Why I Do not leave the Potato field sown with Siderat before winter and I do not advise you

Recently, siderates are so popular! Gardeners are advised to sow the plot with these plants that increase soil fertility at every opportunity!

However, not everything is so cloudless with them... And for myself, I decided that the potato field should stand all winter without green manure. And now I'll explain why!

Potatoes, even the most unpretentious varieties, are still a demanding crop. In particular, he does not tolerate neighborhood with other plants. And with siderates this creates a big problem!

After all, many of them are famous for their short growing cycle and the fact that they easily scatter seeds in the wind. If you occupy a potato field with them, then their grains can easily overwinter and grow thickly next year.

Try to deal with them later, when the time comes to plant potatoes in a flooded area!

Let's consider another problem. It is known that at the beginning of growing potatoes need nitrogen very much. But! Strictly in certain dosages, since its lack does not allow large and tasty tubers to ripen, and an excess of it contributes to the accumulation of nitrates.

What happens when a field is sown with green manure before winter? By the time the potatoes are planted, their green mass will have time to decompose so that the nitrogen simply evaporates!

This means that potatoes will suffer from its deficiency. If green manure lingers on the site, then there is a problem of their uncontrolled reproduction, which can oppress the potatoes.

Worth mentioning is the fact that green manure not only give, but like any other plant, must take nutrients from the soil. This means that they are capable, theoretically, after the "greedy" potatoes to deplete it even more.

So it turns out that nitrogen, useless for future plantings of root crops, will have time to disappear, and even the earth will lose valuable elements!

In addition, green manure can attract pests. Rapeseed, which can become a breeding ground for nematodes, is definitely dangerous for potatoes.

So it turns out that siderates in a potato field can be more harm than good! This does not mean that they are bad in principle. However, it makes no sense to thoughtlessly plant all the free corners on the site.

Personally, I'm used to just removing all the remnants of bushes and weeds from the potato field, then digging a shovel deep into the bayonet and leaving it like that for the winter.