Lentils are rich in vegetable protein, which is why they are often used in vegetarian and dietary meals. Such varieties as Luganchanka and Lyubava, which have high consumer qualities, are especially popular in Russia.
Growing lentils naturally
Lentils are an annual plant with a branched root system and a stem height of 15-75 cm. Lentil fruits are rounded flat beans reaching 2 cm in size.
Depending on climatic conditions, plant variety and type of soil, the growing season lasts 2, 5-4 months. Seeds are sown to a depth of 5-6 cm with a distance of 10-15 cm between rows. The first shoots appear already 2 weeks after sowing.
The optimum temperature for germinating seeds of spring lentils is + 4 ° C. Seedlings are quite stable and are not afraid of short-term frosts. The growth of lentils until the time of flowering is slow.
After 1, 5 months after the germination of the first shoots, the flowering time begins, which leads to the rapid growth of the plant and the appearance of many branches. The formation of a bush and beans is best carried out at a temperature of + 18-22 ° C. The culture is self-pollinating.
The plant is drought-resistant, but loves well-moistened loamy or sandy loamy soils. Sour and heavy soil does not allow for a good harvest. Fruit ripening occurs at different times.
Harvesting is made difficult by the low positioning of the ripe beans. First of all, the lower fruits should be removed, then those located in the middle tier. Finish harvesting by picking the beans from the top of the plants. Stopping must not be allowed, since in this case the seeds spill out from the cracked fruits.
Lentil care
Experts who know how to grow lentils warn summer residents about the undesirable use of manure for fertilizing lentil bushes. In this case, a rapid growth of the green mass will occur, which will negatively affect the yield of the beans.
As a top dressing, granular superphosphate is recommended, which is applied to the soil during sowing, potash or phosphorus fertilizers, which are used in spring or autumn for digging.
The main care of lentils is to weed out weeds and prevent infestation by pests and diseases such as lentil weevil, meadow moth, gamma scoop, fusarium, rust, ascochitosis. It is worth noting that among all legumes, lentils are the most resistant to diseases.
When infested with Ascochyta fungus, fungicides are used. Ascochitosis can be eliminated by applying every 4 years of crop rotation. Gray rot is difficult to eradicate, so varieties that are immune to disease should be used for planting.
