When planning the cultivation of early vegetables in central Russia, it is necessary to highlight the main ways to accelerate the formation of the crop.
Here are some of these paths:
1. Choosing a growing place.
2. Selection of cultivated vegetable crops.
3. Selection of varieties of vegetable crops.
4. The use of techniques that accelerate the formation of the crop.
Consider these basic ways to grow an early harvest of vegetable crops in the open field.
Many vegetable crops in the middle zone of the Russian Federation do not have enough heat for normal growth and development. According to the long-term average data of the Hydrometeorological Service of the Samara Region, as one of the regions of central Russia, the air temperature in May did not exceed 15.9 ° C, in June - 19.7, in July - 20.7, in August - 20.3, in September - 14.9.
According to heat requirements, vegetable crops are divided into groups:
1. Frost-resistant, able to winter in the open field without damage. Life processes in these plants begin at a low positive temperature of +2 ... + 3 ° С, therefore, as the soil thaws, these plants begin to grow leaves that are not damaged by spring frosts. This group includes the following perennial vegetable crops: horseradish, sorrel, rhubarb, mint, tarragon, hyssop, savory, onions (onions, garlic, chives, slug, batun, multi-tiered, shallot).
The optimum temperature for the growth of these plants is a temperature not higher than + 20 ° C, when it rises, the growth of leaves stops and flowering begins.
By growing perennial vegetables, you can get the earliest harvest of vegetables.
2. Cold-hardy - these include all cabbage, root vegetables, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach, dill, watercress, mustard. All cold-resistant vegetable crops are resistant to slight frosts - 2-4 ° C, especially when hardening seedlings (all types of cabbage). The best temperature for the growth of cold-resistant vegetable crops is +18 ... + 20 ° C.
Considering the stability of cold-resistant vegetable crops, as well as the ability of the seeds of these crops to sprout at low positive temperatures (+3 ... + 4 ° С), it is possible to sow the seeds of these crops at the earliest possible date and thereby accelerate the receipt of early harvests.
3. Heat-loving ones are tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, vegetable marrow, squash. All of these vegetable crops are damaged even by minor (-2 ...- 3 ° C) frosts, and only tomato culture, with proper seedling growing and hardening, is capable of withstanding frosts with a force of -2..4 ° C, and this makes it possible to plant tomato seedlings earlier than usually accepted for the region and thus get an early harvest of tomatoes. Optimum temperature for the growth and development of thermophilic vegetable crops is +25 ... + 27 ° С. The most heat-demanding culture is a cucumber, the seeds of which germinate at a soil temperature of at least + 13 ° C, and for the rapid growth of roots, this plant needs a root-layer temperature of at least + 17 ° C.
4. Heat-resistant plants - beans, watermelon, melon, pumpkin, corn. Vegetable plants of this group are distinguished by heat-demanding plants, only by the ability to continue growth processes at a temperature of + 40 ° C and above. The rest of the heat requirements for plants of this group are the same as those of the previous group.
Consequently, when growing thermophilic and heat-resistant crops in central Russia, attention should be paid to the selection of the warmest site protected from winds and to improve the thermal regime of the soil and air by applying high doses of organic fertilizers to pumpkin crops (cucumber, zucchini, squash, watermelon, melon, pumpkin) or organize the cultivation of these crops on insulated soil (using temporary shelters with synthetic materials), in greenhouses or greenhouses.
When planning the cultivation of vegetable crops, it is imperative to take into account the peculiarities of the climate of the zone, as well as to know the requirements of vegetable crops to environmental factors.
In an area where the climate does not allow for a very long period of the year to grow vegetables in the open field and there is often a cool spring with frosts lasting until early June, it is very important to grow an early harvest of vegetables. And to solve this problem, it is important to select vegetable crops and varieties of these crops that are able to quickly form a harvest. In some vegetable crops, this ability to quickly form a yield is explained by the peculiarities of growth processes inherent in these crops, and these crops are called early ripening - watercress, mustard, radish, lettuce, spinach, dill. The length of the growing season (from germination to the beginning of harvest) for these crops is 20-30 days. In other vegetable crops, early crop formation occurs due to the fact that buds and roots overwinter in the soil. Growth processes in these plants begin as the soil thaws (sorrel, rhubarb, tarragon, horseradish, mint, etc.) and the active growth of leaves, which are used for food, occurs at low positive temperatures.
Finally, in some vegetable crops, seeds overwinter in the soil, which are crumbled randomly as they ripen or sown before winter (carrots, dill, parsley, cucumber grass). The seeds of these plants are also capable of germinating at low positive temperatures, and their seedlings are frost-resistant, which ensures their rapid growth in early spring.
And even in the group of thermophilic vegetable crops there are early ripening varieties, which allows, with the correct selection of varieties, to get an early harvest of cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, vegetable peas, beans and other vegetable crops.
Already at the end of April in good years you can use greens (leaves and young shoots) of tarragon in salads. By the way, this plant has tonic properties and contains a large amount of various vitamins and minerals. At the same time, the leaves of lemon balm, peppermint and cucumber herb (from seeds overwintering in the ground) begin to grow. The late leaves of the cucumber herb are covered with hard pubescence and are not suitable for food.
In the first decade of May, very tasty and healthy early ripening green crops sown as early as possible - watercress and mustard, can be ready for consumption. These plants, in addition to biologically active substances and vitamins, contain the element selenium, which prevents cancer.
At the same time, that is, in the first decade or mid-May, parsley greens (leaves) appear, if you do not dig up part of the root crops in the fall, but leave them in the soil. For the earliest harvest, you can sow dill, parsley, carrots before winter, and in early May sprouts and young plants of dill and parsley, containing up to 250 mg% of vitamin C (in lemon and onion leaves of this vitamin, only 60 mg%), will appear.
At the earliest possible date, it is necessary to sow spinach, nigella for greens, lettuce, daikon, beetroot, Chinese cabbage, radish, dill, parsley, plant onions on greens, sow kohlrabi and plant seedlings of kohlrabi, cauliflower and early cabbage, sow summer radish. All this will allow, starting from the second decade of May, to have a variety of vegetable products.
In the first decade of May, it is necessary to sow peas, beets, plant onion sets on a turnip. In the second decade of May, and in some years a little earlier, sow beans, zucchini, squash, cucumbers and early ripening varieties of these vegetable crops will produce production in late June - early July.
At the end of May, without waiting for the end of the spring frost, plant hardened tomato seedlings and, with proper cultivation of seedlings and crops in the open field, in mid-July, you will start picking ripe tomato fruits.
Thus, by thoughtfully choosing vegetable crops and their varieties, you can get a variety of vegetable products from the open ground already starting from May. And throughout May, June, that is, in those times when there are usually very few fresh vegetables and when the human body, after a long winter, is in dire need of vegetable products, you can consume these vegetables, growing them in the local conditions of the central zone of the Russian Federation, which is also very important for both economic and environmental reasons.
Plants in the process of growth are under the constant influence of a large number of factors, the complex of which is what is called the external environment, which determines the timing of the receipt and the size of the grown crop.
If the requirements of the grown plants coincide with the conditions in which the plant is grown, that is, with the conditions of the external environment, then the plant forms the yield faster and the yield increases. If the conditions of the external environment in which the plant is grown do not correspond to the requirements of the plants, the yield grows slowly and its value decreases significantly.
To obtain an early and high yield of vegetable plants, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the growth of individual plants, as well as various agricultural techniques and use this knowledge in the process of growing the crop.
First of all, it is necessary to take into account the structural features of the root system of vegetable plants. As a rule, most vegetable plants form a superficial root system located in the layer of the arable soil horizon, i.e., at a depth of 20-30 cm. In this case, the most early ripening vegetable plants - radish, lettuce, watercress, mustard, spinach have the most superficial placement of the root system. But these plants are unique in the rate of yield accumulation. So, the mass of one radish seed is about 0.01 g, and after 25-30 days the mass of one radish root crop grown from this seed reaches 30-40 g, that is, the growth of one radish root crop is on average more than one gram per day. But radish leaves are also edible, and if we take into account the mass of radish formed on one plant and leaves, then the mass of the increase in the total radish yield of one plant will increase significantly.
An even higher rate of yield growth was noted in lettuce plants and onions. So, according to M.V. Alekseeva (1987), with an average weight of one onion seed of 0.003 g, with optimal conditions growing food onions from seeds (seedless culture) for a growing period equal to 100-110 days, a bulb weighing up to 300-400 g is formed. equal to the mass of the bulb.
Consequently, the above plants have the ability to quickly form a crop, but, given the presence of a small volume and depth of the root system in these plants, it is necessary to create a highly fertile root layer of soil so that the plants do not have a lack of nutrients.
Obtaining early yields of vegetable crops is possible only on highly fertile, well-heated, light-textured, well-moistened, non-acidic (according to the reaction of the soil solution) soils. The level of soil fertility increases with the introduction of organic fertilizers, as this increases the content of humus in the soil (V.P. Matveev, M.I. Rubtsov, 1985; and others).
The most important organic fertilizer is manure. It is brought in rotted or semi-rotted. Composting it with superphosphate (2-4% of the mass of manure) significantly increases the efficiency of manure. When mixed with superphosphate, manure ammonia interacts with calcium sulfate contained in superphosphate and turns into ammonium sulfate, so nitrogen is not lost when spreading manure in the field before plowing. Manure is composted in the fall, during storage. No less valuable fertilizer is compost from plant and animal residues that accumulate on the farm (tree leaves, tops not used for fodder).
Manure removed and scattered across the field must be plowed immediately to avoid loss of nitrogen in the form of ammonia.
A good way to use organic fertilizer is to apply it locally to holes or rows. This makes it possible to reduce the rate of fertilizers by two to three times without reducing their effectiveness. Good results are also obtained by joint application of mineral and organic fertilizers to the holes or rows.
Organic fertilizers in the form of fresh manure in an amount of up to 100 t / ha (per 10 m 2 - 10 kg) are recommended to be applied, first of all, for pumpkin crops. This technique not only increases the level of soil fertility and thereby improves the supply of nutrients to plants, but also insulates the root layer of the soil, which is very important for pumpkin vegetable crops (cucumber, zucchini, squash, squash, pumpkin, melon, watermelon). The listed cultures are very demanding on heat, for active work roots, the temperature of the root layer of the soil is not lower than +16 ... + 17 ° С.
When fresh, not rotted manure is introduced, the temperature of the surface air layer also rises, since during the decomposition of manure heat is released, which, in a sufficiently loose soil, in the absence of a soil crust on the soil surface, and also under the condition of systematic loosening of the soil, flows through the intersoil capillaries from the soil to aerial parts of plants. At the same time, not only the temperature on the soil surface rises, but also the supply of plant leaves with carbon dioxide improves, and this accelerates the activity of the leaf apparatus in terms of crop formation.
