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Compost has long been known as the most natural fertilizerand as the majority of summer residents adhere to the principles of organic farming at their dachas, one should learn how to prepare it correctly. But how to get down to business if you did not prepare the compost yourself and did not use it as mulch, getting rid of weeds?

On any garden plot, compost can be made independently and used as mulch. By fertilizing your plants with compost, you will enjoy the great harvest of fruits and vegetables, fragrant spices and beautiful flowers. The use of compost will save on fertilizer. In addition, there is no need to burn garden debris on your site.

Let's try in this article to understand the principles of preparation and use of compost.

What is compost?

Compost  - it is well-rotted   from waste of animal and vegetable origin with the addition of land and peat. Mature compost is easy to learn. It turns out monotonous in structure and dark in color. Disappears unpleasant smell, as mature compost has the smell of fresh earth, mushrooms or forest floor.

What are the advantages of compost?

Compost is an favorable environment for the development of microorganisms  and activates the vital activity of soil fauna, improves the structure of the soil, returning its original ability to retain nutrients and moisture in the surface layer. Due to the activity of beneficial microorganisms in the compost and the soil fertilized by them, it is possible to suppress the activity of pathogens or, at least, to inhibit their development, especially since the raw materials for compost production were selected by you, without admixture of substances harmful to the soil and plants. Compost has a soft fertilizing effect on plants. Composting process eco-friendly  and is close in nature to natural processes.

What are composts?

Depending on the composted material, composts are:

— peat  - peat to manure ratio 3: 1 - 4: 1. A layer of peat and manure alternately stacked in a pile up to 2 meters. First, a peat is laid on the site with a layer of 30-40 cm, and a layer of 10-15 cm is placed on it evenly. The stack is completed with a layer of peat 20-30 cm. It is not necessary to compact it. In dry weather, the stack is shed with water or slurry, shovel several times.

—  peat - for the preparation of such compost 0.5 tons of feces is added to 1 ton of lowland peat, and up to 2 tons per 1 ton of top peat. The method of compost preparation is as follows: in a heap of peat a funnel-shaped cavity is made into which feces are introduced. After being absorbed from above, peat is poured with a layer of 20 cm. The compost pile is not compacted so that the heat in it rises and the compost is disinfected. Further compost shovel to obtain a homogeneous mass. For sanitary reasons, peat is made of peat compost under strawberries and vegetables that are consumed fresh.

— prefabricated without added manure and feces.

Prefabricated composts  it is better to bring it into the soil in spring, and peat avid and peat faeces - in the fall. This is the so-called compost cold

Which place is better to choose for compost?

For composting  choose a place protected from the wind in the penumbra - this is necessary to avoid drying out the compost. But a completely windless place for composting is not suitable due to deterioration of ventilation. With a lack of natural shade, near the plot for composting, ornamental bushes or tall flowers can be used to decorate the compost area and give the necessary shade. In order to prevent the compost from washing out or, on the contrary, drying out of the composted material, it is important to cover it, you can simply cover it with a layer of a small layer of earth. But it must be remembered that if you close the film and do not shift the compost, it is possible that the composted material will be very overheated and the microorganisms that process it will die.

How long does the compost decompose?

Depending on the type of compostable material, the maturation period of the compost can be from 3-4 months to 2 years. Compost is considered ready when the contents of the compost pile turn into a homogeneous crumbly mass. Peaty compost is ready in 5 months. Peat compost must be kept for at least 2 years for its disinfection. The decomposition of compostable material begins very rapidly and slows down at subsequent stages, so the compost must be mixed to activate the decomposition process and to achieve uniformity in all layers. After mixing, the temperature in the thickness of the compost first decreases, but then quickly rises due to the activation of the decomposition process due to the influx of oxygen. Loose laying of the compostable material contributes to a more rapid decomposition of organic substances, which shortens the composting period. Here you need to know the properties of composted materials. They behave differently depending on what they contain more: carbon or nitrogen. Nitrogen contains more manure and faeces, food waste, rotting fruits and vegetables - their decay warms the heap, but these components are too acidic. Therefore, they are interbedded with straw, hay, bark, foliage, grass, sawdust, shredded cardboard and paper. These materials are almost not heated, and when rotting they consume nitrogen. If you take an equal number of those and others, the mixture quickly warms up. After 4–6 days, the temperature in the center of the compost pile can reach 70 ° C, microbes. Recycled composted materials begin to die. And if the compost pile is covered with a film, then three or four days are enough for a quick warm-up. Here at this time you need to throw compost to a free place. If so, throw 4 times, then you can get 3-4 servings of fresh compost over the summer. It is troublesome, but already at the beginning of summer you can fill the beds with a layer of mulch from fresh compost.

