Bog cultivation
Under bog cultivation means the cultivation of peat soils for the production of agricultural surface usable for human consumption. Depending on the type of bog and location, different types of cultivation developed - especially in Holland and Northern Germany.
Raised bogs
Moor fire culture
The moor brand culture took place since the 16th century, first in the Netherlands and later in northwest Germany. The raised bog areas were drained flat before winter . The following spring, these areas were set on fire. Then wheat, oats or buckwheat was sown in the still hot ashes. The fire was regulated by the prevailing wind directions and the downward increasing moisture of the bog soil. The bog soil cultivated in this way could be cultivated for six years. After that a 30-year fallow land was necessary. After this cultural form, these bogs developed mostly heathland . Due to the heavy smoke nuisance, the moor fire was banned in Germany in 1923.
Fen culture
Fen culture was also developed in the Netherlands , but has also been practiced in northwestern Germany since the 17th century. The Fehnkolonie Papenburg was founded in 1630 as the first German peatland cultivation . In this form of culture, navigable canals and often side canals (Wieken) were initially created. This enabled the adjacent moorland to be partially drained. The settlers cut the so-called black peat located lower down , dried it and transported it with sailing ships (Muttschiff, Tjalk , Pogge) to sell it as fuel. On the way back, silt was brought from the rivers . This could be mixed with the mineral soil below the peat and the white peat located higher up and then used for agriculture. On both sides of the canals and Wieken, typical fen settlements gradually emerged .
German raised bog culture
The peat fire culture was replaced by the German raised bog culture in 1877. The raised bog was drained, the vegetation removed, the soil fertilized and cultivated immediately. Potting and mixing with mineral soil did not take place. This procedure created the conditions for large-scale, intensive agriculture and the settlement of large areas. With constant use of the fields, however, the soil becomes compacted and there is a lack of air. Therefore, grassland use predominates on these areas today. In the wake of this Peatland in northwestern Germany 250 originated peat .
Mixed sand culture
After the Second World War , small raised bogs were cultivated. Sand and peat layers were tipped over by deep plowing up to 1.8 meters. These were finally stored in inclined alternating layers. As a result, the physical properties in terms of permeability, water retention and depth have been significantly improved.
Fens
Moordamm or deck culture
In the process of moor dam culture , drainage ditches were drawn through the fens . A coarse layer of sand was placed on the bog surface and fertilized with potassium phosphate . The low evaporation rate, the higher soil temperature at the bottom of the sand layer and the lower level of weeds in the soil led to considerable increases in yield.
Black culture
In the black culture, the surface of a fen is repeatedly worked through and enriched with fertilizers , especially phosphorus / phosphate , potash and lime , and finally rolled.
See also
literature
- Bog and peat science , ed. v. Karlhans Göttlich among employees. by Fritz-Rudolf Averdieck. 2nd edition Stuttgart: Schweizerbart, 1980. ISBN 3-510-65317-3
