compost pit - This is a place for recycling organic waste. As a result of the activity of microorganisms, garden waste decomposes in it, which becomes the basis for highly effective organic fertilizer. In this article we will look at options for making a compost pit with your own hands.

In one form or another, compost pits, in the form of simple heaps of garbage, are present on every personal plot. But correct designs in the form of modern composters or specially equipped boxes can increase the amount of valuable fertilizer and the speed of its creation.

The simplest compost pit can be made with your own hands from household scraps. building materials available at the dacha.

Principles of constructing a compost pit

The main function of a compost pit is to create the most comfortable environment for the life of bacteria, microorganisms, and earthworms, the quantity of which determines the speed of the process and the quality of the resulting compost. To do this, the inside of the compost heap must be maintained fairly high temperature and humidity with a regular supply of oxygen.

To do this, the compost container must have the following design features:

Compost bins are made from any available materials. These can be boards, slate scraps, corrugated sheets, metal construction mesh and even car tires. More permanent structures are built from brick or concrete. There are also lightweight, portable waste disposal units in metal or plastic barrels.

The main sanitary requirement when constructing a compost pit is its distance of 20 meters from reservoirs and sources drinking water. Rain streams should not flow from the compost heap in the direction of wells, boreholes, and swimming pools.

Choosing a site for a compost pit

The location of the composter on the site should not become a source of infection groundwater, a threat to human and animal health. Do not place the compost bin in wetlands or areas with standing water.

The external design of the compost pit can be absolutely anything. It can be decorated with beautifully painted boards, fenced with plantings of loach and perennial, ornamental plants.

Making a compost pit with your own hands

In a garden or personal plot, you can use the most simple tools manufacture high-quality construction and turn piles of garden waste and compostable household waste into valuable fertilizer. There are the most various types compost heaps, from earthen ditches to real concrete structures.

Compost pit in the ground

To create a compost bin:

1. A site is selected in the ground away from residential buildings.
2. On an area 1.5 m wide and of arbitrary length, remove top layer turf and soil.
3. The bottom of the pit should be located at a depth of no more than 0.5 meters.
4. The bottom is covered with a sand cushion to drain excess water.

The first layer serves as drainage and promotes aeration of the pile and consists of trimmed branches.

The following are laid on them in layers:

• cut grass;
• dry leaves;
• sawdust;
• household food waste;
• manure;
• weeds.

The layers are sprinkled with peat or garden soil and spilled with water. To speed up the decomposition process, it is advisable to chop all the ingredients before adding them, simply chopping them with a shovel.

The total height of the pile should not exceed 1.5 meters. This means that it will rise 1 meter above the ground. The structure is protected from above with covering material or a slate shield. IN hot weather The pile is watered with plain water.

Under natural conditions, microorganisms will be able to process such a waste dump in two summer seasons. This is the simplest and most economical way to produce compost.

Use EM drugs. A temperature of +4°C inside the compost heap is sufficient for microorganisms to successfully process waste.

Making a compost pit from boards

For ease of use and speeding up the recycling process, the compost container is made of boards. Optimal size compost bin 1x1.5 meters.

Instructions for making a pit from boards:

Place garbage in such a container through the top general principle, starting from the branches. And you can rake out the finished compost from below.

Photo: drawing of a compost box, composter diagram

Options for compost pits made from boards

Slate is durable and perfect for the walls of a compost bin. You can use both wave and flat sheet slate.

Options for making a slate composter:

1. Markings are made at the location of the compost heap and deepen the sheets cut to size. They can be secured with external, wooden or iron sheathing.
2. In another version metal pipes buried in the ground. A frame of bars is attached to them. The outside is sheathed with slate. The second design is more durable.

All wooden elements should be treated with an antiseptic to avoid rotting. A cover for the pit is made from plywood or boards. The front wall of the pit is made lower, at a level of 40-50 cm above ground level. Rigid walls allow you to cover the pit with film or garden covering material.

Compost pit made of corrugated sheets

When making a compost bin from corrugated sheets, choose a material with an anti-corrosion coating.

