Organic vegetable garden planting vegetables. Planting vegetables in the garden: the scheme and rules of crop rotation. A nice bonus to Kizima's "Garden without hassle"

"Correct" beds with their own hands

I have my own house and a garden plot of 7 acres. We have been gardening for 20 years. So, in recent years, I began to notice that the earth is becoming heavy, water- and air-tight, and the crops are getting scarcer and scarcer. By autumn, it became a shame that so much effort, time and money had been invested, and the result was almost zero.

I had to do something, but I didn't know what. It was then that the book by B.A. fell into my hands. bagel “Garden in a new way. The revolutionary method of doing nothing. This book turned all my thinking upside down and allowed me to take a fresh look at cultivated plants, weeds, pests, soil and, in general, mother nature. In nature, everything is interconnected: one with the other, the other with the third, and so on along the chain. And then I looked on the Internet, saw a lot of interesting, smart, instructive things, and in the spring I decided to embody the basic principles of organic farming in my garden.

With the onset of spring, my husband and I broke the garden into "Correct" beds - 90 cm wide and 8 m long(although the length can be arbitrary), row spacing of 60 cm. The width of the beds should be such that you can reach the middle with your hand, because you can’t step on the ground either when planting or when weeding.

Aisles should be wide to provide plants with good air exchange and illumination, since scientists have long proven that plants take only 30% of the required energy from the soil in the form of nutrients.

The width of 60 cm was also chosen because of the convenience when mowing with a lawn mower. The brought earth, compost were poured on top of the beds, and everything was mixed together with garden soil. The beds turned out a little raised, but not high. Several beds were fenced with wooden boards - there was not enough material for everything.

On one bed there were 4 rows for planting seeds of onions, carrots, beets, radishes. I planted seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cabbage in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. Planting vegetables was carried out according to the principle of "good neighborhood", i.e. culture compatibility. For example, onions along with carrots and beets (along the edge of the garden). In general, beets are considered an "extreme" crop, its place is on the edge of the garden. I planted tomatoes with peppers, cabbage with celery and beets.

Combined plantings are good because plants (at least three species) do not oppress neighbors, but help each other.

Harvest without mulch!

Further, following the principles of organic farming, I mulched plantings, but did this only when shoots began to appear (late spring - early summer). Mulched with mowed grass, but always a little dried in the shade. The mulch was watered with a solution with effective microorganisms and again spilled with water on top. Beneficial microorganisms begin to work when warm weather sets in with an air temperature of at least 25 °.

Throughout the summer, I put more and more portions of mulch (about once every one to two weeks). Ideally, the layer of mulch per season should be at least 5 cm.

And with potatoes, we did this: sprouted bushes after the first weeding and hilling with the whole family mulched with straw and hay. Of course, I had to work hard, but then throughout the summer we no longer weeded, and the Colorado potato beetle appeared much later and in smaller numbers. The area under potatoes was small, about 4 acres. A bed of strawberries was also mulched with mowed grass, where they then collected clean berries, and there were no rotten ones at all. Weeds grow through the mulch, but very little. To avoid them at all, a dense layer of mulch is needed, at least, as I said, 5 cm.

Mulching is especially important in hot weather, but in rainy weather you need to be careful, as the mulch can rot, especially on heavy soils.

And yet, it has much more advantages: protecting the soil from drying out, reducing labor costs for weeding, enriching the soil due to the decomposition of organic matter by soil microorganisms and bacteria.

Wormwood instead of chemistry

I would like to dwell on ways to control pests and diseases in organic farming. To control pests, I planted plants on the beds that repel them. For example, next to the cabbage I planted marigolds, hyssop, sage and a lot of dill.

White butterflies circled over the cabbage, circled, but I did not notice the pests on the leaves. I planted basil with tomatoes and peppers, which not only repels insects, but also improves the taste of tomatoes and soil structure. I planted onions and carrots not far from each other, since the onion fly is repelled by carrots, and the carrot fly is repelled by onions. Wormwood repels many pests, especially the Colorado potato beetle. Several bushes of wormwood grow in my garden in different places, but aside, not in the beds. With the help of wormwood, I saved the eggplant from the striped pest. In the summer, when all my spicy plants and flowers bloomed, there was such beauty in the garden, and the smell was awesome!

Top dressing was carried out only once, in the spring, and only foliar. Next season we plan to use homemade solutions and top dressings.

In the fall, we plant the vacated beds with green manure (white mustard). The use of green manure is another principle of organic farming.. They enrich the soil with macro- and microelements, their long rhizomes loosen the soil, increase the humus layer of the soil.

When using organic farming, the land before winter should always be covered with greenery and in no case bare.

And in conclusion, I want to say: in order to carry out the “perestroika” in the garden, my husband and I had to work hard, but the whole family is very pleased with the results of this work! In addition, next season there will be much less work, since the beds will already be permanent, all that remains is to loosen them (up to 5-7 cm) and plant plants.

