What compost. Features of making compost with your own hands. What is garden compost

Material prepared by: Nadezhda Zimina, gardener with 24 years of experience, industrial engineer

One of the most common and affordable fertilizers for gardening is compost is a substrate obtained from organic waste and tops of cultivated plants. In fact, it is free, but preparing it will require time and effort.

Anyone can make compost with their own hands, because any household produces a lot of organic waste, and you can always collect it from any garden. a large number of tops and weeds that will be processed. Rational owners recycle all this through composting, obtaining natural organic fertilizer, rich in elements necessary for the quality development of plants.

The process of turning grass and household waste into useful fertilizer can be divided into three stages:

Decomposition. At this stage, the source material is actively heated inside the heap, gradually changing its structure and becoming enriched with useful substances. Ultimately, the transformation leads to the appearance of various beneficial microorganisms in the compost, including fungi, as well as earthworms - the most important accelerator for the processing of organic residues into fertilizer.
Humus formation. At this stage, good aeration of the pile is very important, since without access required quantity oxygen, microorganisms die. For forced aeration, the compost can be mixed manually, using a fork or shovel.
Mineralization. At this stage, nitrogenous compounds are decomposed to bacterial protoplasm and nitrogen, and humic substances are converted into mineral forms. This is the final phase of waste composting. The mineralization of the entire volume of the substrate reaches maximum values after 10-12 months of aging the pile under favorable conditions.

What is compost made from?

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 those with the addition of mineral fertilizers (agrochemicals), which compensate for the lack of various chemical elements. After all, organic waste contains nitrogen in large quantities, and potassium and phosphorus occupy only a small proportion of the total composition. For cooking proper compost it is necessary that their quantity be balanced in the required proportions. Depending on the source material

, the amount and composition of additives varies significantly. This has given rise to 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 when used. It consists of simple and affordable components. Its only disadvantage can be considered a long ripening period (1-2 years). So, it includes:
(branches, tops, algae) – first layer (20 cm);
– second layer (10 cm);

Ground limestone (or) - third layer (0.5 cm).

The layers are alternated until the pile 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, which saturates the substrate with phosphorite compounds throughout the entire ripening period. Phosphorus also helps preserve nitrogen in the fertilizer, since it binds non-volatile forms of nitrogen from ammonium carbonate and free ammonia from manure, preventing their transformation into volatile ammonia, which removes nitrogen from the substrate. Making compost according to this recipe is not difficult.

The components are installed in the following order:
Garden soil - first layer (10 cm);

Manure mixed with simple superphosphate in a ratio (100:2) - second layer (10 cm). This substrate belongs to fast composts, as it ripens in 2-3 months, and if you lay it in the spring, in the first warm days (when the night frosts stop), then at the end of June you can already feed it and mulch it.

trunk circles

Peat
Weeds without seeds – 100 kg;
dried – 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 " layered cake » organic matter is prepared in the following way: a thin layer is laid on a flat surface garden soil

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 champignons

Dry straw – 100 kg;
Water (as much as needed to thoroughly moisten the pile);
liquid – 100 kg;
– 50 kg;
Plaster – 5 kg;
Chalk – 3 kg.

This type of compost is not a plant food, and is used as an independent soil for growing mushrooms. It is produced traditionally by laying all the components in layers and pouring water, and then allowing it to ripen, stirring occasionally, until it becomes a homogeneous crumbly mass.

For maturation various types compost may be required different quantity time - from 3 months to two years. The timing depends on the composition of the pile, on the conditions in which it is composted, and on the effect of various additives that are poured onto the pile to speed up the process of overheating.

Video: how to prepare the right compost?

What and why is compost watered?

Various liquids that are used to moisten and shed piles contribute to faster formation of compost and improve its properties. They come in both natural and artificial origin, and are a kind of catalysts that contribute to the rapid heating of this biological firebox. The most simple means which is used to speed up composting is plain water. The pile is watered with it throughout the entire storage period. It helps to soften all the elements of the substrate, which helps accelerate the decay process, so it is advisable to water the pile at least once a week.

To quickly prepare compost, various organic catalysts are often used. For example, a solution of sugar and, which is generously poured over a newly formed pile. This mixture helps to quickly warm up the compost heap and speed up the processing of organic matter.

