The main components of a good future harvest or flowering are the preparation of the soil in the beds or flower beds, the preparation of seeds before planting, the proper care of seedlings. The soil is prepared depending on its initial state (acidity, sandy loam or loamy soils, previously applied fertilizers and humus, planting green manure) and for specific crops planned for planting. The timing of planting seeds depends on the culture and climate.
You will need
- - pitchfork, Fokine plane cutter or manual cultivator;
- - rake;
- - rotted manure or compost;
- - sawdust or other type of mulch;
- - sand;
- - lowland peat;
- - mineral fertilizers;
- - seeds of vegetables or flowers.
Instruction manual
1
Find crop rotation tables and select the crop that is most suitable for planting on a given bed. To do this, consider what grew on it in the past and the year before last. Having chosen a crop, specify which land is optimal for its cultivation.
2
Preliminarily improve the soil structure by planting green manure. These are phacelia, peas, buckwheat, rye, oats, mustard, clover. It is necessary to sow the site in the fall, immediately after harvesting. Or in the early spring. Then the seedlings are dug up during the preparation of the beds.
3
Start preparing the land at least a few days before planting. For sandy loamy soils, it is better to introduce humus and compost. For loamy ones you will have to add sand, humus or peat. It is good to add sawdust, husk or husk of sunflower, buckwheat, but remember that the buckwheat husk overrides for a long time and dries the soil.
4
Add some quicklime to the soil if it is acidic. But it is better to do this in the fall, so that the damping reaction does not damage young shoots after watering the beds. Check if the land is good: make a “sausage” a few centimeters thick from a moist lump of earth. When bending such a “sausage, ” the earth does not crumble, but a crack appears at the bend.
5
Prepare the seeds for planting. To accelerate seedlings, soak large seeds for several hours in room temperature water. Small seeds (sorrel, parsley) are not soaked.
6
If necessary, pour the land allotted for the beds. When the earth dries up, loosen the soil on the bed with a Fokine plane cutter or a pitchfork, a manual cultivator. Make rows or holes according to the instructions for planting density of the selected crop or with a plan for planting flowers on a flower bed. Add to the wells of lowland peat or compost if desired.
7
You can start sowing seeds. Cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini can be planted in holes with a diameter of 30-50 cm. Cucumbers can be planted in rows along which set nets with 10 cm cells for weaving. Plant carrots, beets, root parsley, parsnips and other root crops in rows. It is convenient to sow seeds in 2-3 pieces with an interval of 5-10 centimeters. The interval depends on the planned size of the root crop.
8
Sprinkle holes or rows with a rake. Tamp the ground lightly with the back of the rake or plane cutter. This is done for better adhesion of the soil and facilitates the development of the root system of sprouts. Sprinkle the finished bed with mulch: sawdust, peat, compost or just mowed grass.
9
Install pegs at the borders of the beds. Write the name of the crop and the date of sowing on a piece of paper or cardboard. Pack the inscription in a plastic bag along with the packaging from the seeds and fasten on the peg with the button.
