Plum details. Cultivation, useful properties and variety selection. Features of making compost with your own hands How many compost heaps to make
One of the most common and affordable fertilizers for the garden and vegetable garden is compost is a substrate obtained from organic waste and tops of cultivated plants. In fact, it is free, but in order to prepare it, it will take time and effort.
Everyone can make compost with their own hands, because any household produces a lot of organic waste, and in any garden you can always collect a large amount of tops and weeds that will be recycled. Rational owners utilize all this through composting, obtaining a natural organic fertilizer rich in elements necessary for the qualitative development of plants.
The process of turning grass and household waste into the most useful top dressing can be roughly divided into three stages:
Decomposition. At this stage, the source material is actively heated inside the heap, gradually changing its structure, and enriching itself with useful substances. Ultimately, the transformation leads to the fact that various beneficial microorganisms appear in the compost, including fungi, as well as earthworms - the most important accelerator for processing organic residues into fertilizer.
Humus formation. At this stage, good aeration of the pile is very important, since without access to the required amount of oxygen, microorganisms die. For forced aeration, the compost can be mixed by hand, with a fork or shovel.
Mineralization. At this stage, nitrogenous compounds decompose to the protoplasm of bacteria and nitrogen, and humic substances pass into mineral forms. This is the final phase in waste composting. The mineralization of the entire volume of the substrate reaches its maximum values after 10-12 months of curing the pile under favorable conditions.
What is compost made of
diagram and composition of a typical compost heap
There are a lot of recipes for making this fertilizer. There are both completely natural substrates, and with the addition of mineral fertilizers (agrochemicals), which compensate for the lack of various chemical elements. Indeed, organic waste contains large amounts of nitrogen, and potassium and phosphorus occupy only a small fraction of the total composition. For the preparation of the correct compost, it is necessary that their quantity be balanced in the right proportions. Depending on the source material, the amount and composition of additives varies significantly. This has spawned many compost recipes and below are the most popular and effective ones.
Classical
This type of compost is very easy to make and quite effective to use. It consists of simple and affordable components. Its only disadvantage can be considered a long ripening period (1-2 years). So, it includes:
Green mass (branches, tops, algae) - the first layer (20 cm);
Cow dung - the second layer (10 cm);
ground limestone (or dolomite flour) - the third layer (0.5 cm).
The layers are alternated until the collar reaches a height of 1.5 m.
Manure-superphosphate
This compost is one of those whose composition is additionally enriched with chemicals. IN this case superphosphate, which saturates the substrate with phosphorite compounds throughout the entire ripening time. Phosphorus also helps to retain nitrogen in the fertilizer, as it binds the non-volatile forms of nitrogen, ammonium carbonate and free ammonia from manure, preventing them from turning into volatile ammonia that removes nitrogen from the substrate. Making compost according to this recipe is not difficult.
Components are bookmarked in the following order: 
Garden soil - the first layer (10 cm);
Manure mixed with simple superphosphate in a ratio (100: 2) - the second layer (10 cm).
This substrate belongs to fast composts, as it matures in 2-3 months, and if it is laid in the spring, on the first warm days (when night frosts stop), then at the end of June they can already feed potatoes and mulch trunk circles raspberries.
Peat
Weeds without seeds - 100 kg;
Dried peat - 400 kg;
Ammonium sulfate (NH4) 2SO4) - 350 g;
Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) - 50-70 g;
Potassium phosphorus - 50 g.
When using this composting method, first of all, it is necessary to saturate the peat with mineral fertilizers, thoroughly mixing all the components. After that, a "layer cake" from organic matter is prepared as follows - a thin layer of garden soil is laid on a flat area, on which 40 cm of peat is poured. A layer of finely chopped branches (not longer than 5-7 cm), herbs and tops is laid on it. The layers should be well compacted so that part of the green mass is immersed in the peat cushion, then the composting process will go faster.
Fertilizer based on this component contains a large amount of nitrogen, which makes it an excellent pre-sowing premix. Also, peat-manure compost perfectly restores the structure of the soil, and normalizes its acidity.
Compost for mushrooms
Dry straw - 100 kg;
Water (how much is needed to abundantly moisten the heap);
Mullein - 50 kg;
Gypsum - 5 kg;
Chalk - 3 kg.
Liquid bird droppings - 100 kg;
This type of compost is not a top dressing for plants, and is used as an independent soil for growing mushrooms. It is produced traditionally, laying all the components in layers and spilling water, and then let it ripen, stirring occasionally, to a state of a homogeneous crumbly mass.
For maturation various kinds composts may require a different amount of time - from 3 months to two years. The timing depends on the composition of the heap, on the conditions in which it is composted, and on the effect of various additives that are poured over the pile to speed up the overripe processes.
