Making beds using the Mittlider method: expert advice

Mittlider method beds are an effective and less labor-intensive method of vegetable growing than traditional tillage, allowing you to grow high-quality crops in large quantities even on poor soils and in climatic conditions that are far from ideal.

The classic process of growing in vegetable gardens consists of autumn plowing, spring harrowing, 3-5 weedings and loosening per season, and fire cleaning. It has been proven that this method of cultivation disrupts the structure of the soil, making it poorer, leveling hygroscopicity and killing microorganisms. Dr. Jacob R. Mittlider, a world-renowned international agricultural consultant, developed this method of gardening more than 50 years ago to show the public how to grow food in small spaces, in harsh climates and poor soil conditions. The American doctor experimentally proved the effectiveness of his approach, which is much less labor-intensive and cost-effective. It is already used in dozens of countries around the world. Let's get acquainted with this method.

The more effective the Mittlider method from classical gardening

Mitlider method

Mittleider devoted his activities to growing vegetable and flower seedlings for sale on a large scale. He has been doing this for more than 20 years, and in practice he has developed many new methods for growing, packaging and transporting seedlings. All methods have been patented. Dr. Mittleider believed that developing countries had outdated and inefficient farming methods that impoverished the soil. Mittleider made every effort to correct this situation.

Here you can download Mittlider's book for free ▼

"Mittlider Jacob - Vegetable growing course according to Mittlider"

If you cultivate the same piece of land for several years in a row, then naturally the yields will be minimal and the land will be greatly depleted. Weeds removed from the garden are destroyed, but they are an excellent soil enricher after rotting. To restore the fertile layer, you have to add compost or manure. It is not recommended to burn dried weeds or tops.

The desire of gardeners to use literally every piece of land, according to Mitlider, is considered a gross mistake. Thick plantings do not contribute to a good harvest. Mittleider drew attention to the fact that the outer rows of plants are always healthier. The Mittleider system has undeniable advantages, and above all:

• rich harvests with minimal labor costs;
• economical water consumption;
• rational use of the site.

A feature of the method is the use of special beds, timely feeding of plants and enrichment of the soil with special mixtures.

Principles of intensive farming

The Mittlider Method is based on the idea that anyone can grow a productive vegetable garden in almost any environment. Dr. Mittlider has spent years of research to determine the best way to plant, water and feed vegetables and garden plants. The end result is a vegetable garden formed in long, narrow beds or growing boxes that are fed with a special soil mixture.

This way, people can achieve high yields even in rocky, sandy, poor quality soil or small areas such as tiny garden plots.

The book on the Mittlider method “Grow-Bed Gardening” talks about the main paradigms of technology. They are as follows:

• correct geometry of the beds;
• a special scheme for planting garden crops;
• balanced nutrition with mineral fertilizers;
• full lighting;
• frequent root watering.

How and with what to properly fertilize the beds

A constant flow of macro- and microelements to the rhizome is ensured by two types of soil mixtures. The first is pre-sowing, consists of dolomite flour (5 kg) and boric acid or borax (40 g). Consumption depends on soil composition:

• on the lungs – 100 g per m;
• on heavy soils (loamy-clayey, acidic peat) - 200 g each.

The same mixture can be used for constant feeding, but it is fundamentally important to add a second one. One of the ways to prepare it: a combination of potassium sulfates and magnesium urea and nitrophoska (1: 1: 1: 0.6). It is also recommended to add boric and molybdic acids, 15 g each, or borax (25 g) or sodium ammonium molybdate (20 g).

The second mixture is applied permanently throughout the season at least once every 10 days. in an amount of 25-40 (for unfavorable soils and for optimal conditions) exclusively in dry form. This makes up for the need for constant watering - for the supply of nutritional elements to the rhizome and their absorption by the plants. But watering is not done by sprinkling, which, according to the rules of agriculture according to Mitlider, is considered one of the main causes of powdery mildew and yellowing of sprouts, but only at the root. So, the author claims, the consumption will be less.

Organics during the growing season and nitrogen-containing mixtures are contraindicated due to a possible excess of nutrients, which is detrimental to vegetables.

How to water beds according to Mittlider

The water should be non-chlorinated and soft, settled and heated in the sun. Daily watering is required at high temperatures. Until mid-August, the beds are irrigated in the evening, and then only early in the morning.

Loosening of the beds is never carried out, which cannot but please rural residents who are familiar with classical methods of cultivating vegetable gardens. You just need to make sure that there is no crust from drying out. But with the correct planting geometry and compliance with watering requirements, this does not happen even during hot summer periods.

The role of fertilizers

The basis of Dr. Mittleider’s growing method is narrow beds and a special system of feeding and fertilizing. Specially developed mineral mixtures must be used strictly on schedule.

Before planting vegetables

The use of manure is strictly not recommended. Use only mineral and organic fertilizers, for example, Ecogel.

To prepare the mixture according to the Mittleider system, you need to mix 10 kg. chalk or dolomite (limestone) flour and 80 g of sodium borate (borax or boric acid). It should be added in 200 g increments. per meter of bed. This mixture is intended for acidic soils. For alkaline earth, replace chalk with gypsum.

At the end of summer, you can make some kind of preparation for the next season. For 10 sq. m of land, spread straw, about 10 cm thick, it can be crushed a little for better rotting, then the same layer of manure and peat. Mix phosphate rock with lime in equal quantities and spread a thin layer on top of all the others, then another layer of manure. Finally, cover everything with soil. In spring, the ideal soil will be ready for growing vegetables.

During vegetable growth

During the period of growth and fruiting, plantings require increased nutrition. Vegetables, herbs and salads need to be fed every week. This is another secret of this growing system.

Composition of the mixture: phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, magnesium, nitrogen, boron and molybdenum. Finding these substances in their pure form is very difficult. Just mix ready-made fertilizers containing these elements in equal proportions. The mixture consumption will be 60 g. per meter of bed.

How to form beds using the Mittlider method

When planning a vegetable garden using the Mittleider method, you must first decide whether you want to use regular beds or raised beds to grow vegetables.

2 types of beds according to the Mittlider method

Regular beds

According to the Mittlider method, ordinary beds for planting vegetables should be narrow - 0.45 m, and the intervals between rows large - 1 m 5 cm. Wide passages are never cultivated (weeds are pulled out exclusively). They provide maximum light flow to each plant. The height of the side is from 10 to 20 cm, but the level of the bed and row spacing should be the same. The sides guarantee the safety of fertilizers in the beds and the circulation of water.