If you follow the principles of organic farming, the humus layer in the garden will increase every year, as a result of which the yields will increase significantly, and (most importantly!) Absolutely clean from the point of view of ecology.

Dear gardeners, switch to organic farming! It really works - proven by practical experience. Believe me, this is a very interesting process, because mother nature has long taken care of everything for us, you just need to watch her and try to interfere with her less!

Seedlings in diapers

I love experimenting in the garden. I take a plastic bag for a sandwich measuring 20 × 30 cm, without unfolding it, I put 1 tbsp on the left edge. l. (with a slide) of prepared moistened earth, then I place a seedling in the middle of a clod of earth, and on top of another 1 tbsp. l. land, and I roll everything up in the form of a roll - I “swaddle” a seedling, as a baby is swaddled. I wrap the edge of the package (you can pull it off with an elastic band). The leaves of the seedling should protrude above the film.

I put the formed rolls in a container from under the kiwi (you can from under the cake), 13-15 bags are placed. In short, in three containers I got 42 sprouts of seedlings, and they all fit on one windowsill. I put the containers themselves in small trays from under the semi-finished products.

Then, when the seedlings grow up (after a few weeks), you need to unroll the rolls again and add 1-2 tbsp. l. earth. Normal care: watering, lighting.

Seedlings grow remarkably, and by the time they land in open ground, I have healthy and strong tomato seedlings with an elongated root system.

With this method of picking, the most important thing is that the root system is not injured when transplanted to a permanent place, and the tip of the root is not pinched, which contributes to the further growth of the root deeper, where the plant will find more moisture and will not depend on watering.

Having planted my tomatoes in two rows in a checkerboard pattern in a narrow box-bed, I mulch them with hay and straw (but not fresh!). A bed with ripening tomatoes looks so beautiful that it is simply indescribable! And the harvest is so big that before the New Year my whole family eats fresh tomatoes.

By the way, this picking method is very well suited for apartments where there is little space for seedlings, and much less land is used. You can dive in this way and other vegetables, as well as flowers. Try it, you will definitely like it. It really works!

ORGANIC GARDEN - MY FEEDBACK

Garden "under laziness"

The most interesting thing about organic farming is that increasing soil fertility can be translated into a permanent and almost autonomous mode of operation. And the next article is the best confirmation of this.

It's not like that guys...

At the beginning of my gardening journey, I used the experience of my parents, that is, first I dug up the entire garden, and then created beds up to a meter wide, leaving 30-40 cm gaps between them. Then, of course, I fought with weeding plantings, carrying out all torn grass outside the site. But every year it became clear to me that I was doing something wrong, because the work was constantly added and added.

This was especially felt after he began to independently grow seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. After all, at first I bought it only at the market, but when I was once cheated there with varieties, I decided that now I had to take this matter into my own hands (now I already have a pretty good garden collection, but every year I test one two new varieties or hybrids).

When I was finally convinced that there was no longer any possibility to engage in agricultural technology in the old way, I undertook to study the works of advanced gardeners. Meat-tlider made the greatest impression on me. Thanks to his articles, I fully realized that it is most reasonable to abandon the "wandering" beds, replacing them with boxes installed once and for all in selected places, thereby eliminating the trampling of the earth, which leads to a deterioration in its structure. But at the same time, I left the width of the beds themselves as usual (about a meter), but increased the aisles to 70 cm.

Practice has shown that if in the fall the surfaces of the beds are covered with organic matter, then under this “fur coat” by spring you can get wet and loose earth, which you can not dig, but simply loosen it with a chopper.

But where to get so much mulching material? I began to grow green manure before winter, collect leaf litter along the clearing along which I go to my site, and stopped disdaining weeds. Why put them in the compost heaps? It is wiser to leave it in place, increasing the thickness of the mulch layer, which will serve as extra food for various worms, insects, fungi and microbes. In addition, in the earth "under a fur coat" the moves made by worms are preserved, and empty

you are from decayed organic matter, through which water passes with air and nitrogen dissolved in it. In other words, soil fertilization occurs almost “automatically”! It is generally accepted that nature independently creates 1 cm of humus in about 100 years. If we help her, then this process can be accelerated at times.

Correct Timing

My next step was the transition to ridge planting of potatoes, which also saved me from having to shovel the entire plot area. By creating parallel trenches 10 cm deep and a spade bayonet wide at 70 cm intervals, the soil only has to be laid to the right of them. Very convenient and economical. I called this method of landing "under the sloth." I now plant corn using the same method (the distance between the rows of this crop is 1.2 m, and I place cucumbers or pumpkins between the rows), sunflowers and curly beans. The only difference is that under these plants I do not dig trenches, but loosen strips of earth 30 cm wide.

As for cucumbers, I came to a clear conclusion that in the southern regions they should be grown in three terms. And only so!