Cheaper starting solution for the first stage of composting at home is. To prepare it, you need to fill ¾ of a bucket of nettle with warm water, add a packet of dry yeast to it, and leave this mash in a warm place for 3-5 days. After this, only the formed compost pile is watered with this composition.

The fastest-acting accelerators, allowing you to obtain mature compost in a short time, are various biostimulants. For example, drugs such as (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 2,300 to 30,000 rubles. 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 whole local stations for organic processing, which can independently maintain the temperature inside the container and are equipped with a control panel.

DIY composter

To create the ideal substrate, it is not at all necessary to buy the wonders of modern technology. You can also make a composter yourself. It can be portable or stationary. In the second case, first they draw the perimeter of the future container, and drive high stakes into the corners, taking into account that part of the column rises above the ground at least 150 cm in height. Then the spans are clogged with flat boards, which should not fit tightly to each other; there should be a distance of at least 10 cm between their rows.

Video: DIY compost house

Video: a simple DIY mesh 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 the land being developed is removed upper layer turf, which is placed in bags. Add finely chopped weeds, water with bio-humus or any other bio-stimulant, and seal the bags tightly with tape. After this procedure, you can forget about them for several months. By opening the bags after the required amount of time has passed, you can see that you can make excellent garden compost this way.

10 rules for compost

Compost should not smell bad. If a stench appears, then the decomposition processes are not going well, the whole mass is rotting, and organic compost becomes a pile of rotting residues, and not an excellent fertilizer. To avoid this problem, it is necessary to correctly alternate 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 pile in the form of a gas with an unpleasant odor.
Do not place composters in the garden. Practical experience Many amateur gardeners have proven that the roots of all nearby plants will quickly change the direction of their growth towards the pile with the nutrient mixture, and will pump everything out of it with all their might. useful material. If the container with recyclable garden compost is located under the canopy of trees, you can block the path of the roots by covering the bottom of the box with parchment paper, or more radically, concrete its base.
Making compost at the dacha- one of the smartest and easiest ways to recycle mass unnecessary waste, including old clothes, fur, feathers, meat bones, fish scales, banana skins - everything that is organic in origin is suitable for making this fertilizer.

Compost must be covered Moreover, this must be done not only when winter comes, but throughout the year. Composters have a special lid for this, and homemade heaps are covered with film, laying a fairly thick layer of insulation (from sawdust or leaves) under it.
Be sure to chop everything what you put into compost. 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.
The right compost, when squeezed in the palm of your hand, acts like a sponge.– elastically restores its shape and does not release absorbed moisture. If water flows, then the substrate is oversaturated with liquid, and it must be opened to dry by removing the covering material and mixing thoroughly. You can also add dry fraction of manure, peat, or garden soil.
Greens must be slightly dried before preparing compost in the garden. This technique allows you to avoid souring of the compost, since fresh grass and tops in large quantities do not rot, but sour.
In the fall, it is necessary to completely shovel the compost. Moreover, the amount of work in this case will be serious - it is necessary to literally turn the pile upside down, making the bottom layer its “roof” and the top layer its “floor.”
If you want to get “quick compost”, make it from leaves, they are processed the fastest. A pile of this material laid in the fall 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, manages to almost completely rot over the winter, 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 a “starter” from the old compost into the young compost.
Dimensions of the collar, with any composting method they have great importance. The final height of the heap cannot be less than 1.5 meters, the width - 1-1.5 meters (otherwise it will be inconvenient to mix the contents), the length is not limited.

It is definitely worth paying attention to the fact that the final height of the heap is measured no earlier than 1-2 months after its laying, since throughout its formation it settles significantly.

How to use compost?

This excellent fertilizer will be used both in the garden and in the vegetable garden. Most often it is used immediately after ripening. Let's look at the rules for adding compost based on the season.

in spring

The following standards for applying compost exist:

Continuous application - 1 bucket (10 l) per 1 square meter.
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 to fertilize 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 year, it is time for planned fertilizing of plantings. Compost is good for fertilizing plants in summer. It can be used in its natural form (as mulch, as a nutrient substrate), and in the form of “compost tea”.