The length of the beds depends on the individual characteristics of the site and may well be up to 9 m.

Tomatoes using the Mittlider method are planted densely in these stationary beds. They will be the same in size and soil composition as the beds for cucumbers, with the only difference being that different rows of planting are assumed - in 1 or 2 rows.

The site is carefully leveled, the cardinal directions are determined. The beds are necessarily directed from north to south (meridional direction).

These beds are not demanding regarding the composition of the soil, but the soil must be loose and non-caking (preferably light), naturally aerated, weed-free, hygroscopic and moisture-permeable.

The method assumes the possibility of constructing beds in boxes or with earthen sides. The first ones are built in poor soils, small areas and for growing early or expensive plant species. For example, such strawberries using the Mittlider method are much more productive than under normal conditions. But in large areas and farmland, beds with sides made of earth are naturally more popular.

Container gardening according to Mittlider

Raised beds or containers (boxes) for growing can be installed in areas with infertile soil. They are usually made from wooden materials, metal and are leveled in place. Growing boxes can be of any length, depending on the size of your garden. The containers are filled with pre-prepared soil mixture, a mixture of sawdust and sand, or other inert and organic combinations along with some fertilizer. This soil mixture is used year after year. It is never changed or thrown away.

Practical application of the system

If you decide to use this method, then you need to calculate everything correctly.

Site planning. We mark the land plot in advance. After marking, we determine the required number of seedlings, the necessary materials for forming ridges and how much fertilizer will be needed. In order for the plants to receive more light, the beds are placed from east to west, they are made into soil or on side. You should make your choice in advance. The sides complicate the organization of beds; they require additional material.

Watering. The traditional method of watering (sprinkling) will have to be eliminated. With this method, weeds grow and mold appears. It is better to use the root method or hand irrigation. Drip irrigation is the most suitable option, which saves water and labor costs.

Fertilizers. Fertilize the garden according to a schedule with special mixtures (recipes below). You should calculate in advance the required number of components for fertilizers so that there are no unexpected costs for their purchase.

When beds using the Mittlider method are not suitable for a vegetable garden

In certain areas, such solutions are prohibited from being used due to the lack of appropriate conditions. These determinants were:

• lowlands, areas with high groundwater levels, stagnant rainwater;
• proximity to industrial facilities and highways;
• shady areas;
• vegetable gardens without watering;
• pronounced microrelief (irregularities);
• the slope of the site is from south to north.

To get around the last ban, gardeners grow vegetables and potatoes using the Mitlider method in the latitudinal direction. This worsens the lighting, but stabilizes the flow of nutrients. It is also permissible to use shortened mini-beds with filling on one side and cutting off a clod of soil on the other to level the area. It is more convenient to do this in boxes or when framing the bed not just with a side of the earth, but with a wooden fence.

It is quite possible to use partially shaded areas, but the yield may decrease.

Construction of boxes using do-it-yourself technology

To make boxes of suitable size yourself, you will need the following materials:

• short boards (45 cm) for cross sides;
• long options for organizing the main walls of the box;
• bars for supports with a section of 5x5 cm;
• agrofibre and marking rope;
• level, tape measure, fasteners and equipment (screws, nails, screwdriver);
• antiseptic agent for wood protection.

The first step is to mark the area using a rope that is pulled between the wedges. The latter are installed in the corners, having previously measured the required distances with a tape measure (45 cm wide and 1 m per passage) and aligned them to the same height.

Now all the wooden boards and support beams are joined and secured to the sides with self-tapping screws or other fasteners. Then they are leveled to the building level; there should be no transverse or longitudinal slopes. At the final stage, a layer of fertile soil is poured into the boxes, and a mixed nutrient substrate is placed on top, or the container is completely filled with an “artificial” soil mixture if the soil on the site does not meet the requirements.

The resulting beds are fertilized with mineral pre-sowing complexes, but organic substances in the form of compost, mullein or bird droppings are not used. Layer options may vary, the main thing is to combine fertile soil, geotextile and useful substrate.

Procedure for creating beds

Experienced followers of this solution identify several stages of work that all beginners go through:

1. Layout. This is the selection and preparation of a site, thinking through design features based on the existing realities of the territory.
2. General digging. This is carried out only once during the entire existence of the beds.
3. Marking with ropes or boards (string with pegs, building level, tape measure required).
4. Autumn construction of wooden beds . The thickness of the board is 25 mm, and the width is 20 cm. The cross-section of the timber is 5*5 cm. The wood is treated with an antiseptic. You will need galvanized corners, a hammer, a drill for self-tapping screws, a hacksaw, and self-tapping screws. When sealing land edges, it is advisable to form a bed immediately before planting, and not in advance.
5. Filling with a lump of earth . An artificial substrate or light, loose soil is suitable.

The passages can be covered with a special film to eliminate weeds.

Planting vegetables and other crops

An individual approach for each crop with a rational planting scheme ensures maximum yield.

Photos of tomatoes planted in beds using the Mittlider method

But some general rules also exist:

• planting onions according to Mittlider, like most crops (carrots, beets, radishes, beans, garlic, corn), is carried out in two rows opposite with a distance of 0.1 m from the side;
• a checkerboard pattern (with a shift) is used for potatoes, cabbage and lettuce;
• single row is preferable for zucchini, peppers and tomatoes.

The spreading nature of the crops is also taken into account to optimize the distance in the rows (onions - 5 cm, potatoes - 35 cm).

Thus, you need to remember that seedlings and widely spreading crops are planted in one row, the rest - in 2.

Mittleider beds in boxes

Do-it-yourself beds according to Mittleider: video

Sometimes it happens that it is not possible to level the area for beds according to Mitlider; it is quite difficult and difficult. But this is the main rule of this method. At such a moment, experienced gardeners found a way out of the current unpleasant situation.

To do this, narrow rectangular boxes are knocked together from boards, placed on the ground and then leveled with the help of supports. Then soil is poured into them, and ultimately a ridge is formed, exactly the kind required by this method.

Let's take a closer look at the creation of such boxes.

• Make markings for the beds in the same way as described above. Place pegs on the long sides and corners so that the tops are at the same height, regardless of the slope, and stretch the rope between the pegs.
• Select boards for the walls of the boxes, screws for fastening and bars for supports in advance.
• Knock together half of the box and prepare timber for supports.
• Place half the box on the soil and align the support bars with the thread. Use a building level to control. It is necessary to ensure that there is no longitudinal or transverse tilt.
• If everything worked out well, then knock and install the other half of the box. Connect them together into several bars.
• Next, soil or pre-prepared soil is poured into the boxes. You can add a small layer of sawdust on top of this. It is better not to add manure or compost to the soil, as their use will force the composition of the first and second mixtures to change.

