A high-quality soil mixture determines abundant fruiting. If it turns out to be not good enough, the tomatoes will turn out to be sick and weak. You can’t just use garden soil or soil from a greenhouse; it’s very likely that nothing will come of it.
Litmus test
Litmus paper can be purchased at pharmacies, gardening stores and chemists' stores. It consists of several strips that are treated with a reagent that changes color depending on the environmental reaction. The procedure for using litmus paper is as follows::
- We take samples from different depths and different beds.
- We wrap the spent soil in three-layer gauze and place it in a jar of clean distilled water (also purchased at the pharmacy).
- Shake the jar of liquid and then lower the litmus paper into the water for a couple of seconds until its color changes.
- We determine acidity using the insert in the kit.
Alyamovsky device
This device is a set of reagents for analyzing water and salt extracts of the earth. When using it, the same manipulations are required as with litmus paper.
Meter
This is a whole line of multifunctional devices that allow you to determine not only the reaction of the soil, but also its humidity, temperature and illumination.
Chemical laboratory
Laboratory is the most accurate method, but also the most expensive, since soil analysis must be carried out in different places many times.
Vinegar/hydrochloric acid
This method can be considered folk. You should water a handful of soil from the garden with a small amount of strongly diluted hydrochloric acid or vinegar. If bubbles appear on the surface of the wetted soil, then the pH value for this soil is normal. If there is no reaction, you need to add lime to the area.
Grape juice
Soil taken from the garden is dipped into a glass of grape juice.. If the sap changes color and bubbles remain on its surface for a long time, then the soil in the area is neutral.
Chalk
- two full tablespoons of the soil being analyzed;
- five tablespoons of water at room temperature;
- one teaspoon of chalk.
Preparation:
- All this is poured into a bottle, onto the neck of which a fingertip is placed, previously removed from the air.
- The bottle is placed in paper so that the results of the experiment are not distorted by the heat of the hands.
If the soil on the site does not have enough lime, then carbon dioxide will form in the bottle during a chemical reaction. It will begin to fill the fingertip and it will straighten out. If the soil reaction is slightly acidic, the fingertip will straighten halfway. When neutral, it won’t straighten up at all.
Identification using wild herbs
Chernozem with high and neutral acidity is preferred by wheatgrass, heather, plantain, pikulnik, and speedwell. European euonymus, larkspur, ash and pine grow on alkaline surfaces.
Conclusion
Soil prepared according to all the rules for tomato seedlings will guarantee a high yield at your summer cottage. Therefore, you should take care of the soil in which the seeds will germinate. The soil mixture must meet certain characteristics. Among them: porosity, friability, not too acidic environment. These indicators can be achieved with proper soil preparation.
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The future harvest directly depends on what the soil for the seedlings will be like. The features of preparing the land before planting will be discussed further in more detail.
General requirements for land for seedlings
Initially, we will consider the main characteristics that the soil for seedlings must meet. The list of main soil requirements invariably includes:
- balance– all soil components must be in certain proportions;
- no germs– when there are pathogenic microorganisms or weed seeds in the soil, there is no need to talk about productivity;
- fertility– the best soil for seedlings always contains the required amount of nutrients;
- looseness and moisture– the root system must receive life-giving moisture along with a sufficient amount of oxygen;
- purity– the soil for seedlings excludes the presence of harmful metals, production waste, aggressive chemicals, etc.
Compliance with all of the above conditions guarantees the health of the plants, their rapid growth, as well as the subsequent ripening of fruits, the size and taste of which, without a doubt, will delight gardeners.
Where to start preparing the ground for seedlings?
It is strictly not recommended to use soil in the form in which it was taken from the plot for planting seeds. The fact is that it does not have the properties necessary for rapid germination of seeds, and in some cases it can cause irreparable harm to plants. In addition, such soil can become compacted, as a result of which the crops being grown will not receive enough moisture or air. Therefore, the question of how to prepare the land for seedlings should be approached with all responsibility and scrupulousness.
At the initial stage, it is important to mix the taken soil with the following nutritional components:
- river sand;
- sawdust (sometimes can be replaced with fine peat);
- rotted manure (in some cases you can add compost or humus).
As for the proportions in which the listed components need to be mixed, they usually look like this: 1:1:0.5:0.5.
In other words, for one part of the cultivated soil, take a similar part of humus, sequentially mixing the resulting mass with 0.5 parts of river sand and sawdust. This substrate is then sifted through a prepared sieve with fine holes to get rid of large lumps that cause soil compaction.
