They say that agronomists are professionals, and summer residents are amateurs. Hardly. Read the observations and reasoning of the author of the letter, and you will be convinced of the opposite. This is real science, and even convincingly confirmed by practice!
Goodbye digging!
I have lived in a private house all my life and have been accustomed to working on the land since childhood.
We always dug before, mainly in the spring, picked out the roots down to the smallest, added compost, manure, mineral fertilizers. When I started gardening on my own, I began to use preparations for ovaries, for root growth, and for grass on paths (herbicides). And 10 years ago I noticed that they had disappeared earthworms and ladybugs. But aphids, various types of caterpillars and butterflies appeared in abundance. It was impossible to get rid of late blight and other diseases. Not only has the harvest become scanty, it is also inedible. And I began to look for ways to resuscitate my country.
The soil on my site is sandy. But methods of healing and improvement are suitable for soils of any type. I read a lot of books, listened to people using methods natural farming. Now I know so much about this that it is difficult to surprise me with anything, nevertheless I am constantly interested and find something new. So, in 2009, I became an active advocate of natural farming.
soil last time dug up in the fall of 2008. In the spring I made permanent beds. At first there were trenches, but now I have them everywhere drip irrigation, so all plantings are located on an almost flat surface (photo 1). It is not advisable to do this in our area raised beds, since winds constantly blow, often dry winds, and greatly dry out the soil.
The first thing to do is set up permanent beds. Narrow ones are better.
But how to make them needs to be decided individually on each site, depending on the climate and terrain. The main thing: you can’t walk on the beds! We don’t dig the soil in them – we just loosen them by 5-7 cm. With what? And the more familiar - manual cultivator, hoe, flat cutters.
The next stage is mandatory mulching. There was an excellent article about this by I.L. Evstafieva “Mulch works for us.”
There's everything there for beginners. I would like to add: I experienced different types mulch - organic matter, thick paper, black mulch material, newspapers.
Paper and fabric inhibit weed growth well, but do not retain moisture well and compact the soil. I liked to first cover it with newspapers (when planting vegetables, especially root vegetables - photo 2), and then, when the plants begin to grow, cover them with grass mulch (photo 3).
After harvesting, it is advisable to leave all the tops in place until spring - then it will be easy to rake everything onto the paths and leave it there. And it will be cleaner to walk in wet weather, and there will be fewer weeds. In winter, the tops will serve to retain snow, and in spring - to retain moisture. If you don’t want to leave it, you don’t need to pull it out by the roots, but cut it off and leave the roots in the ground. Next season, the plants can be moved when planting, and the remaining roots will structure the soil, creating channels for feeding the plants with subsoil moisture and air. We do the same with weeds.
In the fall, we leave the beds closed (photo 4) - this way worms and effective microorganisms work in them longer, and in the spring we rake the tops onto the paths as early as possible to warm the ground. It is impossible to mulch plantings early: the plants may die due to cold air coming from the depths.
Where can I get mulch?
To do this, you should plant green manure.
Nowadays it is not a problem to purchase green manure seeds; there is also a lot of literature about them. For beginners, I recommend starting with mustard.
It can be sown in the fall, after or shortly before harvesting, but in such a way that it has time to grow at least 20-25 cm. Then prune it, leaving the roots in the ground and the tops in the garden until spring. You can sow in early spring. Then, when planting seedlings, make holes among the grown mustard. Mustard will shade the seedlings from the sun and protect them from wind and cold weather. After two weeks, cut the mustard at soil level and leave it in place as mulch.
Mustard cannot be planted in front of cruciferous vegetables - they are from the same family. It is better to plant phacelia throughout the warm season and for all crops, but its seeds are not cheap. You can use oilseed radish, rapeseed, oats, etc.
In addition to producing mulch, green manure plays the role of a replacement crop, i.e. the previous culture can be returned to the same place next season. For small areas this is important. Each plant has its own nutritional needs; they remove various microelements from the soil in different ways. Therefore, it is necessary to leave all plant residues where they grew, in the form of mulch, so that next season they will return what they took to those who will grow after them.
To quickly decompose organic matter, fertilize, remove weeds and unnecessary growth, combat diseases and pests, and fermentation of organic waste, it is necessary to use preparations with effective microorganisms. Now there are several types of them. It is advisable to purchase it in concentrated form and prepare the solutions yourself, it is more reliable.
“Herbal tea” is prepared by many people. As a rule, its smell is not the best. And if you add a drug with microorganisms, it will be much more effective without unpleasant odor. The most powerful fertilizer is silage, i.e. fermented grass. By adding half a bucket of silage, the compost will be ready in two to three weeks.
There is no need to remove all the weeds until they are sterile! It is advisable to leave islands " wildlife" Predatory insects that destroy pests will find their refuge in them.
We also use mixed plantings. At correct selection Plants in one bed or in a berry garden achieve several goals - protection from diseases and pests, sheltering the earth from drying out and overheating, improving the taste of fruits, etc.
Let's sum it up
Using the principles of natural farming, we improve and heal the soil, get a clean and tasty harvest (believe me, the taste changes so much that you won’t want anything else), the quantity will also increase (photo 5-8). At the same time, labor costs will be significantly reduced - watering less often, less water consumption. There is almost no weeding, no digging required at all! We don’t waste our energy; we have more time for other activities and rest.
I want to make a reservation: in the first season, not everything is so rosy. You'll have to rebuild your system to new way, and this will require effort and time. But then everything will pay off with interest!
Don't believe me? Try it on one or two beds, on one tree or shrub, and then compare with traditional processing. The main thing is to do everything correctly and patiently.
Probably, someone has already come across the concept of “natural farming”. It represents a whole system associated with combining the concepts of soil and plants into one whole. These two components are considered as a single living being. This system knowledge is aimed at ensuring this organism not only a decent existence, but also its further development.
Constancy of beds - main principle growing tomatoes in natural farming.
The ultimate goal of this process is to obtain the highest quality harvest in large quantities.
It is necessary to understand that the two components: soil and plants may have their own goals that are completely unrelated to a large harvest. Therefore, every gardener or agronomist who follows a system of natural agriculture must ensure that man's goals are in harmony with nature.
In order to help the symbiosis of soil and plants (in particular, tomatoes) develop optimally, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the laws of functioning of both components.
Also, do not chase high yields. The key word in natural farming is “optimal”. In no case should you overload the soil, trying to squeeze as much as possible out of it. It is necessary to achieve a clear balance between the quantity and quality of fruits.
To loosen the soil, you can use a Fokin flat cutter. It does not damage the roots of the plant, but loosens the soil only on the surface.
The main principle of growing tomatoes in natural farming is the consistency of the beds. They must not be changed under any circumstances and must remain stationary. Under no circumstances should paths be placed on them in the future. It is prohibited to drive or move any vehicles on them.
