How to clean up a neglected vegetable garden. What to do if you bought a plot with an old neglected orchard

In a long-abandoned garden, you have to start by eliminatingthickets wild plants, tree shoots and old bushes,to make room for your. Target - to clean up, if possible without destroyingfeeling of the integrity of the garden. It's better to do everything gradually,tidying up zone by zone.

Preparation stages:

First, collect all garbage (bottles, pieces of paper and cardboard, old rags, etc.), remove weeds and other plant debris from the surface of the area. Place the collected garbage in piles and take it outside the territory; burn non-toxic waste.
Visually inspect growing bushes and trees. Some can be brought back to life by rejuvenating pruning, while others are best uprooted immediately and young seedlings planted in their place.
Currants, gooseberries, shadberry, honeysuckle, viburnum and other similar bushes can be cut at ground level or left with only small branches with 3-4 buds on each. After pruning, add 300 g under each bush. wood ash and water thoroughly. Soon the plants will produce new strong shoots, of which only the 5 strongest and healthiest shoots will need to be left (remove the rest). The rejuvenation procedure is over.
It is easier to uproot neglected trees immediately than to try to gradually restore them through many years of rejuvenating pruning. Here you will have to face a very difficult stage - stump removal. There are 2 options - chemical and mechanical removal. The first is simpler, but dangerous for the soil. In this case, deep holes are made in the stump with a drill, into which a potent herbicide is poured. During mechanical removal, the stump is dug in as much as possible from all sides, the main roots are cut, and the base is removed using a crowbar.
The garbage has been removed, old trees and stumps have been uprooted, it’s time to start restoring fertility. And the first thing it is advisable to decide on is the current soil type. Take a handful of earth and roll it into a smooth ball in your hands. Make a smooth earth stick the thickness of a pencil from the ball, and then try to roll it into a ring. You can't even roll a ball out of sandy soil. Light loam will most likely make all the figures, but they will crumble easily. Medium and heavy loam will give a more solid result, but there will definitely be a lot of cracks on the curves of the figures. And only clay soil will make it possible to make an even ring without flaws.
Clay soils and heavy loams, dig deep or plow with a walk-behind tractor. At the same time, add 1 bucket of humus, compost or peat to the ground, 1 bucket river sand and 0.5 buckets of sawdust for every 1 m2 of area. IN sandy soils add 1 bucket of organic matter and 1 bucket of clay per 1 m2. They only need to be dug to a depth of 1 spade bayonet. The soil improvement procedure is not a one-time process and must be repeated year after year.
Also remember to determine the acidity level. Most often at our dachas the soil is acidic with pH< 5,0 (маркеры высокой кислотности - хвощ, конский щавель). Cultivated plants They don’t like this kind of soil, so before planting them, add 600 g of lime per 1 m2 of land.

With a targeted approach, you will be able to restore an abandoned site in 3-4 years.

Tell me what to do.

I have a dacha of 12 acres, once it was looked after, and there was everything: fruits and berries and vegetables. But such circumstances arose that I had to leave; I didn’t sell the dacha, but I also stopped caring for her. As a result, 5 years have passed. You understand what happened there. And now I want to restore it. I don't know where to start. Maybe try getting rid of the weeds first? Is it possible to sow something in the winter to make it easier to fight weeds in the spring???