First, I plant seedlings in the greenhouse between April 25 and May 1 and get a good harvest in early July. I plant the second batch of cucumbers with seeds in open ground on May 15, and they give me their fruits from mid-July to mid-September. And I plant the third wave of cucumbers in mid-August, which allows me to feast on green ones almost at the end of the season. At the same time, cucumbers of the first and second terms can be both varietal and hybrid, and partheno-carpics. But the third term - only parthenocarpic. The fact is that by September 1, figs ripen, the flowers of which simply ooze nectar, and therefore bees, flies and hornets race to them, pollinating cucumbers along the way. At the same time, I note that cucumbers can be grown from stepchildren, but their survival will be worse than that of tomatoes.

A week before planting cucumbers and tomatoes, I water the beds well with water and immediately cover them with a film, pressing it tightly to the ground around the entire perimeter. Under it, moist soil warms up well, and evaporation of moisture is practically impossible.

When planting, I use a hydrogel, which I carefully place in the holes around the plants, which allows me to forget about watering for 10 days.

It is also important here that when watering, water can turn barely hatched seeds upside down in the soil, and then they will surely die. To prevent this from happening, after planting, I always lightly tamp the soil. And if the weather is hot and windy, then I do all the watering only through non-woven material stretched over the beds, and from a small watering can and in small portions.

I urge all readers to dig the earth as little as possible. Do not destroy its structure! Do not walk on it unnecessarily. Take care of her. Switch to simple loosening with a depth of no more than 5 cm. Indeed, even in Soviet times, agronomist T. Maltsev proved in practice that no-till cultivation is the most promising and correct. Deep loosening worsens its structure and leads to overgrinding.

Such land, after rain or irrigation, turns into a swamp with the formation of a soil crust upon drying. And I also urge all gardeners not to get carried away with weeding: do not keep the ground bare, something should always grow on it! After all, vegetation reduces the temperature of the soil and significantly delays the evaporation of water. Mulching is the shading of the soil. Take care of this in advance. I wish you all good health, good luck in your country and personal work. And human happiness!

V.A. GIGANOV. Sochi

I am glad for those who strive to live in step with the times, for those who master the new science of agriculture for them, for those who are not afraid to admit their mistakes and are looking for new ways to communicate with the earth without harming nature. But in almost every issue there are also such letters that simply upset.

About traditions...

Why don't people see their mistakes? Why do they not feel guilty before future generations? They are destroying the earth, leaving no chance to restore its fertility, to create a sustainable balance in nature! Moreover, without hesitation, they also harm the health of their own and their loved ones. Who exactly do I mean?

And those respected gardeners who are engaged in the "traditional" (or even worse - "grandfather") way of running their farm. Do you think I'm overly categorical? Yes, I myself am worried about these fellow summer residents! But anyway, let's talk about it.

So what do people usually mean by "traditional farming"? And here's what: every-

suitable digging of the soil with a shovel in autumn and spring, weekly weeding in the summer, the application of mineral fertilizers, as well as the treatment of plantings in gardens and vegetable gardens with chemical means of protection against diseases and pests. But is it really a tradition? Yes, the plow was one of the main agricultural tools of the peasants, but who said that they plowed their gardens from and to?

They did this selectively and plowed shallowly, without disturbing the fertile layer. But the main thing is that before that they took manure to the plots, embedding it in the ground.

It will be objected to me that then everyone had a large farm, and no one had problems with the presence of such organic matter. And I don’t deny it, I just want to draw your attention to the fact that digging in itself is not only pointless, but also harmful.

Go ahead. After the Great Patriotic War, devastated villages and villages remained, in which there were neither livestock nor poultry. To accelerate the development of agriculture, a number of forced measures were taken. Forced! In particular, chemists have developed and introduced mineral fertilizers, thereby dramatically increasing the yield of almost all crops.

But the thing is that the "mineral water" replenishes only the chemical composition of the soil, and its balance is constantly disturbed. And the amount of humus from the introduction of chemistry is not added. Moreover, it is gradually decreasing! As a result, the land is becoming more and more depleted, plants, due to a lack of one or another nutrient, grow frail (at first glance, this may not be noticed) and therefore become easy prey for pests and diseases. If you have depleted soil - increase its fertility, but not with the help of "mineral water"! Yes, of course, it will not be easy, you will have to work hard and be patient, because the earth needs time to recover. But you can cure almost any soil, do not believe that there are "lazy" gardens! Move away from old stereotypes. I was wrong?

…and about innovations

Many summer residents often think that natural and organic farming- It is the same. But in fact - no. In the first case, we are talking about the coexistence of different plants on a certain unit of area, and each of them performs its role. For example, tall ones shade low ones from the sun and protect them from the wind, wild ones attract beneficial insects, helping their cultivated neighbors get rid of pests, etc.