To loosen the soil, you can use a Fokin flat cutter, since it does not penetrate into the deep layers, but only affects the surface.
Naturally, watering should be logically organized.
Another one of the most important rules- This is mulching the soil. It is necessary to achieve such a condition that the soil is not bare.
We need to try to establish crop rotation.
Green manure - growing plants using green fertilizers - also has a positive effect on the condition of tomatoes and soil. Here it is necessary to correctly combine plants with each other to achieve nutritional balance.
One of important points is the application of organic fertilizers to the soil surface. It is preferable to introduce them in the autumn.
The use of various types of microbiological fertilizers is also allowed.
Growing tomatoes is best done in place of some other crop. This should be done after the soil is saturated organic fertilizers. It is necessary to approach the choice of a place for a bed with tomatoes with all responsibility. It is necessary to choose a flat and well-lit area. Most good soil there will be loam or sandstone. The soil should be well-warmed and drainable. It is better if the acidity is close to neutral.
How to choose a place to plant tomatoes?
Tomatoes can be planted in a bed where onions, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, beans or peas previously grew. The place where tomatoes previously grew should take a break from them for three to four years.
It will be better if tomatoes are the second crop on the site. They can be planted in a bed where onions, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, beans or peas previously grew. The place where tomatoes previously grew should take a break from them for three to four years. But, if you use microbiological fertilizers, you can return to this place after a year. It is not recommended to plant tomatoes in the place where nightshade representatives previously grew.
After the remains of the previous inhabitants of the bed have been removed, you can prepare the soil for planting tomatoes. The soil must be disced or loosened twice. Don't forget about fertilizers. In the fall, you can sow this bed with green manure plants, which will perfectly prepare the soil. Oats, mustard, beans or peas will cope with this role. Thanks to their properties, these plants will make the soil significantly structured by spring and help retain the remaining moisture in it.
Return to contents
Fertilizer and irrigation production
Fertilizers can only be used after they have been previously fermented using special drugs. Microelements play a very important role when growing tomatoes, which must be added to the soil by foliar feeding.
Loosening the soil after each watering of tomatoes will prevent crust from appearing on the ground.
It is extremely important to organize an irrigation system. Tomato crops require a lot of water. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil in order to destroy the crust on the ground. When growing tomatoes, you need to constantly take care to ensure the most optimal level soil moisture.
Before you start growing, you need to decide what the final result is needed. So, if there is a need for early tomatoes, it is best to start with seedlings. The least hassle is with various hybrids. But the cost of hybrid seeds may become an obstacle in this matter. Seedlings must be planted at the moment when the tomato plants throw out the first inflorescences. By this point, each stem should be about 70 days old. If you need a harvest of ordinary tomatoes, the fruits of which will await further processing, canning as a whole, or making juice, it is best and easiest to sow them in open soil. This method of agricultural technology is most optimally used in the southern regions. If you use any of early varieties tomatoes, then it is possible to use this method in any area.
Return to contents
Methods of growing tomatoes
Treatment with fungicides will help prevent the occurrence of diseases and infections of tomatoes.
To grow tomatoes early and mid-early varieties, it is better to use greenhouses with film covering and combined heating. Cultivation can be done using potted and potless methods. If you need to achieve seedling stems, it is better to plant them on the tenth of February, in pots measuring 10x10 cm for seedlings that have reached the age of 70 days. In order to prevent possible development diseases, it is better to treat the seedlings twice with fungicides. Cultivate in open ground It is better only when the likelihood of frost on the ground disappears.
Among other things, you can grow tomatoes using seeds alone. So, tomato seeds should be planted only when the soil temperature reaches at least 12 degrees. In order to increase the similarity and maximize the synchronicity of stem germination, rolling can be done. The type of sowing pattern may depend on the type of soil, the type of irrigation, and the variety of planted variety. When growing tomatoes without watering, you need to sow the seeds, keeping a distance between rows of approximately 1.5 m.
Return to contents
Pest and disease control
One of the most important features in agricultural technology is the active fight against various diseases and pests. Late blight has become widespread in recent seasons. In order to reduce the possibility of development of this disease It is better to choose control methods both in agricultural technology and in microbiology. It is best for tomatoes to treat the stem every 10 days. It is better to complete the treatment course 20 days before the start of fruit harvest.
A large number of types of biological products effectively combat various pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle. Most best option achieved by combining them.
The principles of natural farming technology make it possible to grow environmentally friendly tomatoes, full of vitamins, minerals and microelements, using the least amount of effort and financial costs.
In order to get an optimally fruitful tomato harvest, you can use several fairly cunning tricks. So, in order to successfully fight late blight, you can pierce the stem through the bottom with a piece of copper wire.
It is necessary to take into account that tomatoes need ample space and cramped space is unbearable for them. It is necessary to provide each bush with free access to oxygen and sun rays. It should be recalled that the area should be well lit and the soil should warm up quite successfully. So, between each stem it is necessary to maintain a distance of approximately 0.5 m. It is necessary to free the stem from yellowed leaves - they need to be disposed of so that the soil is well ventilated.
When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, dampness must be avoided. Sufficient watering can provide quite simple design: you need to cut off the bottom of ordinary plastic bottles and bury them in the ground not far from the bush with the neck in the ground.
In order for the tomato harvest to ripen as soon as possible, you can apply one simple way- lightly cut the stem at the bottom using sharp knife so that a hole the length of two matchboxes comes out. A clean stick with a diameter of about 0.5 cm must be inserted into this hole.
Natural farming as a unifying concept.
Kuznetsov A.I.
Website Gardenia.ru, 2006
http://www.gardenia.ru/pages/pochva_008.htm
In my first article about Natural Agriculture, I left the very definition of this concept to the readers, which gave rise to a lot of interpretations - essentially correct, but still incomplete, “narrow-profile”. Now I want to correct this mistake and show that the concept of “Natural farming” is much broader than is commonly believed, reducing it only to the definition of “organic”.
Natural farming is a unifying concept that includes all alternative systems of farming and agriculture - biodynamic, organic and its varieties, using humus preparations (humates), using earthworms (vermiculture, or worm composting, i.e. producing vermicompost with the help of compost worms - Californian, "prospector", etc.), using green manure (growing plants for green fertilizer), mulch (organic and inorganic), EM - biotechnology (using microbial preparations), as well as other methods that exclude the use mineral fertilizers and deep plowing of the land.
In essence and in meaning, all these directions are correct and useful, but each of them is only part of one common concept that unites them: “Natural farming”. This is what supporters of the listed directions do not want (or cannot?) understand and admit, sophisticated in the terminology of processes taken in isolation from one common and whole - soil life, wisely arranged by Nature itself.
It is impossible for a person to come up with anything more perfect than what was created by Nature itself. People at different stages of their development only study these processes of soil life in parts, building various “theories” on their guesses and discoveries. Due to his limitations, a person “goes in cycles,” considering a particular “theory” the most important and indisputable and rejecting all others - not realizing that the “guess” and the “theory” built on its basis are only part of a single, indivisible process in Nature called “ Life".