What can be added to the compost.

All organic waste and residues are suitable for composting, especially those that are of plant origin. These are herbs, green manure plants, crop waste (vegetables, fruits), manure, peat, shredded branches of trees and shrubs, bark, foliage, needles, straw, hay, sawdust and other materials. Organic, decaying material from the household can also be added to the compost: food waste, potato and vegetable peelings, eggshell, spoiled vegetables and fruits, banana peel, sleeping tea brewing, husks of seeds, nuts, etc. Organic waste, thoroughly crushed and mixed, subject to air intake, is converted into high-quality fertilizer through rotting.

What can not be added to the compost.

It is impossible to lay in the compost that does not decompose with the help of microorganisms: debris, glass, foil, metal objects, wire, plastic, ceramics, any chemicals, plastic bags, etc. From the plants you can not add poisonous plants to the compost: the tops of tomatoes and potatoes, castor oil, broom, lily of the valley, aconite and others, as the poisonous substances in these plants kill part of the microorganisms involved in the decomposition, and the compost matures more slowly. It is not recommended to plant plants that are affected by diseases and pests in the compost. No need to throw bones, fat, wool, hair into the compost pile: they do not rot for 3-4 years. Slivers, roots, branches should be crushed and placed on the bottom of the pile: they will drain away before they rot.

In what form can all this be laid in compost?

Green manure plants. The green mass of these plants is rich in protein and quickly decomposed. Let the plants dry slightly before putting them into the compost. To lay a green mass in layers, alternating with coarser materials.

Hay and straw  bind moisture in the compost and create a good porous structure of the compost, providing oxygen access. Before laying, they need to be crushed, allowed to dry, mix with kitchen organic waste or green manure plants and lay in compost in thin layers.

Foliage  poor in nutrients. To prevent foliage from sticking together into lumps, it should be dried, if possible, crushed and put into compost in thin layers, mixed with other vegetable, coarser materials.

Sawdust characterized by a low nitrogen content and decompose very poorly. They must be thoroughly mixed with the green mass of plant material, make bone meal and manure to increase the nitrogen content and accelerate decomposition.

Woody bark  differs from sawdust higher nitrogen content, but nevertheless needs to make nitrogen-containing additives: urea, poultry manure or manure. It is recommended to add lime at the rate of 10 kg per 1 square meter of bark to speed up the decomposition process.

Food waste  they are valuable organic matter and have a high decomposition rate. They should be mixed with a coarser material that provides them with sufficient ventilation (for example, with sawdust) to prevent rotting.

Manure  It is very favorable for compost for high nitrogen content and is a catalyst for decomposition processes.

Paper  decomposes well due to the pulp contained in it. Before being put into compost, the paper needs to be crushed and wetted in a herbal infusion so that it absorbs additional nutrients along with the moisture. Lay out in thin layers, combining with coarse material to avoid sticking into lumps.

To enrich the compost heap with mineral elements, various plants are added to it, which accumulate them during the growing season. Potassium  the leaves and stems of comfrey and tobacco are also rich; calcium  - leaves of buckwheat, melon;   iron  - nettle leaves; phosphorus  - rapeseed and mustard leaves. Specially grown for compost on a separate site such plants   like lupine, alfalfa and comfrey.

Can seed plants be added to compost?

To prevent the spread of weeds in the area, they should be pre-soaked in water to obtain an infusion for organic dressing, stand for 1-2 weeks and only then be put into compost.

"Wet" compost.

This is a very convenient and useful way to compost organic waste. It is very simple to prepare such compost: weeds after weeding, cut tops (except tomato and potato), leaves, put nettles into a container with water installed in an open, heated by the sun's place. Capacity to close the transparent film or cover and leave for natural fermentation. After a week, sometimes after two (depending on the weather), the compost is already usable. Fermented liquid, you can water the plants, previously diluted with water (in a bucket of water - 0.5-1 liter of the infusion). This is an excellent supplement for all cultures. Undiluted residues are put in a compost pile, where they quickly decompose. Infusion can be done more often and in small portions.

