At country houses and personal plots Often the problem of disposing of organic waste arises - leaves, weeds, cleaning, sawdust and other things. Unlike inorganic waste (glass, plastic, etc.), all this can be used to produce clean, environmentally friendly fertilizer - compost. It is obtained as a result of the biological process of decomposition under the influence of the vital activity of microorganisms. Adding compost to any soil improves its quality characteristics. Clay soils acquire a lighter, crumbly structure, and sandy ones retain moisture better. Let's look at how you can make a compost pit and prepare compost correctly.
The following organic wastes are suitable for raw materials, which are divided into two large groups.
Brown waste
These include those that release carbon.
Green waste
Waste that releases nitrogen is considered green.
- berries, vegetables and fruits unsuitable for food and processing;
- drunken tea and coffee cake;
- stubs and cleaning;
- scraps of wool;
- leftover soups, cereals;
- eggshell;
- waste products of herbivores.
When adding a large amount of freshly cut grass, the compost preparation time will increase significantly. To speed up the process, lightly cover small layers of grass with soil.
What should you not put?
Not all organic matter is suitable for fertilization.
The following cannot be placed in a compost bin:
- fresh pet excrement;
- loach, wheatgrass;
- bones;
- leaves and other parts of plants affected by diseases, especially powdery mildew;
- plants treated with any chemicals;
- weeds whose seeds have ripened;
- inorganic non-degradable waste (rubber, metal, glass, synthetic materials);
- tops of potatoes and tomatoes;
- fats, meat, dairy products;
- fresh and boiled eggs (except shells).
Potato and tomato tops, even healthy-looking ones, can be carriers of late blight. Subsequently, such fertilizer can infect all plants. In addition, this raw material takes a very long time to dispose of; the process will take about 5 years.
Anything that is not suitable for a compost pit should be thrown into a cesspool or removed from the site as garbage.
Requirements for placement
A place on the site is chosen, as a rule, out of sight and one that you don’t mind - where nothing grows due to dense shade or infertility of the soil, somewhere behind outbuildings, if any, in the outskirts.
There are other important points.
- You need to understand that rotting raw materials will not emit the most pleasant smell, so you should think about moving away from the resting place and about the neighbors. It would be good to know the compass rose so as not to place the pile on the leeward side.
- Consideration should be given to ensuring free access to the pit, since raw materials will be added and taken constantly throughout the season.
- It is advisable to choose a site on a flat surface, and not in a hole, you can slight slope to avoid stagnation of water, which interferes with the flow of oxygen, and therefore extends the process over time.
- The compost heap, although called a pit, must be higher than the ground level. In this case, it will warm up better, it will be more convenient to loosen, water and generally maintain it. Optimal parameters are 50 cm deep, 1 m of fence above the ground. Higher walls will make it difficult to loosen and use compost.
- Avoid proximity to a source of drinking water (must be more than 25 m).
- The place should be in the shade or partial shade - sunlight slows down and dries out raw materials.
- Do not place the structure under trees, they may get sick and die. Neighborhood with conifers and other evergreen crops is especially not recommended. Best neighbors there will be alder and birch.
Do not cover the bottom of the pit with film, slate or other material that does not allow moisture to pass through! It must penetrate from the soil unhindered (depthing will facilitate this), otherwise everything will dry out. The bottom should remain earthen.
Design features
The ideal dimensions of a structure are usually indicated by the parameters 1.5m x 2m, but ultimately they are determined based on the amount of raw materials that can be accumulated in 2 years. This is how long the process of preparing the finished substrate will take. Therefore, the ideal pit should be twice as large and two-section, designed to last two cycles. The first compartment will contain ready-made waste, the other will contain fresh waste over the next two years.
It is important to know that a small pit will not warm up well as a result of rotting, and this temperature may not be enough to kill all pathogenic microflora and harmful spores. Experts determine desired temperature at 60C and the above-mentioned optimal sizes.
The structure must have a removable lid on top.
Design options
You can arrange a compost pit in different ways; let’s look at several common options.
Regular pit
The simplest construction that does not require additional costs and materials. A shallow hole is made, no more than half a meter deep, into which everything is folded according to the usual principle. The contents are covered with black polyethylene on top. To make it easier to remove for adding waste or using, it is rolled on both sides onto a long handle, which also serves as a load. After each new laying, it is recommended to cover the waste with grass.
The option is simple, but it is difficult to call it effective and convenient. There will be difficulties with mixing, and such a pile will not be able to warm up sufficiently, which means that it will take a longer time for it to rot.