Also, the use of compost in summer protects plants, especially bulbous ones, 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 up the site, the remains of the substrate will go into the soil and significantly enrich its composition.

in autumn

End of the season - best time for adding fresh compost to the soil. Over 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 square meter.

A couple of bags of this humus can be put aside in a cold basement for spring planting seedlings. Before putting it into bags, the compost must be sifted to remove earthworms, whose mucus can have a suppressive effect on the seedlings.

Video: DIY compost heap

Compost is an indispensable component of nutritious soil in the garden of any gardener. In addition, it is also recognized as the most affordable fertilizer in terms of cost, since the main component of its production is waste. That is, it is made from practically nothing, because in any garden there will always be some kind of waste.

You just need to know that in order to get complete nutrients for the soil, it must be properly prepared. compost heap. After all, compost will not only fertilize the soil, but will also improve its structure, looseness and ability to retain and absorb moisture.

What is compost

In order for the garden to be well-groomed and provide good harvest, it just needs to be fertilized. You can do this with the help of chemical fertilizers, or you can get by with your own free, useful and safe product.

Compost is a natural organic fertilizer that is obtained by fermentation under the action of earthworms and bacteria.

To obtain such fertilizer, a compost heap is laid. Often it is done by simply digging a hole in the ground, but it is better if it is a specially equipped place - a composting site.

Compost bins are made in the form of closed or open containers, but you can also purchase special plastic boxes equipped with a lid and door.

Prepared compost is added to the holes before planting. garden crops V open ground or for planting in greenhouses. Or it is scattered over the area before planting the seed and lightly mixed with the soil.

What is compost made from?

Many people think that to prepare compost it is enough to throw all kinds of waste into a heap in some corner of the garden. Time will pass, they will rot, and you will get fertilizer. But this is far from true.

To get a safe and useful compost, you need to arrange the right compost heaps, so you need to take some points into account. First of all, the composition of such a heap. It may include:

ash, chalk, charcoal, eggshells;
grass clippings, straw and hay;
sawdust and tree debris;
vegetable food waste;
weeds and healthy green plants;
bird droppings and animal manure;
compost stimulants.

Composter dimensions

The components from which compost is made are placed in a compost bin. Proper compost does not release into the soil harmful substances and does not cause inconvenience with a strong unpleasant odor.

It is important to respect the dimensions of the compost bin, otherwise it will be difficult to create a comfortable temperature and humidity regime for the compost. Optimal sizes the heaps are one and a half meters in width and the same or more in length. If you make the pile smaller, it will quickly lose moisture and will not be able to warm up well. This will cause the composting process to take a long time.

Ban on compost

Before you make a compost heap, you need to know that you cannot add to its composition:

disinfectants and chemicals;
remnants of weeds with seeds of long-term germination or roots of creeping plants, since they do not lose their germination when composted;
the remains of coated glossy paper, rubber, textiles, as well as animal bones and stones - all these substances do not decompose in compost;
human feces and pet waste, which may be contaminated with worm eggs;
diseased plants that are affected by pests and fungi, such as late blight - such residues must be burned in the garden;
food waste of animal origin, which triggers rotting processes and causes a persistent unpleasant odor.

Open composting facility

You can compost, as advice to gardeners in specialized publications teaches, in the following way:

Prepare a site for the composting bin. To do this you need to select appropriate place at the end or middle of the garden and level the ground. Shaded areas without access to direct sunlight are better suited for this purpose.
Then fence off the area required for the composter with boards, shields or sheets of slate. Or put together a wooden box with slots for air exchange. You can also attach it to metal supports special garden net. This can be one container or two separated by a partition, one of which will be filled in this year, and the second - in the next one.
Dig a hole half a meter deep and add a drainage layer to the bottom. For this you can use sand, gravel, large wood debris. It is necessary to make such a layer, since it is impossible to allow the water that will wet the compost heap to collect in the compost bin. It should flow out of the compost bin without obstruction.
Then on drainage layer It is imperative to lay the ready-made mature compost from last year or the year before in a small layer. This is necessary to supply the ingredients of the heap with bacteria, with the help of which the compost is fermented.

