The soil is completely depleted with each planting of plants, so it requires special care. It needs to be treated and cared for in order to enrich it with nutrients. Autumn is the ideal time when favorable agricultural conditions are created for autumn planting. However, in order for the plants to develop, it is not enough to just leave it to the sun, air and provide it with a sufficient amount of water. It needs nutrients. Therefore, it is recommended to analyze the soil before planting and, if necessary, enrich it. Soil composition depends on nutrients, which in turn depend on soil type, soil structure, acidity (pH), moisture and alkalinity.
In nature, nutrients are replenished in a natural way and the soil is not depleted, as is the case in the garden. The forest cover is intact and made of organic matter such as twigs and leaves. Dead animals, which form biological material, also benefit the soil. Valuable biological material enables the decomposition of nutrients by its deposition. This cover on the ground does not dry out under the influence of weather conditions, so various plant species grow without any human influence.
Soil preparation for planting
In gardens, on the other hand, soil conditions change and adapt to the weather. The most difficult and greatest task in the garden is to create a natural balance and a natural environment. In order to create a favorable soil for growing crops, it is primarily necessary to adequately prepare the soil. Soil that is well prepared prevents the growth of weeds, enables the creation of loose soil that is suitable for planting seedlings and favors a favorable soil surface for sowing itself.
The soil is prepared for autumn sowing after harvesting the pre-crop. Soil preparation lasts until sowing or planting, which is important in order to prevent the appearance of weeds and enrich the soil with organic substances.
Soil preparation includes tilling the soil, the process of twisting, mixing, turning over the soil. After that, the soil is harrowed in order to break up larger lumps of soil. Afterwards, the introduction of plant residues into the soil and, upon completion, leveling of the plot.
Division of tillage
- basic soil preparation
- soil preparation for sowing (supplementary soil treatment)
Basic processing begins with shallow plowing at a depth of 20 centimeters in order to create favorable conditions for plant germination. Its goal is to bring the soil to a quality structure. Also, it is necessary to create a seed bed in the surface layer. The creation of a seed bed or pre-sowing soil preparation has the task of creating acceptable conditions for seed germination and plant emergence.
After this intervention, it is necessary to work on the structure of the soil, which is recommended to be small and crumbly. In order to achieve a crumbly soil structure, the fine and lumpy aggregate parts of the soil should be on the surface to prevent subsidence. Also, it can happen that a considerable amount of loose soil is compressed around the seed and a capillary position of water is established.
If the seeds are smaller, pre-sowing preparation is more complex. Machines have a great influence on the production of the seed bed, from which the final yields are derived. The highest yields occur in conditions without any stress. It is in the interest of the sprouting to be of good quality and for the plant to grow early in order to create greater resistance to adverse weather conditions.
Soil that is not mulched needs to be dug up. If the soil is very hard in autumn, it needs to be dug up because rain and snow during autumn and winter additionally affect soil compaction. And hard soil is not suitable for planting more delicate plants. In the spring, the soil is dug up once more and leveled using a hoe or rake.
Soil fertilization
Soil fertilization is divided into:
- basic soil fertilization
- additional soil fertilization
After the land is well prepared and cultivated, NPK fertilizer of animal, mineral or vegetable origin is placed in the soil, and everything depends on the type of production and the amount of potassium and phosphorus. It is very important that the fertilizer is equal to the composition of the one removed from the soil by the crop that was previously planted, in order to meet all the conditions of the crop that is planted or sown after it.
To determine soil fertilization, a chemical analysis of the soil is required, in order to determine the exact state of the pH of the soil. Before sowing or planting, NPK formulation fertilizer is introduced into the soil, which has a nutrient ratio of 1:1:1 and can be combined with nitrogen fertilizer.
Fertilizers are sprinkled next to the plants or on the beds. It is very important that the fertilizer is mixed with the soil and finally covered with a layer created by mulching. If you sprinkle ashes, let it be in a thin layer, and manure or compost is added in the amount of two to four liters per square meter.
Humus is the most important and favors the looseness and fertility of the soil. In order to ensure a sufficient amount of humus, it is necessary to periodically add partially processed compost and animal manure. Natural fertilizers that favor fertility include algae, castor oil, and the substrate left over from the production of mushrooms.
To improve heavy and alkaline soil, peat is used. In order to soften the acidity of heavy soils, sand, ash, and sometimes lime are used.
The process itself, from soil preparation to sowing, is a period of 4 weeks, and it mostly depends on the farmer himself and the weather conditions. The process of soil preparation is actually the most important process of agricultural production itself. High-quality and proper autumn soil preparation depends on plant growth. It is important that in the spring the soil is rich in nutrients and that it is loose and airy.
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