Is it possible to grow cucumbers on peat soil. What kind of soil do cucumbers like: optimal composition, acidity, humidity and temperature range of soil for growing cucumbers (105 photos). Four basic land recipes for seedlings

horse peat

Riding "red" sphagnum peat, in contrast to soil mixtures, is characterized by high porosity (about 95%) and excellent moisture capacity (60 - 70%). It is relatively long resistant to microbiological decomposition, which means it can be used for a long time. Due to the long-fiber structure, high-moor peat is able to retain the mineral fertilizers introduced into it, while they are not washed out for a long time and remain in a form accessible to plants.

The long-fiber substrate based on high-moor peat is light in weight. It also has good thermal insulation properties, does not cake and does not shrink when growing plants.

The root system of crops planted in such a substrate easily wraps around the entire peat ball.

High-moor peat in its natural form has an acidic reaction (pH 2.8 - 3.6) and can be used to acidify the main soil. It is especially convenient to use it for plants that prefer to grow in an acidic substrate: rhododendrons, hydrangeas, heathers, some types of violets, strawberries, potatoes, sorrel. Under these crops, ventilated peat is applied at the rate of 1: 1 (for clay or sandy soil).

For rhododendrons, hydrangeas and azaleas, you can also add one part of the coniferous litter.

On the basis of high-moor peat, you can prepare a substrate and grow seedlings of vegetable and flower crops on it, or use it as the main soil in a greenhouse. To do this, add lime or dolomite flour on average 9-10 kg / m 3 and mineral fertilizers to well-ventilated and mixed peat (for complex mineral fertilizer, the dose is 1 - 2 kg / m 3). Then measure the pH (acidity). The optimum soil acidity for most vegetable plants and flowers ranges from 5.5 to 6.5.

The prepared substrate must be kept for 1.5 - 2 weeks, stirring occasionally. Then water it and plant the plants. During the growing season, cucumbers are watered with slurry diluted with water (1:10), and the rest of the plants are fed with compost and mineral fertilizers.

The advantage of this method of growing in a greenhouse is that the soil worked out during the season can be changed at no extra cost.

And as you know, changing the soil helps get rid of root infections accumulating over the season.

lowland peat

Lowland peat is mostly black. It is characterized by a high degree of decomposition, a high concentration of minerals, especially calcium, it is neutral or slightly acidic (pH 4.2 - 4.7). Lowland peat is rich in humic acids, but absorbs a large amount of water and gives it poorly (humidity over 70%). It is prone to caking, lumping and silting.

For ventilation, lowland peat is kept outdoors for several days. It is poured into heaps, which allows you to weather compounds harmful to plants.

It is better to use lowland peat in a mixture with compost and mineral fertilizers as a source of replenishment of mineral soil organic matter, as well as to lighten and aerate clay soils and bind and retain moisture in sandy soils.

ON A NOTE

Peat extraction is most often carried out directly from the surface of the earth. This method is called milling. Less commonly, peat is mined from quarries.

Low-lying or high-moor peat is distributed evenly on the surface of the earth and dug up together with the soil to a depth of 10 cm. The application rate is 20 - 30 l / m 2. For new plots of land, 50-60 l / m 2 must be applied.

When peat is introduced, the soil becomes optimal for plants - finely cloddy and granular (soil particles are stuck together into lumps with a diameter of several millimeters). Earth with such a structure contains a lot of air necessary for the breathing of the root system, it absorbs and retains water well, which creates conditions for a more complete and productive use of atmospheric and soil moisture by plants.

Lowland peat is great for lawn mulching in the spring. First, the grass is combed out and nitrogen fertilizers are applied, and then peat is scattered over it in a thin layer (3-5 mm is enough).

Peat mulching is also useful for sandy and clay soils and for keeping moisture at the roots when watering. It is usually held in the spring. Weed out all weeds, water, fertilize if necessary. Peat is distributed in a layer of 2 - 5 cm, without sprinkling it close to the stems. For large plants and when using a coarse peat fraction, the thickness of the mulch can be increased. In autumn, peat is embedded in the topsoil.

peat compost

Peat perfectly eliminates the smell of compost heaps, consisting of household waste. To do this, it is laid in a layer of 25 - 30 cm, household waste, slurry, etc. are drained from above, which are periodically covered with peat from above.

