Even in December, when there is snow and the beds are under a white blanket, your dacha does not sleep. Under the snow, quiet, important work is going on: the soil is restored, and the roots are prepared for spring. But if you leave the soil bare, it will be poor, dry and compacted in the spring.
There is no need to wait until April and dig around with fertilizers. Smart gardeners know: the best time to take care of the soil is in December.
It is necessary to pour a layer of mulch made from dry leaves and chopped straw under fruit trees and bushes. If you have leftover leaves from fall, great. Or use dry tops without signs of disease, mown grass, or straw.
How to do it right:
- Collect dry leaves, chop them with a scythe or simply trample them with your feet.
- Mix with a handful of ash. It provides potassium and protects against fungi.
- Apply a layer of 5–7 cm around trunks and bushes at a distance of 30 cm from the roots.
- Sprinkle a little snow on top, it will hold the mulch and create a warm “blanket”.
Over the winter, the leaves and straw will begin to rot. By spring, they will turn into loose, dark humus – living soil full of worms and microorganisms. And also:
- The earth will not freeze.
- The roots will receive air and nutrition.
- Weeds will not sprout in the spring.
- The moisture will not leave when the snow melts.
And the main thing is that you will save 2-3 hours in the spring: you don’t need to dig, you don’t need to add humus, you don’t need to re-mulch.
