Which is better black soil or peat? Peat is a good buy: how to use it correctly

IN last years It has become fashionable to set up gardens personal plots. However, not everyone is able to choose the right earth mixtures necessary for active development and creation favorable conditions for plant life. So how is it right? SELECT SOIL for your site?

All owners suburban areas They are trying to acquire land that is blacker and richer. Growing demand creates supply: dozens of companies are engaged in the delivery of soil, black soil, compost, peat and simply fertile soil. Unfortunately, many suppliers do not even know what exactly they are transporting to the customer’s site. Sometimes, instead of milled (mixed) fertile peat-sand mixture for the lawn, they bring pure lowland peat with blocks of gray clay and rotten logs, which certainly will not bring any benefit to your site. Therefore, when purchasing plant soil, you should not completely rely on the supplier; it is advisable to understand the differences between Tula and Voronezh chernozem, humus and compost, what types of peat exist and what to use as a guide when choosing soil mixtures.

CHERNOZEM
For education black soil it takes 5 - 10 thousand years. Chernozem soil is one of the most fertile on the planet. Such high fertility is explained by a unique combination of factors influencing the formation of chernozems. Among them are climatic, geological and biological. In the chernozem zone, high summer temperatures prevail, stimulating intensive metabolism between plants, soil and microorganisms. If there is less precipitation than moisture evaporates from the surface of the earth (the deficit is replenished by groundwater), this also helps to increase fertility. With this amount of precipitation, nutrients are not washed out of the soil in groundwater(as in the Moscow region), but, on the contrary, they are taken up by roots herbaceous plants from rich soil-forming rock and accumulate in plant tissues. Root system crops have a significant impact on soil structure. Penetrating it, small roots break the soil into lumps (aggregates); Thanks to the gaps between the units, the optimal ratio of water and air for plants is maintained. IN black soil lives a huge number of microbes, worms and mites, which also loosen it and transform plant debris, ensuring the circulation nutrients.
When purchasing chernozem to prepare a soil mixture on your site, you need to keep in mind that you will not be able to solve the problem of creating a fertile top layer once and for all. After 10 - 20 years, a significant part of the nutrients will be washed out of it due to exposure low temperatures the number of representatives of soil fauna will decrease, the microbiological composition will change, and due to the lack steppe vegetation the supply of nutrients will decrease and soil aggregates will collapse. As a result, only a clay substrate will remain, which cracks when it dries, and after rain turns into impassable mud.
Of course, when doing landscaping work, you shouldn’t completely abandon black soil. You just need to use it in small quantities- to optimize water permeability, density, particle size distribution (particle ratio different sizes) soil. Wherein greatest effect achieved on the lungs sandy soils. On more clayey soils, peat and compost should be used.
Despite the vast territory of chernozem distribution, there are two main “deposits” - Tula and Voronezh. Chernozems in the south of Tula, west of Ryazan and north of Lipetsk regions are among the poorest (leached), in terms of fertility they rank intermediate position between the soils of Moscow (soddy-podzolic) and the best black soils Kursk and Voronezh regions. As a rule, leached chernozems are slightly acidic (pH = A.5 - 6.5) and are characterized by a low content of magnesium and phosphorus. Delivery of such soils is cheaper than chernozems from Voronezh. Kursk, Voronezh and Tambov chernozems are rich in nutrients and therefore preferable. Unfortunately, there are few companies on the market that supply from these areas.