The width of the stack should be twice its height. For one weight part of peat, 2-3 parts of waste (slurry) are taken in summer, and half as much in winter. The mixture is periodically stirred. The term of maturation of compost depends on the time of laying - in spring and summer 2-4 months, in autumn and winter 6-12 months. In dry, hot weather, the composting material should be moistened.

If you are raising poultry, rabbits and larger animals, then you will not find a better decontaminating bedding than peat.

Dry peat also perfectly stores vegetables, fruits and bulbs of flower crops.

And if you are the owner of a peaty swampy area - do not be upset! Grow what others are not given: hydrangeas, rhododendrons, heathers, azaleas, varietal cranberries, blueberries, lingonberries with huge fruits and a storehouse of essential amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins.

Well, was it worth being afraid of this truly beautiful raw material? If you are too lazy to bother with preparing peat for use or it is not available in your area, it can be purchased at stores and from enterprises specializing in the production of peat substrates. From all of the above, choose what is right for you!

ON A NOTE

For garden toilets, high-moor fluffy peat is best suited, which is able to absorb 400% of liquid waste and absorb odor at the same time.

Any peat - raised, lowland or transitional - can be used when sheltering plants for the winter. Fertilized and neutralized peat can cover the rhizomes of raspberries, roses, grapes, add strawberry bushes.

It is excellent to cover rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas in its pure form with riding peat in a high hill, and wrap it with agrotextile on top from sunburn.

Shelter with peat is very convenient because in the spring you just need to slightly scatter the top layer of peat around the plants, freeing the trunks and branches. The same substrate will also serve as additional nutrition for plants in the spring.

Peat: both mulch and fertilizer

It is often advised to mulch seedlings with peat. But is peat also a fertilizer?

Both low-lying and high-moor peat are a mixture of semi-decayed plant remains. Indeed, it is an organic fertilizer. But do not expect that peat will instantly increase soil fertility. Peat has almost no effect on the saturation of the soil with nutrients. However, it greatly improves the structure of the soil - it makes it loose, so water and air penetrate the roots faster. It is useful to add peat to sandy soil, because, unlike sand, it perfectly retains moisture and nutrients.

Pay attention to what kind of peat is (see table).

Berry and vegetable crops can be grown on lowland peat. Horse peat is suitable only for growing blueberries or cranberries, or it can be added to compost, covering plants with it for the winter. Peat can be applied both in spring and autumn - for digging at the rate of 35-40 kg per 1 K8.M.

It is good to pour peat into the near-stem circles of trees, shrubs to a height of 5-6 cm. Such mulch is especially useful after prolonged rains, when a dense crust forms on the soil surface. In this case, peat also acts as a baking powder.

NOTE: High-moor peat must be neutralized before application: add 2-3 kg of lime or 3-4 kg of ash per 100 kg of peat.

Colors Black Thickening Fabric Pot Plant Pot Container ...

When growing cucumbers, it is important not only to apply the correct agricultural practices, but also to place the seedlings in suitable soil. As part of the preparation of a greenhouse or open beds for planting cucumbers, it is necessary to determine the composition and acidity of the soil and, if necessary, improve it by applying mineral or organic dressings.

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Soil types in Russia

Not all types of soil that can be found on the territory of the country are suitable for growing cucumbers.

• The most acidic are solonchaks, solonetzes and carbonate soils. The pH parameters are in the range of 7.5–9.5. In summer, they warm up to 25⁰С in the upper layer. Such soils are practically unsuitable for growing cucumbers; in order to normalize them, it is necessary to enrich the upper layer with humus, release salts, and get rid of alkali.
• Optimum acidity have such types of soil as chestnut, chernozem, gray soil. Their acidity parameters are in the range of 6.5–7.5 pH. In summer, they warm up to 15⁰С, practically do not require composition correction, they are suitable for cucumbers and almost all other garden crops.
• In permafrost-taiga soils, acidity indicators are very different and depend on the area, fluctuate within the range of 4.5–7 pH. They do not warm up due to low temperatures, they are not suitable for cucumbers. Sometimes they are used in greenhouses and greenhouses - in this case, lime is added to them.
• Gray forest soil differs in pH values ​​from 4.5 to 6.5. It warms up well, sometimes needs minimal liming.
• Sod-podzolic, podzolic soil variants are not suitable. They have low acidity - in the range of 4.5–5.6 pH, warm up to only 8–10⁰С, always need deoxidation, shelter to raise the temperature and additional feeding with humus.
• Bog-podzolic, peat-podzolic soils are not suitable for cucumbers. They are slightly acidic, the pH level is in the range of 3-5, at night the earth is very cool, and overheats during the day. Measures against temperature fluctuations and additional liming are necessary.

