Over time, the soil in a summer cottage becomes depleted, the number of weeds increases, and yields fall. In this case, measures must be taken. Some people prefer modern agrochemistry, others solve the problem by sowing green manure plants in the beds. This is a simple and effective way to improve soil quality and increase productivity. The nuances of using buckwheat as green manure will be discussed further.
Advantages and disadvantages
Buckwheat is a fast-growing annual plant; it is used as a fodder crop, serves as an excellent honey plant and provides us with everyone’s favorite buckwheat.It was the rapid growth and unpretentiousness that allowed the plant to be used as green manure.
Sowing green manure in a plot allows you to enrich the soil with nitrogen, make the soil looser, and reduce the number of weeds. If you bury the green parts of plants after mowing, you will get excellent compost; if left on the surface, they will become an excellent mulch for planting.
There are several plants suitable for these purposes, buckwheat is one of them. Has a lot of advantages:
- the developed root system of the plant does not allow various weeds to develop nearby; after mowing, it remains deep in the soil, protecting garden plantings;
- buckwheat protects the area from infections, disinfects the soil, saturates the soil with potassium and nitrogen, improves its structure, making it looser and more saturated with oxygen;
- green manure is attractive to bees and unpleasant to many insect pests;
- converts phosphorus absorbed from the soil into a form that is better absorbed by other plants;
- after mowing, the roots and greens remain on the site, rotting and becoming an excellent organic fertilizer;
- Buckwheat grows quickly and can be sown between vegetable beds to protect crops.
It has a beneficial effect on the subsequent growth of most crops; root crops, cucumbers and tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes, fruit trees and berry bushes grow better after it.
The disadvantages of sowing plants on your own plot include:
- poor tolerance to wind and cold;
- the possibility of development only in warm climates, with sufficient watering;
- planting sorrel, rhubarb, and spinach after buckwheat is not advisable, since these plants are also buckwheat plants.
In the southern regions, they manage to sow 2-3 times per season, this prevents cracks from appearing in the soil and makes the soil looser and more “breathable.”
What crops are they used for?
Buckwheat has a beneficial effect on the subsequent growth of most crops; root crops, cucumbers and tomatoes grow better after it. You can plant cabbage and potatoes, fruit trees and berry bushes. Greens grow well: parsley, dill, cumin. These crops give a particularly rich harvest after green manure.
Rules for planting buckwheat as green manure
The plant does not tolerate cold weather; the seeds need well-warmed soil (to a depth of at least 10 centimeters). The 2nd decade of May is chosen for sowing; the soil on the site is dug up or treated with a cultivator. You can sow buckwheat in the fall, 1.5 months before the onset of cold weather.
In chernozem areas, grains are embedded in the soil to a depth of 6-7 centimeters; for heavy soil, 3 centimeters is enough. Take 7-15 grams of seeds per square meter of area. After sowing, the soil is compacted using a roller or the back of a rake.
The grains are sown in rows, with a distance between sprouts of 5-6 centimeters, or sown, randomly scattering the seeds around the area. In a garden occupied by fruit trees and shrubs, you can sow buckwheat between plantings. The plant will help retain moisture and attract bees to pollinate the garden.
Further care
The culture is unpretentious; if there is enough rain during the season, it does not even need watering. In hot summers, weekly watering is required. The soil should be slightly moist.
Buckwheat grows quickly; early ripening varieties begin to bloom within 3 weeks after the first shoots appear. It is these plant varieties that are used as green manure.
When and how to mow
Mow the plant after flowering; the green mass can be mixed with soil or left on the surface. The roots are trimmed to 8-10 centimeters. Then the area is left to rest for 2 weeks, during which time the soil will receive all the useful elements. At the end of this period, vegetables can be planted in the beds.
When planting crops in the fall, they do not mow them; over the winter, the plant becomes a valuable fertilizer; digging up the soil in the spring will provide it with useful substances. The supply of important elements will be enough for the site for 2 seasons, after this time the procedure will have to be repeated.
In addition to buckwheat, the following are used as green manure: various types of legumes (peas, lentils, beans), barley, oats, mustard, alfalfa, marigolds.