Video: how to make the right compost?
How and why is compost watered?
Various liquids that moisten and shed piles contribute to faster compost formation and improve its properties. They are of both natural and artificial origin, and are a kind of catalysts that contribute to the speedy heating of this biological firebox. by the most a simple means, which is used to speed up composting is plain water. She is watered with a collar throughout the entire period of storage. It helps to soften all the elements of the substrate, which helps to accelerate the processes of decay, so it is advisable to water the pile with water at least once a week.
To quickly prepare compost, various organic catalysts are often used. For example, a solution of sugar and yeast, which is abundantly poured over a newly formed collar. Such a mixture helps to quickly heat up the compost heap, and the speedy processing of organic matter.
A cheaper starting solution for the first stage of composting at home is nettle infusion. To prepare it, you need to pour ¾ buckets of nettle warm water, add a package of dry yeast to it, and leave this brew in a warm place for 3-5 days. After that, only the formed compost pile is watered with this composition.
The fastest accelerators that allow you to get a mature compost in short time, are various biostimulants. For example, drugs such as Baikal-M (according to instructions), TAMIR (10 ml per 1 liter of water).
Composters
Compost as a fertilizer has a long history, so many methods and devices have been developed for its storage. Some gardeners compost in pits, others form piles and heaps, and there are those who prefer special containers, both homemade and purchased. The most popular of them will be discussed below.
Purchased composter
This is the simplest and most aesthetic solution to the problem of storing organic residues on the site. 
But not the cheapest - their cost ranges from 2300 to 30,000 rubles. The modern industry offers gardeners many options for these designs to choose from. The simplest are boxes made of plastic, less often made of wood, the main function of which is to prevent organic compost from crumbling. But there are also entire local organic processing stations that can independently maintain the temperature inside the tank, and are equipped with a control panel.
DIY composter
To create the perfect substrate, it is absolutely not necessary to buy miracles modern technology. You can also make a composter yourself. It can be portable and stationary. In the second case, to begin with, the perimeter of the future container is drawn, and high stakes are driven in at the corners, taking into account that part of the column rises above the ground at least 150 cm high. Then the spans are clogged with flat boards, which should not fit snugly against each other, there should be a distance of at least 10 cm between their rows.
Video: do-it-yourself compost house
Video: a simple do-it-yourself grid composter
Compost in bags
This method of composting waste is used when there is little space on the site. First you need to stock up on thick black plastic bags. Then, from the developed plot of land, upper layer turf, which is placed in bags. Finely chopped weeds are added, watered with bio-humus, or any other bio-stimulator, and the bags are tightly sealed with tape. After this procedure, you can forget about them for several months. By opening the bags after the required amount of time has elapsed, it will be possible to make sure that excellent garden compost can be prepared in this way.
10 rules for compost
Compost shouldn't smell bad. If there is a stench, then the decomposition processes are going wrong, the whole mass is rotting, and the organic compost becomes a pile of rotting residue, and not an excellent fertilizer. In order not to encounter this problem, it is necessary to correctly alternate the layers of organic matter when laying. A layer of tops or grass must be sprinkled with earth or manure, then the ammonia formed during fermentation will be processed into nitrogen, and not leave the heap in the form of a gas with an unpleasant odor.
Do not place composters in the garden. Practical experience It has been proved by many amateur gardeners that the roots of all nearby plants will quickly change the direction of their growth towards the collar with the nutrient mixture, and will pump everything out of it with all their might. useful material. If the container with processed garden compost is located under the crowns of trees, you can block the path of the roots by lining the bottom of the box with parchment paper, or more radically, by concreted its base.
Making compost at the cottage- one of the smartest and easiest ways to dispose of a lot of unnecessary waste, including old clothes, fur, feathers, meat bones, fish scales, banana skins- everything that has an organic nature of origin is suitable for the manufacture of this fertilizer.
The compost must be covered and this should be done not only when winter comes, but throughout the year. In composters, a special lid is provided for this, and home-made heaps are covered with a film, laying a sufficiently thick layer of insulation under it (from sawdust or from leaves).
Be sure to grind everything What are you composting. This can be done with your own hands, using a knife or a special chopper in the form of a vertical cleaver with a long handle. There are also industrial options, for example, special drums that not only cut the raw material into small fragments, but also mix it well.
Proper compost works like a sponge when squeezed in the palm of your hand.- elastically restores its shape, and does not release absorbed moisture. If the water has flowed, then the substrate is supersaturated with liquid, and it must be opened to dry, removing the covering material and thoroughly mixing. You can also add a dry fraction of manure, peat, or garden soil.