I'm waiting for your answer - Olga

Olga, hello! I won't say that I experienced gardener, but by chance I encountered the same problems as you. In the fall of 2005, my husband and I bought a VERY neglected plot of land, the weeds were taller than me, there was a lot of willow, etc. First I filled everything with Roundup. 3 weeks after the sanatorium we arrived at the site, everything was dry and withered. The willow and old currant bushes were uprooted by the son and his friend. On the advice of our neighbors, we set fire to the grass. The site has acquired a more or less decent appearance. But next spring my husband broke his leg and I had to fight with the grass all summer alone: first we shoveled and turned the turf upside down by hand. But then all summer I stained the emerging and greening grass with Roundup. Only in the fall was I able to plant raspberry and currant bushes.
This spring we were lucky enough to sell this plot and buy another one in a drier place, but it was also very neglected.
After we removed the mountains of garbage from it, part of the plot was immediately plowed up, I planted some flowers in this place and spent the whole summer weeding it by hand or with a cultivator. I have not planted any ground cover plants in this place yet. We didn’t have time to plow the remaining half of the plot right away, because... The rains began, the grass (weed) grew by leaps and bounds, and my husband mowed it all summer. Gradually small areas I started digging with a flat fork and carefully selecting the roots of the weeds. The work, I tell you, is tiring; on average, I cultivated 1-2 square meters of land per day, sometimes a little more. But I really wanted to put everything in order. In August, I began periodically watering the remaining grass with Roundup. When it dried, my men plowed this place for me with a motorized cultivator, and I covered it with black spanboard. By the way, don’t believe that after this grass doesn’t grow under it at all, nothing like that! To prevent it from growing, you need to press a spanboard or other light-proof material tightly to the ground so that not a drop of light gets anywhere. Under my cherry tree, the ground was covered with pieces of old black roofing material, so the infection found small cracks and crawled out of them. But still, the grass did not grow so much under the spanboard.
At this place I decided to make a lawn and throughout September and half of October I also worked this area with a pitchfork, freeing it from the roots. After trampling the soil (this is necessary for the future lawn), I covered the area with spanboard until next spring. I also clear everything else of debris, weed it and cover it with spandex. I planted many more flowers in the fall, and in the spring I’ll try to plant the empty spaces with ground covers. In short, things aren't done yet. But, really, most of the work needs to be done manually. And I realized that they write correctly: you don’t need to dig up the soil with a shovel, when you shovel with a pitchfork and pick out the roots of the weeds, they don’t grow for a long time. If it is not yet possible to plant something in this place, the emerging weeds can be passed manual cultivator, the main thing is that they do not grow.
This year in the spring I only planted roses, clarkia, petunia and nasturtium, in the summer I brought mantle, meadow geranium and a small fir from Altai, all of this took root, bloomed, you know, what beauty and pride that this is your work! In September, I planted a lot more flowers and cherry bushes, plums, raspberries, currants, and honeysuckle.
My dream in the future is to make a plot that will be the envy of all the neighbors.
I will be glad if my little experience will help someone.

It is not always the case that the owners get the plots in excellent condition with the beds dug up and trimmed. Mostly new owner he simply gets a plot overgrown with weeds and weeds with fruit trees and bushes that have gone wild and began to bear completely different large and juicy fruits than they previously bore in a well-groomed state. However, sometimes a plot of land is inherited from grandparents, or it is simply forgotten about for a while, during which time it becomes overgrown with weeds and thickets of grass as tall as a man. Of course, it is impossible to plant anything in such an area without first clearing it. The first task facing the owner of the site is to clear the territory and prepare it for the next season.

In general, smart and zealous gardeners have long come up with many ways that allow them to quickly and efficiently develop virgin soil in order to use the land for their needs. After all, land that has rested for several years and is overgrown with weeds is excellent for any planting, since it has accumulated all the necessary nutrients. All that remains is to bring it into proper condition and begin to implement your plan. But this sounds simple only in words. In fact, this is a huge amount of work that requires a lot of effort and time. But the result is worth it.

In general, all methods of developing virgin soil can be divided into those that allow you to plant some plants in the first season after processing and those that do not allow you to do this.

Radical changes

This method is considered quite simple in concept and labor-intensive in execution. In the process of clearing the area from thickets, it is necessary to remove upper layer earth, called turf, in which numerous roots are intertwined. The cut layers are placed in a designated area with the roots facing up and covered with material that does not transmit light. Periodically, this pile should be treated with urea so that after a few years it turns into excellent compost.

As for the soil itself, a new layer of soil is poured on top of the cleared soil, which is ordered on several machines. The main thing is to know the origin of the soil and its quality. Otherwise, you risk wasting money and getting a new layer of soil rich in weeds and pathogens and even pests.

The simpler the better

The first method is relatively easier, since it involves digging up the area manually without removing the weed roots. Another thing is that with this method you will not be able to sow a lot of things on the site for a long time. Cabbage and potatoes will come to the rescue. Cabbage is planted as seedlings, but as it grows it will bring powerful shade from its leaves, just like cabbage. This shade will cover the ground and begin to suppress weed growth. In addition, you will need to periodically hill up the beds, which will also help destroy weeds.

For greater effect, you can mulch between rows with grass clippings, manure or compost.