Adaptation of soil for seedlings
The next stage in preparing the land for seedlings will be its adaptation to a specific crop. For example, when growing, it is recommended to add crushed chicken egg shells enriched with calcium to the soil.
For cucumbers, it is useful to add about 200 grams of ash to the substrate, which is rich in useful microelements that protect plants from all kinds of diseases.
For beetroot, the soil can be fertilized with dry sawdust, which provides a full flow of air.
Almost every culture benefits from the creation of living soil. This type of soil contains a sufficient amount of moisture and humus, allowing the plant to develop its root system without hindrance.
It is prohibited to apply synthetic fertilizers to such soil, which pollute the substrate with nitrates and deplete the fertile natural layer.
Peat, silt, composts, bird droppings, etc. can be used as introduced substances. In this case, living soil for seedlings will be an ideal place for growing any fruit and vegetable crops.
Soil disinfection
At the final stage of preparing the land, it is treated to remove various pathogens and larvae of insect pests, as well as enriched with beneficial microflora. The steaming method could not be more effective for the purposes mentioned.
To carry out this process you will need:
- large iron container;
- 10 liter bucket;
- drill;
- steel tripod.
A large container here is used as a reservoir, which is filled about a quarter with water, and then put on fire. Small holes are drilled at the bottom of the bucket and its walls using a drill, after which it is filled with treated soil and placed on a tripod in a heated tank. It is extremely important to place the bottom of the bucket directly above the level of the boiling liquid. The generated steam will pass through the soil, disinfecting it from harmful bacteria. The procedure lasts no more than 25-30 minutes, and the soil must be stirred periodically. The steamed soil is taken out of the bucket and carefully sorted into trays for planting seeds.
What to do if the ground is moldy?
Sometimes, if there is an excess amount of moisture in the soil for seedlings, mold can appear, which has a detrimental effect on the development of seedlings. You can quickly get rid of this phenomenon by stopping watering the soil. Within 2-3 days, the problem should disappear by itself, after which the soil should be thoroughly loosened, ensuring air flow to the root system of the plants.
If it was not possible to get rid of mold, then caring for the soil for seedlings should consist of spraying with water with the addition of potassium permanganate. After about 3-4 waterings, all microbes will disappear and the soil will return to its usual black color. Additionally, you can add a special substrate with coal to the soil, which neutralizes excess moisture, and the plant receives the necessary set of useful microelements.
Thus, making soil for seedlings with your own hands requires strict implementation of the procedures discussed in order to create optimal conditions for growing fruits and vegetables and subsequently obtaining a rich harvest.
Preparing soil for seedlings (video)
A good harvest always has several components. All of them are important: the quality of the seeds, their proper preparation for sowing, the choice of variety, conditions and care. But there is one parameter whose influence is most important. This is the quality composition of the soil in which seedlings are grown. The harvest of all seedling crops (and in our climate most vegetables are grown through seedlings) depends to a large extent on properly composed seedling soil.
There is no one universal soil that meets the needs of all plants. Each garden crop requires an individual approach. Each plant has its own requirements for the soil mixture. But there are general rules that allow you to create a base soil and then optimize it for one or another crop with minimal effort.
Initial requirements for seedling soil
Depending on the type of plants that are grown as seedlings, the soil mixture can be made up of different components mixed in certain proportions. But in all cases it is necessary to comply with the initial requirements for seedling substrates.
- Fertility. The soil must contain in sufficient quantities all the substances necessary for the sprouts to develop quickly and successfully.
- Nutritional value. This means that the content of all components is balanced, organic elements are present in the soil and the mineral component is present, and in the form and compounds available to plants.
Soil components
The soil intended for sowing seeds must contain components of organic and inorganic origin.
Organic ingredients:
- soil - turf, leaf, garden;
- vegetable compost;
- rotted cattle manure;
- peat – lowland and highland;
- sphagnum, coconut fiber, seed husks, bark, sawdust;
- wood ash.
Peat is one of the popular components of seedling soil mixtures.
It is not necessary that absolutely all components from the list are present in the soil, but most of them are. It is better to mix the soil from three different soils: garden soil, which can be taken directly from the ridge (unless, of course, sick or insect-infested plants grew there); leafy (from leaves rotted with the ground); turf (which is obtained by cutting turf). Soil is the basic element of the seedling substrate.