In conclusion, I would like to say that some gardeners underestimate the benefits of compost. Due to inexperience or ignorance, they prefer to move mowed grass, weeds, and fallen leaves out of the boundaries of their plot. But after all, along with them, the gardener takes out from the garden the valuable nutrients needed by each plant. In addition, various pests can settle in the garden wastes that were thrown out of the site, and the gardener will receive a hotbed of various diseases next year. As a result, the gardener, unwittingly, hurts himself, since he gets the harvest much worse and, moreover, forgets about environmental protection.

Compost or humus from plant residues and household organic waste is a valuable fertilizer. Every summer resident can prepare it. Some useful tips will help you get it quickly and effortlessly.

What is compost?

Compost is a natural fertilizer obtained as a result of the decomposition of various organic substances under the influence of the environment, the activity of soil bacteria, fungi and insects.

As a result of rotting through various natural materials, a friable brown mass is obtained, with a high content of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and others) in an accessible and easily digestible form.

What is the use of compost?

Compost is an environmentally friendly natural fertilizer that improves yield. It contains all the necessary nutrients and trace elements. It can not overdose or burn them to the roots. You can make at any time.

• Enriches the soil with nutrients. Compost is considered one of the best fertilizers, which, when introduced into the soil, fills it with a huge amount of trace elements.
• Structures the soil. Humus from different types of organic matter loosens heavy clay soils, binds sandy soils and increases moisture capacity.
• Serves as mulch and covering material.. Compost scattered over the soil surface will save moisture and inhibit the growth of many weeds in the area. Making loose compost under shrubs and perennials is useful for protecting the root system from freezing.
• Increases soil microbiological activity. Plants live in close symbiosis with soil bacteria and fungi, which play a role in providing them with nutrients. The more intense these processes, the better the yield.
• Solves the problem of recycling organic household waste. Cleaning and food residues, paper and cardboard, leaves and weeds, mowed grass and cut branches - all this does not need to be removed from the site, it is the raw material for compost preparation.

Production of own compost does not require material costs and special skills.

What does the quality of compost depend on?

Over time, any organic matter will fade, but not every compost will benefit the beds. A high-quality product contains many nutrients, their composition is balanced, the acidity is close to neutral, the structure is loose.

Organic decay occurs as a result of exposure to bacteria of various species. Among them are aerobic (they need oxygen) and anaerobic (develop with a lack of oxygen). Aerobic microorganisms work "faster". If to provide free access of air to the compost heap, periodically agitating the compost - the process of overheating will accelerate. Too slow decay leads to the fact that part of the nutrients is washed away by rains, harmful insects settle and multiply in the heap.

The best compost is obtained from a mixture of different natural materials. Nitrogen-rich food waste is mixed with sawdust, grass with leaves, shredded branches with torn weeds, manure with straw. This improves the structure and activates the process of rotting.

It is recommended to add some herbs - nettle, yarrow, dandelion, horsetail, St. John's wort. Especially useful if they do not grow on your site. You can just pick at least a small bundle and add to the compost. It expands the range of trace elements. For example, in the horsetail there is a lot of silicon (compared to other plants), perhaps it is not enough in the soil in your area.

What else do you need to know about composting

All organic waste sooner or later rot and turn into compost. But when laying a heap, consideration should be given to the decomposition time of all components. Last year's leafy humus interspersed with tomato tops that were unchanged from autumn and potato peelings added last week is not what you dreamed of.

Compost, humus (from manure and deciduous), like any other organic fertilizer, must be applied to the soil regularly. This means that you need to prepare compost every year. A useful thing should become a habit. As well as sorting household waste.

The humus heap should be wet but not wet. If summer is dry, water periodically.

Temperature is an important factor in the compost formation process. In winter, the decomposition process slows down, and warm summer temperatures accelerate the process. In the process of overheating, the compost heats up, the temperature inside the compost heap can rise to 60-70 ° C, which contributes to the destruction of weed seeds.

To increase the temperature inside the heap and protect it from washing out nutrients by raining, it is useful to cover the compost with polyethylene. It is better to dark, so as not to germinate the seeds on the surface of the heap.