Greens before preparing compost in the country should be slightly dried. This technique allows you to avoid the souring of the compost, since fresh grass and tops in large quantities do not rot, but sour.
In autumn, it is necessary to completely shovel the compost. Moreover, the amount of work in this case is to be serious - it is necessary to literally turn the pile upside down, making the bottom layer its "roof", and the top one - the "floor".
If you want to get "quick compost" - make it from leaves, they are processed the fastest. A collar made of this material laid in autumn with additions in the form of organic matter and garden soil, watered with biostimulants, sprinkled with a layer of soil and covered with a black film, has time to almost completely overwinter, and in the spring, in mid-May, it can already be partially used as a fertilizer. Also, to speed up the process, it is advisable to put “sourdough” from the old compost into the young compost.
collar dimensions, with any composting methods have great importance. The final height of the pile cannot be less than 1.5 meters, the width is 1-1.5 meters (otherwise it will be inconvenient to mix the contents), the length is not limited.
You should definitely pay attention to the fact that the final height of the heap is measured no earlier than 1-2 months after its laying, since it settles significantly throughout its formation.
How to use compost?
This excellent fertilizer will find its use both in the garden and in the garden. Most often it is used immediately after maturation. Consider the rules for making compost based on the season.
spring
The following compost rates apply:
Continuous application -1 bucket (10 l) per 1 sq. m.
In poor and depleted soils, a larger amount of this fertilizer is applied, about 15 liters per 1 square meter.
In the greenhouse - 1-1.5 buckets for fertilizing the surface layer of the earth, or a layer of at least 25 cm as a warming bedding under the fertile soil layer.
In summer
At this time of the year, it is time for planned feeding of plantings. Compost is good for fertilizing plants in summer. It can be used in in kind(as mulch, as a nutrient substrate), and in the form of "compost tea".
Also, the use of compost in summer protects plants, especially bulbs, from various pests. It is enough to cover the bed with a thin layer, and the root part of the plants will not be damaged by pests. At the end of the season, when digging the site, the remains of the substrate will pass into the soil, and significantly enrich its composition.
autumn
end of the season - best time for introducing fresh compost into the soil. During the winter, it will be completely processed, and by spring a high-quality fertile layer will ripen on the site. Compost is applied in the same doses as manure, about 1-2 buckets per 1 sq. m.
A couple of bags of this humus can be set aside in a cold basement for spring planting seedlings. Before bagging, the compost must be sieved to remove earthworms from it, whose mucus can have an overwhelming effect on seedlings.
Video: do-it-yourself compost heap
High-quality agricultural technology and a good harvest require soil fertilization. Compost is one of the most common basic ingredients that summer residents use everywhere. The fact is that in the country it is not so difficult to make compost with your own hands, because everything you need to organize the process is at your fingertips.
Many gardeners prefer to prepare the compost on their own, as this not only saves time and money, but also reduces the amount of hassle, which is always enough on the site. In order to understand from what and how to make fertilizer correctly, it is important to understand how the procedure for its formation takes place. In fact, composting is a natural process of decomposition of organic waste. In the process of fermentation, a fertile loose composition is obtained, which is suitable for any soil. The most common way to make compost with your own hands is to collect leftovers from the kitchen and organic garbage in one pile. After that, bacteria begin to work, which will process "yesterday's" borscht and fallen leaves into humus. As a rule, you can prepare compost in different ways, however, the whole process comes down to using the aerobic or anaerobic method.
From what you can make garden "gold" with your own hands:
- cut grass;
- foliage that falls in autumn;
- large litter cattle and birds;
- peat residues;
- tea leaves and coffee;
- egg shells, provided that they have not undergone heat treatment;
- peel and remains of raw vegetables and fruits;
- thin branches;
- straw, sawdust and seed shells;
- shredded paper or cardboard.
- vegetable peel after boiling or frying;
- diseased leaves and branches;
- weed plants;
- citrus peel;
Thus, compost waste is divided into two types: nitrogenous (manure and bird droppings, grass, raw vegetables and fruits) and carbonaceous (fallen leaves, sawdust, finely shredded paper or cardboard). When making your own compost heap, it is important to stick to a 5:1 ratio, i.e. most of it consists of brown components, which are the basis for feeding beneficial bacteria. One part of the pile is green waste. To speed up the process, shredded paper, corn and sunflower shoots, sawdust, dry leaves and grass are used as brown components.
Green components are essential for beneficial microbes, and they decompose quickly. The lack of green part can lead to a lengthening of the time required for composting. If you go too far with the green part, then the pile will smell unpleasantly of ammonia (rotten eggs). The remains of meat and fish products should not be included in the compost in the country, as they take longer to decompose, and there will be standing around. bad smell.