Work order:

1. At the selected location, a base is constructed from a metal or wooden block.
2. The dimensions of the pit are selected according to the length of the sheets, which allows you to make a compost bin with two or three compartments.
3. The base is made, as for a wooden structure.
4. On the outside, the profile strips are fastened with self-tapping screws with gaps of 3-5 cm.
5. It must be taken into account that metal surface gets very hot during hot summer periods.
6. A cover of plywood or boards is made on top. It is advisable to cover the frame with a protective compound.

Metal mesh compost bin

To make compost, you can make a cylindrical container from metal mesh. In such a cylinder, the compost is well ventilated and does not rot.

How to make a compost bin:

To simplify, you can put a large film bag (polyethylene) inside the basket, which is used for garbage. These baskets are easy to assemble and install anywhere. They are filled with waste according to the principle of a compost pit. Compost can also be made in special bags, which are sold in garden centers.

Concreted compost pit

A concrete compost pit creates many advantages:

• Thick walls maintain a positive temperature for a long time.
• Such a pit is durable and reliable, not subject to the influence of adverse natural conditions.

It is advisable to make it large, with two or even three compartments. In the first and second blocks, compost from different seasons will ripen. In the third, bags of finished compost are stored.

How to make a concrete compost pit:

During operation concrete pit It should be taken into account that the process of making compost is slow. To speed up the process, you need to manually add earthworms or commercially available special products.

Other material options for compost pits

Compost pit made from car tires

Car tires are quite suitable for arranging a compost heap:

Compost in an iron barrel

Old iron barrels are great for composting:

1. We cut out both bottoms with a chisel and place them near the path.
2. We put weeds, grass clippings, and kitchen waste into the barrel in layers.
3. To increase the temperature, you can paint the barrel black, pour ammonium nitrate solution over the compost ( matchbox per bucket of water).
4. We take out the finished compost from below. To do this, you need to lift the barrel with a crowbar.

To improve the design:

1. Using a grinder (angle grinder), you need to cut the barrel into two unequal parts and punch holes in the walls for air circulation.
2. Then we put them on the butt and connect them with wire or rope. Cover the top with a lid.
3. The advantages of this design are that the contents of the barrel are easily accessible to worms and bacteria from below.
4. To get the finished compost you just need to untie the rope and you will get two hundred liters of ready-made fertilizer.

Compost in a plastic barrel

The ideal compost bin material is plastic. In conventional compost heaps, the compost takes two years to prepare. In plastic barrels with a capacity of 150-200 liters, you can prepare liquid compost in two weeks.

To do this:

1. Fill the barrel halfway with mowed grass or weeds, and fill it with water to the top.
2. After about three days, the fermentation process will begin.
3. After using the solution, you can add water to the barrel again and let it brew for one week.
4. Having used up the liquid compost completely, the remaining grass is placed in a compost heap.

Brick compost pit

The compost pit is made of brick and has three walls. It can be done on cement mortar or without it. A compost pit using cement mortar is made no more than 1 meter high. Gaps must be left between the bricks for ventilation.

A compost pit made of bricks without a cement binder is convenient in that it can be moved to another location if necessary.

In the compost pit, you need to provide a place for throwing the compost mass. Make a lid from available material. The front wall is made temporary to make it convenient to remove the finished compost.

Compost pit made of concrete rings

In the internal cavity concrete ring You can successfully store garden waste and end up with compost. For convenience the ring is partially buried in the ground, and after filling, cover with a lid or film material.

One of the disadvantages of the design is the lack of a low front wall. To unload the finished compost you need to climb inside. Otherwise, such reinforced concrete products make very durable compost chambers.

Compost pit using Finnish technology

If you don’t want to make a compost pit, you can purchase a composter at Finnish technology. It is modern with two containers with a capacity of 80 liters. Its contents are mixed with a layer of peat and sawdust. You can also recycle food.

When the container is full, it is pulled out and another one is inserted. Due to its high concentration, the finished compost is mixed with soil or sand and fertilized with plants. The vacated container is washed and returned to its place.

Compost pits and cesspools should not be confused. Organic matter is stored in containers for preparing compost. garden plot. Remains of protein food should be disposed of in a cesspool.

What can and cannot be put in a compost bin?

Thanks to composting, the amount of waste in landfills is reduced, and our gardens and gardens receive additional fertilizers.

