Before planting, it is advisable to treat and improve the soil in the greenhouse. Untreated soil is unsuitable for planting crops. During the winter, many pests migrate under the cover of the greenhouse. If the structure itself and the ground are not disinfected, the entire harvest will be lost. Chemical and biological agents can be used for disinfection.
Why do you need to treat a greenhouse in the spring?
When the thermometer rises above zero degrees during the day, it’s time to start preparatory spring work.It is recommended to pay special attention to cleaning and processing the soil. Before starting planting work, it is necessary to disinfect the greenhouse structure itself and the soil. Cleanliness and order are the key to good productivity.
Spring treatment of the greenhouse is carried out for the following reasons:
- for the destruction of larvae, insect pests, fungi, bacteria;
- to prevent the growth of weeds;
- to improve soil properties and increase its fertility.
First, they do a general cleaning, take out the trash, wash the polycarbonate, film or glass coating with detergents and soda. At night, when the temperature drops below zero degrees, the greenhouse doors are left open to use frost to destroy pest larvae. While there is snow outside, they collect it and spread it over the greenhouse soil. The soil must be saturated as much as possible with the moisture necessary for crop growth.
How to do this without replacing the soil
In agriculture, the main emphasis is on increasing soil fertility. Before planting, the soil needs to be fed and disinfected, and the pests that have multiplied in it must be destroyed. If the soil in the greenhouse was covered with mulch for the winter, this layer must be taken outside and burned. Pest larvae usually overwinter in such a covering.
After removing the mulch, the greenhouse is cleaned of debris and weeds, and the greenhouse covering itself is washed from dust and dirt. The room is frozen, and as much snow as possible is poured onto the beds to moisten the soil. The dried soil is dug up.
The next stage is disinfection of the greenhouse structure. Disinfection is carried out in early spring, since pests awaken earlier than anyone else. Disinfection of the structure can be carried out using chemical or biological methods. The cheapest option is to spray with a bleach solution (40 g per 1 liter of water).For disinfection, you can use copper sulfate (5 g per 1 liter of water). The air in the room can be disinfected by fumigating with a sulfur bomb. If chemical treatment is unacceptable, you can wash the structure with a decoction of pine needles, garlic, nettle, and soda.
Overview of soil disinfection methods
Soil disinfection is carried out using thermal, chemical or biological methods. The soil is first dug up. The treatment method is chosen depending on the phytosanitary situation.
Temperature effect
Pests, bacteria and fungi are afraid of critically low and high temperatures. While it is frosty outside, it is advisable to freeze the greenhouse well, leaving the door open at night. When it becomes warm, the air can be treated with hot steam, and the ground can be scalded with boiling water and immediately covered with film.
When hot watering is used, all living microorganisms, even beneficial ones, die. This method is called steam sterilization. With its help, pests are destroyed. In agriculture, special steam generators with a temperature regime of no higher than 60 degrees are used for steam treatment, so as not to harm beneficial microorganisms.
Chemicals
In early spring, 2 months before sowing, it is better to disinfect the soil with chemicals. It is recommended to read the instructions carefully before processing.It is prohibited to exceed the recommended dosage and to cultivate the land without protective equipment.
Available chemicals for soil disinfection:
- bleaching powder;
- copper sulfate;
- Bordeaux mixture;
- potassium permanganate;
- colloidal sulfur.
There are a huge number of chemicals available to combat fungi, bacteria and insect pests. Shortly before planting, the soil can be disinfected using fungicides such as Bravo, Quadris, Oksikhom, Previkur Energy, Skor, Storby, Topaz. Typically, these fungicidal agents are used during the growing season of crops. To destroy larvae and pests, insecticides are used (Aktara, Iskra, Komandor, Muraviin).
Biological methods
If the number of insect pests is low, you can use biological products to disinfect the land. For example, fungicides “Fitosporin-M”, “AgroMar” or “Fitolavin”, insecticide “Fitoverm”, fertilizer “Fitop-Flora-S”. To disinfect the soil, you can prepare a decoction of garlic, pine needles, and nettles.
Preventive measures
In the spring, a number of preventive works are carried out to improve the health of the soil. It is advisable to determine the acidity, salinity and density of the earth. If the soil is acidic, add a little slaked lime. If salty, use raw ground gypsum or phosphogypsum. If it is dense, add sawdust and sand.
If the soil is alkaline (vinegar spilled on the ground hisses), add gypsum, granulated sulfur, and iron sulfate. Peat, pine needles, and rotted manure acidify the soil well. It is recommended to use organic matter to increase soil fertility, but it is advisable to apply it in the fall.
When soil replacement is required
Once every 3-4 years it is advisable to change the soil in the greenhouse. Prepare the soil mixture yourself or buy it ready-made.The greenhouse mixture includes the following components: peat, sand, clay, lime, ash, turf, meadow or garden soil. Be sure to add crushed sawdust, conifer bark, foliage, and straw.
To improve fertility, humus, bird droppings, and a complex of mineral fertilizers are added to the mixture. The soil is replaced in the fall, after harvesting.
