Gardening is a common practice carried out by man, being a method of relaxation and connection with nature that allows not only to obtain health benefits but also to acquire fruits grown by themselves, healthy, free of chemicals and in their own home. . The relevant factor in this is the soil used that will allow success in obtaining the desired plant species, in the following article we will learn how to prepare the land for a garden indicating the main characteristics to consider.
How to Prepare the Land for a Garden
The soil consists of the area of the earth's surface that is distributed throughout the planet earth, it originates from the disintegration and alteration of the rocks and residues of living beings that over time have been compacted and settled until creating the crust land. It can be known as land, soil or surface, it is a type of place rich in organic matter, which allows the circulation of water in its system and has an accumulation of nutrients and minerals; all this has allowed the development of living organisms that have evolved life throughout the planet.
One of its most relevant points is the growth of plant species in its surface system, where they have come to provide biodiversity of flora throughout the planet earth, adapting to the various climatic conditions and types of soil, providing a variety of species in ecosystems. such as trees, bushes, grasses, among others. Representing a relevant source in the economy of all countries to the point of developing agricultural practices for the cultivation of ideal plant species for consumption by society.
Agriculture has stood out since the beginning of time where man carries out the sowing of seeds for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables that are part of the daily diet of humanity. To be carried out the agricultural practices in an adequate way, it is necessary to consider the periods between the beginning of the sowing until the harvest is obtained; programming the proper use of the soil, development of the crop and the harvest of the product. Through this, it is guaranteed to be able to obtain the resource in an adequate way and without damaging the surface.
Due to this, small and controlled planting systems have been developed, such as orchards, whose purpose is to harvest food for human consumption. They represent systems of easy access for people and cultivation of plant species that are obtained quickly, for this reason, they are currently highly regarded in homes, urban areas, school projects or for ecological purposes. In these cases, it is recommended to consider the calendar for planting the species, obtaining the product and conserving the properties of the soil.
For the elaboration of orchards it is advisable to sow during the months of April, this is because the month of April is considered the month of the rebirth of nature, in addition to the beginning of spring, a season of flowering of the most plant species. This represents a fundamental aspect to prepare the land for the orchard, this type of season will allow them to grow strongly and sufficiently vigorously. It is a highly sought after culinary activity in society for direct consumption of food and hobby.
The preparation of the soil is a fundamental point for the success of the orchard, because its properties will allow the development of the seeds that are sown on the surface, the root growth and the strengthening of the plant when it reaches height. The soil has nutritional properties for the plants, but it must be guaranteed that they are free of additives such as weeds and insects, since the presence of one or both of them can ruin the harvest.
Steps to Prepare the Land for the Garden
The soil represents a fundamental factor for the development of life on the entire planet earth, it allows the distribution of plant species throughout the globe. It allows the development of activities that connect with nature and the environment, such as planting and gardening, very prominent practices since ancient times because it allows the natural environment to be involved in homes and gardens and even in apartments and small homes located in areas urban.
For this reason, the importance of preparing the soil in which these practices are going to be carried out is highlighted, conditioning it for planting such as in pots or cultivation tables; In case of preparing a garden, it is maintained with the same principle to be developed, taking into account the season in which the seeds are sown. There are other factors that influence the year such as cold, rain, abundance of irrigation, among others that influence the success of planting.
It should be noted that the soil is made up of various nutrients that favor the plant, but as it is constantly subjected to drastic climatic changes or poor care of the land, it can cause its compaction and prevent the circulation of water and air, taking taking into account the wear of nutrients by continuous planting. Due to this, it is necessary to have an adequate preparation of the surface consecutively to keep it in ideal and healthy conditions for its cultivation. Next we will highlight the step by step for its ideal use:
Identify the type of Terrain
The selection of land and place to execute the cultivation and preparation of the orchard, represents the starting point and important as any other derived activity. The first thing is to know the types of soils that exist, identifying which is the most appropriate for the type of planting that will be carried out; highlighting the balance between the soil, climatic conditions and plant species. Therefore, the main types of soils that exist are the following to highlight:
- sandy soil
It consists of the type of soil with larger particles compared to the rest, they are rough and dry, due to the differences in dimensions between the particles they are separated from each other, which causes them not to retain water and evacuate it more quickly, Due to this characteristic, it allows a high oxygenation, giving the roots the particularity of drainage, retaining the ideal temperature, mainly in warm temperatures, which preserve their best conditions.
They are not considered of the best quality for agriculture due to their low capacity to retain water, which causes the dragging of nutrients and the impoverishment of some soils. This type of soil does not give plants the opportunity to take advantage of the minerals present efficiently, so it is used for those more resistant and rustic species that do not need high nutritional content, such as trees such as pines, cypresses, among others. others.
- clay soil
It is a type of soil that is made up of fine yellow grains, approximately 45% clay, a substance that can retain enough water in abundance to the point of generating puddles. They are known as heavy soils with a great capacity to store water and therefore also the nutrients present, making it potentially fertile.
The internal structure of this type of soil is very relevant, since the nutrients are linked to the clay minerals of the soil, in addition to highlighting the capillary attraction between the particles, causing small spaces between the clay particles, this fact is the cause of its great retention of water and nutrients but hindering its drainage and therefore causing it to puddle, compact easily and quickly become muddy; All this hinders the oxygenation of the soil and the health of the roots.