Therefore, everyone needs to look for a way to unite efforts in this direction, and not strive to divide and separate natural life into parts by approving individual “theories.” The goal here is one - to find a unifying link that will bring all the disparate theories and concepts together - just as it is in Nature itself. And this connecting link can be an understanding of the processes and natural laws of soil life. Only a complete representation of the overall picture of soil life in interaction with the forces of nature (cosmic and terrestrial energies) can become a unifying factor for supporters of certain alternative directions of farming and agriculture.
I am not trying to shoulder such an unbearable burden - to describe this “picture of life” in detail, but I will only try to determine the path that will lead to universal understanding and agreement.
And we will begin moving along this path with the fact that only with some examples taken from individual theories, I will show you their inextricable connection both with each other and with soil life itself.
Let's look at the concept of "Biodynamic farming". Brief historical background: the founder of this philosophy in agriculture, which originated in Germany in 1924, is Rudolf Steiner. Biodynamic farming is an alternative direction, as opposed to mineral farming with its negative consequences. The essence of this theory is that:
- all living beings on the planet (including humans, animals, plants and soil microcosm) are exposed to cosmic and terrestrial energies;
- this process of influencing living organisms can be controlled through the proposed “preparations”, which were assigned a certain numbering: 500-507... In addition, these preparations were divided into “field” and “compost”; all of them are used in such minimal quantities that they cannot serve as a source of substances for plants.
“Field” drugs are called because they act directly on plants and stimulate metabolism, as well as “correct” unfavorable factors (drought, for example). When applied in small doses to fields, they activate soil life, enhance the formation of humus, and ultimately improve plant nutrition.
“Compost” preparations are used to stimulate composting processes and direct them in the right direction (under their influence, rotting processes are eliminated).
For clarity, we should remember what “biodynamic preparations” are and what they are made from. Field preparations - 500, 501.
Preparation 500 (another name is “horn manure”): cow horn is filled with fresh cow manure in the fall and buried in fertile soil to a depth of 60 cm and left there until spring. During the winter, manure is exposed to earthly forces, which are especially active in winter. By spring, manure turns into well-decomposed dark mass with a pleasant earthy smell. Drug 500 activates earthly forces (energies).
Preparation 501 is a horny silica that activates cosmic energies.
Compost preparations are prepared from dynamic plants: yarrow flowers (preparation 502), chamomile flowers (503), stinging nettle (504), oak bark (505), dandelion flowers (506), valerian flowers (507)...
Proponents of this theory reduce everything to the action of biodynamic preparations through the regulation and activation of earthly and cosmic forces (energies) in the direction necessary for the gardener and farmer. However, they claim that the action of these drugs has no effect if mineral fertilizers are used. Instead of mineral fertilizers, organic matter in the form of composts should be used. And at the same time, some supporters of this theory deny the active role of the soil microcosm in this process, focusing only on the energy of the process of intensifying plant nutrition (Michaela Glöckler). Others, on the contrary, believe that biodynamic preparations (both field and compost) activate the soil life of worms and microbes and, in fact, are biostimulants, and not fertilizers and additives (I.S. Isaeva). Some supporters allow the partial use of fertilizers such as phosphate rock (M.N. Zhirmunskaya).
All this introduces confusion into the heads of inexperienced gardeners, creating the impression of “exorbitant” science, which seems to be good, but is incomprehensible and difficult to implement in practice. But this whole theory is nothing more than part of Natural Agriculture. They may object to me: “Where have you come across biodynamic preparations in Nature? These are “man-made” preparations.” Let me disagree with such arguments.
We forget about the natural forces of nature manifested in Everyday life. For example, everyone knows the “stimulating” effect of melt water (or, in other words, its energetically pure and active phase - the “cluster” state) on seeds, rooted cuttings and the plants themselves. “Holy” water has the same state, and its effect is similar. Added in a minimal dose to a large volume, such water instantly transforms ordinary water of this volume into “cluster” water, i.e. energetically charged state.
What about dynamic plants? After all, this is not only chamomile and valerian - there are many other examples of the energetic effects of plants on humans, animals and other plants... In addition, there are other drugs that have exactly the same stimulating and activating properties as classic biodynamic drugs. For example, the drug "Biostim", various decoctions, infusions and extracts of plants or compost liquid. But all of them are ineffective without the main factor - the use of organic composts, i.e. organic residues processed by worms, microbes and fungi into humus - the basis of natural plant nutrition.
Biodynamic preparations are just “stimulants” and “activators” of soil life, or the soil microcosm. With the same success, you can activate earthly and cosmic energy using various combinations and structures of biodynamic structures: pyramids, hemispheres, orgone accumulators, etc. (The term "orgone" comes from the Latin word organismus - "living being". Universal cosmic Vital energy called "orgone". There are various devices that can capture and accumulate orgone energy, including dynamic preparations, which can also be classified as orgone accumulators).
The effect of using these biodynamic structures is the same everywhere - activating plant growth and protecting them from diseases. The basis is one, and the impact (direct or indirect) is carried out through the activation of the entire ecosystem, which includes the microcosm of the soil. Thus, Biodynamic Farming is just a part of Natural Farming.
With other theories, things are even simpler.
Few would argue that organic farming is a component of natural farming. What could be simpler here: look at how organic residues (in the form of leaf or grass litter, or cow pellets) in the nature around us turn into part of the soil, into its nutritional component - humus.
Copy the same on your site - it will not only feed the plants and us, but also improve the health of the soil and the very ecosystem in which we live together with our plants.
What “ready-made recipes” could there be that many people ask me about after reading my articles?
Natural farming is a creative process. It is important to understand and put into practice the essence of this process, and not to develop a “specific recipe”. After all, all gardeners have different soils, different climatic conditions, and different available sources of organic matter. And at the same time, the theories of supporters organic farming- also different. How to understand all this diversity?
The answer is simple - be more attentive to yourself, to your plants, to the world around us. After all, all these “theories” and methods have the same essence: ensuring favorable soil life as the basis for soil formation and plant nutrition thanks to the activity of the soil microcosm that produces humus. After all, humus is the source of the most “smart” and balanced plant nutrition using “natural technology”.
Let's take everything in order.
Humus preparations(various humates). This is nothing more than an “extract” from soil or biocompost in concentrated form. Do you have extra money to pay for humus in the form of “canned food”? Why such extravagance? Or, for some reason, do you not want to create the conditions for the constant production of fresh humus directly on your plots? The use of humates is justified only for potted crops as a source of nutrition for plants isolated from nature.