Compost - rotted plants - must be mixed with rotted manure, which is called humus. This is a supplier of necessary substances.
Advice! Do not sow vegetable seeds in humus, compost or lowland peat. Too much organic matter will cause the seedlings to produce excessive leaf mass at the expense of root formation. As a result, the seedlings will take root poorly when planted in a garden bed or greenhouse soil.
You will definitely need peat, it is what makes the soil fertile. The lowland contains about 70% organic matter, the upland, consisting of sphagnum, makes the soil structure loose.
Peat is found in most soil mixtures for seedlings. It is obtained from swamps. This is not to say that it is a non-renewable resource. From decomposing organic components under the influence of natural processes, it is formed in swamps, but very slowly - over thousands of years. In addition, peat is part of the natural ecosystem - if it is completely removed from the swamps or at least a serious deficiency is created, the ecological balance will be disrupted.
That's why scientists have been trying to find a replacement for peat over the past decades. And finally they found it. More and more manufacturers of soil mixtures for seedlings are now switching to using.
Benefits of Coconut Fiber.
- It is 100% organic without chemical impurities.
- They are able to absorb and retain water, working like a sponge, retaining moisture for plants and not removing useful substances from the soil.
- The layer of soil in a pot or container with a substrate that includes coconut fiber remains dry, which prevents the appearance of soil fungi.
- Coconut fiber has a pH level of about 6, so it normalizes the overall acidity of the entire substrate.
- The fiber contains phosphorus, potassium, and other substances needed by plants in significant quantities.
Coconut fiber prices
coconut fiber
Sunflower seed husks, tree bark, rotted sawdust, dry moss and other loosening agents are also used to loosen the soil. Wood ash is added to normalize soil acidity.
Advice! Do not add more nutrients to the soil than normal - an abundance of fertilizing is appropriate during the growing season; the seeds, which contain the plant embryo, have a sufficient supply of substances to form and release a full-fledged sprout. Enhanced nutrition of the seed is not required.
Inorganic components:
- river (or, in extreme cases, quarry) sand;
- perlite;
- vermiculite;
- expanded clay;
- mineral supplements.
Advice! Do not grind the components of the soil mixture too much and do not sift the mixture through a sieve with small cells - the fine-grained substrate will sour and “swim” after each watering.
It is an excellent component of seedling soil mixture. This substance has a number of significant advantages.
- Sterility - spores of fungal diseases and pathogens of infectious diseases do not settle in perlite.
- The absence of insects - they simply do not grow in the substance.
- Lack of weed seeds - they do not take root in the soil mixture with perlite and do not sprout.
- Preservation in its original condition for a long time - perlite does not rot.
- Light weight - perlite is very light.
Vermiculite- a porous, environmentally friendly material that contains a record amount of magnesium, potassium and calcium necessary for sprouts already at the initial stages of life.
Drains the soil, acting as an organic loosening agent and helping to improve the structure and moisture capacity of the soil.
- a polymer compound, which, due to its properties, also serves to maintain high moisture capacity in the soil.
Advice! To simplify the watering procedure and maintain the required humidity, add hydrogel to the prepared soil before sowing.
Price for hydrogel
hydrogel
In addition to the required components, the soil mixture also includes the following elements:
- ash;
- urea;
- potassium sulfate;
- potassium chloride and sulfate;
- ammonium nitrate;
- superphosphate.
What should not be in the soil
This small but important point is often ignored. Amateur gardeners neglect it, as a result, all efforts to prepare the right soil are wasted.
The following components should not get into the soil mixture:
- clay;
- fresh manure;
- not rotted plant residues;
- tea leaves, coffee grounds and other similar waste;
- salty sea sand.
Clay will make the soil heavy, impervious to moisture and air, and dense. Unrotted organic matter and coffee/tea will cause rotting processes - they can begin to decompose, increasing the temperature of the substrate, which will be detrimental to many seeds and seedlings. Also, the decomposition of organic matter will entail the release of nitrogen, which will evaporate, depleting the substrate.
Soil for various crops
The table below shows the composition of the soil for each of the most commonly grown vegetable crops.