This type of soil is very affected in seasons of drastic temperatures, such as in spring time, due to its accumulation of water, it takes time to heat up and some plants are affected, in summer they can bake easily and cause them to crack. This type of soil deserves a great challenge in gardening but they are the most recommended for their high nutritional content.
When creating a garden, the type of soil must be considered. If its nature is unknown, basic techniques such as touch can be applied to evaluate its texture. Another option is to moisten it to see how it behaves. In common orchards, they seek to find an ideal balance between sandy and clay soil, naturally it is difficult to find it this way, so they are mixed with clay, perlite or coconut fiber. The ideal is to get the most out of both types of soil.
Remove the Weed
Weeds are considered as a set of plants that appear naturally in various lands where plantings or crop species are carried out. It consists of the agglomeration of shrubs or the proliferation of weeds that grow together with the species cultivated by man in gardens, agricultural fields or land, negatively influencing their normal development.
It is normal to observe the presence of weeds in the orchards together with the plant species of interest, before carrying out any type of work and even before preparing the soil of the orchard, unwanted plants must be eliminated in our land, because They steal the necessary resources such as water, nutrients and minerals from the plant species that are being cultivated. Therefore, it is necessary to have adequate knowledge to eradicate weeds, which is ideal to obtain healthy plants in the corresponding time.
It is recommended not to use chemicals to eliminate weeds, this is due first of all to the fact that the products obtained are for human consumption and can alter their normal condition. In addition, it can alter the property of the soil, modifying the nutrients that are absorbed by the root. The most effective method is to extract them manually, removing their roots to prevent their continued growth and possible reproduction.
It should be noted that weeds are never completely eradicated from crop gardens, since they arise from the organisms present in the soil, normally after watering they begin to emerge again. It is advisable to wait for the correct time to pull them out, waiting for the moment when they do not have enough strength to extract their root, being rooted in the right conditions.
Aerate and Fluff
Part of the treatment that must be carried out for the soils is to consider whether they are in optimal conditions, in general, they should not be dry, preventing excess dust from rising or causing accumulations of caked earth when they are worked. If it is very wet, the earth will compact and accumulate in the tool in which it is treated. Therefore, it is recommended to aerate and fluff, it consists of removing the soil using a shovel without inverting it and altering its microbiological conditions.
These two tasks are responsible for allowing the oxygenation and renewal of the earth, to carry out this action it must be moist. It is recommended that it be thoroughly wet for several days, in this way it is prepared for this aeration and fluffing treatment; working the earth with ease and malleability, since it will not offer resistance, in case of finding clods of earth it means that it must be moistened again.
The aeration and fluffing treatment can be carried out in several ways, the most followed procedure is to dig a hole of approximately twenty to twenty-five centimeters in the cultivation area, first of all the soil that completes said area must be removed, Then, the soil must be mixed with the compost, an organic substance that is previously subjected to biological processes that are controlled with oxidation and are responsible for enriching the soil with extra nutrients and minerals.
Sometimes this type of practice can become very invasive and alter the soil structures, so it must be done with enough patience, where a shovel must be stuck with the same depth as the previous one, approximately twenty to twenty-five centimeters, in addition, it must be The soil must be separated with sides that allow everything to be extracted with a shovel. All this operation will be carried out every ten centimeters until there is enough soil on the orchard and it has the effective and desired shape.
All the soil that was separated and mixed with the compost must be placed on the surface of the garden or selected land where all the vegetable species will be planted.
Pave the Ground
The selected land must have the appropriate conditions to be considered an orchard, regularly it is a section of surface where small crops of vegetables and vegetables that are consumed directly by man will be carried out, so the best conditions that conserve ideal way planting the plants present.
Once the soil has been mixed with selected compost or fertilizer, the ground is leveled, consisting of filling all its sections until it has the same level and structure. Its main objective is that the soil of the orchard is presented with a fine and refined appearance, offering a soft and pleasant texture; If the soil has been properly aerated, no clods of soil will be found. If any are found, they must be undone at the time of being leveled.
Fertilize and enrich the garden soil
Compost is an organic or inorganic material that has nutrients and minerals that are assimilated by plants, their purpose is to enrich the soils in which they are applied, improving the quality of the substrate, stimulating vegetative growth and maintaining the natural properties of the soil. At present it is very common to use this type of substance in agricultural fields or small orchards located in homes.
Although the soil was previously enriched with compost, it never hurts to provide more nutrients that will allow the surface layer of the soil to be in contact with different elements such as rain, storms, excessive irrigation, exposure to sunlight, among others. Allowing to create a protection system that will prevent it from penetrating into the substrate and preserving its ideal conditions, therefore, it is advisable to provide the necessary organic matter to enrich the soil.
At this stage, it is recommended to provide a new layer of compost or organic fertilizers such as earthworm humus or manure, giving it sufficient properties so that the garden is maintained in the appropriate conditions for growing crops.
Crops in the Garden
Once the soil treatments are ready and the orchard is prepared with the ideal conditions, the cultivation of the desired plants can begin, be it vegetables, legumes, vegetables, fruits that are highly sought after by society due to their daily consumption. In addition, the pleasant experience of seeing them grow and observing the fruit of their labor is allowed, thereby offering healthy products with authentic flavors that are cultivated by each one.
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