And organic farming is the management of one's own economy with the help of waste products of flora and fauna. Here our assistants will be not only the plants themselves, but also everything that can move: from the simplest microorganisms to lizards and birds. I understand how difficult it is to appreciate, understand and accept all this.

In addition, after taking the first step and not getting a good result, many return to their usual methods. But this difficult and long path must be passed by everyone, because each generation must make its contribution to the restoration of the fertility of the earth.

My dears, try to start with a simple one: sow areas with green manure in the fall, do not leave the soil anywhere bare - neither in winter nor in summer. In the spring, just loosen it shallowly, cutting off the grown grasses, and mulch your plantings with them, covering the beds from the sun, winds and showers (they wash the humus deep into the earth). And the covered soil will always be moist, which will create a favorable climate on the site.

Believe me, at one time I also stood at a crossroads, and I didn’t succeed at once either. And now I am looking for more and more new ways of rapprochement with nature. But for five years now I have not digged, I have not weeded, but only mowed grass and put it on mulch. Every autumn I fall asleep near the trunk circles of trees and shrubs with leaves.

I don’t burn the branches left after pruning, but I process them with a chopper and scatter the resulting sawdust in the garden. All food leftovers (as well as paper and cardboard collected over the winter) are buried in the garden at the beginning of the season. I water all the plants without exception with infusions of herbs and chicken manure, sprinkle with baking soda, infusions of garlic, birch tar, practice treatment with whey and biohumates. And all my plantings hibernate without loss, even if there were frosts over -30 °, and in summer I always take good crops, even if the heat was at 40 °. That's it!

: GROWING EARLY Zucchini IN MOBILE...

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Refusal from deep tillage, from the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides sometimes causes a skeptical smile on the faces of some gardeners. Indeed, it is easy to brand a shovel and a plow, to refuse the services of chemistry. But where are the guarantees that good fruits will grow in the garden, and pests will share the harvest with us.

Another important point that needs to be taken into account when intensive planting is the concept of allelopathy, which I would like to talk about separately.

Allelopathy - compatibility of crops in the garden

Throughout life (from seed development to the formation of decaying residues), each plant constantly releases various biologically active substances into the environment, thereby creating a protective biochemical sphere around itself.

Gardeners who are thoughtful and attentive to the growing process often notice that different crops growing nearby affect each other in different ways. One plant can inhibit another, or vice versa, it can have a beneficial effect and help with the growth and ripening of fruits. Scientists became interested in this phenomenon, and in the process of scientific research it turned out that cultures influence each other in various ways:

through root secretions;
spreading various physiologically active substances from leaves or stems;
forming toxins during the decomposition of plant residues.

Based on these studies, such a subsection in the study of plants as allelopathy appeared. In agrotechnical science, this term is understood as the effect of one plant on another by the release of special substances by each of them (antibiotics, colins, phytoncides, other enzymes) that affect the life process of the beds. Substances released by plants can affect neighbors at any stage of development, whether it is seed germination, flowering or fruiting.

In nature, there are practically no plants in the secretions of which there would be no toxic substances, and a third of all species are capable of producing sufficiently strong toxins. However, it should be noted that allelopathy in many cases is not negative, but positive, which contributes to a better growth of the neighboring culture. Some substances secreted by plants are able to protect "roommates" from diseases and pests, increase yields and improve the taste of fruits. And it is precisely on such allelopathic properties of crops that the intensive planting of plants in organic farming is based.

Unfortunately, there are no exact rules for assessing the "accommodation" of different cultures. In this case, attentive attitude and life experience can help. For example, it has long been noticed that pumpkin gets along wonderfully with corn, onions with carrots, cucumbers with beans and peas, tomatoes with radishes, garlic and beets, and so on. The compatibility of most crops is described very accurately and in detail in the books of such well-known agronomists who adhere to the principles of organic farming, such as Nikolai Kurdyumov, Natalya Zhirmunskaya, Boris Bublik.

Before you settle plants of different species on the same bed, you need to figure out what effect they will have on each other. When creating plant communities, it is necessary to combine cultures that help each other and avoid planting oppressors together.

Key Benefits of Intensive Landing

In the wild, there are no such large spots sown with only one crop as, for example, potato fields. In our gardens, in most cases, instead of violent natural diversity, there is a dominance of monocultural flaps and stripes. And from here, according to the majority of gardeners-organists, and all our problems, which intensive planting will help to solve. Let's see what bonuses the farmer will get by putting this basic principle into practice.

Plant self-defense

As you know, pests mainly find their food by smell. The cabbage scoop, for example, always flies to the smell of mustard oil, secreted by crops of the cruciferous family. In company plantings, there are some effective ways to protect against harmful insects, the main of which is repelling the smell. In onions with carrots, this happens on a reciprocal basis, in other neighboring plants - unilaterally. The smell of a tomato is not tolerated by the cabbage fly, and the aroma of basil is absolutely not to the liking of the horned worm, which loves to eat tomatoes and corn so much. Some plants can provide excellent camouflage and embarrass the pest. For example, marigolds successfully protect cabbage from caterpillars.