Table. Composition of soil mixture for common vegetable crops.
| Culture | Components of soil mixture and their proportions |
|---|---|
| About 2 kg of garden soil, 1 - humus, ½ kg of sawdust (rotted), fine wood bark or coconut fiber. For 6 kg of finished substrate – 40 g of ash, 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of urea. |
| 5 kg of turf soil, 5 kg of high peat, 2.5 kg of sand, 2 kg of humus, 1/4 kg of lime, 1/2 kg of ash or dolomite flour. |
| 6 kg of peat or 3 kg of leaf soil and coconut fiber, 2 kg of turf soil, 1 kg of humus, 1 kg of sand, ¼ kg of lime. |
| 4 kg of peat, 2 kg of turf soil, 1 kg of rotted sawdust or coconut fiber, 1 kg of humus. |
| 2 kg of peat, 2 kg of turf soil, 2 kg of humus, 1 kg of coconut fiber or rotted sawdust, 1 kg of sand. For 6 liters of mixture - 40 g of ash and 15 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate. |
| 8 kg of peat, 2 kg of turf soil, 1 kg of river sand, mullein or humus, or 2 kg of vegetable compost, 1 kg of sawdust or coconut substrate. For 6 kg of mixture - 10 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride, 20 g of superphosphate and 45 g of ash. |
| 2 kg of leaf soil, 2 kg of humus, 2 kg of peat or coconut substrate, 1 kg of sand. For 6 kg of mixture – 50 g of ash, 15 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate. |
How to prepare soil mixture
When preparing the soil for sowing seedlings, it is recommended to follow the instructions and follow the step-by-step recommendations. It is necessary to start preparing components in the fall. They are also mixed in the fall. Then the finished soil is sent for freezing, which will serve as additional sterilization.
Important! At the stage of mixing soil components, do not add nutritional mineral additives. Nutrient additives are applied to the soil in the spring, after basic sterilization, before planting seeds, in the form of solutions.
Step-by-step instructions for preparing soil
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary components that you plan to add to the substrate. They must be dry and in different containers.
Step 2. Spread oilcloth or other suitable bedding on the floor in the utility room, or take a large container (basin, trough, tray, tray) in which you will mix the soil components.
Step 3. Take a measuring container (glass, mug, etc.) or prepare a scale. Prepare your tools - a spatula, small rakes - and put on gloves.
Step 4. Measure out the required amount of required ingredients, place in a container or pour onto oilcloth, mix thoroughly.
Step 5. Pour the finished substrate into small bags (ideally no more than 20 liters). If the bags are plastic, make several small holes at the top to allow the soil to “breathe.”
Step 6. Place bags of soil in the barn or utility room, where the temperature will remain below freezing in winter.
If we talk about the middle zone, then it is preferable to grow watermelons here (as well as some other crops - for example, melon) through seedlings. In reality, there is nothing complicated in this process, the main thing is to know and how to do it.
Disinfection procedure
Harmful microorganisms contained in garden soil, leaf soil, turf soil, peat, sand, humus and other essential components of the seedling substrate can harm the seeds, introducing infection and reducing their germination. To prevent this from happening, the substrate must be disinfected. This is a very important procedure that should not be neglected if you want to get strong, healthy seedlings and productive plants.
There are four ways to disinfect the substrate:
- freezing;
- steaming;
- calcination;
- etching.
You can limit yourself to one method, but it is better to combine any of the first three with subsequent etching.
Important! Freezing is carried out during the winter. All other methods begin to be used in January - February, when it is time to prepare the soil for sowing.
Freezing
The method of disinfection by freezing consists of leaving a bag of soil in a room where the temperature is maintained at sub-zero temperatures in winter. If there is no such room, closer to spring the soil is taken out into the cold and left for a week at a temperature of about -10°C...15°C. Then the frozen soil is returned to the heat and allowed to defrost for a week. During this time, all the germs of weeds and pests that were not destroyed by the first freezing will “wake up” in it. After this, the soil is again sent to the frost. And so two or three times.
Our future harvest of eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and other crops, among other things, depends on the quality of the soil for seedlings, which we purchase from a specialized store or prepare ourselves. Unfortunately, most of the ready-made commercial substrates from various manufacturing companies are made from peat, and too many fertilizers are added to them. In view of this, there is nothing strange in the fact that tender seedlings “burn” in such unfavorable soil.
Therefore, it is better to prepare high-quality soil yourself and then not worry that the seedlings may die. This article provides useful information that will help every gardener prepare land for seedlings.
Which soil is best for seedlings? General soil requirements
Land for growing strong, strong seedlings may consist of different components, but it must meet general requirements:
- High moisture and breathability. The soil should be loose, light and porous enough to provide optimal access of oxygen and water to the root system of the seedlings.