HUMUS AND COMPOST
Except for black soil, they have a black color lowland peat, compost and humus. Usually, those who like to dig around on a site call all the dark-colored soil black soil, so confusion often arises. In fact, humus and composts are anthropogenic soils created specifically to increase soil fertility. Humus is a black, homogeneous earthy mass formed from rotted manure, in which plant remains are indistinguishable. This fertilizer is rich in nutrients, so it should be used when planting as an additive to soil mixtures. However, if the humus content in the planting mixture is too high, plant immunity may decrease.
Compost is rotted homogeneous organic fertilizer dark color. Compost consists of two main components - peat or turf soil, as well as horse manure, slurry, etc. (a source of nutrients and microorganisms). The aging period of industrial compost, supplied by specialized companies, is at least two years. When purchasing it, you need to pay attention to sanitary certificates. You can also make compost yourself. compost heap with a size of at least 1.5x2 m arranged on level ground, close to economic block. To suit its size, a small depression is made in the soil with an earthen ridge at the border so that liquid waste does not spread. Any waste of plant and animal origin is suitable for preparing composts. You just can’t plant infected plants, weeds with formed seeds and resistant weeds - wheatgrass, duckweed, nettle, coltsfoot. Composts are used not only as fertilizers, but also added to planting mixtures.

PEAT
Currently, peat has become the most popular fertile soil in landscaping and landscaping; planting mixtures for lawns consist of almost 70% of it. Lowland peat is a black soil that is loose, fertile and relatively cheap. Although peat- organic fertilizer, it also contains a mineral component. The most important characteristic peat is the ash content determined during its combustion, indicating the percentage of mineral components. These inorganic compounds were formed as a result of metabolism in plants or were brought water streams from elevated parts of the terrain. The higher their content, the peat is more fertile. On other soils, fertility increases with increasing content organic matter. Ash content can vary from 1% in high-moor peat to 50% in low-lying peat.
When using peat mixtures for lawns, it is necessary to take into account the changing living conditions for peat. In household plots, groundwater is lower than in peat mines, and with good aeration, the delivered peat is quickly decomposed by microorganisms. In a few years, a significant part of the imported organic matter will go into carbon dioxide and will evaporate, and the lawn will sag. Therefore, peat should not be allowed to predominate in soil mixtures; one should choose fertile soil with higher ash content. Some suppliers extract peat in advance and store it in heaps (piles), there is not enough sand, and the soil is poorly processed. It is preferable to prepare such a mixture yourself, at the rate of one car of sand for two cars of peat. In the future, the peat-sand mixture must be thoroughly mixed with the natural soil of the site.
So, to summarize: when preparing soil mixtures for lawns, the proportion of peat should not exceed 25 - 30%; when choosing it, first of all you need to pay attention to ash content and acidity; It is advisable to prepare the soil mixture yourself; Suitable for most crops soil mixture With lowland peat, and the top type is suitable only for plants that prefer acidic soil. Also, soil based on peat-sand (TPS) or peat-soil mixture (TSM) must necessarily have a certificate from the Moscow Environmental Register (MED), which guarantees its quality, purity and safety. At the Stroy Nerud company you can buy soil with a certificate from the Ministry of Economic Development. attractive price with delivery to your site.

FERTILE LAND
In addition to black soils, the market offers fertile garden soil from greenhouses, topsoil (fertile soil) and floodplain soil. Greenhouse soil, as a rule, is severely depleted and contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, so it should be decisively abandoned. Floodplain soils are among the most fertile, and besides, they are not transported several hundred kilometers, being transferred to other climatic conditions, which means that their structure and properties are not disturbed as much as those of chernozems. The only problem is that the customer can be delivered not only soil, but also underlying rock, which is often clay and not so fertile.

In conclusion one more advice: when ordering fertile soils, please specify them chemical composition. Many people are interested in how much protein, fat and carbohydrates are contained in food products; in the same way, you should know about the content of humus, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil.

It is no secret to anyone that in spring period many people are faced with the problem of choice fertile soil, for landscaping various sites, or gardening on your own summer cottage. Ordinary plant soil, which is located in the Moscow region, is quite poor, it contains too little fertile and plant particles, and therefore it is too poorly suited for these purposes. So, what is peat, peat mixtures, fertile and vegetable soil, black soil, soil and upper layer? So in what cases is it better to use? We will try to answer all these questions in this short article. We would like to note right away that we do not professionally engage in landscaping or gardening. But we collected all the information posted on this page during communication with our customers, and among them I can assure you that there were quite a few professionals in these difficult issues.

