A miracle helper is a composting barrel (compost barrel). Do-it-yourself compost pit from a barrel Do-it-yourself composter from a metal barrel

Adding compost to vegetable beds is perhaps the most rational, safe, and also environmentally friendly method of increasing soil fertility. It minimizes the use of mineral fertilizers and contributes to a tremendous increase in the diversity of microorganisms in the soil, which in turn process organic matter and make it available to plants.

However, composting organic waste is not like that. simple task, as it may seem at first. If you delve deeper into the learning process, it turns out that this is not just a “method”, but a whole science about how to turn organic matter into a nutritional substance that will be much more easily digestible for plants, rather than mineral fertilizers, the fashion for which seems to be slowly but surely coming to an end.

For example, organic waste needs to be layered with earth. Also, the compost must be shaken at least a couple of times during the entire composting period, moving it from place to place. This is done so that the mass is saturated with oxygen, and aerobic microorganisms receive an impetus for the development in it, instead of anaerobic ones - for example, putrefactive bacteria.

Layering the compost with soil and breaking it down not only takes a long time, but is also relatively labor intensive. In order to simplify the task, we decided to build a compost barrel that would be equipped with a rotating mechanism and could do the work for us.

To make such a country "helper" you will need:

1. Materials:

Barrel (we took a plastic one);
- plywood 6 mm;
- wooden block with a section of 50 by 100 mm;
- furniture rollers, which are usually used in the manufacture of furniture - 4 pcs.;
- nails;
- self-tapping screws.

2. Tools:

Jigsaw;
- wood hacksaw;
- screwdriver;
- electric drill;
- screwdriver;
- hammer;
- marker or pencil.

Step 1: making the lid

We chose plywood, 6 mm thick, as the material for the barrel lid.

Place the barrel on a sheet of plywood with the neck facing the surface and outline its outline. Cut out the resulting circle using a jigsaw.

Saw small squares from the block. We will need four of them in total. Use a pencil to “write” an imaginary square into the circle and secure one square in each corner using nails or screws (see photo below). To prevent the parts from splitting, pre-drill holes for fastenings with an electric drill.

In addition, drill a couple of dozen holes in the lid itself. This will ensure the necessary aeration of the mass and prevent the development of unwanted bacteria and organisms in it.

Step 2: making the frame

Making the frame will not take much time, since its design is extremely simple and consists of a rectangle made of timber with braces installed at the corners, providing it with rigidity.

The length of the frame is arbitrary, however, it should be slightly longer than the length of the barrel installed on it. While the width is 1/4 smaller sizes barrels. Taking these notes into account, carry out the necessary calculations.

We took a beam with a cross-section of 50 x 100 mm, but, in fact, you can choose any other dimensions that will provide the structure with the “load capacity” required of it.

We made the braces from scraps of plywood. The test results show that it is quite suitable for these purposes.

Step 3: Installing the Rollers

During operation, the barrel will rotate thanks to the rollers. Our frame is ready, so start installing the rollers.

Each pair should be secured on the long side of the frame as shown in the photo - slightly back from the edge. Use self-tapping screws for fastening. This will greatly simplify the process of replacing rollers, adjusting their location or adjustment.

If you are concerned about the safety of the barrel, choose rubber-coated rollers - they will not scratch the walls of the container.

Please note that the closer the rollers are located to the neck and bottom of the barrel, the more stable the entire structure will be.

Step 4: Install the Stop

The stop in this design is designed to prevent the barrel from sliding to the side when rotating. It is fixed to the frame and is a regular piece of board. Subsequently, it will hold the barrel in an axial position.

Step 5: Installing the Cover Latch

As you can see in the photo, the “fixer” is a set of rubber bands with hooks, which are usually used when transporting goods. You can find these in any market. Their length should not only ensure a tight fit of the lid, but also not interfere with the removal of the harnesses. For convenience and reliability of the connection, several holes for hooks must be drilled around the circumference of the barrel neck.

Are you against mineral chemical fertilizers? Do you want to minimize the use of chemical fertilizers on your garden plot? Then this article is for you. Look around. Right under your feet is what correct use will become humus, which can be scattered in the garden, vegetable garden and flower beds.

Interesting fact:
Already in the 10th century, the secrets of making compost
were known to the Slavic tribes,
for example, the Polabian Slavs.

Compost is a natural universal organic fertilizer , which without unnecessary material costs and without special labor can be obtained by any gardener, gardener and summer resident. Compost has a beneficial effect on the structure and fertility of the soil. You just need to know how to cook it correctly.

Rule 1
Where and what is the best way to prepare compost?

There are two options:

compost pit/heap
Compost bin or barrel

Advantages of a compost pit/heap

There is no need to look for additional materials and no need to build anything. Just dig a hole no more than 0.5 m deep and 1.5 m x 1.5 m in size and put organic remains (kitchen waste, weeded weeds, fallen leaves, etc.) into this hole (over time you will get a heap).

If desired, when the hole is filled level with the ground, you can build on the walls. I have them about 0.5 m high. However, the compost heap has long surpassed this mark. But I didn’t add anything anymore.

If the compost pit/heap is supported by walls, then comfortable conditions will be created inside the pit for the work of anaerobic organisms that live only in the absence of atmospheric oxygen

Disadvantages of a compost pit/heap

There is a compost pit on my property that has already turned into a heap. However, it is bulky and looks untidy (fortunately it is located behind the barn and hidden from view). And most importantly, it’s impossible for me to shovel it.

It will not be possible to obtain high-quality compost in a compost pit in 1 year. It will take at least 3 years. But in it it is visible and invisible. The worms are free there; they grow long and fat. It is in the compost pit that my husband digs for worms when he goes fishing. And the quality of catching crucian carp with such a worm is excellent.

(pelvis diameter - 40 cm)

Compost bin or barrel

I also placed a box and two compost bins in the garden. It's comfortable. While plant residues for compost are stored in one container, the compost matures under a lid in another container, and the finished compost is removed from the third container for gardening needs.

I adapted a leaky metal barrel and a cracked plastic one for compost. I also punched holes in the plastic bottom.

The height of the barrels is no more than 70 cm, so that, with my short stature, it would be convenient for me to put plant debris in them and pour out slops.

My compost bin is constructed from boards. But you can make it from cement bonded particle boards 20 mm thick or metal mesh.

Advantages of barrels or boxes

Can be placed anywhere in the garden/vegetable garden.
Thanks to its compactness, it will not take up much space.
Looks more aesthetically pleasing than a pit/pile.
Thanks to the holes and cracks, we get a kind of ventilation, which means that enough air enters the future compost, which is so necessary for the life of microorganisms.
Ready compost can be taken from the lower layers (through pre-made holes) as needed.
In a barrel or box, the compost does not dry out and is not washed away.
A barrel or box with mature compost can be adapted for growing cucumbers or zucchini. It turns out to be a peculiar high bed.

Rule 2
What can you put in compost?

1. All plant residues and weeds from the beds and garden, except:

* weeds with ripened seeds
* diseased plants
* weeds treated with herbicides

I put plant residues unsuitable for compost in a special pile, hidden in the backyard behind the fence. Or I take you out of the area.

2. Mown grass, fallen leaves, straw, sawdust and, if available, peat.

By the way, about fallen leaves.
Leaf litter significantly improves the quality of compost. But it all depends on the type of wood. For example, linden leaves, containing a lot of lime, quickly decompose and form neutral humus, thereby enriching the compost.

3. Household (kitchen) waste, slops.

If slops from the kitchen are regularly poured into a barrel of compost, then you don’t have to specifically water the barrel. And this requires up to 3-4 buckets of water per day.

4. Ash and, if available, bird droppings.

The alternation of layers occurs naturally, which has a beneficial effect on the compost. The fact is that vegetable peelings, weeded weeds, and mown grass contain a lot of nitrogen, sawdust contains carbon, and ash contains potassium and microelements.

