Siderat plants are a special group of representatives of the flora from different families, but with the same properties. With proper cultivation, they are able to restore soil fertility, enriching it with valuable elements, fertilizing and loosening.
Such magical plants include Chinese, oilseed or Pancake week radish - a native of
the cruciferous family, confidently gaining popularity among domestic gardeners. This publication is dedicated to this publication.
Meet: siderat maslenitsa radish
The melliferous and fodder crop, often used as a natural fertilizer, grows equally successfully on a wide variety of soils, comparing favorably with the green manure by its minimal requirements and the rapid growth of green mass. Everyone knows her closest relatives: radish, ordinary radish, etc. Oil-bearing radish is similar to them, but does not form a root crop, and gives aboveground parts much more.
Decaying in the soil, the biomass of the plant turns into an easily digestible fertilizer, enriching it with nutritious humus. Despite the fact that Pancake radish is inferior to bean siderates in nitrogen content, its unpretentiousness, adaptive abilities and ability to suppress a number of pathogens of various diseases, including nematodes, have been noticed and appreciated by gardeners. In addition, taking nutrients from the deep layers, it transfers them to the upper, preventing leaching and increasing the fertility of the site.
This efficiency is achieved through a powerful root system. The culture successfully tolerates late crops, is well rooted and grows, which is indispensable in conditions of risky farming zones.
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Pancake week radish - siderat, an annual herbaceous plant reaching two meters in height, has strong branched shoots covered with bright green foliage. Due to the rapid growth, after a month and a half, the root and green mass of the culture is 7-10 kg / sq.m. Note that in terms of quality characteristics, the biomass of a crop surpasses even such a recognized fertilizer as manure.
Pancake week radish is unpretentious, cold and drought-resistant, moisture-loving and shade-tolerant, has an enviable constancy of crops and is able to produce full seeds in the most climatically difficult regions.
Due to the high growth intensity, the radish crops close, inhibiting the growth of weeds and quickly suppressing their resistance.
Soil-protective and phytosanitary properties of culture
The plant is known for its loosening, structuring, draining qualities. The use of oil radish increases the air and moisture capacity of soils and serves as their protection against off-season wind erosion. Therefore, often Pancake week radish does not mow for the winter. It retains snow, reducing the degree of freezing of the soil and contributing to the accumulation of moisture.
In addition, the culture successfully heals the soil. The concentration of essential oils in all parts of the plant prevents the propagation of soil pests (such as wireworms) and the development of fungal diseases (potato scab, rhizoctoniosis), inhibits various types of nematodes, with the exception of beetroot. The decomposition of plant biomass improves the quality of life of beneficial soil microorganisms, which leads to a decrease in the incidence of vegetable and horticultural crops and, consequently, an increase in yields.
Growing
Gardeners use radish most often as green manure, planting early vegetables and spring and winter crops, after harvesting, cutting green mass by winter. But often sown in the spring, harvesting subsequently for sowing winter crops. Excellent adaptability of the plant gives ample opportunities for its productive use.
Planting Pancake week radish is a simple operation, but it will require some preparation. The culture, with all its unpretentiousness, does not tolerate acidic soils poorly, so they are first deoxidized by liming or introducing dolomite flour. Growing radishes on sod-podzolic soils will give a good effect with additional fertilizer with a mineral complex.
Soil preparation
Sowing green manure does not require deep digging of the site, it is sufficient to surface treatment with a cultivator or a Fokin plane cutter, which will preserve the fertility of the surface soil layer and the strength of the vegetable grower. To obtain a rich harvest, the bed is fertilized with any of the preparations developed on the basis of effective microorganisms (Shine-1, Baikal EM-1), as well as organic fertilizers with a humus component.
When to sow Shrovetide
A short ripening period (50 days) makes it possible to sow and harvest the plant 2-3 times per season. Oilseed radish is sown in temperate latitudes from mid-April to early September. Sowing after digging is considered optimal. Seeding depth - 2-3 cm, seed consumption - 3 grams per 1 sq.m.
For convenience, the seeds are mixed with coarse sand, spread them over the prepared area and harrow or roll the soil. It should be borne in mind that subsequent sowing will give less germination, therefore, seed consumption is increased.
After a month and a half, without waiting for flowering or at its beginning, the soil is dug up, chopping the shoots with a shovel. Overgrown or too thick stems are best taken into a compost pit. If desired, the sowing of Pancake week radish is repeated.
Cleaning
Siderate is cut off no later than the start of seed formation. Under winter crops, this is done three weeks before sowing, with recreational cultivation - two weeks before freezing the soil. The culture does not tolerate severe frosts, dies. After that, it is easily cleaned by cutting with a Fokine plane cutter or a cultivator. Preliminary irrigation with a solution of peat-humic or EM preparations accelerates the fermentation processes and creates favorable microbiological conditions that contribute to the enrichment and improvement of the soil. Using siderates, it must be remembered that fermentation processes are possible only with good moisture.