Cucumbers can be grown on neutral or slightly acidic soil. In the latter case, additional lime is added to normalize the composition.

Ideal soil parameters

In the wild, cucumbers grow in Asia, preferring subtropical forests. The soils there are light, saturated with moisture, a large amount of fallen leaves and organic residues emit carbon dioxide during decay, soils with neutral acidity or slightly alkaline.

Consider the desired soil parameters for 6 main points.

• Structure. Cucumber prefers light, moisture- and breathable loose soils. Medium and light loams are optimally suited for this, which are characterized by a high degree of aeration, are able to evenly distribute and retain water inside.
• Humidity level. The optimal range is from 75% to 85%. You can check soil moisture manually in a simple way: take a handful of earth from the top layer in your hand and squeeze it tightly. If drops of water remain on the palm, then the soil moisture is above 80%. If you get a strong lump with visible fingerprints, the humidity is in the range of 70-75%. If it is not possible to form a lump, the soil crumbles, the humidity is below 60%.
• Temperature. Cucumbers are early ripening crops, they begin to bear fruit early, therefore, for planting seedlings or planting seeds, the earth must be warm - not lower than 18 ° C. If the temperature drops to 15°C or below, the development of the root system stops.
• Acidity. Cucumbers do not tolerate acidification of the soil, they prefer soils with a pH level ranging from 6.2 to 6.8.
• Humus content. It is optimal if it is concentrated in the upper layers, which will give the plant the necessary conditions for growth and development. Cucumbers also prefer high microbiological activity.
• Nutrient content. The most important minerals are nitrogen, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. With a lack of nitrogen, the growth of the aerial parts and the root system stops. If there is not enough potassium, the plant weakens, is more easily exposed to diseases and frosts. Phosphorus deficiency reduces yield. When there is not enough magnesium, leaves may turn yellow and fall off, fruit growth slows down.

The root system of cucumbers is undeveloped, superficial - lower than 30 cm deep into the soil, does not penetrate. Therefore, the level of groundwater occurrence does not matter. Watering, fertilizing, loosening should be carried out only in the upper layer.

How to determine acidity?

There are several methods to determine the level of acidity without special litmus papers and devices. The simplest of them is by indicator plants:

• if the site is dominated by horsetail, blueberries, moss, horse sorrel - the acidity is high, it is necessary to add lime;
• ledum, mint, lingonberry, bearberry - medium acidity, deoxidation is necessary;
• sedge, shield plant, bluebells - indicators of soil suitable for cucumbers, low acidity or with neutral PH;
• coltsfoot, chamomile, clover, thistle, nettle, shepherd's purse, yarrow - neutral acidity, the land is suitable for growing cucumbers;
• wormwood, alfalfa, sedge - soil with a slightly alkaline composition, suitable for cucumbers.

You can determine the type and, accordingly, the acidity of the soil by another simple method. Take a handful of earth, moisten it so that water does not flow out. Mix well and make a tight ball. Then roll a string about 3 mm in diameter out of the ground, roll it into a ring and track the reaction:

• sandy loam - the earth quickly crumbles;
• medium loam - the lace is dense, uniform, breaks when trying to fold into a circle;
• light loam - it is not possible to twist a tight lace;
• heavy loam - it turns out to form a ring, but cracks appear on it;
• alumina - the ring is dense, solid, without cracks.

You can also determine the acidity using table vinegar. To do this, put a small handful of soil in a glass container, fill it with vinegar. A bubbling and hissing reaction occurs if the soil is alkaline or neutral. If there is no reaction, then the soil is acidic and needs liming (dolomite flour, lime).

What kind of soil do cucumbers like - acidic or alkaline?

Insofar as cucumbers prefer light loose nutritious non-acidic soils, it is important to properly optimize the composition of the land for cucumbers in the spring.