Creating a closed composting facility

A more reliable and durable design than an open compost bin is a closed compost container. It is built with walls that have slits for ventilation, and with a lid that will allow you to mix the compost. Such a compost heap at the dacha has a neater appearance and does not interfere with the aesthetic perception of the space. As a rule, such a container is made of plastic that does not rot, does not fall apart, and will last for a long time.

To install the ventilation system, pipes are inserted into the box, which are protected with a mesh so that they do not become clogged with compost.

The advantages of a closed compost heap are that it allows heat to accumulate quickly and retains it well. This kills pests and speeds up the fermentation process.

Another advantage is that in these containers it is not necessary to strictly observe the proportions of the constituent ingredients. You can throw various acceptable waste, residues and grass into the pile in any convenient quantities. It is only important to mix it all systematically.

How to make a compost heap

For proper preparation heap ingredients needed:

Prepare the necessary components by grinding them as finely as possible. Branches can be broken and plant debris can be chopped up with a shovel. The smaller the components of the pile, the faster the compost will mature.
Lay the components in layers, the thickness of each layer should be up to 15 cm. In this case, it is necessary to alternate the placement of food waste, wood residues and green mass of plants.
The layers can be covered with manure or droppings, or commercial liquid fertilizers can be used. Compost stimulants are also used at this stage. It is better to use cow or horse manure for the heap, and the best poultry manure is chicken manure.
The top of the pyramidal compost heap is covered with straw, spandbond, boards or plant stems. This is necessary for free air circulation. Gardeners often cover the pile with polyethylene, but this is not recommended: when covering plastic film compost will overheat without air access. And this is fraught with the appearance of a putrid, unpleasant, persistent odor.

Aging of compost

The preparation of compost and the duration of its ripening is directly dependent on what fractions have compost components and what fermentation mode is set. IN general case Fermentation and composting last a very long time, the minimum period is several months, the maximum is two to three years.

The finer the fractions of the incorporated components, the faster composting will occur. It is also important that the temperature inside the compost pyramid is close to 60 degrees or higher. This will not only speed up the process of decomposition of ingredients, which occurs with the help of bacteria, but will also help to eliminate as much as possible the possibility of germination of weed seeds. Also with such high temperature harmful insects die.

To ensure the correct fermentation regime, it is important that there is good moisture and air exchange inside the pyramid.

Providing fermentation

In order to speed up the composting and fermentation of the components of the compost heap, it is necessary to perform the following actions:

When hot and dry weather sets in, the compost pyramid needs to be watered. Moreover, the water should wet all layers of the heap. This process is most conveniently performed using a garden hose. large section because a large amount of water will be required.
Watering the heap must be done in the morning; in this case, during the day, the wet compost will have time to warm up well, and the process of active decomposition will begin.
How to water the compost heap? Water it with regular warm water, but from time to time it is necessary to add a compost stimulator to the water or infuse fresh manure in it.
The compost needs to be shoveled a couple of times a season. This helps bring the well-fermented inner layers to the top. In this case, the upper ones move inward.
Also, when mixed, the compost is saturated with air and gets rid of accumulated gases.
With the onset of cold weather, the composter needs to be insulated, which prolongs the process of active composting. To insulate the pile, sprinkle it with humus or peat, and then top it with tops from harvested root vegetables, sunflower stems or fresh straw. This year, the remains of plants will retain heat, and next year they will serve as ingredients for a new pile.

Compost from fallen leaves

Separately, it is worth mentioning compost from fallen leaves, popularly known as “leaf soil”. How to properly make a compost pile from fallen leaves?

This compost is based on fallen leaves. The advantage of this approach is that at the end of autumn the leaves lose minerals, and only lignin, tannin and hemicellulose, which are valuable ingredients of humus, remain in their tissues. The downside is that these components rot rather slowly, which prolongs the composting time. The foliage of oaks, beeches, chestnuts, willows and plane trees contains a lot of tannin. Therefore, their leaf mass should not be used for laying in a pile, but only for covering it.

Leaf compost matures noticeably longer than usual, about two years. But gardeners do it because it is very valuable because it improves the quality of the soil. It also contains microfungi that decompose hemicellulose and lignin. And this becomes useful for those garden plants, in which the roots interact with fungal microflora in the process of symbiosis.

