Sapropel: what is it and how is it used

All gardeners-gardeners dream of getting a rich harvest. No wonder they spend so much time in the beds and in the garden! To achieve higher yields, fertilizers are needed. Let’s dwell today on such an option as sapropel. Our tips site will tell you in detail what it is and how it is applied..

The Greek word for ?????? translates as “rotten”, and ????? – “silt, mud or clay”. Sapropel is a bottom sediment that accumulates in freshwater bodies. Moreover, the deposits are centuries old, not just silt, which is located above! Sapropel accumulates in standing ponds and lakes for many years and includes a huge amount of humus, organic matter residues, soil humus, carbohydrates, bitumen and much more..

The portal told you in detail about the choice between organic and mineral fertilizers. So sapropel is a great choice! An incredibly useful soil additive to increase yields. At the same time, completely safe, natural, organic.

Of course, you can get sapropel on your own. If you have a pond or lake nearby, you can try to raise the bottom sediments. But this is a very time consuming process! Most often, locals extract sapropel on their own, if the pond has been drained, the water has moved away from the coast and you can easily get to the bottom sediments. Usually, sapropel is mined with special equipment, using technology.

Besides, it is not enough to get sapropel from the bottom! It must be thoroughly dried. Otherwise, in the air, it will simply start to rot, all useful properties will be lost. On an industrial scale, special granulating dryers are used to dry sapropel. The result is a free-flowing substance, similar to ash, or fertilizer in granules. Such a sapropel, already prepared for use, costs an average of 600-700 rubles per bag of 50 liters.

How is sapropel useful? Its richest content of vitamins, carotenoids and microelements. Their listing will take a whole paragraph, believe me! The addition of sapropel is especially effective on light sandy loam, sandy soils, in clay and acidic soils. As a result, the composition of the soil improves, and the humus content also increases. Moreover, sapropel is not only a fertilizer. In animal husbandry, it is added to feed for chickens, cows, and pigs. So take on board.

How much sapropel to add to the soil? If on an industrial scale, then about 30–70 tons per hectare. But we are ordinary gardeners, so 3 liters of fertilizer per square meter will be enough. Sapropel is introduced in the following way – it is evenly scattered on the ground, and then the soil is dug to a depth of about 10-12 centimeters. This can be done both in spring and autumn..

Important! Sapropel fertilizers are unique in that they radically improve the condition of the soil. The effect of making such a useful supplement lasts up to 10 years! True, experts advise adding sapropel every five years, but still, you must admit, this is not often.

In addition to improving the soil and useful additives, sapropel fertilizer allows you to get rid of fungi, harmful microorganisms, pathogenic plants. The soil is simply self-cleaning. Solid benefits for the garden, agree!

To grow good seedlings, for example, in a snail, we advise you to make the following potting mix:

• Watermelons, zucchini, cucumbers – 3 parts sapropel to 6 parts ordinary soil and 4 parts sand.
• Cabbage, leafy and spicy crops – 3 parts sapropel to 2 parts land and 4 parts sand.
• Eggplants, peppers, tomatoes – 3 parts sapropel for 7 parts of earth and 2 parts of sand.

Important! Since sapropel is a completely natural additive to the soil, you cannot overdo it with it! Even if you break the proportions and apply more fertilizer, there will be no harm to plants.

Sapropel is also used to improve the soil in flower beds and when planting seedlings of fruit, ornamental trees and shrubs. You can add fertilizer directly to the hole where the plant will be planted, or you can use it as mulch. For this purpose, sapropel fertilizer is evenly scattered around the trunk of a tree or bush with a layer of 2 to 7 centimeters..