One of the most common and available fertilizers for the garden and vegetable garden 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 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 V the most useful feeding 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 decompose into bacterial protoplasm and nitrogen, and humic substances pass 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:

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

Cow manure – second layer (10 cm);

Ground limestone (or dolomite flour) – 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, superphosphate, 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 the proportion (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 potatoes with it and mulch trunk circles raspberries

Peat

Weeds without seeds – 100 kg;

Dried peat – 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 this " layer cake» organic matter is prepared in the following way: a thin layer is laid on a flat surface garden soil, on which 40 cm of peat is poured. A layer of finely chopped branches (no longer than 5-7 cm), grass and tops is placed 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.

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);

Mullein – 50 kg;

Plaster – 5 kg;

Chalk – 3 kg.

Liquid bird droppings – 100 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 composting may require varying amounts of 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 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 pour ¾ of a bucket of nettles. 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

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 entire local organic processing stations that 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 with your own hands. 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 top 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, you can be sure that in this way you can prepare excellent garden compost.

10 rules for compost

Compost shouldn't smell bad. If a stench appears, then the decomposition processes are not going well, the entire 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 of organic origin is suitable for the production of 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 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, 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.”

Do you want to receive " 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 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 value. 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. Enough to cover the bed 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 application to soil fresh compost. 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

How to quickly make compost

Compost is a fertilizer obtained from organic components as a result of their decomposition by microorganisms under aerobic conditions, that is, with access to air. Compost can be prepared from any organic matter, including feces, household and industrial waste. After decomposition of the components, the waste is converted into a substance containing macro- and microelements in a form accessible to plants: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium, boron and others.

Properly made compost has pleasant organoleptic characteristics. It is loose, homogeneous, does not stick to your hands, and does not release moisture when compressed. Compost looks like a dark, crumbly mass. It smells like fresh earth.

For composting you need:

• positive temperature;
• oxygen access;
• optimal degree of moisture.

There are many compost recipes in which superphosphate, gypsum, lime and other, sometimes unexpected, substances are added to organic matter. But ordinary compost is made from only organic matter. This mass is a universal fertilizer on which any cultivated plant will grow by leaps and bounds.

Usually compost is prepared at the dacha or personal plot, on sites under open air. Organic waste is placed in a heap, pile or container from which it will be convenient to remove it. The last condition is mandatory, since the compost has to be mixed several times a season so that in the center of the heap there are no compacted places that do not receive oxygen. Mixing compost accelerates ripening, that is, the decomposition of organic matter and the transformation of stems, leaves, branches and peelings into a homogeneous loose mass that does not resemble the original raw material in smell and color.

When does it make sense to make home compost? This may be useful for amateurs indoor flowers who want to feed plants with natural substances. Or for avid summer residents who can prepare several bags of fertilizer over a long winter, saving on the purchase of humus or manure.

How to make compost correctly

Peat manure compost made from peat and manure, taken equally. You can take any manure: horse, sheep, cattle, chicken and rabbit manure. In addition to pigs, due to their feeding habits, their manure contains an prohibitive amount of nitrogen - this will ruin any soil.

Sawdust and slurry compost– instant fertilizer. It can be used to feed plants a month and a half after laying the compost heap. For composting, slurry is poured between peat or sawdust sides. 100 liters of slurry require 100 kilograms of bulk materials. After the peat or sawdust has absorbed the slurry, a pile is formed from the mass, in which composting processes will immediately begin. It is useful to add phosphorus to the mixture at the rate of 2 kg of superphosphate per hundredweight of organic matter.

Peat-fecal compost done like the previous one, but instead of slurry, the contents are used country toilets. It will not be possible to replace peat with sawdust, since sawdust does not absorb odors so well. This compost is not used on vegetables, but for gardens and perennial plants, including ornamental crops, it will do.

There is no need to worry about helminthiasis. In the compost heap the mixture is heated to 80 degrees. At this temperature, human helminths die along with their eggs and larvae.

Garden multi-component compost- universal fertilizer for gardens and vegetable gardens. Garden waste is used for composting: weeds, cut shoots, fallen leaves, tops. The result is a black, odorless mixture with a fine-grained structure and oily feel. As some gardeners say, looking at such compost, “I could eat it myself.”

In order for the composting process to produce good compost, the pile must be shoveled at least twice a season and moved to another place. The fertilizer will be ready in at least a year.

Manure-earth compost- instead of peat, use ordinary soil. There should be 30 parts soil to 70 parts manure. The components are stacked in layers. The soil will absorb the solution released from the manure and will not allow the nitrogen to “escape” from the manure pile as a gas (ammonia).

Manure-earth compost contains 3 times more nitrogen than humus obtained by overheating manure in heaps. By laying a manure-earth pile in the spring, you can get high-quality, highly nutritious compost in the fall.

To prepare compost in your apartment, you do not have to use peat or soil. One of the advantages of the technology is that compost can be made from kitchen waste alone. The fertilizer prepares itself. To prepare it, you don’t need to buy anything special except a plastic bucket - that’s why it’s sometimes called “ plastic compost».

How to make compost yourself

Let's take a closer look at how to prepare compost in an apartment. The fertilizer matures in a suitable compost container under the influence of a starter culture made from special microorganisms. You need to put a grate on the bottom of the bucket. The top of the container should be tightly closed with a lid. Experts call the fertilizer obtained in this way “urgasa”.

