As winter goes on, gardeners think about spring. And the faster we get into planting, the better. For early planting, you can help the soil warm up faster. The soil solution is very simple and easy to apply.
Why Warming Soil for Early Planting Makes Sense
In the case of perennials and flowers, it is not necessary to sow early, but for vegetables – why not plant the soil early? It can be suitable for spicy vegetables such as beets, peas, and greens.
Warm soil in late winter or early spring means you can start planting these vegetables earlier. If you start earlier, you will get more harvest during the growing season or you will be given more space to start planting summer and warmer-weather plants.
When the soil temperature reaches about 45 degrees (7 degrees), hardy, early plants can begin to grow.
Ways to Warm Up Cold Garden Soil
The best ways to warm cold soil for spring planting
Use a Plastic coating to Heat the Soil
If you use clear or black plastic to heat the planting beds, pull it firmly to the soil to remove as much air as possible. The air between the plastic for heating the sun and the cold surface of the earth insulates the earth and prevents it from heating. A solar-heated plastic cover can increase the soil temperature up to 16 ° F during a cloudy day.
The soil retains the heat of the sun; Two- or six-week beds for planting solar heating can raise the soil temperature in late winter and early spring to the required temperature with seeds and planting material. The soil retains some additional levels of solar heat.
Measuring Soil Temperature
To determine if there is enough warm to plant, there are two options; first, hold a piece of soil in your hand when you feel cold, it is; Second, you can use a thermometer to monitor the soil temperature. Place the thermometer to a depth of about 4 inches, mark the place with small twigs or water ties, and cover the thermometer and return to read in about 15 minutes. For seeds and seedlings to grow, the soil temperature should be about 4 inches above the ground at a temperature of about 65 ° F.
Planting with Plastic Wrapping
Once the soil has warmed up, you can cut a plastic strip and sow the seeds in the ground or put a transplant. In many regions, plastic can stay in place all season; only in very humid climates can the soil warm-up, leading to tree growth. Plastic sheeting in the beds protects fruit crops in the garden from the spread of soil pests and disease.
Other Ways to Pre-warm the Soil
Floating guards, plastic tunnels and cold frames can also be installed to heat the ground. In the extension cords, the insulation of the soil may take several days longer than the plastic coverings that are strictly covered.
You can plant on mounded or raised wide rows that go east and west; the hot sun heats the raised slopes and beds faster than on flatbeds. The east and west beds warmed up warm until the evening.
V-shaped excavations for sowing or replanting seeds can be drilled before planting. Collect the soil at the bottom of the pit and allow the soil under the soil to warm up a few weeks earlier as soon as the pit is watered.
You can create hills or mounds for cluster planted crops. Make small mounds for beans and corn. Make wide mounds for melons, sweet potatoes, squashes, and cucumbers. The crops are 6-8 inches high and 3 feet wide in the mountains.
Conclusion
Whether it is heated in early spring or maintained during the winter, it is possible to warm the soil and this is very useful because of the great yields during harvest time.