Greenhouses using the Mittlider method

The design provides special air circulation, which prevents condensation from collecting. The frame itself is made very durable. The use of screws instead of nails makes the structure collapsible.

Photo of a greenhouse and narrow beds using the Mitlider method

A stable microclimate is achieved by a large area of ​​the structure. Additional mechanisms and devices (dispensers and ventilation hatches) are not used.

To save space, the beds themselves are somewhat narrowed - up to 0.3 m. The row spacing is, accordingly, up to 0.9 m. The length is usually half that of those placed in the fresh air.

As with open beds, greenhouses are as convenient as possible for the movement of people serving them, as well as for equipment and harvesting.

Making a Mittleider vegetable garden

To grow high-quality seedlings, you will need selected seeds. This applies to any method of growing plants. Mitlider has improved the design of greenhouses, mainly in the ventilation system. Advantages:

• effective air circulation;
• no condensation;
• stable temperature (plants do not overheat);
• conditions for maintaining the microclimate.

There is nothing complicated in the design. Everyone can build such a greenhouse anew or improve an existing greenhouse.

The missing roof ridge is a design feature. To ensure vertical air circulation, a special ventilation system is used, while overheated air does not accumulate in the upper part of the greenhouse. For proper air circulation, it is necessary to make vents (along the entire length) on the south side of the greenhouse. The roof slopes are asymmetrical, lower on the north side. For air outflow, ventilation openings with transoms are located between the slopes.

The Mitlider greenhouse is covered with a double layer of film with a distance between them of 5-7 centimeters. This ensures a stable room temperature around the clock. But this complicates the design. Practice shows that one layer of polycarbonate or polyethylene film is sufficient. This option improves illumination. The greenhouse is suitable for growing seedlings in boxes; narrow ground or side Mitlider beds are also organized in it.

User tips

Many people know that mulching is good for the soil. Thanks to it, the soil becomes lighter, looser, and weeds do not receive growth activation. Therefore, some craftsmen cover the area with mulch after constructing beds or harvesting in the fall. This also attracts natural rippers - worms, which improve the soil structure.

But otherwise, it is not advisable to change the technological map of the methodology in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

An improved vegetable garden will delight you with reduced labor costs, a beautiful appearance of the plot and a much larger harvest. The advantage of the method is that plants are less susceptible to pest attacks and diseases. But, if there is a Colorado potato beetle or other problems, it is permissible to use special substances.

It is not possible to call this method fully satisfying the principles of “clean” farming due to the active use of mineral rather than inorganic fertilizers. However, the indisputable fact is that it allows you to get the maximum yield in poor soils and unfavorable climates, without spending much physical effort and without requiring significant material investments.

Russian fertilizers versus Midlander chemicals

Many Russian gardeners use the narrow bed method, but often refuse mineral fertilizers (mixtures 1 and 2). This is due to the fact that the active use of fertilizers without appropriate knowledge in crop production does not always give the desired result. Dr. Mittleider's method in the Russian version often involves the use of humus, compost, green infusion of herbs, a solution with manure, ash, etc. What are the advantages of natural fertilizers, what are the disadvantages associated with the use of Mittleider's mixtures?

• The use of mineral fertilizers affects the taste of the fruit; many gardeners do not like it. And by replacing mineral fertilizers with natural organic fertilizers, you can get an environmentally friendly harvest.
• It is better not to feed plants with additional fertilizers than to overfeed them, since excess nitrates will harm their health.
• In order for the minerals to dissolve and be absorbed, abundant watering and sunny weather are required, which is not always compatible with the weather conditions of some regions. In addition, it is important to know that abundant watering on some days is beneficial, and on others it is harmful for plants, and the periods of their development must be taken into account. Each crop has its own method of watering: for some - sprinkling, and for others in dry weather - at the root.
• If there is manure humus (not fresh manure, but thoroughly rotted manure compost), you can abandon the Mitlider method of fertilizing.

Ridges.

Dig up the soil in the area, carefully selecting the rhizomes of perennial weeds, and level the surface. Form ridges and apply fertilizer directly on the day of planting.

To do this, mark the boundaries using pegs and twine. Based on them, form sides 10 cm high along the perimeter of the ridges.

• The classic width of the beds (boxes) is 45 cm .
• Length – 4–9 meters .
• Row spacing – from 70 to 105 cm .

Carefully level the surface, making sure that the ridges and row spacing are at the same level. If individual sections of the ridge, despite all your efforts, turn out to be at different heights, divide it into 3-4 parts using transverse sides and level each part separately.

Narrow beds for vegetables

Today we’ll talk about narrow beds for vegetables and determine the advantages of this method of planting.

Most of our vegetable growers, when planting vegetables, try to occupy literally every centimeter of garden space. This area in greenhouses seems especially “expensive” to them. Therefore, the appearance of plantings in narrow beds, both in open and protected ground, especially in the earliest stages of plant development, produces a very unusual impression - “is this right? So much empty space?!”

However, this impression is deceptive. So, when planting tomatoes in 1 row per 1 square meter of a bed, the width of which is 45 centimeters and? Row spacing is 52.5 centimeters, it is possible to place 8 plants. Using the standard planting method (40x40 or 40x50 centimeters), you can place only 6 or even just 5 plants.

What are the advantages of narrow beds?

The first thing I would like to note is that with a bed width of 45 centimeters, it is much easier to form fertile, loose soil, watering plants and controlling weeds is easier.

The second important advantage is the excellent accessibility of access to the bed from both sides along wide row spacing, which naturally facilitates plant care. Here, every shoot is visible, so the ability to form plants is improved. For example, every gardener who has grown high-standard cucumbers and tomatoes in a greenhouse knows what kind of impenetrable thickets plants turn into when they are poorly rooted and pinched out the side and main shoots. At the same time, obtaining a good harvest is hardly possible.

Now - the most important thing, in my opinion. Narrow beds with wide row spacing (105 - 110 centimeters) create ideal conditions for maximum plant illumination. And this is the most important component of obtaining a good harvest, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. After all, the main purpose of all green plants without exception is the process of photosynthesis, the accumulation of solar energy, which we often, unfortunately, forget about.

I would also like to add that in early spring, narrow beds that have a trough shape can be very easily covered with film or other covering material, using panels only 55 - 60 centimeters wide and in accordance with the length of the bed. In this case, additional supports are not needed. During daytime warming, covering material of this size is very easy to remove and fits perfectly into our wide row spacings.

