Wheat as green manure

A plant like wheat began to be grown many years ago. The most important function that adult culture fulfills is its culinary use. Many gardeners who dream of improving the condition of their summer cottage ask themselves: is wheat green manure? Wheat as a green manure can also be beneficial for the soil. The plant is able to renew the soil composition after harvesting vegetables. Because the ripening of fruits requires a lot of nutrients and elements. Thus, wheat is used as a green manure that is economically profitable and gives results.

Characteristics of siderates

Siderata fill the earth with the necessary elements and substances. The most important of these are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Thus, by purchasing wheat seeds, you can get a very large amount of harvest over a long period. If in any area there is a very large deficiency of substances, then before planting green manure, it is also necessary to introduce special mineral complexes. This is the only way to restore the composition of the soil. Fill it with organic matter. And also to improve the humus layer.

Wheat as green manure is popular because it sprouts very quickly. And also gives a lot of green mass. The period of time required for the full maturation of this green manure is no more than one and a half months. Wheat must be sown in the area where it is planned to plant any vegetable plant or greens in the future. In addition, it is optimal to sow this plant after harvesting potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage. And also zucchini and cucumbers. As you know, all these plants are very popular in garden areas.

Wheat classification

This cereal is divided into hard and soft varieties. Those, in turn, are classified into spring and winter wheat. The number of wheat species is about 400. Each of which is bred with a recommendation for growing in a certain region.

Spring wheat as green manure

• These varieties are more often attacked by pests. And also overgrown with weeds.
• Plants are demanding on the soil. And they grow poorly where the acid reaction is increased.
• If we are talking about hard varieties of this plant, then more nutrients are required.
• Seeds can germinate at a temperature of 2 degrees above zero. Which allows you to sow wheat in winter.
• Also, this type needs more moisture. This means more watering. If the plants do not have enough water, this will affect the amount of the crop. Durum wheat varieties are especially demanding on water. Because soft varieties receive more moisture due to the greater branching of the roots.

Siderat is not suitable to restore soil that has not been cultivated before. A plant can only restore the soil where it has already been planted earlier.
A variety of varieties allows you to buy those crops that have sufficient resistance to various fungal diseases. And plant them on contaminated soil to stop the development of spores.

Can wheat be sown as green manure in the fall?

You can harvest 30 percent more from these varieties than from the previous ones. This species can be grown even where the weather is very capricious. There is a sharp change in temperature.And also return frosts.

If you sow wheat in the fall, then the seeds will sprout here much earlier. Winter wheat as a green manure in the fall will allow you to plant the desired crops faster in a soil saturated with useful substances. It is optimal to plant winter wheat as a green manure in an area where potatoes, clover or corn were previously grown. If the deficiency of nutrients in the soil is very pronounced, then the wheat sowing should be repeated several times. Winter wheat varieties are better suited for their use as green manure in the southern territories of the country. Because the culture tolerates drought well.

Wheat as green manure: pros and cons

Siderat wheat: advantages and disadvantages

Wheat stalks contain a lot of organic matter. Sowing wheat very often will provide excellent nutrition for rabbits. As well as other pets. The green mass is perfect for composting. And then it can be used as organic fertilizer. The roots remaining in the ground also decompose over time. And they endow the earth with organic substances.

After the grains are processed, straw remains. Which is optimal to use as a substrate for animals in a flock. And also as food for livestock.
Separated grains are stored for a very long time at a minimum moisture level. It is an excellent food for pets such as chickens, rabbits. And also for cattle.

If the winter is very harsh in your area, then you should choose varieties that are suitable for the given temperature. They have good frost resistance. If suddenly planted winter wheat still freezes during winter, then you can sow it again in spring. Don't worry about a lost wheat crop. Because the decomposed plant tissues form the necessary substances. For example, potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and others. Wheat itself consumes nitrogen from the environment. That allows you to use less dressing before planting.

Wheat sowing rules

The plot of land on which it is planned to plant green manure must first be weeded out. If their number is too large, then you can use special preparations against weeds. Care should be taken. Because they contain toxic substances. Wheat planted on an area that was previously treated with herbicides is strictly forbidden to be used as animal feed. Because they can get poisoned.

There are several factors on which the wheat yield depends:

• Sowing time.
• Preliminary preparation of seed.
• The depth of the grooves.
• Sowing method.
• As well as the presence or absence of care after sowing. It usually consists of watering. As well as protection against fungal diseases and pests.

Wheat as green manure: sowing technique

The depth to which a grain of wheat should be sown will depend on the soil in the selected area. If the soil is sandy and sandy loam, then it should be planted as deep as possible. About 10 cm. If the soil is dense, it will be difficult for the seedlings to germinate. And they can die. Especially if the soil is dry. Therefore, in those areas where clay and loamy soils prevail, it is necessary to sow the grain shallowly. About 3 centimeters.

Pretreatment of wheat seeds consists in soaking them in special preparations against fungi. And also they are placed in the sun for a while. To warm it up properly. If we are talking about industrial production, then a special installation is used instead of the sun. She heats the grain at a temperature of usually 50 degrees. It is also advisable to keep the seeds in a manganese solution.

After the shoots have appeared, you should very carefully look after the future green manure. It is important to protect plants from fungal diseases.Such as fusarium and septoria. Wheat is more resistant to diseases such as root rot, powdery mildew. And also rust. Also, some pests can have a negative effect on plants. The most popular of them are the bread beetle, cereal flies and others. To get rid of these pests, you can use special preparations - insecticides.

