How to make humus in the country: methods for making compost. Garden composter: characteristics, use, manufacture

Quality agricultural technology and good harvest require soil fertilization. Compost is one of the most common basic ingredients that summer residents use everywhere. The fact is that in the country it is not so difficult to make compost with your own hands, because everything you need to organize the process is at your fingertips.

What to make

Many gardeners prefer to prepare the compost on their own, as this not only saves time and money, but also reduces the amount of hassle, which is always enough on the site. In order to understand from what and how to make fertilizer correctly, it is important to understand how the procedure for its formation takes place. In fact, composting is a natural process of decomposition of organic waste. In the process of fermentation, a fertile loose composition is obtained, which is suitable for any soil. The most common way to make compost with your own hands is to collect leftovers from the kitchen and organic garbage in one pile. After that, bacteria begin to work, which will process "yesterday's" borscht and fallen leaves into humus. As a rule, you can prepare compost in different ways, however, the whole process comes down to using the aerobic or anaerobic method.

From what you can make garden "gold" with your own hands:

• cut grass;
• foliage that falls in autumn;
• droppings of cattle and birds;
• peat residues;
• tea leaves and coffee;
• egg shells, provided that they have not undergone heat treatment;
• peel and remains of raw vegetables and fruits;
• thin branches;
• straw, sawdust and seed shells;
• shredded paper or cardboard.

• vegetable peel after boiling or frying;
• diseased leaves and branches;
• weed plants;
• citrus peel;

Thus, compost waste is divided into two types: nitrogenous (manure and bird droppings, grass, raw vegetables and fruits) and carbonaceous (fallen leaves, sawdust, finely shredded paper or cardboard). When preparing a compost heap with your own hands, it is important to adhere to a ratio of 5: 1, i.e. most of consists of brown components, which are the basis for the nutrition of beneficial bacteria. One part of the pile is green waste. To speed up the process, shredded paper, corn and sunflower shoots, sawdust, dry leaves and grass are used as brown components.

Green components are essential for beneficial microbes, and they decompose quickly. The lack of green part can lead to a lengthening of the time required for composting. If you go too far with the green part, then the pile will smell unpleasantly of ammonia (rotten eggs). The remains of meat and fish products should not be included in the compost in the country, as they take longer to decompose, and there will be an unpleasant smell around.

How to do

The balance of components is Golden Rule at the stage when, you are already ready to make garden "gold" in the country with your own hands. A properly stacked pile emits an odor fertile soil, if you hear an unpleasant smell, then you need to add brown residues. In order for the process of processing residues to start, the temperature in the center of the pile must reach 60-70 degrees. It should feel warm from it, but if it seems cool to the touch, then you need to add greenery.

Second important rule compost heap - constant humidity. It should be like a damp "rug", but not wet. If you notice that a crust is forming, then you need to add a little water. The aerobic composting process requires a constant supply of oxygen, so the pile must be turned frequently. The more often you turn the compost, the faster it will ripen. finished fertilizer. You can properly prepare compost in the country in a fast and slow way. Beginning summer residents usually use the first option.

This requires a special box made of wood or plastic, where all the components will be laid. If there is no box, then you can use a pit with wooden lags. The main thing is that oxygen can freely flow from above and to the side to the contents. Laying components in layers or at random is up to you. Consider the option of laying a compost pit in layers:

• at the bottom it is necessary to put straw, hay or spruce branches to create a drainage layer;
• small branches of trees and waste of fruits that are not subject to heat treatment;
• a layer of shredded paper or cardboard;
• foliage;
• cut grass and remnants of annuals.

When laying, follow the rule - one layer is dry, the second is wet, and alternate soft waste with dense. To speed up the process, you can use nitrogen supplements, manure, dandelions and nettles. You can cook even with rotted manure or ordinary soil. For creating steam effect, a pit or box is immediately covered with a film or rags. Turning the contents of the compost store is required once or twice every thirty days. The slow method of preparing compost requires almost similar laying actions, only it will take several years to wait for the finished result, for the quality finished material, will be much better.

Video "How to make compost in the country"

In this video you can hear and see how to make compost in the country.

Where to lay

To prepare it in the country, you will need to prepare a place where all the components will be laid. As a rule, a box or a hole in the backyard is used for this. Not rotten boards and planks are suitable for making a box. It is important that there is no rot, paint or oil residue on the surface of the wood. Most the best option- this is not a cut pine in the form of a board or a bar. It is this material that allows you to make a solid and at the same time "budget" box.

When choosing a drawer installation, it does not matter whether the surface is flat or elevated. It is advisable to prepare a place for the compost heap slightly above ground level. Such a measure is necessary so that the soil is not washed away. Further, it is necessary to make a large box from a bar or board, while leaving gaps between the planks for oxygen access. We install the supports and three finished walls of the box in a permanent place. We make the fourth wall removable so that it is convenient to ted and extract fertilizer. At the bottom of the pit, you can put a sheet of old linoleum.

Practical use

The use of mature compost, if all the processes have been done correctly, is already possible in 2-3 months. The substance should be crumbly, slightly wet and dark brown in color. If the mixture smells like earth, then the compost is ready. It is possible to prepare and apply fertilizer throughout the year for almost all crops. It is used for planting trees, shrubs and perennials. A little compost does not fit when planting in the hole vegetable crops. A thin layer on the surface of the lawn will be an excellent stimulant for the growth of juicy and dense grass, and making compost with your own hands is not difficult at all.

Video "How to make good compost"

In this video you can hear tips on making good compost.

Proper garden compost beneficial in every way. For plants compost applied to the soil is a good organic fertilizer, saturated with essential trace elements and humus. For soil compost is a natural conditioner: it improves the structure of the soil, loosens and retains moisture and fertilizers at the roots of plants. Spread out in a layer on the surface of the soil, compost makes an excellent organic mulch. The living inhabitants of the garden appreciate compost heap deservedly. compost pit- an excellent "dining room" for birds and small insectivorous animals, as well as a place of mass habitat and reproduction of earthworms, which (along with bacteria and fungi) are actually involved in composting processing organic matter.

At DIY garden compost production no need to burn waste garden pruning, old leaves, paper, packaging and cardboard, poisoning the environment and neighbors with smoke. No need to buy expensive garden soil or soil mixtures. In this way, preparation and application of garden compost not only makes life easier for the gardener, but also contributes to the protection environment. Zero Waste Gardening and compost application, mulch and organic fertilizers instead of synthetic ones, important components of the concept of organic gardening.

Photo above: Here in the UK gardeners are encouraged to practice composting at the local council level. With significant discounts buy boxes (containers) for compost and get the information you need

What is compost

Word compost comes from latin Componere and compositum and means mixture, something put together. Compost is a composition of organic substances decomposed under the influence of microorganisms. Compost used to improve soil structure, as well as fertilizer and mulch. Should not be confused garden compost with ready-made soil mixtures, which are often sold in garden centers under the name compost .

Composting: The Quick (Hot) Method

If put into one pile (pit) bark, tree branches, grass cuttings, leaves, annual weeds (not during flowering!) And other garden waste and leave it all for some time in a secluded corner of the garden (so as not to spoil the view), then in the end all this once something will rot and turn into a quality compost. This process will only take a few years. This is the so-called slow (cold) composting method. Unlike him, fast (hot) method of making compost takes about 4-6 months. To make compost fast, will have to be provided in compost pit or compost bins the following conditions:

1. availability of fresh "green" materials containing nitrogen
2. the presence of dry carbonaceous "brown" materials
3. Availability compost accelerators
4. oxygen access to compost bin
5. constant humidity compost mixture
6. heat (temperature at industrial compost production reaches +85°C!)

Photo on the left: rotating compost bin - a device for quick composting at home. According to the manufacturers, obtaining ready-made compost in such a container maybe in 2-4 weeks. Quick composting provided with an even distribution compost mix container, moisture and heat. The gardener will only need to rotate twice a day compost bin with a special pen

How to make compost

1. Install compost device(see below) in a designated area of ​​the garden.
2. Lay down approx. 20 cm of "brown" material for drainage and ventilation.
3. Add to compost, evenly alternating: crushed dry "brown" materials(branches of trees and shrubs, paper, cardboard, sawdust, bark, straw, hay, shavings, wood ash, dry leaves); moisture-containing "green" materials(kitchen waste, cut grass, weeds, algae, tops, green manure); compost accelerators(EM effective microorganisms, special preparations for accelerating compost, rotted manure of herbivores and bird droppings, urine, already prepared compost, earthworms, garden soil, etc.). Significantly improve quality compost plants rich in useful substances: nettle, comfrey and other green manure crops, yarrow, dandelion (not roots and not flowers!) and others. The alternation of "green" and "brown" layers ensures the penetration of air into compost heap, uniform and balanced maturation of compost in a container, and in the future - structural, fertile, proper compost. Never push or compact the contents, this will interfere with the air circulation in the compost bin. Over time, the mixture will go down and you can add waste to the container. When compost bin has already been filled to the top several times, you can stop filling it and move on to the next one.
4. From time to time stir and shovel the cooking compost forks for better air access and uniform humidification compost. Keep Humidity ripening compost in a box with irrigation. However, avoid standing water in compost bin. Bad smell ammonia (rotten eggs, putrefaction) from compost bin speaks of an excess of "green" materials and a lack of oxygen. Add to composter"brown" waste and stir the mixture.

A few months later the contents compost heap should acquire a brown color and a fresh, sweet smell of earth. Compost ready for use in the garden.

Compost heap, bin or compost bin?

Benefits of open wooden box for compost in that it allows air and moisture to pass through and maintains good ventilation. compost bin you can buy at the garden center or make your own from boards and metal mesh. Volume compost bin must be at least 1 cubic meter. In fact, such a device is placed in wooden frames compost heap(see photo above).

A photo: industrial compost production at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London). Shredded garden waste is mixed with horse manure from the Royal Mews in Knightsbridge. The mixture is contained in huge compost heaps, regularly moistened with settled rainwater and mixed, turned over. Volume compost production in Kew is impressive: 20 tons of manure and 100 tons of garden waste are used weekly! The composting process takes 10-12 weeks. The results are also impressive: Kew recycles 99% of its own garden waste and all the resulting compost is used for further prosperity botanical garden. This is such a constant cycle of economical ecological production! All this is presented to the attention of visitors to the botanical garden. Here you can also get detailed instructions composting in your garden

What else can you put in compost?

1. Raw vegetables, fruits, cereals
2. Remains prepared food, meat waste (only in closed compost bins!)
3. Unpainted and untreated chipped wood
4. Fresh herbivore manure and bird droppings (only in slow compost heaps)
5. Bird feathers and down, pet hair
6. Paper: tissue paper, shredded newspaper*, printer paper*, packaging, cardboard
7. Shredded natural fabrics*: cotton, silk, linen, wool, etc.
8. Evergreens (only in slow compost heaps)

What Not to Put in Garden Compost

1. Large and hard meaty bones
2. Feces of humans and carnivores (including domestic animals). For safe composting human feces need special compost toilet. Dog feces can be recycled into compost systems with worms. Cat feces are generally not recommended for composting
3. Ash from burning coal in a stove or fireplace
4. Flowering, seeded and perennial rhizomatous weeds
5. Garden waste affected by diseases and pests
6. Insect pests, their eggs and larvae
7. Garden waste from the use of herbicides (unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer)

* In the EU and US, newspapers and other printed materials have been free of heavy metals and other harmful ink additives for decades. Newspaper recycling compost recommended here by leading environmental organizations ( HDRA Garden Organic and etc.). The same applies to fabrics. If you are in doubt about the composition of paints in your country, do not add these materials to compost

They say that a good gardener should always have garden plot compost heap, or as they say, a compost bin or a pit. To prepare garden compost with your own hands, you do not need special costs, skills and efforts. But having compost, you will save money and not need to take out the garbage.

The benefits and uses of compost

You can talk a lot about the benefits of proper garden compost, because when it becomes a good organic fertilizer, in which there is humus and essential trace elements. It perfectly copes with the role of a natural conditioner, improving the structure of the soil, loosening and retaining fertilizers and moisture near the roots of crops. With the help of compost, it is possible and necessary to carry out mulching by spreading it on the surface of the soil. The living inhabitants of the garden will also be grateful for the compost, because it is an excellent "dining room" for birds, besides, a habitat and breeding ground for worms, which, together with fungi and bacteria, prepare compost, processing organic substances.

By creating compost, you will no longer burn waste paper, garden clippings, cardboard, packaging, old leaves, thus you will stop poisoning the environment and your neighbors with smoke. And save on buying expensive potting mixes and garden soil. The use of compost is an important component of organic gardening, which also includes zero-waste gardening, organic fertilizers and mulch.

What is compost

The word compost is of Latin origin, meaning mixture (something put together). Compost is a mixture of organic matter that has decomposed as a result of the influence of microorganisms. Compost is used for soil improvement and also as mulch and fertilizer. At garden centers, you may see ready-made potting mixes called compost, but trust me, they have nothing to do with garden compost.

Composting

You can simply pile branches and tree bark, leaves, grass clippings, annual weeds without roots and flowers, and other garden waste into one pile in a secluded corner of your garden and leave to someday make good quality compost. It will take several years for this process, which is usually called slow (cold). There is a hot (quick) way of making compost, and its difference is from the cold (slow) one, that the whole process lasts about 4-6 months.

Compost heap:

Let's look at what you need to quickly create compost:

• Container or pit for compost;
• Fresh "green" materials containing nitrogen;
• compost accelerators;
• Dry, containing carbon "brown materials;
• Access to oxygen and constant humidity in the compost bin;
• Warm.

How to make compost

Install a composting device in a designated area. To ensure drainage and ventilation, lay the bottom with a “brown” material about twenty centimeters high. Now evenly alternating, add to the compost:

• "brown" shredded materials (sawdust, cardboard, bark, paper, shavings, branches of shrubs and trees, hay, dry leaves, straw, wood ash);
• "green" moisture-containing materials (cut grass, algae, kitchen waste, green manure, weeds, tops);
• compost accelerators (drugs accelerating composting, effective EM microorganisms, rotted cow and horse manure, bird droppings, ready-made compost, urine, garden soil, etc.).

To a large extent, the quality of compost is improved by plants that contain many useful substances: nettle, green manure crops, dandelion without flowers and roots, yarrow and others. "brown" and "green" layers is provided by the penetration of air into the compost heap. The compost will mature evenly and in a balanced way in the container, resulting in the right fertile compost with excellent structure. In no case do not compact or push the contents, because air circulation in the compost bin will be disturbed.

From time to time, stir and shovel the compost mixture with a fork to ensure sufficient air access and uniform compost moisture. Provide moisture with irrigation, do not allow stagnation of water in the compost. If you smell rotting or rotten eggs (ammonia) from the container, it means that there is an excess of "green" materials in it and a lack of oxygen. You need to add "brown" materials and mix the compost mixture.

After a few months, the contents of the heap should become Brown color and have a fresh earthy smell, which means the compost is ripe for garden use.

What to choose - a compost heap, a container or a compost bin?

An open wooden compost bin you can make yourself or buy at a garden center. Its advantages are that it allows moisture and air to pass through, and also provides good ventilation. You can make it yourself from a metal mesh and boards, the volume should be from 1 meter cube.

How to make quality compost:

As they say, if a gardener does not have a compost heap, he is not a gardener, but an amateur who still has a lot to learn.

It is especially important to know everything about garden compost, how to make it, what is the use and application, what can be added to it and what can not, what is its benefit. Moreover, it has one important advantage: its preparation will require minimal cost and clear the area of ​​debris.

Benefits of garden compost

Compost is a mixture of organic fertilizers obtained in the process of destruction of organic matter (leaves, grass, peat, etc.) by fungal microorganisms. The compost heap contains a large amount of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and other substances necessary for the normal growth of plants.

By making compost, the gardener forgets about the need to burn garden and paper waste, filling the neighborhood with toxic smoke. There is no need for mineral fertilizers and the annual purchase of humus (manure). Thus, the cultivation of fruits, berries and other crops becomes environmentally friendly and safe for health.

Contents of the compost heap

Quality compost is not made from any waste: it must be made from crushed ingredients rich in carbon and nitrogen. Interacting, these substances accelerate the processing of the contents of the heap.

What can be in a compost heap

• Not thick branches;
• straw waste;
• Plain paper without gloss (newspapers, notebooks, etc.);
• dry foliage;
• Sawdust;
• Weeds and grasses;
• Bird droppings, manure;
• Brewing and sleeping coffee;
• egg shells;
• Husk from sunflower seeds, pumpkin, zucchini.

Additives in the form of peat, raw vegetable and fruit peels are also acceptable.

What not to add to compost

• Tomato and potato tops;
• zest of citrus fruits;
• Boiled vegetable and fruit waste;
• disease-infected herbs;
• Weeds with ripened seeds;
• Fabrics and other materials from synthetics.

The compost should not contain residues of oils and any cooked products: they are processed for a long time, stink terribly and attract clouds of flies.

Preparing a place for a compost heap

The location of the compost heap must meet the following criteria.

Availability

Since gardeners often have to add new waste to the pile and remove ready-made compost, it should be in a convenient place so that it can be reached with a garden wheelbarrow without getting stuck in the ground.

It is desirable to leave an empty area nearby. If you need to take humus from the middle of the pile, shift upper part to this site, which is very convenient.

Wind and sun protection

In order not to dry out, the compost heap needs shade and lack of draft. We cook it in a place protected from sunlight and winds, otherwise you will have to regularly run with watering cans and water it. For this purpose, it is good to plant it with sunflowers, corn or pumpkin (we plant them around the pile, and not on it itself).

Shape selection

If the area is small, we make a container from a metal mesh or boards (we leave gaps between them for air to pass).

The bottom of the container is not needed: the compost must be on the ground so that water does not stagnate and soil microorganisms can penetrate into it.

How to make compost heaps

We begin to form a heap after it passes good rain: The ground must be moist. Let's do it in layers:

• 1 layer. We fill the container by 10 cm with peat or earth.
• 2 layer. Add 15 cm of rapidly decaying organic raw materials - straw, grass, foliage. Lightly tamp and water. In the future, this layer helps to quickly mix the compost or take out a certain amount.
• 3 layer. We supplement a pile of 30 cm with peelings of fruits and vegetables, ash, bird droppings or manure.
• 4 layer. We fall asleep 30-40 cm of loose earth.

We repeat the layer-by-layer laying order until the height of the pile reaches one and a half meters. It is not worth making it higher: it will rot for a long time.

With time compost heap will settle, and it can be supplemented with the following layers of waste and soil. When the container is twice filled with waste, the next time we form a new pile.

Having learned how to make garden compost, what are its benefits and applications, a year later we get a brown product that smells like freshly dug earth.

Application of garden compost

Having received a brown crumbly substrate, we use it for the following purposes:

• We fertilize the soil. During the digging of the beds or after plowing the land for the purpose of fertilizer, we introduce compost at the rate of 2-4 kg per square meter depending on the condition of the site.
• We moisten the earth. If the site has sandy soil, it quickly becomes depleted and loses moisture. To retain water and nutrients, we flavor the soil with compost.
• Lightening the ground. In areas with clay soil any cultures do not grow well, as it is too heavy and dense. After adding humus, it passes air and moisture better, and plants easily take root in it.
• Normalize the pH level of the earth. Ready-made compost has a neutral pH, and when added to acidic or other soils, it helps maintain a normal pH.
• Getting rid of pests. After adding humus, the soil becomes healthier, plants get sick less often and are damaged by harmful insects and fungi.

Having learned what garden compost is, how to make it, what its benefits and uses are, we note that in addition to the above properties, this substrate reduces the concentration of heavy metal salts. With the ability to neutralize toxins, it contributes to a crop that is safe for health.

Is it possible to grow plants without fertilizers? Probably, this is possible, but it is not difficult to predict what the result of such agrotechnical actions will be. In other words, far from perfect. Therefore, we will not "reinvent the wheel", but we will teach you how to prepare compost or humus.

Most summer residents are used to preparing compost on their own. This makes it possible to save money and time, and also frees you from a lot of unnecessary worries.

Why you need compost

Humus is one of the best fertilizers, when introduced into the soil, it is possible to fill it large quantity trace elements. Although its price is low, thanks to the practicality of the material, it is possible to achieve the correct structuring of the soil. For example, moisture conservation increases and creates needed by plants loosening.

Tip: If you spread the humus across the surface of the soil, you will create the best organic mulch that conserves moisture and inhibits the growth of most types of weeds on the site.

Apart from beneficial process associated with composting, you are also making a significant contribution to protecting the environment. Difficult to find mineral fertilizer, which can be compared with high-quality humus, moreover, a properly formed pit where organic components are processed becomes a real incubator for beneficial microorganisms and bacteria.

Tip: Settle in quickly suburban area ready-made country houses from block containers.

By making compost, you can reduce physical labor on the site. Now there is no need to take out the garbage from the territory, since almost all can be placed in a special pit.

Garden compost - what is it

This name was given to a product that is obtained from organic waste under the influence of the environment, as well as a large number variety of microorganisms and insects. It is used for structuring the soil, in the form of fertilizer and mulching.

Do not know what to do with fallen leaves in the country, branches and bark of trees, as well as their plant stems?

Then, to get high-quality and environmentally friendly compost without toxic compounds, do the following:

• put them in a specially prepared pit in a certain order or just in a pile;
• provide appropriate conditions for decay and processing.

Of course, there is a certain drawback in the method - the decomposition time of organic residues is quite long, sometimes several years. However, as a result, you will have a really high-quality product, and not bought in a store, made on the basis of incomprehensible components.

compost pit

Before moving on to the main phase, let's make a compost bin or pit. In the first case, you will have to make a box according to certain sizes and requirements.

The following guide will help you with this:

1. Prepare wood planks or boards that have not previously been in contact with toxic materials and not rotten. Otherwise, you can poison the product, irreversibly damaging its quality, or your design will simply collapse at some point.

Tip: take unedged pine boards for the box, then such a container will last a very long time, and its cost will be minimal.

1. It's time to choose a place for compost to start building. It can be a hill or a flat area, there is not much difference if ground water not close to the surface and the terrain is not rainy.

Tip: try to place the compost container just above ground level so that it does not wash away.

1. Make a do-it-yourself box that resembles a standard vegetable box, only much larger. At the same time, one should not forget to observe the gaps between the planks to ensure the ventilation of the compost so that the internal biological processes take place correctly.

1. Install supports at the construction site, to which attach 3 finished walls of the structure. The last side should be removable, so it will be more convenient to get humus for work.

1. Put in the bottom of a box or old linoleum or something similar.

Tip: if you have difficulties with, renting a diesel generator to give will help you.

Compost making methods

Experts use a fast and a slow method. They also received another name - hot and cold.