Useful waste paper

This one is very original way It will work if you follow the instructions carefully. To make it a reality, you will need rotted manure (you can use chicken manure, compost or humus). This composition must be evenly distributed over the entire area of the developed area and covered on top with black and white newspaper 5-7 layers thick. If you find this difficult, you can replace the newspaper with thick cardboard. Top on paper layer compost mixed with manure is poured out.

The advantage of this method is that you can make holes in newspapers in which you can plant any crops grown through seedlings. This is perfect for those who don’t want to wait a long time, being content with only potatoes and cabbage. At the end of the season except great harvest grown crops, you will also receive a clean area, with soil enriched with vitamins and microelements.

Black bedspread

Black film – pretty known method getting rid of weeds. You can cover the entire area with it, so that under the hot summer sun a real hell will be created for all living plants. No weed can survive the absence sun rays and this steam room, so by the end of the season you can remove the film, dig up the ground and feel like a winner. Alas, with this method there is no talk of any plantings this season.

Green manure comes to the rescue (video - site planning)

Many nice words have been said about green manure plants, which have a lot of benefits. Including during the development of the site. Among all the crops in this series, there are three that will cope with the task better than others.

Winter rye is the first of these three helper crops that will rid the area of weeds. Rye itself perfectly suppresses the growth of other plants, and winter rye is used for a reason. Rye seeds are planted in spring instead of autumn. Thus, the gardener deceives the plant, which will not be able to bloom during the season and will not form an ear.

You can enhance the effect if you cut wheat several times a season without damaging the growing part of the plant. In the spring of the next season, the rye will go into the ground, and in its place you can plant potatoes or other crops, depending on how overgrown your area is.

Sunflower - much more easy job for a summer resident, but at the same time no less ruthless in relation to weeds. In early May, its seeds are planted in the ground after digging as thick as possible. When the seedlings emerge from the ground, other plants simply have no chance to survive under such pressure.

At the beginning of autumn, sunflowers can be mowed and chopped into pieces of twenty centimeters, and then thrown into the soil. During the fall, these parts will decompose and well fertilize the ground, preparing it for planting new crops next season.

Bush beans are not only effective, but also delicious. You just need to sow it thicker than is usually prescribed for it. A distance of 5-10 cm is maintained between plants, and 20-30 cm between rows. During the first month, you will still have to weed between the plants, and then the beans will cover the entire bed with their leaves, and in this shade it is unlikely that anything will be able to grow. When the season comes to an end, the tops of the beans will go into compost, and you should go through the area with a hoe to remove the most tenacious weeds.

As you can see, the methods are very different in nature. You can choose any of them, depending on whether you are in a hurry to plant something on your site or are ready to wait for time and the sun to do their job. In any case, if you take up this task and bring it to the end, you can then enjoy the pleasures of working on your weed-free plot.

As a rule, the new owners of such a plot end up with a neglected garden. Often it is so old that it seems impossible to restore it to its proper form. In most cases this is not the case. Let's look at a few questions facing the owners of an old garden.

What to do right away to more or less put the old garden in order?

This question appears as soon as new owner enters the gate of the acquired "estate". First of all, you need to decide what you want from the land you purchased. This will determine where to start.

If you prefer ornamental plants and lawns, then you can immediately begin uprooting everything that is there. And then invite a landscape designer.

However, if you are reading this article, then your interests include gardening. So, let’s look at ways to preserve the old garden.

Cleaning in the garden

You need to start by clearing out the garbage and belongings of the old owners, which you probably won’t need. Then clear the area of weeds, mow the grass and uproot old overgrown raspberries. True, you can deal with raspberries more humanely: leave separate bushes so that they are in the same row. Place the supports and tie the raspberries to them. This will give you the opportunity to try the berries and understand whether you need to get rid of them completely. After cleaning, you can look around the entire space, you know which fruit plants are at your disposal. The next question arises.

Uproot or leave old shrubs in the garden?

Let's start with the bushes. It’s good if you managed to catch the time of their fruiting. In this case, after tasting the berries, you can determine whether they are right for you or whether you should buy something better.

In my opinion, it is not worth completely getting rid of old plantings. Having bought a seedling, you need to wait for the start of fruiting, but for currants and gooseberries it will take a year or two. Old bushes can be put in order and at least some harvest can be obtained from them. To get the bushes in order, prune them. The oldest branches lying on the ground should be cut out (Fig. 1a), and the rest should be fenced with supports (Fig. 1b, 1c) so that the branches do not droop under the weight of the fruit.