Manure (slurry) I don't put it in compost. Firstly, we don’t have this “good”. Secondly, with manure there is a risk of introducing diseases and pests into the compost. Here you need to ensure that the compost rots for 2, or maybe 3, years, depending on the conditions.

It is not necessary to add soil to the compost heap. This can lower the rotting temperature and thereby slow down the composting process of the organics.

I wish you rich harvests,
Katerina Shlykova

Quoting and partial copying articles and stories, possibly indicating the source in the form active link to the corresponding page of the site.

Iron barrels of different sizes

For a long time already as water collectors under sewers garden houses Summer residents use iron barrels for various fuels and lubricants. Convenient volume, durable material and affordable price have made barrels an indispensable element of gardening.

Let's consider other possibilities for their use; Perhaps some ideas will be unexpected for you and they will end up in your plans for the coming summer. Just remember that before use, the barrels must either be rinsed from the contents or set on fire from the inside to burn off any remaining fuel and lubricants on the walls.

Barrels are a container for burning.

This method of using barrels has been known to gardeners for a long time. In the most hidden part of the garden, protected from the wind, an iron barrel with a sawn-off top (lid) is placed on a non-flammable base. The base can be a platform of several paving slabs or simply earth with the top layer of turf removed. Several holes must be drilled in the bottom of the barrel to allow oxygen to enter.

Gradually, the barrel is filled with flammable waste from the gardener’s activities, such as paper, cardboard, dry branches, and leftover building materials. Periodically, the contents of the barrel are set on fire and burn out very quickly, since the holes in the lower part create good draft for the fire. In addition, this method of burning is safe compared to an open fire - the wind does not scatter burning debris around the area, and you can extinguish the fire by simply pouring a bucket of water over it and closing it with a lid. The ash that accumulates in the barrel will also benefit the gardener, as it is an excellent fertilizer for plants.

Of course, the walls of the barrel burn out over time and need to be replaced, but it is enough for 5-6 seasons (depending on the thickness of the walls and the frequency of burning waste).

Iron barrel compost container

To organize compost, it is necessary to provide oxygen to the contents, for which it is necessary to drill holes around the entire circumference and in the bottom of the barrel. How more holes, the better the compost will “breathe”. Before adding plant residues, it is necessary to arrange at the bottom of the barrel drainage layer from branches or twigs. Be sure to provide a lid for compost - it can be made from leftover metal tiles or ordinary boards. Compost ripening in such a container occurs at an accelerated pace; within a year it will be ready for use; you just need to stir it from time to time with a pitchfork.

Since in this case the barrel will not be exposed to temperatures, it can be painted on the outside with paints, enamel or otherwise decorative look.

Mobile beds made of iron barrels

Preparing a barrel for a mobile bed is the same as when organizing a composter. Zucchini and cucumbers can be planted in such beds; Moreover, this can be done directly onto the compost, adding a 20-30 cm layer of fertile soil on top.

Such a ridge is convenient because the spreading foliage of planted crops does not take up space on the beds, but hangs down and entwines the barrel. In addition, if the garden is still at the beginning of development and there are no prepared beds, barrels can serve as a temporary option that is easy to move and change as the site is developed.

A simple option for organizing an outdoor oven for cooking dishes in a cauldron. It is better to use a small metal oven with a capacity of 60 liters. Cut off the lid of the barrel; Drill holes along the upper and lower belts, cut a door on one side for storing firewood. When purchasing a cauldron, take into account the diameter of the stove so that it is firmly installed on top.

Such a stove is good because it has a low cost, is simple to manufacture, and is absolutely unattractive to garden thieves.

Frying pan with iron barrel lid

The next stage in the evolution of the iron barrel is a roasting pan with a lid. It differs from all previous options in that the lid of the barrel remains in place; the barrel itself is sawn lengthwise into two parts. One of the parts serves as a base for laying coals and installing a grate or skewers, and the second part is a lid connected to the base using ordinary door hinges. An X-shaped structure made of non-combustible materials - iron pipes or fittings.

The roaster is convenient because it can be built into, for example, a gazebo and the contents are protected by a lid from precipitation.

Outdoor and indoor furniture made from iron barrels

Furniture made from barrels is very diverse. A novice master will choose a simpler option, for example, bar table from a barrel with a round tabletop. You can make a tabletop yourself, using large wooden reels for power lines, or order a solid one made of solid wood.

Experienced master With good set tools, you can easily take on a set of patio furniture - sofas and armchairs, or make an original cabinet - a bar.

Craftsmen without tools or skills, but with a talent for drawing, can make an original cabinet out of a barrel, painting it in the manner of an old forged chest. The color and complexity of the product will be given by the handles and metal clasps screwed to it.

Bottom line

If at your dacha iron barrel If you find another use that has eluded us, take a photo and write about it. Maybe your idea will inspire other gardeners to get creative and become a classic of the garden genre!

However, composting organic waste is not as simple a task as it may seem at first. If you delve deeper into the process of study, it turns out that this is not just a “method”, but a whole science of how to turn organic matter into a nutritional substance that will be much more easily digestible for plants, rather than mineral fertilizers, the fashion for which seems to be slowly but is surely coming to an end.

To make such a country “helper” you will need:

1. Materials:

2. Tools:

Jigsaw;
- wood hacksaw;
- screwdriver;
- electric drill;
- screwdriver;
- hammer;
- marker or pencil.

Step 1: making the lid

We chose plywood, 6 mm thick, as the material for the barrel lid.

Place the barrel on a sheet of plywood with the neck facing the surface and outline its outline. Cut out the resulting circle using a jigsaw.

In addition, drill a couple of dozen holes in the lid itself. This will ensure the necessary aeration of the mass and prevent the development of unwanted bacteria and organisms in it.

Step 2: making the frame

Making the frame will not take much time, since its design is extremely simple and consists of a rectangle made of timber with braces installed at the corners, providing it with rigidity.

The length of the frame is arbitrary, however, it should be slightly longer than the length of the barrel installed on it. While the width is 1/4 less than the size of the barrel. Taking these notes into account, carry out the necessary calculations.

We took a beam with a cross-section of 50 x 100 mm, but, in fact, you can choose any other dimensions that will provide the structure with the “load capacity” required of it.

We made the braces from scraps of plywood. The test results show that it is quite suitable for these purposes.

Step 3: Installing the Rollers

During operation, the barrel will rotate thanks to the rollers. Our frame is ready, so start installing the rollers.

If you are concerned about the safety of the barrel, choose rubber-coated rollers - they will not scratch the walls of the container.

Please note that the closer the rollers are located to the neck and bottom of the barrel, the more stable the entire structure will be.

Step 4: Install the Stop

Step 5: Installing the Cover Latch

Step 6: Installing the Ribs

Inside the container, parallel to its walls, you need to install 3-4 bars, which will facilitate effective mixing of the contents. Otherwise, the mass will simply slide along the walls, and the final result will be reduced to zero.

The organic waste composting barrel is ready! Here you can load not only leaves and weeds from the beds, but also food waste from the kitchen. Moreover, the second option is even preferable, since the nutrient medium will ultimately be much richer.

Composters for your dacha are easy to make with your own hands. This could be a compost pit, a box, a device made of slate or wooden pallets, or a rotating plastic barrel.

The content of the article:

The composter allows you to obtain natural organic fertilizer. Rotten remains turn into a dark, loose substance that is very nutritious for plants. Exist various options composter devices. It all depends on the availability of materials, on how quickly you need to turn organic residues into fertilizer.

A composter for a summer residence - what it can be

The simplest option is a compost pit. Decide on the size, estimating approximately how much plant debris you can put here during the summer season.

Dig a hole, it is better if it is rectangular in shape, it is easier to line it. Stepping back 20 cm from the bottom, reinforce the side walls of the compost pit with suitable materials. It can be hardboard, slate, old iron, boards. The bottom of the excavation is not covered with such materials so that microorganisms and earthworms have access here.
If the soil is clayey, you may not need to line the sides of the pit. To create drainage, pour down branches and large plant debris, such as stems from large flowers, Jerusalem artichoke, and sunflowers. You will pour plant residues on top of them; if they are large, then you need to chop them first.
To make the compost ripen faster, sometimes water it with a special preparation that speeds up this process. Experts recommend sprinkling from time to time a large number of fertilizers Water the compost periodically to prevent it from drying out.
Cover it with black plastic film on top, then the rotting process will go faster and an unpleasant odor will not spread.

