Arrangement Of Ridges And Crop Rotation On The Site

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Last season, my garden plot successfully completed its second four-year rotation cycle.

Over the past eight years, there have been many positive changes in the plan-scheme, in the arrangement of ridges, in the development and application of new useful agricultural practices. As a result, the soil fertility in the beds has noticeably increased, and the yields of all crops have grown accordingly. The number of pests has significantly decreased (judging by the wireworm, it has completely disappeared). On the beds, weeds are practically defeated, my financial costs have paid off, and most importantly, the physical load on the elderly hostess and owner has significantly decreased!

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Microclimate in the garden

Our house, facing the street, protects the garden from east winds and prying eyes. The same functions are assigned to trees and bushes growing along the street grid. Along the northern border of the site, I have planted black currant bushes. Today it has grown and created a protective wall from the cold north winds. On the west side, the neighbor put up a high solid fence made of galvanized sheet. This fence protects from the wind and reflects the rays of the eastern sun to the beds. On the south side, another neighbor's currant grows.

All beds are directed from north to south in length. Their surface was leveled. This had to be done, since the entire surface of the site has a slight slope to the south. So now it's a sin to complain about the microclimate in the garden.

Transport problem. From the house to the toilet and from the toilet to the "makeshift" I dug a trench 0.8 m wide, and went down to clay in depth. He covered it with sand and laid on top of panel slabs measuring 75x75 cm. The sod and soil were taken out to one place, laying them in a pile. Let it rot, there will be something to replenish the ridges. Now I drive weights on a cart!

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Arrangement of ridges

In the first four seasons, the formwork of the ridges made of ordinary boards rotted away. At the local base of building materials, I liked a flat slate shield measuring 1500x1200x8 mm. Made the necessary calculations. I bought 18 shields. Agreed with the worker of the base on sawing and delivery. Two days later 144 pieces of "slate boards" measuring 1200x180x8 mm were laid in my temporary hut. Immediately after harvesting, taking into account the new format of edging the ridges, work began on the design of the garden.

The result was the following parameters of the beds in the edging: length 2.4 m, width 1.2 m, height 18 cm. The usable area of each is 2.88 m2. A total of 24 beds. The walkways between them are 0.5 m (I would like 0.6 m, but the transport path did not allow). The beds are divided into 4 fields, each with 6 beds.

Crop rotation plan in 2007

The length of the garden from north to south is 11.2 m, from west to east - 9.9 m, its total area is 110 m2, the usable area is 69 m2. The soul rejoices when you work in the beds, edged with a slate board! Look at which beds and how the garden crops will be placed in the new season. Pay attention to the sealing fit - this is a profitable deal. In the diagram, everything is clearly thought out and verified by the experience of previous seasons. I am sure that this crop rotation and this arrangement of crops in the beds will guarantee me a good harvest this season as well. Of course, I will sow only high-quality, proven seeds and will grow new varieties and new crops. Today I plan to grow kohlrabi for the first time. You always want something new - it's so interesting!

Weed control

The most harmful - sow thistle, wheatgrass, lupine - growing near the fence and in the most remote places of my site, were destroyed by Roundup as follows: an open bottle with the drug was hung on a cord at the waist level. With one hand he held the next stem of the weed, with the other hand he applied 2-3 strokes with a brush to the green top of the plant. After 2-4 days (depending on the total length of the weed), the plant turned yellow, then blackened from the top to the tips of the roots and died. Green glades, I mow the lawn with an electric trimmer as early as possible, so as not to let the weeds grow and throw their seeds into the soil. In the aisles, I also use a trimmer, and where he can't get close, I help with a sharpened shovel.

I weed the surfaces of the ridges like this: according to the sowing schedule, on the day preceding the sowing of seeds in a box or pots, I level the surface of the ridges with a rake, pour 20 liters of warm water from a watering can with 20 liters per garden bed. Soon, moist soil and bright sun will provoke weed shoots. According to the schedule, on the eve of transplanting seedlings or seedlings to the garden bed, manually using a fork and be sure to remove the seedlings and seedlings of weeds from the soil with the root. The provocation succeeds 100%, and the stock of weed seeds in the soil is significantly depleted.

About watering

Table for choosing the distance between plants when planting a triangle (cm) and determining the number of planting places on the garden

From storage tanks on a schedule, water is supplied to gardening. I have two barrels of 250 liters. One rests on the ground on three bricks, the other is raised on a stand 1 meter high. Here, from this barrel, using a plastic hose with an "Open-Close" nozzle, I deliver water to the garden, namely into two black plastic barrels, 50 liters each. For them, the law - before the start of work, must be filled with warm water, and at the end of the work - must be filled again so that the water is heated. I bring water to a specific bed with a 7-liter bucket. I distribute the plants to each according to his norm with an aluminum half-liter mug.

Long ago I learned the truth - the roots need water, so I don't use a watering can and watering from above. It is scientifically established that when watering from above, the water remains on the leaves and stems, which leads to the occurrence of diseases and attracts unwanted insects (for example, slugs). How much water does it take to wet the soil to the root tips? The question requires knowledge: the type of soil, the age and size of the plant, the size of the feeding area, the depth of the roots, the presence of mulching of the plantings. Of course, the weather must also be taken into account. To do this, you need to monitor the condition of the plants, keep your own observation log and thus learn the rate and frequency of watering.

Garden garden

My plants are not starving! During the season I cook a pile of peat from a neighboring swamp and two composts: summer and autumn. Summer compost overheats by autumn. I put it in a mixture with peat, 4 buckets per bed for all plants, except for carrots, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds. The semi-rotted autumn compost is stored all winter in a reinforced concrete ring.

In the spring, I unload the frozen compost, mix it with peat, water it with warm water and cover it with a black film for 2-3 days to warm it up. I bring in the warmed-up peat-compost mixture only under the tomatoes and pumpkin seeds, 4 buckets per garden. To do this, I loosen the beds with a pitchfork and level them with a rake. With a shovel, I break through a groove 4-5 cm deep across the bed, I pour the extracted soil into a bucket and set it aside. I apply ash evenly along the entire groove, and then use a trowel to spread 1/3 of the bucket of overwintered compost. While digging the next groove, I cover the first one with soil removed from the second. And so throughout the garden. When ash and compost have been introduced into the last (12th) groove, I fill it with soil from the first groove that was collected in a bucket. As a result, the ridges remain loose all summer, irrigation water is well and quickly absorbed;the compost is completely processed by earthworms in the summer into ready-made food for plants.

Read the next part. Technology of planting seedlings of vegetables →