I have been using narrow beds for vegetables and I advise you to use this planting method.

Site articles on the topic

• Unusual ways to plant potatoes or how to grow potatoes in a barrel
• Where and how to plant potatoes?
• Potatoes: varieties and characteristics
• Try planting radishes in the fall and you will get great results!
• Planting potatoes in a new way

You may also find the following materials useful:

• Planting garlic for the winter
• Growing seedlings yourself
• Secrets of large tomato yields and how to choose the best variety
• The best varieties of cucumbers and the secrets of high yields
• Potato growing technology. High yield without difficulty

Text of the book “Family vegetable growing on narrow beds”

T. Yu. Ugarova

FAMILY VEGETABLE GROWING ON NARROW ridges

Experience of using the Mitlider method in Russia

Dedicated to my beloved granddaughter Masha Kazantseva

A WORD TO YOUR COMPATRIOTS

The farming method described in this book is simple, productive and suitable for a small plot of land on which a family works. This is the narrow bed method, with which any unkempt piece of land can be turned into a thriving vegetable garden, bearing fruit from early spring to late autumn. By working on narrow ridges, we can satisfy three of our immediate needs:

• provide the family with abundant vegetable products;

• get complete, healthy vegetables, not poisoned by pesticides and nitrates;

• experience the joy of meaningful, creative, generously rewarded work.

But behind this, so to speak, everyday level of motivation for our turn to work on earth, motives emerge at a completely different level, most often unconscious.

We are all responsible for the monstrous violence against the land of Russia, which lasted for many decades, increasing as the technical equipment of society increased. If we talk only about agricultural lands, the damage caused to them is so great that Russia, which could feed half the world, has turned into a country whose existence has been dependent on food imports for more than 30 years.

Of course, the senseless flooding of fertile lands, and the construction of monsters of the military-industrial complex on them, and land reclamation, among the “achievements” of which are the shallowing of large rivers and the disappearance of small rivers, and chemicalization, which has poisoned areas comparable to the territory of France with herbicides, and the “peaceful atom” , which turned into a nuclear war against its land and its people - of course, all these and many other deadly projects were born in high offices. But we carried out the sentence, often honest, selfless workers, good professionals, builders and hydraulic engineers, scientists and employees of design organizations, land reclamation workers and agricultural aviation pilots, city and village workers, in a word, all those who are now ill, who feel deceived and looking for the culprits.

Or maybe what is happening to us is a natural retribution? Maybe our efforts went to waste because, while creating relative values, we destroyed absolute values? We have encroached on nature, the earth, the very soul of Russia, and now we are responsible for this according to eternal laws.

Let's give up false hopes that certain political forces will lead us out of the crisis. As long as we make claims to anyone, but not to ourselves, we will not get better. There is only one path to rebirth - the path of awareness of guilt, repentance and humble work for good. Probably the best thing we can do for Russia now is to revive a tiny part of it, that piece of land that has been given to us completely. Let everyone create an oasis of beauty and abundance on their land.

May the Lord help us to cleanse and revive ourselves, our land, our Motherland!

T. Ugarova

For their active participation and support in the creation of this book, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Mikhail Leonidovich Vasilevsky, Alexander Petrovich Starshinov, Maya Aleksandrovna Cheremisina, Gaimr Robertovich Khafizov and Marina Iosifovna Mokeeva.

I am deeply grateful to the members of my family - my husband, Eduard Nikolaevich Kazantsev, who helped me at all stages of work, as well as my daughter and son-in-law, Natalya Eduardovna and Yuri Nikolaevich Kazantsev, who took an active part in the development of the “Family vegetable growing on 1.5 acres” program.

I also thank the listeners of my lectures for the perseverance and enthusiasm that they put into mastering the method of vegetable growing on narrow beds. Many of them not only achieved outstanding results, but also became active promoters of this wonderful technology. I would like to express special gratitude to Alexey Aleksandrovich Makarov, Inna Konstantinovna Morozova and Veniamin Ivanovich Sultanov for their help in organizing and designing the lectures.

Author

INTRODUCTION

Now all Russian cities are literally surrounded by garden plots. Almost 20 million families have them. For many owners of six acres, growing vegetables has turned from a pleasant release after working in the city into almost a condition of survival. People devote all their free time to their plots, but they often lack the ability to get a harvest from their acres that is commensurate with the labor invested. The range of crops is also poor: you rarely see more than 10–15 types of vegetables in gardens.

Every year prices for seeds, fertilizers, film are rising, and train tickets are becoming more expensive. All this makes us think seriously about increasing crop yields, the profitability and payback of garden plots.

How to get a variety of vegetable crops from a small area in quantities sufficient to provide for a family all year round? How much land is needed to achieve this goal? If you farm according to the Mitlider method - on the so-called “narrow ridges”, then quite a bit. The technology of growing vegetables on narrow ridges allows us to consistently, year after year, obtain high yields of all kinds of vegetable crops. It is enough to allocate 40 square meters for narrow ridges. m of land for each family member, so that the family is fully provided with vegetables throughout the year. For a family of four, 1.5 acres of any land is enough - its quality is not of decisive importance. It is only important that there is water for irrigation nearby and that the area is well lit, preferably from morning to evening.

Weather conditions are also not a decisive factor. Hundreds of garden plot owners, working on narrow ridges, receive high yields of first-class vegetables both in dry, hot and cold, rainy years.

The quality of the produce grown on narrow beds is excellent. Vegetables are sweet, juicy, dense, rich in proteins, vitamins, pectin, attractive in appearance, and stored well. Since 1989, when the Mittleider method first appeared in Russia, many hundreds of samples have been analyzed for nitrates with the same result: the product is environmentally friendly.

The narrow ridge method attracts with its simplicity, clarity, and versatility. By conscientiously performing standard operations, even a novice gardener can count on success, and in the first year he will have a highly productive, weed-free, surprisingly clean and beautiful garden. You just need to not deviate from the recommendations, since all elements of the technology are important for success: fractional, balanced nutrition of plants, a special shape of the ridges, their horizontality, strictly fixed distances between plants in a row and the famous Mittleider paths, which are twice as wide as the ridges themselves.

For those who do not have gardening as their main profession, the narrow bed method is especially attractive, since it requires less labor and time than traditional technologies: after the initial clearing of the site for the garden, only narrow strips of beds are dug; the paths are never dug up; ridges and passages are never swapped; The soil on the ridges is never loosened, and manual weeding is kept to a minimum. It is safe to say that the narrow bed method is ideal for family vegetable growing. If you decide to master it, take care in advance to create conditions for storing vegetables and preparations so that high yields do not take you by surprise.