Two-section composter
The material for production can be boards, old slate, metal sheets, corrugated sheets, walls from plastic containers, brick, etc. Optimal sizes depending on the size of the plot - 1.5-2 m wide and 2-3 m long. Make a deepening of 0.5-0.8 m. To secure the structure in the corners (stepping back the required distance from the pit), sections of pipes or large-diameter metal rods that can withstand the weight of the compost heap are dug in. Wooden pillars they are not suitable for this purpose, since the process of decay will invariably affect them, and the structure will not last long due to the load.
Install the walls, not forgetting about ventilation holes. A partition is installed in the middle, dividing the structure into two equal-sized compartments. Ready humus will be stored in one of them, and “young” waste will be stored in the second. It is better to make the lid hinged, on hinges, so that it does not move and tightly covers the contents.
Reference segments metal pipes it is advisable to treat it with an anti-corrosion bioprotective composition, and all wooden parts - protective impregnation, and then cover with two layers of acrylic paint.
The bottom, as already mentioned, cannot be covered with waterproof material, but straw, sawdust or tree bark are perfect for this - they will provide the necessary air exchange and allow excess moisture to escape quietly.
If desired, you can make three sections. In the first there will be a ready-made substrate, in the second there will be a fully laid ripening one, and the third will be intended for laying new raw materials.
Single section composter
A simpler and fairly compact option. You will have to pick up the finished product from below, for which purpose in one of the walls (or even better - from different sides) you need to make a hole from which the ripe fertilizer will be selected. There should be a distance of at least 30-40 cm between the wall of the box and the ground. In this case, there is no need to mix the substrate.
Concrete box
A structure that will be completed literally once and for all. Neat and reliable. To do this, you need to dig a trench of the required perimeter with a depth of 70-80 cm and make formwork. Pour concrete into it, remove the formwork and remove the soil from the box to the required depth. As a cover, you can use a wooden board or film pressed with a metal mesh.
Ready made plastic container
The modern market offers ready-made composter structures made of plastic. They have different size(within 400 -1000l), the necessary ventilation holes (make sure of this!) and a lid.
Their cost depends on the size, design and region and usually ranges from 2 to 10 thousand rubles.
Do not make compost pits that are too large; their contents will overheat, which is also undesirable, since this will lead to the death of the necessary microorganisms.
How to properly fill a compost bin?
Before laying the raw materials, clear the bottom of the pit from the turf and dig it well to a depth of 30 cm. This will provide conditions for the active life of worms and the penetration of beneficial microorganisms, which will provide indispensable assistance in the waste processing process. In addition, excess water will drain well into the loose soil.
We begin laying, alternating layers of wet and dry, brown and green raw materials. Their optimal ratio should be approximately the following: 3 parts brown waste to 1 part green waste, and there should be 5 times more wet raw materials than dry ones. Anything large should be broken or chopped.
Moisten (not too much) and close with a lid.
The raw materials should not be compacted too much, but excessive looseness is also undesirable. Everything should be in moderation, especially humidity.
Storing compost is not everything. Proper further actions will help speed up the decay process and make the fertilizer more nutritious. Please adhere to the following guidelines.
The following additives help speed up cooking.
- Rotted horse manure.
- Some types of plants (valerian, chamomile, dandelions, yarrow).
- Specially produced activating preparations, for example, Baikal EM-1, Compostin and Compostar.
- Stale (dried) bird droppings.
- Legume stems.
- Bone and dolomite meal.
- Superphosphate and complex mineral fertilizers.
As the contents rot, the temperature inside rises, and may even rise from the heap. light steam. This is normal and indicates that everything is going well.
Spare no effort and time for this simple structure. This will solve the problem of recycling a considerable part of organic waste, and will provide valuable fertilizer, the quality and environmental friendliness of which you will be absolutely sure of.
Any plot of land needs periodic fertilization. What could be better? quality compost? Buying it and then bringing it to the site is a long and expensive task. Why not produce it valuable fertilizer directly on your own land, because all the conditions have been created for this? During the warm season, a lot of organic and plant waste accumulates on the site, which must be disposed of. It turns out that you can combine cleaning an area of waste and producing compost from it. Let's look at how it can be built compost pit with your own hands, what is needed for this, and how to avoid basic mistakes in the production of fertilizers.
A compost bed on a plot of land is intended for storing all kinds of plant and organic residues, waste, and surplus of various products. Layered in layers, these components gradually decompose, turning into high-quality fertilizer. The question arises: how to build a compost pit with your own hands so that it produces fertilizer within a season? To do this, you need to make some effort to help the compost ripen faster.