Intensive planting can simulate the diversity and ecological balance that exists in the wild. At the same time, neighbors in the garden protect each other from diseases and pests, everyone is included in the work - flowers, herbs, technological crops and even weeds.

Biomass for compost and material for mulch

Such a principle of organic farming as intensive planting allows the farmer to almost completely abandon the "import" of fertilizers. Thanks to intensive planting, right in the garden, you can grow all the necessary components for the preparation of compost, which, as you know, is the most valuable fertilizer that improves the structure and fertility of the soil, protecting plants from diseases.

The intensive planting method will also provide the gardener with the lion's share of organic materials for mulching. Benefits in person. Imported mulch must be mowed, moved or transported and laid out on the beds. And for this, you see, you need time and energy.

Growing right in the garden, the mulch does not need to be mowed, carried, or unfolded - it will completely independently fulfill its mission of structuring the soil and increasing the humus layer. The “live mulch” created as a result of intensive planting frees a person not only from the hassle of it, but also from many worries about the crops growing under its protection.

Irrigation Alternative

Intensive planting of plants dramatically reduces the need for watering, and in some cases allows you to completely abandon them. This can be explained by the fact that soil rich in organic matter retains much more moisture than clean, bare earth. "Live" mulch reduces evaporation and promotes intense dew formation. With intensive planting, the moisture required in the root zone can be maintained for weeks without watering.

It's no secret that watering requires a lot of time, effort and money, not to mention a constant source of water. Intensive planting of plants, even in the driest period, maintains sufficient soil moisture, protecting it from overheating and drying.

Improving soil structure and controlling weeds

The roots of all plants living in the garden, in the process of life, constantly loosen the earth. And this main function of the principle of intensive planting allows you to completely abandon the deep cultivation of the earth.

The more abundant the vegetation, the softer and more airy the soil becomes. Decaying, numerous roots enrich the earth with organic matter, leave behind many channels through which air and moisture penetrate deep into. The remains of the roots are excellent food for all soil inhabitants, which helps to increase their population and, accordingly, leads to an increase in the fertility of your site.

Intensive planting of plants allows in some cases to fight weeds. Probably, many paid attention to how clean the land is after rye has grown on it. This plant poisons all neighbors with its root secretions. White mustard, oats, buckwheat and barley are also good at cleaning the soil.

An intensively planted bed always creates competition among plants, as a result of which even weeds can suffer. In this case, we are talking about their oppression, and intensive planting plays a role here by no means episodic.

Caring for the environment

Respect for the land, the preservation and increase of its fertility is at the forefront of all the principles of organic farming. Intensive planting helps protect the soil from erosion and dust storms. Sheltered all year round and bound by roots, the earth is protected from weathering and washing away, it is not afraid of frost in winter and the scorching sun in summer. In such a land, various useful organisms are simply teeming, which make it “alive” and fertile. Intensive planting helps to restore the ecological balance, which helps protect your garden from pests and diseases.

In those areas where the principle of intensive landing is applied, you will never see a dull black-rutted picture. The beds here both in spring and autumn shimmer with all shades of green, in the February-March windows from under the snow you can see not gray thawed patches, but emerald shoots of rye and wheat. There is no need to talk about summer at all. At this time, replacing each other, all kinds of flowers adorn the site. Such beauty improves mood, adds energy and health. Having mastered the principle of intensive planting, you can not only improve the fertility and structure of the site, not only grow an environmentally friendly rich harvest, but also significantly save time and energy, get incomparable pleasure from working in the garden.

The basics of proper garden planning

Garden planning can begin in early spring, when the snow has melted and the soil has dried up a little. For summer residents with many years of experience, this process is not particularly difficult. Those who are just taking their first steps in gardening should take into account the basic rules that you need to know in order to properly plant plants on the site.

If the summer resident decided to plan his garden for the first time, then you need to pay attention to the following factors:

1. Cardinal points. Planning the location of the beds should be carried out only in length from north to south. Placement from the northeast to the southwest is allowed. If you plant crops taking into account the cardinal points, this will ensure a uniform supply of sunlight to the garden bed, and prevent the development of many fungal diseases. In the southern part of the site, heat-loving crops should be planted. It can be beans, cucumbers, tomatoes. In the north, cold-resistant plants should be planted: turnip, radish, swede. On the north side, it is recommended to plant corn, which can protect the beds from strong winds. For this purpose, a sunflower, gooseberry or currant bushes are suitable.
2. When creating a planting plan, the composition of the soil should be taken into account, especially if the plants will be planted in this place for the first time. It is necessary to make additives in the fall, depending on the type of soil. The ideal time is considered to be a month before planting seedlings in the ground.
3. The scheme for planting vegetables in the garden should take into account the characteristics of the lighting required for different crops. The only effective way to influence the illumination of the beds is thinning or cutting down trees. Planting seedlings under the lush crowns of apple and pear trees is not recommended. These trees can grow from the northern part of the garden. Thus, it will be possible to protect landings from strong winds. If there is land in the northern part of the site that can be equipped for beds, then shade-loving plants should be planted there, for which the strong rays of the sun are undesirable. It can be sorrel or onion. If you plant seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers in the shade, then it will wither. Another good option would be to grow flowers in the northern part, as it is risky to cultivate vegetables in such conditions.
4. The relief of the site. If the site is characterized by the presence of some irregularities, then it must be borne in mind that in the lowland in the spring the process of snow melting will be slower, and during the period of intense rains, water will stand in such places. To get rid of excess moisture, you should take care of the drainage system in the form of small grooves. In these places you need to plant plants that require abundant and frequent watering. If the region is characterized by a hot summer period, then seedlings of peppers and tomatoes can be planted in the lowlands. In this case, it will not be necessary to water the plants often.
5. The presence of weeds. If you plan to break the plot into beds for the first time, and before that there was a simple lawn with a lot of weeds, then this problem is solved in several ways. You can remove the top layer of soil and take it out. Pour peat, sand and manure on the remaining land. This method is not particularly popular among summer residents due to its high cost and labor intensity. Another way is simpler. It consists in the fact that the soil is simply dug up, and only potatoes are planted in the first year. This will allow you to get rid of weeds and cultivate any vegetables next year, even very fastidious ones.

Irrigation system

When drawing up a plan for the location of the beds, you should definitely consider how the plants will be watered. Crops such as peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and cucumbers need watering every 3-4 days. Therefore, the irrigation system must be sufficiently convenient.

At the summer cottage, at least there should be a tap and long hoses that could be reached to the plants. If the site has a large area, then a garden should be laid out on it or plants should be planted that do not need frequent watering, and vegetable beds should be located closer to the water source so that the distance allows regular and cost-effective irrigation.

It is important to consider that you should not moisten the plants directly with tap water. It should be settled, rainwater or from a local pond, river. For this, large containers are used: an old bathtub, a metal vat, a plastic barrel. To ensure good pressure when watering, you should purchase a pump and place it in the middle of the tank. You can water with a garden watering can, but this process will take quite a lot of time.

A good option for establishing an irrigation system is drip irrigation. If the site already has such a system, then the planting of vegetables will need to be “tied” to places provided with water.

Compatibility and crop rotation

After the issue of watering, lighting and cardinal points has been resolved, another important point should be considered. Namely, compatibility and alternation of plants in the garden.

For proper planning of beds, it is important to remember the compatibility of cultures, which consists in the ability to grow, develop and protect each other side by side.

The table contains the names of crops and the degree of compatibility between plants.

It is important to pay attention to the timing of ripening and planting crops. This will allow you to enjoy the grown crop on the same bed at different times.

Features of crop rotation of plants

Crop rotation is an important point on which the degree of soil fatigue and the quality of the future harvest depend.

Otherwise, there may berather serious problems with the cultivation of vegetable crops.

Causes of soil fatigue

The following factors lead to soil fatigue:

1. Accumulation of pathogens and pests. For example, if you grow potatoes in the same place, then the number of wireworms, Colorado potato beetles will inevitably grow.
2. Accumulation of toxic substances. This is another reason that confirms the need for crop rotation. Toxic root secretions - colins - accumulate in the soil. Many crops are quite sensitive to their toxins, such as beets and spinach. Therefore, if you plant these plants in one place, then every year the harvest will be worse and worse.
3. The need for adequate nutrition. Each vegetable crop has its own requirements for soil nutrition. It is important to consider this feature of planted crops. If you plant related plants for several years in a row, they will suck out all the useful substances from the soil.

To more accurately understand this, it must be borne in mind that all vegetable crops can be divided into several categories according to how demanding the plant is on the soil.

To properly draw up a plan, it is necessary to divide the site into 4 zones:

1. Perennial crops such as strawberries.
2. Demanding.
3. Medium demanding.
4. Undemanding.

The following year, demanding plants should be planted where undemanding ones grew. The average-demanding should go to the place where the demanding ones grew up. Undemanding plants should be sent to the garden where medium-demanding ones grew. This rotation should be done every year. This will allow the soil to rest a bit.

The table shows the predecessors and successors of vegetable crops. It is important to remember that the culture returns to its original place no earlier than after 3-4 years.

It is important to take into account the fact that human memory is not unlimited. It is very difficult to remember exactly what culture grew in a certain area 5 years ago.

Of course, you have often thought about how best to use the area in the garden, how to compact vegetables on them. What cultures are compatible? How to organize a conveyor in the garden? All these issues can be solved by using mixed plantings of vegetables, the schemes of which are given below.