For getting good result When composting, there are some things to consider:

When creating a compost bin, you need to take into account that microorganisms come from the ground, so you need to set it up in a clean space where no chemicals have been used.
Composting is accelerated by adding valerian officinalis, yarrow, chamomile and dandelion to the pile of herbs.
To speed up fermentation, bioconcentrates are added to the compost. In this case, you get a so-called fast compost heap, which can mature in three weeks.
You need to know that the high content of fresh pine sawdust in compost significantly reduces the potassium balance, therefore such compost at the ready stage must be enriched with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
The presence of green components in compost should not exceed one third of the total volume, because herbs ferment slowly and can rot. If it turns out that the bulk will consist of grass, then it must first be dried in the sun.
The highest quality compost is created using a variety of components. Not only organic components must be present, but also mineral ones. For this purpose, the compost heap is supplied with superphosphates, dolomite flour, and complex mineral fertilizers.
It should be borne in mind that manure is a concentrated fertilizer, so its content in compost should not be higher than 10%.
For better stability and increased air exchange processes, the compost heap should be laid in a cone shape or in the form of a pyramid.
In order for the heap to ripen faster, components containing a lot of nitrogen, such as straw, legumes or legumes, are added to it.

Anyone 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 natural organic fertilizer, rich in elements necessary for the quality development of plants.

The process of turning grass and household waste into useful fertilizer can be divided into three stages:

Decomposition. At this stage, the source material is actively heated inside the heap, gradually changing its structure and becoming enriched with useful substances. Ultimately, the transformation leads to the appearance of various beneficial microorganisms in the compost, including fungi, as well as earthworms - the most important accelerator for the processing of 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 manually, using a fork or shovel.

Mineralization. At this stage, nitrogenous compounds are decomposed to bacterial protoplasm and nitrogen, and humic substances are converted into mineral forms. This is the final phase of waste composting. The mineralization of the entire volume of the substrate reaches maximum values after 10-12 months of aging the pile under favorable conditions.

What is compost made from?

diagram and composition of a typical compost heap

, the amount and composition of additives varies significantly. This has given rise to many compost recipes, and below are the most popular and effective ones.

Classical

To prepare proper compost, it is necessary that their quantities be balanced in the right proportions. Depending on the source material, the amount and composition of additives varies significantly. This has given rise to many compost recipes, and below are the most popular and effective ones.

Green mass (branches, tops, algae) – first layer (20 cm);

Cow manure – second layer (10 cm);

Ground limestone (or) - third layer (0.5 cm).

The layers are alternated until the pile reaches a height of 1.5 m.

Ground limestone (or dolomite flour) – third layer (0.5 cm).

The components are installed in the following order:

Garden soil - first layer (10 cm);

This substrate is a fast compost, as it ripens in 2-3 months, and if you lay it in the spring, in the first warm days (when the night frosts stop), then at the end of June you can already feed potatoes with it and mulch the raspberry tree trunks.

trunk circles

Peat

Dried peat – 400 kg;

dried – 400 kg;

Ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4) – 350 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 this, a “layer cake” of organic matter is prepared as follows: a thin layer of garden soil is laid on a flat surface, on which 40 cm of peat is poured. A layer of finely chopped branches (no longer than 5-7 cm), grass and tops is laid on it. The layers should be thoroughly compacted so that part of the green mass is immersed in the peat cushion, then the composting process will go faster.

Compost for champignons

Dry straw – 100 kg;

Water (as much as needed to thoroughly moisten the pile);

Mullein – 50 kg;

Plaster – 5 kg;

Chalk – 3 kg.

Liquid bird droppings – 100 kg;

Different types of composts may require different amounts of time to mature – from 3 months to two years. The timing depends on the composition of the pile, on the conditions in which it is composted, and on the effect of various additives that are poured onto the pile to speed up the process of overheating.

Video: how to prepare the right compost?

What and why is compost watered?

Various liquids that are used to moisten and shed piles contribute to faster formation of compost and improve its properties. They come in both natural and artificial origin, and are a kind of catalysts that contribute to the rapid heating of this biological firebox. The simplest means used to speed up composting is plain water. The pile is watered with it throughout the entire storage period. It helps to soften all the elements of the substrate, which helps accelerate the decay process, so it is advisable to water the pile 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 generously poured over a newly formed pile. This mixture helps to quickly warm up the compost heap and speed up the 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 fill ¾ of a bucket of nettle with warm water, add a packet of dry yeast to it, and leave this mash in a warm place for 3-5 days. After this, only the formed compost pile is watered with this composition.