Materials for landscaping and gardening:

Peat - depending on the process of decomposition of its constituent elements, it can be various colors, from brown-yellow to brown turning into dark black. But this is not the main thing that characterizes its properties. Peat itself is not the most the best fertilizer- this is mainly due to the low percentage of ash particles in it, but it maintains the optimal ratio of water and air in the soil for plants.

Peat sand mixture- mixing peat and sand in specified proportions. Active natural starting substances (sand and peat) ensure that the peat-sand mixture optimizes the agrochemical properties of the soil, increases bearing capacity soil, etc. Peat - 70%, Sand - 30%.

Plant soil is private form soil. That is, the soil, in fact, is top part fertile soil layer. But also the most various mixtures soil with any other nutrients, for example, peat, mineral fertilizers, microelements and others also constitute plant soil of high fertility. Vegetable soil is mostly used to restore the fertile properties of depleted soil. Peat and peat-based soils are already self-sufficient, high-quality helpers in restoring the fertile functions of the soil. Moreover, by purchasing plant soil from us, you guarantee yourself high quality fertilizer properties. Peat - 60-70%, Soil - 30-40%.

Fertile soil (top layer) is ordinary soil mixed with any other layers of soil. For example, when they are developing in a sand quarry new site, cut off the top layers of soil or the so-called sandy soil to get to clean layers of sand. Fertile soil is not very expensive compared to its counterparts and is very actively used for preliminary landscaping or leveling plots of land before subsequent landscaping.

Chernozem is a highly fertile soil. Chernozem has a granular-lumpy structure and black color. Chernozem is formed by perennial herbaceous vegetation in the steppe and forest-steppe zones and is considered better soil for agriculture. The differences between chernozems include: good water-air properties, acid reaction is neutral or close to it. Chernozems contain a lot of humus (up to 15 percent in the upper horizons). The method of using chernozem is the same as the use of peat and peat mixtures. When mixed with sand, heavy loamy chernozem forms an optimal fertile layer rich in nutrients.

Indistinguishable, from the point of view external characteristics, peat and humus are often confused, and some inexperienced amateur gardeners sometimes even mistake them for the same fertilizer. However, the difference between these nutritional supplements for plants is colossal and the question of which one is best to use in a particular garden should be decided individually.

Peat

Peat, a natural product, is formed under the influence of biochemical processes in the absence of oxygen. Raw materials are obtained by transforming objects such as: tree branches, dead swamp plants, leaves and other natural materials. At the end of the transformation process, coal is obtained.

Unique plant raw materials have many advantages and are widely used in agriculture. It is used for the following purposes:

Creation of fertile soils and fertilizers;
Application of peat oxidate as plant growth stimulants;
Production of special pots for growing seedlings and feeding tablets by pressing the material;
Use as insulation when cultivating plants that are not resistant to frost during the cold period;

Based on their origin, raw materials are divided into three types:

Horse: composed of grasses and leaves, formed on the surface of swamps. It has a loose and light structure;
Lowland: formed at the bottom of swampy reservoirs, it contains mosses, remains of tree species and shrubs. This type is different high humidity and density;
Transition: mixed type peat;

Peat is a free-flowing and light product; it is also highly acidic. The raw material contains elements that inhibit the development of plants, blocking access to nutrients, but due to its porosity, peat allows it to saturate the soil with oxygen. For these reasons, peat should be used carefully; you should not densely cover the entire territory of a garden or other plot of land with it.

To answer the question of which is better - peat or humus, it is necessary to analyze the rules for using this or that raw material.

Tips for using peat on the site:

The entire territory of the site should not contain more than 65% of raw materials;
Before use, it is better to dry the peat and mix it with or
It is best to use peat fertilizers on soils with a high content of and;

By adding peat during the growing process, every gardener can get a large harvest, but when using it, you should carefully examine the soil and add only required amount fertilizers

Humus

Humus is a natural fertilizer that is formed in the process of overheating natural materials., which include: grass, leaves, manure, small branches. This fertilizer is popular not only due to the fact that you can create it yourself, even in the smallest garden plot, but also because high performance. Humus:

Nourishes and saturates the soil with moisture and oxygen;
Structures loose soil;
Regulates the delivery of mineral fertilizers during feeding;
Can completely replace other fertilizers and relieve the soil from depletion;
Attracts earthworms while repelling moles;
Allows you to avoid mulching for some types of plants.