Well-fertilized soils stimulate the reproduction of earthworms, which, by their own moves, improve soil aeration.
Under early ripening vegetables (radish, lettuce, early, cauliflower), fast-acting organic fertilizers are applied in the form of humus, compost in an amount of up to 20-30 t / ha using organic fertilizer spreaders.
Poorly decomposed organic fertilizer can cause mechanical damage to the root system of carrots, parsley, radish, beets, which leads to branching of root crops.
The introduction of fresh organic fertilizer under the tomatoes increases their branching and leads to the mass formation of stepchildren, which slows down the timing of the formation of the crop due to the increased vegetative growth of tomato plants.
In order to avoid the negative effect of incorrectly applied organic fertilizers, only well-decomposed humus or compost should be applied under the tomato culture, necessarily adding phosphorus fertilizers (superphosphate), which accelerate the fruit formation and ripening of tomato fruits.
Vegetable crops react differently to organic fertilizers and are used differently. Carrots, beets, tomatoes, with good yield increases, react to the aftereffect of manure, and late cabbage makes good use of its effect. In parsley and carrots, the marketability of root crops decreases when sown on fresh straw manure. Early and early ripening crops react poorly to fresh manure introduced in the fall, but give large increases in yield when fertilized with humus or compost (G.G. Vendilo et al., 1986; G. Krug, 2000, and others).
Under the cabbage, it is better to add manure for the autumn digging or plowing of the soil, it is better to add manure under the cucumbers in the spring, since the decomposition of the introduced manure will begin in warm soil and this will warm the soil and the surface layer of air.
Sometimes, humus is applied under the tomatoes on poor soil fertility, and in this case, this type of organic fertilizer can be applied both in the fall - when digging a site, and in the spring - in the holes. Liming of acidic soils is of great importance for increasing soil fertility. The degree of soil acidity can be judged by the composition of the weeds. On acidic soils, wild radish, horsetail, creeping buttercup, plantain, sorrel grow. On slightly acidic and neutral soil, wheatgrass, clover, field bindweed, coltsfoot grow. Poorly fertilized soils usually have high acidity. The less cultivated the soil, the more likely it is acidic.
The acidity of the soil is determined by the pH value with a numerical value. Strongly acidic soils have a pH of 3-4, acidic - 4-5, slightly acidic - 5-6, neutral - 6-7, alkaline - 7-8, strongly alkaline - pH 8-9. Vegetable crops react differently to soil acidity. Most of them grow better in conditions where the soil has a reaction close to neutral.
According to their requirements for soil acidity, vegetable crops are divided into the following groups: Group I - soil pH from 6.0 to 7.5 (cabbage and cauliflower, carrots, beets, celery, lettuce, onions, asparagus, parsley); Group II - pH from 6 to 7 (beans, eggplant, garlic, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, radishes, zucchini, leafy beets, turnips, tomatoes, chives, shallots, leeks, nutmeg, cucumbers, horseradish, spinach, rhubarb) ; Group III - pH from 5 to 6 (pumpkin, potatoes, parsnips, sorrel).
To reduce the acidity of the soil, it is better to apply lime in combination with manure. This not only leads to a more rapid decrease in soil acidity, but also accelerates the decomposition of manure, and therefore promotes the release and better utilization of nutrients by the plants. The use of manure also helps to reduce the acidity of the soil due to ammonia and calcium. But the effect of manure on acidity is manifested only when it is applied in doses of at least 4-5 kg per 1 m 2. It is advisable to apply lime in the fall for digging a site, and the rates of lime application depend on the acidity of the soil - about 20-40 kg per 100 m 2. For liming the soil, you can use fluff lime (slaked lime), ash, ground limestone. When adding slaked lime, the application rates are somewhat reduced. Lime applied in full dose lasts for 5-7 years.
Of the mineral fertilizers per 100 m 2 of the vegetable garden, on average, 1.8-3.6 kg of ammonium nitrate, or 1.8-3.4 kg of urea, or 3-5 kg of ammonium sulfate, are applied using mineral fertilizer spreaders, 2.4- 9 kg of superphosphate, 1.4-4.8 kg of potassium chloride or 2-7 kg of potassium salt. It is better to apply half of the phosphorus and potash fertilizers in a mixture with organic fertilizers in the fall when digging or plowing, the rest - in the spring and in top dressing. When applying mineral fertilizers for vegetable crops, especially nitrogen fertilizers in increased quantities, it is important to strictly observe the terms and methods of their use, in order to avoid excessive accumulation of nitrates and nitrites in vegetables, which are harmful to human health. A large accumulation of nitrates is most often observed on soils poor in organic matter, poorly moistened, less - when using ammonium sulfate, more - ammonium nitrate. Microfertilizers containing copper, molybdenum, used for feeding, reduce the amount of nitrates and nitrites in vegetables (ON Sokolov, 1988).
In the spring, a small amount of all fertilizers, including nitrogen fertilizers (about 20% of their total amount), are applied to the rows or holes. The rest of the dose is given in top dressing. Of the mineral fertilizers for cabbage, radishes, onions, the most effective are those that contain sulfur (ammonium sulfate, superphosphate). For potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, it is advisable to apply chlorine-free fertilizers - potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate.
Beets, radishes, leeks, peas, carrots develop better with the addition of potassium chloride and potassium salt. It is advisable to use chlorine-containing fertilizers for celery, asparagus, beetroot (chard) and spinach.
When applying fertilizers, the following rule is also adhered to: if the soils are not provided with nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers have little effect on the crop. Therefore, on such soils, as a rule, it is necessary to apply simultaneously nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers and, if necessary, magnesium.
Both lack and excess of nutrients impair plant growth. An excessively high concentration of mineral fertilizers weakens the supply of moisture and nutrients, and an excess of nitrogen causes an intensive growth of vegetative organs and delays the formation and ripening of fruits and root crops. In addition, excessive and inappropriate fertilization results in unnecessary loss of nutrients and waste of funds.
It is necessary to take into account the role of individual nutrients, especially when growing early vegetables. So, nitrogen fertilizers accelerate the growth of vegetative organs, but with an excess of nitrogen, the resistance of vegetable plants to frosts and diseases decreases, the onset of fruiting is delayed, and the keeping quality of vegetables worsens during storage. Excessive nitrogen nutrition of vegetable plants often leads to the accumulation of nitrates in vegetables, which are harmful to human health.
When growing early vegetables, it is necessary to pay attention that the roots of vegetable plants are characterized by a reduced ability to extract phosphorus from the soil and mineral fertilizers, which accelerates the ripening of the fruits of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and also increases the resistance of plants to diseases. The roots of young vegetable plants (seedlings) extract phosphorus especially poorly. This delays the flowering of many plants and, therefore, slows down the timing of the arrival of the crop for a number of crops.
The role of potassium is also very important when growing an early harvest of vegetables, as this nutritional element contributes to a better supply of nutrients to the generative organs (flowers, fruits).
The main environmental factors necessary for the life of vegetable plants are heat, nutrients, light, water, elements of the air environment (oxygen, carbon dioxide). All these factors, as G.I. Tarakanov and other scientists (1993) are equivalent and interrelated. For example, irrigation increases the effect of fertilizers, since the root system is only able to absorb nutrients from the soil in the form of nutrient solutions. With a lack of soil moisture, all nutrients in the soil will be inaccessible to plants.
Irrigation not only increases the overall yield of vegetable crops, but also accelerates the timing of its receipt, while significantly improving the quality of products. The bitter taste of radishes, cucumbers, cabbage, and onion leaves is often caused by a lack of water during their cultivation.
In addition, irrigation reduces the effect of spring frosts during wetting irrigation before frost, which is also very important for growing an early harvest of vegetables, as it guarantees protection of seedlings planted in open ground before the end of spring frosts.
Sprinkling is relatively affordable and effective for protecting plants from frost: 1 liter of artificial rain water, when cooled from 10 ° C to 0 ° C, emits about the same amount of heat as it emits with a weak frost of 1 m 2 of the field. Freezing, 1 liter of water releases 80 kcal of heat, which is also partially spent on warming the atmosphere surrounding the plant. Getting on plant tissues, water slows down the outflow of moisture from the cells, prevents them from dehydration. As a result, if sprinkling is done correctly, it is often possible to save crops such as tomato from death at 3-5 ° C frost. It should be borne in mind that in order to combat frost, a low intensity of sprinkling and a certain degree of water dispersion (droplet diameter 0.5-1.5 mm) are desirable.
Early planting of seedlings, as a rule, increases the survival rate of seedlings, since when planting at a later date, the air temperature rises, this increases the evaporation of moisture from the leaves, and not the established root system, and the significantly reduced volume of the smallest roots that absorb soil moisture does not have time supply the required amount of moisture to the sheet machine.
Seedlings are grown in thickened form (up to 200-300 pieces per 1 m 2) and this worsens the illumination of the leaves, the seedlings are strongly stretched, the lower part of the stem, without receiving illumination, becomes etiolated (white in color). The cell walls of seedling plants become weaker and such seedlings are highly susceptible to frost.
With early planting of seedlings, freely placed plants are well lit, due to this, the process of photosynthesis is improved, that is, the leaves work more actively and this accelerates the growth processes of plants, which ultimately accelerates the start of fruiting of many vegetable crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, early and cauliflower, cucumbers).
The role of irrigation as a source of moisture supply for vegetable plants is extremely large, and because most vegetable plants, having shallow penetrating and weakly branched roots, have high percent water. So, the largest amount of water contains cucumber - 97%, cabbage - 95%, and only garlic is a crop with a minimum water content in the harvest - only 65%. In addition, it must be borne in mind that the roots of plants have a weak ability to extract moisture from the soil. So, if cereals with root penetration up to 2-3 m are capable of developing root pressure up to 12 kg / cm 2, then in tomato, with a root depth of up to 30-40 cm, the root pressure does not exceed 5.5 kg / cm 2 ... This comparison shows how much less ability the tomato has to extract moisture from the soil.
For vegetable crops, water temperature is of great importance. Sometimes, even with sufficient watering, the plants still suffer from a lack of water. This is explained by the fact that when watering with cold water in heat-demanding vegetable crops, the sucking power of the roots decreases, as a result of which the flow of water into the plants decreases and the so-called physiological drought sets in for them.
The flow of water into the plant is also disrupted with an increase in the concentration of the soil solution, when mineral fertilizers are applied in excessive doses.