Biocompost, earthworms and vermiculture. This is biological compost produced using earthworms (compost) - very expensive if you buy it ready-made and packaged. Despite the fact that it is very easy to obtain this biocompost yourself in the garden or at home at any time of the year - from those organic residues that are always available in any household. And at the same time, it is not at all necessary to specifically buy Californian worms or “prospector” - simple varieties dung (compost) worms. It is enough to go to any nearest farm and collect the local population of these worms if you want to use manure in compost. Or collect litter worms in the forest (in the park), if other sources of organic matter are used for compost. These worms will “bring” with them beneficial microflora, which will help them “cook” high-quality compost. But, we must not forget that earthworms (meaning all annelid earthworms) are just part of the soil microcosm in Natural agriculture.
Green manure is various plants, used for "green" fertilizer. They are grown either in compaction plantings or in empty plots when the main crop is harvested. Any crops can be used as green manure; the plants are later trimmed and left in place as green mulch. Thus, green manure is a type of organic mulch grown on your own site, and not brought to it from outside. Anyone who likes this method, or has no other way to replenish the area with organic matter, can use it successfully. But in in this case mown grass is an analogue of grass litter in nature - nothing more.
Mulch, or, in other words, soil cover can be of very different origin and composition; both organic and inorganic nature.
Let's start with inorganic mulch: this various films, roofing felt, rubber, tarpaulin, etc. - everything that completely or partially retains moisture in the soil. This is its purpose: to retain moisture and prevent the soil from drying out, thereby creating comfortable conditions for soil inhabitants. Another role of such mulch is energy saving: by preventing the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the earth, mulch retains and accumulates heat solar energy and maintains soil temperature. This is especially relevant (as an energy-saving factor) on northern cold soils. Inorganic mulch is just a “home” for soil life.
But organic mulch has broader capabilities: it is both a home and food for the soil microcosm. And its second property: it protects the earth from the scorching rays of the sun, preventing overheating of the soil, which is especially important on warm southern soils. What happens to organic mulch and what it turns into during the process of digestion by worms, microbes and fungi - saprophytes, we have already discussed in previous articles. It should only be added that organic mulch is just an element of Natural farming, nothing more.
Microbes are another component of Natural Farming; Here we mean bacteria and other transitional forms of the soil microcosm. The general term “microbes” (microorganisms) includes a huge group of tiny creatures that differ in structure, size and some functions: these are unicellular and multicellular organisms of plant and animal origin, as well as organisms that occupy an intermediate position between the plant and animal worlds. Microbes include bacteria (including mycoplasma rickettsia), viruses, yeast, actinomycetes, molds, algae, and protozoa. But in the soil microcosm, not all of the listed forms are important as participants in soil formation and humus, but only some of them. The remaining representatives of the microcosm are potential pathogens of plant diseases, which will be discussed in the next article.
Many biological products and even “technologies” have been created based on microbes. A striking example- EM technology. For many, this incomprehensible letter combination “EM” fascinates and fascinates them to the point of complete worship as the only “panacea”. And this phrase EM simply stands for “effective microorganisms.” Yes, these are the most common soil microbes taken from nature, which are bred in nutrient media in biofactories, packaged in bottles and then sold for big money. And this is not a fertilizer, but a simple suspension of ordinary soil microbes, used as a soil “starter”, and nothing more.
What is it used for? Like any starter, to introduce a culture of microbes into the environment. For example, kefir - into milk, wine - into wort, baker's yeast - into dough, etc. And EM, in this case, is used as a “soil starter” to be added to the soil, that’s all the wisdom. But manufacturers in every possible way “frighten” poor (in the direct and indirect sense) buyers - gardeners and gardeners - that without EM drugs, there is simply nowhere, otherwise there will be trouble... All this is a bluff and a direct deception of the average person. EM is just part of the soil microcosm, like other biological products. Anyone who has extra money and a desire to get microbes in a test tube as a “soil starter” - please, I am not dissuading anyone from doing this. Moreover, I’m not saying that this is bad. On the contrary, it is good, but it is very expensive, which is why it is rarely used by the population. But knowing that EOs and other biological products are just part of the soil microcosm that creates fertility, we are aware that we also have completely free ways to use EOs. And they were given to us by nature itself, and not invented by manufacturers of biological products to be bought for money. It's worth remembering this.
Where can you get effective microorganisms for the garden? We have already touched on this topic before: in nature itself. But when using EOs (taken from a test tube or from nature), remember one thing: without necessary conditions they will not bring an increase in yield and will not increase soil fertility - even if you fill the entire soil in the garden with solutions containing them. They will not take root there unless you create a home for them - mulch - and “feed” them organic matter. Only in this case, living in your beds and garden, together with worms and mushrooms, they will create food for plants from organic matter and feed them to their full using the most advanced Natural technology.
In conclusion, I just want to add that Natural farming is the “cradle” of all alternative theories and methods of farming and, at the same time, a unifying concept. Anyone who cannot or does not want to understand this is deeply mistaken.
For those who want to see their garden flourishing and the surrounding nature healthy, I want to say: by using any of the listed alternative agricultural technologies as an element of “natural technology”, you will inevitably come to the understanding that we ourselves are part of this nature. When someone tries to tear Nature apart, then, unbeknownst to themselves, they create conditions for death from their ignorance. It's time for everyone to "wake up" and join forces to learn farming from Nature together.
I wish everyone who read this article understanding. And I hope to see you among the supporters of Natural Farming.
Plants and humans: the practice of using the energy of Space and Earth
(abstract material)
Reference:
Kuznetsov Alexander Ivanovich, microbiologist, p. Altai, Altai region.
Are you still fighting weeds and pests in your dacha, earning yourself sciatica? But adherents of organic farming prefer to be friends with nature rather than fight. But in order to live the same way, you will have to start with a radical change in the way of thinking about the purpose of agriculture, about what the “correct” garden is.
What is organic farming: basic principles
Organic farming as a branch of agricultural technology arose from the end of the 19th century, and rumors, disputes and discussions around this method of cultivating the land still do not subside. There are also many approaches and theories within the adherents of this direction of agriculture. But the essence is the same: organic farming is, first of all, a careful, gentle attitude towards nature, maintaining the natural balance and ecosystem, avoiding mineral fertilizers and pesticides.
Organic farming has many interchangeable definitions and synonymous terms: natural, ecological, biological, nature-conforming, life-giving agriculture.
Basic principles of ecological farming:
- Refusal to plow, dig up the earth. This is believed to maintain a healthy balance of the soil ecosystem. And healthy soil is healthy plants, capable of resisting diseases and pests.
- Growing environmentally friendly products. Complete refusal to use mineral fertilizers and pesticides. Methods of controlling weeds and pests come down to prevention and the use of herbal and folk methods.
- The ground should always be covered with vegetation. Green manure crops are widely used here - fast-growing crops planted after the main crops on temporarily empty land.
- Less labor intensive processing of a plot or dacha with larger and best result. Farming is pleasure, not hard work.