The compost bin has a disadvantage. The flow of oxygen is obstructed here; to eliminate this, insert a pipe with holes made in it in advance. You can make 2-4 of these.

If you don’t want to work on making a hole or digging it, then you can put the compost directly in a pile.

It will need to be watered periodically to prevent it from drying out. The big disadvantage of setting up such a mini warehouse is the smell. Therefore, it is better to build the sidewalls in advance from stone, slate, boards or iron, and cover the top with film.

The following year, such compost usually does not yet ripen, but is excellent soil for the growth of pumpkin crops. Plant zucchini or pumpkins here and you will be surprised at the abundance of the harvest.

At the beginning of autumn, this ripened substance can be used as an organic additive when planting strawberries, bulbous flowers, and seedlings. Or you can leave this compost until next spring, then add it to the holes and beds when planting.

Pumpkins love to grow in a warm garden bed. You can make a composter and her at the same time. Dig a rectangular depression the size of the bed, line its inner sides with slate so that it rises above the surface of the ground. To secure the slate, drive metal rods into the soil and connect them to a base of wooden blocks.

You will put organic residues here all summer, periodically sprinkle them with a small amount of soil. It can be put aside in advance when you dig a trench. To spring next year you will turn out beautiful warm bed, which it will be enough to loosen and pumpkin crops can be planted here. Cucumbers will grow great.

How to make a compost bin with your own hands?

See how a slate-lined compost pit is made. This needs to be reinforced with metal posts.

You can make a box from this material, strengthening it with metal or wooden posts on the outside.

Pallet composter

This is one of the simplest options for its construction. Since there is a distance between the boards of the pallets, oxygen will penetrate here unhindered, and ripening will proceed faster. It is necessary to take into account the presence of an unpleasant smell of rotting. Therefore, it is better to make such a device away from the house and recreation area. A General requirements When choosing a site for a composter, this is a distance of 10 m from residential buildings, and 20 m from a water supply source.

To make a pallet composter you will need:

4 pallets;
self-tapping screws;
screwdriver

Decide where you will place it.

It's better not to bet compost bin under the scorching rays of the sun so that its contents do not dry out. Place it in shade or partial shade.

Place two pallets vertically at 90 degree angles to each other and connect them with screws or nails.

Knock down the top corners first and then the bottom corners.

In the same way, connect two more pallets, you will get a quadrangle into which you can put compost.

if you have wooden pallets, but you don't want to use them that way, then make your compost bin differently. First you need to disassemble the pallets using a nail puller.

You will have boards that will subsequently need to be arranged as shown in the next photo.

As you can see, it will be necessary to make grooves in the boards in order to assemble them according to the construction set principle. The following markings will help you with this.

Two racks will be corner ones, you need to make recesses in them, based on the last photo. The remaining grooves need to be made as in the first of three photographs, and the front wall will be slightly inclined, so the notches need to be made in the corners.

Allocate a flat area for the box, place the 4 bottom boards of the base level, using a level.

After this, install 2 vertical posts in front and begin assembling the box.

This compost bin is quite mobile; you can move it to any point on the site. Pour compost here, loosen it periodically to provide air access and speed up the ripening of the substance.

To be able to extract the finished fertilizer without spending special effort, even when constructing a compost bin, provide an opening or lifting bottom door. Then you can expose the content below, which will be ready faster than the top.

Three-section composter

You can make a compost bin for your garden, consisting of 3 sections. This design is very convenient because while the contents of the first one are rotting, you will have time to fill the remaining sections. Then you remove the finished compost and you have room to fill the next one.

If you don't feel like doing back wall, then you can turn a fence wall into it, as in this case.

Then it will be necessary to attach wooden blocks to the racks, and the wooden block should also be placed on the other side. These four posts will support the front wall.

Nail boards between parallel wooden posts so you have three sections of compost bin.

The two small side walls will be completely closed, but the front one will not be completely closed. You'll soon find out why. Make an opening lid that doubles as a roof. Make it not whole, but consisting of 3 parts. Attach a handle to each to open the drawer when needed.

You also need to make small opening doors on the front panel. This makes it easier to add and remove ready-made compost.

Paint the box and you'll have a composter that looks great on your yard.

If you want to get it done quickly, then you can return to the ideas with pallets. We will need 3 pieces, fasten them together with wire, and the two side walls should have an emphasis. In this case, it is supported by a fence on one side and a porch on the other.

Composter in 10 minutes

If you have such a small space, then you can also build a compost bin, but it is better to place it away from the front area, and around outbuilding, as there may be a smell of rotting.

Typically, complete ripening of compost in such devices occurs in 1–2 years. To speed up this process, you can make a composter from plastic barrel. Then the valuable organic fertilizer will be ready in 1–2 months.

How to make a composter from a plastic barrel?

To make such a waste recycling device, take:

plastic barrel;
large nails;
latches;
window hinges;
galvanized pipe;
durable boards;
self-tapping screws;
bolts with washers.

Drill one hole in the center of the lid of the barrel, and the other opposite, in the middle of the bottom. Use a round drill bit for this.

Take a pipe whose length is slightly longer than the height of the barrel and thread it into the resulting hole.

Cut a rectangular hole in the container that will become the door. To do this, attach hinges on one side, and two latches on the sides and bottom, with the help of which you will close the door. To make it easy to open, make a handle from a cord.

Now use a drill to make many holes on the surface of the barrel to ensure air flow. Insert large nails into some of them. Then, when you spin the barrel, they will help the contents mix better.

Build a pedestal for your structure from the boards. To do this, place two boards crosswise and connect them in the center. Make another similar blank, fasten the resulting crosses at the bottom with two strong thick boards.

Then you need to place the barrel so that there is a metal axis on the wooden crosses.

You can attach a handle to make it easier to rotate the barrel. This should be done once every few days.

Fill the container with organic residues, rotate periodically, and the compost will be ready in no time.

Check out other options for such devices.

As you can see, you can secure the container vertically by threading a metal pipe through the large sides.

And if you want two composters at once, then place them one above the other, secure them to metal bars, the lower ends of which are cemented into the soil.

You can fix a metal pipe on wooden trestles like this. It is convenient to move such a mobile barrel from place to place when there is no internal content.

And if you want to move the container with ease, then you can install it on a board with roller wheels attached.

If you don't have a barrel, but have a trash can that is no longer needed, then you can make a composter out of it. The tank must be secured to wooden boards, fix them on them using a metal pin or pipe made of this material.

Here's how to make your own composter using a variety of ideas. If you want another one, then watch the next master class.
By the way, for such a device you can use a large-capacity drum taken from a broken washing machine.

The next composter at the dacha is also quite simple to make; over time, it can turn into a vertical bed.

In this article we will talk about how to prepare compost with your own hands using special tools. It turns out you can make your own compost bin quite easily. This device is used as a fence compost heap on a summer cottage. You can also use empty barrels and containers for various bulk substances.

After choosing a location, it’s up to the filling container itself. Plastic box or wooden? Plastic is more beautiful and more durable, but the boards are more accessible - everyone has a stack of old boards in their barn...

DIY compost bin

In order to make a compost box with your own hands, you need only 4 short boards, 50-70 cm long. Place it on the grass in the form of a low box and secure it with pegs. Or nail them together. Let the composter be low - at the beginning of summer, the accumulation of kitchen waste and weeds is slow, and there will be enough time to come up with something better.

For many, a box 2-3 boards high will be quite sufficient for the season; by autumn you will just fill it up to the brim.

By the way, it is not necessary to fence the composter on four sides: simple compost the drive can only be limited on both sides by boards. Or even on one side - the front.