In different phases of growth and development, the requirements of vegetable plants to soil moisture are not the same. The need for water is especially high in the phase of swelling and germination of seeds, during rooting of planted (especially potless) seedlings, during intensive growth of a head of cabbage and fruiting in cucumber and tomato, in the first growing season in root plants. Within one culture, early-maturing varieties need water more than late-maturing ones, due to the faster growth and development rates and a larger number of plants per unit area.
Most vegetable crops are sown and planted in May, when drought can already set in. Drought and wind lead to desiccation of the top layer of the soil, in which the seeds are placed, respectively, seedlings appear uncooked and sparse. Seedlings of vegetable crops also take root very slowly, there is a large percentage of plant loss with a lack of moisture in the soil.
Lack of soil moisture in June is dangerous both for seedlings and for getting early vegetables: radishes, lettuce, early cabbage, onions. Early vegetables reach their maximum development in June and consume a lot of water. Drying out of the soil during this period, even to a depth of 10-15 cm, negatively affects the timing of the formation of the crop and its size.
In July, the warmest summer month, most vegetable plants develop rapidly, have a powerful leaf apparatus and therefore evaporate a huge amount of water. The lack of water during this period is especially destructive. If the rains do not fall for more than a week, then the root layer of the soil dries up and the plants suffer greatly from a lack of moisture. In July and August, there is not enough moisture for vegetable plants even with a normal distribution of precipitation.
Vegetable plants are also difficult to tolerate atmospheric drought, which occurs at high temperatures, great dryness of the air and is accompanied by winds.
Very weakly retain moisture and quickly evaporate unstructured soils, which are prone to compaction and swimming.
Air humidity is also of great importance for vegetable plants. So, for cucumber, various types of cabbage and some leafy vegetables, the optimal relative humidity of the air, that is, the saturation of the air with moisture vapor is about 85-95%. More moderate requirements for air humidity in parsley, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, for which the optimum is about 60-80%. Melons grow and develop better when the air humidity is 50-60%. The lower need for air moisture of the above listed plants is explained by the special protective device of the leaves - they have a smaller dissection, which reduces the total area of the evaporating surface. In addition, the leaves of these plants are pubescent, which also reduces the evaporation of moisture from the leaves. These plants are called drought-resistant and excessive moisture slows down the formation of fruits of tomatoes, eggplants and, as a result, does not allow an early harvest of these crops.
The high exactingness of vegetable plants to air and soil moisture is combined with a sensitivity to its excess. With an excess of moisture in the soil, it fills all the pores, impairing the respiration of the roots, which die off due to a lack of oxygen. Excessive air humidity contributes to the development of diseases, and during the flowering period it prevents the normal pollination of flowers.
All vegetable crops, according to their ability to produce water and consume it, are divided into four groups:
1. Plants that extract water well and consume it intensively (beets).
2. Plants that extract water well, but use it sparingly (tomatoes, carrots).
3. Plants, poorly producing water and consuming it very uneconomically (cucumbers, radishes, cabbage).
4. Plants that have a weak ability to extract water, but also consume it for evaporation in very limited quantities (onions).
Therefore, the most demanding on moisture are various types of kaput, cucumber, some green crops (lettuce, spinach, dill), cabbage roots (radish, radish, turnip, turnip), eggplant. Plants of this group have an underdeveloped root system, but a rather large vegetative mass. Therefore, they poorly absorb moisture from the soil, and consume it uneconomically and, therefore, need high soil moisture during the entire growing season.
Such crops that are especially demanding on moisture, such as onions and garlic, also poorly extract moisture, but consume it more economically than the plants of the previous group.
Beetroot is less demanding on water conditions. Although it consumes moisture intensively, it also extracts it well.
Carrots, parsley, tomato and pepper are even less demanding on soil moisture, which absorb it well and use it relatively sparingly.
The most resistant to a lack of moisture, heat and drought are watermelon, melon, pumpkin, sweet corn, beans. These crops with a powerful root system extract moisture well from the soil and use it economically.
The need for regular irrigation of vegetable crops using sprinklers is explained not only by the structural features of the root system and leaf apparatus, but also by the insufficient amount of precipitation falling during the growing season and its uneven distribution over the months of summer.
The timing and number of irrigations depend on the soil and climatic conditions of the zone, as well as on the biological characteristics of individual vegetable crops.
The most demanding soil moisture conditions are such crops as cabbage, cucumbers, onions, radishes. The exactingness of vegetable plants to the water regime varies according to the phases of development. So, in the phase of emergence and survival of seedlings, 15-20% is required, in the phase of growth of the bulk of the leaf apparatus in root crops, the beginning of fruiting of cucumbers and tomatoes, the formation of cabbage heads of cabbage, the formation of onion bulbs - 55-65% and in the phase of intensive growth head of cabbage, fruiting and ripening of vegetable crops - up to 17-30% of the total water consumption during the growing season.
In addition to watering when growing vegetable crops, it is possible to regulate the water regime of the soil and air by such agrotechnical methods as mulching, sowing wind protection curtains, growing vegetable crops on ridges, etc.
Mulching - continuous or tape coverage of the field surface with dense (polymer films, special paper) or loose (peat, straw, humus, sawdust) materials - mulch. This technique is carried out after sowing or planting, it retains moisture well in the soil, prevents the formation of a soil crust on the surface. For mulching the soil with a film or covering material, film layers are used.
Mulching can regulate soil temperature - dark colored mulching material raises soil temperature by 2-3 ° C. It is possible to reuse a polymer film as a mulch, which has worked out its life as a translucent fencing of protected ground structures.
Also, the technique of growing vegetables in inter-curtain strips, which are sown across the direction of the prevailing winds, has a double effect. By reducing the wind speed in the inter-curtain stripes, moisture evaporation by plants and soil is reduced, i.e. the water regime of the grown vegetable plants is improved. In addition, in the inter-curtain strips, the air temperature rises by 2-4 ° C and the soil temperature by 1-2 ° C compared to the open area.
Consequently, the seeding curtain allows to improve the thermal and water regimes in the area where vegetable crops are sown to obtain an early harvest.
High-stemmed vegetables or field crops - sunflowers, beans, are used as encephalous plants, placing them so that they do not obscure the main cultivated vegetable crops.
Some gardeners grow vegetables on ridges of various heights, which are prepared using bed-formers. The soil on the ridges warms up and dries out faster by blowing through the soil layer. If the beds for sowing are prepared in the fall, then on early warmed-up beds, an earlier sowing of cold-resistant vegetable crops is possible (carrots, parsley, dill, lettuce, radishes, watercress, peas, onions for sets, onions for herbs), and, therefore, appears the possibility of obtaining earlier and friendly seedlings, which will subsequently provide an early harvest. However, it should be borne in mind that due to the rapid drying of the soil layer of the beds, it is necessary to increase the number of irrigations with this method of growing, and this increases the cost of growing vegetables.
Consequently, the ridges are most effective on well-moistened soils - in the spring the site will be ready for sowing earlier due to the faster drying of the soil and its readiness for sowing, and in the summer months there will be no waterlogging on the ridges during irrigation.
Most vegetable crops are propagated by seeds and the timing of the ripening of vegetables largely depends on their quality. A good harvest is provided by seeds of zoned varieties. Each variety has a characteristic, including its ripening period, yield, keeping quality, suitability for processing, resistance to diseases and unfavorable weather conditions etc. The variety receives this characteristic as a result of many years of testing in various zones of the country. Cultivars that have received a positive assessment from the State Variety Testing Commission are zoned, that is, cultivation areas are established for them, where they showed the best results.
In recent years, many new varieties of various vegetable crops have appeared and often, without preliminary study of them in the system of state variety plots, varieties are sold, which does not always give good results when growing crops, especially early ones.
Therefore, before buying seeds of a particular variety, it is necessary to find out whether it is zoned in a given area. If not zoned, then this, of course, does not mean an unequivocally negative result of its cultivation. But the likelihood of an annual high yield of good quality in this case is sharply reduced.
Some gardeners grow vegetable seeds on their plots. These seeds must be thoroughly dried before storing them, otherwise they will lose their germination properties. If the seeds are not sufficiently dried, then the development of fungal microorganisms increases on their surface and the seeds grow moldy. High humidity seeds also increase respiration processes, and this leads to the loss of nutrients in the seeds. As a result, seeds insufficiently dried since autumn during storage sharply reduce the germination rates - such seeds germinate slowly, the period of germination and growth of young seedlings increases, sometimes the quality of seeds deteriorates so much that seedlings do not appear at all.
When storing seeds at home, an important condition is the dryness of the air - it is desirable that its humidity be below 55%. There should be no fluctuations in air temperature. A sharp change in temperature from high to low can lead to an increase in seed moisture, sweating and spoilage. Seeds are well preserved either at a temperature of 0-5 ° C, or at a temperature of 14-18 ° C. Cloth and paper bags are most suitable for storing seeds.
Well dried seeds can be stored in an airtight container. In the seeds selected for storage, be sure to include a label indicating the year of growing the seeds or the period of purchase.
When planning planting with vegetable precision planters, you need to know the storage time of the seeds. Pumpkin crops (pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, melon, watermelon up to 6-8 years) and tomatoes - 6-8 years have the longest duration of germination during storage under optimal conditions. The shortest shelf life for crops with small seeds - onions, carrots, parsley, celery, parsnips, dill - keep seeds germinating for no more than 1-3 years of storage.
The list of vegetable crops for cultivation in each specific case depends on the soil and climatic conditions of the region, allowing the cultivation of certain crops. The sum of active temperatures (above 10 ° C) is different for individual vegetable crops. Regions of Russia have significant differences in temperature.
For planting, especially when growing an early crop, use large, full-weight seeds. This will accelerate the emergence of seedlings, the formation and size of the crop.
Having determined the list of vegetable crops planned for growing, draw up a plan for their placement on the site. It is advisable, having thought well, to draw up a plan for the placement of crops for several years and annually take into account the place of cultivation of the previous crop, the fertilizers applied (types and their quantity) on the site.
Having a list of vegetable crops that are planned to be grown in an individual garden for an early harvest, it is necessary to purchase seeds. A little more seed must be purchased than is required for sowing so that they can be sorted out and only well-made, undamaged seeds must be used for sowing.
When purchasing seeds, you need to know what crops and varieties you need. The selection of vegetable crops for an individual garden largely depends on the climatic conditions of the area, on the traditions of nutrition. However, in all zones, when deciding what to grow in the garden, first of all, one should give preference to those crops that cannot be purchased in vegetable stores for some reason or the quality of which in the retail network does not meet your requirements. Therefore, on vegetable plot a variety of green and spicy-flavored vegetable crops should grow, which quickly lose their commercial qualities during transportation and the list of which in the industrial production of vegetables is limited.