With proper care, you can get ready-made compost in just 3 months. If the pit is not given special attention, then the waste decomposition process will continue for approximately two years.
Requirements for a compost pit
For normal and rapid maturation of compost, it needs warmth, oxygen and moisture. How to properly make a compost pit so that its contents turn into high-quality fertilizer, and the pile itself does not harm the plants and people on the site? To do this, you should familiarize yourself with some of the requirements for such structures:
- The compost heap should mostly rise above the soil level. Thanks to this, the heap warms up better and makes it easier to loosen and water. It is recommended to deepen the hole by about 50 cm, leaving barriers above the soil surface of about 1 m. The ideal width of the structure is 1.5 m, and its length is 2 m;
- If there is a source of drinking water on the site, for example, a well, borehole or spring, then the distance from it to the pit should not be less than 25 m;
- It is advisable to place the pit in a place that will be remote from the house or gazebo. In this case bad smell, which may come from the compost heap, will not annoy the owners of the site;
- It is advisable to place the pit in partial shade so that it is not constantly in the sun. This will help it dry out;
- How to make a compost pit so that the runoff from it does not flow through the soil into the source clean water? To do this, if the site has a slope, it is enough to place the hole below the source;
- You cannot place a hole under fruit trees, as this can lead to their death;
- The dimensions of the pit are selected taking into account the amount of plant debris and waste that is available at the dacha and will remain in the pit for two years;
- Options for making a compost pit with your own hands should take into account that it is recommended to choose the height of the fences so that it is convenient to loosen and collect compost.
Tip: The bottom of the pit should not be covered with slate, metal, rubber or film. They will not allow moisture to rise up from the soil, as a result of which the compost will constantly dry out. The bottom must certainly be earthen. But the walls can be covered with any material.
What can and cannot be thrown into a compost bin?
A self-built compost pit will justify its purpose if the following types of waste are placed in it:
- leaves, bark, needles, chopped branches and roots;
- weeded and mowed weeds, grass;
- bird droppings and rotted biennial manure;
- vegetables, fruits and berries, including peelings;
- leftover coffee, tea;
- hay, sawdust, shavings, straw;
- ash from burning wood;
- paper, paper bags, cardboard, napkins.
Advice: If a thick layer of fresh grass is placed in a hole, then the process of its decomposition may take six months to a year. In this case, cover the grass with soil.
The following cannot be placed in a hole:
- inorganic products that do not decompose. This is rubber plastic bags, plastic, metal, synthetic products;
- feces of pets, as they may contain helminth eggs;
- bones;
- tops of tomatoes and potatoes, as they are often infected with late blight;
- chemically treated plants;
- ripened weed seeds;
- thick branches that take a long time to rot.
Possible manufacturing options
A do-it-yourself compost heap can be made in several versions. Let's list them all, indicating the features of each of them.
An ordinary pile in which waste is placed
- Select a place on the site where the compost pile will be located;
- As various wastes accumulate, they are placed in the selected location. In this case, it is advisable to lay organic matter in layers. Alternate food waste with grass and manure;
- When the height of the pile reaches 1 meter, make several depressions in it, into which pour a special compost liquid. This will speed up the ripening of the compost;
- With regular loosening and watering, the compost will mature within 3 months.
This is an ideal option for those who want to do it with minimal effort but still get some compost. It is advisable to form several such heaps, each of which will rot gradually.
Simple pit
A simple do-it-yourself compost pit at your dacha will be provided by an ordinary pit dug in the chosen location:
- The depth of the pit should be shallow, which will ensure easier care of its contents. It's better to make it wider;
- Branches, hay, and tree bark are placed at the bottom of the pit;
- Next come layers of food and vegetable waste;
- Since the temperature in the pit is not very high, it is advisable to cover it with film.
This is the least good way set up a compost pit. Mixing its contents will require more effort, and the pit will warm up less. The advantages of such a pit are its small area and simplicity of the device.
Box made of wood or other material
How to make a compost pit with your own hands so that it is convenient and inexpensive? Use boards, bars, slate, sheets of metal, etc. for this.
The order of arrangement will be as follows:
- Removed on the ground upper layer soil about 40 cm thick;
- Pegs are driven in around the perimeter of the pit;
- A fence is installed around the pit. It can be wooden (boards, pallets, panels, bars) or any other. It is allowed to use any material: flat or corrugated slate, polycarbonate, metal sheets;
- The height of the fence should not exceed 1 m. This is necessary for the convenience of mixing the compost;
- The top of such a structure is covered with plywood or film.
This design allows the compost to warm up well, so it is considered optimal for use on land.