Natural Farming Guru
“Curb your ardor, gardener!” - with these words, as a rule, the famous author of many books on biological farming, B.A., begins his address at lectures to gardeners. Bagel. In the traditional idea of a “proper” vegetable garden, many summer residents see such an exemplary vegetable garden: ideal, even beds and rows of crops, not a single weed, and it is also a lot of hard work.
All these myths are debunked by fans of organic farming. They believe that work does not have to be slavish and exhausting. And it is much more useful for both humans and nature to maintain the natural order of things in the ecosystem. “Peep” at nature, learn from it, apply the acquired knowledge and observations at your summer cottage.
Advice. If you decide to leave traditional farming for natural farming, we recommend reading several books on the topic for inspiration: “One Straw Revolution” by Masanobu Fukooka; "Agrarian Revolutionary" Sepp Holzer; “About a vegetable garden for the thrifty and lazy” Bublik B.A.
So, Sepp Holzer has 45 hectares of land and cultivates it alone with his wife with a minimum of agricultural equipment: he has only one tractor. B.A. Bublik believes that steel has no place in the garden and refuses shovels, hoes, does not even loosen the soil with a pitchfork, but plants “under a stick”, watering only with ice water (not higher than 9 degrees). And the well-known author in Russia of many works on natural farming, G. Kizima, preaches three “don’ts”: don’t dig, don’t weed, don’t water.
Practice natural farming in spring and autumn
You can switch from traditional to organic farming at any time of the year. One of the main techniques of biological farming is avoiding deep digging of the soil. It is believed that raising a layer of earth more than 5 cm thereby disturbs the ecosystem. The land eventually becomes poorer and lacks beneficial microorganisms, beetles, worms, etc. Which subsequently leads to the need to use mineral fertilizers, which are harmful to both nature and humans.
Natural farming allows you to get environmentally friendly vegetables and fruits
The soil for sowing the crop is not dug up, but slightly raised using a fork (ideally no more than 2.5 cm). Some farmers don’t even use pitchforks, but plant “under a stick.” That is, they stick a stick into the ground and plant seeds or seedlings in the place where the hole formed. After sowing, the ground is mulched with straw, sawdust, peat, rotted compost, etc.
Advice. To plant plants “under a stick,” you can use a shovel handle or another stick that is convenient for working in length. To do this, the end is sharpened into a cone, which will stick into the ground. For convenience, you can also make a handle at the top of the stick, and a limiter pedal at the bottom.
Due to the active use of mulch, which prevents moisture from evaporating, watering is done much less frequently. Mulch is also one of the main ways to control weeds. But it is better to use mulching on proven crops: potatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes. There are plants that do not favor mulching, preferring open and hot soil: corn, watermelons, melons.
With the help of mulching, virgin soil is cultivated. To do this, prepare the beds in the fall as follows:
- Mow the grass.
- Cover with manure: horse, chicken.
- Lay a layer of mulch, for example straw, in a layer of 30 cm.
- In the spring, remove the layer of mulch, pick out the remaining weed roots with your hands and plant seeds or seedlings.
You can also cover the beds with dense material, for example: roofing felt, pieces of linoleum. It is useful to cover the layer of mulch with a film on top - this will speed up the process of overheating and rotting of the weed in virgin soil.
All of the above actions can be used at the dacha, both in spring and autumn.
Green manure is our everything
One of the agricultural practices that is an integral part of biological farming is planting green manure on temporarily empty land. According to many farmers, these crops are the best natural fertilizer. For these purposes, fast-growing and micronutrient-rich plants are used, such as:
- legumes;
- mustard;
- clover;
- rapeseed;
- spring rape;
- rye.
Green manure can be planted in spring, summer, and autumn. In the spring, fast-growing and frost-resistant plants such as mustard, rapeseed, and phacelia are planted. They are sown very early and grow until it is time to plant the main crop. Then the green manure is mowed with a flat cutter several centimeters below ground level, and the main plants are planted in the soil prepared in this way. Tops and stems can be used as cover for beds with crops.
In autumn, rye and mustard are most often sown. Sowing is done after harvesting the vegetables. Rye is harvested at the end of autumn, cutting off the stems at the base. And the mustard goes under the snow. In the spring it is cut with a flat cutter and the main crops are planted.
Organic farming is environmentally friendly cleaner production based on respect for nature and human health. There are many techniques and methods of natural farming. But, in any case, each site is individual. There are no absolutely identical areas in terms of soil composition, microclimate, or list of crops planted. What fans of organic farming never tire of repeating is: “Listen, look closely at your land, at your plants. And apply the acquired knowledge in practice. We must always trust nature, every day.”
Many gardeners' plots look like this: bare soil, weak and diseased plants. Pests cause great harm, part of the harvest is thrown away. For such summer residents, a vegetable garden is hard work.
Plots of other gardeners - blooming gardens. Plants are strong and healthy. Pests fly by. The harvests are good. For them, a vegetable garden is joy, relaxation and pleasure. Everything they do is easy and simple.
And it seems that these gardeners know the magic words. They may be familiar with them, but the main secret is that they use natural farming methods.
What kind of garden do you have? Do you work hard in the garden or do you enjoy it? What kind of yields do you get?
Download the special issue for beginners “Secrets of High Yields”,
PDF, 6.4 MB
Nowadays they write a lot about natural farming and gardeners have begun to use it on their plots. Many of them began to receive good harvests With minimum cost energy and time. And for some, something doesn’t work out. A holistic approach is important here. The result comes not from just one technique, but from their combined use.
Our friends, Anna Stepanovna and Semyon Petrovich, have been engaged in natural farming for seven years. And the harvests are good, and everything works out easily for them.
A relative, Svetlana Alekseevna, came to visit them.
And as expected, her owners took her on an excursion to the garden. And everything about them is great: the beds are level, the plants are healthy, there is greenery everywhere, despite the fact that it is already autumn. The guest was very surprised by what she saw, everything was new to her:
and covered beds, and green green manure.
And questions rained down one after another, and Stepanovna answered them with pleasure.
How eggs taught a chicken
Now Petrovich and I are advanced gardeners, but before we did everything like everyone else.
And it was like this.
We came to visit our son, seven years ago it was. The joyful son shows some squiggle and says:
“Look what a thing I ordered by mail from Fokin. It's called a flat cutter! Now we won’t dig!”
We were indignant and made some noise: “ Teach your grandmother to suck eggs. You are a very young son. We have been working on earth all our lives and know everything.
And you’re doing something completely wrong... You won’t succeed.”. He answered us: “This is my area, I will do it as I want”. I was very upset then, my son wouldn’t grow anything, so what would they eat? And Petrovich reassured me: “ Our harvests are good, we will give the children both potatoes and carrots. They won’t disappear in winter.”
And then the son grew the crop without digging, proving that there is no need to dig the ground, and explained why.
