives good results - from 0.5 to 1 bucket per square meter. When adding crushed brick, sand or ash burned with the ground, one should not forget that the main influence on the granulometric composition of the soil is the introduction of organic matter. And brick, ash or sand only enhance the effect.

It is recommended to apply at least 1.5-2 buckets per 1 square meter annually. meter of rotted manure (preferably horse or sheep) or compost, which is not recommended to be buried deeper than 10-12 cm. In the surface layer of clay soil, rotted manure quickly mineralizes, creating favorable conditions for the development of soil microflora, earthworms, which play a major role in increasing fertility, making it more loose, as well as air and water permeable.

Peat or sawdust can be used as organic matter. It is not recommended to add red-brown peat, as it contains a large amount of iron, which can adversely affect the growth and development of plants. As for sawdust, add no more than 1 bucket per square meter, moistening it with a urea solution. To do this, 150 g of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Fill 3 buckets of sawdust with this solution.

Experts believe that over the course of five years, with the annual addition of organic matter and sand, the top arable layer (15-18 cm) will turn from clayey to loamy. An invaluable service when adding organic matter to the soil (especially sawdust) will be provided by biological preparations based on the tribatrichoderma fungus (Trichoderma harzianum) - Gliocladin, Sternifage.

Finally, it should be noted that the use of green manures (green manure) is very effective in increasing fertility. Green manure can significantly improve clay soil. They change and improve the granulometric composition of heavy soils. As green manure, you can use crops of peas, vetch, phacelia, rapeseed, mustard, and other crops.