But the possibilities of the method are by no means limited to non-commodity farming. It is enough to add the same amount of land to 1.5 acres for the family to receive considerable income from the sale of vegetables. A highly profitable farming enterprise can be developed on 10–15 acres, without the use of any agricultural machinery and with minimal investment.

In our lives, the shortage of joy is no less, and perhaps more acute, than the shortage of high-quality food. Working on narrow ridges, a person experiences joy not only from a good harvest, but also from the very process of growing vegetables. The beauty of the vegetable garden, which is more like a park, leaves no one indifferent.

Anyone who has worked on narrow ridges for at least one season is convinced of the enormous possibilities of this method and simply cannot return to traditional technology.

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE METHOD OF VEGETABLE GROWING ON NARROW BEDS

A systematic description of the technology for vegetable growing on narrow beds is given in sections 2–6. The purpose of this section is a first acquaintance with the method, its principles and capabilities.

1.1. What is the Mittleider method?

Under this name, the author combined two technologies for growing vegetables in open ground that he developed - vegetable growing in narrow beds and vegetable growing in boxes - beds, as well as an original method for obtaining seedlings and a method for growing vegetables in greenhouses.

What all these technologies have in common is the principle of plant nutrition. Plants receive optimal balanced nutrition: they are given everything they need, and in such quantities that ensure rapid, vigorous growth, proper development, resistance against diseases and adverse environmental conditions.

The necessary nutrients are supplied as part of balanced mixtures of mineral fertilizers. The original and almost universal recipe of the mixtures works reliably, ensuring the fertility of different soils. These mixtures are easy to make from regular, commercially available fertilizers. Fractional application ensures a high degree of fertilizer utilization, which is important from both economic and environmental points of view.

Depending on the conditions, one or another version of the technology can be used.

Narrow ridges on natural soil are the simplest, cheapest and most common version of the Mitlider technology. Vegetable growing on narrow ridges gives good results regardless of the initial soil quality, including on depleted lands, on heavy clay or sandy soils poor in humus. In the conditions of the Non-Black Earth Region, Siberia and the South of Russia, it is advisable to choose this particular technology.

But in some special conditions, for example, on rocky soil, on an eroded slope or near the northern border of agriculture, so-called “box-ridges” will work better. They are boxes without a bottom that are placed on natural soil and filled with artificial soil, usually a mixture of sawdust and sand. Boxes - ridges can be recommended even when there is no land at all: they can be installed on the balcony of a city apartment or in a greenhouse on the roof of a garage. In boxes-beds, vegetables are grown either entirely on artificial soil (for example, on a balcony), or on “two-layer soil”, the bottom layer of which is natural soil, and the top layer is an artificial soil mixture.

Boxes - ridges with two-layer soil have proven themselves well in greenhouses - heated and unheated, film and glass. Greenhouses built according to Mittleider's design differ from all others in their ventilation system. It is extremely simple to manufacture and operate, and most importantly, it helps to create comfortable conditions for plants, including in the summer heat.

Narrow beds, box beds and greenhouses require seedlings, and Mitlider offers a rational and sophisticated technique that allows you to obtain seedlings of the highest quality. Growing seedlings of vegetable and ornamental crops can be considered as an independent (commercial) version of the Mittleider method.

This publication is devoted to describing the technology of growing vegetables on narrow beds. Vegetable growing in boxes - beds, in open ground and in greenhouses, as well as the technology for growing seedlings will be described in the next book in the series “Vegetable Growing on Small Areas”.

1.2. What are narrow ridges?

Narrow ridges are completely special, unusual ridges for us. They are strictly horizontal strips of earth 45 cm wide, located on the same level with wide passages, from which they are separated by sides. The spaces between the ridges are twice as wide as the ridges themselves.

A vegetable garden with narrow beds cannot be confused with any other. There are no weeds, the garden is unbelievably clean and beautiful. In the middle of summer, it resembles a vegetable conveyor belt - vegetables are being harvested on some ridges, on others the crops are still growing, and on others, seedlings are planted to replace the harvested early crops. Noteworthy is the uniform growth and ripening of vegetable crops and their healthy green color. These signs clearly indicate that the plants are not lacking anything and feel great. Naturally, they respond to excellent conditions with a generous harvest. The vegetables are sweet, aromatic, brightly colored, and have the correct shape. They are tasty and nutritious, rich in mineral composition, proteins and vitamins.

Behind these results lies well-thought-out technology. It is extremely simple and unified, suitable for different vegetable crops, different soils and climatic zones. For working city dwellers, owners of six acres, it is especially important that vegetable growing on narrow ridges requires less labor, time and land and provides significantly higher yields than traditional home garden vegetable growing.

The basis of the method is abundant and balanced, i.e., balanced in terms of the content of necessary elements, plant nutrition. No less important are the other elements of the method: narrow ridges and wide passages, borders along the edges, strict horizontality of the ridges, a fixed distance between plants in a row, and the absence of weeds. Together, they create the best conditions for root nutrition, water supply and photosynthesis, eliminate competitive inhibition of vegetable crops, which ultimately leads to their rapid growth, intensive weight gain and abundant fruiting.

Since the technology is developed down to the details and “there is simply no room left for surprises,” there is relative independence from weather conditions, the ability to plan the volume of the harvest and the timing of its receipt. It is known in advance how much, where and when it is necessary to expend effort, time, money, how much and what kind of fertilizers need to be purchased, how many seedlings need to be grown and what the result will be.

But whatever the merits of the narrow bed method, success in mastering it ultimately depends on you - to what extent you will perceive the unusual elements of this technology and with what degree of accuracy and conscientiousness you will carry them out. If you strictly follow the recommendations, then you are “doomed to success.”

1.3. Where is it advisable to use the narrow bed method?

One of the striking properties of the method is its versatility, the ability to use it on any soil and in different climatic zones. Over the 40 years of his practical activity, Dr. Mittleider created thriving vegetable farms in different countries, at different latitudes, at different altitudes above sea level, in places with a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions - from the humid tropics to deserts.

Narrow ridges first appeared on Russian soil in 1989, when Dr. Mittleider organized a training vegetable growing farm at the Zaoksk Theological Seminary of Seventh-day Adventist Christians in the Tula region. Since 1991, training in vegetable growing on narrow ridges began in Moscow in a cultural center, where in 6 years about 5 thousand Muscovites and residents of the Moscow region mastered this method.