Digging harms the soil because it:
- Microorganisms and earthworms die. The soil becomes dead and loses fertility.
- The soil structure is destroyed. Such soil is washed away by rains and carried away by winds.
- Soil channels are disrupted. As a result, moisture and air do not enter the root zone.
- The soil is drying up.
The earth is a living organism and should not stand there thoughtlessly
and interfere with her life with impunity.
You, Alekseevna, probably thought about how to cultivate the land without digging. It’s simple: you just need to loosen the soil. I loosen it with a Fokin flat cutter, or you can also use a Swift cultivator or a hoe.
And the most interesting thing in this story is this. Petrovich, who then said that the children were crazy and that they needed to be educated, now does not dig the ground, and does not let go of the flat cutter. And he only plants potatoes under the flat cutter and hills them with it, and everything is done only with the flat cutter. And he thanks his son for science. Petrovich now has two favorite instruments. One is a flat cutter. And the second one is a braid.
Do you think that if you stop digging,
will the earth become solid?
And now, Alekseevna, what is it like for you? And now it’s hard too. Well, look, my dear, what happens: you dig the soil every year, but it’s still hard, so it’s not the shovel that makes the soil loose.
1. A flat cutter is Petrovich’s favorite tool. It loosens the ground, cuts weeds, hills and much more.
2. Hoe - for cutting rye and green manure, for cultivating heavy soil.
3. Strizh cultivator is a lightweight tool for loosening and trimming weeds.
In nature, everything is arranged very wisely. The roots of plants that remain in the ground rot, leaving channels behind. Earthworms and bugs also live in the soil, and they also leave tunnels behind. And the soil becomes like a sponge.
And you climb there with your shovel, you destroy it all, that’s why your soil hardens after the rains.
This is how it was before when I was digging the ground:
After the rains, the water spread in all directions and did not soak into the ground. There were large cracks in the paths and garden beds. I had to constantly loosen the beds. The earth was not alive.
But now my soil is loose, and when it rains, all the water goes into the ground and is stored there:
After the rain I don't need to do anything. Under the grass, the soil is loose, does not dry out, does not crack, and weeds do not grow. My land is now healthy.
Well, finally, Alekseevna, you understand everything and you won’t dig any more. Well, that's not all. To restore the soil and make it alive, you still need to sow green manure.
But I'll tell you about this later. And now:
This is how beautiful my onion grew:
This is how my carrots grow without digging:
What is yours? Clumsy and crooked, you say. Do you know why? You pamper her too much, water her often. And we water it only at the beginning, while it is still small. When it gets bigger, I mulch it with grass and almost never go near it anymore. Let her get her own water from the depths of the earth.
Don't you know what mulching is? I didn't know either. Now I'll tell you.
Garden beds under cover
Some children came to visit us and said:
“We’ll show you this now! We will cover the beds with grass and mulch.”
We didn’t understand anything: what to cover, why cover?
They tell us: “Well, if you don’t want to, let’s mulch at least half the bed with garlic, see what difference it makes.” We tried it and saw that where the ground was covered with grass, the weeds hardly grew, it was necessary to water less often, moisture was retained under the grass and there was no longer any need to loosen the ground. We liked it very much.
On the left is garlic without mulch, on the right is mulched garlic.
But a question arose.
Where can I get grass for mulching on 6 acres?
At that time, the neighbors abandoned their plot. So Petrovich thought of taking an old scythe, sharpened it, and grass appeared for mulching. Previously, I hinted to Petrovich that we need to mow the grass and cover the potatoes with it, otherwise it’s very hot, the earth is overheating, and the tubers won’t grow. Now Petrovich mows it himself, and not only the neighbor’s abandoned plot, but also goes further afield. Got up in the morning and went to mow. As in childhood! It’s a pleasure for Petrovich, and the plants benefit greatly.
In addition, I no longer have the problem of weeds and weeding. And Petrovich’s watering problem also disappeared by itself. The main thing is to lay grass on the beds.
Last hot summer, a neighbor was telling a story. I went to collect beetles on potatoes. And those beetles that accidentally fell to the ground jumped. The neighbor was surprised that the beetles could jump. Of course, we walk on the ground in shoes, but if you put us barefoot on the hot ground, then we will jump.
What is it like for plant roots in hot earth?
In hot, dry summers, mulch is a real salvation.
As you trample, so shall you burst
Now I mulch everything. Cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, because Petrovich is no longer young to run around the beds with watering cans.
I also mulch strawberries. Oh how I love her. And the grandchildren simply adore it. And it grows so beautifully here that no one else in the area has such a berry.
The neighbors say: “You have a special variety, give me a mustache.” Every year I give everyone mustaches. They complain: “You gave us the wrong mustache, you have gorgeous bushes, buckets of berries, but nothing grows here.”
I give them the same mustache that I give myself, only they take care of it differently than I do.
What do I do in the fall?
After harvesting, I trim the old leaves, pour compost under the bushes, and Petrovich waters it. At first he didn’t want to, but when he saw the effect, now he does it himself. It turns out that her new crop is planted in August-September, and if it’s dry, how will she gain strength?
In spring and summer.
In the spring I loosen it, add more compost-humus, and if it suddenly freezes, I cover it with a covering. Then I mulch it and water it with Radiance. And in the summer I feed it with vermicompost infusion so that the bushes have enough strength for all the berries.
I tell my neighbors, but they listen and listen, but don’t do anything. So they don’t get the same harvests that I do. They think that since the variety is good, the berries should grow on their own. But that doesn't happen. You have to work a little harder.
Now, Alekseevna, you say that mulching is ugly. You love it when the soil in your garden beds is black and clean. And I will answer you that this is a delusion.
- Mulched beds look very nice.
- The soil in your garden beds is overheating and the plants are not growing well. And my soil under the mulch is cool.
- Your earth is cracking, but mine is not.
- Your husband runs around with a watering can every day and waters the beds, but under my mulch the moisture is retained for a long time. I feel sorry for my Petrovich.
- After every rain, you run to loosen the beds, and I rest and admire the beauty.
Well, have I convinced you? You need to love and feel sorry for yourself.
Fight or defense?
I now have no problems with pests.
And if they do appear, I don’t worry too much.
There are very few bugs on my potatoes now. But if it suddenly happens that the neighbors fly in, Petrovich takes a sprayer, spreads phytoverm, it’s a biological preparation, well, just walk through it once during the summer, he’ll deal with the fly-in and that’s it.
My neighbor came here the other day, all upset. It turns out that the pests ate almost all of her cabbage. When I saw mine, I was very surprised. After all, my skin is clean, beautiful, and doesn’t suffer from anything.
Left— neighbor's cabbage,and on the right is my cabbage.
A neighbor says to me: “What are you spraying your cabbage with, that your leaves have no holes? I watered it with everything, bought chemicals at the store, and poured bleach in order to kill all these reptiles.”