How to do
The balance of components is Golden Rule at the stage when, you are already ready to make garden "gold" in the country with your own hands. A properly stacked pile emits an odor fertile soil, if you hear an unpleasant smell, then you need to add brown residues. In order for the process of processing residues to start, the temperature in the center of the pile must reach 60-70 degrees. It should feel warm from it, but if it seems cool to the touch, then you need to add greenery.
Second important rule compost heap - constant humidity. It should be like a damp "rug", but not wet. If you notice that a crust is forming, then you need to add a little water. The aerobic composting process requires a constant supply of oxygen, so the pile must be turned frequently. The more often you turn the compost, the faster the finished fertilizer will ripen. You can properly prepare compost in the country in a fast and slow way. Beginning summer residents usually use the first option.
This requires a special box made of wood or plastic, where all the components will be laid. If there is no box, then you can use a pit with wooden lags. The main thing is that oxygen can freely flow from above and to the side to the contents. Laying components in layers or at random is up to you. Consider the option of laying a compost pit in layers:
- at the bottom it is necessary to put straw, hay or spruce branches to create a drainage layer;
- small branches of trees and waste of fruits that are not subject to heat treatment;
- a layer of shredded paper or cardboard;
- foliage;
- cut grass and remnants of annuals.
When laying, follow the rule - one layer is dry, the second is wet, and alternate soft waste with dense. To speed up the process, you can use nitrogen supplements, manure, dandelions and nettles. You can cook even with rotted manure or ordinary soil. To create a steam effect, the pit or box is immediately covered with a film or rags. Turning the contents of the compost store is required once or twice every thirty days. The slow method of preparing compost requires almost similar laying actions, only it will take several years to wait for the finished result, for the quality of the finished material will be much better.
Video "How to make compost in the country"
In this video you can hear and see how to make compost in the country.
Where to lay
To prepare it in the country, you will need to prepare a place where all the components will be laid. As a rule, a box or a hole in the backyard is used for this. Not rotten boards and planks are suitable for making a box. It is important that there is no rot, paint or oil residue on the surface of the wood. Most the best option- this is not a cut pine in the form of a board or a bar. It is this material that allows you to make a solid and at the same time "budget" box.
When choosing a drawer installation, it does not matter whether the surface is flat or elevated. It is advisable to prepare a place for the compost heap slightly above ground level. Such a measure is necessary so that the soil is not washed away. Further, it is necessary to make a large box from a bar or board, while leaving gaps between the planks for oxygen access. We install the supports and three finished walls of the box in a permanent place. We make the fourth wall removable so that it is convenient to ted and extract fertilizer. At the bottom of the pit, you can put a sheet of old linoleum.
Practical use
The use of mature compost, if all the processes have been done correctly, is already possible in 2-3 months. The substance should be crumbly, slightly wet and dark brown in color. If the mixture smells like earth, then the compost is ready. It is possible to prepare and apply fertilizer throughout the year for almost all crops. It is used for planting trees, shrubs and perennials. A little compost does not fit when planting in the hole vegetable crops. A thin layer on the surface of the lawn will be an excellent stimulant for the growth of juicy and dense grass, and making compost with your own hands is not difficult at all.
Video "How to make good compost"
In this video you can hear tips on making good compost.
Compost or humus from plant residues and household organic waste is a valuable fertilizer. Every summer resident can cook it. Some useful tips will help you get it quickly and effortlessly.
What is compost?
Compost is a natural fertilizer obtained from the decomposition of various organic matter under the influence of the environment, the activity of soil bacteria, fungi and insects.
As a result of the decay of various natural materials a loose brown mass is obtained, with a high content of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and others) in an accessible and easily digestible form by plants.
What are the benefits of compost?
Compost is an environmentally friendly natural fertilizer that improves crop yields. It contains all the necessary nutrients and trace elements. It can not be overdose or burn their roots. You can enter at any time.
- Enriches the soil with nutrients. Compost is considered one of the the best fertilizers, which, when introduced into the soil, fills it with a huge amount of trace elements.
- Structures the soil. humus from different types organic matter loosens heavy clay soils, binds sandy soils and increases their moisture capacity.
- Serves as mulch and covering material. Spread over the surface of the soil, compost will conserve moisture and inhibit the growth of many weeds in the area. The introduction of loose compost under shrubs and perennials is useful for protecting the root system from freezing.
- Increases the microbiological activity of the soil. Plants live in close symbiosis with soil bacteria and fungi, which fulfill their role in providing them with nutrients. The more intense these processes, the better the yield.
- Solves the problem of organic household waste disposal. Cleanings and leftover food, paper and cardboard, leaves and weeds, grass clippings and cut branches - all this does not need to be removed from the site, these are raw materials for making compost.