• Dense clay soils are of little use for growing cucumbers, but even they can be brought into proper condition. It is necessary to add baking powder components and humus-forming substances. These include brick chips, sand, manure of horses, rabbits, manure, compost, rotted leaves.
• Light loams practically do not need preparation. They are loose, have a high degree of aeration. It can be enriched with manure at the rate of up to 6 kg per 1 m 2 of the plot.
• Sandy loams are light, well pass, but do not retain moisture, are easy to process, and are characterized by a rapid transformation of organic matter. They are suitable for cucumbers, but it must be borne in mind that the top layer cools quickly at night and minerals are washed out of such light soils. This problem can be solved by adding compost or at the rate of 10 kg per 1 m 2.
• Sandstones are not suitable for growing cucumbers, because they are not able to retain moisture, and with it minerals. In addition, such soils instantly warm up, and at night they cool down. You can improve the soil with rotted manure or peat. A more costly and time-consuming method is claying. It consists in the fact that 2 buckets of powdered clay are added to each square meter of the plot, then compost or manure is added, and dug up. The procedure is carried out annually for at least 3 years.
• Peaty-marshy soil is not suitable for cucumbers. It is characterized by excessive fibrous content, moisture, organic matter practically does not decompose here, peat turns sour. You can also distinguish this type of soil from others by color - it will be light stormy. To optimize the composition, you first need to dry it, then make channels for water drainage. After that, 1 m 2. half a bucket of sand, the same amount of powdered clay and about 1 kg of lime are brought in, depending on the level of acidity. After that, the site is dug up to a depth of at least 20 cm.

In the greenhouse and in the open field, the soil for cucumbers is prepared in the same way - they optimize the mechanical composition and acidity, determine and adjust the humidity, mulch, fertilize and stimulate humus formation. In open ground, it may additionally be necessary to insulate the beds with black agrofiber or other materials that will retain heat.

Soil preparation

Before laying seeds or seedlings, it is necessary to prepare the soil. Activities in the open field and the greenhouse are somewhat different.

in the greenhouse

You can prepare the ground for planting as follows:

• High temperature and humidity in protected ground contribute to the development of fungal diseases, therefore, fungicides or biological agents are used for processing in the form of solutions and tablets - Gliocladin, Fitosporin.
• It is almost impossible to comply with crop rotation standards in greenhouse conditions, which is why it is recommended to completely replace the top depleted soil layer. If this is not possible, disinfection is advised - the addition of bleach, watering the soil with boiling water, a 2% formalin solution. With these tools, you can spray the soil, walls, floors, supports, and treat with sulfur before planting.

If cucumbers are regularly grown on the same bed, green manure can be used. They are sown immediately after harvest, after about a month the green mass grows, which is mowed down and added dropwise to one bayonet.

In the garden

In an open area, it is necessary to regularly change the place for seedlings of cucumbers so that they are on the same bed no earlier than after 4 years. Peas, cabbage and tomatoes are considered the optimal predecessors of the crop, pumpkin and eggplant are considered the worst.

For the beds choose a lighted place, closed from cold drafts. The site is subject to digging to a depth of about 20 cm. Then garbage and tops are removed. In open ground, green manure can also be used to improve the composition.

It is necessary to prepare the land since the fall, immediately after harvesting the fruits and cleaning the organic residues from the site.

Cucumbers, so beloved by summer residents, come from warm subtropical countries. This explains their capricious nature. Juicy vegetables will not grow if the soil does not have certain characteristics.

Favorable conditions for growth

It is no secret that the yield primarily depends on the chosen landing site. What do cucumbers like? Here is a list of the main preferences:

• Vegetables love warm and sunny places in vegetable gardens. The optimum daytime temperature is between 20 and 35° Celsius. At night, it should not fall below 5 °, otherwise the plants will die.
• The soil for cucumbers in terms of mechanical composition should be loose and loose. This includes sandy and light loamy soil.

To understand which soil is best for cucumber, you need to remember the origin of this crop. Cucumber vines grow wild in the subtropical forests of Asia.

The soils of these forests are characterized by structure, lightness, moisture and a large amount of plant litter on the surface. The acidity approaches neutral or slightly alkaline, and decaying organic matter releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the air.

Based on this, we can conclude about the optimal soil parameters for cucumber:

• The mechanical composition is loose, light, breathable.
• Humidity is constant, high, without swamping and overdrying.
• Temperature - not lower than +12⁰С at a depth of 20 cm.
• Acidity - neutral, not lower than 6.2 hydrogen units.
• The percentage of humus is high, concentrated in the upper layers.
• Microbiological activity is high.