Since humus is formed from several types of materials, it is usually divided into two types:

Herbal;
Dung.

Types of humus differ from each other in the amount of nutrients and their effect on plants, however, when comparing peat and humus, this difference is not significant.

Answering the question of what is better, peat or humus, It is also necessary to consider the disadvantages of rotted raw materials:

To use humus, you need to prepare the soil. Standardly, for fertilizing the land with humus, the raw material is buried for the winter, mixing it with soil 1:1;
Land fertilized with humus is highly susceptible to weed infestation, which is a significant disadvantage for any gardener.

Otherwise, humus is an ideal fertilizer, constant use which will allow you to collect impressive harvests from the site.

Peat or humus - which is better to choose?

When choosing between peat and humus, it is necessary to consider their main differences and indicators. The most obvious and significant difference between peat and humus is increased acidity. This property makes peat the most popular fertilizer for structured soil or as the main component in depleted soils. land plots. Peat is excellent for clay, sandy, loamy and sandy loam soils, which are often found throughout Russia, including the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk and other Siberian cities.

Humus is universal remedy for fertilizer, however, due to lengthy soil preparation and large quantity weeds, many try to use it in minimal quantities.

Thus, we can say that humus - the best remedy for fertilizer, however, you shouldn’t forget about peat either. The right mixture natural fertilizers with the soil will allow it to be nourished in a balanced manner useful substances and grow the best harvest.

Indistinguishable from the point of view of external characteristics, peat and humus are often confused, and some inexperienced amateur gardeners sometimes even mistake them for the same fertilizer. However, the difference between these nutritional supplements for plants is colossal and the question of which one is best to use in a particular garden should be decided individually.

Unique plant raw materials have many advantages and are widely used in agriculture. It is used for the following purposes:

Creation of fertile soils and fertilizers;
Application of peat oxidate as plant growth stimulants;
Production of special pots for growing seedlings and feeding tablets by pressing the material;
Use as insulation when cultivating plants that are not resistant to frost during the cold period;

Based on their origin, raw materials are divided into three types:

Horse: composed of grasses and leaves, formed on the surface of swamps. It has a loose and light structure;
Lowland: formed at the bottom of swampy reservoirs, it contains mosses, remains of tree species and shrubs. This type is characterized by high humidity and density;
Transition: mixed type of peat;

To answer the question of which is better - peat or humus, it is necessary to analyze the rules for using this or that raw material.

Tips for using peat on the site:

The entire territory of the site should not contain more than 65% of raw materials;
Before use, it is better to dry the peat and mix it with humus or sand;
It is best to use peat fertilizers on soils with a high content of clay and sand;

By adding peat during the growing process, every gardener can get a large harvest, but when using it, you should carefully study the soil and apply only the required amount of fertilizer.

Humus

Humus is a natural fertilizer that is formed in the process of overheating natural materials., which include: grass, leaves, manure, small branches. This fertilizer is popular not only because you can create it yourself, even in the smallest garden plot, but also because of its high characteristics. Humus:

Nourishes and saturates the soil with moisture and oxygen;
Structures loose soil;
Regulates the delivery of mineral fertilizers during feeding;
Can completely replace other fertilizers and relieve the soil from depletion;
Attracts earthworms while repelling moles;
Allows you to avoid mulching for some types of plants.

Since humus is formed from several types of materials, it is usually divided into two types:

Herbal;
Dung.

Types of humus differ from each other in the amount of nutrients and their effect on plants, however, when comparing peat and humus, this difference is not significant.