Types of composts

IN garden centers and other household retail outlets you can find plastic composters of various shapes and sizes (what they offer us there: boxes, “suitcases,” tanks, “hives,” “flying saucers.”). Volume from one barrel (150-200 l) and above (400-900 l). Such an organic storage tank is installed in the garden. With their help you can prepare the most different kinds compost, since very favorable conditions are created in a plastic container for reheating and processing of any type of waste.

Plastic can be considered the best material for processing organic matter. It is neutral (steel quickly corrodes from organic compounds), lightweight, durable (unlike boards that rot from below) and relatively cheap.

A large plastic composter is reliable in maintaining the conditions for compost maturation due to its size. It “breathes” quite well, so special slots in the walls, which are found in some models, are not necessary.

Any other household plastic container is also used for composting: boxes, buckets building materials, leaky basins. If necessary, plastic containers are immediately interchangeable; they can be temporarily removed from fertilizer production for other garden needs (sheltering plants on cold nights, heating water in the sun for irrigation, growing seedlings...). For this reason, one cannot give unconditional preference to large containers such as 150-200 liter plastic barrels. Such barrels are, of course, very practical, very productive, but in addition to them, a “park” of smaller buckets and containers of 50-60 liters or 10-20 liters would not hurt. Organic feeding at the height of the season there is no such thing as too much!

Today, fruit sellers use all sorts of disposable plastic boxes with lattice bottoms, which they often throw away after emptying. These small boxes are suitable for a multi-tier composter, since they have a lattice bottom and are joined to each other with special grooves. So, they are used for vermicompost: another box with fresh food for earthworms is delivered above the lower boxes with food that has turned into humus. The boxes can also be used for regular compost, since the grates will create layers of air between the layers - this is very beneficial for compost, which is periodically moistened from a watering can.

The simplest plastic composter is a plastic garbage bag or a regular grocery bag. Some gardeners use this “container”. The bag is filled with wet grass or leaves, tied and left somewhere in the shade for several months, and the decomposed humus substance is removed. It is important that the packages do not cake during storage.

Compost at home

Compost at home is prepared using organic storage tanks, which differ from those considered in that they are not located in the garden, but somewhere in the living room: on the balcony, on the staircase or even in the kitchen itself. It has modest dimensions - 10-15 liters, apparently with the expectation that a housewife could easily lift it.

At first glance, it puzzles the gardener: is it too small? But this is purely for peeling potatoes!

Yes, this composter is on winter period, when the garden lies under the snow and the intake of organic matter is reduced to daily kitchen waste according to the principle “we fill one composter, we take it away, and put the next one in its place.” It would be more correct to talk about a battery of several such composters, which can be started, say, while living all year round V country house. Once filled, they are stored in the cellar or on the veranda until spring.

A small kitchen plastic composter is not just a “garbage can”; it has its own structure: at the bottom there is a grid to hold the bulk of waste. Under it is formed air gap, it ensures the compost breathes. It is important that this compartment does not fill with liquid. To drain it, a tap is made to drain excess liquid.

Kitchen composter. It is understood that it is not located in the kitchen itself, but somewhere on the staircase or in glass loggia, in a garage, in a frost-free barn, in a winter greenhouse, etc. Because the smell from it will inevitably be “not Chanel”, it is enough to remove the lid once to throw off the next trimmings. Of course, you won’t spare microbial preparations for it, but they don’t always cope... It fills up quickly. In the city, a battery of filled composters will accumulate in a glass loggia until spring. But in the spring they will go to the site in the back seat of a car.

Preparation of compost and compost heap

Boards are a favorite material for large composters among our gardeners. There are compost bins as tall as a person or higher, assembled from boards, sometimes lined with sheets of galvanized iron. Preparing compost and a compost heap begins with choosing suitable place on the site and installing devices there.

For the base of a volumetric box, 4 stakes, beams or logs are usually dug or driven into the ground. Boards are nailed to the sides. If there are not enough of these side boards, then a sparse frame is made from them and then strips of galvanized iron or, for example, ondulin, or sometimes roofing felt are nailed.

In the first season it is filled with all kinds of plant material, and the next season, while it is ripening, pumpkins are planted on top so that the garden space does not go to waste. This produces very large pumpkins. There are so many nutrients in compost that taking some of them with pumpkin roots will not deplete our fertilizer. You've probably seen such tall thickets of pumpkins near fences and sheds - these are ripening compost heaps. Sometimes cucumbers are planted instead of pumpkins.

The same boxes are made for composting manure or peat.

Compost in a barrel

In European countries, all kinds of compost walls made of concrete are common. Often these are just two “walls” installed at right angles (horizontally or vertically) somewhere near outbuildings, into which garden waste, including autumn leaves, is thrown (you have to put it somewhere when sweeping the yard). Temporarily inactive greenhouses made of concrete slabs are also used as a composter. Concrete is also an environmentally friendly material, it is one of the most suitable materials for constructing a composter, since it is durable and strong, maintains the required humidity well, and contact with organic materials does not destroy it, unlike wood.

Unfortunately, we rarely find flat ones on sale. concrete blocks especially for composters. Wide ones are suitable as a substitute. garden tiles. A box made of such tiles looks neater and more fundamental than a “kennel” made of boards. It is also worth considering the option of making compost in a barrel: this container is great for rotting any waste.

I needed compost. It doesn’t matter whether he is fully prepared or not, but autumn has come and the time has come to act. We extract the wealth and spend it economically “in the squares.” It is more convenient to remove the compost bin immediately, if possible.

How to make compost in a barrel?

There will definitely be undecomposed fibers of the stems in the compost, which will make it difficult to remove, carry and dig. Therefore, you usually have to chop it up a little with a shovel right on the spot with blows from above, so that the blade goes to the ground. But now the compost is easy to mix and pour into buckets.

You can grind the compost there, at the place of application, in the garden bed or in tree trunk circle, if you carry it nearby and manage to throw it on a pitchfork. This contributes to a more uniform digging: spread the compost over the surface of the bed, chop it with a shovel - it has already mixed a little with the soil - and then dug.

A small bonus is loose and nutritious soil from under the compost to the depth of a spade bayonet, which doubles the amount of our highly nutritious fertilizer. It always becomes more nutritious than it was, because toilet waste accumulates here, and if the compost is entirely plant-based, then earthworms are based here, they saturate it with caprolites. Compost improves everything on which it lies: sand, peat, garden soil overgrown with grass. This soil should also be distributed among the plantings, and the resulting hole should be filled with turf or soil from another place. With a plastic composter, the situation will be somewhat more painstaking: the humus material is carefully removed with a wooden spatula or scoop.

What if the compost is not ripe, is it possible to add it?

If it has been enriched with nitrogen, then you can apply it with confidence. After all, in the fall you can add even freshly received, completely undecomposed plant residues for digging together with nitrogen fertilizer.

Are you against mineral chemical fertilizers? Do you want to minimize the use of chemical fertilizers in your garden? Then this article is for you. Look around. Right under your feet is what, if used correctly, will become humus that can be scattered in the garden, vegetable garden and flower beds.

Interesting fact:
Already in the 10th century, the secrets of making compost
were known to the Slavic tribes,
for example, the Polabian Slavs.

Compost is a natural universal organic fertilizer, which any gardener, gardener and summer resident can obtain without unnecessary material costs and without much difficulty. Compost has a beneficial effect on the structure and fertility of the soil. You just need to know how to cook it correctly.

Rule 1
Where and what is the best way to prepare compost?

There are two options:

Compost pit/pile
Compost bin or barrel

Advantages of a compost pit/heap

If the compost pit/heap is supported by walls, then comfortable conditions will be created inside the pit for the work of anaerobic organisms that live only in the absence of atmospheric oxygen

Disadvantages of a compost pit/heap

(pelvis diameter - 40 cm)

Compost bin or barrel

I adapted a leaky metal barrel and a cracked plastic one for compost. I also punched holes in the plastic bottom.

