If you have a compost pile or Use a compost container, You are already helping yourself to grow more fertile soil and protecting the environment by keeping trash out of landfills. But is it enough?
The world population is increasing rapidly. In parts of the world where hunger is a daily experience, we are already experiencing food shortages. In the near future, we may face food shortages on a global scale. Just when we need more food, many people think that current farming methods are destroying the top soil and it will take years to restore the soil to a healthy state.
Every backyard garden is working hard to achieve food security. 2020 is a reality check for many people. More people start gardening than ever beforeMany people are learning how to preserve food by canning and freezing garden produce. There is a serious shortage of canned food, and even canned food is in short supply. Although we have not seen a serious food shortage, we have also seen an increase in food costs.
Many gardeners think it is important to switch to intensive gardening. This will include planting where there is little open space. All your garden plants will hold hands. Continuous planting is a must. Harvest one crop and plant the next crop. The idea is to produce the largest amount of food in the space you own.
The problem with this kind of gardening is that it quickly depletes all the nutrients in the soil that plants need to produce healthy, nutritious food.Currently, many studies are studying how to Improve the soil And replace the minerals and elements used to grow crops in each season. This research can be used in our garden today.
In addition to fertilizer, compost is the most important additive you can use in your garden. Compost can promote the growth of microorganisms needed for soil health. Healthy soil attracts earthworms and other beneficial organisms, and healthy plants are unlikely to die from disease. Compared with diseased plants, pests do less damage to healthy, growing plants. Intensive gardeners also use companion planting to fight off pests. The garden rotates so that they have time to rest and only plant cover crops to provide protection and nourish the soil. Research continues to determine what each plant adds to the compost.
Although it may not be possible to set aside a part of the backyard garden to rest, we can combine a lot of knowledge about taking care of the soil. Avoid using insecticides and herbicides. If you add mulch or fertilizer from the outside, try to make sure it does not contain harmful chemicals. The more compostable materials from your own yard that you can control, the better.
This is a list of plants that can help nourish the soil.
1. Beans and Peas
go through Planting legume seeds And pea seeds, you are nourishing the soil while also growing food. These plants absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it into a usable form with nodules on the roots. After harvesting the beans, cut the plants from the soil level and leave the nitrogen-rich roots in the garden. Add plants to your compost. Next season, plant a crop that requires nitrogen where the beans or peas are located, and have a ready supply.
2. Lithospermum
This plant is rich in zinc and phosphorus. It grows quickly, and the large leaves can be cut several times during the growing season and added to the compost pile. In addition, comfrey has a large and deep root system, which helps the soil to ventilate. Comfrey has medicinal value and is a perennial plant.
3. Chamomile
Chamomile Provides good calcium levels. In your compost, calcium is used by plants to build strong cell walls. Chamomile also contains sulfur, which can increase seed and root yield.
4. Dandelion
Dandelion is like a multivitamin in compost. They contain iron, calcium, phosphorus, copper and magnesium. Add them to your compost before they are planted and reap the benefits of this super plant.
5. Nettle
Nettle is another weed that is valuable in composting. Nettles contain high levels of nitrogen as well as phosphorus and iron.
6. Fennel
Although fennel is great in the kitchen, it contains a lot of potassium and copper, which can help enrich your compost.
7. Love
Chop lovage and add it to your compost for a healthy increase in nitrogen and phosphorus.
8. Alfalfa and Red Clover
These plants can be planted near other plants such as tomatoes and then added to the compost.
9. Borage
This is a large plant that can also fix nitrogen on the root nodules. Borage is also rich in zinc and potassium.
10. Black eyed peas and edamame
These beans fix nitrogen while also providing edible crops.
In addition to adding these plants to your garden or yard, you can also consider using cover crops. Kale or white radish are both good choices. Seed a lot. This will protect your soil and you can add material to the compost. Continue to pick the kale as it grows. If you cannot afford to lose space for cover crops during the growing season, consider winter cover crops. A good choice is winter rye. Prune it and add the cut pieces to the compost pile or rye until spring.
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