Especially for heat-loving vegetable plants, structures called warm beds were invented. They play the role of a natural "heating pad" that consists of organic waste. These waste products in the process of fermentation and decay generate heat, which heats the root system from below and thereby saves the plants from sudden changes in weather and a drop in temperature.
In the process of decomposition of a large amount of plant waste, not only the temperature rises, but also carbon dioxide is released, which contributes to the formation of nutrients useful for plants. In such beds, the growth and development of plants occurs much faster, they acquire immunity to various diseases. In vegetable crops, the yield increases significantly, including due to favorable conditions for a long fruiting period.
A place for a warm garden should be chosen well-lit, in an open space, sunny. Already at the end of summer, you can start building and arranging it. It is at this time that a variety of plant waste is collected in the garden. By the way, seeds and seedlings can be planted in such a bed in early spring.
How to make a warm garden bed on uncultivated land
It will take almost a year to form a full-fledged and high-quality warm bed on unplowed land, in which it will already be possible to plant seedlings. You need to start with the construction of a box of boards, and then fill it with different layers of organic matter.
The first layer should be woody - these are small tree branches, wood chips. The next layer is paper. Waste paper is suitable here: newspapers, magazines, wrapping paper, cardboard. Next, humus or manure is covered with a layer of about ten centimeters. It is needed to retain moisture and build nutrients. And the last layer should be grass.
Everything that is superfluous in the garden during the summer (for example, weeds and tops of plants) is gradually added to the warm bed. Water everything abundantly once a week. With this care, the contents of the garden will begin to rot. And already at the beginning of spring, all that remains is to cover a ten-centimeter layer of decayed foliage on top and you can start planting.
The device of a "fast" warm bed in a box
The base for the miracle garden is usually knocked down from unnecessary boards, and sometimes a perimeter is built of concrete or building stone. The height of the box walls cannot be less than thirty centimeters. Having installed the bed in its place, fill it gradually with various organic matter.
Take note that when filling the beds with layers, one very important condition must be taken into account. At the very bottom of the box there are long-decomposing waste, and in the upper layer - rapidly decomposing waste.
- 1st - waste paper, branches of shrubs and trees, thick stems;
- 2nd - waste of vegetable and fruit fruits, sawdust, food waste;
- 3rd - fallen leaves and small herbaceous plants.
You can separate each layer with peat or manure and do not forget to water them abundantly. The top layer is covered with mulch or any green fertilizer and left for wintering.
During the cold season, all layers will gradually shrink.Before spring planting, they will need to be loosened a little. In early spring, the entire contents of the garden must be watered with warm water or manure solution to start the decomposition process and release heat. It is advisable to cover the surface of the entire bed with plastic wrap.
In the spring, seeds are sown in a finished warm bed earlier than on a regular garden bed. The transparent film will only contribute to warming up the plant roots. The sprouts will appear much earlier, and the seedlings in such a bed will bloom faster and will bear fruit for a long time.
The effectiveness of such a bed will last for two or three years. As soon as the organic waste is completely overheated, the bed will stop "heating". Then you can try adding plant layers or you can completely update the contents of the box.
Warm bed with a trench digging
It is possible to extend the viability of a warm bed for a longer time than two to three years. This will take more time and more effort to create it. But a bed based on a dug trench will serve you for ten years.
On the site chosen for the future garden bed, you need to dig a shallow trench, about about fifty centimeters deep. Thick and strong branches and trunks of trees, strong and voluminous roots, or unnecessary boards are laid across and in the middle of the trench. Small wood chips, shavings, sawdust, bark waste and medium-sized branches are poured along the edges of the future bed.
If the bottom of the trench is heavy clayey, then before filling it, a layer of fine sand should be poured over the entire base and only after that a wooden layer should be formed. If the site is located in an area with a cold, harsh northern climate, then the first layer can be ordinary plastic bottles, packed tightly to each other. They will prevent the cold coming from the soil.
The woody layer is completely covered with an inverted layer of soil formed from the dense roots of herbaceous plants and pressed or trampled down tightly. A knocked-down wooden box is placed on the sod layer, the height of which is about thirty centimeters and then it is alternately filled with all the necessary components. The top layer should be one-to-one compost soil.
In the first year, it is recommended to grow cucumbers and tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants, pumpkin and bell peppers in a warm garden bed. But beets, radishes and various greens are not worth it.
Before planting, only the topmost layer of the soil is loosened. After two or three seasons, the top layer will turn into excellent humus, which can be used for feeding throughout the garden. And you can replace it with new plant waste.
Warm beds love abundant and regular wateringwhich promotes the development of microorganisms. Without them, a warm garden bed will not be able to fulfill its purpose. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a humid environment to ensure the "combustion" process.