The fastest-acting accelerators, allowing you to obtain mature compost in a short time, are various biostimulants. For example, drugs such as Baikal-M (according to instructions), TAMIR (10 ml per 1 liter of water).

Composters

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 2,300 to 30,000 rubles. 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 container and are equipped with a control panel.

DIY composter

Video: DIY compost house

Video: a simple DIY mesh 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 the top layer of turf is removed from the plot of land being developed and placed in bags. Add finely chopped weeds, water with bio-humus or any other bio-stimulant, and seal the bags tightly with tape. After this procedure, you can forget about them for several months. By opening the bags after the required amount of time has passed, you can see that you can make excellent garden compost this way.

10 rules for compost

Compost should not smell bad. If a stench appears, then the decomposition processes are not going well, the whole mass is rotting, and organic compost becomes a pile of rotting residues, and not an excellent fertilizer. To avoid this problem, it is necessary to correctly alternate 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 pile in the form of a gas with an unpleasant odor.

Do not place composters in the garden. The practical experience of many amateur gardeners has proven that the roots of all nearby plants will quickly change the direction of their growth towards the pile with the nutrient mixture, and will struggle to pump out all the useful substances from it. If the container with recyclable garden compost is located under the canopy of trees, you can block the path of the roots by covering the bottom of the box with parchment paper, or more radically, concrete its base.

Making compost at the dacha- 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 is organic in nature is suitable for making this fertilizer.

Compost must be covered Moreover, this must be done not only when winter comes, but throughout the year. Composters have a special lid for this, and homemade heaps are covered with film, laying a fairly thick layer of insulation (from sawdust or leaves) under it.

Be sure to chop everything what you put into compost. 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.

The right compost, when squeezed in the palm of your hand, acts like a sponge.– elastically restores its shape and does not release absorbed moisture. If water flows, then the substrate is oversaturated with liquid, and it must be opened to dry by removing the covering material and mixing thoroughly. You can also add dry fractions of manure, peat, or garden soil.

Greens must be slightly dried before preparing compost in the garden. This technique allows you to avoid souring of the compost, since fresh grass and tops in large quantities do not rot, but sour.

In the fall, it is necessary to completely shovel the compost. Moreover, the amount of work in this case will be serious - it is necessary to literally turn the pile upside down, making the bottom layer its “roof” and the top layer its “floor.”

If you want to get “quick compost”, make it from leaves, they are processed the fastest. A pile of this material laid in the fall 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, manages to almost completely rot over the winter, 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 a “starter” from the old compost into the young compost.

Dimensions of the collar, are of great importance for any composting method. The final height of the heap cannot be less than 1.5 meters, the width - 1-1.5 meters (otherwise it will be inconvenient to mix the contents), the length is not limited.

It is definitely worth paying attention to the fact that the final height of the heap is measured no earlier than 1-2 months after its laying, since throughout its formation it settles significantly.

How to use compost?

in spring

The following standards for applying compost exist:

Continuous application - 1 bucket (10 l) per 1 square meter.

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 to fertilize 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

in autumn

The end of the season is the best time to add fresh compost to the soil. Over 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 square meter.

A couple of bags of this humus can be put aside in a cold basement for spring planting of seedlings. Before putting it into bags, the compost must be sifted to remove earthworms, whose mucus can have a suppressive effect on the seedlings.

Video: DIY compost heap

Compost is an indispensable component of fertile soil in your garden and the most affordable fertilizer obtained literally from waste. Properly prepared compost will not only replenish the plants' need for nutrients, but will also improve the structure of the soil, its looseness and ability to absorb and retain moisture.

“Proper” compost is not just a rotting heap in the corner of the garden where you can dump whatever you need. To make compost useful and safe, you must follow some rules.

Compost may include:

mown grass, hay and straw;
green parts healthy plants and some weeds;
branches, wood debris and sawdust;
food residues of plant origin;
herbivore manure and bird droppings;
chalk, ash, coal, eggshells;
composting accelerators.