I tell her: “I don’t spray anything. I grow it for food for myself and my grandchildren. And who are you raising it for?” The neighbor started thinking.
My white cabbage sits not in a continuous field like hers, but surrounded by marigolds. A row of cabbage, and marigolds on both sides. It’s beautiful and the scent repels pests.
And in another bed between it sits celery, which has a very strong smell, and the pest does not find my cabbage. That's the whole secret - outwitting the pest.
Mixed plantings
It is known that insects search for plants to feed on by smell. You can save plants if you confuse the pests. Aromatic herbs are savior plants. They confuse pests with their strong odor and thereby protect garden crops.
For example, nasturtium repels whiteflies, Colorado potato beetles, and cabbage caterpillars. Wormwood - ants, codling moth, etc. Peppermint- ants, whitefly. Aphids do not like the smell of aromatic herbs. Garlic repels cabbage fly and codling moth larvae.
Aromatic herbs for pest control are sown in sparse patches in the beds. The best solution- surround with aromatic herbs vegetable beds. These herbs also attract beneficial insects. And many of our vegetables can repel foreign pests. For example, it is useful to alternate rows of celery and cabbage, carrots and onions, strawberries and garlic.
IN mixed plantings plants help each other grow.
But in order to do such plantings correctly, you need to know which plants will have a beneficial effect on each other.
We recommend reading about mixed plantings in the book
"Melange vegetable garden."
Know your friends by sight
Here you are, Alekseevna, fighting insects for the harvest, but you know that there are also
and beneficial insects? And nature intended them to destroy harmful insects. I haven’t thought about this before either.
And recently I heard a story.
A woman had a plum tree growing, and then at the beginning of summer she noticed that aphids had twisted the leaves. I wanted to spray it with Fitoverm, but I didn’t have it on hand. After a while, she remembered about her plum tree, walked up to it, and on the leaves, instead of aphids, there were some black grains, as if someone had sucked out the aphids.
She examined the branches carefully and saw strange insects. These were ladybug larvae. The ladybug and its larvae dealt with the aphids themselves.
It turns out there are a lot of beneficial insects. This and ladybug and its larvae, and the lacewing, and the ground beetle, and all sorts of riders, etc. And when you spray the plants with strong chemicals according to pests, they die not only harmful insects, but also useful. And if harmful insects fly to your site very soon, the good ones will still think about whether to help you.
And I realized that we need to arrange everything in the garden so that we have to interfere as little as possible, and the plants grow on their own. And the insects will sort it out among themselves without us.
Healthy soil means healthy plants
I recently realized that only weak plants get sick.
And plants with strong immunity are not afraid of diseases.
A neighbor gave me pepper seedlings in the spring. Before planting, I added vermicompost to the holes, mulched them, and regularly watered them with Radiance. The peppers have grown beautifully.
A neighbor’s peppers grew from the same seedlings and they were sick all summer. When she saw my fruits, she asked for seeds for next year. So as not to upset her, I did not say that my peppers grew from her seedlings. The secret turned out to be not in the variety, but in what I created for it good conditions and nutrition. So they grew up strong and healthy.
I have a short conversation with illnesses now.
The main thing is to get ahead of them.
Gardeners suffer from late blight in tomatoes. But I don’t. Phytophthora is a fungus that lives in the soil. Tomatoes begin to get sick in August. At that time high humidity and this fungus gets onto the leaves and tomatoes with air currents. I know how to tame her. I do it like this:
- I mulch tomatoes with grass.
- I gradually cut off the lower leaves, so that the bushes are well ventilated.
- I water and spray with Siyanie-1. (suppresses the disease).
And my tomatoes are turning red on the bush.
And how are you, Alekseevna, with late blight? Are your potatoes sick too?
I sorted it out there too. I start with prevention: before planting, I dip the tubers in the “Shine-2” solution (I call it “Shine compote”). In the summer, I mulch the beds and water them with Siyanie-1. After harvesting the potatoes, I sow green manure. That's all - goodbye late blight!
By the way, my potatoes also grow in stationary beds. Very comfortably. I arrived in the spring, and the bed was already ready, I loosened it with a flat cutter and I can start planting.
When the beds are stationary, it is convenient to alternate crops. For example, this year cabbage grew in the garden bed, next year already something else. I began to take crop rotation more seriously after I read one story.
The farm sowed the field with sunflowers and got a very good harvest. To celebrate, sunflowers were sown there again the next year. The harvest was worse, but no conclusions were drawn. And in the third year they sowed it again in the same field. The harvest was scanty.
Over the course of 3 years, sunflower removed a large amount of nutrients from the soil and it became depleted. It accumulated phytopathogenic microflora, which caused an outbreak of diseases.
Good harvests grow on healthy plants,
and healthy plants grow in healthy soil.
The first thing every gardener needs to do is restore and improve the soil. Green manure, mulching and beneficial microorganisms helped me do this. Do you know that there are different types of microorganisms?
Let us divide microorganisms into three groups:bad (they cause diseases)good (everything is clear with them) andneutral . And then everything is like with people. If there are a little more bad ones, then the neutral ones also become bad. And if there are more good ones, then the neutrals become good and ours win.
That’s why I water the beds with beneficial microorganisms so that they themselves suppress diseases.
I use “Shine” preparations. They helped me restore the soil and now I am getting good harvests, well, you saw it yourself.
I water and spray the plants with Shine-1.
Mulch rots faster, disease prevention,
the soil is restored.
With Siyanie-2 I prepare “Siyanie compote” for planting potatoes.
I’m also preparing the soil for seedlings.
With Radiance-3 I prepare compost and make warm beds.
Compost is ready in 2 months.
I also use a bio-cocktail, I call it a “magic cocktail”. I use it when the plants need help. And he always helps me out.
Potatoes
My neighbor is about 80 years old.
It looks old, but something is still moving around in the garden.
We have already planted our potatoes, as expected, and sprouted them in advance. But there was a little bit left over. I put it aside and forgot about it. And then I found it by accident. Where is it now? I took it to a neighbor so she can feed the cattle.
She planted it for herself. And then one day in the fall he comes and says: “I dug up a potato, the size of my palm! I’ve never had potatoes like this before, what kind of potato do you have?”
And I answer her: “It’s an ordinary variety, I always dig it up.” I have less than two acres for potatoes, and the harvest is about 100 buckets.” But she doesn’t let up: “Your variety is very good. My small one has grown, and yours is large.”
And the secret is that I grow it according to natural agricultural technology, then I have planting material healthy, strong. It is known that potatoes age and degenerate over time. But mine, it turns out, retains its strength. Once, even from the little things that I had left, my grandmother, having planted it late, received such a harvest. I'll tell you what I do:
1. The potatoes were removed and rye was immediately sown. She grew up and remained under the snow.
2. In the spring, Petrovich cut down the rye with a hoe. I watered it with radiance to make it rot faster.
3. After 2 weeks, we planted potatoes without digging the soil, adding compost to the hole.
4. In the summer, Petrovich laid grass on the beds, and laid the excess on the path between the rows. The beds were watered with Radiance.