Making your own compost does not require material costs and special skills.
What determines the quality of compost?
Any organic matter will rot over time, but not all compost will benefit the beds. A quality product contains a lot nutrients, their composition is balanced, the acidity is close to neutral, the structure is loose.
Rotting of organic matter occurs as a result of exposure to various types of bacteria. Among them are aerobic (they need oxygen) and anaerobic (they develop with a lack of oxygen). Aerobic microorganisms "work" faster. If you provide free access of air to the compost heap, periodically turn the compost - the process of overheating will accelerate. Too slow decay leads to the fact that some of the nutrients are washed out by rains, harmful insects settle and multiply in the heap itself.
The best compost is obtained from a mixture of different natural materials. rich in nitrogen food waste mixed with sawdust, grass with leaves, chopped branches with uprooted weeds, manure with straw. This improves the structure and activates the process of decay itself.
It is recommended to add some herbs - nettle, yarrow, dandelion, horsetail, hypericum. Especially useful if they do not grow in your area. You can just pick at least a small bunch and add to the compost. This expands the spectrum of trace elements. For example, there is a lot of silicon in horsetail (compared to other plants), it may be that it is lacking in the soil in your area.
What else you need to know about composting
All organic waste will sooner or later rot and turn into compost. But when laying a heap, the decomposition time of all components should be taken into account. Last year's leafy humus mixed with tomato tops that have not rotted since autumn and potato peels, added last week, is not what you dreamed of.
Compost, humus (from manure and leafy), like any other organic fertilizers, must be applied to the soil regularly. This means that you need to compost every year. Good work should become a habit. As well as sorting household waste.
The humus heap should be damp, but not wet. If the summer is dry, water periodically.
Temperature is an important factor in the compost formation process. In winter, the decomposition process slows down, while warm summer temperatures speed up the process. The compost heats up during the overdrying process, the temperature inside the compost heap can rise to 60-70°C, which contributes to the destruction of weed seeds.
To increase the temperature inside the heap and protect against leaching of nutrients by rains, it is useful to cover the compost with polyethylene. Better dark, so that the seeds do not germinate on the surface of the pile.
How to properly lay a compost heap?
Where to choose a seat
This is an important question. It is clear that this place for compost should not be near the front flower bed or at the entrance to the house. Usually, a corner is taken away from the eyes, in an area unsuitable for other purposes. Access to the compost heap should be convenient in case of moving a large amount of green mass, branches. If you live in the house permanently, then in winter it will be inconvenient to carry household waste through deep snow to the farthest corner of the garden.
It is impossible to lay a compost heap in the lowlands, in flooded places. With an excess of water, organic matter will “sour”, instead of loose compost, a dense layer of rot will turn out.
Pit or box?
There are two options for collecting organic debris: dig a hole and fill everything in there, or make it out of mesh or wooden planks box. They do it this way and that.
Advantages pits for compost:
- it is not visible from the side;
- in the pit is always wet;
- it is warmer in the pit, so the process is actively going on in winter.
Pit Disadvantages:
- it is inconvenient to take out humus, especially rotted from the bottom;
- organic matter becomes caked and air access stops;
- in the spring and during a downpour, the pit can be filled with water.
Conclusions - the pit can be used on dry sandy soils where there is no stagnant water.
Advantages drawer for compost;
- good air access, rotting is more active;
- easier to control the process;
- it is enough to remove one of the walls and you can take the finished compost from below.
Drawer Disadvantages:
- it needs to be made or bought;
- in frosty winters, the contents freeze and the process stops;
- The compost dries up and needs to be watered.
Most experts advise making a box without a bottom, and dig a shallow hole under it over the entire area - about the bayonet of a shovel. Put branches, wood chips and other slowly rotting garbage into the pit.
What size to choose?
Usually they make a cube with a side of 1 meter, this is the most optimal shape - both heat is retained, and there is air access from the sides. But the main criterion is still the amount of organic matter in your farm. If the garden and garden are large, then there will be large volumes of weeds and cut grass in summer, and in autumn - leaves and tops from the garden. All this has to be put somewhere.
What can be added to the compost heap?
If you want to make high quality compost, use the following:
- Animal manure (for fast food- rotted);
- Fallen leaves and other garden waste;
- cut grass;
- Kitchen waste (cleanings, cores, leftover vegetables and fruits, cereals, coffee grounds, tea leaves);
- Weeds torn from the garden, stems and tops of garden plants;
- Shavings, sawdust;
- Thin branches of bushes and trees (it is better to chop);
- Algae, mud;
- Wrapping paper, cardboard;
- Sunflower stalks, corn cobs;
- egg shell;
- Carrion (apples, pears), if they are not affected by fruit diseases.