The height of the barrels is no more than 70 cm, so that, with my short stature, it would be convenient for me to put plant debris in them and pour out slops.

My compost bin is constructed from boards. But you can make it from 20 mm thick cement particle boards or metal mesh.

Advantages of barrels or boxes

Rule 2
What can you put in compost?

1. All plant residues and weeds from the beds and garden, except:

* weeds with ripened seeds
* diseased plants
* weeds treated with herbicides

I put plant residues unsuitable for compost in a special pile, hidden in the backyard behind the fence. Or I take you out of the area.

2. Mown grass, fallen leaves, straw, sawdust and, if available, peat.

3. Household (kitchen) waste, slops.

If slops from the kitchen are regularly poured into a barrel of compost, then you don’t have to specifically water the barrel. And this requires up to 3-4 buckets of water per day.

4. Ash and, if available, bird droppings.

It is not necessary to add soil to the compost heap. This can lower the rotting temperature and thereby slow down the composting process of the organics.

I wish you rich harvests,
Katerina Shlykova

Quoting and partial copying articles and stories, possibly indicating the source in the form active link to the corresponding page of the site.

How to do proper compost? At the dacha for compost, I simply dug an iron barrel into the ground. Is it correct? and got the best answer

Answer from Yatyan Vedenin[guru]
Very bad.
How to make compost
Set up a compost maker (see below) in a designated area of the garden.
Place approx. 20 cm of "brown" material for drainage and ventilation.
Add to the compost, evenly alternating: crushed dry “brown” materials (tree and shrub branches, paper, cardboard, sawdust, bark, straw, hay, shavings, wood ash, dry leaves) ; moisture-containing “green” materials (kitchen waste, grass clippings, weeds, algae, tops, green manure); compost accelerators (EM effective microorganisms, special preparations for accelerating compost, rotted manure of herbivores and bird droppings, urine, ready-made compost, earthworms, garden soil and etc.) . Plants rich in useful substances: nettle, comfrey and other green manure crops, yarrow, dandelion (not roots or flowers!) and others. The alternation of “green” and “brown” layers ensures the penetration of air into the compost heap, uniform and balanced maturation of the compost in the container, and subsequently - structural, fertile, correct compost. Never push or compact the contents as this will interfere with air circulation in the compost bin. Over time, the mixture will go down and waste can be added to the container. When the compost bin has already been filled to the top several times, you can stop filling it and move on to the next one.
From time to time, stir and shovel the preparing compost with a pitchfork for better air access and uniform moistening of the compost. Keep the ripening compost in the bin moist by watering. However, avoid stagnant water in the compost bin. Unpleasant smell ammonia ( rotten eggs, rotting) from a compost container indicates an excess of “green” materials and a lack of oxygen. Add "brown" waste to the compostarium and stir the mixture.

Answer from Maria[guru]
Could be so.

Answer from Viruina lily[newbie]
It’s better to fence off the area, put a wooden pallet on the ground, put waste on it all summer, and don’t forget to water it. If you're not too lazy, turn it several times a season, that's all)

Answer from Mityai Bukhankin[guru]
Why did you have to dig in? What would also rot?

Answer from Olga[guru]
How to take it out? I have two boxes without a front wall and you can drive up in a wheelbarrow WHILE one pile is ripening under a black film, the other is filling

Answer from Elena Orlova[guru]
I have a barrel just next to the fence. So I fill it full and close it for the winter, but I don’t dig it in, it’s already heavy and they won’t drag it away, but if they want, they will turn it over and throw out the contents, if someone wants to steal the barrel, it’s really easier to turn it over and pour the contents onto the film. and then to the ridges. and it’s inconvenient to scoop out a barrel with a shovel, especially if less than half of the compost remains,

Answer from Keymaster of Fate[guru]
Wrong. How to take it out? I have a leaky trash container. I turned everything around. In addition, the temperature in the air is higher than in the ground.

Answer from Alla Tarasova[guru]
No, that's wrong. There must be access to air and rainwater, and without stagnation at the bottom of the barrel. Otherwise, instead of composting, rotting occurs, which will result in substances harmful to the soil (acids, etc.)

Answer from Yatyana Vasilievna[guru]
The barrel should have no bottom, and there is no need to dig it in.

Answer from Alla Lebedeva[guru]
I have one container dug in, and next to it there is a prefabricated plastic composter - I bought it specially.

Answer from Tatiana M[guru]
Compost heap. Do-it-yourself organic fertilizer (video)

Answer from 2 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: How to make the right compost? At the dacha for compost, I simply dug an iron barrel into the ground. Is it correct?

In this article we will talk about how to prepare compost with your own hands using special tools. It turns out you can make your own compost bin quite easily. This device is used as a fence for a compost heap in a summer cottage. You can also use empty barrels and containers for various bulk substances.

DIY compost bin

For many, a box 2-3 boards high will be quite sufficient for the season; by autumn you will just fill it up to the brim.

By the way, it is not necessary to fence the composter on four sides: the simplest compost bin can be limited only on two sides by boards. Or even on one side - the front.

Types of composts

In garden centers and other hardware stores you can find plastic composters of various shapes and sizes (what they offer us there: boxes, “suitcases,” tanks, “hives,” “flying saucers.”). Volume from one barrel (150-200 l) and above (400-900 l). Such an organic storage tank is installed in the garden. With their help, you can prepare a wide variety of types of compost, since very favorable conditions are created in a plastic container for reheating and processing any type of waste.

Any other household plastic container is also used for composting: boxes, buckets from building materials, leaky basins. If necessary, plastic containers are immediately interchangeable; they can be temporarily removed from fertilizer production for other garden needs (sheltering plants on cold nights, heating water in the sun for irrigation, growing seedlings...). For this reason, one cannot give unconditional preference to large containers such as 150-200 liter plastic barrels. Such barrels are, of course, very practical, very productive, but in addition to them, a “park” of smaller buckets and containers of 50-60 liters or 10-20 liters would not hurt. Organic fertilizing at the height of the season is never too much!

Compost at home

At first glance, it puzzles the gardener: is it too small? But this is purely for peeling potatoes!

Yes, this composter is for the winter, when the garden is covered in snow and organic matter is reduced to daily kitchen waste according to the principle “we fill one composter, take it away, and put the next one in its place.” It would be more correct to talk about a battery of several such composters, which you can start, say, living all year round in a country house. Once filled, they are stored in the cellar or on the veranda until spring.

A small kitchen plastic composter is not just a “garbage can”; it has its own structure: at the bottom there is a grid to hold the bulk of waste. An air layer is formed under it, which allows the compost to breathe. It is important that this compartment does not fill with liquid. To drain it, a tap is made to drain excess liquid.

Kitchen composter. It is understood that it is not in the kitchen itself, but somewhere on a staircase or in a glassed-in loggia, in a garage, in a frost-free shed, in a winter greenhouse, etc. Because the smell from it will inevitably be “not Chanel”, It is enough to remove the lid once to dump the next trimmings. Of course, you won’t spare microbial preparations for it, but they don’t always cope... It fills up quickly. In the city, a battery of filled composters will accumulate in a glass loggia until spring. But in the spring they will go to the site in the back seat of a car.

Preparation of compost and compost heap

Boards are a favorite material for large composters among our gardeners. There are compost bins as tall as a person or higher, assembled from boards, sometimes lined with sheets of galvanized iron. Preparing compost and a compost heap begins with choosing a suitable place on the site and installing the device there.

The same boxes are made for composting manure or peat.

Compost in a barrel

In European countries, all kinds of compost walls made of concrete are common. Often these are just two “walls” installed at right angles (horizontally or vertically) somewhere near outbuildings, into which garden waste, including autumn leaves, is thrown (you have to put it somewhere when sweeping the yard). Temporarily inactive greenhouses made of concrete slabs are also used as a composter. Concrete is also an environmentally friendly material; it is one of the most suitable materials for constructing a composter, since it is durable and strong, maintains the required humidity well, and contact with organic materials does not destroy it, unlike wood.