First of all, organic garden waste is placed in the compost pit, in the form of:

• branches;
• dry leaves;
• mown grass;
• weeds;
• straw.

Good ingredients for a compost heap are:

• food leftovers from vegetarian food;
• egg shells;
• onion peel.

You can layer the compost with manure and chicken droppings.

Prohibited compost heap ingredients include:

• construction and household waste With high content phenols;
• remnants of printed products;
• plastic.

Do not put leftover protein and oily foods into compost, as they decompose slowly and attract mice and rats.

From plant residues, weeds with ripened seeds and roots that can take root well, such as:

• sow thistle;
• wheatgrass;
• loach.

Drought-tolerant plants need to be dried out before being placed in the compost heap so that they lose their ability to take root. Sawdust can be used in moderation as it decomposes slowly and takes up nitrogen. They also do not use feces from domestic animals or humans for composting.

Preparations for compost pit

The main task of drugs containing biological activators is to accelerate decomposition processes with the help of microorganisms.

The preparations do an excellent job of processing organic matter and do not allow pathogenic microflora to develop in the compost pit:

1. Compost preparation can be significantly accelerated by using Baikal EM. This preparation contains effective microorganisms (EM).
2. The drug "Doctor Robik" significantly increases the number of effective microorganisms (EM) in the compost. They process organic matter into humus, and also prevent pathogenic microflora from developing and destroy the larvae of harmful insects.
3. The bioactivator has similar properties. The Green-Master bioactivator package should be diluted in 20 liters warm water, let it sit for 4 hours and water the compost heap. After 2 weeks you need to turn the pile over with a pitchfork. To prepare compost, one treatment with a bioactivator solution is sufficient.
4. Compost Boost gives good results. for composting.
5. Manufacturer Happy Summer Resident produces “Biocompostin”– a means for preparing compost. Sanex Plus produces EcoCompost.
6. The manufacturer Dezon Bio K produces several types of drugs:“Green universal”, “Compost for one season”, “Compost for the next agricultural season”, “Bioactivator for compost”.

Using preparations you can significantly speed up microbiological processes and obtain compost in 2-3 months.

Bioactivator preparations for compost

Rules for operating a compost pit

After building a compost bin and filling it, all that remains is to occasionally look inside and, depending on the changes that occur, adjust the decomposition process.

Tips for using the composter:

1. During dry periods, it is necessary to water the compost with plain water. preventing it from overheating, which leads to a reduction in the population of certain types of beneficial bacteria.
2. You should loosen your compost heap at least once every two weeks., thereby ensuring an influx of oxygen into all, even the lowest, layers.
3. Add “Effective Microorganisms” to the compost content in the form of solutions and various additives.
4. To speed up the process, you can add ready-made compost substrate, which contains a full range of microbiological activators.
5. If the pit design does not have a top cover, then just tighten top part covering garden material black, which will increase the temperature and greenhouse effect inside the structure.

Summing up

Creating a compost pit does not require serious material investments. You can make it with my own hands from scrap materials, which are always sufficient in any personal plot.

Having spent a little time making a compost pit, you will not have to deal with the problems of disposing of garden and household waste in the future.

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

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

Compost may include:

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

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

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

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

Composter device

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

Compost maturation

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

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

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

Organic fertilizers are not all equally available. It is possible to obtain manure in quantities sufficient to fertilize the site only if it is possible to keep livestock. Otherwise, all that remains is to buy manure. The situation is much simpler with compost. By building a compost pit on your site, you can organize the production of excellent, highly environmentally friendly, first-class fertilizer. In addition, properly prepared compost prevents the ingress of helminth eggs, which are often found in manure.

What you need for a compost pit

Compost is a product obtained as a result of the natural processing of plants. For a small standard area, a pit with a volume of one and a half is quite suitable. square meters. A set of tools necessary for preparing a hole is available on the site of every self-respecting gardener - this is a bayonet shovel, covering material (for example, old film) and a hacksaw for wood.

To strengthen the edges of a dug hole, boards, pieces of slate, or brick can be used. The compost should be placed in a secluded area of ​​the site and in such a way that the wind does not carry the aromas of the rotting mass to you. You should not build a structure near fruit trees- they can die from such a neighborhood.

