Soil diseases and effective methods of their treatment

Over time, the fertile soil layer will be depleted. Spores of fungal diseases and pests appear in it. On such soils, over time, plants grow poorly, give a poor harvest. Let's take a look at the main problems and soil diseases that you may face.

Soil diseases: Depletion of the fertile layer.

The fertile soil layer can decrease if you have planted the same plants on this soil for several years. If plants with a shallow root system were planted. All this led to the fact that the plants used all the nutrients that were contained there. The situation is especially aggravated if you have been saving on fertilizers.

Control measures:

Dig up the garden well and at the same time add organic fertilizers (compost, rotted manure, bird droppings, and others) there. Organic fertilizers usually take several years to decompose - this will help the soil to gradually increase its fertility.

Another way to increase soil fertility is to give the land a rest, not to plant vegetable or fruit crops on it, but to shine all with useful plants that enrich the soil, for example, green manure. Or at least plant them among other cultures.

The most effective green manure plants are legumes. They enrich the soil with nitrogen, due to the presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the nodules, located on the roots. In addition, they have a powerful root system that lifts nutrients up from the deep layers of the soil.

Leguminous plants must grow in the soil until they bloom, it is at this time that nodules are formed on their roots.
Apply crop rotation, that is, change the beds in places. This will increase the fertility of the soil and make it of better quality.

Soil diseases: erosion

If for several years you constantly dig up the soil, plant the same plants on them, apply a minimum of fertilizers, then the soil will begin to absorb moisture poorly over time, become dry and begin to dust.

Digging up the earth every year, you dig deeper beneficial bacteria that help turn organic matter into easily digestible substances for the plant, as well as worms that themselves loosen the soil, saturating it with oxygen, without your help.

Control measures: The introduction of organic fertilizers, they will make the surface layer of the earth heavier.
Add mulch that will protect the soil from erosion and retain water in it. Over time, decomposing, it will enrich with useful substances.

The ground has become solid.

If your soil has become poorly cultivated, the reason is most likely that it has become empty. Due to annual plowing and not applying the required amount of organic fertilizers.

Also, if you dig up the earth annually, not with a shovel, but using a tractor, then the lower layers of the earth, which often contain clay, rise to the top.

Control measures: Apply organic fertilizers, substances containing humic acids. Sow green manure and mulch the soil with them after mowing. To settle earthworms, which dig up the ground no worse than a tractor.

The soil has become acidic.

It often happens that the soil changes its PH, becomes acidic and unsuitable for growing most crops. Acidified soils occur when watering mostly with soft water or growing plants that increase acidity.

Control measures: Liming the soil, adding ash. If the acidity of the soil cannot be reduced, you can plant it with plants that grow well on such soils, for example, sorrel, zucchini, root crops and others.

The soil has become alkaline.

There are cases when the soil, on the contrary, becomes alkaline, for example, if you added more lime than was necessary.On such soils, plants do not absorb iron well and begin to suffer from a disease called chlorosis.

Control measures: acidify the soil with peat, tree bark.

The soil is infested with diseases or pests.

Over time, many pests and diseases appear in the soil, which of course worsen the properties of the soil. This is especially true if you grow some plants for a long time.

Control measures: The most common method is treatment with fungicides and other drugs that kill harmful insects, their larvae and eggs. You can also dig up the soil before the onset of winter without breaking lumps, so the pests will end up on the soil surface and will not be able to survive the winter.

Another way to introduce insect larvae into the soil that feed on pests is a biological method of protection.

Salting the soil.

A whitish coating of salt appears on the soil surface. The reason is most likely because you are using groundwater for irrigation. This water is highly mineralized and contains a lot of salts.

Control measures: Start watering the area with water from natural reservoirs or deep wells. And after harvesting, thoroughly shed the area with soft water, with a minimum salt content.

Moss appeared on the soil.

Moss often appears on waterlogged, acidic, shaded soils.

Control measures: Normalize the acidity of the soil. Dig trenches to drain excess water. Plant shade-tolerant plants. You can treat the land with iron sulfate.

He takes care of his land correctly, apply fertilizers on time, let it rest, drain excess water, do not destroy natural helpers, and then your harvest will always be at its best.