The use of oil radish as green manure

Description of oilseed radish

Cruciferous green manure oil radish is an annual plant. It can grow up to 2 meters in height in 40-45 days. During the season, gardeners produce up to 2-3 crop rotations of useful green manure. Oil culture is shade-tolerant, productive and moisture-loving.

The oilseed radish, a valuable fodder plant, has many advantages. The unique planting is appreciated by beekeepers for the release of honey nectar in any weather. The plant blooms throughout the day, it is early maturing and cold-resistant.

Farmers fell in love with oil radish for its voluminous green and root mass, rapid growth, low soil requirements and simple agrotechnical methods for cultivating crops. Green fertilizer tolerates late sowing remarkably, grows quickly, actively suppressing the appearance of weeds.

In addition, green manure has pronounced phytosanitary properties, destroys pathogens of many plant diseases, relieves soil from nematodes, fungi and other parasites. A valuable quality of a growing fertilizer is the ability to purify groundwater from nitrates and reduce soil acidity.

The strong root system of the radish is able to structure, loosen and drain the soil. Therefore, experts recommend using this type of green manure on heavy clay soils. The oil plant absorbs nutrients well not only from the surface of the soil, but also from the deep layers of the soil. Siderat has a beneficial effect on various garden and vegetable garden crops, for example, the vine develops better after the cultivation of this green fertilizer. Oil radish perfectly binds nitrogen.

Sowing and harvesting a unique green manure

Agrarians recommend sowing oilseed radish from early spring to mid-September. When planting from mid-August, it is worth considering that green fertilizer will only half fertilize the soil, since less green mass will germinate. When sowing, the seeds are buried by 2-4 cm with row spacing of 15 cm, the top layer of earth is pressed down. Before applying seeds to the soil, gardeners mix green manure with sand or dry soil. Seedlings are able to germinate in 4-7 days.

During the period of obtaining a powerful green mass, before the onset of flowering of the culture, the plant is mowed, crushed with a shovel, and dug up from the ground. In order for the land to receive full nutrition from fertilization, it is necessary to carry out a process of humification. The decomposition of green mass occurs in moist soil within 2-3 weeks. EM preparations can be used to speed up fermentation. They are poured over the green mass before cultivation. After decay, parts of the plant become an easily digestible fertilizer. The site is filled with humus and organic matter.

There is another way to fertilize the ground with oil radish. To do this, green manure must be prepared for the winter in the form of compost. In early spring, a wonderful humus will be ready on the site, which should be used as intended. The rhizomes remaining in the ground for wintering will have time to improve the condition of the soil by the first planting.

Using oil radish as a green manure, gardeners will bring significant benefits to their site, filling it with reserves of minerals and other useful microelements.