How to make a compost pit

Make a mark on the ground for the future compost pit and use half a shovel to remove the turf around the entire perimeter. There is no need to dig very deep - this will lead to a constant accumulation of rainwater, which will slow down the decay process. Secure wooden pegs along the edges of the removed turf. They are driven deep, after which boards are nailed to them. The result will be something like a sandbox, but it should be filled not with sand, but with plant debris.

For compost, you can use mowed grass, leaves, tops, and rotten root crops. Raw fruits, grains, branches, sawdust and even small pieces of paper will do. Bones, potato tops, animal excrement and inorganic waste should not be thrown into the compost.

When filling, the main thing is to dump plant residues in as large quantities as possible, but they should not be compacted, because it will turn into silage. At correct installation The compost will rise slightly above the edges of the boards. If there are no extra boards on the site, you can simply form a pile and line it around the edges with pieces of slate or rubber mats. In dry weather, the future compost must be watered.

Finally, the pit must be covered with film or other covering material - this will help create a greenhouse effect. The process of natural processing of the contents of the compost pit will take one and a half to two years.

Any owner summer cottage is faced with the need to fertilize his garden. To do this, you can use chemical fertilizers, or natural ones. The optimal solution in this case it becomes the use of a compost pit. Another advantage of creating garden composter is a concern for the environment, since all organic waste can be turned into useful compost, rather than being taken to a landfill.

Where to set up a compost heap

First of all, you should take care of the purity of drinking water, so the well or well should be located at a distance of about 25 m from the heap and preferably located higher (if there is a slope on the site).

Of course, the composter can smell unpleasant, so it is important to place it further from the kitchen, gazebo or veranda (yours and your neighbors), taking into account the most common wind direction. It is ideal to place the compost pit closer to the vegetable garden or garden in the shade of trees, while providing easy access to it for garden wheelbarrow or an aisle with a trash can.

Stocking up on enough organic fertilizers for your garden is not a problem for those experienced summer residents who know how to make compost with their own hands from what, as they say, is “at hand.” By the way, self-cooking In addition to the quality of the resulting useful fertilizer, compost has another undoubted advantage. This method helps to get rid of plant and food residues on the farm. Moreover, with maximum benefit and absolutely no waste.

Many gardeners think that it doesn’t matter at all what and how to make compost. But this is a wrong opinion. The ingredients included in the composter directly determine how useful(!) and nutritious the fertilizer you receive will be, and whether it will harm your plants.

Do-it-yourself compost: how to make it and what you need to know

Proper compost is wonderful organic fertilizer, obtained by long-term rotting of various plant and household residues. All this rotting occurs under the influence of bacteria. But don't forget that composting isn't about randomly throwing everything you want to get rid of into a pile. Therefore, it is quite a mistake to call a mountain of garbage in a country house, consisting of potato tops, dry tree branches or rhizomes from cabbage heads, proud of the word compost. And also other reluctantly decomposing or downright infectious garbage.

Note! If you want to make a truly useful fertilizer, then it will be useful to find out whether this or that material can be recycled into compost. By the way, especially in the fall, many people are interested in whether it is possible to put fallen leaves in a compost heap.

What is compost made of?

The compost mixture consists of two types of components responsible for different processes during processing:

Nitrogenous components:

• Mown plant matter and carrion.
• Food waste of plant origin.
• Manure or droppings.
• Weeds without seeds.

They are responsible for the carbon-oxygen balance necessary for the maturation of grass compost.

Carbon components:

• Wood shavings and shredded wood, including bark.
• Branch cuttings and thin trunks.
• Straw and dry leaves.
• Paper and cardboard waste.

Attention! They should be placed in the compost heap in layers, alternating “green” wet waste with dry “brown” waste. If the proportions (1:1) are observed, the heat generated by nitrogenous products stimulates the processes of decomposition of the compost mixture.

What not to put in compost

Of course, any summer resident wants to completely get rid of heaps of weeds after weeding or from the tops that appear en masse in the garden in the second half of summer, after the harvest begins. Just one question... Is it possible to compost everything without exception? Or are there still some residues harmful to composting?