These are, first of all, dill, lettuce, watercress, mustard, chervil, coriander, collard greens, cucumber herb, spinach, celery, parsley and many others. Special attention should be paid to the cultivation of early vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions), both in open and protected ground, using various types of plant protection (panic, greenhouses, insulated beds, etc.).
Obtaining early harvests of various vegetables will largely eliminate the seasonality in their consumption.
Perennial vegetable crops (onion, rhubarb, horseradish, sorrel, tarragon, mint, asparagus, marjoram) also make it possible to obtain earlier production in comparison with annual and biennial vegetables, especially if you cover the area of perennials with plastic wrap in the early spring.
And, finally, it is advisable to find a place on the vegetable plot for those vegetable crops that are not sufficiently developed in our country. working conditions... These include: cauliflower, kohlrabi, savoy cabbage, broccoli, physalis, hot and sweet peppers, eggplant, turnips, squash, watermelons, melons, pumpkins, beans, garlic, sweet corn, etc.
Onions differ in species diversity - these are not only onions familiar to us, but also leeks, batun, slug, garlic. It is advisable to grow all these species in your garden.
Try to find a place to grow green peas and organize their cultivation in such a way that throughout the summer you have this wonderful product in abundance.
In an individual garden, it is advisable to have a rich set of green and gingerbread crops in order to be able to eat them daily, and to prepare the surplus for future use for the winter. If the area of the site is limited, and vegetable crops will have to be grown in the aisles of the orchard, then when laying the garden, it is advisable to provide for the distance between the rows of trees to Yum.
Narrower aisles can be occupied by vegetable crops only before the growth of tree crowns. However, even with this, cucumbers, tomatoes and beans are best placed on the border of the garden on the south side. As the crowns grow fruit trees in the aisles of the garden, you can grow only beets, perennial vegetables and drive greens onions, parsley, celery - these crops are more resistant to shading.
The most illuminated areas should be allocated for tomatoes and cucumbers. Root crops and cabbage grow well in low, humid areas. A small area should be left for perennial vegetables. These plants are shade-tolerant and grow well against a fence or wall.
When deciding how much and what kind of vegetables to grow, it is also necessary to proceed from the area of the plot, the approximate harvest of vegetables - for individual crops and the family's needs for vegetables. Consider the consumption of vegetables in different terms- from early spring to autumn, harvesting fresh and processed vegetables.
When growing an early harvest of vegetable crops, it is very important to get friendly and early shoots. For this, various methods of pre-sowing seed preparation are used, the task of which is to select the largest seeds for sowing, to prevent the development of various diseases by disinfecting seeds, to increase the resistance of plants to low temperatures by hardening the seeds, to enrich the seeds with various nutrients and growth stimulants.
Seed preparation begins with the selection of the largest and fullest. These seeds tend to yield higher yields. For selection, seeds are poured into a 3-5% solution (30-50 g per 1 l of water) of sodium chloride. Pour the seeds in small portions, stirring occasionally. After 3-5 minutes, the lungs that have floated to the surface are removed. Full-weight seeds settle to the bottom of the dishes, they are thoroughly washed under running water and dried, scattering in a thin layer and stirring regularly. After sorting, they are checked for germination. To do this, spread gauze, newspaper or cloth folded in 3-4 layers on the bottom of a flat plate or saucer, moisten and spread the seeds. From above, the seeds are covered with the same cloth, moistened with warm water, covered with a plate or saucer and placed in a warm place (20-22 ° C). Make sure the fabric is constantly damp. Well, under the layer of fabric on which the seeds are laid for germination, put a layer of sawdust scalded with boiling water. On top of the layer of fabric covering the seeds, you can also sprinkle sawdust in a layer of 1.5-2.0 cm.
Usually, 100 seeds are laid for germination and the percentage of seed germination is calculated from this number, but for amateur vegetable growers, a smaller amount can be laid, respectively, calculating the germination capacity.
Germination time at a temperature of 20-25 ° C: 7 days - for cabbage, radish, turnip, pea; 8 - for cucumbers, melons, beets, beans; 10 - for carrots, lettuce, pumpkin, zucchini, watermelons; 12 - onions, tomatoes, parsley; 14 - in pepper, dill, celery, eggplant. Seeds are examined daily, slightly moistened, sprouted are counted and removed. The counting results are recorded in order to calculate the percentage of seed germination at the end of germination (if out of 100 seeds laid for germination, 85 germinated, then seed germination is 85%).
Seeds prepared for sowing must be disinfected. In order to prevent the disease of vascular bacteriosis, cabbage seeds are heated in water at a temperature of 50 ° C for 20 minutes. To do this, they are poured into double gauze bags, filling in half. When cooling the water, carefully add hot water... The heated seeds are immediately cooled by rinsing them in cold water and sprinkled on a bag for ventilation until flowing.
Warming up should be carried out immediately before sowing seeds. Warming up not only disinfects, but also significantly accelerates the emergence of seedlings - the shell swells and some of the seeds are pecked.
Before sowing, tomato seeds are pickled with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (10 g per liter of water at room temperature). The seeds are kept in the solution for 20 minutes, then washed thoroughly in running water and sown immediately. Often tomato seeds are hardened with variable temperatures, which, combined with hardening of seedlings, increases its resistance to low temperatures, accelerates seed germination and fruit ripening.
To harden the seeds, they are poured into 1/3 volume bags and soaked in water at room temperature for 12 hours. After that, the seeds are kept under conditions that ensure growth processes in the seed, i.e. at a temperature of 18-20 ° C. Then the seeds are placed for 12 hours in conditions that ensure their hardening, that is, they are kept at a temperature of 0-3 ° C or a bag of seeds is buried in the snow. The duration of hardening is 2-3 weeks; during this time, the temperature is changed every 12 hours. During the hardening process, the seeds are in a bag in a wet state. By the end of hardening, they swell well, sometimes even peck.
Good results are obtained by hardening pepper and eggplant seeds. In vegetable growing, the soaking of seeds is widely used until they are completely swollen and germinated until seedlings appear. Dill and spinach seeds are soaked in water at a temperature of 20-25 ° C for one to two days. The seeds are poured so that the water only covers them. The water is changed in the morning and in the evening. Before sowing, the seeds are dried until flowable.
For soaking, use a wooden and enameled dishes, into which the seeds are poured in a thin layer and poured with water in several steps. The seeds are stirred every hour so that they completely absorb the water. For rapidly germinating seeds of cucumbers, cabbage, lettuce, radish, watermelon, melon, the duration of soaking should be about 12 hours; for slowly sprouting - carrots, tomatoes, parsley, beets, onions - about two days. Peas and beans are soaked for 24 hours. Before sowing, it is recommended to keep black onions in water at a temperature of 40 ° C for 8 hours, from time to time adding hot water to the dishes.
For germination, the seeds are sprinkled in a thin layer in a warm room (18-20 ° C) on a moistened cloth, and covered with burlap on top. Soaking and, especially, germination of seeds accelerates the emergence of seedlings. However, when sowing them in dry soil or with very shallow embedding, seedlings are extremely sparse or completely absent.
Therefore, sowing wet or germinated seeds should only be carried out in moist soil. The prepared sowing furrows must be well watered and, after absorbing moisture, distribute the seeds along the length of the row. After sowing, the site must be well mulched or covered with a sheet of film.
There are many ways of pre-sowing seed preparation, but the goal is one - to increase the sowing and yielding qualities of seeds. And if we take into account that the seeds of vegetable crops in most cases are small and their seeding rates are insignificant, then the labor intensity of the methods does not require large costs and pays off with an early and higher harvest.
When harvesting vegetables early, many crops can be grown seedling method... The seedling method is one of the main methods of accelerating an early harvest, since this method allows you to start growing vegetables in a permanent place (in open or protected ground) not from seeds, which, as a rule, germinate slowly and have a slower growth and development rate in the initial period, and from plants in the phase of 4-6 true leaves, with a well-developed root system.
With the correct cultivation of seedlings and careful selection of them, with the pot method of growing them and with the organization of the correct planting of seedlings in a permanent place, the seedlings quickly take root and practically do not stop the growth of plants. This will undoubtedly speed up the form
harvesting and allows you to get an early harvest. On average, the seedling method speeds up the timing of the harvest by 2-3 weeks.
The seedling method speeds up the timing and due to the fact that the best plants are selected for planting in a permanent place. This selection occurs when picking, when picking seedlings and, finally, in the process of planting it in a permanent place.
Traditionally, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, white cabbage and cauliflower are grown by the seedling method in our country. But this list can be expanded and, in order to accelerate the harvest of vegetables, grow all pumpkin crops by the seedling method - cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, watermelons, melons; celery, beets, salads, kohlrabi cabbage.
Seedlings should not be elongated, the entire stem should be dark green, the root system is well developed and preserved when planting seedlings. Elongated, pampered, overgrown seedlings often do not take root well, grow slowly and do not give the expected early harvest.
The place for growing seedlings can be a greenhouse, a small greenhouse or a windowsill. The time and place of sowing seeds for growing seedlings depends on the duration of growing a particular seedling, as well as the time and place of planting it in a permanent place.
Seedlings of cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, celery are grown with a pick, that is, transplanting young seedlings with the provision of larger area nutrition during cultivation. In this case, the seeds are sown in boxes or in a greenhouse, then seedlings with well-developed cotyledonous leaves are dived into nutrient pots, cups, boxes or simply into the soil of the greenhouse.
Seedlings of cucumbers, squash, squash, watermelon, melon, pumpkin are grown without picking, that is, the seeds are sown directly in pots or cups. The seedlings of these crops are always grown in pots or nutrient cubes, which preserves the root system when selecting seedlings and ensures its high survival rate. Potless seedlings of cucumbers, squash, watermelons, melons, pumpkins, zucchini take root very poorly.
Tomato seedlings are grown for 55-60 days starting in mid-March. Sorted tomato seeds are treated with 1% potassium permanganate solution (2 g per glass of water), after which they are hardened. The hardened seeds are sown in boxes at a distance of 1-2 cm from a row from a row, covered with 1 cm of soil from above. The garden soil and humus are sifted and mixed in the following ratio: 2 parts of soil and 1 part of humus. Add 60 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate, or instead 100 g of garden mixture and two glasses of ash to a bucket of the mixture. It is good if the seed boxes were covered with a mixture in the fall and left to freeze. 3-4 days before sowing, the boxes are brought into the room, watered with warm water. After sowing, the box is placed in a warm place (22-25 ° C). The seeds will sprout faster if the box is covered with glass or plastic.