Repeated and compact crops of vegetable crops

Compacted crops of vegetable crops have been used since antiquity. So the useful area is used more intensively, because in the garden it is the most fertile and loose. There we do not spare mulch, we water with all kinds of weed infusions, and of course, we enrich the soil with compost and green manure.

combined planting of vegetable crops - beans, cabbage, corn

Compacted plantings are very often used in the practice of natural farming. After all, green manure and organic mulch not only fertilize the soil, but also heal the microflora - there are no pronounced diseases and pests. One of the conditions that must be taken into account when compacting crops is the features of the vegetative development of combined crops. In a short growing season (30-45 days), such crops as dill, lettuce, spinach, radish, arugula, and onions manage to grow. Watercress grows even faster.

The average development period for crops such as early cabbage, garlic, turnip onions - they leave the garden by the end of July-beginning of August. Autumn collection period for vegetables such as late cabbage, carrots, table beets. Well, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants leave the garden late.

mixed landings are sometimes very expressive

Repeated crops of vegetable crops mainly refer to crops with a short and less often medium vegetation. So, after leaving the lettuce garden, grown cabbage can be planted in its place. By this time, she will no longer interfere with the previously planted cucumbers, which will climb the trellis. And after harvesting the garlic, you can plant Chinese cabbage in its place. This is a precocious crop, and before frost, you can constantly pick juicy leaves for fresh salads from it.

Plant compatibility

Combined planting of vegetables is very effective if you choose good companions for the main crops. After all, plants can oppress each other, or vice versa, stimulate growth, development, and even protection from pests. It has been noticed that when potatoes are compacted with beans, the harm from the Colorado potato beetle is significantly reduced. And compacting cabbage with marigolds reduces the risk of an attack by a white butterfly. But here, too, a reasonable balance must be observed - too many marigolds will not help the cabbage, but will oppress it.

The property of isolating organic compounds that inhibit or suppress the development of others is called the allelopathy effect. But no matter how they try to study and systematize this phenomenon, it is impossible to obtain reliable data - too many factors affect the plant during the growing season. All sites are different: temperature, humidity, lighting, predominance of winds, soil composition, and so on. Therefore, successful combinations in some conditions may “work” in a completely different way in others. But that's no reason to ignore someone's success, right? It is necessary to take such decisions into account and adjust the "combination" already in their beds.

When placing plants in the garden, you can take into account not only the compatibility of vegetables with each other, but also intersperse decorative and spicy herbs. Then the garden will become not only useful, but also beautiful. The plant compatibility tested in practice in our conditions of Kazakhstan during planting (Table 1) has so far collected little data. But they are all successful.

Table 1

peas	eggplant, corn, calendula, cucumber, carrot
strawberries	lettuce, marigolds, beans, garlic, spinach
cabbage	onions, beets, celery, dill, marigolds
kohlrabi	onion, lettuce, beetroot, cucumber
onion	carrot, beetroot, tomato, celery, savory
carrot	peas, onion, lettuce, tomato, sage
cucumber	peas, radishes, beans, cabbage, peppers
pepper	cucumber, lettuce, beans
salad	carrot, cucumber, radish, strawberry
tomato	parsley, beans, calendula, nasturtium, basil
beans	eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, cucumber

Do not get along with each other potatoes and cucumbers, beans and onions, strawberries and cabbage. Carrots "do not like" all umbrella plants - dill, celery, parsley. Fennel is generally harmful, and it is better to plant it in tubs. Hyssop, too, better find a place in the backyard.

Mixed planting vegetables in the garden

Almost schoolchildren know about the successful "duet" of carrots and onions. A separately planted onion from 1 sq.m in our conditions gives about 2.5 kg, and carrots about 6 kg from the same area. And when they grow together, we collect 9 kg of vegetables from the same area of \u200b\u200bthe garden! They protect each other from pests, so the efficiency of using the area is doubled.

And of course, mixed plantings in the garden need to be grouped taking into account the height of the plants, to ensure the tiered plantings. And also observe the growth - they grow in different ways, some quickly gain green mass, others slowly. Compactors are best planted smaller in height than the main crops. Layering creates favorable conditions for the roots, and in general, better use of solar energy.

Mixed planting vegetables: schemes

It is advisable to place combined plantings of vegetable crops on stationary beds. The soil in them is not dug up every season, its structure improves annually due to the death of the roots of vegetables, flowers and green manure. Different crops and crop rotation reduce soil fatigue, and working in such beds is much easier than in a traditional vegetable garden. Here are proven schemes for mixed planting vegetables:

planting scheme (cabbage and beets)

