Manure as a fertilizer for potatoes: when is it better to apply, in autumn or spring

Manure is one of the most popular and valuable fertilizers, but not many know how to use it correctly. In order for nutrients to benefit potato plantings, it is important to use specially prepared organic matter and observe moderation. feeding. Read below what types of manure there are, which manure is best and how to use it to feed potatoes.

Manure and droppings as fertilizer for potatoes

The chemical composition of manure and its properties depend on the type of animal, the feed used, bedding material and method. storage.

From the point of view of origin there are:

1. Small livestock manure (sheep, lamb, goat) contains few substances useful for plants, therefore it is least in demand. Used mainly on heavy loams and clay soils.
2. Pig manure It takes longer to decompose in the ground than other species and cannot create high temperatures. The reason is the mixed diet of pigs - both plant feed and animal products.
3. Horse dung – the most valuable due to its rich composition: it contains a lot of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. The porous structure decomposes well, releasing a large amount of heat - the temperature rises to 70°C. This allows horse manure to be used for heating greenhouses and open beds.It also stimulates the activity of soil microorganisms, increasing the humus content, loosens heavy soils, and helps the soil retain moisture.
4. cow dung, Despite its popularity, it has low nutritional characteristics, so on infertile soils it is applied in large quantities or in combination with other fertilizers. Cow manure decomposes more slowly than horse manure and emits less heat (no more than +32...+34°C at a depth of 1 m).

The quality of manure also depends on the bedding material. The best material is straw and hay, the fiber of which increases the looseness and moisture capacity of the soil.

Among the litter the most valuable are:

1. Chicken manure richest in nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and potassium. It also has a high concentration of cobalt, boron, zinc, sulfur, and magnesium.
2. Rabbit can replace potassium salt, superphosphate and ammonium sulfate. Softens dense soil, warms it up and makes it loose and rich.

Based on the degree of decomposition, the following types of manure and litter are distinguished:

1. Fresh contains weed seeds, spores of harmful fungi and helminth eggs. It is undesirable as a fertilizer in its pure form, as it can inhibit plants, stop growth and even lead to death. It is most often used to prepare slurry - a fermented aqueous solution for root feeding.
2. Half-rotted differs from fresh in dark brown color and loose structure. Used for autumn digging (from 500 g to 5 kg per 1 sq. m).
3. Well rotted It is an almost black mass with a viscous, smearable structure. It is lighter than fresh or semi-decomposed, so its consumption increases. Contains less nutrients.
4. Granulated retains all the beneficial properties of fresh fertilizer and does not have an unpleasant odor. Such manure is free of chlorine and pathogenic flora, its pH is balanced. It is used both dry for digging and as a liquid fertilizer.

Beneficial features

The benefits of manure as a fertilizer include:

• a rich set of biological substances;
• easily digestible form of potassium, phosphorus, boron, nitrogen and other elements;
• uniform and long-term positive effect on the soil;
• the presence of active microflora and increased intensity of humus formation;
• accelerating the breakdown of harmful chemicals (insecticides, pesticides, fungicides) and neutralizing excess salts formed by mineral fertilizers;
• Possibility of use as a mulching material.

How to use

There are several rules for using manure as fertilizer:

1. Fresh and half-rotted manure is applied to the soil in the fall after harvesting. harvest, used in diluted form for root dressing or scattered between rows so that it disintegrates in the rain.
2. When plowing in autumn, composted organic fertilizers, including humus, are used.
3. In spring and autumn, manure is buried to a depth of 25-30 cm to prevent it from being washed away by rain. And in winter they are scattered on top of the snow, then when the water melts it will saturate the soil with fertilizer.

Humus as fertilizer

Humus is the last stage of decomposition of manure. It is similar to earth in both appearance and smell. Despite the fact that the concentration of useful substances in humus decreases several times, it is considered the best fertilizer and is used for preparing soil mixtures and mulching.

Properties

Humus improves the quality of the soil, making it lighter, water- and breathable.When applied in the fall, it populates the substrate with beneficial microflora and promotes the appearance of earthworms.

Plants grown on humus receive nutrients in the most accessible form, which enhances photosynthesis and increases resistance to disease.

How to cook

To prepare a compost heap you need:

1. Build a fence with one open wall or dig a hole.
2. Place straw, sawdust or peat at the bottom.
3. Lay fresh and half-rotted manure and plant tops in layers. For humus, you can use a mixture of feces of various animals, including pigs.
4. Moisten each layer with warm water or slurry.
5. Cover the top with waterproof material, having previously made holes in it for air.