How to lay a compost pile?

Where to choose a place

This is an important question. It is clear that this place for compost should not be near the main flowerbed or at the entrance to the house. Usually, they take the corner away from the eyes, in a part that is unsuitable for other purposes. Access to the compost heap should be convenient in case of moving a large amount of green mass, branches. If you live in the house permanently, in the winter it will be inconvenient to carry household waste in deep snow to the farthest corner of the garden.

You can not lay a compost pile in the lowlands, flooded places. If there is an excess of water, organic matter will “sour”, instead of loose compost you will get a dense layer of rot.

Pit or box?

There are two options for collecting organic residues: dig a hole and fill it there or make a box from a grid or wooden boards. Do and so and so.

Benefits pits  for compost:

• it is not visible from the side;
• in the pit is always wet;
• in the pit is warmer, so the process is actively going in the winter.

The disadvantages of the pit:

• inconvenient to remove the humus, especially rotted from the bottom;
• organic matter is compressed and air supply is stopped;
• in the spring and during the shower pit may be flooded.

Conclusions - the pit can be used on dry sandy soils where there is no stagnant water.

Benefits box  for compost;

• good access of air, more rotting occurs;
• easier to control the process;
• just remove one of the walls and you can take the finished compost from the bottom.

Drawer flaws:

• it needs to be made or bought;
• in frosty winters, the contents freeze and the process stops;
• compost dries, it is necessary to water it.

Most experts advise to make a box without a bottom, and under it dig a shallow pit over the entire area - approximately on a bayonet of a shovel. In the pit lay down the branches, slivers and other slowly trapping garbage.

What size to choose?

Usually they make a cube with a side of 1 meter, this is the most optimal form - and the heat is stored, and there is air access from the sides. But the main criterion is still the amount of organic matter in your household. If the garden and the garden is large, then there will be large amounts of weeds and mowed grass in the summer, and in the fall - leaves and tops from the garden. All this somewhere needs to be folded.

What can be added to the compost pile?

If you want to make high quality compost, use the following:

• Manure animals (for fast cooking - rotted);
• Fallen leaves and other garden waste;
• Mowed grass;
• Kitchen waste (cleaning, bits, residues of vegetables and fruits, cereals, coffee grounds, tea leaves);
• Weeds, stalks and tops of garden plants torn from a bed;
• Shavings, sawdust;
• Thin branches of bushes and trees (it is better to chop);
• Algae, mud;
• Wrapping paper, cardboard;
• Sunflower stalks, corn stalk;
• Egg shell;
• Sadals (apples, pears), if they are not affected by fruit diseases.

Pet feces and droppings are controversial. It is not customary to add to compost here, it is believed that worms and some diseases are transmitted in this way. In many countries - Japan, the Netherlands, in the south of France - these are the most common useful materials for fertilizer.

What can not compost be prepared from?

Some waste cannot be added to the compost pile:

• Bones and wool - very long rot;
• Parts of plants affected by diseases or pests;
• Fresh manure, chicken droppings (can only be added to slowly rotting compost, otherwise it burns the plants).

Inorganic household waste - plastic, rubber, polyethylene, foam - do not use, do not even burn, such garbage must be removed from the site.

How to put materials in a compost pile correctly?

Many gardeners do not even think about the proper composting. Weeded the beds - all the grass in the compost, raked up the leaves in the garden - the whole mass was covered in a box. It is not right. Materials need to be laid in layers.

Organic waste can be divided into groups:

• Nitrous. These are manure, bird droppings, mowed grass, green weeds, vegetable and fruit wastes.
• Carbon. These are shavings, sawdust, straw, leaves, paper, cardboard, shredded wood, bark.

When laying the compost heap, it is important that the nitrogenous (“green, wet and soft”) layers alternate with brown (“carbon, dry and solid”) - this will provide ventilation, process acceleration, and later - good texture of the finished compost.

The optimum ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the compostable material is about 30: 1. So in the freshly mowed grass this ratio is 15: 1, and in dry fallen leaves - 50: 1, i.e. a combination of them in equal parts by volume will give a close to optimal mixture.