The scheme combines the planting of late cabbage and beets. Inside a square of 80 × 80 cm, seedlings of 4 cabbage bushes and 9 beet plants are planted. A handful of ground eggshells and a glass of compost are added to the hole. The beets are harvested in September. The yield is 3-3.2 kg per sq.m. Heads of cabbage taken in October increase power to 10.5-10.8 kg on average. The total weight is about 14 kg, not bad?
The scheme of the combined planting of tomatoes and beans. The distance between plants in a row is 30 cm. A drip irrigation line is installed along the rows of bush beans, and beans are planted near each dropper. Tomatoes are placed in the center of the bed in a checkerboard pattern with beans (between the droppers so that there is no excess moisture). A stationary trellis is omitted along the middle line of the beds. Beans in our conditions gives 2 crops and on average gives 1.6-1.8 kg per 1 sq.m, medium-sized tomatoes - 4-4.5 kg. We do not cut the bean bushes for the winter, but we remove the stems of the tomato bushes, cutting them low.

planting scheme for tomatoes and bush beans

And finally, a small lesson from Galina Ivanovna Kizima, who skillfully uses compacted plantings of vegetables (video):

Mixed plantings of vegetables, the schemes of which you saw here, in no case cancel the crop rotation in the beds. If, for example, you plant beets in the same place, then next year you will get root crops the size of “gulkin's nose”. But this is the topic of the next publications, so stay with us and subscribe to the announcements of articles.

In ancient times, people lived in complete harmony with nature - they worshiped the Sun and respected the Earth. Biological balance was maintained - chlorophyll-containing plants used solar energy to increase green mass, produce seeds, fruits, wood, etc. Plant food was eaten by various representatives of the fauna. Herbivores, in turn, served as food for predators. Various bacteria also actively participated in the biological cycle, keeping the biosphere in working condition.

Scientific and technological progress, aimed at an unlimited increase in everything that can be produced, has caused irreparable harm to agriculture. Farmers were the first to return to natural soil care. Gaining popularity every year organic farming in the country.

Digging or loosening in organic farming?

The main difference between traditional tillage and is its deep digging. With the usual method, a layer of earth about 30 cm thick is removed and turned over, and with the organic method, the soil is loosened in one plane to a depth of 10-15 cm.

Deep (moldboard) digging disrupts natural processes that contribute to the formation of a fertile layer:

representatives of the soil fauna die;
damaged weed roots form new growth points;
weed seeds fall into a favorable environment for germination.

At the same time, the flow of oxygen into the deep layers increases, which at the first stage leads to the formation of a large amount of minerals that ensure a high yield.

Further, the soil becomes depleted, since the fertile layer does not have time to recover, and a large amount of minerals leads to its compaction. The deep root system of grasses is destroyed, and no longer holds the already meager layer. The humus part of the earth is washed away and weathered. An alternative to deep digging is loosening, for which a cultivator is used.

At the same time, one cannot thoughtlessly approach the issue of digging and categorically deny its significance. Clay and uncultivated soils without deep penetration will not give good yields, therefore, for heavy and virgin lands, deep autumn digging is required.

The rule remains unchanged - do not turn over the earth layer, but move it in one plane! The fact is that many worm bugs live at different depths, so those who are used to living on the surface die under a heavy layer, and vice versa.

Methods of natural cultivation of vegetables in organic farming in the country

At organic farming in the country guided by several principles:

1. Only animal and vegetable wastes are used as fertilizers. For example, before autumn tillage, dry tops and grass are burned, and the resulting ash is dug up. The main organic fertilizers in the cultivation of environmentally friendly products are manure, bird droppings and humus. For the manufacture of high-quality humus, it is important to lay it correctly. Also use " " – leftover food items. As a green fertilizer for organic farming in the country apply.

2. Completely refuse herbicides and fungicides. Gardeners come to the rescue:

yarrow has a detrimental effect on moth, gall midges and thrips;
wormwood successfully fights cabbage scoop, leafworm, aphids,;
chamomile, celandine and nettle have an antiseptic effect;
sow thistle is an excellent cure for powdery mildew.

3. Plan the planting of vegetables with the obligatory consideration of a three- or four-year, as well as a suitable neighborhood of plants. With a four-year period, vegetable crops are divided into groups:

A - green (cabbage and cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, etc.);
B - root crops (carrots, onions, potatoes, beetroot, garlic, etc.);
C - pumpkin and nightshade (except potatoes) - cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers;
D - legumes.

4. Do not use hybrid varieties, and the seed is treated with biologically active natural preparations. Extracts and extracts of chamomile, horsetail, garlic, valerian, aloe, etc. are also used for dressing.

5. Be sure to mulch the soil. In nature, the earth is always covered with grass, fallen leaves or needles. Green organic matter rots, increasing the layer of humus. Bare soil is weathered, moisture quickly evaporates, the earth is compacted.

Suitable for mulching:

any mowed grass (without seeds), straw;
and humus;
sawdust, newsprint, cardboard;
needles, cones and crushed tree bark;
husks of cereals (wheat, rice, buckwheat);
sleeping tea and coffee.

Grow an environmentally friendly crop with organic farming in the country is not difficult, and the benefits of it are huge - this is your health.