Siderat duet

Wheat, as a green manure, is a very good and efficient plant. However, if it is not planted separately, but in combination with other cereals and legumes, the effect will be much better. In some countries, several cereals are planted at once. Thus, the soil will recover even faster than in the case of one green manure.

The use of various fertilizers is very controlled in Holland. Both chemical and mineral. Therefore, gardeners and producers are trying to use green manure so that they not only fill the soil with useful substances. And they were also able to protect future plants from diseases and insects. The most popular combinations are mustard and wheat, mustard and rye. And also barley and lupine.

Leguminous green manures are capable of storing nitrogen in themselves and supplying it to the soil. Therefore, by planting legumes, you can save on nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Their root system is designed in such a way that nitrogen absorbed from the environment can replace nitrogen-containing fertilizers for the plant. Wheat green manures, on the other hand, require a lot of nitrogen to grow. Therefore, it is beneficial to plant these crops nearby. So both siderates will gain green mass faster.

By using mustard as a green manure, you can protect the soil and wheat from common fungal diseases. And also from the attack of pests. Since this plant contains special substances. They negatively affect insects and fungi.

Other functions of wheat

Owners who keep pets often grow alfalfa as green manure. Because the young greens of this plant are optimally used for animal nutrition. But alfalfa does not grow quickly and well right away. At the very beginning after sowing, its yield is very small. And the growth of greenery is small. Therefore, alfalfa needs to be protected from bad weather and weeds.

Wheat is perfect for this. You can also use oats. These cereals protect young seedlings from strong winds. And also from the excessive growth of weeds. Which deprive alfalfa of essential nutrients. In the second year after sowing, alfalfa can be grown independently. In addition, by planting oats or wheat along with alfalfa, you can increase the amount of green mass for feed for pets and birds.

It is highly undesirable to sow wheat together with other cereals. Or immediately after them. Because fungi or pests remaining in the soil, which are common among cereal plants, can attack the future crop. The optimal choice would be to alternate sowing of cereals, legumes and cruciferous crops. Mixing their seeds is also acceptable for better interaction and symbiosis.

Wheat as green manure: sowing

The best time to sow green manures will be after the main harvest. The following algorithm must be followed:

• All tops and remnants of crops that have grown on the site throughout the season must be removed and burned. And then weed the area.
• Further, the necessary mineral complexes are added. They will fertilize the soil and future green manure. If leguminous green manures are planted together with wheat, then nitrogen-containing preparations can be dispensed with. It will be enough to add potassium and phosphorus.
• The seeds can be sown randomly. If the soil is very sandy, it is better to make furrows. Depth about 7 cm.
• Further, the seeds are covered with earth. The entire area must be watered.

If the sowing was carried out at the end of August, then before the first frosts, the siderates will have time to grow enough.They must be left that way so that the greens rot. Some people mix the cut green mass with earth. That is, they dig it up. You can also sow winter green manure. They will stay on the site for the winter. It is possible that some of them will not survive severe frosts, but those that remain will continue to grow next spring.

When to plant wheat for green manure?

The timing of sowing winter green manures will be based on the weather conditions in the specific region. If the climate is mild, warm, then mid-autumn will do. If the weather conditions are more severe and the cold comes earlier, then sowing should be carried out before mid-October, in the so-called period of Indian summer.

Winter wheat can be sown in combination with phacelia, as the phacelia is also frost-resistant and winter-tolerant.

The advantage of phacelia is that it has a taproot system. Thus, its one and a half meter root can get nutrients where they are lacking in wheat, which has a fibrous root system. Therefore, the phacelia helps wheat extract nutrients from the deep layers of the soil.

The combination of wheat with lupine has a positive effect. Wheat will grow much faster here due to the large amount of nitrogen in the soil. By itself, lupine grows quickly, therefore it is also suitable as a material for fertilization. In the spring it is pruned and applied to other beds.

Sowing dates of spring wheat siderata

Here the time period will also depend on the climatic conditions of the region. The main condition for seed germination is warm, heated soil, with a temperature of at least 5 degrees. That is, the sowing time will depend on the timing of the onset of a given temperature in a particular region. For fidelity and reliability, you can combine spring wheat varieties with green manure, which have a higher resistance to low temperatures.

It is possible to sow green manure spring wheat even when the air temperature is 2 degrees, but before that, it is necessary to treat it with special drugs against diseases. And here it is imperative to monitor the level of soil moisture. It is necessary to water the crops in a timely and regular manner, otherwise, with a persistent drought of the soil, the entire crop will die.

Wheat as green manure: embedding methods

In order for the cut greens of green manure to rot and fill the soil with the necessary organic substances and nutrients, gardeners use different methods of embedding it in the ground.

Whichever method you use, the nutrients will go to nourish the soil anyway. The only disadvantage of digging green manure with soil is that microflora is disturbed here, which is distributed over different soil layers. Digging up these layers, it mixes, thereby killing beneficial bacteria that are so necessary. In order to replenish the number of bacteria, additional costs will be required for their purchase in special stores.

Therefore, it is optimal if you leave the cut green mass simply on the surface of the soil. Thus, the remnants of the mass rotted under the snow, together with nutrients, will be absorbed into the soil with melt water through the furrows and holes formed after the decomposition of the roots.

Conclusion

Wheat as a green manure is excellent for use on the site. However, it is necessary to take care of the cereal, in contrast to those plants that do not require additional care: these are clover, phacelia, lupine. The best effect is achieved when planting green manures of different crops is combined.