The root system of cucumber is superficial. It does not penetrate deeper than 30 cm into the soil. Therefore, the depth of groundwater does not matter much. The main attention in preparing the soil for a cucumber bed should be given to the upper layers of the soil.

This culture is picky about cold and acidic soil, watering with cold water, drafts and temperature fluctuations (from +27..35 C during the day to +12..15 C at night), the plant dies during frosts.

Other negative points are:

• excess nitrogen
• overdried soil
• High temperature in the greenhouse
• Alternating mineral and organic top dressing during fruiting
• Collecting greens after 2-3 days, this worsens the taste and stops the ovaries.

How to check soil acidity

Before planting seedlings in the soil, it is necessary to check its acidity. At home, it is easiest to carry out a reaction with ordinary table vinegar. To do this, you need to take a handful of earth, put it on a glass bowl. It is better not to use iron utensils, this can give a false result.

Water the soil with vinegar. If the medium is neutral or alkaline, then the reaction will start and hissing will occur, bubbles will appear. Everyone had such a reaction at least once in their life when they cooked pastries or pancakes.

If no reaction occurs, then it is acidic and needs to be limed. For these purposes, dolomite flour, ground limestone are used. This should be done in the fall. Therefore, a place for future cucumbers must be chosen after harvesting.

Methods for determining and correcting soil moisture

With the assessment of soil moisture under cucumbers and its correction, there are usually no difficulties. Since the root layer is not too powerful, it is possible to determine the need for watering visually. To do this, it is enough to rake the soil to a depth of 5 cm. If it is dry, it's time to water.

However, it would be more correct to prevent overdrying even at such a depth. At the same time, tender cucumber roots are already beginning to suffer from overheating and lack of moisture. Therefore, the soil on the cucumber bed must be necessarily mulched.

Organic mulch is ideal for cucumbers. It is she who not only prevents the drying of the soil, but also provides the plants with the necessary feeding with carbon dioxide.

In addition, under organic mulch, the activity of soil flora and fauna is activated and there is a constant enrichment with humus.

For mulching cucumbers, you can use:

• mature compost;
• chopped straw;
• well-rotted composted sawdust;
• composted peat.

Mowed grass for cucumbers is better not to fold. In conditions of high humidity, necessary for cucumbers, such a mulch becomes an environment for the development of pathogenic fungi.

To do this, you need to put it a couple of times in a place with a low temperature. Cucumbers grow best at 24°C. At night, the optimal decrease should not be below 15 ° C. Plants die at too high temperatures.

Too high evaporation of moisture will lead to oppression of the roots and drying of the cucumber. The leaves will turn yellow and fall off. The set fruits will stop growing and dry up, after which they will simply fall off.

Cucumbers require increased attention to themselves both during planting and subsequent care. They can be grown both in a greenhouse (greenhouse) and in open ground. Greenhouses must be well lit so that the plant has enough light. Before you start growing them, you need to study all the nuances and determine your own capabilities.

Photo soil for cucumbers

Everyone loves cucumbers, whether they are fresh or pickled and pickled. And in order to get a good harvest, it is necessary to choose the right soil for cucumbers, the composition of which should help for a large harvest. The video in this article shows step-by-step instructions on how to grow a good crop of cucumbers with your own hands.

The most important condition for obtaining good seedlings is the right soil. If the soil is unfortunate, then the sprouts will get sick and grow very weak, if they do not die. Therefore, it is necessary to approach this choice with all responsibility.

Most summer residents and gardeners prefer to purchase a ready-made soil mixture so that it is presented in a large assortment in any agricultural store and the price for them is acceptable to any consumer.

But in this case, there are also disadvantages, since some manufacturers sell ordinary peat instead of soil mixtures, which is not suitable for seedlings. If you buy ready-made soil, then it must be a proven brand and manufacturer.

Advice! It is better to do the soil for seedlings yourself, so you will know exactly what is included in its composition.

Ground Requirements

A good soil for cucumber seedlings can be from a variety of components, but there are general requirements that it must meet:

• The soil needs to be balanced and fertile., therefore, its composition should contain not only organic substances, but also micro- and macroelements.
• The soil must be porous light and loose, this will allow the root system of young shoots to receive enough oxygen.
• The earth must be able to absorb water well enough. and hold it, which will allow moisture to evenly moisten the entire volume of soil in the container.
• For the soil, it is important that it contains a "live" microflora, as it is very useful for young plants.
• The acidity level of the soil should be as close to neutral as possible, approximately 6.5 - 7.0.