Any food waste is suitable for making compost: vegetable peelings, dried bread, banana peel, eggshell, melon peels, etc. The more components there are in the compost mixture, the higher the nutritional value.

For the production of compost in plastic buckets Protein products and fats are unsuitable: meat, fish (including bones), seeds, seeds, kernels, dairy products.

Steps for making compost yourself:

1. Place the grate in a plastic bucket.
2. IN trash bag Make 5 holes with an awl - the liquid formed as a result of fermentation will drain through them.
3. Insert the bag into the bucket so that its bottom is on the grate.
4. Place food scraps in a bag, chopping them so that each piece is no more than 3 centimeters in size.
5. Place waste in layers, moisten each layer with a solution of EM preparation from a spray bottle.
6. Squeeze the air out of the bag and place a weight on top.
7. Fill the bag with waste as it accumulates in the kitchen.

EM liquid is a preparation containing strains of microorganisms that quickly decompose organic waste. Known EM liquids:

• Baikal,
• Urgas,
• Humisol,
• Tamir.

Having filled the bag to the top (this can be done gradually as kitchen waste accumulates), it is kept at room temperature for a week and then transferred to the balcony.

By this time, liquid will have accumulated at the bottom of the bucket - this is not a production waste, but a valuable substance, enriched with bacteria that can be of great benefit to household. After treating the toilet bowl with this liquid or cat litter, the unpleasant odor disappears. For the same purpose, liquid can be poured into sewer pipes. In addition, it is suitable for watering indoor plants.

Compost produced at home with the help of preparations is taken to the dacha in the spring. By this time, a dozen or two plastic bags with urgas have accumulated on the balconies. It is applied to the beds in the same quantities as regular compost.

How to make compost at home

Compost at the dacha can be prepared in a homemade composter, made in the form of a box, or in a converted old 200-liter metal barrel. Stores sell garden or landscape composters. They are neat containers with a lid that fit well into the surrounding landscape.

Composters can only be used in warm time year. When frost occurs, the container is emptied of its contents.

The thermocomposter is designed differently - in such a device you can process vegetation into fertilizer 365 days a year. Thermocomposters work even in cold weather. They are a large thermos in which the heat released during the decomposition of organic matter is accumulated.

A vermicomposter is another compost making device that is offered in stores. In it, not microorganisms, but soil worms will work to make compost, transforming vegetation and kitchen waste into humus. The vermicomposter can be installed at home, as it does not emit an unpleasant odor. Earthworms and Californian worms are used to decompose waste.

Composting in a heap or composter consists of several stages.

1. At the first stage - mesophilic- raw materials need to be moistened. Colonies of microorganisms can only develop in a humid environment. The more crushed the raw materials are, the more water will be required for moistening, but the compost will ripen several months faster. The fact that the mesophilic stage is completed will be indicated by the subsidence of the heap.
2. Second stage - thermophilic. The temperature in the pile rises. It can heat up to 75 degrees, while harmful bacteria and weed seeds die, and the heap decreases in size. The thermophilic phase lasts from 1 to 3 months. At the thermophilic stage compost heap You need to shake it at least once after the temperature drops. After moving the mass to a new location, the temperature will rise again, as the bacteria will receive oxygen and increase activity. This is a normal process.
3. Third stage - cooling, it lasts 5-6 months. During this time, the cooled raw materials overheat and turn into compost.

Conditions for compost maturation:

• The pile or composter is placed in the shade, since the sun will dry out the ingredients and will have to be watered frequently, doing extra work.
• There is no point in starting a small compost heap - if there is a lack of raw materials, bacteria will not be able to develop and the plants, instead of rotting and turning into fertilizer, will dry out.
• Optimal height heaps - one and a half meters, width - a meter. Larger sizes make it difficult for oxygen to enter the heap and instead of aerobic bacteria, putrefactive ones will multiply there. That is, instead of fragrant crumbly compost, you get foul-smelling mucus.
• Throughout the season, add any plant debris to your compost pile. If the plot is small and there are not enough weeds and tops for the volume of the pile, borrow from neighbors who did not think of starting a composter.

Is it possible to put weeds and cultivated plants with signs of disease, for example, tomato tops affected by late blight, into compost? After heating the compost heap, weed seeds and spores harmful microorganisms lose the ability to germinate, so plant residues can be used for composting. The exception is plants infected with viruses. They must be burned immediately after removal from the garden.

Sometimes it is advised to lay compost on a bed of clay, peat or sand. If the heap is laid without feces and slurry, then a cushion is not needed, since it will prevent earthworms from penetrating into the heap, and without them the maturation of the compost will be delayed.

Microbiological preparations or bird droppings will help speed up the maturation of compost. Plant material is either sprayed with liquid or transferred with moistened broiler manure. Such heaps will have to be watered more often.

How to use compost correctly

Compost at the dacha can be applied to all soils, for any crops, in the same dosage as humus. Mature compost is applied to the furrows when planting seedlings and sowing seeds. It can be used to form high beds.

The most common way to use compost is to mulch any cultural plantings: from trees to lawns. The compost will serve as both food and mulch.

Using a regular aquarium aerator, you can make compost tea from compost - a liquid saturated with beneficial microorganisms. Compost tea is used for foliar feeding. The liquid not only serves as a source of nutrients for plants, but also protects against fungal and bacterial diseases, since tea microorganisms are antagonists of pathological microbes.

