Getting ready for next year: don't forget about soil for seedlings

To ensure a good harvest next year, you can start preparing the soil now. First, choose which crop requires the soil mix. Then, you can either plan to purchase a ready-made mix or work on it. making soil with your own handsIn the first case, a store-bought mixture can be improved. In the second, it's worth learning how to make a base, disinfect it, and create a high-quality universal soil, and then a specialized one.

Signs of high-quality soil for seedlings

General characteristics are inherent in any high-quality soil. They serve as a foundation; without them, the soil is just dirt. The specific characteristics depend on the crop being planted.

Common signs include:

• content of beneficial microflora and nutrients;
• balanced composition of organic and mineral substances;
• water permeability;
• air permeability;
• neutral acidity level;
• crumbly structure;
• absence of foreign impurities (clay, plant residues, actively decomposing components, weed seeds, worms, insect larvae).

Impurities hinder the activity of beneficial microflora and substances. For example, clay impairs water and air permeability, and weed seeds can carry pathogens.

Main and additional components of soil

Soil and ground are not the same thing. Ground consists of various components, the main one being soil. It makes up 25-50% of the total mass. It can be dug up in the forest or in a garden, but the difference is significant. Forest soil is preferred. However, different types of trees grow in the forest. If the tree is stunted and lifeless, then it's even less worth collecting soil. Pine forests are suitable for harvesting, but their soil is highly acidic. However, soil from deciduous trees is suitable for soil preparation.

Garden soil as a base has a number of advantages, but at the same time, it is considered less useful. Advantages:

• easy to type;
• If you take soil from the place where future seedlings will be placed, they will adapt and take root faster.

Soil from the garden is collected according to crop rotation rules and disinfected to prevent the spread of fungal diseases or insects. Borage soil should not be used for pumpkin seedlings, nor for tomato seedlings after nightshade crops.

Additional components added to the soil base must be of high quality and in the correct proportions. Organic and inorganic components are distinguished. Organic components:

• peat;
• compost;
• humus;
• sphagnum;
• needles;
• sawdust in urea solution;
• stove ash.

Inorganic:

• washed light yellow river sand;
• perlite, agroperlite;
• vermiculite, crushed expanded clay, granules of packaging foam.

Inorganic matter helps maintain the basic properties of soil, such as looseness and air permeability.

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Disinfecting the soil

Soil disinfection methods are divided into three broad groups: thermal, biological, and chemical. The first group includes freezing, treatment with boiling water, and others.

To the second:

• disinfection with potassium permanganate;
• use of special drugs;
• adding copper sulfate.

To the third:

• use of fungicides;
• treatment with preparations populated by certain microorganisms.

Thermal methods are widely used. After any treatment, the soil loses not only harmful but also beneficial microflora. The soil will remain sterile for a short time, and then microorganisms will begin to naturally colonize it.

Freezing is an economical and reliable disinfection method. Simply collect autumn soil and leave it in the freezer. Before planting, keep it in a warm place for a few days to allow the soil to "revitalize." Then, deep freeze and thaw it again. The cycle is repeated twice. However, freezing the soil will not protect against diseases such as clubroot or late blight. Heat sterilization is required.

If you only have a small amount of soil, you can microwave it. Place the slightly damp soil in a perforated bag, microwave it, and cook for 5-10 minutes. After a while, the soil will turn to dust. Steam escaping from the holes will indicate that you've done it correctly.

You can also steam the soil in a double boiler in a saucepan. Set up a double boiler, place the soil in a cloth bag, and steam until thoroughly heated. Another option is to steam the soil on a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat the oven. Spread the damp soil on the baking sheet and place it in the oven. Heat until thoroughly heated.

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Primer from the store

If you don't have the time or inclination, ready-made potting soil can be used as an alternative. The downside is that you can't be sure of the soil's quality. To avoid risk, you need to improve it yourself by adding:

• disinfected soil;
• chalk or dolomite flour;
• hydrogel crystals.

The first component is added 1:1 to the prepared mixture. The second component is required at a rate of 2 tablespoons per bucket of soil. It is needed to reduce acidity, as the mixture is based on peat, which is highly acidic and poorly permeable. The hydrogel is needed to regulate humidity. It is used sparingly, as its size increases 200-300 times in a humid environment.

To plant high-quality seedlings next year, you need to take care of the soil now. The soil preparation process is labor-intensive and time-consuming. However, the end result will be high-quality soil. priming for seedlings.