It is also very important that the soil does not have:

• Make sure that fungus spores do not get into your soil., weed seeds, larvae or eggs of insects, as well as microorganisms that bring disease.
• Soil for cucumbers should not be toxic, therefore, its components cannot be taken in dangerous places, for example: a highway or city lawns. It is better to take them from forest plantations or groves.
• There should be no rapidly and actively decomposing components in the ground so that when mixing, microorganisms do not wake up and the decomposition process does not begin.
• The composition of the soil for cucumbers should not include clay, as it will degrade the quality of your soil mixture, and the seedlings will die.

What can be in the composition of the soil

The soil in the greenhouse for cucumbers may consist of the following components:

• Sod land or land from the garden.
• Leaf land is the half-rotted leaves of trees, except for willow and oak.
• Sunflower husk or husk from grains.
• Crushed raw egg shells.
• Wood ash.
• Moss sphagnum.
• Humus.
• Peat (see).

Here are the inorganic components that can be used to create a soil mixture:

• Very well washed river sand. It is needed for better loosening of the soil.
• Neutral eco-friendly material - perlite. It helps the earth "breathe" and retains moisture.
• The material is vermiculite, plus it contains calcium, magnesium and potassium.
• A polymer such as a hydrogel will help retain the right moisture and reduce the amount of watering.
• Slaked lime will help reduce the acidity of the soil.
• Shredded foam.
• Expanded clay.

What are the soil compositions?

There are several approximate compositions of soil mixtures that are suitable for seedlings:

• Soddy or leafy soil is about one part + peat or humus is also one part + sand or perlite is also one part.
• Three parts of soddy and leafy soil + also about three parts of humus + one part of river sand or vermiculite.
• Soddy land is about two parts + humus is only one part + also one part of sand + we take about two glasses of wood ash for a bucket of this mixture.
• One part of soddy land + one part of about humus + take about one glass of wood ash per bucket of such a mixture.
• One part of the land from the garden + also one part of the purchased land "universal" + also one part of the sand.

Below is the composition of the soil mixture, which is considered the best for cucumbers:

• Twenty liters of sod-leaf land.
• Approximately eight grams of ammonium nitrate.
• About ten grams of double superphosphate.
• And about ten grams of sulfuric potassium.
• Add three or four tablespoons of wood ash.

And one more composition:

• We take three to four parts of non-acidic peat.
• Add about four parts of humus.
• And four parts of pure fertile land.
• Dilute the mixture with one part of the sand.
• Also sawdust.
• As a result, we add about three kilograms of manure and half a glass of wood ash per meter of land.

And in conclusion, you can add special fertilizers for cucumber land (see).

Advice! If you are a beginner, then try different soil compositions in different containers, so in the end you will choose the one that suits you best.

Preparatory work

To grow cucumbers in a greenhouse, we prepare the soil for them very carefully. The earth, like sand, must first be well sieved and any debris, insect larvae and worms removed. Then it is worth disinfecting the soil to protect the plants from diseases and pests.

This can be done in several ways:

• Freeze. The ground prepared in the fall is covered so that precipitation does not fall and left for the winter on the street. About a month before planting, they bring it in, warm it, mix it with the rest of the ingredients and, having covered it, take it out again in the cold before planting.
• Steam. About a month before planting, the soil mixture is steamed in a water bath, under a closed lid, for about three hours.
• Ignite. The soil is calcined in an oven preheated to forty degrees, for about half an hour.

Purchased soil does not require disinfection, as it has already been prepared.

We buy soil

Consider some useful tips from experienced summer residents, what you need to know when buying shop soil for seedlings of cucumbers:

• In stores, the soil is universal and special, for various crops. Experienced vegetable growers buy special soil, since active fertilizers must be additionally added to the universal one.
• Be sure to buy a package with a label that indicates the manufacturer and his address, the composition of the soil itself and its batch number, as well as the production and expiration dates. Also on the label there is useful information, for example: the acidity of the soil is indicated.
• Read the composition of the soil well, ideally it should be a couple of types of peat, sand or vermiculite, as well as montmorillonite alumina. If the composition per liter of the mixture contains 300 milligrams of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus, then this mixture is used as a separate component of the main mixture.
• If you are buying soil for the first time, then take one small bag of different mixtures per sample. In the future, the soil you like can be purchased in bulk in large quantities. The main thing is that it be porous, loose and hold moisture well.
• At home, the earth must be sorted out, as debris and larvae may also be present in it. Then it is disinfected for prevention, but this must be done in advance, since the beneficial microflora also dies with diseases.