Compost, obtained in bags in winter, is added to mixtures for growing seedlings. Seeds are not sown in clean compost, as it is a concentrate. But if you dilute it with peat or garden soil so that the compost in the mixture is 25-30%, you will get a mass that is optimal in terms of acidity, mechanical composition and nutrient content in which any seedlings will grow.

Growing plants directly in compost is possible. Summer residents traditionally sow melons or melons directly on the heap, but by this time the maturation of the compost should be completed.

A compost heap, in which thermophilic processes take place, can be used to obtain early harvests of cucumbers. To do this, deep (40 cm) holes are made in the heated mass, covered with fertile garden soil, into which cucumber seedlings are planted. This technique allows you to jump into growing vegetables for at least 1 month. If you place wire arcs on the compost heap and stretch a film over the plants, you can get a harvest 2 months earlier.

Compost is indispensable when growing carrots. Manure and humus cannot be added to the beds where carrots will be sown - because of them, the root crops are deformed, take on an ugly shape, and branch. Compost is another matter. It can be applied even in the spring before sowing seeds

Any plant develops and bears fruit better in fertilized soil. One of the most affordable and widespread fertilizers for gardening is compost. We will tell you in our article what ingredients compost can be made from, how to prepare compost at home or in the garden, what crops this fertilizer is used for, whether it is worth buying ready-made compost and which of the proposed compositions to prefer.

What is compost

Compost (lat. Compositus - composite) is a fertilizer that is formed during decomposition organic matter under the influence of microorganisms. Composting is a natural method of recycling and recycling organic waste, which improves soil structure and saturates poor or depleted soil with substances necessary for plants. But garden compost should not be confused with those soil mixtures, which are sold under this name in garden centers and pavilions. If you make your own compost, it's the best of all. organic fertilizers will cost you free. There are many recipes for making compost, and we will introduce you to some of them.

What can and cannot be put into compost?

Can:

• raw cereals, fruits, vegetables and their peelings and trimmings;
• sunflower stalks, corn cobs, garden and melon tops, dry leaves, mown hay;
• drunken tea and coffee grounds;
• leftover prepared food;
• thin branches and shoots, untreated and unpainted wood, including sawdust and chips;
• straw, seed husks, nut shells;
• bird droppings and fresh manure from herbivores;
• paper - napkins, packaging cardboard, photocopier paper and shredded newspapers;
• peat;
• crushed natural fabrics– flax, cotton, wool, silk, hemp and linen;
• down and feathers of birds, animal hair.

It is forbidden:

• large and hard meat bones;
• ash from the stove or fireplace;
• synthetic materials and fabrics;
• peel from citrus plants;
• perennial rhizomatous weeds, especially in in bloom or infested;
• plant residues affected by diseases or treated with herbicides;
• insect pests and their larvae.

There is still no consensus among experts on whether it is possible to add human and carnivore feces to compost, as well as on the question of whether it is possible to add remains of milk, fat, meat and fish to compost.

The process of converting grass, food and household waste into organic fertilizer is divided into three parts:

• decomposition: at this stage, the waste heats up inside the heap, changes its structure and is enriched with useful substances. As a result of transformation, beneficial microorganisms, fungi, and earthworms appear in the compost, which help speed up the processing of the mass into fertilizer.
• humus formation: at this stage it is important to ensure aeration of the pile, since without oxygen the microorganisms that organize and carry out the process of compost maturation can die. To ensure air access, mix the mass with a pitchfork or shovel;
• mineralization: at the mineralization stage, nitrogen compounds decompose, and humus turns into mineral forms. The process reaches its maximum after a year of compost aging.

What are the benefits of compost?

Firstly, this is one of the best mineral fertilizers, filling the soil with a huge amount of important microelements.

Secondly, this is the cheapest means for structuring the soil, which is carried out by increasing moisture conservation.

Thirdly, compost is convenient to use as mulch, which slows down the evaporation of moisture from the soil and suppresses the growth of weeds.

Fourthly, you no longer have to remove or burn organic waste from the site, since it can be placed in a compost pit and turned into excellent fertilizer.

How to make compost yourself

How to make compost at the dacha

There are two ways to prepare compost - fast and slow, otherwise called cold and hot. But first, let's decide on the compost container and the location of this container in the garden. It is best to build a box from wooden planks or any boards that have not been in contact with toxic materials - stain, varnish, paint and the like. If you want the box to serve you for many years, make it from pine boards- it won't cost you much. Build four walls, keeping gaps between the prefabricated planks - these gaps will serve to aerate the compost.

It is better to place the box (hill) on a hill so that it is not washed away by water, and away from the garden, otherwise the roots of all plants will change direction and stretch towards the pile with compost. Choose a place, level the surface, dig in four supports and nail three walls to them. It is better to make the fourth wall removable or opening, so that it is convenient for you to stir up the compost or take it out to mulch the beds. It is better to concrete the bottom of the box, or you can cover it with thick plastic film or old linoleum.

If you don’t want to bother with hammering together boards, you can buy a ready-made plastic or metal composter at the store - a compost container with a lid, the main purpose of which is to prevent the compost from crumbling. The advantage of such containers is that you can add protein waste - meat, fish, milk - to them, since they are tightly closed with a lid and rodents do not get into them. In addition, they retain heat well and can be moved. And the lack of composters industrial production is that air does not enter them. If you are not short on funds, buy a local organics processing station that independently maintains the process temperature and is equipped with a control system. In the end, you can make a cylinder of the required height and width from a chain-link mesh and put waste for composting in it, but it will be inconvenient to take compost out of such a container and dig the mass into it.