Answering the question of what is better, peat or humus, It is also necessary to consider the disadvantages of rotted raw materials:

To use humus, you need to prepare the soil. Standardly, for fertilizing the land with humus, the raw material is buried for the winter, mixing it with soil 1:1;
Land fertilized with humus is highly susceptible to weed infestation, which is a significant disadvantage for any gardener.

Otherwise, humus is an ideal fertilizer, the constant use of which will allow you to collect impressive harvests from the site.

Peat or humus - which is better to choose?

When choosing between peat and humus, it is necessary to consider their main differences and indicators. The most obvious and significant difference between peat and humus is increased acidity. This property makes peat the most popular fertilizer for structured soil or as the main component on depleted land plots. Peat is excellent for clay, sandy, loamy and sandy loam soils, which are often found throughout Russia, including the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk and other Siberian cities.

Humus is a universal fertilizer, however, due to long soil preparation and a large number of weeds, many try to use it in minimal quantities.

Thus, we can say that humus is the best fertilizer, however, you shouldn’t forget about peat either. The right mixture of natural fertilizers with the soil will allow you to balance it with nutrients and grow the best harvest.

Company " Samovozov» delivers humus in Krasnoyarsk and nearby populated areas, including Emelyanovo, Drokino, Muzhichkino, Berezovka, Elite and others. In most cases, the soils in our region require humus. The land near Krasnoyarsk, as a rule, is depleted of fertile humus, so for better growth plants need to be fertilized in this way.

You can order delivery of humus in Krasnoyarsk by calling the number listed on the website page “ Contacts».

Konstantin Denisyuk

When a house, a fence is built, a well is drilled, the sewage system is working, all underground communications and infrastructure are laid, and construction waste is collected and taken to a landfill, it is time to form a fertile layer of soil on the site. Two logical questions arise: what is the best way to form a fertile layer and what should be its thickness? As you know, the devil is in the details, and you should pay attention to them.

1. Dendroplane with a list of plants

The soil is poured in order for plants to grow on it and should be selected based on their preferences. Of all the many soil preferences, the most key is acidity. For plants that prefer acidic soil, you need to import acidic peat. For other plants, properly prepared neutral soil is also suitable, with possible deviations towards alkaline or slightly acidic. Using the links provided here you can familiarize yourself in detail with the list of plants that prefer acidic, alkaline, heavy clay and loamy, as well as sandy soils.

2. Thickness of the fertile soil layer

For a lawn, a fertile layer thickness of twenty to thirty centimeters is sufficient, since the roots are deeper lawn grass they simply don't grow. For not very demanding shrubs, which are the majority, this layer thickness is also suitable. And for large plants and demanding shrubs, you will have to select the land locally and fill the fertile soil into the planting holes.

3. Chernozem or peat? What's better?

The main difference between peat and chernozem is the humus content. Humus is the organic part of the soil obtained as a result of the decomposition of plant and animal remains and their waste products. Chernozems are famous for their fertility precisely due to their high humus content. Humus - universal fertilizer, which cannot be overdosed, is suitable for all plants, containing everything necessary for their normal life. If humus were cheaper, then plants should be planted directly in it. Now humus is obtained on specialized farms that breed red Californian worms. Worms eat organic matter and secrete humus, which is sold in pure form, and in the form of various extracts or added to soil mixtures.

chernozem inuses in the number of diseases and pests that always live in the upper soil layer. Of all possible soil types, chernozem is the most contaminated. No one has been carrying out preventive procedures for a long time; ammonia water is not being applied to the fields. In addition, soil collected in greenhouse farms. Friability and black color do not at all guarantee the quality of chernozem, the presence of humus in it and the absence of pests and diseases, nitrates and nitrites and pesticides. Therefore, if you decide to import black soil, we recommend that you submit it to a laboratory for analysis.