- Balance and fertility soil mixture. That is, in addition to organic substances, the soil must contain micro- and macroelements in a form that is maximally accessible to plants. Moreover, all components must be in the required proportion.
- Substrate acidity level(pH) should vary between 6.5 and 7.0. Even if the soil mixture is enriched with useful substances, but has an acidic reaction, plants may develop diseases such as clubroot or blackleg.
In other words, the land for growing any seedlings should be nutritious, but in moderation. An excessively high or, conversely, too low concentration of any mineral substance can negatively affect the quality of seedlings. If seedlings are overfed with fertilizers, this can inhibit seed germination and also cause the appearance of various diseases. Regular feeding of plants during their growth will bring a much better effect.
What should not be in the soil for seedlings?
If you want to prepare soil for seedlings with your own hands, then it is important for you to know what components should not be in it:
- Pathogenic organisms. The soil should not contain fungal spores, microbes, pest larvae, etc., which can destroy young plants.
- Toxic substances. It is very important that the soil is not contaminated with waste from hazardous industries or heavy metals. You should not take components for the mixture from city lawns, near airfields, major highways, and so on.
- Actively decomposing substances. When mixing organic components, the decomposition process should not be activated.
Also, when preparing soil for seedlings, we do not recommend using clay, since its properties greatly worsen the quality of the soil and make it unsuitable for growing seedlings.
What should I use to make the soil mixture?
To make high-quality soil for seedlings, you can use components of both organic and inorganic origin in various proportions.
Organic ingredients for the mixture include: peat, turf soil (harvested in the fall), sphagnum moss, wood ash (birch ash is especially valued), sunflower husks and grain husks. You can also use leaf soil (rotted leaves of any tree species, with the exception of willow and oak, which contain tannins) and pre-dried and crushed eggshells.
Inorganic ingredients that improve the quality of the soil mixture are: river sand washed until clear water, vermiculite, perlite, hydrogel, expanded clay, fluff lime (reduces soil acidity) and crushed polystyrene foam.
When and how to prepare soil for seedlings?
It is necessary to prepare the soil mixture in the fall so that it has time to freeze well on the balcony during the winter. Closer to spring, the soil should be brought into the apartment, gradually warmed up and processed.
There are many tips on how to prepare soil for seedlings. We offer you the most popular step-by-step instructions for preparing the soil mixture:
- Sift the turf soil thoroughly to remove worms, debris and large insect larvae.
- Disinfect the soil. Experts strongly recommend performing this procedure when preparing soil for seedlings with your own hands. Read more about this below.
- Add sand and humus to the soil in a ratio of 1:1:2.
- We also recommend adding a glass of ground eggshells to a bucket of soil so that the seedlings grow strong and healthy. To make the soil mixture loose, you can add crushed polystyrene foam, rice husks, and pumice.
Soil disinfection
Contaminated soil can also destroy seedlings, regardless of whether you prepared it yourself or bought it in a specialized store. Accordingly, in order for there to be no pathogens or living organisms left in the substrate, it must be disinfected.
The following methods are most often used for soil treatment:
- Calcination. The earth is calcined in the oven for half an hour. To do this, the soil for seedlings is poured onto a baking sheet in a layer of no more than 5 cm and placed in a preheated oven. Remember that the temperature should not be higher than 70-90 degrees; at higher temperatures the soil may become infertile.
- Steaming. About a month before using the soil for seedlings, steam it in a water bath for two to three hours. In this case, the lid of the container must be tightly closed.
- Freezing. Leave the soil prepared in the fall outside in the winter at sub-zero temperatures, covered from precipitation. A month before use, bring the soil into the apartment, warm it well and mix with the other ingredients. Then take the container with the soil out into the cold again.
- There is another simpler and faster option - water the soil before planting seeds with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. Then all you have to do is wait until the soil dries out, and you can safely plant the seeds for seedlings.
- Also for the purpose of soil disinfection can be shed with a fungicide, for example, Fundazol.
There are other ways to disinfect soil. In general, each of the above methods has opponents and followers; which method of disinfecting land for seedlings is better to decide, of course, for you.
The summer season has already begun in many regions of Russia. But avid gardeners begin preparing for it in the fall, when they prepare soil for seedlings that will be planted in February-March. However, many people have already abandoned this activity and prefer to buy ready-made soil mixtures.