During weeding, pour all greens with sawdust or torn paper, mowed grass - with last year’s leaves or straw. Each layer is useful to sprinkle with earth or rotted manure. This speeds up the reproduction of beneficial bacteria. Tamper with the contents of the compost box should not be, it will interrupt the ventilation and slow down the process of compost formation.

The fact is that depending on the content of nitrogen or carbon, organic waste rot in different ways. Nitrous - manure, rotting fruits and vegetables, grains, bread and flour products, food waste - generate heat. The process is very fast, bacteria multiply and absorb a lot of oxygen. With a lack of its process slows down. Carbonaceous materials are friable, contain a lot of air, while rotting they consume nitrogen. If we take an equal number of those and others, then the balance is normal.

Unpleasant smells from the contents of the compost basket indicate that something is broken and the process goes wrong. The smell of ammonia or rotten eggs indicates an excessive amount of nitrogenous substances in the compost heap and a lack of oxygen. In this case, you must mix the compost and add carbon-containing (brown) materials.

Durability of compost materials

Grass, green weeds quickly rot. When mixing the compost heap full fertilizer can be obtained in a few months.

Branches, shredded wood, chips require at least a year.

Term decomposition of leaves depends on the type of tree. The leaves of most deciduous trees: apples, pears, cherries, maple, birch, mountain ash, linden, hornbeam, hazel, quickly (in a year) with the right conditions are observed. Leaf humus is introduced and not completely rotted - leaf particles, streaks, petioles are useful for loosening dense clay soils.

The decomposition of evergreen leaves and needles can take 2-3 years, these leaves are especially recommended to be ground in a garden vacuum cleaner, lawn mower or shredder.

How many compost heaps do?

Most experts are of the opinion - it is better to do more than one large compost pile, but at least two. In one put fresh materials of this year, in the other - last year's compost ripens. Periodically shovel the old pile until the remnants are completely rotting and take ready-made compost from it for different needs.

There are many more options for fast-cooking compost.

What is compost

Manurefor the gardener has always been the main fertilizer. But now buy it afford a few. People get their 6-10 hectare at inconvenience and they break their heads how to turn the sandy loam or swamp into a man-made "black earth".

Experienced gardeners know what the exit is - it is compost! Compost  can be prepared from a variety of organic materials, all kinds of household and kitchen
waste: weeds, healthy tops of garden plants, wool, feathers, bird droppings. Potato husks, feces, oven ash, and autumn leaves, straw, sawdust, shavings, lignin, rice husks, etc., will also go there.   Compost - the same effective organic fertilizeras dung, especially if it is cooked with lime. For the preparation of compost choose a shaded place.

The platform is leveled, fenced with boards, nets. It is advisable to prepare 2 compost heaps, one each year. Pass between the heaps should be at least 40-50 cm, so that you can easily come up with a cart. First, a 10 cm thick layer of earth is poured, composted materials are laid on it, sprinkled with lime, then they are covered with a layer of earth and again - a layer of loose materials. Peat can be used instead of land. Heaps are made in the form of a collar — flat, up to 1.5 m high. During the year, they must be mixed at least once in order for the outer layers to fall inwards and the inner layers to fall out. For the reproduction of microorganisms that contribute to the decomposition of organic substances, the soil is well moistened by pouring onion peel extract, grass extracts, bacterial preparations - azotobacterin, phosphobacterin. In a dry summer, heaps are poured over with water, weeds are mowed down, preventing them from being inseminated. After 1-2 years the compost is ready. To prevent weeds from growing, heaps can be closed on top with black film. Plant residues, straw, which were sprayed with herbicides or affected by pests and diseases, as well as wood material treated with varnish cannot be added to the compost.

In the process of fermentation in the compost heap, decomposition of complex organic matter takes place into simpler and then into batteries available for plants. The higher the temperature in the heap with sufficient moisture, the faster the process. In the future, microorganisms living in the compost, contribute to a better absorption of nitrogen and phosphorus by plants. The effect of compost is also manifested in the improvement of the physicochemical properties of the soil; it becomes loose, rich in organic compounds.

Compost Types

Peat-fecal compost:under a canopy or film cover, a layer of peat 40–45 cm thick is laid, a recess is made in it, where feces are drained and immediately filled with peat. If the compost dries up, it is moistened. The process of mineralization is slow - for a year or more, then the compost is ready for use. It should be used gradually, 2-3 kg per 1 m2, as it contains an increased amount of nutrients. To neutralize add 400-500 g of lime per 10 kg of compost.

Ligno-pometny compost. Lignin is a polymeric compound contained in the cell membranes of plants and causing them to woody. In hardwoods they contain up to 30%, and in conifers - up to 50%. Lignin is a valuable chemical raw material for many industries, waste from them can be used in composts. It is laid in layers or mixed with bird droppings in a 1: 1 ratio by weight. After 3 ~ 6 months the compost is ready. With long periods of storage it turns out humus.

Lignino-mineral-manure compost. Lignin is pre-neutralized with lime at the rate of 50 g per 1 kg or phosphate flour is added - 100 g per 1 kg, then 30 g of ammonium sulfate, 10 g of simple superphosphate, 7 g of potassium chloride are added. All carefully mixed. 3-4 weeks after warming up to 40-50 ° C, manure is added in a 1: 1 ratio. After 2-4 months, the compost can be used in the amount of 8-10 kg per 1 m2 on poor soils, up to 4 kg per 1 m2 on more fertile.

Hardwood compost  is obtained from a mixture of leaves of trees, household garbage and turf land. In the fall, the leaves are raked, placed in a heap, they are added to the cleaning of vegetables, household garbage, manure and ash. Watered, put a layer of leaves and debris on top, then turf, turned upside down. During the fall and winter, the compost is rotting, in the spring a lot of heavily settling. In late May, a pumpkin and squash are planted on it. They grow well, covering the pile and protecting it from drying out. Additionally, squash and pumpkins are well watered and fed with a solution of mullein or chicken manure. Courgettes help the leaf to quickly decompose. In the autumn, after harvesting pumpkin, a compost pile is shoveled. In the spring, part of the compost is sifted, used for pots, mulching and application for vegetable crops. Large, not rotten garbage is left until the autumn - rot. Then it is sifted and folded separately.

Sawdust-turf compost.  First put a 10-15 cm layer of garden or sod soil, on it - the same layer of sawdust or shavings. You can add plant residues on top, sprinkle with a layer of lime or bones burned at the stake. Then they are laid alternately layer by layer: earth, sawdust, garbage and lime fertilizers. Each layer of sawdust is watered with a solution of urea (30 g per 10 l of water) or a solution of mullein 1: 5. Sawdust and chips rot for a long time -2-3 years. Compost shovel annually. So that the heap does not dry out, it is periodically watered and covered with a dark film.

How to cook compost

AT compostdo not plant diseased plants. But what to do with them, because green plants burn badly, form a lot of smoke. In this case, they are separately laid in the compost, away from the general heap, overlaid with mineral fertilizers and peat. This compost lasts 3-4 years, until the causative agents of diseases lose their viability

Compost heaps are best done in the same place, as the remains of microorganisms are transferred to a new mass.

Do not throw anything out of your garden. After the uprooting of shrubs and frozen trees, high beds are made, planting in them parts of woody plants, raspberry stalks, uprooted currant bushes, chopping them smaller, putting household garbage on top, then ground 18-20 cm. for a long time.

There are many ways of composting plant residues - compost can be put into piles, containers with insulated walls, in plastic bags.

Recently, gardeners often use wet compost. After weeding, the grass, cut tops, leaves and all non-lumbering waste are put in a barrel or water tank, which is placed in the sun. The barrel is closed with plastic wrap and left to ferment, after 1-2 weeks the compost is ready for use. The fermented liquid serves as a good feeding, in addition, it has a detrimental effect on the larvae and larvae of many pests. The waste periodically reports to the barrel and adds water 1-2 times, the undissolved residues are thrown into the compost pile.

In addition to personally prepared composts, organo-mineral fertilizers can be recommended. Currently, many different forms have appeared on the market. They differ in the mechanism of action, technique of application. Most often they use biohumus or ver-mikompost, the Piksa, the Universal supercompost, the Underground Spring hydrogel, the Terrakotem, the Harmony, and the Togum complex organo-mineral fertilizer. Organic and mineral fertilizers are best applied topically, applied only in the hole or near the plants with a small strip.

Pay attention to this:

Every knowledgeable gardener assigns a special place to compost, since the latter is the creator and source of the vital forces of plants and their basic natural fertilizer. Plant health and future harvest are directly dependent on the quality and structure of the compost. If you properly prepare this mixture, the grower will not need to apply fertilizer. What is compost, how to prepare it will tell this article.

Compost - what is it?

Compost is an indispensable component of the fertile soil in any garden and the most affordable fertilizer in all senses, which is obtained from plant residues. If it is cooked correctly, it will not only meet the needs of plantations in nutrient components that accelerate growth, but also significantly improve its looseness, and how it can absorb and retain moisture.

Compost at the cottage or garden is a unique natural organic fertilizer obtained by fermentation, which is provided by earthworms and bacteria.

This fertilizer is produced in compost heaps or composting. . They can be built just like a hole in the ground, but a specially equipped place will be the best option. This is usually a closed or open type container or a box with access inside.

Sometimes gardeners ask what “American-style” compost is. This is usually a bucket in which food waste is added and diluted with the ground. As it is filled, the mass is transferred to a large container or poured into the main composting plant.

Conditions for compost

All organic substances that can decompose are allowed into the compost pile. These include, among other things, wood waste, hay and straw. You should not add fresh feces to the compost, because they are composted separately, mixing with peat and earth for at least several years.

So that the microorganisms that provide fermentation can process everything that is added to the compost heap, and then produce humus from this, certain conditions are created, since they require good nutrition for work. From plant waste they get carbon, and nitrogen must be supplied by the appropriate additives, which are animal dung.

About twenty percent of the entire heap is added to cow dung, and less concentrated bird droppings are needed. If there are difficulties with the presence of this ingredient, then it is replaced by leguminous plants, young nettles or grass.

Compost preparation does not include components such as fertile soil saturated with microorganisms and fermentation stimulants. To create a more high-calorie composition add fused phosphate or at the rate of six kilograms per cubic meter and potassium (wood ash or in the amount of two kilograms per cubic meter.

When creating the necessary conditions and the correct construction of the composting unit, the heap is heated, accelerating the decomposition of residues.

What don't compost do

One of the popular hobbies of people is gardening and horticulture. For their successful management it is necessary to possess certain skills, one of which is knowing how to prepare fertilizer for garden plants.

To obtain high-quality compost, it is important to understand which components it should not have:

• plastics;
• fat;
• synthetic materials;
• bones;
• sala;
• meat and milk waste.

The last three are undesirable because they smell unpleasant and attract rodents. It is allowed to add them in small quantities for fast rotting and into the very center of the compost.

Remembering what compost is, you cannot make a garbage pit out of a pile, putting the following components into it:

• human feces and pet waste to avoid helminth infection;
• rags, glossy paper, stones, bones, rubber, as they do not decompose in the compost;
• disinfectants and chemicals;
• residues and waste of food of animal origin, causing rotting;
• affected plants and pests to be burned;
• roots and stems with weed seeds, as in the process of pereplevaniya they do not lose germination.

Green Items

The components of the compost heap can be divided into two categories:

• "Green" that contains a significant amount of nitrogen;
• "Brown", which has virtually no nitrogen, but includes a lot of fiber.

The green group includes kitchen waste, tops, bird droppings, hay of legumes, green leaves, squeezes, and various fruits. The processes of decay of these components occurs quite quickly, occurs with heating and an increase in the temperature inside. For the most favorable course, it is necessary to properly prepare raw materials.

To make grass compost, greens and leaves are compacted before being put into the composting plant. If this is not done, the mass in the compost heap will be compacted, and will not let in air, which will lead not to rotting, but to souring, and a poisonous fertilizer will turn out. Also, the layers of green shifted dry leaves and sawdust.

Hay is a wonderful basis for compost, but it must be remembered that each of its layers must be covered with ready-made humus or wetted with herbal tincture for more rapid reproduction of bacteria and, therefore, acceleration of the composting process. Dried hay is poured over with manure solution, kitchen waste or water.

Kitchen leftovers and fruits shift with brown elements, and bird droppings are diluted with water.

The “brown” component of the compost pile

The brown category includes bark, husks of seeds, paper, dry leaves. Also included are sawdust, corn on the cob, straw, chaff, manure. Compost containing these components, acquires the necessary porosity, as they play the role of leavening agents and trap air and moisture.

The processes of over-heating of these components are rather long and take place without the formation of heat. During their decay in the compost, the amount of nitrogen decreases somewhat. Therefore, when forming the heap, brown ingredients should act as auxiliary layers that feed the bacteria. A good means to maintain this process is watering a heap of urea in the proportion of one and a half to two kilograms per cubic meter of heap.

The most suitable manure for compost is straw, or horse, worse - swine. When using the latter, it should be shifted with straw, sawdust or husk; before laying, make liming in the ratio of a pair of kilograms per cubic meter of raw material and withstand until full maturation.

Proper fertilizer application

After maturation of the compost and its conversion into organic fertilizer, it is important to use it properly, with plant benefits. Tips gardeners and gardeners can be given the following:

• With ready-made compost mixed with ashes, it is possible to carry out the digging of the trunk circles of young seedlings, if they are weak and grow poorly. Stir a layer of earth about twenty centimeters.
• It is necessary to add compost under currant bushes and gooseberries, in between rows of raspberry and strawberry bushes.
• After preliminarily adding lime to the compost, the mixture is introduced under cabbage and cucumbers, mixing ten centimeters with a layer of earth.
• Fertilizer land in the fall can be done by introducing immature compost into the soil, covering these places for the winter with a film so that valuable substances do not wash off with sediments. By spring, the fertilizer will ripen.

Composting size

Components for cooking are stacked in compost in a certain way. If the tab is made correctly, the pile will not emit harmful substances into the ground, and also will not annoy with a strong unpleasant smell.

Therefore, respecting the size of the compost is important enough, otherwise it will not create a comfortable temperature and wet conditions for the maturation of the compost. The most acceptable size of composting can be considered one and a half meters wide and about a meter twenty - height. The length is optional, but more than one and a half meters. A pile of smaller sizes will not be able to warm up well and will lose moisture quickly, which will slow down the maturation of fertilizer.

It is also advisable to arrange the composting permanently in the same place. This will lead to the reproduction of the desired microorganisms and the rapid colonization of new heaps.

How to arrange a compost pyramid

Fertilizer land in the fall is of great importance for ripening a good harvest. Therefore, it is correct to organize a composting plant to produce useful organic fertilizer - the task of any gardener.

1. In a shaded area of ​​the plot, select a site for composting and prepare it: align, remove extraneous roots (especially weeds).
2. Place fenced boards, slate or shields.
3. For a smooth outflow of fluid on the bottom put a drainage consisting of sand, gravel, or a fine grate or mesh.
4. Then a layer of already ripe last year's fertilizer is put - it will become a source of bacteria for fermentation.
5. Components for the bookmark required grind shovel.
6. Brown and green layers are laid alternately, without forgetting that the green mass should be no more than one third of the total.
7. Between the layers you can add a little or a fermentation stimulator.
8. Closer to the top, the width of the heap should converge conically.
9. The top of the pile is covered with straw or planks (for air access).

Fertilizer ripening conditions

Horticulture and horticulture are fairly common, but for their success it is necessary to have some knowledge, including how compost matures.

Fermentation and maturation of compost lasts from several months to a couple of years, depending on the conditions created and the preparation of the components: heap volume, sizes of ground ingredients, fermentation regime.

It is important that the temperature inside the heap reaches sixty or more degrees Celsius, which will speed up the process of pererevaniya, death of pests. No less significant is the sufficient access of air and moistening of the components of the pyramid.

Tips gardeners and gardeners on the device compost heap

Some tips on caring for compost pyramid:

1. With the onset of heat and drought, on a clear morning in the morning, a bunch of them are plentifully watered with the addition of fermentation accelerators before all layers are wetted, which requires a lot of water.
2. A couple of times in a season a bunch needs careful shoveling layers.
3. The composting plant left for the winter is required to be warmed - to fall asleep with humus or peat and cover with straw. Next year, this "cover" is useful for a new heap.
4. Compost can only be used when it has matured and has a loose, homogeneous structure with the smell of moist earth and rotten leaves (without mold and fungus).
5. You can not make a composting in the pit to avoid rotting due to stagnant water.

The article describes what compost is, how to properly prepare and use it. This knowledge is important for people engaged in gardening, as the fertility of the land and the abundance of the crop depend on them.