It is important to maintain the optimal debate temperature at +30°C. If the “burning” is too active, the compost heap is covered with earth, blocking the access of air.

During the heat, humus can dry out, so during the summer it is shoveled several times and, if necessary, moistened. The use of microbiological preparations such as “Siyanie-3” and “Baikal” accelerates fermentation.

Reference. You can regulate the chemical composition of humus by adding certain plants to the compost. For example, the weed white sweet clover, perennial lupine, seradella, and pea and bean weeds are rich in nitrogen. A large amount of phosphorus contains the green mass of mustard, dandelion, rapeseed, valerian and sorrel. The source of potassium is the tops of nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers), pumpkin (cucumbers, zucchini, squash), Jerusalem artichoke, as well as nettle, comfrey, chamomile, yarrow, apple and pear carrion. Raspberry shoots will help enrich the compost with iron.

The time required for humus to form depends on the composition of the compost heap and the conditions:

• peat manure compost requires 4-5 months;
• manure with straw and EM preparations – 1-2 months;
• compost only from manure - 1.5-2 years.

Features of application

When should humus be added to the ground? It can be used for autumn or spring digging, poured directly into holes when planting potatoes, or used as mulch when hilling up grown bushes.

When is it better to apply manure to potatoes – in autumn or spring?

Fresh and half-rotted manure is applied to the ground only in the fall, so that it has time to ferment during the winter months. In the spring, fresh grass can “burn” the plantings due to the high urea content.

In the spring, rotted manure is used, observing certain standards for the introduction of organic matter:

• on depleted soils or with a break of 3-5 years - 5 kg per 1 sq. m;
• in other cases - from 500 g to 1 kg per 1 sq. m.

Organic matter is quickly washed out of light sandy and sandy loam soils, so it is recommended to fertilize them in the spring, and loamy soils in the fall.

Rules for applying manure to potatoes

In autumn or spring, rotted manure is scattered over the entire area allocated for planting. It is important to dig up the soil with a shovel or plow it with a plow on the same day, since uncovered fertilizer quickly dries out, losing its value.

Attention! Digging technique: so that the top, fertilized layer of soil is at the bottom, the soil is grabbed with a shovel and turned over in the air. The dug up row forms a trench after itself, into which a new portion of manure is introduced.

Organic fertilizers in the form of humus can be applied directly to the hole during planting. This will save fertilizer, because the tubers will feed directly from the substrate.The application rate in this case is 150-200 g per bush. Adding 1 tbsp will increase the effectiveness of fertilizer. l. wood ash. A significant disadvantage of the method is labor intensity and the risk of scab development.

When the bushes reach a height of 8-10 cm, you can begin feeding. To do this, manure is diluted with water: fresh - in a ratio of 1:10, half-rotted - 1:8. A good result is obtained by combining organic matter with a small portion of superphosphate. Fertilizer is applied under the root system during the first hilling, being careful not to touch the tops.

During the budding period of potatoes, it is undesirable to use manure. The formation of tubers is stimulated by potassium and phosphorus fertilizing, and nitrogen promotes the growth of green mass.

How much fertilizer to apply during the flowering phase of plants? You can support it with a mixture of organic and mineral fertilizers:

• 10 liters of water;
• 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate;
• 1 tbsp. slurry.

This solution is infused for two days, and then the soil under the potatoes is watered at the rate of 500 ml per bush.

Tips and tricks

Almost every garden owner has his own secret of working with organic fertilizers. The most proven ones are:

1. You can improve the characteristics of cow manure by mixing 2 parts mullein with 1 part sawdust. This speeds up decomposition and increases the temperature of the debate. A mixture of cow and horse manure with dry loosening materials is also effective: peat moss, sawdust, firewood (woody flax and hemp stems).
2. Horse manure is used together with straw, last year's leaves, peat and grass clippings. Combination with sawdust gives low quality characteristics.
3. Chicken droppings As a fertilizer it has a prolonged effect, so it is enough to apply it once every 2-3 years.
4. Granulated manure is considered the most sterile and convenient to use. It is used according to the instructions on the package.

Conclusion

Although organic matter has undoubted advantages over mineral fertilizers, its improper use can seriously harm plants and even lead to their death.

Fresh manure should be used with extreme caution, since a high concentration of nutrients leads to a mineral imbalance, and weed seeds and insect larvae that are undigested by animals only worsen the composition of the soil. The most preferred are semi-rotted manure and humus.