When can you compost? There is no strict framework on this issue: you can start laying layers in the spring, after pruning trees and shrubs, and replenish the layers as they become available. organic material. In the fall, you can add fallen leaves, tops of vegetables and melons to the compost heap. Achievements modern science They even allow you to compost in winter. But first things first.

How to make compost? Place wood chips or cuttings of branches at the bottom of the composter or pile, which will serve as drainage material, and then begin to fill the composter layer by layer, and with what more types organic matter you add to the compost, the higher its quality will be. Preparation of compost involves alternating dry waste with wet waste and green waste with brown waste (nitrogenous with carbonaceous). The so-called green layer contains waste that is a source of nitrogen - cuttings and peelings of vegetables, small twigs, green tops, and the brown layer contains carbon-containing torn newspapers and other paper, fallen leaves and dry twigs. You can enrich the compost composition with plants that promote the rapid formation of humus - yarrow, dandelion, chamomile, valerian. To speed up fermentation, water the compost heap with a solution of mullein or bird droppings. The consistency of the mass should resemble a damp sponge, but moderation should be observed in moistening the compost, since “flooded” microorganisms will not be able to produce heat, which promotes rotting.

To maintain the temperature and environment necessary for the process, a homemade composter must be covered with oilcloth, old carpet, linoleum or a lid made from tightly fitting boards. Once or twice a month, the layers of compost should be turned over with a pitchfork to loosen the mass, achieve uniform moisture and stimulate processes that are fading due to lack of ventilation. Compost for support in hot weather required humidity Water from time to time.

Well, you have put compost in the box, now you need to wait until it rots. The finished compost looks like a dark, damp, crumbly mass that smells like forest soil.

Compost production requires compliance with certain rules:

• Compost shouldn't smell bad. If the smell of ammonia appears, it means that the processes are not proceeding correctly, and the mass can turn into poison. In this case, add torn paper to the compost to level out the predominance of nitrogen components in it. To ensure that the ammonia formed during fermentation does not leave the pile in the form of a fetid gas, but is processed into nitrogen, the following procedure for filling the container should be followed: each layer of waste should be no more than 50 cm thick, and layers of organic matter should be interspersed with layers of soil or manure 5-10 cm thick;
• everything that you put in the compost heap should first be crushed, and the greens should be slightly dried so that they do not become sour in the compost, but turn rotten;
• before the onset of winter, you need to shovel the entire pile so that the bottom layer is at the top and the top is at the bottom;
• The height of the pile should not be more than 1.5 m, and the width should not be less than 1 m, otherwise it will be difficult for you to shovel the mass. The height of the pile is measured a couple of months after the compost is laid, since it will settle significantly during this time.

Quick compost

Many gardeners prefer to make quick compost: in an elevated area, they dig a shallow (no more than 40 cm) but wide hole, which is filled with broken branches and chopped wood, and covered with earth on top. In a year or two, you will have an excellent fertilizer for your garden and vegetable garden.

The fastest compost is made from leaves: in the fall, fallen leaves are placed in a shallow hole, layered with garden soil, watered with biostimulants (EM preparations - Baikal-M1, Gumisol, Tamir, Urgasa or the like) and covered with black film, and in mid-May this compost can already be partially used for its intended purpose. To speed up the process, you can put a “starter” from already rotted compost into young compost. You can speed up the compost preparation process by such means as a solution of sugar and yeast, which should be poured generously over the plant residues placed in the composter, or nettle infusion: ¾ of a bucket of nettle is filled with warm water, a packet of dry yeast is added and placed in a warm place for 5 days, after which The infusion is filtered and poured over the compost.

Compost at home

You can make compost at home in winter.

It is not difficult to make compost with your own hands at home. For this you will need:

• plastic bucket;
• trash bag;
• several plastic half-liter bottles;
• a bottle of EM liquid that speeds up the compost preparation process;
• spray;
• plastic bag of sugar;
• a package of garden soil or purchased soil.

Make out plastic bottles cylinders of equal height, cut off the bottom and neck, and place them on the bottom of the bucket. Place a garbage bag in a bucket with several small holes in the bottom to drain excess liquid and begin filling it with crushed plant debris, spraying each three-centimeter layer from a spray bottle with an accelerator solution prepared according to the instructions. After moistening the residue, squeeze the air out of the bag, tie it tightly and press down with a weight - for example, a five-liter plastic bottle with water. Approximately every three days, empty a bucket of water that has drained from the compost - this liquid can be poured down the drain overnight to unclog sewer pipes and sink drains. And if you dilute this liquid with water in a ratio of 1:10, you can pour it over indoor plants.

As you fill the bag with organic residues, spray each layer with a fermentation stimulator, release the air from the bag and apply pressure to it - do this until the bag fits in the bucket. Once the bucket is full, place it and the compost in a warm place to ferment for a week, then mix the compost with a small amount of garden or garden soil, put it in a sugar bag and take it out to the balcony or loggia, where it will now be stored.