Feces and pet droppings are controversial. It is not customary for us to add this to the compost, it is believed that worms and some diseases are transmitted in this way. In many countries - Japan, the Netherlands, in the south of France - these are the most common useful materials for fertilizer.
What can't be composted?
Some waste should not be added to the compost heap:
- Bones and wool - rot for a very long time;
- Parts of plants affected by diseases or pests;
- Fresh manure, chicken manure (can only be added to slowly decaying compost, otherwise it burns the plants).
Inorganic household waste - plastic, rubber, polyethylene, polystyrene - is not used, not even burned, such garbage must be removed from the site.
How to put materials in the compost heap?
Many summer residents do not even think about proper composting. Weeded the beds - all the grass into compost, raked the leaves in the garden - they poured the whole mass into a box. It is not right. Materials must be laid in layers.
Organic waste can be divided into groups:
- nitrogenous. These are manure, bird droppings, mowed grass, green weeds, vegetable and fruit waste.
- carbonaceous. These are shavings, sawdust, straw, leaves, paper, cardboard, chopped wood, bark.
When laying a compost heap, it is important that nitrogenous (“green, wet and soft”) layers alternate with brown (“carbonaceous, dry and hard”) layers - this will provide ventilation, speed up the process, and later on - a good texture of the finished compost.
The optimal ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the composted material is approximately 30:1. So in freshly cut grass, this ratio is 15:1, and in dry fallen leaves - 50:1, i.e. a combination of them in equal proportions by volume will give a mixture close to optimal.
During weeding, sprinkle all the greenery with sawdust or torn paper, mowed grass with last year's leaves or straw. It is useful to sprinkle each layer with earth or rotted manure. This speeds up the growth of beneficial bacteria. Pack content compost bin do not, it will disrupt ventilation and slow down the composting process.
The thing is that, depending on the content of nitrogen or carbon, organic waste rots differently. Nitrogenous - manure, rotting fruits and vegetables, grains, bread and flour products, food waste - emit heat. The process is very fast, bacteria multiply and absorb a lot of oxygen. With a lack of its process slows down. Carbonaceous materials are loose, contain a lot of air, and consume nitrogen during decay. If you take an equal amount of both, then the balance is normal.
Unpleasant odors from the contents of the compost bin indicate that something is disturbed and the process is underway wrong. The smell of ammonia or rotten eggs indicates an excessive amount of nitrogen-containing substances in the compost heap and a lack of oxygen. In this case, it is necessary to mix the compost and add carbonaceous (brown) materials.
Deadlines for rotting compost materials
Grass, green weeds quickly rot. When mixing the compost heap, a full-fledged fertilizer can be obtained in a few months.
Branches, chopped wood, shavings require at least a year.
The period of decomposition of the leaves depends on the type of tree. Quickly (within a year) subject to compliance right conditions the leaves of most deciduous trees decompose: apple, pear, cherry, maple, birch, mountain ash, linden, hornbeam, hazel. Leaf humus contribute and not completely rotted - leaf particles, veins, petioles are useful for loosening dense clay soils.
Evergreen leaves and needles can take 2-3 years to decompose, and it is especially recommended to grind such leaves in a garden vacuum cleaner, lawn mower or shredder.
How many compost heaps to make?
Most experts are of the opinion that it is better to make not one large compost heap, but at least two. In one, put fresh materials of this year, in the other - last year's compost ripens. old pile periodically shovel until the residue is completely rotting and take ready-made compost from it for various needs.
There are many more options for quick composting.
Soil fertilization is important requirement agricultural technology of any plant, and one of the main components for incorporation into the soil is compost. Today we will learn how to make it in the country on our own.
Many summer residents have been preparing compost with their own hands for a long time, because this not only saves time and money, but also eliminates a lot of unnecessary worries, which are already enough in their summer cottage.
Benefits of making compost in the country
- Compost is considered one of the best fertilizers, which, when applied to the soil, fills it with a huge amount of trace elements.
- Compost is the cheapest and most practical means for proper soil structuring, as it increases moisture conservation and creates loosening necessary for all plants.
- Spreading compost over the surface of the soil creates the best organic mulch that will conserve moisture and inhibit the growth of many weeds in the area.
- Making compost for dacha territory is a very useful process, as well as a significant contribution to development and environmental protection. None mineral fertilizer cannot be compared with high-quality compost, and a properly formed pit in which organic components rot can become a real incubator for beneficial bacteria and microorganisms.
- Composting significantly reduces your physical effort, as now you do not need to remove from the territory suburban area a good part of the garbage, everything can simply be placed in a special pit.
