Revitalize the vegetable garden quickly: what to sow in September to restore fertility

A busy gardening season is very depleting for the soil. Thus, you should replenish the soil with nutrients after harvesting. To ensure that the fruits are tasty and juicy next year, you need to increase soil fertility with green manure plants.

Mustard is considered the most common and effective green manure. OBOZREVATEL figured out how to improve the garden before the first frost.

The benefits of mustard

Mustard should be sown immediately after harvest. Acting as a green manure, this plant enriches the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus, which will ensure a bountiful harvest next season.

Mustard rots quickly and gives off valuable nutrients.

5 reasons to plant mustard in the fall

1. Mustard repels pests, including moths, slugs and wireworms. At the same time, the plant is an effective honey plant and attracts insects for pollination.
2. Mustard becomes especially useful after frosts, "covering" the ground and protecting it from freezing.
3. Mustard grows quickly and slows down the growth of harmful weeds.
4. Thanks to mustard, the soil is cleared of scab, late blight and putrefactive microorganisms.
5. Mustard loosens the soil qualitatively, saturating it with oxygen. It lifts moisture and nutrients from the lower soil layers.

How to sow mustard

In early autumn, sow mustard in the beds where potatoes and strawberries grew. Experienced gardeners advise sowing it in rows with a distance of 10-15 cm.

You can simply scatter the seeds over the garden bed and cover them with a rake. You'll get more green mass this way.

Dig holes 1-1.5 cm deep. 250 g of seeds are usually enough for 100 square meters. If the area is affected by pests, the amount of planting seeds should be increased.

You won't have to wait long for the seedlings to grow as they will germinate in 3-4 days, growing up to 15 cm in a month. Cut the mustard when you notice that the plant is about to bloom. Do this with a flat cutter, burying the herbs in the soil immediately. You can also just leave the mustard uncut. In winter, it will saturate the soil with microelements, while it will be enough just to loosen the bed in spring.

Light frosts will not harm mustard as it can withstand temperatures of -5°C.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL shared how to restore the soil after strawberries.

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