Content
Tilling the soil in the greenhouse in the fall is an important part of the pre-winter preparation of the garden. It allows you to significantly reduce the time spent on this work in the spring, and also performs a sanitary function. Autumn soil preparation is the key to a future good harvest.
How to properly prepare the soil in a greenhouse in the fall
Over the course of a year, the soil in the greenhouse is greatly depleted. In addition, harmful substances accumulate in its upper layer, as well as pathogens of various diseases. Therefore, once every 5 years, the soil in the greenhouse must be completely changed, and annually in the fall, work must be carried out to sanitize and improve the quality of the top fertile layer.
In the fall, preparing the soil for a greenhouse (or in a greenhouse) consists of several stages:
- digging;
- disinfection;
- fertilizer.
Each of these activities is an important part of the complex of work being carried out.
Is it necessary to dig up the soil in a greenhouse in the fall?
The ideal option is to annually completely replace the fruit-bearing top layer 10-15 cm thick. However, not all gardeners have the opportunity to do this every autumn. Therefore, the soil in the greenhouse must be dug up, removing plant roots and insect pest larvae from it. Since in the future the beds will be spilled with boiling water or frozen, digging will allow the loose soil to reach the required temperature much faster.
How to disinfect the soil in a greenhouse in the fall
There are several ways to properly cultivate the soil in a greenhouse in the fall and kill insect larvae and pathogens in the top layer of soil:
- chemical;
- thermal;
- biological;
- cryogenic.
For a chemical method of disinfecting soil in a greenhouse in the fall, various substances and their aqueous solutions are used to kill pests. The thermal method involves repeated treatment of the beds with hot water or drying them under the sun. The biological method involves treating the soil with special preparations that inhibit pathogenic microflora.
The cryogenic method is the simplest. When using this method, the greenhouse is left open throughout the winter. Beds not covered with snow freeze much more strongly, this kills pests wintering in them.
How to cultivate the soil in a greenhouse in the fall
To cultivate the soil in a greenhouse in the fall, you can use boiling water, antibacterial drugs, as well as broad-spectrum fungicides. They can be used in combination.
Soil treatment with chemicals
The chemical method is used to treat greenhouses in the fall without replacing the soil. Various drugs and chemicals are used for this. The most commonly used preparation for cultivating soil in greenhouses is copper sulfate. It is quite effective against pathogens of various diseases, for example, scab, rot, coccomycosis, late blight and others.
It is easy to prepare a solution of copper sulfate yourself. This will require 100 g of the substance and 10 liters of water. With this solution it is necessary to treat the top layer of soil, as well as the walls of the greenhouse. It is necessary to prepare a solution of copper sulfate immediately before use, since it cannot be stored. It is also not recommended to use iron utensils, since this substance can react chemically with metals.
To enhance the disinfecting effect, many gardeners use copper sulfate mixed with quicklime (Bordeaux mixture). This is a stronger and more effective drug. It can be purchased at a specialized store in the form of a dry mixture, or you can prepare a solution yourself by diluting 100 g of each component in 5 liters of water and then carefully mixing the two liquids.
Heat treatment of soil
Thermal treatment of the soil is carried out using the sun and hot water. If by the time all work is completed the sun is still bright enough, you can open the greenhouse and properly dry the soil under its rays. If the weather is already cold, you can use hot water.All the beds are watered with it at least three times, and then the soil is covered with plastic film to better retain the temperature.
Biological products for soil disinfection in a greenhouse
Biologically active compounds very effectively rid the soil of harmful microflora, while maintaining and increasing the content of beneficial microorganisms in it. You can disinfect the soil in a greenhouse in the fall using the following preparations:
- Baikal-M1;
- Emochki-Bokashi;
- Phytocide;
- Baktofit;
- Fitosporin;
- Trichodermin.
An additional positive point when using them is that they effectively decompose organic residues, enriching the soil with useful substances and microelements. Therefore, treating soil with biological products has no side effects.
How to fertilize the soil in a greenhouse in the fall
As a rule, the composition of fertilizers to be applied to greenhouse soil in the fall depends on the type of plants to be grown in the greenhouse next year. The main components are usually rotted manure, compost, humus and wood ash.
After harvesting, many gardeners practice sowing green manure (white mustard, vetch). This measure improves the fertility and structure of the soil, and also gets rid of harmful microflora.
How to prepare the soil in a greenhouse for winter
Mandatory measures for preparing the soil in a greenhouse in the fall include:
- Cleaning up plant residues.
- Replacement of the upper fruiting layer or its disinfection.
- Digging up soil.
- Fertilizer application.
Since different crops grown under cover react differently to the composition of the soil and the fertilizers used, the processing and preparation of the soil for each type of plant is carried out taking into account these nuances.
Preparing soil in a greenhouse for tomatoes in the fall
Tomatoes in our country are grown under film more often than other garden crops. Preparing the soil in a greenhouse in the fall for tomatoes involves arranging multi-layered beds. To do this, the top layer of soil about 40 cm is removed. Then lay out the following components in layers:
- Finely chopped branches.
- Sawdust.
- Tops or compost.
- Peat or rotted manure.
- Dirt ground.
This layer cake will be an excellent basis for growing tomatoes. And the branches and sawdust will serve as an additional thermal insulation layer, preventing the roots of the seedlings from freezing in early spring.
Preparing the soil for cucumbers in the fall in a greenhouse
It is preferable to grow cucumbers in “warm” beds. In the fall, the soil in the greenhouse is prepared for them as follows. The top layer of soil is removed and mixed with humus in a 1:1 ratio. In place of future beds, the following components are laid in layers:
- Coarsely chopped branches.
- Small branches.
- Chernozem.
- Manure (approximately 10 kg per 1 sq. m).
The last thing you need to do is pour the top layer of a mixture of turf soil and humus. It is undesirable to freeze such soil, so you need to keep such beds under snow in winter.
How to properly prepare the soil for peppers and eggplants
Peppers and eggplants are heat-loving plants, so it is better to grow them in “warm” beds. Preparing the soil in a greenhouse in the fall for growing them is quite simple.The top layer of soil (about 30 cm) must be removed, then a layer of plant waste (grass, fallen leaves, tops) should be laid, a small layer of rotted manure should be poured above, and then a layer of fertile type. Over the winter, the biomass will gradually rot, so the soil temperature in the beds will always be elevated.
Some tips from the professionals
Simultaneously with soil disinfection, the entire structure is usually disinfected in the fall. The sulfur bombs used for this cannot be used in greenhouses with a metal frame, since the smoke from the sulfur bomb will cause severe corrosion of iron structures.
Green manure planted after harvesting does not have to be removed. If they have grown high enough, they need to be mowed and left in the beds, and in the spring simply incorporated into the soil while digging.
In small structures, treatment can be done using potassium permanganate. To do this, you need to prepare a 2% solution, which is poured onto the dug up soil.
To make the greenhouse soil light and loose, river sand is added to it (about 1/6). This prevents the fertile layer from being washed away.
If you use the method of freezing the soil, you can cover the beds with snow at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. Fresh melt water will have a beneficial effect.
Conclusion
Tilling the soil in a greenhouse in the fall is a rather labor-intensive, but necessary event that allows you to avoid many problems next year. It will help get rid of pests, improve the quality of the soil, increase its fertility, thereby increasing the chances of a future good harvest. Do not neglect these works.Moreover, you can choose any time to conduct them, because the climate in the greenhouse does not depend on the vagaries of the weather.