Place a new garbage bag with drainage holes in the empty bin and begin the process of accumulating and turning waste into compost all over again. If you do everything right, unpleasant odor you won't hear. A sour smell may occur simultaneously with the appearance of white mold on the surface of the compost - this is a sign that the process is not proceeding correctly. To correct the situation, add finely chopped newspaper or other paper to the bucket. Place the second portion of mature compost in the bag in which the first batch of fertilizer is stored. Ready-made home compost can be poured into the pots of indoor plants, added to the substrate for seedlings, or taken to the country and used as fertilizer or mulch.

Compost in bags

Growing champignons is now very profitable business, and many adapt to growing these mushrooms in their basements - this method is called intensive in contrast to extensive, when mushrooms are cultivated in natural conditions. Champignons are grown in different ways, but the most effective method is to grow them in bags: it does not require high financial costs, and mushrooms that are sick in one bag do not infect champignons in neighboring bags. The only drawback of this method is that putting the substrate into bags requires significant physical effort. Compost in bags is placed on the floor in parallel or in a checkerboard pattern, and the checkerboard arrangement saves production space.

A high yield of mushrooms can only be obtained on a nutrient medium, and this requires a compost-based substrate. Compost for growing champignons, like garden fertilizer, you can cook it yourself. For 100 kg of wheat or rye straw you will need 100 kg of horse manure, 8 kg of gypsum, 5 kg of chalk, 2 kg of superphosphate and urea. The straw is cut 15-20 cm long, filled with water for 2-3 days so that it does not get wet, but is moistened, then three or four layers of straw are laid out in a pile or box in a row with layers of manure, adding compost fertilizer - all urea and part of superphosphate (500 g). Then the mass is thoroughly mixed, gypsum is added, then the rest of the superphosphate, then chalk, and after adding each ingredient, the compost is thoroughly mixed each time - a total of 4 times. The output is 300 kg of substrate - this amount should be enough to plant 3 m² of mycelium.

If you use bird droppings rather than horse droppings, then the proportions will be different: for 100 kg of droppings and 100 kg of straw you will need 300 liters of water, 8 kg of gypsum, and instead of superphosphate and chalk, use alabaster.

Compost for mushrooms must mature on outdoors in a place protected from the sun and rain for three weeks - during this time the components “burn out”, the ammonia completely evaporates, and the compost can be used: approximately 15 kg of compost mass is placed in special bags with perforations and mycelium is planted in it.

Compost in boxes

The box system for growing mushrooms was developed in the USA in 1934 and is still popular today mostly in the United States, Canada and Australia. Growing champignons in boxes, as well as in bags, allows you to localize the damage to mushrooms by diseases and pests and provides the opportunity to keep mushrooms at different phases of development in different rooms.

Boxes are made from spruce, birch or alder boards. The volume of boxes can be from 0.4 to 2 m², and optimal depth containers - 12-15 cm. Before use, they are disinfected with a four percent formalin solution or a two percent Lysol solution. As for the substrate, the method of preparing it is the same as when growing champignons in bags.

Ready-made compost – is it worth buying?

If you don’t have time to prepare compost or are afraid of not being able to cope with this task, you can, of course, purchase ready-made compost. The product of the Biud company has proven itself well - a universal concentrated and environmentally friendly biocompost that can be used for both ornamental crops and fruit and berry crops. To create this biofertilizer, both traditional composting techniques and the latest Finnish technologies. The basis for this brand of compost is high-moor and low-lying peat, cattle or horse manure, droppings of poultry and fur-bearing carnivorous animals. Chopped straw and sawdust are used as additives. hardwood, dolomite flour, vermiculite and other natural preparations. By the name of the compost you can determine what type of manure is used in it - “Cow”, “Horse”, “Chicken”. There is also biocompost in the series, created to fertilize the soil in the autumn, it is called “Autumn”.

The use of compost during planting has a beneficial effect on vegetable crops - the fertilizer is applied to the holes one tablespoon at a time. 2-3 cups of fertilizer are placed in the pits of berry bushes, and fruit trees- By liter jar compost.

Compost for champignons is also not in short supply - you can purchase it both in loose form and in briquettes. However, it’s still worth trying to make compost yourself, because it will require very little effort, and all the necessary ingredients are your waste. Start collecting and layering organic waste at home as described in our article, and your first bucket of homemade compost will inspire you to both build a large garden fertilizer bin and start a compost pile. As a result, you will always have high-quality and free organic fertilizer in your garden.

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Everyone knows the truth - plants develop best and bear fruit on fertile soil. But where can you get it if plants are planted on the site from year to year that absorb useful substances from the ground. To nourish the soil, many chemicals. But don’t forget that this is chemistry, and everything you put into the soil will end up in the crop. But there is an alternative - make your own compost.

What is compost and how to make it yourself

“What is compost and how to make it?” - this is a question that novice summer residents often ask. Compost is an organic fertilizer obtained by decomposing various raw materials of plant or animal origin.

You can make your own compost at summer cottage.There are two options for making natural fertilizers for the garden.

• Compost heap. This is the most common option for producing compost; it is also cheap and simple. You will need to make the frame in such a way that air and moisture can get inside. The best material wire mesh will be used for manufacturing. Preparation of compost from the beginning of laying to full maturation takes from six months to 9 months.

Compost pile at home

• In a special box for receiving organic fertilizers. You can buy it in the Sad-Ogorod store departments. This device is protected from insects getting inside. Inside the box there is a drum that turns the substance. In addition, in the middle of the container there is a hose for moistening the waste.

Methods for making compost?

