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The method of increasing yields according to the method of the American vegetable grower Meatlider is based on the use of narrow beds. The simplest technology does not require large investments and is available to any novice gardener. Each summer resident is able to make on his site the beds on the mitlider with his own hands, you just need to adhere to the instructions and have a desire.
What is the essence of the Meatlider method
The Meatlider method is based on the specifics of gardening and planting vegetables... First of all, let's deal with the processing of a land plot. The famous vegetable grower proves that there is no need to dig up all the land in the garden every year. The plot should be marked out only into narrow beds with a wide row spacing. There are special requirements for the beds themselves. Firstly, they must be long for the whole garden and strictly even. Secondly, earthen mounds must be made on the beds, that is, a kind of edging.
Standard bed parameters:
- length - 9 m;
- width - 45 cm;
- the height of the mounds is 10 cm;
- row spacing - 1.5 m.
Meatlider justified such a size of the beds with the optimal space and the best access of light to the plants. The personal plot becomes easy to maintain. On a narrow bed, the grower is able to approach the plants from both sides, which makes weeding easier weeds... Wide row spacings create free space. Plants receive lighting from all directions. It is easy to drive a garden wheelbarrow or lay irrigation pipes along the row spacing.
It is easy to make a narrow bed according to Meatlider, and besides, it does not have to be done again every year. The long-term operation process provides only for the trimming of the edging sides. It is advisable to sow the aisles with grass. Vegetation will retain moisture in the soil.
The next feature of the Meatlider method is based on the rules for planting vegetables. Crops are placed in two rows at a distance of 10-15 cm from the earthen edging. At the same time, between the plants themselves, an aisle with a width of 15 to 20 cm is formed. The step of planting plants in one row depends on the characteristics of the variety and the agricultural technology of the crop, but in any case, thickening should not be allowed.
Opponents of the technology claim that when using the Meatlider method, the number of planted plants is reduced. In other words, the area of the garden is used unwisely. Calculations were made to refute such misconceptions. Two plots of 1 hectare of land were taken, where the usual planting of plants with a row spacing of 70 cm was carried out, and according to the Meatlider method. It turned out that the first plot contained 43 thousand crops, and in narrow beds - 66 thousand plants.
Some domestic vegetable growers have long appreciated Mitlider's beds, but they could not do without their improvement. This is due to the saving of space in small cottages.So, our vegetable growers reduced the row spacing to 0.9 m, and sowed radishes, greens or non-woven beans between the main crops.
Is it always possible to apply the Meatlider method on your site
Bad places for arranging narrow beds were determined by the creator of the method himself:
- land plots with a high level of groundwater;
- in lowlands, where there is a threat of flooding after rain or spring melting of snow;
- areas with difficult terrain, where the hills are abruptly replaced by depressions, which does not allow making ideal horizontality in the garden;
- shaded or heavily wind-blown vegetable gardens;
- areas without irrigation water.
After analyzing all the prohibitions, we can conclude that Mitlider's beds are not suitable for many domestic summer cottages. Most suburban areas are located in wasteland with no water sources, marshland or land with difficult terrain.
The composition of fertilizers for growing crops
The technology of growing vegetables is not limited only to the arrangement of some beds. You will need to prepare two mixtures of fertilizers, and apply them strictly according to the recommendations of Meatlider.
Preparation of mixture No. 1
The first fertilizer mixture is made only after determining the properties of the soil. The analysis is carried out independently using litmus paper, or data is found on the average annual rainfall in a certain area.
If the annual precipitation rate exceeds 500 mm or the paper turns red, then the acidity of the soil has a pH value of less than 4.5. In this case, the fertilizer is prepared from the following ingredients:
- lime or chalk powder - 5 kg;
- boric acid powder - 40 g, but can be replaced with brown - 60 g.
With a blue color of litmus paper or an indicator of rainfall of up to 450 mm per year, the fertilizer is prepared from the following ingredients:
- gypsum - 5 kg;
- boric acid powder - 40 g or borax - 60 g.
The amount of fertilizer is mixed with a large margin. You can store it for many years, most importantly, in a dry place.
Preparation of mixture No. 2
Fertilizer number two consists of substances vital for garden crops. Mitlider derived the general formula for the composition of the fertilizer as a percentage:
- nitrogen –11%;
- phosphorus - 6%;
- potassium - 11%.
It is better to buy such a composition in a store, since it is difficult to prepare it at home. If you have good experience in this matter, for self-preparation of fertilizer at a specialized outlet, you need to buy all the components, a mixture of which will help you get the required percentage of substances.
The procedure for self-arrangement of Mitlider's beds
To make beds using the mitlider method, they begin with fertilizing the soil, provided that the pegs are broken on the site and the cords are stretched:
- Fertilizer number one is evenly scattered along the marked boundaries of a narrow bed. Consumption is adhered to at the rate of 100-300 g / p. m. The fertilizer prepared according to the second recipe is immediately sprinkled on top. Consumption is 50 g / p. m.
- After applying the fertilizer, the soil is carefully dug up to a maximum depth of 20 cm. It is important to make the soil loose, so all the lumps are broken with a rake or other convenient tool.
Now it's time to make the edging, that is, to heat the earth mounds 10 cm high from the sides and ends. On a well-formed bed, the distance between the side embankments is approximately 35 cm.
Form the edging of the garden in this order:
- For the entire length of the bed, they rake the soil dug up with fertilizers with a rake in the center;
- On one side, with a rake, they grab the soil from the center of the mound and rake it under the cord, forming a side. It is important here to take about half of the soil from the hill, since the second part will be needed for the opposite side.
- A similar procedure is repeated on the other side of the bed, until a side is formed along the entire length.
- When the side boards are ready, the remaining soil in the center is leveled with a rake. At this time, it is necessary to heat the end sides.
It is advisable to check the finished bed for horizontalness with a laser level. Major flaws are corrected, and after achieving positive results, they begin to plant the plants.
The video shows the technology for making beds according to Mitlider:
It is not difficult to make Meatlider beds in your garden, if only the conditions allow. If you have experience in vegetable growing, you can try to improve them.