As soon as shoots appear, the box is placed closer to the light and the temperature is lowered during the day to 12-15 ° C, at night to 10-12 ° C. During this period, the soil is watered very sparingly. This regime is maintained for a week. During this period, the plants will get stronger root system, after which the temperature is raised during the day in sunny weather to 22-24 ° С, in cloudy weather - up to 18-20 ° С, at night - up to 12-14 ° С.
You can not grow seedlings at high temperatures, as this will greatly stretch. Better if the temperature is below optimum. In this case, the seedlings grow slowly, will be short, stocky, heavily pubescent, with a purple color of the stem and leaves. Such seedlings are resistant to a drop in temperature; planting in open ground can be done earlier.
It grows well, then the seedlings grown in nutritious pots quickly take root.
Various pot mixes are used. In the presence of well-decomposed peat, three buckets of peat are mixed with a bucket of sawdust and mullein is added. Add one matchbox of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride and four boxes of superphosphate to a bucket of the mixture. Instead of superphosphate and potassium chloride, you can add two glasses of wood ash.
Tomato seeds can be sown in nutritious pots, but it is better to cut open already developed seedlings.
12-15 days after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings dive, transplanted into another box or in nutrient pots at a distance of 8x8 or 10x10 cm. When diving, 1/3 of the main root is cut off to form a more branched root system. The soil for picking is taken of the same composition as for sowing. You can unpack the seedlings into paper cups. When picking, the seedling is buried in the soil up to the cotyledonous leaves. This promotes the formation of adventitious roots. The cut seedlings are well watered and shaded for 2-3 days. The best temperature at this time is 20-22 ° G.
The established seedlings are again placed in the brightest place, watered moderately and ventilated vigorously. As the weather warms (not lower than 10 ° C), the seedlings are taken out into the street, gradually accustoming them to the outside air and sunlight.
In the early days, in order to avoid leaf burns, it is shaded. A week after picking, the seedlings are fed (for 10 liters of water, 5 g of ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride and 15 g of superphosphate). Superphosphate is soaked in advance for a day. After another week, if the plants grow poorly and the leaves are pale in color, they are fed with diluted mullein or bird droppings, and mullein - 10 times, bird droppings - 15 times. Add 10 g of wood ash to a bucket of solution. A glass of fertilizer solution is consumed for 4 plants. After feeding, the plants are watered with clean water to prevent leaf burns.
2-3 weeks before planting seedlings in the ground, fertilizing is carried out, consuming 15 g of potassium salt and 25 g of superphosphate per bucket of water. During this period, it is necessary to prepare seedlings for planting in the ground - to reduce watering, increase ventilation, and more often take seedlings outside. A week before planting in the ground, the plants are sprayed with a 0.1% solution of copper sulfate (1 g per 1 l of water) and 2-3 g of granulated superphosphate are added under each plant, sprinkled with fresh, moist soil.
When growing tomato seedlings, it should be borne in mind that this is a drought-resistant plant and, therefore, excessive watering should not be carried out, which sharply deteriorates the quality of seedlings (A.Ch. Mezentsova et al., 1975; V.D. Mukhin, 1996).
Seedlings of peppers and eggplants are grown in the same way as seedlings of tomatoes. But these crops are more demanding for heat. So, seedlings and adult pepper plants stop growing at a temperature of 13 ° C. The best temperature for the growth and development of eggplants is 25-3 0 ° C.
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants are sown in a mixture prepared from equal parts of humus and peat or two parts of humus and one part of sod land.
Cucumber seedlings must be grown in nutritious pots or paper cups, otherwise they take root very badly. Seeds of cucumbers are warmed up before sowing. To do this, they are scattered in a thin layer and start heating from a temperature of 15-20 ° C, then gradually (within 1-2 hours) increase it to 55-60 ° C. In the process of warming up, the seeds are thoroughly mixed every 5-10 minutes. The duration of warming up from the moment the temperature rises to 55-60 ° C is 3-4 hours. Sow seeds 20-25 days before planting seedlings in a permanent place. More mature seedlings of cucumbers also do not take root well.
For cucumbers and other pumpkin crops, a mixture of sod land and humus, taken in equal proportions, is used. A glass of ash is added to the bucket of the mixture.
In each pot, 2-3 seeds are sown to a depth of about 1 cm. Until the emergence of shoots, the temperature is maintained at 26-28 ° C, with the emergence of shoots during the day - 20-22 ° C, at night - 16-17 ° C. After a week, the temperature is increased: in sunny weather up to 24-26 ° C; in cloudy up to 20-22 ° С, at night up to 17-18 ° С.
In the phase of full disclosure of the cotyledons, one plant is left in pots. Excess plants are not pulled out, but pinched to the base so as not to damage the roots of the remaining plants.
When growing seedlings of cucumbers, it is fed with micronutrient fertilizers: boric acid 0.5-0.7 g and the same amount of copper sulfate, manganese sulfate 0.3-0.5 g and zinc sulfate 0.15-0.3 0 g are added to a bucket of water Water in moderation with warm water only. Before sampling, the seedlings are watered with a solution of mineral fertilizers: 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium chloride per bucket of water.
Seedlings of cucumbers are planted in open ground using transplanting machines under a cover made of transparent film.
Seedlings of early cabbage are grown for 50-55 days. Potted seedlings are also desirable for an early harvest. For cabbage, one part of the earth is mixed with one part of humus. Two glasses of ash, a glass of fluff lime are added to a bucket of the mixture.
There are also numerous other techniques that accelerate the formation of the crop.
Correct and timely tillage is of great importance. Premature digging, when the soil is not dry enough, impairs its physical properties, leads to compaction and rapid loss of moisture.
For early vegetable crops, the plots are cultivated first. When sowing or planting seedlings is delayed, the surface of the ridges is slightly loosened with a hoe or rake to avoid moisture evaporation.
In the early stages of sowing small-seeded vegetable crops, spring digging of the soil is undesirable. The site must be dug up in the fall, and only thoroughly buried in the spring, after sowing, roll in (compact) with the help of press rollers. This will ensure better contact of the seeds with the soil, and will also help to raise soil moisture to the upper layers of the soil in which the seeds are embedded.
Pre-sowing watering of the soil will significantly accelerate the emergence of seedlings. In this case, it is necessary to water the sowing grooves made in advance, then place the seeds along the groove and then cover the seeds with soil, from above, mulch the sowing ridge with some loose material - humus, soil, peat.
Accelerates the emergence of seedlings by covering the sown beds with plastic wrap (not necessarily new). However, it is necessary to monitor the emergence of seedlings and remove the film immediately after their appearance. Remove the film better evening, if the weather permits or early in the morning, so that there is no sunburn of seedlings from the bright sun.
Affects the timing of emergence and the thoroughness of pre-sowing soil preparation. Most vegetable crops have small seeds, respectively, when sowing, they are planted shallowly - by 1-2 cm; if the soil layer in which the seeds are sown is coarse, then it is easily blown through and dries quickly. Seeds end up in a dry layer of soil and seedlings are often very thinned out or do not appear until precipitation or frequent watering. However, frequent watering is associated not only with significant labor and time costs, but also always lead to compaction of the upper soil layer and the appearance of a soil crust, which also prevents the emergence of seedlings, since compaction in the soil decreases the oxygen content required for seed germination, and tender seedlings of vegetable crops are not able to break through to the surface through a dense layer of soil crust. There is a need for loosening the soil.
Loosening of the soil is necessary to destroy the soil crust, retain moisture, improve the air-gas regime, and destroy weed seedlings. If loosening is carried out before the emergence of seedlings of the culture, then the depth of loosening should be the minimum necessary to destroy the crust. Otherwise, vegetable seedlings may be damaged. Pre-emergence crust formation can be avoided by periodic watering at low rates to keep the topsoil moist. Simultaneous sowing with seeds of slowly germinating crops, lettuce or radish seeds (like a lighthouse crop) allows the soil to be loosened between rows even before the emergence of the main crop.
At the beginning of the growing season of plants, the soil is poorly protected by their leaf surface from the loss of soil moisture. As the plants grow and the leaf area increases, the evaporation of moisture from the soil surface decreases. Therefore, timely loosening of the soil in the aisles is of particular importance for creating a favorable water regime in the initial period of plant growth.
Loosening the crust retains soil moisture, as it destroys the soil capillaries, through which moisture rises from the lower layers of the soil to the upper layers and evaporates. In agronomic practice, loosening is called dry irrigation. In addition, loosening improves the supply of carbon dioxide to plants from the soil (especially well-fertilized soil), and facilitates the supply of oxygen to the soil, which is necessary for the work of the roots and the activity of microorganisms in the soil.
When loosening is carried out, a loose layer forms on the soil surface, which also delays the evaporation of soil moisture. The method of mulching the soil surface is similar in value to loosening.
Mulching is an important agrotechnical method of complex action. The mulch layer delays the evaporation of moisture from the soil, helps to maintain uniform moisture in the root layer. When using mulch, the fine crumbly structure of the soil is better preserved, and its air-gas regime is improved. No crust forms on the surface, therefore, there is no need for loosening. Mulching row spacings with loose materials (humus, peat, sawdust, straw) largely inhibits the growth of weeds, and mulch made of dense materials (mulch paper, opaque film) almost completely eliminates weeds from crops. The thickness of the mulch layer from loose materials is from 2 to 4 cm.
When mulching with a transparent film, it covers the ridges after sowing. With the emergence of seedlings, holes are cut above the holes. The film remains on the ridges until the end of the growing season of plants. If you use black film, then, in the previously made holes, it is better to plant seedlings.
When planting seedlings, mulching the holes with humus or loose soil is a must. For mulching the holes after the next watering, for lack of the best, you can use dry loose soil, raking it from the row spacing. Mulching of podwinter crops is of particular importance; it improves the conditions for overwintering seeds and their germination in spring.
Formation of organs of growth and fruiting (surgical techniques of care). In vegetable plants, rationing of growth and fruiting organs is reduced to the removal of lateral or main stems, their tops and excess ovaries. Removing the lateral axillary shoots that have just begun to grow is called pinching. With the help of this technique, the growth of the vegetative mass of plants is limited, and the main part of the nutrients is directed to the formation of food organs. For example, one of the main methods of caring for a tomato is the removal of stepchildren, it speeds up fruiting and increases the yield of marketable ripe fruits, but somewhat reduces the overall yield. The effectiveness of this technique largely depends on the timeliness of its implementation, growing conditions and varietal characteristics. Tomato stepchildren should be removed before they reach a length of 4-5 cm, since removing overgrown stepchildren can severely injure the plant and do it more harm than good. In the early stages of planting potted seedlings, pinching must be carried out to obtain an early harvest.