What is garden compost
Compost is a specific product obtained from organic waste under the influence of the environment and a huge variety of insects and microorganisms. It is used for structuring the soil, mulching, fertilizing.
The bark and branches of trees, the stems and leaves of plants - all this can be folded into certain order in a special pit or just on a pile, to ensure the conditions of decay and processing, and get a high-quality, truly environmentally friendly product without any harmful and toxic compounds. Naturally, the process of decomposition of all organic residues will seriously wait, maybe even several years, but then you will get real quality, and not a mixture from the store prepared on the basis of unknown components.
How to make compost
Professionals know how to make compost in a fast and slow way. They are also called cold and hot.
Before we move on to looking at "recipes", we'd like to talk about building a proper compost bin or pit.
How to make a compost bin?
So, initially we need to prepare the material for the production of a compost bin in size. For this, almost any, but not rotten and not previously in contact with toxic materials boards or planks. In the first case, during the biological process, rotten planks can deteriorate, in the second, boards in paint or oil can simply poison the compost, damaging its quality irreversibly.
We would advise you to take unedged pine in boards or beams so that the finished box will last for many years, and work with this material. So you will make a quality container, but do not spend a lot of money.
Now choose a place and start building. On a hill or on a flat area, it doesn’t really matter if your terrain is not rainy, and the GWL is low. In general, it is desirable to place a place under the compost a little higher than the standard soil level so that it does not wash away. So, we create four sides of the box, like a standard vegetable, but much large sizes.
Be sure to observe the gaps between the prefabricated planks to ensure ventilation of the compost for the correct internal biological processes.
At the place of collection of the box, we install supports, we attach three ready-made walls made of pine boards or timber to the supports. We leave the last side removable so that it is convenient for us to get finished product for fertilizing or mulching the soil in the country.
It is advisable to lay some material on the bottom of the box or, as they say, a compost pit, for example, old linoleum.
How to make the right compost quickly?
How to properly prepare compost fast way? This question is of interest to many beginners in the dacha business, and therefore, we turn to it without delay.
First of all, we create a special container - a frame that will contain all organic residues entering the compost on a single heap. It might just be a hole wooden structures, a special wooden or plastic box in which there will be ventilation and access to the contents from above or from the side.
We create drainage at the bottom of the tank. You can make it from a layer of hay, straw, spruce branches. The layer should be about 10 cm.
Materials and various products for composting are stacked in layers. For example, you can immediately put branches and other fruit waste, then a layer of paper, the next layer of leaves, then a layer of mowed annuals or grass, and so on. It is important that the layers alternate approximately as follows, dry waste with wet, soft with hard. Such a laying method will provide air access, ventilation, and acceleration of the composting process. In this case, it must be remembered that the seal is useless here, and may even harm.
It is required to lay each layer with special process accelerators, for example, nitrogen supplements that are offered in garden stores, herbivore manure, plants such as legumes, nettles, dandelions, yarrows. You can also use rotted manure or ordinary garden soil.
To maintain temperature and correct internal environment, it is necessary to cover the compost storage with special materials - oilcloth, old rags, a piece of linoleum or carpet. The main thing is to keep warm inside.
In the summer, when there is a drought outside, the compost can be shed a little in order to maintain the desired humidity inside the storage. But remember, only spill, and do not fill to the top.
If you smell specific aromas from the compost bin, this may mean that the cooking process has failed and is not going right. If it smells like ammonia, there are too many nitrogen components in the pit (you can correct the situation by adding some torn paper). If you smell rotten eggs, then there is not enough oxygen in the pit or box, and the contents must be well stirred up, spilling the layers with straw or shavings.
If you manage to make the container correctly, as well as fill it with even layers, in a few months the compost will be ready. It is better to choose it from the lower layers, so that the upper ones fall evenly, pressing against the top with new organic residues.
How to make compost the slow way?
How to make compost from grass or branches? How to get the most correct quality product? Naturally, this method is a little more complicated, or rather, longer, but as a result you will get very high quality compost.
By by and large, you don’t have to do anything in particular, just prepare everything for rotting once and wait a few years. By the way, this way you can install a new compost pit in the corner of the site every year, so that after 2-3 years you can reach constant annual volumes.
So how do you make your own compost?
If you can make compost in a barrel in a quick way, then for a slow, cold way, you will need an ordinary pit on some hill of the site. The pit is dug small, about the size of a spade bayonet, but wide enough to accommodate enough branches and logs for composting. Further, broken branches and arrows of trees, trimmed parts and rotten logs in a crushed state are poured into the pit. Our whole heap is covered with soil from above and forgotten for a long time. In the second year, if you are very lucky, or in the third, which is stable with proper preparation, you will receive a noble fertilizer for the garden.