When they dug up, we noticed: in those beds where grass lay between the rows, there were more potatoes and they were larger. Moisture under the grass is better preserved, and the potatoes receive more nutrition. And the most interesting thing is that there were almost no beetles. The smell of the grass overpowered the smell of the potatoes.
The bushes have grown strong and strong (a beetle cannot handle such leaves) and there was no late blight . And because of her, the neighbors had to dig up their potatoes ahead of time.
On the left are our neighbors' potatoes, on the right are ours.
A holy place is never empty
Rye, it turns out, is called green manure. In other words, green fertilizer. Green because the grass is green. And fertilizer, because when green manure rots, it nourishes the earth better than manure and especially any chemistry.
These green manures come in different varieties. I told you about rye.
And there is also mustard, phacelia, radish, buckwheat
etc.
Now I sow green manure from early spring to autumn. For example, a row of tomatoes, and around the edges there is mustard, or a row of potatoes, and around the edges there is oilseed radish. The garden bed has become free - I sow green manure. After the potatoes, you can sow rye or something else. The main thing is that the land is not empty, otherwise weeds will begin to grow. Even in October my beds are green, it’s nice to look at.
Here's how much useful green manure does:
Green manure enriches the soil
nitrogen, trace elements and organic matter;Suppresses weed growth;
Protect plants from pests and diseases;
Their roots— loosen the soil improve its structure.
Previously, manure was brought in by trucks as fertilizer, it was a pain in the ass, and it was spread all over the site, but now I scatter green manure seeds, it’s much easier, and there’s more benefit. There are no diseases, no weeds, and no pests of any kind.
But you say it’s extra work.
The green manure grew, I trimmed them, put them on top of the bed, they rot, and fertilize the bed. And the roots that remain in the ground rot and the earth becomes loose. That's all.
About what green manure is,
when and how to sow them, rotation schemes
in the book “Green manure - natural fertilizer”
Let's harvest
Well, today’s harvest was a success! We gardeners have two concerns:
how to grow a large crop and how to process and preserve it.
That's what I did this year too. So much has grown, but what to do with it? Now the grandchildren are reluctant to eat pickles and jam. They used to prepare a bunch of cans. And now there is nothing in stores. And I want to feed my grandchildren healthy sweets.
What to do with the harvest?
Age no longer allows me to make a lot of preparations...
My husband looked at my suffering, looked at it, and bought an electric dryer. It's not a cheap thing, but it helps me out so much.
Isidri dryer - environmentally friendly drying of fruits, berries, vegetables, mushrooms.
VAKS - Vacuum canning and storage of food. Pump and 9 caps.
First I dried it apples . My grandchildren ate it on both cheeks and didn’t have time to dry it.
What else can you dry?
I have tomatoes a lot, but not everything is eaten. Cut into circles and dried. My Petrovich loves tomatoes. Can eat in bowls. You don’t have to cook the food, just put a basin... Now Petrovich eats dried tomatoes in winter. I cook cabbage soup and borscht with them. They have an aroma and taste like fresh ones.
A onion Have you tried drying it? Dried onions have a better smell. My grandson doesn’t like onions. God forbid he sees onions in the soup - he won’t eat it. I ground the dried onion into powder in a coffee grinder and sprinkled it on it when I fried the potatoes. There is such an aroma throughout the entire apartment, it’s something!
The grandson tasted the potatoes and said that he had never eaten tastier.
And I smiled silently.
Also dried out garlic , ground it, it turned out to be garlic powder. You can buy it, but it costs money, but I have my own.
More dill, parsley, celery , I dry the other herbs, mix them, and here is the finished seasoning.
Have you tried candied carrots and beets? They are tastier than candy, and healthier. This can be done in winter. The carrots are still in the cellar. So you can use a dryer all year round use.
I store everything under vacuum lids. The air is pumped out of the jars, so the aroma is preserved and insects are not infested.
Pastila for grandchildren
Previously, I tried drying it in the oven and drying it in the sun, but it didn’t work.
And then I made applesauce, dried the marshmallow in the dryer and gave it to my grandson to try. And my grandson is very picky when it comes to food. He doesn't eat anything in kindergarten. And he liked the marshmallow so much that now he is ready to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So I spent the whole summer pastille and drying it. The apples are out, but there are some pumpkin and zucchini . Now I’m going to dry the pumpkin pastille with zucchini. And to make it tastier, I’ll add bananas, maybe lemon, honey, nuts. There will be a meal! And he won’t guess that it’s zucchini marshmallow.
My beautiful garden
Alekseevna, what does your garden look like? If you go straight - there is a garden bed, you go to the left - there is a garden bed, and to the right - there is a garden bed again. And I have room for both beds and flower beds. I have as much land as you. The secret is different.
I have been using natural farming methods for 7 years. Thanks to this, I reap large harvests. And now, instead of 2 beds of carrots, one is enough for me, and instead of 4 acres of potatoes, 2 acres are enough for me. And I plant not 100 bushes of tomatoes, as before, but only 40. And I have freed up space for beauty.
I used to, like you, think that garden design
It's not for me, it's very difficult. But it turned out that everything is very simple.Moreover, I know where to get it good plants- in the center of natural agriculture. Last year I bought German roses there. They bloomed in the summer - it was fabulously beautiful.
Next year I chose from catalogs and ordered roses from European nurseries, ornamental shrubs and much more.
Welcome to Natural Farming
We now grow everything on our own plot using natural farming.
Here one friend learned something strange. The beetle didn't eat her potatoes this year. It turns out that last year she dipped the tubers in some kind of chemical before planting. So she still doesn't have a bug. That's how she poisoned her potatoes! And she fed it to her children and grandchildren! Of course, I explained everything to her. And she decided that it would be better to collect the beetle than to feed her family poisoned potatoes.
But many people don’t even think about the harm they cause to themselves and the earth by indiscriminately using pesticides and mineral fertilizers. I care about what my children and grandchildren eat, so I am for natural farming.
Find out yourself, tell someone else.
Thanks to my son, I found it myself and told us that there is such a center for Natural Agriculture. That's where I learned about everything. They advise gardeners, conduct interesting seminars, and publish newspapers on natural farming.
I’ll tell you this: whoever really loves the earth, is interested and experiments, sooner or later he himself will come up with the methods of natural farming. But this is the experience of several years.
And the centers of Natural Farming were created for this purpose, to generalize the experience of many people and convey it to us. So that we quickly begin to use natural methods, grow healthy crops, and make our work easy and interesting.
A good harvest is easy and simple!
Natural farming methods are used by more than 100,000 gardeners
in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. And these are the results you get!