Experienced gardeners recommend preparing organic matter with your own hands. The options that provide the most effective results are a compost heap or compost bin. In these cases, waste decomposition and rotting occur best, because inside the layers the temperature and humidity are practically unchanged. The ripening time of organic matter directly depends on the volume of filling: the most filled pits and the largest ones become ready for use more quickly.

The most acceptable are compost heaps with the following parameters:

• width – 1.5 m;
• length – 2 m;
• depth - about a meter.

You can double the size and make two compartments: one for storing finished compost, the second for laying new one.

It is also possible to place a compost heap directly on the ground. It will also be well ventilated in natural conditions. Excessive moisture must be avoided. When putting waste in a pile, don’t get carried away, optimal sizes for her:

• base perimeter – 1x1 m;
• in height – 1 m 20 cm.

Compost bin

Necessary components for a normal composting process:

• oxygen;
• water;
• nitrogen.

In the presence of these factors, they begin to act beneficial bacteria, which participate in the decomposition process, and thus the preparation of compost occurs.

How to start preparing compost?

Before you start composting, you need to prepare a shallow hole (the depth is approximately equal to the bayonet of a shovel). The lowest layer in the pit should be small twigs, cut from fruit bushes or trees. This layer acts as drainage, allowing excess liquid to flow down.

If you already have ready-made compost, then a small part of it should be placed on the branches. This will speed up the decomposition process; beneficial bacteria from the finished humus will enter new layers. For all subsequent layers, food plant waste or grass, leaves from the site are used. They are evenly distributed on the surface, trying to compact them, and watered with water. Sprinkle earth on top.

To prevent the pile from falling apart and being blown away by the wind, it is worth surrounding it with a fence made of boards or wire mesh with large cells. The top is covered with a special covering material (spunbond); in extreme cases, straw is used. So you have a finished composter with your own hands.

Making compost for the garden

What components does compost consist of?

Compost is natural nutrient, which helps restore the structure of the soil and increase its fertility. But first you need to know how to properly prepare compost. T It is necessary to create certain conditions for composting to proceed normally:

• Creating an optimal moist environment inside the compost heap. It should approach readings from 45 to 70%. But if it is not possible to measure humidity readings, then this is done “by eye” - the normal moisture of a substance resembles a wrung out sponge. The temperature indicator is also important - within 28–35 degrees. Waste that is overdried will not decompose, and waste that is too wet will begin to rot. In hot and dry weather conditions, compost needs watering. If it rains constantly, then you should definitely turn over the contents of the pit. Overheating of the substrate more than 60 degrees is unacceptable, because with this temperature conditions All beneficial bacteria die.
• A prerequisite is oxygen access to all layers of the compost heap. To do this, it needs to be shoveled constantly (about 2 times a month), with the lower layers lifted up, and the side layers moved to the center.
• Availability in compost pit bacteria, earthworms will have a positive effect on the process of composting biomaterials. They participate in the decomposition of waste.

Observing all the conditions, you can prepare compost at your dacha with your own hands quickly and easily.

What ingredients can you use to make compost?

We have learned how to make compost, now we need to figure out what ingredients are suitable for this. Symbolically, all components can be classified into two varieties:

Components with a high level of nitrogen are otherwise called green mass. These include:

• cultivated herbs;
• massive parts of vegetable and fruit plants;

Making compost from greens

• food waste of plant origin;
• bird droppings, domestic animal manure.

This content stabilizes the carbon and nitrogen balance of humus:

Components containing carbon or brown mass. This includes sawdust from trees, straw, fallen leaves, trimmed branches, crushed and soaked cardboard and paper waste. They contain a large amount of fiber, which provides food for beneficial bacteria. These components are also involved in loosening the biomaterial and saturating it with useful substances.

Before adding all the components to the compost heap, they need to be crushed. Then the processing time will be reduced. It is also important to make the correct laying, alternating a layer of green mass with a layer of brown mass. This layered arrangement will saturate the compost with oxygen and speed up its maturation.

What is better not to add

To understand how to make compost good quality, you need to remember the main rule - do not put unacceptable components into it:

• Under no circumstances should you add plant matter from diseased plants; infections are not killed by composting.
• Do not use large branches and other bulky pieces of trees for laying; they take a long time to decompose and slow down the maturation of humus.
• Weeds with seeds, even if the seeds are not yet ripe.
• You cannot use synthetics, plastic, glass, or glossy paper for pits.

Do not throw bottles into the compost pit

• Organic, difficult to decompose waste - bones, fat, lard.
• The use of citrus waste is unacceptable - it kills beneficial bacteria and insects.
• You cannot use potato and tomato tops, lily of the valley, castor beans - they contain toxic components that destroy some valuable microorganisms and slow down decomposition.

How to tell when compost is ready

Ripe compost has several characteristics:

• the substance inside the compost heap looks solid, there are no single components in it (leaves, stems, peelings, etc.), only thin branches can be seen;
• organic matter acquires a dark brown color, sometimes black;
• humus smells like forest soil after rain;
• In terms of thickness, the mass becomes loose and flows well.

In general, mature compost resembles black soil, sometimes it contains particles that are not completely decomposed, and it is because of them that the porosity and friability of the organic mass is obtained.

How to cause rapid ripening of humus?

Typically, as already noted, compost becomes ready in 6–9 months. But if you urgently need to speed up the process, there are some tricks:

• Herbal infusion. Take 5 shares of finely chopped herbs, combine with two shares of chicken manure and add 20 shares of water. Stir and incubate for several days.