When cutting branches, pay attention to the cut: if it has an empty core, then most likely the bush is infected with glass. In this case, cut the branches back to where the pith is. Be sure to cover all cuts and burn the branches.

In the future, you will be able to determine which shrubs need to be removed completely and which ones should be replaced.

What to do with fruit trees?

Now about fruit trees. As a rule, in old areas there are impenetrable thickets of cherry and plum trees, as well as old apple trees, the tops of which go high into the sky. When you enter such a garden, you get the impression that fairy tale characters are about to appear from behind the trees. What to do?

Cherry bushes it is necessary to thin out root shoots and dry branches, leaving the most strong plants, located from each other at a distance of at least 1.5 - 2 m. Do not uproot all the cherries - in old orchards the cherry harvest is rich. It’s better to add a few trees of modern varieties later. And the old ones will be additional (and, probably, good!) pollinators. Co plum do the same.

Apple trees require a more thorough approach to inspection. You will most likely need a pruning and rejuvenation specialist. fruit trees. But before that, check them out.

First of all, cut out the dry branches. Try to do this by transferring it to a living branch (Fig. 2a) or cutting it into a ring (Fig. 2b). Check for hollows in the trees. If hollows have formed in the trees, but the tree is still green and even bears fruit, you should not eliminate it. Until the new seedling grows, you will have apples. If possible, the hollow should be cleaned from the inside and the walls should be lubricated with garden varnish. There is no need to cement it or cover it with clay - this will not only not help the tree, but may even harm it.

If trees occupy the entire area of the site, some of them will have to be uprooted. To remove, choose the ones that are most damaged by time or those that are inconveniently located. In addition, make room for planting new trees that will eventually replace yours. old garden.

Tree trimming specialist

As already said, to bring the old Apple orchard To get it in order, you should contact a tree trimming specialist. However, the question arises, how and where to find them?

It is best to find a private nursery nearby (not a seedling store!) where seedlings are grown. You can contact them for help. As a rule, in such places they can advise who to contact.

When contacting pruning specialists, you will definitely be asked how old the trees are, since the cost of the work depends on the age. There are indirect signs to determine age. One of them - rustiness(reddening) of the bark at the bottom of the trunk. This suggests that the tree is at least 40-50 years old.

After trimming, be sure to cover all cuts, especially large ones. You won't have enough garden varnish for this, you can use it instead oil paint on natural drying oil.

Preventive measures in the orchard

So, having completed all the described activities, you were finally able to examine your site. Now you need to accept preventive measures to protect the garden as much as possible from pests and diseases. This is much easier than putting the area in order.

Spray all bushes with Bordeaux mixture - this will prevent many fungal diseases. Then you will need to treat the entire garden for pests. Start with trees. Suitable preparations for their treatment include: Aktelik or other relatively strong poisons. If you use Aktelik, it can be mixed with the drug Horus, which will prevent infection and spread of fungal diseases.

Preventive measures include removing old leaves from the garden and burning pruned branches. After pruning the trees there will be a lot of them. Thick branches that will be difficult to burn immediately should be placed separately and away from the garden - in a shed or firewood shed. This will protect your garden from the spread of fungal diseases that can develop on dead wood.

Harvest time in the old garden

Now you can rest and wait for the harvest. When it's time to harvest, mark the shrubs and trees you'd like to keep and which should be removed. You can start uprooting as soon as you decide what exactly you don’t like in the garden. This will allow you to decide on the location of new plantings and planning the territory of your estate.

Once the location for the new trees has been selected, prepare the planting holes and fill them with soil. Over the winter, the soil in the holes will settle. Planting of seedlings will begin in the spring. This a win-win, since it will be immediately visible how they develop. And over the summer they will have time to get used to the new place and prepare for winter.

However, it is better to buy seedlings in the fall. At this time in nurseries largest selection planting material. To preserve the seedling before planting, dig it in. To do this, dig a trench the depth of a spade bayonet and 2 bayonets wide. The length depends on the number of seedlings. Immediately after purchase, place the seedlings as shown in the picture and cover with soil root system(Fig. 3a).

When the air temperature drops to +1... +4 degrees C, cover the seedlings two-thirds with soil or peat (Fig. 3b) and cover with spruce branches to protect them from mice. In this form, your future garden will overwinter without loss.

In the spring, as soon as the ground thaws, you can start planting.