Exists original version wooden box. Its lower edges do not reach the soil surface by 25-30 cm. That is, boards or other material are attached at a certain distance from the ground. In the lower part of such a box, the compost matures faster, since it was laid earlier. As the compost matures, it is removed and the pile settles downwards. Such a pile practically does not need to be loosened. There is always the opportunity to get some ready-made compost.
Concreted pit
If you decide to build a durable structure that will serve for decades, then use advice on how to make compost heap in a concrete pit.
The structure is set up like this:
- the site for future construction is marked out (approximately 2x3 meters);
- soil is selected at 60-80 cm;
- formwork about 10 cm thick is constructed around the perimeter of the future building;
- concrete solution is mixed;
- concrete is poured into the formwork;
- after the concrete hardens, the formwork is removed;
- waste is placed in layers in a concrete pit;
- the pit is covered from above wooden shields or covered with film.
This is the most expensive method of constructing a compost pit in terms of effort and investment. Such a structure should be placed where the pile will definitely not create any difficulties, since it will be impossible to move it to another place.
Tip: It is recommended to divide the compost facility into at least 2 sections. While you put fresh waste collected in the current season into one of them, last year’s compost will decompose in the second section.
It should also be noted that there are options for organizing a compost pit from a barrel or special plastic containers for compost, but you will additionally need to use drugs that accelerate waste processing, or add Californian worms.
How to properly operate a compost bin
We found out how to build a compost pit with our own hands using various schemes. It remains to cover the question of how to properly care for a compost pit during the season. It is enough to perform the following simple manipulations:
- Periodically loosen the compost with a fork. In this case, oxygen will be provided inside the heap. In addition, the waste will mix with each other, which will speed up its decomposition.
- Water the pile at least occasionally, and more often during the dry season. Thus, the contents of the pit will be moistened and rot better. Overdried compost almost completely stops decomposing.
- It is recommended to cover the top of the compost with a dark film. This will create a greenhouse effect inside the heap, raising its temperature. The film will retain moisture inside and prevent weeds from germinating. In a covered heap, compost will mature in 3-4 months. If you do not cover it, the ripening process will last for a whole year.
- Periodically add California worms to the pile, which loosen the contents of the pile and partially process it.
- If possible, add drugs to the contents of the compost heap to speed up the decomposition process. For example, Compostin, Baikal EM-1, Embionic, Compostar, Sanex EcoCompost, Bioforce Compost and others.
A properly constructed compost pit, which is regularly maintained, can provide site owners with high-quality and practically free fertilizer in a very short time.
How else can you make a compost pit with your own hands? Photos will clearly demonstrate the options for making it.
There is always a lot of organic waste on the farm - leaves in the fall, vegetables, fruits, manure of domestic animals and birds. From all this you can prepare excellent fertilizer without spending a lot of effort. The fertilizer is called compost, which means it is made up of individual components.
The cooking principle is simple - arrange the layers, let them cake and rot. To prepare compost, you need certain types of bacteria - anaerobic or aerobic, depending on how you add the components.
Types of fertilizer
Anyone can tell you how to make compost at your dacha with your own hands. experienced gardener, who practices natural organic fertilizers to restore the earth. But everyone’s recipe is different – in terms of the quantity and quality of components, ripening time, and the use of bacteria.
How do the recipes differ in general terms:
- What microorganisms are involved in the composting process.
- Is manure added or just plant residues?
- Which box is used or the components are placed in a pit without access to air.
- What time of year does laying take place?
The amount of nutrients in the fertilizer depends on how to make compost at the dacha - open or closed. In the absence of oxygen, the ripening process proceeds more slowly, but most of the nutrients are retained.
At closed method it is necessary to completely isolate the mass from air penetration. In such an environment, anaerobic bacteria develop well, which receive energy without oxygen.
If you allow access to air, the preparation of composts will go faster, but there will also be fewer nutrients in the output. The aerobic method avoids souring, but requires regular mixing of the layers to ensure oxygen access. If this is not done, most of the beneficial microorganisms will die without air.
Vermicompost
How to make compost with your own hands so that 1 liter replaces 10 kg of manure - give earthworms the opportunity to do their job. The fact is that they quickly process organic matter and release waste products into environment- that is, into a compost pile.
The method of preparing vermicompost will be somewhat different from the usual composting of waste at the dacha. The components are added in small layers, then red Californian worms are added - they are record holders for eating vegetation.
When the eukaryotes process the substances, more components are added on top and the worms move to the top layer for a new portion of food. A door is made at the bottom of the box so that the finished compost can be shipped out.