Herbal infusion for compost

• Regular baking yeast will also speed up the preparation of humus. A tablespoon of dry yeast should be dissolved in a liter warm water, add 200 g granulated sugar. The liquid is ready. It moisturizes the contents of the compost heap.
• The use of special drugs (biodestructors) helps. They consist of organic matter and include many bacteria, which is why the composting process is accelerated. In store departments you can find “Baikal-Em”, “Shine” and other similar products.

Unforeseen situations during the maturation of organic matter

Sometimes when preparing humus with your own hands, small problems arise. What to do in such cases? Here are some examples:

• If there are ants in the heap, it means that it is very dry inside and decomposition has slowed down. You need to loosen the contents and water generously.
• If you notice fungus gnats above the compost, take a closer look at their numbers. If their number is small, there is no need to worry; these midges are always present in such places. But if there are quite a lot of them, then this is a sign of waterlogging in the heap. Wait until it's a hot, dry day and aerate the compost by removing the lid for a couple of days. You can also add fine clean sand from the river (dry) or sawdust.
• If the pit smells unpleasant, and the substance itself feels slimy to the touch, then this indicates the presence of a large number of components of plant origin. It is necessary to equalize the balance by adding solid components - shredded cardboard or paper, leaves, small branches, straw.
• If there is no change in the compost heap, then it has probably dried out. In this case, adding fresh grass or potato peelings will help solve the problem, and you need to moisten the entire contents.

How to use compost?

Ready compost is used for all plants twice a year - in spring and autumn. It is added when digging up an area, when transplanting trees and shrubs it is placed in holes, and when planting seedlings it is added to the beds. It is also used as a mulching material.

The amount of compost is the same as the amount of manure, that is, 15–20 kg of organic matter per square meter.

Summer use of matured compost is also possible. It is suitable as mulch and as an infusion for feeding vegetation.

There is a place for using unripe biomaterial. In the first autumn days, liquid fertilizer is prepared from 3-month-old humus. To do this, add 1/3 of water to 2/3 parts of the unripe substance and leave in a warm place for 72 hours. It is most well received by tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, and beans. Apply with daily watering.

On heavy soils with a high clay content, autumn application of immature humus directly into the upper layers of the soil will help. During the cold period, the mass will rot, and in the spring earthworms will appear in it and act as soil looseners.

That's all the wisdom of how to make compost in a summer cottage. Take advantage and grow big harvests!

The people who work most successfully in vegetable growing are those who love nature, have a special vision for the most insignificant changes in the life of plants, know how to evenly distribute physical activity, and patiently do their work.

Oleg Ivanovich Pomidorkin possesses all these qualities - an active person, a certified specialist, a true expert in his field. But the work of a vegetable grower, like any other work in agriculture, requires, in addition to knowledge of the specifics of growing and caring for plants, physical effort.

You must be able to loosen the soil, weed the plantings, add soil, work with fertilizers, prepare seeds vegetable crops to sowing. Then sow them with vegetable seeders or by hand and lime the soil.

Currently, Oleg Ivanovich applies the knowledge accumulated over 43 years of practical activity on his site, which he has been successfully engaged in for more than 10 years.

In developed countries, composting household waste in a city apartment is common practice. Compost for fertilizing your dacha can be prepared at home. Cooking helps to benefit from food waste that is usually thrown away.

Thrifty owners, instead of throwing peelings and cores into the trash, put them in a special container and fill them with liquid for composting. The output is a high-quality organic product, which can be used to grow indoor plants or use it as fertilizer in the countryside.

What is compost

Compost is a fertilizer obtained from organic components as a result of their decomposition by microorganisms under aerobic conditions, that is, with access to air. The mass can be prepared from any organic matter, including feces, household and industrial waste. After decomposition of the components, the waste is converted into a substance containing macro- and microelements in a form accessible to plants: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium and boron.

Proper compost has pleasant organoleptic characteristics. It is loose, homogeneous, does not stick to your hands, and does not release moisture when compressed. It looks like a dark crumbly mass and smells like fresh earth.

For composting you need:

• positive temperature;
• oxygen access;
• optimal degree of moisture.

There are many recipes in which superphosphate, gypsum, lime and other substances are added to organic matter. But ordinary compost is prepared only from organic matter. The mass is a universal fertilizer on which any cultivated plant will grow by leaps and bounds.

Fertilizer is prepared at the dacha or personal plot, in open-air areas. Organic waste is placed in a heap, pile or fertilizer box from which it will be convenient to remove it. The last condition is mandatory, since the mass has to be stirred several times a season so that in the center of the heap there are no compacted places where oxygen does not flow. Stirring accelerates ripening, that is, the decomposition of organic matter and the transformation of stems, leaves, branches and peelings into a homogeneous loose mass that does not resemble the original raw material in smell and color.

This may be useful for indoor plant lovers who want to feed their plants with a natural substance. Or for avid summer residents who can prepare several bags of fertilizer over the winter, saving on the purchase of humus or manure.

Types of compost

Peat manure compost made from peat and manure, taken equally. You can take any manure: horse, sheep, cattle, chicken and rabbit manure. In addition to pigs, due to their feeding habits, their manure contains an prohibitive amount of nitrogen - this will ruin any soil.