Types of store soil

Ready store soil, it is convenient and does not take much time. But not all of them are used in their pure form: some are ready for planting right away, others need to add fertilizer, and still others are used as an additive to the main mixture.

Consider the most popular of them:

• Living earth. This soil can be used both immediately for planting and instead of fertilizer. It can be of several types: universal, special No. 1 - slightly acidic, special No. 2 - neutral and floral. Special No. 2 is suitable for cucumbers.
• Mother Earth. This soil is almost ready for planting, but it is not loose enough for cucumbers, so semi-rotted sawdust about twenty percent of the amount of the mixture or Agrovermiculite is added to it.
• Humimax. He is ready for boarding and has already been spayed. Such soil consists of peat, river sand, mineral fertilizers, manure compost and Humimax fertilizer, which contains potassium humate, a biologically active component.
• Micro-greenhouse. Such soil is considered neutral and with the addition of sand or sawdust and steamed soil, various vegetable crops can be grown in it. If you add sawdust, they should be poured over with boiling water and mixed with ash.
• Ground for cucumbers. This is ready-made soil for planting cucumber seeds. It is based on peat, diluted with all the necessary elements for the nutrition and rapid growth of cucumber seedlings and its good harvest.
• Biud soils. These are organo-mineral soils, which are prepared using a special technology. They are ready to land. They come in different types: for nightshade, for conifers, for garden flowers, for indoor flowers, for vegetables and for cucurbits.
• Universal. This type of soil consists of peat and semi-rotted sawdust, and before planting it should be further enriched with mineral fertilizers. You can add twenty percent of the entire mixture, Pixa or biohumus.
• Biohumus. This is an additive from the main soil mixture, consisting of lying sawdust, ventilated peat, bird droppings and manure processed by worms. Most often, it is added in an amount of twenty percent of the total mixture.

It makes no sense to list all varieties of soil ready for planting and additives to the soil mixture. Any neighbor-dacha resident will advise you which soil is better. And also sales consultants will tell you what to take for a test.

Peat tablets

Peat tablets are a relatively recent invention and their cost is many times higher than soil in bags, but gardeners appreciated their convenience. They are easy to use, they do not need to be disinfected, and it is convenient to transplant the grown seedlings.

Such tablets consist of compressed peat or coconut fiber, which have equivalent properties. They are packed in a paper shell or natural mesh, which are impregnated with special agents against diseases and pests.

Advice! You should not buy peat tablets without a shell, because when swollen, it will not be a container, but a handful of wet peat.

Tablets are available in different sizes and are purchased depending on the size of the seed of your plant. They also have different acidity, which is usually indicated on the packaging of tablets, so when buying tablets, carefully read the label.

Peat cups

Peat cups are more popular than peat tablets, as they are even more convenient. Most often they are used when picking seedlings. They are good because they are created from environmentally friendly natural materials and decompose well in the ground, leaving no traces.

Their advantages include their durability and environmental friendliness. They are porous, which allows air and moisture to easily penetrate. This advantage allows the roots to breathe well and not sour. Transplantation to a permanent place is carried out together with a glass, so the roots remain safe and sound.

But peat cups also have disadvantages, this applies to their cheap varieties. Due to the low price, their quality also suffers, they get wet and can become moldy. All types of peat cups have the problem of rapid water absorption, so they need to be watered more often.

Conclusion

How many cucumbers sprout in the soil you choose will depend on the varieties of the cucumbers themselves. And with proper cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers in protected ground, you will get a wonderful and tasty harvest of amazing vegetables.

Every gardener should know what kind of soil is required for certain plants. Of course, the soil for the greenhouse can be purchased ready-made if you contact any specialized store. The finished soil contains all the components that are important for plants and crops. But such a purchase is quite expensive and not available to every summer resident, especially when the greenhouse has a large area. Most often, site owners try to prepare the soil for the greenhouse with their own hands. We will talk about the types of soil and the rules for its preparation in this article.

