Ecological fertilizers
The technique of ecological fertilizers consists of burying leguminous and fodder plants in the soil, between two plantings in a plot, in order to stabilize the nitrogen and to feed the soil.
It is a special cultivating technique often used by gardeners to rejuvenate soil. It consists of introducing leguminous and fodder plants, which are buried in the soil after flowering, into an unoccupied plot between two plantings. The dense leaves, when buried in the soil, quickly ferment and produce a natural abundance of organic matters (humus and nitrogen).
Growing ecological fertilizers also has the advantage of stabilizing the nitrogen in the soil and improving drainage, at the same time keeping the earth in place by limiting erosion. This is made possible by the dense root network of the species chosen. The soil's structure is thus improved on the physical level as well as chemically and biologically. Another advantage of ecological fertilzer is that it prevents weeds from invading the plot. Sowing is generally done in Spring before the first plantings or in autumn after harvesting.
Many plants are used in this technique. Which ones to use depends on the type of soil and on the needs of the cultivations to be planted. The seeds most used generally are those of leguminous fodder plants like clover and alfalfa, or non-leguminous plants like mustard, phacelia, or vetch (vicia). Other plants like rapeseed, buckwheat, rye, cabbage, ray grass, and white lupin are also used.
The type of ecological fertilizer to sow depends on the soil : white mustard for example grows quickly and is an efficient natural insecticide. Phacelia is an effective insecticide and is also good at stabilizing nitrogen in the soil due to its dense, fine roots which smothers weeds. Field mustard fodder is extremely rich in nitrogen but its strong roots make it difficult to bury. Ray grass (Italian or English) is ideal for fallow land as it protects the earth from being washed away. However, it tends to attract damaging insects. Clover (purple or crimson) is particularly suited to cruciferous plants (cabbage, turnips, rapeseed...) as it is nitrogen-rich.