Green manure for potatoes in the spring: we sow as soon as the snow melts in order to have time to incorporate them into the soil

Potatoes are an easy crop to grow. At the same time, to obtain a good harvest, the vegetable needs high soil fertility. Summer residents solve the problem by applying manure, however, there is a less expensive way to enrich the soil with nutrients. We are talking about the use of green manure. They are sown in early spring. 2–3 weeks before planting the tubers, the green shoots are mowed down and buried in the ground.

What does greening soil for potatoes give?

Green manure is considered a valuable natural fertilizer. They are often used not only on personal farmsteads, but also in agriculture. Young shoots embedded in the ground quickly decompose, enriching the soil with macro- and microelements in an accessible form.

The humus content in the upper soil layer increases. The earth is saturated with phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen. In addition, the structure of the soil improves, it becomes looser and more breathable.

Green manure prevents the growth of weeds in the area allocated for planting potatoes. It is important to mow the seedlings before flowering, before the plants begin to draw microelements from the soil necessary for the formation of flowers.

When and how to sow green manure in spring

In each region, the timing of sowing green manure will be different. Sowing begins as soon as the snow melts. For early spring sowing, cold-resistant crops are chosen.To improve the composition and structure of the soil, the following are sown in the spring:

• mustard;
• phacelia;
• rape;
• rye;
• oats;
• Vika.

Each of these plants has its own effect on the soil. The advantage of mustard is its ability to fight pests and weeds; it is advisable to sow this plant in areas infested with wireworms. Oats also prevent the growth of weeds. Vetch is a legume that enriches the soil with nitrogen, which is so necessary for the formation of potato tubers.

The ground is first leveled with a rake. If the soil is highly acidic, you should scatter a little fluff lime over the area. If the soil is dry, it needs to be watered to create favorable conditions for the germination of green manure.

Sowing is carried out in furrows or scattered, after which the seeds are covered with a rake. The planting depth should be 3–5 cm.

Mowing and further use of green manure

2–3 weeks before planting the tubers, the shoots are cut off, after which the area is dug up, giving the green mass time to rot. If the seedlings turn out to be abundant, they should not be buried in the ground in full. Some of the cut green manure is used to enrich the soil for growing other crops. If you add too much greenery, it will not have time to completely rot, which can cause acidification of the soil.

When using green manure, take into account the characteristics of the soil. For example, cereal crops are best suited for clay soil. They loosen the top layer of soil as much as possible.It is more expedient to sow legumes in the fall and leave them for the winter, in which case the soil will be significantly enriched with nitrogen. In any case, you should not neglect such an effective way of improving and enriching the soil as green manure.