Sawdust and slurry compost– instant fertilizer. It can be used to feed plants a month and a half after laying the heap. Slurry is poured between peat or sawdust sides. 100 liters of slurry require 100 kilograms of bulk materials. When peat or sawdust absorbs the slurry, a pile is formed from the mass, where composting processes will immediately begin. It is useful to add phosphorus to the mixture at the rate of 2 kg of superphosphate per hundredweight of organic matter.

Peat-fecal compost It is done like the previous one, but instead of slurry, the contents of country toilets are used. It will not be possible to replace peat with sawdust, since sawdust does not absorb odors so well. It is not used on vegetables, but it is suitable for gardens and perennial plantings, including ornamental crops.

There is no need to worry about helminthiasis. In the heap, the mixture heats up to 80 degrees. At this temperature, human helminths die along with their eggs and larvae.

Garden multi-component compost - universal fertilizer for gardens and vegetable gardens. Garden waste is laid: weeds, cut shoots, fallen leaves and tops. The result is a black, odorless mixture with a fine-grained structure and oily feel. As some gardeners say, looking at such a mass, “I could eat it myself.”

To make good compost, the pile needs to be shoveled at least 2 times a season and moved to another place. The fertilizer will be ready in a year.

Manure-earth compost- instead of peat, use ordinary soil. There should be 30 parts soil to 70 parts manure. The components are stacked in layers. The soil will absorb the solution released from the manure and will not allow nitrogen to “escape” from the manure pile in the form of ammonia gas.

Manure-earth compost contains 3 times more nitrogen than humus obtained by overheating manure in heaps. By laying a pile of manure and earth in the spring, you can get a high-quality and highly nutritious product in the fall.

To prepare compost in your apartment, you do not have to use peat or soil. One of the advantages of the technology is that the mass can be prepared from kitchen waste. The fertilizer prepares itself. For cooking you don't need to buy anything other than a plastic bucket, which is why it is sometimes called " plastic compost».

DIY compost

Let's take a closer look at how to prepare compost in an apartment. The fertilizer matures in a suitable container under the influence of a starter culture made from special microorganisms. You need to put a grate on the bottom of the bucket. The top of the container should be tightly closed with a lid. Experts call the fertilizer obtained in this way “urgasa”.

Any food waste is suitable for cooking: vegetable peelings, dried bread, banana peels, eggshells and melon peels. The more components in the mixture, the higher the nutritional value.

Protein products and fats are not suitable for production in plastic buckets: meat, fish, including bones, seeds, seeds, nut kernels and dairy products.

Preparation:

1. Place the grate in a plastic bucket.
2. Use an awl to make 5 holes in the garbage bag - the liquid formed as a result of fermentation will drain through them.
3. Insert the bag into the bucket so that its bottom is on the grate.
4. Place food scraps in a bag, chopping them so that each piece is no more than 3 centimeters in size.
5. Place waste in layers, moisten each layer with a solution of EM preparation from a spray bottle.
6. Squeeze the air out of the bag and place a weight on top.
7. Fill the bag with waste as it accumulates in the kitchen.

EM liquid is a preparation containing strains of microorganisms that quickly decompose organic waste. Known EM liquids:

• Baikal,
• Urgas,
• Humisol,
• Tamir.

After filling the bag to the top - this can be done gradually, as kitchen waste accumulates, keep it for a week at room temperature, and then transfer it to the balcony.

By this time, liquid will have accumulated at the bottom of the bucket - this is not a waste product, but a substance enriched with bacteria that can be beneficial in the household. After treating the toilet bowl or cat litter with liquid, the unpleasant odor disappears. For the same purpose, liquid can be poured into sewer pipes. In addition, it is suitable for watering indoor plants.

Compost produced at home with the help of preparations is taken to the dacha in the spring. By this time, many plastic bags with urgas accumulate on the balconies. It is applied to the beds in the same quantities as regular compost.

Cooking features

Fertilizer at the dacha can be prepared in a homemade composter, made in the form of a box, or in a converted old 200-liter metal barrel. Stores sell garden or landscape composters. These are neat containers with a lid that fit into the surrounding landscape.

Composters can only be used in the warm season. When frost occurs, the container is emptied of its contents.

The thermocomposter is designed differently - it can process vegetation into fertilizer 365 days a year. Thermocomposters work even in cold weather. They are a large thermos in which the heat released during the decomposition of organic matter is accumulated.

A vermicomposter is another device for making fertilizer that is offered in stores. In it, not microorganisms, but soil worms will work on production, transforming vegetation and kitchen waste into humus. The vermicomposter can be installed at home, as it does not emit an unpleasant odor. Earthworms and Californian worms are used to decompose waste.

Composting consists of several stages.

1. At the first stage - mesophilic- raw materials need to be moistened. Colonies of microorganisms can only develop in a humid environment. The more crushed the raw materials are, the more water will be required for moistening, but the compost will ripen several months faster. The fact that the mesophilic stage is completed will be indicated by the subsidence of the heap.
2. Second stage - thermophilic. The temperature in the pile rises. It can heat up to 75 degrees, while harmful bacteria and weed seeds die, and the heap decreases in size. The thermophilic phase lasts 1-3 months. At the thermophilic stage, the pile needs to be shaken at least once after the temperature drops. After moving the mass to a new location, the temperature will rise again, as the bacteria will receive oxygen and increase activity. This is a normal process.
3. Third stage - cooling, lasts 5-6 months. The cooled raw materials are heated and turned into fertilizer.