Removing the apical bud to restrict stem growth is called pinching or pinching. It is carried out on the cucumber to increase the formation of female flowers that appear on the lateral shoots. Pinch the tomato in the open field no later than August 5-10, to accelerate the formation of set fruits. At the same time, they not only pinch the tops of the shoots, but also remove those flower brushes on which the fruits do not have time to form and reach normal marketable sizes. Pinching of shoots is carried out at a cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon, melon.
The set of techniques for pinching, pinching, rationing of fruits is called formation. With the help of formation, they achieve a reduction in the space occupied by one plant, which is especially important when growing in a greenhouse. The smaller size of the formed plants allows you to increase their number per unit area, to get a harvest at an earlier date.
Often, unripe fruits of cucumber, zucchini, squash, vegetable peas and many others are eaten. Therefore, the intensity and duration of fruiting of these vegetable crops largely depend on the timeliness of the collection of fruits. With a delay in harvesting, not only does the quality of the fruit deteriorate, but subsequent harvesting decreases, the plants age faster. Timely harvesting of fruits lengthens the growing season of plants, increases the duration of fruiting and the overall yield.
In the conditions of our growing zone, fruit rationing is also carried out on some vegetable crops. Not all tomato and pepper inflorescences have time to form marketable fruits before the onset of cold snap and frost. Therefore, some of the inflorescences must be removed, and this must be done before mid-August in order to ensure the growth and filling of the left ovaries. Do not leave 5-6 fruits on pumpkin, melon and watermelon plants. It is better to have 2-3 large ripe fruits than many small and immature ones.
Removing the flower stalks (by hand or with a knife) from garlic and rhubarb also produces a high yield of good quality.
When growing early vegetables, it is very important to protect seedlings or planted seedlings not only from frost, but also from low positive temperatures. There are various methods for preserving plants from unfavorable temperature conditions. These include: choosing a warmer site, applying high doses of organic fertilizers, curtain crops from high-stemmed crops (peas, beans, corn, sunflowers, etc.), smoking before freezing, watering, and, finally, using various synthetic films to cover plants. Shelters can be both group and individual.
Late evening watering and sprinkling watering before and during freezing reduces the effect of freezing. Moistened soil cools less, and as a result of increased evaporation, heat is released, warming the air and the plant. Plants should be sprayed several times during the entire freezing period (preferably every half hour).
The harmful effect of freezing on plant tissues is due to the fact that under the influence of ice crystals formed in cells and intercellular spaces, the cell membranes are torn. Damage also occurs during thawing of tissues, and with gradual, slow thawing, they are much weaker. Therefore, the harm from freezing is reduced if the damaged plants are doused with cold water. To do this, use sprayers, hoses with sprayers, watering cans.
In calm weather, you can protect plants from frost by smoke. Smoke is effective at low freezing. On the site, heaps of garbage, dry leaves, sawdust, brushwood are laid out in advance. Flammable materials are placed inside the heap, and more humid materials outside, giving a lot of smoke.
Growing vegetables outdoors is a favorite pastime for gardeners and gardeners. For a long time, people have been planting potatoes, beets, carrots, radishes and many other types of vegetables on household plots.
Growing quality vegetables outdoors is laborious and requires patience and effort. To get a good harvest, plants require appropriate care: timely watering, weeding, feeding, treatment of plants from insects - pests.
Traditionally on the May holidays Russian gardeners are planting potatoes.
Potatoes are an unpretentious crop that grows well in central Russia. The big advantage of potatoes is that they do not need watering, for the plant to grow, there is enough atmospheric precipitation, which falls in the summer. Only in dry summers is it recommended to regularly water the potatoes. Caring for this crop is quite simple and consists in weeding, hilling and processing the bushes from the Colorado potato beetle. This crop is harvested in late August - early September.
Growing vegetables outdoors can produce a rich harvest. Root crops such as beets, carrots, radishes, radishes and much more grow well in unprotected soil.
The beds for planting root crops are prepared in early spring, immediately after the snow melts. The soil must be nutritious; it is recommended to apply humus and mineral fertilizers. Sowing seeds is usually done directly into the ground, caring for root crops consists in regular watering, weeding, and thinning the plants. Root crops are susceptible to attacks by pests, both insects and wireworms, which destroy the fruit of the plant itself. In this regard, timely processing of root crops from pests is necessary.
Cabbage is perfect for growing vegetables in the open field; cabbage of different varieties is planted: white cabbage, cauliflower, red cabbage, broccoli and other types. In early spring gardeners plant cabbage seeds in special containers. After the cabbage seedlings become large enough and the frost has passed, the plants are planted in the ground.
50-60 days after planting in the ground, you can harvest cabbage. Cabbage is a moisture-loving plant, so regular watering is necessary. For the formation of a good root system, it is recommended to huddle young cabbage.
More thermophilic plants, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers, grow well in unprotected soil.
Many varieties of cucumbers grow and thrive in unprotected soil. Planting of cucumbers is done by seeds in the ground or seedlings after the frost on the soil has passed. It is recommended to soak the seeds before planting. If the plant is planted in seedlings, then it is necessary to cover the beds with a covering material that will protect the seedlings from cold and direct exposure to ultraviolet rays. After the cucumber seedlings have acclimatized, the shelter can be removed.
At proper care cucumbers can bear fruit throughout the summer. Plants require daily watering, if the weather is very hot, then watering is recommended twice, early in the morning and in the evening.
You can not water cucumbers during the day, when the sun is shining brightly; during daytime watering, the leaves of the plant quickly die from sunburn. If there is not enough moisture, then the cucumber will taste bitter and become unsuitable for human consumption. In addition to regular watering, cucumbers require timely weeding and loosening of the soil, and the plant must also be protected from pests.
Tomatoes are no less popular among vegetable crops. begins with disembarkation in early June, after the frost has passed. Both small and large varieties of tomatoes grow well in unprotected soil. Low varieties are more suitable for outdoor cultivation, they grow stronger and more resistant to bad weather.
Many varieties of tomatoes are cold-resistant and do not need additional shelter. Plant care consists in systematic watering, weeding and pinching. Stepsons are shoots that form on the lower part of a tomato bush, it is recommended to remove them in order to achieve greater fruiting from the central trunk.
Recently, a fashionable trend is the cultivation of ornamental vegetables. Ornamental pumpkin and cabbage look great on the flower beds, a variety of unusual ornamental corn has been bred. Thus, vegetables are used not only for eating, but also for decorating a summer cottage.
The time comes for planting vegetable crops, for which, as a rule, fertile, even and well-lit areas are allocated.
After all, getting the maximum and high-quality harvest when growing vegetables in the open field is the main task of every gardener.
Therefore, try to find the most favorable location for each crop in your dacha or garden, and choose the most optimal varieties for planting.
Keep in mind that parsley, dill, sorrel, lettuce, carrots and radishes prefer light sandy and loamy, well-fertilized soils, and for cabbage, medium-heavy ones with a high humus content are best suited.
Peppers, beets, radishes, garlic and onions thrive on loam. Peas and legumes practically grow on all soils, but watermelons, eggplants, melons, pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers only in the most fertile areas.
Seeds must first of all be subjected to heating, which contributes to the emergence of friendly and fast seedlings, which ultimately leads to a significant increase in yield.
After that, we carry out disinfection, which allows the plants to develop faster, not to get sick, as a result, the fruits are larger.
To create a protective and nutritious shell of disinfected seeds, giving them a round or oval shape and increasing their size (for example, carrots and parsley up to 2-3 mm, onions and beets - 4-5), a pelleting method is used, which consists in enveloping the seeds with a nutritious mixture.
More and more recently, they began to use a new effective method of pre-sowing seed treatment - bubbling, for this the seeds are placed in water for 8-48 hours, depending on the crop used, saturated with air or oxygen. It also effectively disinfects seeds, increases their germination, ensures friendly germination and accelerates ripening.
Consider now the proven and well-proven vegetable seeds, which are still loved by the population.
1. Early maturing varieties for open cultivation of tomatoes are: Alpatieva, White filling, Ground mushroom, Moskvich, Siberian early ripening, Sunny.
2. The best varieties of carrots- Vitamin, Losinoostrovskaya, Nantes, Incomparable, Rogneda, Chantenay.
3. Beets- Bordeaux, Two-seeded, Egyptian flat, Single-sprout, Cold-resistant.
4. For open cultivation of cucumbers the best varieties are considered: Altai early, Aquarius, Vyaznikovsky, Graceful, Kharkovsky, Nezhinka, Muromsky and hybrids - Krinitsa, Rodnichok, Sovkhozny, VIR, Novosibirsk, April.
5. When growing cabbage, the following varieties are used:
6. Zucchini- Gribovsky, Zebra, Tsukesha.
7. Radish- Heat, Zarya, Quantum, Red giant, Ruby.
8. When planting peppers in open ground, choose the following varieties- Dawn, Orion, California miracle, Fat Man, Tenderness, Yovu, Star of the East, Samson.
9. Eggplant- Diamond, Black Diamond, Green, Spherical, Darkie, Icicle.
The month of April is a period of mass sowing of early cold-resistant crops in unprotected soil, for this it is necessary to prepare the site in advance. At the end of the month, you can already sow radishes, carrots, greens, black onions, plant early cabbage seedlings in open ground and do not forget about the seeds of peas and beans. In areas where the soil has warmed up enough, planting of sprouted potatoes begins.
It is advisable to plant cabbage seedlings on cloudy cool days, and if it is sunny, hot weather, then it is better in the evening:
We plant seedlings to the first true leaves. Plants, for the fastest rooting, must be sprayed with water from a watering can for the first 6 days.
In May, we begin planting seedlings of cucumbers and tomatoes in a permanent place with shelter, at the same time we start planting onion sets. From May 15-20, we plant cucumbers in open ground, as well as pumpkins, squash, zucchini with dry seeds, if we use sprouted ones, then after May 25-30. We plant late white cabbage from 15 to 25 May.
Seeds of cucumbers are planted in well-warmed soil (12-13 0 С, to a depth of about 10-12 cm), at an air temperature of 15-20 0 С. a higher and earlier harvest, as it is dominated by a significant percentage of female flowers.
The planting patterns are different, but the most common is row sowing on the surface, with a row spacing of 70-100 and the placement of plants every 10-25 in a row with a burial of 1.5-2 cm in the ground.