Nowadays, thousands of vegetable gardens with narrow ridges are scattered throughout Russia, and their number is growing rapidly. High yields obtained in the Moscow region, the Volga region, near St. Petersburg, in the Crimea and near Irkutsk have once again shown that the method works great in a variety of conditions. Narrow ridges have proven themselves well in the Non-Black Earth Region, in the Central Black Earth Zone, Bashkiria, and the Far East. But in the vastness of Russia, of course, there are areas where climatic conditions impose restrictions on the use of this technology. Narrow ridges on the northern border of agriculture, where there is little heat, the soil takes a long time to thaw and the summer is short, are unlikely to be effective. There you can expect good results from boxes - beds, converted into small greenhouses using PVC pipes and plastic film.

Caution may be advised in using narrow beds in areas prone to wind erosion. Where soils are loose and there are constant strong winds, wide, vegetation-free paths can help blow away the topsoil. Similar considerations can be made for areas with intense water erosion. However, in most regions the narrow bed method can be used without any restrictions.

Does the technology differ in different climatic zones, say, in the Moscow region and in the Rostov region? There are differences, but they are minimal and depend mainly on whether the soil is acidic or alkaline. Where the soils are acidic, and this happens in regions where the annual rainfall is more than 500 mm, calcium is added to the soil in the form of carbonate (dolomite flour, ground limestone or chalk). And in alkaline and saline soils, which occur in arid areas with precipitation levels less than 450 mm, calcium is added in the form of sulfate (gypsum). In the Moscow region they add lime, in the Rostov region - gypsum, and this practically exhausts the differences in technology.

1.4. Requirements for a garden plot

Not every plot is suitable for vegetable growing on narrow ridges. However, the requirements for a garden plot are the same, no matter what technology the vegetables are grown using. Not suitable for vegetable growing:

• wetlands;

• lowlands, where water stagnates in spring and after rainstorms;

• areas where there is no source of irrigation water nearby;

• shaded areas;

• steep slopes.

In addition, when you receive land in an area unknown to you, it is useful to inquire about the environmental, in particular radiation, situation. If the land has already been in agricultural use, it is advisable to find out whether it is poisoned by herbicides. Near cities, vegetable-growing state farms often fertilized the soil with composts from irrigation fields. Such lands are hopelessly poisoned, in particular by heavy metals. But if the ecological situation is more or less decent, then the quality of the soil is not of decisive importance. On any, even the most infertile and depleted land, you can create narrow ridges and get high yields by restoring fertility with the help of balanced mixtures of fertilizers.

1.4.1. Good water flow.

If in the spring or after rain there is water on the site for a long time, this is a serious obstacle to vegetable growing in general, and for vegetable growing on narrow ridges in particular. Plant roots suffocate in standing water, and vegetables will die in such an area after the first big rainfall.

What to do if there is no other land? First of all, understand why water accumulates on the site.

If it is located in a lowland between two hills and water flowing from the hills simply collects on it, then this can be dealt with. To remove water from the site, you need to dig a drainage ditch along its border. Its depth is determined by how close to the surface the clay layer lies. When digging a ditch, you need to remove all the soil down to the clay and go deeper into the clay layer by at least 15–20 cm. Usually, water accumulates in the lowlands only when the waterproof layer is located close, so it is rarely necessary to dig ditches deeper than 0.8–1 m .

However, lowlands have other disadvantages. It is colder there, frosts end later in the spring, and frosts come earlier in the fall than on flat or elevated places (see Table 25).

It is much more difficult to combat soil flooding if the site is almost at the same level as a nearby body of water. Drainage work in such areas, as a rule, does not produce results. The only possibility is to raise the entire area allocated for the vegetable garden by at least 20 cm using bulk soil. Since a family garden with narrow beds requires a small area (40 m2 for each family member), this event is quite feasible.

But when imported soil is simply laid on the surface of the earth, then during autumn rains or when snow melts, it spreads out, being distributed evenly over the surrounding areas. If subsoil layering is not done, then in 2–3 years the soil level may drop almost to its original level. The best way to solve the problem once and for all is to remove the top layer of soil and lay a volumetric hard flooring underneath it. Gravel is the least suitable material for this purpose, as it gradually sinks deeper into the soil. It is best to use sawmill waste and create a hard subsoil layer several tens of centimeters thick from the bark of coniferous trees. Other materials may also be used. For example, the bottom layer of flooring may consist of old car tires, and the top layer may consist of large branches and trunks of dried fruit trees, old beds, and dead coniferous wood. Excavated and imported soil is placed on top. Such a plot is suitable for vegetable growing using any technology, including narrow ridges. Only the cultivation of perennial crops such as rhubarb and tarragon is unlikely to be successful.

1.4.2. Availability of irrigation water.

If there is no source of irrigation water on the site or in its immediate vicinity, then the narrow ridge method will have to be abandoned. You cannot rely on natural precipitation as a reliable source of water supply. Vegetables require a lot of water. Even if the summer is rainy and there are only a few hot and dry days in a row, even during this short period the garden can suffer without watering.

1.4.3. Illumination of the area.

Good illumination is not a specific requirement of the narrow bed method. It applies to any method of vegetable growing. In central Russia, heat and light are limiting factors, therefore, the higher the illumination of the garden, the higher the harvest. You will get the maximum yield from narrow ridges, illuminated from morning to evening.

Many owners of garden plots have evenly covered their 6 acres with fruit trees and thereby deprived themselves of the opportunity to have a productive vegetable garden. Growing vegetables between trees is prohibited. As a result of partial shading, the yield will be 3–4 times lower than in a lighted area; vegetables will be enriched with nitrates and will be poorly stored.

1.4.4. Horizontal level of the site.

The surface of narrow ridges should be horizontal. This is a must. Therefore, it is more convenient and simpler when the entire site does not have a slope. If the slope is small, the plot can be used for a vegetable garden. In order for the surface of the ridges in such an area to be horizontal, they simply need to be placed across the slope, each at its own height.

The southern slope is preferable to the northern one, since it is warmer there and the soil warms up earlier, but higher requirements are placed on watering on the southern slope.

If the slope is steep, then in order to use it for a vegetable garden, you need to make horizontal terraces. On terraces, boxes - ridges - will work more reliably, since the soil in them is protected from erosion by walls. The steep northern slope must still be considered unsuitable for any method of vegetable growing.

Site selection.

According to Mittleider, designate an area for your vegetable garden that is illuminated by the sun throughout the day. In the shade of trees, buildings and high fences, vegetables will suffer from lack of light, and accordingly their yield will decrease.

