What benefits and harm can peat in the garden

Over time, any soil is depleted and requires systematic fertilizer, otherwise growing cultivated plants on it becomes difficult. In this case, gardeners resort to fertilizing the substrate with organic substances.

One of these is peat - a natural fertilizer formed from particles of dead swamp plants. Peat, as a mineral, is mined in swamps, riverbeds, or watersheds.

Since ancient times, this type of raw material has been used in the basis of fertilizers for land and in other fields of activity. The substance consists of decomposed plants and synthesis products - humic, mineral particles and water. The composition also contains a small amount of mineral and chemical elements.

Peat deposits are used in many areas. Mainly as fuel in power plants, in animal husbandry, for cleaning gutters, in the development of medicines for medicine. In the construction industry, peat insulation materials are used.

A large proportion of peat bogs are used by gardeners and gardeners to increase soil fertility. Fertilizers are made from peat deposits, stimulating preparations for plant growth, pots for seedlings and covering biomaterial for the winter.

A lot of photosynthesis and carbon products are accumulated in peat material, which, when introduced into the soil, improves its permeability to moisture and air, makes it loose, and also changes the microbiological composition.

The substance improves the structure of the earth, reduces the content of nitrates, reduces the effects of pesticides, suppresses harmful bacteria and fungi, and increases acidity. The humic and amino acids included in the composition improve the development of plant crops. That is why peat as a fertilizer is so often used for gardens.

The following types of peat are distinguished:

Lowland. This species is formed from particles of tree species, moss, sedge and reeds in swamp areas. Decomposition of plants occurs without access of oxygen using microorganisms in the lowland layer. This variety is characterized by high humidity and density. The peat layer consists of lowland undecomposed plants: alder, fern, birch, spruce, willow, etc. It lies in river floodplains and deep ravines.
Horse. From its name, it indicates that it is formed in the upper layer of wetlands from grass and plants. Oxygen is involved in the formation. It has a light and loose structure, consists of the remains of plants of the upper type: larch, pine, swamp sedge, etc.
Transitional. It is a composite of a part of upland and lowland peat.
Lowland peat: application and properties of raw materials
This type of raw material is characterized by a high concentration of minerals and rapid decomposition. It is mostly black.

The neutral or slightly acidic composition (pH 4–6) is saturated with humic acid, strongly absorbs water, so humidity reaches 70%. Due to moisture, it is prone to clumping, caking and siltation.

Before use, lowland peat is aired for several days in the open air, poured into small piles. They are used in combination with compost and the addition of mineral fertilizers to enrich the soil or retain moisture in clay or sandy soils.

In the gardens, it is recommended to use exactly lowland neutral peat, which plants love so much. In addition, this will reduce time and labor costs, because you can make it without composting.

Lowland peat is evenly spread on the surface of the earth and dug up the soil to a depth of not more than 10 cm. The optimum rate is considered to be from 20 to 30 liters / m². If the land is new and has not been fertilized before, then from 50 to 60 liters / m² are introduced.

The introduction of peat raw materials makes the soil structure grainy, due to the fact that the particles of the earth are bonded into small lumps. Soil freely passes air, is well absorbed and retains moisture, which has a beneficial effect on the root system of plants.

Lowland peat is often used to mulch the surface of lawns in the spring. Before that, the lawn is combed out, fertilizers are added from nitrogen and a thin layer of peat is distributed on the surface no more than 3-5 mm.

Mulching with low-lying peat is used in the case of sandy and clay soils, so that moisture is retained during irrigation longer. To do this, weeds are removed, the soil is watered and fertilized, then a peat coating is spread with a thin layer on the surface (2–5 cm), being careful not to touch the areas around the stems.

Horse peat: characteristics and methods of application in gardening
High peat is characterized by porosity and high ability to retain moisture. For a long time it is not biodegradable.

Thanks to the long fibers of the structure, it retains mineral substances in the composition for a long time. The land, saturated with long-fiber peat, is light, characterized by heat-insulating qualities and does not shrink when growing plants.

Unfortunately, high peat is not rich in nutrients. Peat deposits of the upper type have an acid reaction of pH 2.5–3.1. and often apply for

28 февраля 2019

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