Purchased and self-prepared soil for seedlings: reviews
Supporters of purchased and personally prepared soil have their own arguments in favor of their choice. Today, ready-made substrates can be purchased at any specialty store or even supermarket. They are found in any variety - universal, for seedlings, for some specific plants. Each species differs in its constituent components and their proportions, so you can choose the ideal soil for any crop. But at the same time, buyers often complain about the low quality of ready-made substrates - seedlings in such grow weakened or “burn” on the vine even before planting.
According to reviews from more hardworking gardeners who prepare the soil for seedlings themselves, such problems can be avoided. In this case, the substrate is mixed with your own hands, in the correct proportion, and the best components available are selected. But the problem is that such soil for seedlings will be contaminated with all microorganisms, spores, fungi, pests and weed seeds that were found in the place where it was taken from. In addition, in some regions it is difficult to find good fertile soil. We must not forget that when preparing soil with your own hands, you need to understand what composition and proportions of components will be ideal.
So there is no clear answer to which soil mixture is better. You always need to be guided by the circumstances.
The best substrate
What soil is best for seedlings? It doesn’t matter what kind of soil it is, purchased or prepared yourself. Any soil for seedlings must be of high quality and have the following characteristics:
- Looseness. A more porous structure will not interfere with the free circulation of air and water. The components must be selected so that the mixture does not cake over time and does not harden to the state of stone, and is not prone to forming lumps. High-quality soil does not contain clay; if this component is present, it becomes unsuitable for growing seedlings.
- Fertility. The composition should contain mineral complexes and organic substances, which will provide young plants with the basis for intensive growth.
- Absence of microorganisms, spores, fungi, pest larvae and weed seeds. However, complete sterility is not recommended, since beneficial bacteria contribute to the normal development and growth of bacteria.
- A completely decomposed organic complex. If the composition still contains decomposing organic substances, this will lead to the death of the seedlings.
- Neutral pH level. The soil should be neither acidic nor alkaline, and the normal acidity level for soil is considered to be 6.5-6.6 pH. This is as close to neutral as possible.
These are the main characteristics of any universal seedling mixture.
Types of ready-made soil mixtures
Ready-made soils for seedlings can generally be divided into three large groups:
- Professional - with various additives, moisture retainers, leavening agents and other components that make work easier.
- Amateur - simple mixtures from a small number of ingredients, in small packaging.
- Special - substrates for exotic and rare crops with special properties.
For a small number of seedlings, you can use amateur soil mixtures - they are inexpensive and suitable for most plants. If you need to plant more than one greenhouse, then it is worth purchasing professional soils - they are more expensive and are sold in bags with a volume of 150 liters or more.
If we talk about specific types of ready-made soil mixtures, we can highlight the following:
- “Living Earth”, “Terra Vita” - completely natural ready-made earth with the addition of vermicompost, argoperlite, sand and a complex of minerals. Disinfected. There are several types of “Living Earth” - “Universal”, “Floral”, “No. 1” (for tomatoes and peppers), “No. 2” - they differ in different acidity and slightly in composition. This mixture can be used for seedlings or used as fertilizer.
- "Gumimax" is a sterilized soil mixture of lowland or upper peat with sand, compost and fertilizers. Contains potassium humate.
- “Mother Earth” is soil for seedlings with the addition of vermicompost and humates. But it’s not loose enough, so it needs to be diluted with sand.
- “Microgreenhouse” is neutral soil for seedlings and growth of winter greens. But, according to reviews, it should not be used in its pure form; it is better to mix it with steamed soil in equal proportions, adding a little sand and old sawdust.
- “For cucumbers” - the soil contains peat, ideal for growing seedlings. Can be used as mulch and added as fertilizer when replanting.
- “Tomato” is a ready-made product for growing tomatoes, physalis and bell peppers.
- “Biud” soils are the latest organomineral mixtures based on manure compost. They have already earned the right to be called the best ready-made complexes. There are several types of such soils - from No. 1 to No. 6, each is intended for specific crops. No. 4 is ideal for vegetable seedlings.
- “Garden soil” is a simple mixture of soil, peat, rotted sawdust and a mineral complex.
- “Violet” is a brick made of compressed peat. Designed for forcing greenery on the windowsill.
- “Universal” - consists of low-lying peat and rotted sawdust with the addition of mineral fertilizers. When using this product, it is better to enrich it with some useful additives, such as vermicompost.