Unfortunately, we rarely find flat concrete blocks on sale specifically for composters. Wide garden tiles are suitable as a substitute. A box made of such tiles looks neater and more fundamental than a “kennel” made of boards. It is also worth considering the option of making compost in a barrel: this container is great for rotting any waste.

How to make compost in a barrel?

You can grind the compost there, at the place of application, in a garden bed or in a tree trunk circle, if you carry it nearby and manage to throw it on a fork. This contributes to a more uniform digging: spread the compost over the surface of the bed, chop it with a shovel - it has already mixed a little with the soil - and then dug.

What if the compost is not ripe, is it possible to add it?

Cultivated plants and trees require a regular supply of nutrients, and the soil is gradually depleted. Therefore, the soil needs to be regularly fertilized – organic and mineral. Chemical preparations not only have a positive effect on green spaces, so modern vegetable growers prefer not to use such products to fertilize vegetables and fruits, but prefer fertilizers made from natural ingredients.

One such fertilizer is compost. It can be made from plant waste, which remain after weeding in the garden or vegetable garden, as well as from food and other components. To obtain a complete fertilizing, the necessary elements must rot.

Holes are dug in the plots for compost, where plant waste is placed, which later turns into an excellent tool for improving soil fertility. But some gardeners make compost fertilizer in old boxes, an iron barrel and in any other containers that are no longer used for their intended purpose.

Below we will talk about how to make compost in a barrel, the main advantages of natural fertilizer, as well as the nuances of preparing organic matter in this way.

Top dressing obtained by decomposing organic elements has a positive effect on the composition of the soil, increases fertility, and the cost of its preparation is practically absent. As a basis for compost, they dig a hole (or make a container in which organic waste will rot), and then put all the plant residues from the site there.

If there is no room in the garden for a hole (or there is no opportunity to dig one), then an ordinary barrel is suitable for preparing organic fertilizer. To prevent the fermentation process of plant waste from being accompanied by an unpleasant odor, a lid is attached to this container.

Advantages over a compost pit

Advantages of the barrel:

1) it can be located in any free corner of the site;
2) installation does not require much space;
3) appearance more aesthetic (compared to a pit);
4) small holes can be made in the neck of the barrel to allow oxygen to enter, which is necessary for beneficial bacteria to function;
5) it is possible to make a hole in the lower part of the structure through which you can take the finished compost;
6) in a barrel, organic fertilizer will not dry out or be washed out by melting snow or other precipitation;
7) you can grow cucumbers or zucchini in a container with already ripened fertilizer.

But making compost in a pit also has benefits:

there is no need to start large-scale construction; it is enough to dig a square hole with sides of 1.4 m and a depth of 0.5 m;
the pit can be filled throughout the season without thinking about a possible lack of space;
plant components are placed in a hole and after it is filled, if it is not possible to dig another one, then a compost heap will grow on top.

But such recesses without lids with accumulations formed on top spoil the appearance of the area and spread an unpleasant odor around.

What to put in a barrel?

Make compost at your dacha with my own hands easily. A barrel of any size is suitable for this, but a larger one is better - it will fit more waste. The only caveat is that in the container for decomposing organic residues there should be no metal parts that come into contact with the products of decay.

Place in the barrel:

weeds, plant debris, small tree branches;
grass, fallen leaves, straw, sawdust and shavings, peat;
food waste and slops;
wood ash, chicken droppings.

You cannot add weeds with seeds, diseased parts of plants, or animal manure to the compost: along with it, there is a risk of introducing pathogenic microflora into the prepared organic matter.

The procedure for laying raw materials

All plant and food residues should be placed in a container in crushed form so that they rot faster. Layers of organic matter are sprinkled with earth, peat or chicken droppings.

The process of composting waste goes faster if water or slop is added to the barrel daily (for such watering, an infusion of weeds, drunk tea leaves, and coffee grounds are used).

It is best to alternate the following layers of organics and other substances:

plant remains;
bird droppings;
wood ash;
priming.

Maturing time for compost in a barrel

To get rotted organic fertilizer, you will have to wait: the process of rotting in a compost barrel continues for 2-3 seasons. The time interval depends on the degree of grinding of the raw materials and the presence of favorable microflora, under the influence of which rotting occurs.

If you start using a manufactured fertilizer at the end of the first season, it will be better than simple earth from the site, but less valuable in terms of nutrients than 2-3 year old compost.

Signs of compost maturation

It is easy to determine the degree of readiness of organic matter:

in high-quality fertilizer, all plant residues have rotted;
it is homogeneous and loose (no sifting is required before adding to the soil);
you can easily pick it up - it will be soft and dry;
Completely rotted compost smells pleasantly of forest, mushrooms and fallen leaves.

You can prepare such a high-quality organic additive in any container, the main thing is to put only plant residues and food into it, and also regularly add moisture for better rotting.

Fully mature compost is an excellent fertilizer for garden plants, flowers, shrubs and trees. It is used to prepare a nutrient substrate for growing seedlings vegetable crops, added to the soil when replanting indoor flowers (those that benefit from organic fertilizers).

This nutritional supplement is added in large quantities when digging up the garden in the fall, when the plants have extracted a large amount of nutrients from the soil during the season.

Making compost in a barrel is a simple and inexpensive way. Despite the duration of ripening, fertilizing can compete with artificial fertilizers due to its effectiveness and safety for plants.

compost pit- This is a place for recycling organic waste. As a result of the activity of microorganisms, garden waste decomposes in it, which becomes the basis for highly effective organic fertilizer. In this article we will look at options for making a compost pit with your own hands.

In one form or another, compost pits, in the form of simple heaps of garbage, are present on every personal plot. But correct designs in the form of modern composters or specially equipped boxes can increase the amount of valuable fertilizer and the speed of its creation.

The simplest compost pit can be made with your own hands from auxiliary building materials available at the dacha.

Principles of constructing a compost pit

The main function of a compost pit is to create the most comfortable environment for the life of bacteria, microorganisms, and earthworms, the quantity of which determines the speed of the process and the quality of the resulting compost. To do this, the inside of the compost heap must be maintained fairly heat and humidity with a regular supply of oxygen.

To do this, the compost container must have the following design features:

Compost bins are made from any available materials. These can be boards, slate scraps, corrugated sheets, metal construction mesh and even car tires. More permanent structures are built from brick or concrete. There are also lightweight, portable waste disposal units in metal or plastic barrels.

The main sanitary requirement when constructing a compost pit is its distance of 20 meters from reservoirs and sources drinking water. Rain streams should not flow from the compost heap in the direction of wells, boreholes, and swimming pools.

Choosing a site for a compost pit

The location of the composter on the site should not become a source of infection groundwater, a threat to human and animal health. Do not place the compost bin in wetlands or areas with standing water.

The external design of the compost pit can be absolutely anything. It can be decorated with beautifully painted boards, fenced with plantings of loach and perennial, ornamental plants.

Making a compost pit with your own hands

In a garden or personal plot, you can use the most simple tools make a high-quality structure and turn a pile of garden waste and decomposing household waste into valuable fertilizer. There are many different types of compost piles, from earthen ditches to actual concrete structures.

Compost pit in the ground

To create a compost bin:

A site is selected in the ground away from residential buildings.
On an area 1.5 m wide and of arbitrary length, remove upper layer turf and soil.
The bottom of the pit should be located at a depth of no more than 0.5 meters.
The bottom is covered with a sand cushion to drain excess water.

The first layer serves as drainage and promotes aeration of the pile and consists of trimmed branches.

The following are laid on them in layers:

cut grass;
dry leaves;
sawdust;
household food waste;
manure;
weeds.

The layers are sprinkled with peat or garden soil and spilled with water. To speed up the decomposition process, it is advisable to chop all the ingredients before adding them, simply chopping them with a shovel.

The total height of the pile should not exceed 1.5 meters. This means that it will rise 1 meter above the ground. The structure is protected from above with covering material or a slate shield. In hot weather, the pile is watered with ordinary water.