In June, they start planting tomatoes in open ground in a timely manner, as well as eggplants and peppers.... It is not worth delaying the planting of seedlings, but there is no need to rush, since until June 10, light night frosts and cold snaps are still possible.
When planting, high-quality pepper seedlings have from 6 to 12 true leaves and a stem 20-35 cm tall, which is in the budding stage. Saplings are planted without deepening, up to the first true leaves, observing the distance between the rows of 50 and the seedlings - 30-40 cm.
Tomato seedlings should not be overgrown, 50-55 days old. It is planted vertically, buried in the soil to the height at which it was in the planting tank. The planting is carried out in two rows, the aisles are done after 45-50, and between the plants - 35-45 cm. Pegs are immediately hammered for their subsequent garters. In order for the seedlings to take root better, after planting it is not watered for ten days.
Timely care consists in thinning, careful weeding, fertilizing, watering, loosening and mulching (after watering or rain), protection from diseases and pests.
On cucumbers, periodically, until the aisle closes, weeding is carried out... Watering the plants is done in the evening (preferably before 18:00) with warm water. After the third true leaf appears on the cucumbers (after two weeks), they begin to feed with organic fertilizers or mineral fertilizers, it is desirable to combine them with watering.
Outdoors when growing peppers it is necessary on the main stem to regularly remove fertile or empty shoots, all ovaries and stepchildren before the first branching. Seedling care consists in frequent, but not abundant watering (preferably at the root in the morning) and timely feeding. The first and subsequent regular feeding is carried out every 10-14 days.
After watering, the land must be loosened. With a lack of moisture in the soil, the height of the bushes, the size of leaves and fruits decreases, and the yield decreases. Plants are erect with lignified trunks, but under the weight of the fruit they can break, therefore, as necessary, it is advisable to tie the stems to pegs.
Tomato care consists in the formation of plants with a maximum of three stems removing stepson and pinching the top flower brush. This allows nutrients to go into the formation and pouring of the fruit, which leads to their increase and earlier ripening.
The formed bush should have 5-6 fruit clusters and about 35 leaves. It is watered abundantly weekly with the obligatory mulching of the beds; during the growing season, four additional dressings are given.
After planting cabbage in a permanent place, for 2 weeks it is thoroughly watered in the morning or evening, and then once a week, with the obligatory loosening of the earth around the plant. It is advisable after planting, after 20 days, and then after 8-10, to carry out hilling.
The time comes for planting vegetable crops, for which, as a rule, fertile, even and well-lit areas are allocated.
After all, getting the maximum and high-quality harvest when growing vegetables in the open field is the main task of every gardener.
Therefore, try to find the most favorable location for each crop in your dacha or garden, and choose the most optimal varieties for planting.
The soil
Keep in mind that parsley, dill, sorrel, lettuce, carrots and radishes prefer light sandy and loamy, well-fertilized soils, and for cabbage, medium-heavy ones with a high humus content are best suited.
Peppers, beets, radishes, garlic and onions thrive on loam. Peas and legumes practically grow on all soils, but watermelons, eggplants, melons, pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers only in the most fertile areas.
Seed preparation and selection
Seeds must first of all be subjected to heating, which contributes to the emergence of friendly and fast seedlings, which ultimately leads to a significant increase in yield.
After that, we carry out disinfection, which allows the plants to develop faster, not to get sick, as a result, the fruits are larger.
To create a protective and nutritious shell of disinfected seeds, giving them a round or oval shape and increasing their size (for example, carrots and parsley up to 2-3 mm, onions and beets - 4-5), a pelleting method is used, which consists in enveloping the seeds with a nutritious mixture.
More and more recently, they began to use a new effective method of pre-sowing seed treatment - bubbling, for this the seeds are placed in water for 8-48 hours, depending on the crop used, saturated with air or oxygen. It also effectively disinfects seeds, increases their germination, ensures friendly germination and accelerates ripening.
Consider now the proven and well-proven vegetable seeds, which are still loved by the population.
1. Early maturing varieties for open cultivation of tomatoes are: Alpatieva, White filling, Ground mushroom, Moskvich, Siberian early ripening, Sunny.
2. The best varieties of carrots- Vitamin, Losinoostrovskaya, Nantes, Incomparable, Rogneda, Chantenay.
3. Beets- Bordeaux, Two-seeded, Egyptian flat, Single-sprout, Cold-resistant.
4. For open cultivation of cucumbers, the best varieties are: Altai early, Aquarius, Vyaznikovsky, Graceful, Kharkovsky, Nezhinka, Muromsky and hybrids - Krinitsa, Rodnichok, Sovkhozny, VIR, Novosibirsk, April.
5. When growing cabbage, the following varieties are used:
6. Zucchini- Gribovsky, Zebra, Tsukesha.
7. Radish- Heat, Zarya, Quantum, Red giant, Ruby.
8. When planting peppers in open ground, choose the following varieties- Dawn, Orion, California miracle, Fat Man, Tenderness, Yovu, Star of the East, Samson.
9. Eggplant- Diamond, Black Diamond, Green, Spherical, Darkie, Icicle.
Landing
The month of April is a period of mass sowing of early cold-resistant crops in unprotected soil, for this it is necessary to prepare the site in advance. At the end of the month, you can already sow radishes, carrots, greens, black onions, plant early cabbage seedlings in open ground and do not forget about the seeds of peas and beans. In areas where the soil has warmed up enough, planting of sprouted potatoes begins.
It is advisable to plant cabbage seedlings on cloudy cool days, and if it is sunny, hot weather, then it is better in the evening:
We plant seedlings to the first true leaves. Plants, for the fastest rooting, must be sprayed with water from a watering can for the first 6 days.
In May, we begin planting seedlings of cucumbers and tomatoes in a permanent place with shelter, at the same time we start planting onion sets. From May 15-20, we plant cucumbers in open ground, as well as pumpkins, squash, zucchini with dry seeds, if we use sprouted ones, then after May 25-30. We plant late white cabbage from 15 to 25 May.
Seeds of cucumbers are planted in well-warmed soil (12-13 0 С, to a depth of about 10-12 cm), at an air temperature of 15-20 0 С. a higher and earlier harvest, as it is dominated by a significant percentage of female flowers.
Planting patterns are different, but the most common is a row sowing on the surface, with a row spacing of 70-100 and the placement of plants every 10-25 in a row with a burial of 1.5-2 cm in the ground.
In June, they start planting tomatoes in open ground in a timely manner, as well as eggplants and peppers.... It is not worth delaying the planting of seedlings, but there is no need to rush, since until June 10, light night frosts and cold snaps are still possible.
When planting, high-quality pepper seedlings have from 6 to 12 true leaves and a stem 20-35 cm tall, which is in the budding stage. Saplings are planted without deepening, up to the first true leaves, observing the distance between the rows of 50 and the seedlings - 30-40 cm.
Tomato seedlings should not be overgrown, 50-55 days old. It is planted vertically, buried in the soil to the height at which it was in the planting tank. The planting is carried out in two rows, the aisles are done after 45-50, and between the plants - 35-45 cm. Pegs are immediately hammered for their subsequent garters. In order for the seedlings to take root better, after planting it is not watered for ten days.
Cultivation techniques and care
Timely care consists in thinning, careful weeding, fertilizing, watering, loosening and mulching (after watering or rain), protection from diseases and pests.
On cucumbers, periodically, until the aisle closes, weeding is carried out... Watering the plants is done in the evening (preferably before 18:00) with warm water. After the third true leaf appears on the cucumbers (after two weeks), they begin to feed with organic fertilizers or mineral fertilizers, it is desirable to combine them with watering.
Outdoors when growing peppers it is necessary on the main stem to regularly remove fertile or empty shoots, all ovaries and stepchildren before the first branching. Seedling care consists in frequent, but not abundant watering (preferably at the root in the morning) and timely feeding. The first and subsequent regular feeding is carried out every 10-14 days.
After watering, the land must be loosened. With a lack of moisture in the soil, the height of the bushes, the size of leaves and fruits decreases, and the yield decreases. Plants are erect with lignified trunks, but under the weight of the fruit they can break, therefore, as necessary, it is advisable to tie the stems to pegs.
Tomato care consists in the formation of plants with a maximum of three stems removing stepson and pinching the top flower brush. This allows nutrients to go into the formation and pouring of the fruit, which leads to their increase and earlier ripening.
The formed bush should have 5-6 fruit clusters and about 35 leaves. It is watered abundantly weekly with the obligatory mulching of the beds; during the growing season, four additional dressings are given.
After planting cabbage in a permanent place, for 2 weeks it is thoroughly watered in the morning or evening, and then once a week, with the obligatory loosening of the earth around the plant. It is advisable after planting, after 20 days, and then after 8-10, to carry out hilling.
Crop rotation of vegetable crops: what, after which to plant in the garden?
Crop rotation, one of the most important agricultural rules, is a prerequisite for a good harvest. The alternation of crops in the garden should be carried out according to the most favorable predecessors.
Competent crop rotation significantly reduces the risk of damage to plants by various diseases, the process of accumulation of pests in the soil, and in addition increases the fertility of the soil and provides a more complete use of nutrients in the soil by plants.
When vegetables are planted in the same places in a row for several years, soil infections accumulate in the soils with a gradual depletion of the soil.
Therefore, the alternation of planting vegetables is an important factor that allows for high yields annually. The task of changing planting sites is for the previous crops to prepare the land for the subsequent ones.
Garden crops with deep roots are planted after shallow crops.
Experienced summer residents begin to prepare for summer season in advance. After placing vegetable crops on the beds in the previous year, a plan is drawn up for their detailed finding. This work can be done on a piece of graph paper and in a special summer cottage notebook.
An approximate layout of crops with reference to existing landmarks
Where: 1 - onions, 2 - carrots, 3 - tomatoes, 4 - peppers, 5 - garlic, 6 - potatoes, 7 - cabbage, 8 - beets, 9 - cucumbers.
After drawing up such a scheme, you can plan what can be planted after a particular vegetable crop; it is advisable to make this layout for several years in advance.
When drawing up a crop rotation scheme for vegetable crops, it is imperative to take into account when manure was introduced on the site. For example, planted after fresh application of manure, the root crops will have a curved, ugly shape, and the fruits themselves will have low palatability.
Distribution by family of major vegetable crops
When planning a crop rotation, it is necessary to comply with the condition - vegetables are planted in the former places belonging to the same family with an interval of 3 to 4 years, and the longer this period is, the better.
The exceptions are: potatoes, strawberries, beans, tomatoes, which can be planted in the same place for years.