- "Torfolin" - ready-made cellular peat tiles. Convenient to use when planting cabbage and some other crops.
- “Vermicompost” is a mixture of peat, brown sawdust, rotted manure and bird droppings. Biological and nutritional characteristics are much higher than those of humus.
- “Pixa Super Compost” is an expensive organic fertilizer, used mainly to increase soil fertility.
If the seedlings “burn” in the ground
If the seedlings “burn” in the soil, this indicates that the composition contains undecomposed organic components. They continue the decomposition process, heat the soil, and the seedlings die. Undecomposed organic matter is visible to the naked eye - if the product has a fibrous structure, it means that it contains high-moor peat, which has not yet had time to completely rot. Such soils must be deoxidized by adding dolomite flour.
Also, ready-made soil mixtures may be too acidic. This can be checked using litmus test: mix a handful of earth with rainwater until creamy, then, when the water has settled, you need to lower the indicator. If the paper turns red, the soil is very acidic; if it turns yellow, the soil is acidic. Blue with a green tint will indicate a neutral level, blue - alkaline soil.
What to look for when purchasing
How to buy the best soil for seedlings? To do this, you should use the following tips:
- The high-quality mixture is homogeneous, without lumps, equal in composition.
- The size of soil fractions is of great importance - too small particles of soil quickly cake and turn sour, large ones dry out quickly. You need to choose something in between, 3-4 mm for the largest fractions.
- A low-quality substrate can be identified by the presence of undecomposed fibers and other plant residues, lumps, and a musty odor.
- Carefully study the label: on it you can find information about the composition and purpose of the finished soil mixture.
- Select substrates that contain sawdust carefully. On the one hand, it is a good leavening agent, but some tree species strongly acidify the soil.
How to disinfect soil from your own garden
If none of the ready-made substrates inspires confidence, then you can prepare the soil for planting seedlings yourself. But you need to start preparing it in advance, since the damp soil needs to be disinfected. To do this you need to use one of the following methods:
- Freezing and thawing. Can be repeated several times.
- Steaming in a water bath for 2-3 hours.
- Calcination - in the oven at 90 ⁰C, for at least half an hour.
- Warm up in the microwave - in small portions.
- Spill the soil with boiling water - in small portions.
- Rinsing in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Etching with Aktar or fungicides.
- Addition of "Fitosporin".
After using any disinfection method, experts recommend keeping the soil for 2-3 weeks before use.
What does the universal mixture consist of?
To prepare soil for seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other vegetable crops, you need only a few components:
- Land, preferably turf or deciduous, but poorer soil is also possible, as long as it does not contain clay.
- River sand, which will provide the substrate with a looser structure and good drainage.
- Peat soil, humus or compost, which will increase the nutritional value.
These are the main components, but other components are also used: rotted sawdust, ash, plant fiber, moss, chalk, mineral fertilizer complexes, lime, etc. in different proportions.
What soil is best to use for seedlings? The universal substrate is well suited for most vegetable and flower crops, but you can also prepare your own optimal mixtures for specific plants.
Soil for cucumbers
To prepare a soil mixture for cucumber seedlings, you need to mix equal parts of turf soil and humus. For each bucket of the resulting substrate, you need to add a glass of ash.
Another option: mix equal parts of disinfected soil from the garden, any universal purchased soil and river sand.
Another composition: two buckets of turf or leaf soil, 200 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium sulfur, then add ½ cup of ash and 80 g of ammonium nitrate.
For tomatoes
The soil for tomato seedlings is prepared as follows: deciduous soil, disinfected soil from the garden, river sand and humus are mixed in equal parts. Then prepare a liquid mineral complex: 10 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. It is good to water the soil with the resulting solution a few days before planting.
The following recipe is equal parts of turf soil, peat and sand.
For the bell pepper
Soil for pepper seedlings is easy to prepare, and it is suitable for most varieties of this crop. It is mixed from the same components and in the same proportions as the substrate for tomatoes. You can also use a mixture of equal parts of peat, turf soil and humus for pepper.
For cabbage
To get large, dense heads of cabbage, you need to grow cabbage in fertile soil with a neutral pH level. The following types of soil can be used:
- Mix turf soil, peat and humus in equal parts.
- To 10 parts of turf soil, add two parts of wood ash and half a share of ash and sand.
- For 6 parts of peat you need to take two parts of turf soil and half of sand.