Under natural conditions, microorganisms will be able to process such a waste dump in two summer seasons. This is the simplest and economical way obtaining compost.

Use EM drugs. A temperature of +4°C inside the compost heap is sufficient for microorganisms to successfully process waste.

Making a compost pit from boards

For ease of use and speeding up the recycling process, the compost container is made of boards. The optimal size of a compost bin is 1x1.5 meters.

Instructions for making a pit from boards:

Place garbage in such a container through the top general principle, starting from the branches. And you can rake out the finished compost from below.

Photo: drawing of a compost box, composter diagram

Options for compost pits made from boards

Slate is durable and perfect for the walls of a compost bin. You can use both wave and flat sheet slate.

Options for making a slate composter:

Markings are made at the location of the compost heap and deepen the sheets cut to size. They can be secured with external, wooden or iron sheathing.
In another option, metal pipes are buried in the ground. A frame of bars is attached to them. The outside is sheathed with slate. The second design is more durable.

All wooden elements should be treated with an antiseptic to avoid rotting. A cover for the pit is made from plywood or boards. The front wall of the pit is made lower, at a level of 40-50 cm above ground level. Rigid walls allow you to cover the hole with film or garden covering material.

Compost pit made of corrugated sheets

When making a compost bin from corrugated sheets, choose a material with an anti-corrosion coating.

Work order:

At the selected location, a base is constructed from a metal or wooden block.
The dimensions of the pit are selected according to the length of the sheets, which allows you to make a compost bin with two or three compartments.
The base is made, as for a wooden structure.
On the outside, the profile strips are fastened with self-tapping screws with gaps of 3-5 cm.
It must be taken into account that metal surface gets very hot during hot summer periods.
A cover of plywood or boards is made on top. It is advisable to cover the frame with a protective compound.

Metal mesh compost bin

To make compost, you can make a cylindrical container from a metal mesh. In such a cylinder, the compost is well ventilated and does not rot.

How to make a compost bin:

To simplify, you can put a large film bag (polyethylene) inside the basket, which is used for garbage. These baskets are easy to assemble and install anywhere. They are filled with waste according to the principle of a compost pit. Compost can also be made in special bags, which are sold in garden centers.

Concreted compost pit

A concrete compost pit creates many advantages:

Thick walls maintain a positive temperature for a long time.
Such a pit is durable and reliable, not subject to the influence of adverse natural conditions.

It is advisable to make it large, with two or even three compartments. In the first and second blocks, compost from different seasons will ripen. In the third, bags of finished compost are stored.

How to make a concrete compost pit:

When using a concrete pit, you need to take into account that the process of making compost is slow. To speed up the process, you need to manually add earthworms or commercially available special products.

Other material options for compost pits

Compost pit made from car tires

Car tires are quite suitable for arranging a compost heap:

Compost in an iron barrel

Old iron barrels are great for composting:

We cut out both bottoms with a chisel and place them near the path.
We put weeds, grass clippings, and kitchen waste into the barrel in layers.
To increase the temperature, you can paint the barrel black, pour ammonium nitrate solution over the compost ( Matchbox per bucket of water).
We take out the finished compost from below. To do this, you need to lift the barrel with a crowbar.

To improve the design:

Using a grinder (angle grinder), you need to cut the barrel into two unequal parts and punch holes in the walls for air circulation.
Then we put them on the butt and connect them with wire or rope. Cover the top with a lid.
The advantages of this design are that the contents of the barrel are easily accessible to worms and bacteria from below.
To get the finished compost you just need to untie the rope and you will get two hundred liters of ready-made fertilizer.

Compost in a plastic barrel

The ideal compost bin material is plastic. In regular compost heaps, the compost takes two years to prepare. In plastic barrels with a capacity of 150-200 liters, you can prepare liquid compost in two weeks.

For this:

Fill the barrel halfway with mowed grass or weeds, and fill it with water to the top.
After about three days, the fermentation process will begin.
After using the solution, you can add water to the barrel again and let it brew for one week.
Having used up the liquid compost completely, the remaining grass is placed in a compost heap.

Brick compost pit

The compost pit is made of brick and has three walls. It can be done with or without cement mortar. A compost pit using cement mortar is made no more than 1 meter high. Gaps must be left between the bricks for ventilation.

A compost pit made of bricks without a cement binder is convenient in that it can be moved to another location if necessary.

In the compost pit, you need to provide a place for throwing the compost mass. Make a lid from available material. The front wall is made temporary to make it convenient to remove the finished compost.

Compost pit made of concrete rings

In the internal cavity concrete ring You can successfully store garden waste and end up with compost. For comfort the ring is partially buried in the ground, and after filling, cover with a lid or film material.

One of the disadvantages of the design is the lack of a low front wall. To unload the finished compost you need to climb inside. Otherwise, such reinforced concrete products make very durable compost chambers.

Compost pit using Finnish technology

If you don’t want to make a compost pit, you can purchase a composter using Finnish technology. It is modern with two containers with a capacity of 80 liters. Its contents are mixed with a layer of peat and sawdust. You can also recycle food.

When the container is full, it is pulled out and another one is inserted. Due to its high concentration, the finished compost is mixed with soil or sand and fertilized with plants. The vacated container is washed and returned to its place.

Compost pits and cesspools should not be confused. Organic matter from the garden plot is stored in containers for preparing compost. Remains of protein food should be disposed of in a cesspool.

What can and cannot be put in a compost bin?

Thanks to composting, the amount of waste in landfills is reduced, and our gardens and gardens receive additional fertilizers.

First of all, organic garden waste is placed in the compost pit, in the form of:

branches;
dry leaves;
mown grass;
weeds;
straw.

Good ingredients for a compost heap are:

food leftovers from vegetarian food;
egg shells;
onion peel.

You can layer the compost with manure and chicken droppings.

Prohibited compost heap ingredients include:

construction and household waste with a high content of phenols;
remnants of printed products;
plastic.

Do not put leftover protein and oily foods into compost, as they decompose slowly and attract mice and rats.

From plant residues, weeds with ripened seeds and roots that can take root well, such as:

sow thistle;
wheatgrass;
loach.

Drought-tolerant plants need to be dried out before being placed in the compost heap so that they lose their ability to take root. Sawdust can be used in moderation as it decomposes slowly and takes up nitrogen. They also do not use feces of domestic animals or humans for composting.

Preparations for compost pit

The main task of drugs containing biological activators is to accelerate decomposition processes with the help of microorganisms.

The preparations do an excellent job of processing organic matter and do not allow pathogenic microflora to develop in the compost pit:

Compost preparation can be significantly accelerated by using Baikal EM. This preparation contains effective microorganisms (EM).
The drug "Doctor Robik" significantly increases the number of effective microorganisms (EM) in the compost. They process organic matter into humus, and also prevent pathogenic microflora from developing and destroy the larvae of harmful insects.
The bioactivator has similar properties. The Green-Master bioactivator package should be diluted in 20 liters of warm water, let it brew for 4 hours and water the compost heap. After 2 weeks you need to turn the pile over with a pitchfork. To prepare compost, one treatment with a bioactivator solution is sufficient.
Compost Boost gives good results. for composting.
Manufacturer Happy Summer Resident produces “Biocompostin”– a means for preparing compost. Sanex Plus produces EcoCompost.
The manufacturer Dezon Bio K produces several types of drugs:“Green universal”, “Compost for one season”, “Compost for the next agricultural season”, “Bioactivator for compost”.

Using preparations you can significantly speed up microbiological processes and obtain compost in 2-3 months.

In summer cottages, a compost heap is an indispensable attribute. After all, compost is an organic fertilizer of exceptional quality that enriches the soil with humus. Compost can partially or completely replace expensive manure, mineral fertilizers, or specially imported fertile soil. In addition, by collecting garbage and organic waste for composting, we simply clean up our summer cottage, and the area around it.