You cannot use a compost heap as a garbage pit by adding the following components to it:

food residues of animal origin - they cause rotting and a persistent unpleasant odor;
feces of people and carnivorous pets - they may contain worm eggs;
rags, coated glossy paper, rubber, stones, bones - these components do not decompose during the composting process;
chemicals and disinfectants;
weeds that have seeds with a long germination period, as well as creeping roots - these plants do not lose their germination during the composting process;
sick plants affected by pests and fungal diseases, such as late blight. They need to be burned.

Store the components in a compost bin. It can be made in the form of a hole or a fenced compartment, located in a secluded corner of the garden. According to the rules, a laid compost heap does not emit strong odors and does not affect harmful influence on the ground.

Composter device

Proper arrangement of the compost heap is one of the keys to quickly obtaining quality compost. It is not difficult to carry out, it is important to follow the recommendations.

Compost maturation

The fermentation and composting process lasts from several months to two to three years; the compost maturation time depends on the size of the components and the fermentation mode. It is important to achieve an increase in the temperature inside the pyramid to 55-60 degrees and above, which not only accelerates the processes of decomposition of components with the help of bacteria, but also weed seeds lose their germination, pests and insects die. For proper operation, it is important to ensure a good supply of moisture and air to the composter. This is achieved using simple operations.

Compost can be used when it acquires an almost uniform structure and becomes free-flowing and loose. Ripe compost smells pleasantly of damp earth and rotten leaves; there should be no traces of fungus or mold in it. Ready-made compost is added to the holes when planting bushes and trees or planting seedlings, and mulches the soil under it. perennial plants or added to greenhouses and greenhouses. You can also scatter it over the beds before planting the seeds and lightly loosen the surface of the soil.

Good mature compost does not require the application of organic or mineral fertilizers during planting and allows you to get a rich and environmentally friendly harvest.

Many gardeners, having tried in practice mineral fertilizers, more and more are inclined to think that organics are much healthier, and that products grown with them are tastier and more beautiful. After the general craze for minerals, “organic fever” gradually begins. One type of fertilizer of organic origin is home compost from raw materials that can be found on every site.

The concepts of compost and humus should not be confused. The first is complex fertilizer, which contains plant residues, manure, paper, vegetable and fruit waste. Humus is a substance that forms over time from cattle manure.

If compost is a highly nutritious fertilizer that is useful for both the soil and plants in the garden, then humus after two years of storage is just plant residues that lost 75% of nutrients. It can only be beneficial to the soil for looseness and nutrition of microorganisms and earthworms.

Equipment needed for composting

Before you start laying a pile, you need to know where the compost will be placed at home.

Firstly, you need to create a special box or collar with certain dimensions. Its length can be any height no more than 1.5 m, width – 1 m. These dimensions are needed in order to air currents penetrated well into the mixture.

The fact is that all the work of digesting organic matter is done by aerobic bacteria. Without oxygen they die, so the presence of air in the heap is the main condition. If the dimensions are larger, then air will not be able to penetrate into the middle of the heap.

A wooden box can be replaced with a net, tying it at the corners to wooden or iron posts. If necessary, it is folded to make it easier to turn over the components.

Another common material used to build a pile is slate. The downside is that slate is a rather fragile material and often breaks.

A purchased composter container is an aesthetic plastic box that fits well into any landscape and even decorates it. There are two and three chamber containers. It is easy to transfer components into them and store ready-made fertilizer.

Such containers are expensive, but they can be transported on wheels at any time, which is especially useful in winter. A home composter for food waste can be small size, designed only for indoor flowers.

The second main item for caring for compost is a pitchfork. They are useful for a large pile to stir it regularly and make sure that the components do not rot or clump together.

If the box is made without a roof, then a thick film will be useful to prevent rainwater from getting into the compost. If compost is poured, most of the microorganisms will die without air.

What is compost made from?

Making compost at home is not a complicated process, but requires compliance with some rules:

using healthy plants not infected with fungus;

compliance proportions 1:3 relative to nitrogen and carbon components;

correct choice of raw materials so that the fertilizer is safe for the soil.

Green and brown components, that is, containing and not containing nitrogen, are placed in the composter.

dry straw, hay;

sawdust, bark, branches;

peat;

paper;

natural fabrics.

green lawn grass, green manure, weeds;

manure or droppings;

vegetable waste.

