Content
Barley as a green manure is often used by summer residents and farmers due to a number of its positive qualities. This is an unpretentious cereal plant that has high nutritional value for the earth. If you plant this crop in time and then incorporate this crop into the soil, you can get an excellent natural fertilizer.
Barley saturates the soil with useful macro- and microelements
Is barley green manure?
When asked whether barley is green manure, experts clearly give a positive answer. Despite the fact that this plant is usually grown as a grain crop for brewing, obtaining cereals and as livestock feed, it is also used as a green fertilizer, along with oats, rye and other cereals. In addition, compared to them, it is highly resistant to drought as well as cold.
There are two types of barley - spring and winter, and both are used for green manure in the garden. Only the first variety is planted in the spring and mowed before planting the main crops, and the second is sown in the fall before winter.
Barley 100% meets the requirements for green manure
Pros and cons of barley as green manure
Cereal as a green manure has a huge number of advantages compared to minor disadvantages.
The crop is best for planting in areas where there is a long period of drought
Advantages:
- releases a large amount of useful substances when rotting;
- accelerates growth, increases productivity, improves fruiting of crops;
- improves the quality of vegetables and fruits;
- produces nutrients in an easily digestible form;
- helps the soil become loose and light;
- structures the earth;
- creates conditions for good absorption of air and moisture by the soil;
- displaces weeds;
- disinfects the area;
- resistant to frost and drought;
- grows quickly and gains green mass;
- reduces the number of harmful insects.
Flaws:
- barley roots attract wireworms to the beds;
- the crop does not grow well in acidic soil.
On what soils is it used?
Barley feels great and shows positive qualities on different types of soil: heavy, dense, sandy, loamy. The only condition that should be taken into account when planting green manure is that if the soil is highly acidic, it must first be deoxidized with dolomite flour or ash.
If we talk about crop varieties, it should be noted that winter barley is more recommended in areas prone to erosion and weathering, while spring barley is preferably planted in warm regions.
For which crops is it suitable?
As a green manure, barley is suitable for various vegetable crops. It serves as the best predecessor for:
- potatoes;
- zucchini and cucumbers;
- tomatoes;
- pumpkins;
- legumes;
- pepper;
- beets;
- carrots;
- radishes, radishes and turnips.
In addition to vegetables, the cereal is also a good green manure for garden plants: grapes, currants, blackberries and raspberries.
When to sow barley as green manure
In order for green manure to bring maximum effect, it is important to choose the optimal time for planting it. It is this moment that will guarantee that barley will accumulate nutrients and develop well.
Typically, one of three options for sowing a crop is chosen:
- Spring. Green manure is sown with the arrival of the first warm days, as soon as the snow melts. With this option, the ground is well saturated with melt water, the seedlings sprout together and grow quickly. Typically, the timing of spring planting of a crop depends on the growing region and can be done either in the second half of March or at the end of April.
- Summer. Summer sowing of barley is carried out towards the end of the season, after harvesting. In this case, the gardener will need to provide the plantings with regular watering, especially at the initial stage of growth.
- Autumn. Starting from the last days of August and ending with the second half of September, gardeners begin planting winter barley. The period should be such that the plant does not have time to grow tall and begins active growth only in the spring.
Most often, barley is planted as green manure at the end of the summer season.
Landing technology
The technology for planting barley does not cause any particular difficulties for vegetable growers, and if you follow the recommendations of experts, the crop will sprout well and bring many benefits.
Green manure should be planted in loosened soil, but in the case of dense soil, it is advisable to first dig it up using a spade.If the soil on the site is light, then it is dug to a depth of about 15 cm.
The beds for barley are prepared in advance, a couple of weeks before planting. Fertilizers in the form of manure or a complex composition are added to depleted soil.
On the day of sowing, if necessary, the beds are moistened and after the water is absorbed, the procedure begins. Sow the crop in furrows with a depth of 3 cm (heavy soil) to 5 cm (light soil), which are located close to each other, at a distance of up to 7 cm. The gap between seedlings in a row should be a maximum of 2 cm. Next, sprinkle the plantings with earth and compact them .
Barley seeds are large in size and easy to sow.
Care instructions
Barley is a picky crop, does not require special attention and grows well on its own in favorable conditions. In warm weather, crop seedlings may appear as early as the fifth day after planting.
If it is hot and dry outside, then, despite the drought resistance of barley, it will need to be watered at least once a week.
To create more favorable conditions for the growth of young barley, the beds with it can be loosened several times and, if necessary, weeded.
When growing in an area that has completely lost fertility, it is allowed to feed the crop once. To do this, it is enough to sprinkle the garden bed with ordinary saltpeter, which will help the barley grow faster. The composition must be applied in dry form, exclusively on well-moistened soil.
Mowing and embedding into the soil
Barley harvesting is usually organized 10-15 days before the expected planting of crops. The main thing is not to be late and mow before the spikelets appear on the shoots. Otherwise, the greens will become tough, and it will take much longer for them to turn into useful humus; in addition, the content of nutrients in them will be significantly reduced.
Sideration can be carried out in two ways:
- Surface. The easiest way is to cut the barley with an oblique or flat cutter, then evenly distribute the above-ground part over the entire area. In order for the stems to more actively release useful elements and decompose faster, it is possible to chop them first. With this method of fertilization, the barley will gradually rot and saturate the soil, and will also become an effective mulch layer that protects plants planted between the spread grains from the hot sun.
- Embedding into the soil. In cases where there is time before planting crops (1-2 weeks), fertilizing the site can be carried out using the incorporation method. To do this, barley is mowed in the usual way, then laid out on the surface of the soil and allowed to dry. Next, the seal is carried out using a flat cutter or hoe. In this case, a shovel is not used, since during the procedure the green mass should remain in the top layer of soil.
In the event that there are too many green manures and it was not possible to use them all, you can prepare an excellent fertilizer based on the leftovers. To do this, chop the greens, pour water in equal proportions and leave for seven days in the sun, stirring occasionally.Before use, strain and dilute with water in a 1:1 ratio, apply once every six months.
Some gardeners mow barley in the fall, but in this case it gives a less pronounced effect
Conclusion
Barley as a green manure has proven itself in gardening. It is successfully used to enrich the soil, control weeds and pests. This crop has a number of advantages, and due to its unpretentiousness and ease of planting and care, it does not require special knowledge of agricultural technology from the gardener.
Growing barley as green manure allows you to avoid using purchased nutrients.
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