The surface of the ridges must be strictly horizontal, without slopes , otherwise water, with fertilizers dissolved in it, will accumulate in depressions. And some vegetables will receive excess nutrition, while others will not receive it at all. On steep slopes, terraces are first built, and ridges are laid out across the slope.

You can make narrow ridges on almost any soil. The exception is swampy, rocky and severely depleted soils. In this case, instead of ordinary beds, wooden boxes without a bottom are installed, filled with a mixture of meadow or forest soil, sand, perlite, sawdust, sphagnum moss and crushed pumice. Boxes are also used for growing vegetables in greenhouses.

Where to start: drawing of the future plantation

Oddly enough, the main thing in Mittleider’s garden is not the scheme for filling the soil with fertilizers, not the organization of watering according to the lunar calendar, but the strategically verified marking of the site and strict planning of work. Everything depends on the configuration of the ridges and the passages between them: cleanliness from weed species, irrigation regime, and delivery of each shoot’s portion of life-giving sunlight.

Hence the conclusion: in order not to be disappointed, not to get stunted parsnips and bitter carrots, first you need to set aside a day in your busy schedule, draw a detailed plan of your land and be sure to mark the sides of the horizon on it in order to constantly keep a “pencil” of the illumination in the morning and afternoon and evening time. The ridges should be located in the direction of the meridians, i.e. along the north-south line so that they are not shaded by anything.

To save water and distribute it evenly, the beds must be leveled. The more their surface resembles the surface of a forest pond, the less competition the plants will experience from their fellow plants. In areas with a slope, terraces should be built, similar to those built in mountainous areas. Each step of such a terrace will need to be reinforced with a board.

Rocky, depleted, excessively clayey soils are a headache for the vegetable grower. It is useless to use natural soil in such inconvenient conditions; it will not repay the labor invested. Instead of ordinary beds, wide boxes without a bottom are installed here and filled with a loose mixture of very fine sawdust, river sand and peat. Excellent components of such artificial soil will be perlite or vermiculite, which can absorb and then gradually release moisture.

Watering.

You can master a new method only if there is a sufficient amount of irrigation water on the site. Moreover, it is not recommended to use hard water containing calcium and magnesium salts.

A sufficient amount of watering is necessary so that the soil on the ridges always remains moist. In dry weather it is necessary to water daily . Water is delivered to the root zone, thanks to the high sides and horizontal surface, it is evenly distributed over the ridge without getting into the row spacing.

is never loosened after watering .

Our comments

When we became interested in the Mittleider method, our eyes began to notice many circumstances in the world around us related to vegetable growing. And everything we saw did not please us.

About ignorance and slogans about “Chemistry” and “Nature”

People involved in agriculture in 99% of cases know almost nothing about plant biology or chemistry, even as part of a school course. The words “Magnesium” and “Manganese”, “Calcium” and “Potassium” are synonyms for them. They don't even understand the difference between organic compounds and inorganic compounds. On this basis, quackery begins to bloom in full bloom, often taking almost religious forms. Let me give you an excellent quote from the writer Leonig Kaganov:

For a brain that does not have a central hierarchy of knowledge, where each brick fits tightly because it follows from the previous one and is confirmed by the next, for such a brain any information is perceived as separately suspended in space. Multiplication table, psychic, blockbuster, Wikipedia, employee advice, glossy advertising, school textbook, Sunday sermon, blog article, TV show, molecular physics, atomic energy, naked woman, killer with a shovel th - any information has equal rights, and the criterion is still faith. If a fact fits faith, it is suitable; if it does not fit, it is discarded. No attempts at analysis.

This is exactly what we see now in agriculture - people running around with the words “lunar planting calendar”, “organic farming”, “power of the earth”, “energy of the cosmos”. Understanding - zero. Knowledge – zero. But the worst thing is the complete lack of attempts to understand and learn. Here is another quote, also from Leonid Kaganov:

A fool only accepts information that gives him simple and understandable explanations. A fool does not accept scientific explanations. For him, it is monstrous to think that a phenomenon can have not one property, but several, that in different situations these properties can turn out to be useful or harmful, and this is all relative and can only be known through comparison. A fool will never agree to study complex relationships in order to understand a principle. For him, it is more pleasant to find one connection - to hear a simple and understandable answer, and whoever offers the answer simpler and more understandable will be right in the eyes of a fool. What causes all the diseases? From improper nutrition (from chemicals, from dust mites, from disturbed ecology, from nerves, from sins). Having received a simple answer, the fool considers the problem solved. And he never tries to check the answer. Because a fool considers ease of understanding to be the best proof of truth.

To move away from the stupid approach, science was invented. If you need to explain to a fool how foolishness differs from science, then it would be most correct to say that foolishness is always content with simple explanations, while science seeks complex ones. This is the main, basic property of science - complexity. This does not mean that science does not have elegant solutions, and that nonsense cannot be difficult and incomprehensible. But if you want to have knowledge, always be afraid of captivating simplicity.

On various forums we read many phrases like “I’m afraid of the Mittleider method - it’s just chemistry.” Think about this phrase. Behind it is the emptiness of consciousness and the darkness of ignorance. The word “chemistry” is no longer the name of science; now it is closer in meaning to the words “evil spirit”, “tempter devil”.

Imagine if people start swallowing antibiotics without a prescription or instructions. A spoonful of penicillin at lunch, a spoonful of erythromycin at dinner. Biseptol before bed. Oh, how good, oh how healthy we have become!... And what will happen after some time, after mass poisonings and deaths? That's right, people will say that “antibiotics are evil spirits” that can only cause death, and they should be banned altogether. And of course, “damned chemistry” and “stupid scientists” are to blame for everything!

But these are the results that the haphazard use of fertilizers by these ignorant people leads to. Not a single package of ammonium nitrate, potassium magnesium or superphosphate states how to apply the fertilizer correctly. Simply indicating the total doses (as is usually done) is not enough; it is important to know how to distribute it (frequency and volume of fertilizing), the effect on soil pH, interaction with other fertilizers, degree of digestibility and much more. The person is considered to have the appropriate knowledge. But in the overwhelming majority of cases this knowledge is not available! And people are poisoned, they poison the earth and plants, and then we raise a howl to the whole world! Of course, it’s all this, what’s-its-name, Chemistry!