When choosing from fertilizer preparation methods, many choose a fast one, and it’s not even worth explaining to anyone the reason. But now I want to say not about the method, but about what should go into the compost pit and what should not.
What can you make compost from?
If you want to make high quality compost and save time, throw in the place of decay only the following:
- Kitchen waste (fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea leaves, coffee grounds);
- Straw, hay, shavings, sawdust, mowed grass;
- Thin branches and stems of garden bushes and trees;
- recycled wood after garden shredder;
- rotted animal manure;
- Rotten leaves and other garden waste;
- Various algae;
- Other natural materials- fabric and paper;
- Chopped weeds (avoiding rhizomatous weeds in the compost).
What not to compost
During the preparation of fertilizer, it is necessary to remember that it is impossible to place in the compost storage:
- Bones, large and hard, poultry, meat, fish waste, pet droppings;
- Fresh leaves, rhizomatous and perennial weeds;
- Plants or debris infested with diseases or pests;
- Fresh manure, which can only be poured into slow-cooking compost;
- Waste from the garden that contains toxins, poisons, herbicides, and so on;
- Unnecessary garbage- metal, glass, rubber, plastic, polyethylene, etc.
How to make compost (video)
Following the simplest rules and advice experienced summer residents, who have been preparing a useful “potion” for their garden for more than a year, you can make compost in the country with your own hands very simply and immediately start fertilizing the soil to improve the quality of crops.
Is it possible to grow plants without fertilizers? This is probably possible, but it is not difficult to predict what the result of such agrotechnical actions will be. In other words, far from perfect. Therefore, we will not "reinvent the wheel", but we will teach you how to prepare compost or humus.
Most summer residents are used to preparing compost on their own. This makes it possible to save money and time, and also frees you from a lot of unnecessary worries.
Why you need compost
Humus is one of the best fertilizers, when applied to the soil, it is possible to fill it with a large number of trace elements. Although its price is low, thanks to the practicality of the material, it is possible to achieve the correct structuring of the soil. For example, moisture conservation increases and creates needed by plants loosening.
Tip: If you spread the humus across the surface of the soil, you will create the best organic mulch that conserves moisture and suppresses the growth of most types of weeds on the site.
Apart from beneficial process associated with composting, you are also making a significant contribution to protecting the environment. It is difficult to find a mineral fertilizer that can compare with high-quality humus, moreover, a properly formed pit where organic components are processed becomes a real incubator for beneficial microorganisms and bacteria.
Tip: ready-made will allow you to quickly settle down in a suburban area country houses from block containers.
By making compost, you can reduce physical labor on the site. Now there is no need to take out the garbage from the territory, since almost all can be placed in a special pit.
Garden compost - what is it
This name was given to a product that is obtained from organic debris under the influence of the environment, as well as a large number of various microorganisms and insects. It is used for structuring the soil, in the form of fertilizer and mulching.
Do not know what to do with fallen leaves in the country, branches and bark of trees, as well as their plant stems?
Then, to get high-quality and environmentally friendly compost without toxic compounds, do the following:
- put them in a specially prepared pit in a certain order or just in a pile;
- provide appropriate conditions for decay and processing.
Of course, there is a certain drawback in the method - the decomposition time of organic residues is quite long, sometimes several years. However, as a result, you will have a really high-quality product, and not bought in a store, made on the basis of incomprehensible components.
compost pit
Before moving on to the main phase, let's make a compost bin or pit. In the first case, you will have to make a box according to certain sizes and requirements.
The following guide will help you with this:
- Prepare wood planks or boards that have not previously been exposed to toxic materials and are not rotten. Otherwise, you can poison the product, irreversibly damaging its quality, or your design will simply collapse at some point.
Tip: take unedged pine boards for the box, then such a container will last a very long time, and its cost will be minimal.
- It's time to choose a place for compost to start building. It can be a hill or a flat area, there is not much difference if ground water not close to the surface and the terrain is not rainy.
Tip: try to place the compost container just above ground level so that it does not wash away.
- Make a do-it-yourself box that resembles a standard vegetable box, only much larger. At the same time, one should not forget to observe the gaps between the planks to ensure the ventilation of the compost so that the internal biological processes take place correctly.
- Install supports at the construction site, to which attach 3 finished walls of the structure. The last side should be removable, so it will be more convenient to get humus for work.
- Put on the bottom of the box or old linoleum or something similar.
Tip: if you have difficulties with, renting a diesel generator to give will help you.
Compost making methods
Experts use a fast and a slow way. They also received another name - hot and cold.
| Fast (hot) |
Preparation in this way takes several months. It is better to start using the material from the lower layers. |