ORF is a universal component that is part of almost all existing soil mixtures and soil substrates. So, if you take peat, mix it with sand to improve the structure, add perlite or vermiculite, and of course humus, you will get an excellent fertile substrate that will better black soil A. In the vast majority of cases, it does not contain pests and diseases, since production comes from the depths. Pure peat is flammable, and in the heat, under direct sun rays, may spontaneously ignite. Therefore, it is better to immediately mix it with sand. Many peats have a very acidic pH of 3.5-4.5. Such peat is only suitable for acidic soil plants - heathers, rhododendrons, blueberries, cranberries, azaleas, etc. Such acidity is not suitable for most plants and the peat will have to be deoxidized, that is, the required amount of chalk or lime must be added to it. Therefore, when buying peat from a peat bog, do not forget to ask for a certificate (then you will not have to do the analysis yourself). There is no need to mix acidic peat with sand and other additives.

4. Budget

The main component in the price of soil is the cost of delivery. If someone is digging a lake or removing the top layers of soil in the surrounding area, you should definitely pay attention to this. Lakes are dug in the lowlands, where there are almost always deposits of excellent peat.

5. Substrate (bottom, rough layer of soil, under the fertile layer)

orf or black soil must be mixed with sand to improve their structure. It is better to choose sand of large fractions, perhaps gully sand, with a high content of clay particles that retain water and contain a huge amount of useful microelements. With sand, the soil becomes lighter, more airy and moisture-permeable. If you have soil with a high sand content as a substrate, then you can do without importing sand. Use the existing substrate as a sand component, which is mixed with imported peat or black soil using a walk-behind tractor.

Taking into account all of the above, we summarize:

In our work we use peat, black soil and ravine sand, mixing them in proportions 2:1:1 . If peat mining is nearby and the budget is limited, then we mix peat with ravine sand in the proportion 3:1 . If we have loose and sandy soil as a substrate, then we can do without gully sand by mixing peat with the substrate in the same proportion 3:1 . Immediately before mixing, add mineral fertilizers, for example, nitroammophoska at the rate of 30-40g per square meter. In cases where fertility is a key factor, humus (or vermicompost) of 1 l/m2 should be added before mixing.

For guaranteed collection big harvest The soil on the site must be suitable. It is a mistake to believe that absolutely everything will melt on black soil and bear fruit several times a year. Each plant puts forward own terms to the ground, which the gardener/gardener is obliged to carry out. Of course, chernozem is present in almost every type of soil. It is only important to ensure the correct combination with others components soil.

One of the main problems when buying black soil is fraud. Visually, black soil is not yet black soil. Summer residents without extensive experience in gardening often do not have the ability to distinguish between truly natural black soil and its “cheap substitutes.” Naturally, buying ordinary soil at the price of black soil is idiotic. On the website http://ekogrunty.ru/chernozem/ you can be guaranteed to buy chernozem highest quality. Logistics problems can also be solved.

In order to reliably distinguish chernozem from peat, it is necessary to have a detailed understanding of their specificity. Chernozem is a type of soil that is formed naturally as a result of the rotting of huge amounts of root material.

In addition, we should not forget that chernozem is a participant in the natural ecosystem. In fact, chernozem cannot arise if living organisms do not live in it: earthworms, marmots, moles, etc.

Peat is formed exclusively in swampy, wet areas. It occurs as a result of decay of animal and plant remains. Moreover, for peat to form, a natural lack of air is necessary.

Chernozem can be used on the site immediately. It is enough to scatter it over the surface of the soil and dig it up for enrichment. It is strictly forbidden to introduce peat into the soil unprepared. It must first be composted.

By and large, today there are two methods for identifying these differences:

squeezing a ball of soil in your hand;
filling a lump of soil with water and waiting for it to dry.

Indeed, it is enough to squeeze a lump of black soil to understand whether the seller is deceiving you or not. After you release the compressed lump from your hand, a greasy and dark mark will remain on the skin. This will never happen after peat.

The second method is even simpler. The lump of chernozem and the lump of peat are saturated with moisture to the limit. After this, they are left in the sun - you need to wait until dry. Chernozem retains moisture very well and for a long time.

Peat dries out literally before our eyes (after all, peat in the overwhelming majority is used to ensure soil looseness).

The video explains how to use peat in gardening: