Compost heap - budget savings and a means of improving soil fertility

Why do I need a compost heap in the country? The answer lies on the surface. The resulting compost, firstly, can serve as an excellent fertilizer for the soil and improve its structure. Secondly, it will save money intended for the purchase of fertilizers and soil. Thirdly, to carry out the "circulation" of plants. It is no secret that a lot of greenery is formed from weeding and mowing the grass, which I don’t know what to do with because of the limited area of ​​\u200b\u200b6 acres. If there is a compost heap, it is possible "wasteless" production.

What is compost

This is natural organic fertilizer. It is formed during the fermentation process under the influence of worms and bacteria. To get it, it is worth laying a compost heap. It is sometimes called a compost pit because it is dug into the ground.

We will talk about a compost bin, that is, a specially equipped place made by oneself. Many are mistaken, believing that to get compost, it is enough to make a pile with various waste: over time, they will rot, and you will have fertilizer. It's not like that at all. Making a compost heap with your own hands, on the one hand, is quite simple, and, on the other hand, its creation requires certain knowledge.

How to create a compost heap

The composition of the compost

• unaffected by diseases, cut greenery of plants;
• weeds;
• cut grass;
• straw;
• food waste of vegetable origin;
• eggshell;
• charcoal;
• ash;
• sawdust;
• branches of shrubs and trees;
• bird droppings and manure.

1. If you have a lot of softwood sawdust, and you decide to put them in, be aware that they reduce the content of potassium. Do not forget to enrich the already prepared compost with potassium and phosphorus.

2. Please note that manure is a highly concentrated fertilizer. When preparing compost, lay it no more than 10%.

What components can not be put

We could limit ourselves to listing what can and should be added to the compost bin. It will not be superfluous to recall what cannot be put and why.

• Roots of creeping plants; weeds that have seeds with a long germination period. They can germinate.
• Chemicals.
• The bones of birds and animals, because they will not decompose.
• Food residues of animal origin: can start the process of decay. There will be a lingering odor.
• Rags, rubber, coated magazines.
• Human faeces, domestic animals (due to eggs of worms).
• Diseased plants affected by fungus or pests. They must be burned.

Composter parameters

Compliance with the dimensions of the compost bin contributes to the creation of a comfortable temperature and humidity regime for the compost. Too large sizes lead to overheating and death of microorganisms, which process the organic mass.

Adhere to the following optimal parameters if you make a compost bin yourself: in width from 1.2 to 1.5 m, in length - 1.5 m.

What will happen to the compost heap at smaller sizes? It will lose moisture very quickly and will not be able to warm up well. The composting period will be extended.

Pit device

1. First you need choose a site somewhere in the backyard. Better in the shade, out of direct sunlight. Before starting the arrangement, level the ground well.
2. The next step is on the spade bayonet dig a small hole (10 cm) and cover the bottom with drainage, such as gravel and sand or crushed bricks. What is it for? So that water does not stagnate in the compost bin.
3. Playground fence with improvised means: boards or slate. You can use a wooden box with slots to ensure good air exchange. Sometimes a garden net is fixed on metal supports. I have a compost heap on both sides - fence nets of neighbors. This is the place where no one but me ever goes.
4. Usually, two so-called containers are made. They are separated by a partition. Why such a division? You will fill one part in the current year, and the other in the future.
5. Over the drain put a small layer of last year's compost. This creates a base with microorganisms that will begin to supply the contents of the compost heap. Let's call this layer - a layer with assistants for fermenting the compost.

My compost heap doesn't look very pretty, to be honest. But she's nowhere to be seen, so I didn't particularly bother with her appearance. "Designed" from what was at hand. Who has golden hands - he can make his signature and neat.

Next year I'm going to try to grow cucumbers in barrels (without a bottom). Therefore, I also stuffed them with grass and flowers cut in autumn in the hope of fresh compost.

To make the compost pile look more aesthetically pleasing, if such a word fits it at all, some summer residents make a closed compost bin with a lid and walls with ventilation slots in their garden. By the way, ready-made composters are sold, but they are not cheap, and we only consider a budget option.

A compost pit is a kind of "melting pot" where biochemical processes take place with a certain temperature and humidity regime. To neutralize the external factors of the environment, it must be covered.

Tip: do not cover with polyethylene, otherwise the overheating will be carried out without air, a putrid smell will appear.

Conditions for the rapid maturation of compost

The maturation time of the compost heap depends on the available fractions and the fermentation mode. The shortest is a few months, and the longest is 2-3 years.

Note: the smaller the size of the ingredients of the compost bin, the faster its maturation. You can break the branches of shrubs or trees, and chop the plants for the compost heap with a shovel. It won't take your time.

The correct mode of fermentation is considered to be the mode when inside the heap is provided good air and moisture exchange. The temperature inside about 60 degrees contributes to the acceleration of the decomposition process. In addition, it is at this temperature that harmful insects die and the germination of weed seeds stops.

What to do to speed up composting

• Watering in dry weather so that water penetrates into all layers of the compost heap. It is optimal to do this in the morning, so that during the day the wet components warm up well and the decomposition process starts. They say that the water should be warm, sometimes you need to add a special compost stimulant, shovel several times during the season. Due to lack of time, I don't do it. Let the composter ripen not for a year, but for 2 or 3 years.
• Warming up with the onset of cold weather to prolong active decomposition using peat, straw or tops from a vegetable crop.
• For fast heap maturation add legumes, straw and leguminous plants, because they contain a lot of nitrogen.
• Valerian officinalis, dandelion, yarrow and pharmacy chamomile will speed up composting.

Tip: For moderate ventilation of the compost bin, I sometimes stick a few strong branches horizontally to occasionally lift the contents and allow air to enter.

Why is fallen leaf compost so valuable?

The answer is simple: because significantly improves the quality of the soil. Fallen leaves no longer contain minerals, but retain such valuable humus ingredients as tannin, lignin and hemicellulose. Don't be afraid of these names. Just trust that they are very valuable. In addition, microfungi live here, which are very useful for some plants.

The only downside is that overheating is slow, so such a compost bin will ripen only after 2 years.
Compost readiness can be identified by the loose structure, dark brown color, the smell of forest land.

This year, at the dacha, I laid out all my compost in the flower beds, which I had been making for 3 years. I really hope that my flowers will appreciate it. Minimum physical effort and no material costs. Plants are a great fertilizer.

Make such compost bins in your backyard for free, useful and safe.