It turns out that even here there are certain limitations, and each of them has a completely reasonable explanation. So, in proper compost It is strongly recommended not to dispose of:

• Large pieces of wood, trimming evergreen shrubs, fallen leaves in season. Their rotting lasts for a long time, inhibiting the entire cycle of maturation of compost from leaves.
• Any parts of affected plants. They easily adapt to any conditions and thrive in a compost environment.
• Remains of castor bean, lily of the valley, foxglove.
• Do not put tops of nightshade plants (tomatoes, potatoes) into compost. They contain poisons that poison the microorganisms involved in composting, thereby slowing down the entire process.
• The peel of any citrus fruit - it not only takes a long time to rot, but also strongly repels earthworms and bacteria.
• Food waste of animal origin, as well as feces. It all breaks down into compost heap very reluctantly, and spreads disgusting odors.

And, of course, what kind of compost can you get if you throw non-degradable household waste into it from:

1. Glass and plastic.
2. Plastic or synthetic fabrics.
3. Large bones, etc.!

Important! In fact, the composition and beneficial properties future “homemade” fertilizer.

DIY compost: cooking methods

It is worth noting that significant difference have ways to make compost at the beginning of the gardening season and at the end. In general, if you look at it more broadly, the conversation needs to be about two completely different technologies. They differ in both labor intensity and processing time.

Quick compost in bags

This is a more modern and less expensive way to get quality fertilizer in a short time. It is especially popular because it does not require the preparation of pits, boxes or the purchase of special containers. After all, this compost is processed in ordinary bags!

Advice! To make quick compost in bags, it is, of course, better to choose stronger packaging. You can use construction waste bags as a composter. It is desirable that they do not stretch and withstand dampness and sudden temperature changes. But, for lack of anything better, many summer residents use ordinary garbage bags of 120-250 liters.

In preparing quick compost in bags, the same “useful” waste of plant origin is used: leaves, grass, carrion, etc. They are crushed and placed in bags in dense layers, sprinkled with earth.

We remember that tomato tops in compost not used!

But do not forget that the entire mass of plant waste, folded into bags, needs to be slightly moistened. Tara with ready-made mixture sealed tightly and left where it will be stored for 2-3 months.

This method is very good, especially for making compost in the fall. When the waste at the dacha has accumulated in excess, and there is not much time left to process it. At the end, after a maximum of three months, the bags contain rotted, loose fertilizer with a characteristic smell of rotten earth.

Important! It is this smell, combined with the loose consistency and black-brown color of the compost mass, that indicates that the compost is ripe and ready for use.

How to make compost in a box or hole

An old-fashioned, centuries-tested option answers the question: “How to prepare compost if you have a lot of time.” Because you need to wait from 9 months to a year to get results. Yes, and you will have to tinker a lot more than in the case of bags.

The entire technological cycle of compost preparation can be summarized in 5 simple steps.

1. Find a place in the shade, but away from trees.
2. Install a ventilated fence made of boards or chain-link mesh. This can be done not only on the surface of the earth. For this purpose, you can dig a hole up to a meter deep and approximately 1.5x2m in size.
3. Lay the prepared waste in layers and sprinkle it well with water.
4. Cover the finished pile with dark, breathable material, such as acrylic or regular straw.

Don't forget! Regularly open the compost chamber and thoroughly mix the contents so that decomposition proceeds faster and more evenly.

How to speed up compost maturation

To activate the processes and reduce the acidity of the compost mass, 1 liter of ash and several grams of ammonium nitrate are added to it. To make compost as quickly as possible, it is recommended to use all kinds of EM preparations. The effective microorganisms and bacteria contained in them help to significantly reduce the compost maturation time, accelerating the process of decomposition of organic matter.

What is your benefit?

The advantages of preparing compost include the large volume of processed mass. If the pit is equipped with a partition, then you can transfer the finished humus into a separate compartment and constantly replenish the storage with new waste.

In addition, composting is carried out in the same place for many years. And also, there is no need to constantly purchase packaging, as is the case with compost in bags.

Video: How to make good compost

Whichever method you choose, composting plant waste from your site will in any case be very useful for you. Now you know how to make compost with your own hands and get rid of garbage, turning it into high-quality fertilizer of your own production.

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