Having poisoned the plants and themselves, people rushed to the other extreme - they began to use exclusively manure and compost to grow plants. Although manure can also easily produce nitrate vegetables! Because lack of knowledge cannot be replaced with manure. At least because it is unknown

• What did the cow eat - hay, fresh grass, feed, all at once?
• What kind of hay or grass did she eat? Different meadow grasses can differ greatly from each other in their composition.
• The cow ate it for a reason - most of it was taken away by her body. Which part, what?

Few people know the answers to these questions. So what, in the end, is added to the beds? A magical substance of unknown origin? But now it’s enough to call it “Organic” and say that it is “Environmentally friendly”, and voila - crowds are already running to buy our new “bio-eco-extra-organic-wonderful” product. And no one even knows that plants do not absorb organic compounds, they are simply physically unable to do this! In general, plants were the first creatures to come onto land. Long before there were animals capable of producing manure for them... but who studied biology at school?...

We are firmly convinced that the Mitlider method, like any other strict scientific method of agriculture, will never spread in our country as long as our people are as uneducated and apathetic. Because this method requires knowledge and understanding, as well as curiosity, which many of our compatriots, alas, cannot boast of. If you are not one of them, if you still remember at least something from the school curriculum, do not be like them. A lot of new things will open up for you, and you won’t regret it.

Fertilizer quality

This topic is very difficult to get around. Today, store shelves are filled with fertilizers, but what kind?! On the shelves there are ready-made mixtures “For potatoes”, “For beets”, “For cabbage”... but most of these packages do not even indicate the composition! At best, the NPK index will be indicated there, but it gives very little information about the composition. What kind of nitrogen is there? Ammonia or nitrate? And phosphorus in the form of simple superphosphate, ammophos, or something else? And is potassium a chloride or a sulfate? Is there iron there? What about magnesium? What about boron? What about molybdenum?... There is no answer to all this. And such “products” are 90%.

It’s very easy to draw an analogy here with cooking. A bad housewife, who doesn’t care what she cooks, who “just wants to cook something,” is very comfortable using cubes of compressed pepper, chicken flavoring and monosodium glutamate called “Maggi” rather than good products and real seasonings. This, excuse me, is not food, but “grub”.

It is almost impossible to find normal fertilizers. Especially magnesium and phosphorus. And that's not the worst thing. The worst thing is the inability to find trace elements. Especially molybdenum.

Rounded indentations on the sheet are a typical sign of molybdenum deficiency. If eaten by insects, the edges would be sharp.

Test for nitrates in the juice of three sweet potato plants (from left to right): a plant with a molybdenum deficiency, with nitrogen starvation, and provided with both molybdenum and nitrogen.

Molybdenum is one of the most important microelements, which is part of the enzymes of the nitrogen cycle. These enzymes convert nitrate nitrogen into ammonia, which builds amino acids and proteins. It is its deficiency that in most cases leads to the appearance of “nitrate” vegetables - plants receive (nitrate) nitrogen from the soil, but without molybdenum they are unable to convert it into protein, they are unable to absorb it! In addition to plants, molybdenum is also needed by beneficial soil bacteria. Today, molybdenum deficiency in soil is a widespread phenomenon. Many gardeners have seen the symptoms of its deficiency more than once, but never guessed the reasons. But azophoska and saltpeter are used with pleasure...

And this is what molybdenum deficiency looks like on cabbage (photo from Mitlider’s book “Healthy Vegetables”).

Irregular shape (missing parts) of tomato leaves due to a lack of molybdenum. (photo from Mittleider’s book “Healthy Vegetables”)

We searched for molybdenum for almost two months (it usually comes in the form of ammonium molybdate or molybdic acid). We called and visited dozens of stores, including in Samara. To no avail. The standard answer: “Yes, there used to be molybdate, but over the past year it has disappeared from sale.” Of course, how can it compete in popularity with ready-made Maggi cubes! In the end, we managed to buy molybdate in Samara, from the Reakhim company

There were other problems - it was difficult to get iron chelates, magnesium fertilizers, and sometimes boric acid. But they are not so sharp, and they resolved quickly even in our outback.

About Mitlider fertilizer mixtures

There are two of them. Mixture No. 1 is the simplest - lime (or dolomite flour) and boric acid. The most important is mixture No. 2 (it can be compiled using a calculator). It contains everything the plant needs, in certain proportions. These ratios are such that none of the elements is in excess or deficiency, each element is used completely by the plant, and does not allow it to starve. You can always tell down to the gram how much and what was added to each of your plants! This is why we liked the Mittleider method so much. There is no “magic” and “earth spirits” in it. Nothing is left to chance. Everything is very clear and definite.

This approach to farming is truly scientific. If you are a scientist, then you grow plants, monitor their nutritional deficiencies, and correct them. At the same time, write everything down carefully. When you harvest, carry out tests. Next year, you take into account that “my beets do not have enough boron, but the content of nitrates and sulfur needs to be reduced,” make adjustments, and grow the crop again, also writing everything down... After some time, you will know exactly how much and what you need your crops so that they are both healthy and environmentally friendly! This is exactly how the Mittleider method is built! Both the mixtures and recommendations for their application have already been tested by thousands of people, on many dozens of crops, in different climatic conditions - from Siberia to Africa. And since the method is accurate “down to the millimeter” in everything, you can count on exactly the same result - healthy and beautiful plants that will have healthy and beautiful fruits. We are already convinced of this!

Mitlider's ready-made mixtures

There were some like this in stores. Unfortunately, the creators of mixtures often make them from fertilizers that are difficult to dissolve, and we have not come across a single mixture with molybdenum. And this is very, very bad. Therefore, we do not recommend buying such mixtures; it is better to create your own mixture yourself using our simple mixture calculator No. 2. If you have any questions, please contact us, we will help you in any way we can!

Features of irrigation when using the method

Vegetable growing in narrow beds and small areas proceeds normally only with constant and comprehensive watering of the plants planted in them. The features of the Mitlider technology lie in compliance with the conditions discussed below.

Root hydration. Watering is carried out only in this way, since additional irrigation of the green part of the plant and sprinkling of the soil contribute to the formation of a favorable environment for various diseases and pests.

Water should only fall on narrow beds, while the passages should be left dry; for this purpose, side wooden or earthen sides are constructed.

Daily summer watering. In the warm season, the soil is moistened frequently and abundantly. If it is not possible to do this constantly, then install a high-quality automatic drip irrigation system. The liquid should be clean, warm, with a minimum content of calcium salts and magnesium.

Water the beds in the morning, afternoon or evening, but with the onset of August, evening approaches are stopped so as not to provoke the appearance of powdery mildew, especially in some vegetable crops.