A compost heap or containers for composting waste are usually placed in a fairly secluded place on the site so that they are not conspicuous and do not spoil the view. However, they should always be, as they say, at hand. In the “classical” implementation of composting, it is necessary to create three compost heaps (or three compost bins): in one bin the process is underway waste storage, in another - compost is ripening, in the third - ready-made fertilizer is waiting to be transported to the beds. Regarding the size of the compost heap, most authors agree that its width should be 1.5 m; height - 1.0...1.2 m; length - up to 3-4 m. These are the dimensions given in all sorts of reference books, and for many years they were considered the minimum necessary to ensure a sufficiently high temperature and stable humidity for the normal course of the composting process. Using the same classical technology, it was recommended to shovel the contents of the piles annually to aerate the ripening compost, that is, to speed up the process of waste decomposition. The task, frankly, is not an easy one.
However, the technology for composting in a garden plot has been constantly improved (and is being improved), so that the composting process has been accelerated by 2...3 times. So, to maintain moisture in the compost heap and to increase its temperature, the compost began to be covered with plastic film with holes to provide air access. To speed up composting, various accelerators of this process have been developed, for example, the drug “Tamir”. And the composition of the organic and other components of the compost heap being laid is easy to select in such a way that the composting process in it will significantly speed up. In other words, today it is no longer necessary to follow the rather strict recommendations developed back in the 20th century. So in our time, a compost heap can be made very small or waste can be stored for this purpose in a compact container with a capacity of only 1 m 3, built, for example, from boards.
However, remembering the cherished phrase - “laziness is the engine of progress,” we will not build anything. Let's just take an old metal barrel without a bottom and modify it a little. Firstly, to ensure access of air to the composting mass in the lower part of the barrel along its perimeter, we will make ten two or three holes, which, for example, we will drill with a drill with a diameter of 8...10 mm or punch it with some kind of punch (Fig. 1). We will place the holes at a height of 20...30 cm from the base of the barrel. We do not provide any insulating gaskets between the barrel and the ground; microbes and moisture must circulate freely in both directions. Secondly, we paint the outside of the barrel with dark paint, due to which the walls of the barrel will heat up more strongly under the sun, providing an increased temperature inside the barrel, which, of course, will speed up the composting process.
Cooking process; compost in such barrels is very convenient. We place 2...3 such compost barrels around the site, placing them in those places where waste accumulates most quickly - near the summer kitchen (food waste), near the beds (weeds). To speed up the composting process, the individual components of the future compost should be laid in a certain sequence, forming layers of a certain thickness.
So, first, green plants (or substances rich in carbon) are placed in a barrel, making a layer of them 15...20 cm thick. Then they put 5- centimeter layer of manure (or nitrogen-rich substances). Next, lime, superphosphate or ash is poured into the barrel (layer - 1...2 mm), after which everything is covered with a centimeter layer of earth. So we fill the barrel to the top, again laying down the layers of components in the mentioned sequence - weeds, manure, ash and earth. Cover the filled barrel with a piece of polyethylene film with holes, which is secured to the barrel with twine to prevent it from being blown away by the wind. And so that the prepared compost does not dry out, it is watered with water. Usually this watering is combined with watering the beds. When moistening the contents of the barrel, the plastic film is temporarily removed from it and a thin stream of water is directed into the barrel. Naturally, it is difficult to fill a barrel without a bottom with water, but you should not over-wet the compost mass. A mass corresponding to the moisture content of a wrung out sponge is considered normal. If there are ants in the barrel, it means it has dried out and the composting process has been interrupted.
To “automatically” maintain the specified humidity in the striker, plant zucchini, pumpkin, and cucumber in the barrel. In this case, plastic film is no longer needed. Watering the mentioned plants ensures the required moisture content of the composted mass. The only difficulty with this option is the need to immediately fill the barrel to the top with layers of compost.
Experience has shown that in this design of a compost container - an old barrel - the compost preparation process is accelerated, so there is no need to wait 3 years, as in the classic version. There is no need to shovel the compost either. In one summer you can get several hundred kg excellent fertilizer.
Rice. 1. Composting in an iron barrel: 1- hole in the wall of the barrel; 2 - green mass; 3- manure; 4- ash; 5- earth; 6-polyethylene.
Gusev V. An old barrel to replace a compost heap. // Almanac “Do it yourself”. - 2004, No. 3.

Due to lack of space for a stationary composter, you can equip it in a regular plastic or metal barrel. It is better to use a plastic one, and for ease of mixing, hang it in a horizontal position and attach a handle for rotation. The compost in the barrel will ripen evenly and it will take less effort to shovel the contents.

Old metal containers quickly rot when exposed to moisture, but plastic is neutral.

In addition, you can buy a barrel of any size, depending on how much waste accumulates on the site. If only leaves and grass, then A volume of 120 - 150 liters will be sufficient. If there are vegetable and fruit waste, tops, weeds, manure, then you need to take 200 – 300 liters.

Benefits of using a plastic composting bin

If the site is equipped wooden box for composting, the bottom will sooner or later rot under the influence of the same bacteria. If there is no bottom, then the nutrients will go into the soil under the box irretrievably. It is much more economical if the composter has a bottom and is resistant to microorganisms.

You can make your own barrel composter aerobic and anaerobic. In the first case, you need to organize regular air access to plant debris. This compost matures faster. If you use accelerators - bacterial preparations, then you can get fertilizer in 1 - 1.5 months.

Video: Compost barrels

For anaerobic fertilization, the compost bin must be sealed. It is tightly closed or dug into the ground. The remains take longer to rot, but the fertilizer is more concentrated, since all the nutrients remain inside. This compost is not used for seedlings in pure form, but always mixed with soil.

It is easier to set up a compost pit from a barrel than to make a storage facility from concrete, although concrete is also a very good material for a stationary composter. To immerse a barrel in the ground, it is enough to dig a hole corresponding to the size of the container.

You can wrap the walls and bottom mineral wool or other heat-retaining material. In such a pit it will be possible to make fertilizer even in winter. The hatch will serve plastic cover, which is sold as a set.

How to set up a composter from a barrel

There are many ways to prepare compost in a barrel at your dacha. The simplest one is to leave it in the garden without digging it into the ground.

To make a horizontal compost barrel, you need some tools and additional materials - wood or metal pipes. The first step is to weld or knock down a frame that will hold a barrel filled with compost raw materials.

This could be something like a frame with welded support pipes or wooden blocks. A barrel will be attached to them, in the center of which there will be metal pipe. To avoid damaging the plastic, a PVC pipe is placed over the metal - it is smooth and durable.

How to prepare a barrel:

Make a hole into which the raw materials will be placed. To do this, cut out a rectangular piece in the wall. Using metal canopies on one side, a piece of plastic becomes a door. On the other hand, it is necessary to provide a latch so that the ingredients do not fall out while scrolling.

Holes are made on both sides - in the bottom and in the lid - to thread the pipe through.

The lid closes tightly and the barrel is placed on the pipe, securing it to the frame. You can make a handle for convenience, but many people do without it.

Summer residents attach wheels to the base of the frame and transport the composter for the winter to a warm place - a barn or storage room.

Preparation and laying of raw materials

Before you make compost in a barrel, you need to prepare the raw materials. It should be a mixture of nitrogen and carbon containing components. At the same time, 4 times less nitrogen is added. Nitrogen-containing products include all green components and manure. Carbon materials include straw, cardboard, dry leaves, sawdust, bark, pruned branches of trees and shrubs.

Each ingredient needs to be poured five-centimeter layer of soil, so that soil bacteria enter the compost and begin to multiply. If you use biodestructors, then it is not necessary to add soil. Bacterial preparations can be purchased at the store or prepared with your own hands from fermented milk products and yeast.

After laying the compost keep for 5 – 6 days With open lid and then turn it over. When shoveling on the bed, the lid is closed, then opened again to allow oxygen access. Subsequently, the compost is turned every 3 to 4 days. This speeds up its maturation.

To get the finished fertilizer, place a bucket, wheelbarrow or other container under the lid and pour out the required amount.

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