An imbalance of these components leads either to prolonged ripening - more than 2 years, or to rapid rotting and ensiling of the organic mass.

Waste not suitable for fertilizer

Under no circumstances should you put it in the composter. construction garbage– fragments of foam, plastic, glass or rubber. Bacteria can only digest organic matter.

Video: How to make compost at home

If the rubber begins to heat up under the influence sun rays, it will begin to release toxic substances, which can kill all microflora, and the compost will be poisoned and cannot be used to feed plants.

Vegetable tops infected with a fungus - white or black mold - spread spores when composted. Therefore, there is a risk of infection of the entire area. Such residues must be burned and composted in the form of ash.

It is not recommended to compost feces from pets, especially cats. Their waste sometimes contains pathogenic organisms - toxoplasma or helminths.

Fish and meat waste attracts flies, which lay eggs in the rotting remains. All fertilizer may be spoiled. In addition, bones take a very long time to rot even in a crushed state. It is better to bury them separately in the garden.

Instructions - steps to create a compost heap

Stages of work,

Prepare the components. Freshly cut grass must be kept in the sun 2 – 3 days, to reduce the amount of moisture and nitrogen.

The first layer is placed on the bottom. This could be soil, peat or straw. Layer 30 cm thick.

Next is a layer of green grass - 10 cm.

30 cm any carbon-containing substance.

Soil layer.

Repeat alternating components. Each of them needs to be shed with a biological solution of EM drugs. They can be bought or prepared at home. Yeast or milk starter is suitable for this. Yeast is diluted in warm sweet water and allowed to ferment within 3 days, then poured into the composter. For a large pile you need about a bucket of starter.

The ingredients are folded loosely so that air remains between the layers and inside them. This is for quick ripening. How to make humus at home and store it cold is another question.

Here the manure is placed tightly, not allowing oxygen to penetrate inside. The temperature will remain at 25 - 30 degrees and combustion will not occur. In this way, you can save more useful nitrogen.

After the compost heap has been stacked and the decomposition process of the components has begun, in 2 – 3 days the whole pile is transferred to the next pile. This step will allow bacteria to increase their numbers and decompose organic matter faster. After the first loosening, 2 weeks should pass, then toss or turn the mixture in the box again.

How to speed up the maturation of organic matter

Few summer residents want to wait 2 years for fertilizer. After all, it is during this period that composting takes place under natural conditions. So you may not even wait for the harvest. The most enterprising and impatient of them figured out how to make compost at home quickly.

Biodestructors

The most popular is the drug Baikal EM-1, which contains a concentrate of various bacteria. There are others, for example Radiance, which is in demand among the population. Unfortunately, fakes are common, so it is better to order on the official website, if possible. These products have a short shelf life; they cannot be shipped in winter to avoid freezing and death of bacteria. Store them in a dark, warm place.

Red worms

The most nutritious and fastest compost is the product of organic matter processing by red worms. To the question why red - because this species is the most prolific. For rapid reproduction(500 times faster than domestic species) adult individuals need to eat a lot and live in warmth. The lifespan of one worm is up to 16 years.

The method of laying down components for feeding eukaryotes differs from conventional composting. The pile is filled halfway and filled with worms. When they eat all the organic matter, another half of the pile is poured on top. After a couple of days, the worms crawl into the top half of the box and begin to feed again, and the bottom layer of fertilizer can be used.

The only thing that can disrupt the process is lack of food and frost. When cold weather sets in, representatives of this species do not go into the ground, as domestic eukaryotes do, but huddle together and freeze. Therefore, composting must be carried out in a warm room or it is possible to move the pile to a heated barn for the winter.

In winter, most aerobic bacteria do not function at low temperatures, earthworms also climb deep into the ground and fall into suspended animation. California red worms generally die if left in the cold. Therefore, the only way in which the compost will still ripen is to make it in a hole.

The soil freezes less at depth, and if you spill all the components with slurry or a solution of EM preparations, the process of processing organic matter will start. True, it will proceed more slowly, since an airtight container or pit requires anaerobic microorganisms, similar to those that are propagated in septic tanks to eliminate odors.