Growing vegetables and other plants in a greenhouse, every summer resident should know some of the features and nuances.

• For greenhouse soil, mixtures such as peat and peat-humus are not applicable. Mature plants are suitable for compositions in which peat can be one of the constituent components;
• The use of ready-made compositions in a greenhouse is an impractical solution, due to the low return on the future harvest of such large expenses for the purchase of land. The correct and profitable option is self-preparation of the soil for the greenhouse;
• When using garden land in a greenhouse, one should not forget about the need to fertilize the soil, which is characterized by rapid exhaustion;
• It is important to remember that the soil for greenhouse farming should be periodically updated, as a rule, once every 2 years. This is due to the fact that the repeated exploitation of the soil in a greenhouse over time leads to the loss of its beneficial properties, for the restoration of which fertilizers alone are not enough.

What are mixtures by type and composition?

Land for a greenhouse can be compost, manure, leaf and sod.

Each type of postal soil differs in composition and purpose. So, for tomatoes, a sod-type soil is required, a large proportion of the composition of which is occupied by field land. Unlike tomatoes, cucumbers will give more yield on compost land, which contains peat, humus and sod components.

Before preparing the soil for a greenhouse structure, you should familiarize yourself with the functions of each component of the greenhouse mixture. The constituents of the soil can be the following elements:

• Peat. Peat is characterized by properties such as high moisture absorption and the ability to retain it for a long period of time. Such features of peat allow you to maintain the optimum temperature level of greenhouse soil. Peat also has excellent antiseptic properties. In the soil for a greenhouse, peat can occupy a share of 50 to 90%. Due to the increased oxidizability of the peat element, it can be used in combination with another element such as lime;
• Compost. As for nutrients, it, like humus, is rich and saturated with them. This type of land can be obtained by a process such as humus of organic substances. Resembling peat, compost has the ability to absorb moisture well and pass air. Such properties are aimed at structural improvement of the soil in the greenhouse and increasing its fertility;
• Humus. To obtain such a natural product as humus in a greenhouse, manure will be required in an unfolded state;
• Garden soil. Its function is to ensure the balance of minerals, as well as the stabilization of acid indicators;
• River sand. Its functions: reducing the acid level of the soil and increasing the friability of the soil. According to the recommendations of experts, river sand should be applicable in combination with peat. Due to the presence of silicon in the composition, which favorably affects the level of yield, river sand becomes necessary for tomatoes;
• Wood-sawdust component. Due to the content of a large number of nutrients, it perfectly nourishes the soil. The function of sawdust is aimed at increasing the friability of the soil, as well as stabilizing the temperature and such an indicator as humidity;
• Straw. The main task of this element is to add carbon dioxide and nitric acid to the soil.

The soil for the greenhouse is divided into light type soil (among the constituent elements there is peat, compost or manure and hardwood), medium (manure, turf, sand and peat are included) and heavy (turf with the addition of sand). Each gardener, in accordance with his preferences and needs, can change the ratio in the composition of the mixture.

What is needed for soil preparation in autumn and spring?

Complete replacement of the soil every two years is not an affordable procedure for every owner of the site.

The beginning of the autumn soil preparation will be the end of the harvest period. To carry out this procedure, you must go through the following steps:

• Cleansing the soil from weeds and various roots;
• Removal of the top earth layer, the thickness of which must be at least 5 cm;
• Digging the soil with a shovel. This must be done to remove the larvae of the bear;
• Uniform filling of the greenhouse with new earth, which then requires watering (up to 8 liters of water will be required per 1 sq.m.);
• Implementation of disinfection procedures in relation to the greenhouse and soil. Alternatively, you can use sulfur checkers;
• Ventilation of the greenhouse and thorough washing of its walls using ordinary water;
• Fertilizing the soil with humus soil, sprinkling with ash and covering with straw material.

After the snow melts, spring soil preparation begins. First, the straw is harvested, then the earth is watered with a special solution, which includes lime and water. To increase the fertility of the soil, certain mixtures will be required, which cover the area of ​​​​the greenhouse structure. The composition of such mixtures may include turf, sawdust, peat and compost. Next, you need to start creating beds, which are then fertilized. Before planting plants and crops, it is recommended to treat the beds using liquid mullein.

The most profitable option when preparing the soil in the greenhouse will be compost prepared by yourself. If you timely and carefully care for the soil, then you will be provided with a high yield.