With a small area of the garden, most summer residents are forced to plant individual crops in a permanent place, especially potatoes, which occupy the largest area on the site.
In agrotechnics, the following distribution of the main garden crops is adopted for individual main families:
To prevent one-sided soil depletion, planting plants are alternated taking into account what nutrients they require. In a highly simplified form, this is an alternation of tops and roots (for example, after cabbage or tomatoes, carrots are planted).
After garlic and onions, planting of any crops is allowed, but re-sowing them themselves in one place is highly undesirable.
Crop rotation table
As a result of many years of observations, a number of recommendations and rules have been developed, what and then to plant in the garden, on the basis of which tables of correct crop rotation have been compiled.
An example of such a table is shown below.
|
Culture for landing |
Preceding cultures |
||
|
Allowed |
Excluded |
||
|
Potato |
Cucumbers, legumes, cabbage |
Beets, carrots, onions |
Tomatoes, peppers, |
|
Garlic, onion |
Potatoes, legumes, cucumber, carrots |
Table cabbage, beets, tomatoes |
pepper, physalis, |
|
Cauliflower, onions, carrots, |
Potatoes, physalis |
||
|
Cucumber, pumpkin, |
Peas, beans, potatoes, |
Beets, green |
Zucchini, pumpkin |
|
Peas, beans, |
Cucumber, potatoes, cabbage, |
Perennial herbs |
|
|
Onion, cucumber |
Radish, beets, cabbage |
||
|
Green and straight aromatic |
Cabbage, cucumbers |
Legumes, potatoes, onions, tomatoes |
Parsnips, carrots |
|
Eggplant |
Turnip, cucumber, cabbage, rutabaga, melons, legumes, onions |
Pepper, tomatoes |
|
|
Turnip, cucumber, cabbage, rutabaga, legumes, onions |
Eggplant, pumpkin |
||
|
Table beet |
Potatoes, cucumber, onion |
Peas, tomatoes |
|
|
Onions, peas, potatoes, tomatoes |
Pumpkin, rutabaga, |
||
Prior, compacted and re-crops
In small garden plots, it is important to obtain the largest possible yield per unit area. One of the expedient methods of achieving this is the joint, previous or subsequent cultivation during one season in the same area of several garden crops.
Many vegetable crops mature one to three months after sowing. And the seeds of carrots, parsley, parsnips, the first 30-40 days grow very slowly, taking up little space in the garden. The unused area can be successfully used for compaction crops.
Re-sowing can be done after harvesting early varieties of potatoes and cabbage, which are harvested in early June. Previous crops can be located at the planned planting sites for seedlings or thermophilic plants, which are planted about a month later.
When and how to plant cucumbers in the country?
Spring is coming, and with it comes the time for gardening.
And, probably, there is not a single gardener-gardener who would not be engaged in the cultivation of cucumbers or did not try to do it at least once. Green, crispy, they smell so deliciously fresh and in summer, fresh or canned, they go well with many dishes.
There are many planting and growing options, but for your harvest to be good it is enough to know the basic features and maintenance methods.
Characteristics of culture
Cucumber- an annual liana-like plant, has female and male flowers located on one copy. It has antennae, with their help it can cling to supports.
We eat unripe fruits, the size of which can be very diverse - from a few centimeters to 2 m.
To date, breeders have bred a large number of various varieties, which are conventionally divided into three groups:
There are also white thorn fruits (mid-ripening, salad) and black thorns (early ripening, pickling).
When selecting a variety for open ground it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions of the region. Popular varieties are Nugget, Farmer, Nezhinsky, Stepnoy, Altai early and others.
For growing in the greenhouse picking a variety is easier, since you create artificially favorable environmental conditions for the cucumber.
Varieties: hybrids Hercules F1, Annushka F1, Dynamite F1, Solnechny, Kristall, Regatta, Relay and others.
Growing methods. When to plant cucumbers?
The best precursors for cucumber are tomatoes, onions, peppers, cabbage. In addition, in mixed plantings, try to place it with turnips, legumes, radishes, herbs, tomatoes, cabbage.
In order to plant cucumbers, you must use a specific method: seedling or seedless. For seedlings, seeds are sown a month before planting in open ground.
If the second method is used, then the seeds are sown directly into the soil when it warms up to 13-15 ° C (beginning or end of May, depending on the region).
Using the first method, you will get more planting material, but there is a risk of damaging part of it during transplantation.
How to plant cucumbers?
It can be grown in beds or on vertical trellises (driven in meter stakes, between which a rope is stretched).
It should be borne in mind that the cucumber is a heat-loving and moisture-loving plant. Therefore, the greenhouse and the beds must be oriented from east to west, from the north side it is necessary to provide protection from the wind.
You need to plant cucumbers in an open, well-lit place., also when growing on the street, cover with a film or spunbod should be provided. On the beds or in the greenhouse, it is advisable to install containers with water to increase the humidity.
The seeds are pre-soaked and when they germinate, they are planted in containers for obtaining seedlings of cucumbers or in the ground outside under a film. The depth of planting seeds is about 2 cm, the density when planting in open ground is 5-7 pcs. for 1 sq. m.
The soil should be loose, moist, fertile. Organic matter is introduced into the planting pits or trenches, 40 cm deep, mixing it with the ground, then a layer of ordinary fertile soil - cucumbers are planted in it.
Organic matter serves not only as a fertilizer, but also provides the plant with heat, which is released during its decomposition.
Care basics
In order to grow tasty cucumbers in the country and in large quantities, it is necessary to observe certain care for them. So, after the appearance of 5-6 leaves, pinch the top to stimulate branching.
Watering is especially important during periods of active growth. in June and fruit formation in July-August. This will prevent bitterness from developing in your cucumbers. Never use cold water, only warm water!
Mulching the soil with organic materials will allow it to retain its moisture longer, and weeds are also suppressed. Consequently, you will have to loosen and weed the beds less. Loosening can damage the roots, so it is better to make punctures in the ridge with a garden pitchfork 10-15 cm deep.
When feeding, try to prevent the solution from getting on the plant, and it should not be carried out in cold weather, since the fertilizers will simply not be absorbed. You can feed it with a solution of mineral fertilizers, ash.
The more often you harvest, the more abundant the fruit formation will be, so try to collect it every 1-2 days (3-4 - for long-fruited varieties).
If suddenly only male flowers began to form in the seedlings, stop watering until the soil dries up (several days). Waterlogging, lack of nutrients can cause yellowing of leaves and dropping of flowers and ovaries.
Cabbage: Growing white cabbage.White cabbage usually grown in seedlings. In the Central Non-Black Earth Region, early cabbage is planted in late April - early May, as soon as the soil is ready. Seasoned cabbage seedlings tolerate light frosts well. Seedlings are planted in rows with a distance between them 40 - 60 cm, and between plants 25 - 35 cm.
Seedlings are watered abundantly, then planted in holes, into which water is poured immediately before planting. It is impossible to overmoisten the soil, since oxygen is needed for the growth of roots. During planting, do not sprinkle soil on the growing point of the plants.
After 5-6 days, new ones should be planted in place of the dead plants, and after planting, the row spacings should be loosened. This operation is repeated as the weeds grow and a crust appears on the soil surface.
In 10-15 days after planting the seedlings, the plants are spud with the simultaneous destruction of weeds in the rows. Hilling with moist soil contributes to the formation of additional roots on the lower part of the stem and excludes lodging of plants, and also reduces the likelihood of damage to plants by pests and diseases. The second hilling is carried out 15-20 days after the first.
From planting seedlings to harvesting in early maturing varieties of cabbage, it takes 50-60 days or a little less. Early ripe cabbage is used for food in summer.
Late-ripening cabbage varieties Moscow late, Amager 611 are planted in the ground after early maturing - in mid or late May, and varieties Zimovka 1474 - in early May. Seedlings of these varieties are grown in greenhouses or in film structures. A head of cabbage in late-ripening cabbage reaches a mass of 8-10 kg and more. Therefore, it is necessary to plant late-ripening cabbage on a larger feeding area. The harvest of these varieties ripens by the beginning - mid-October and is well stored during the winter.
The varieties of mid-season cabbage are especially widespread in the Central Non-Black Earth Region. It is used for fermentation and winter storage. Seedlings of mid-season varieties in the Central Non-Black Earth Region are usually planted in early June. With this planting time, the harvest of heads of cabbage weighing 3-5 kg is harvested in August-September.
Care for late and mid-ripening cabbage is basically the same as for early maturing. Only the number of treatments and watering increases.
High yield cauliflower can only be obtained by growing it on highly fertile soil. Under this culture, in addition to mineral fertilizers, compost is usually applied at the rate of 4-6 kg per 1 m2. Cauliflower needs fertilizers containing boron and molybdenum. They are applied during dressing along with other fertilizers or as part of a garden mixture.
Seedlings of cauliflower are grown in the same way as early maturing white cabbage. The seeds are sown several times - from March to May. This is done so that you can plant seedlings in the garden 3-4 times, and harvest the crop from June to September.
Care is basically the same as for the early maturing white cabbage... So that the heads of the cauliflower are white and do not crumble prematurely, they are sheltered from the sun with broken leaves 10-15 days before harvesting. Remove the heads before scattering. The top leaves of the cauliflower are trimmed flush with the head, leaving the bottom as a wrapper.
Red cabbage grown as usual mid-season varieties of white cabbage.
Garlic: Growing an early green garlic culture in the open field.
Root crops give a high yield when grown in areas with light sandy loam soils, although celery and rutabagas are successfully grown on clay soils. On heavy soils, especially when applying fresh manure in spring, carrot root crops, for example, can branch. For most plants of this group, compost, humus at the rate of 15-20 kg / 10 m2 and mineral fertilizers are applied, and manure can also be applied under the celery and rutabagas in the same and large doses.
Soil cultivation in spring should be carried out as early as possible. Immediately after its completion, carrots, parsley, parsnips, celery, turnips, radishes, as well as rutabagas are sown to obtain seedlings, a little later, beets, summer radish varieties are sown and celery seedlings are planted. Winter radish varieties are sown in mid-June. At the same time, seedlings of rutabagas are planted in the Central Non-Black Earth Region. Beets of the Podzimnyaya A-474 variety, many varieties of carrots, parsley and parsnips are sown in the fall 7-10 days before the onset of stable cold weather.
It is advisable to place podzimnie crops on weed-free areas with light soils. The soil should be prepared for sowing in advance, the seed sowing rate should be increased by at least 20%.
When sowing in spring, the seeds of all crops, especially beets, dill, celery, parsley, must be soaked in water for 18-20 hours, or better sparged with air or oxygen.