This method has many advantages, but there are also disadvantages: worms need a constant temperature - in the cold they hibernate, so the box is placed in a warm room. Humidity control is required so that the substrate does not dry out, as well as constant feeding of the worms.
If you are interested in how to quickly make compost so that in a couple of months it can be used for its intended purpose, you need to attract worms. You don’t have to wait a year and a half for quick compost, but only a couple of months. It is used for both garden and indoor plants.
Benefits of Organic Compost
Organic fertilizers can restore even the most infertile soil. The need for organic matter arises when mineral fertilizers have been used for too long - not chelated, but in the form of salts.
To prevent the soil from losing its physical and chemical characteristics, it must be fertilized with organic matter once every three years. This can be manure, green manure, humus or compost.
Organic matter serves as food for soil bacteria, thanks to which humus is formed. Humic acids are the main factor in soil fertility. Organic matter increases soil volume and retains water. Without moisture, bacteria cannot survive, therefore there will be no one to process organic matter.
Recycled organic matter is safe for the root system of plants. If fresh manure is added to the holes, toxic methane and carbon dioxide will damage the young seedlings. As the compost heap matures, all harmful substances disappear, leaving only useful substances.
Minerals from organic compost are completely absorbed by plants, unlike chemical fertilizers, the degree of digestibility of which is about 30%. This is explained by the natural chelation of trace elements. Organic matter passes through the digestive tract of bacteria and comes out in an organic shell of humic acids.
In this form, plants can fully absorb nutrition - nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and microelements.
Components included in organic fertilizer
Finding out what compost is and how to make it is another question. The fact is that errors are also possible here:
- The ingredients were mixed incorrectly. Some components should not be added to a ripening compost heap - they increase the ripening period or lead to a stop in combustion.
- When using additional bacteria concentrates, the wrong type was used. For example, they added a starter of anaerobic microorganisms and opened access to air. Or vice versa - they cut off oxygen to the aerobes, which is why they died.
- The components for the open method were packed too tightly or the substances for the cold processing method were not compacted.
- The humidity level was not maintained - the microorganisms died.
- Do not turn the layers during ripening. The bacteria have run out of oxygen.
Video: How to make good compost
The composition of the compost heap includes all substances of plant and animal origin:
- fallen leaves - it is better to mix them with green vegetation;
- cuttings of branches - need to be chopped before laying;
- sawdust and tree bark - dosages must be observed so that the composted mixture does not sour;
- wood ash – makes the fertilizer more nutritious and accelerates ripening;
- tops vegetable crops;
- manure or bird droppings;
- mown grass or straw;
- eggshells that have not been cooked;
- yeast with sugar to quickly heat up the heap;
- vegetables and fruits – also without heat treatment;
- paper, natural fabrics in crushed form;
- peat and soil.
To increase the nutritional value, superphosphate is added to the compost, since it is initially low in plants and manure. If you set a goal to properly prepare compost at your dacha so that it is both a nutritious plant food and a useful soil component, you need to add phosphorus.
What can interfere with compost maturation?
Many people have the idea that all garbage from a site can be placed in a compost heap. This is wrong. Even natural ingredients Not everything is suitable for composting, not to mention things like rubber tires, glass, plastic, synthetic fabrics.
When making compost at your dacha you cannot use:
- Sick plants. If the tops are infected with a fungus and the combustion temperature of the compost heap is insufficient, the spores can survive. Such fertilizer can cause infection of the entire area. Proper compost during ripening it has a temperature of up to 70 degrees. To measure it, use a thermometer. If the temperature is below 60, the fungus can survive.
- Feces of dogs and cats. They acidify the environment too much, so it is better not to use such components. In addition, animal feces contain pathogenic microflora or helminths.
- Organic residues that contain a lot of essential oils - lemon or orange peel. Although this issue is controversial: not a single summer resident will be able to collect enough cleaning material to kill the bacteria.
- Sewage waste– also an open question. If the dacha has a two-chamber settling tank in which anaerobic microorganisms function, then such waste is good fertilizer and without composting. Therefore, they can be safely used. But if in wastewater fall detergents or chlorine, then such waste cannot be poured into the compost heap.
It is not advisable to pile it fresh grass– it should lie down for a while and dry out.
This will reduce the risk of souring and the appearance of an unpleasant odor from the compost heap. It is not recommended to use animal residues - bone meal, fish and meat waste. When decomposing, substances of protein origin emit a sharp, unpleasant odor.
Where should the compost pile be located on the site?
Depending on what processing method is used. If they take part in the process earthworms, then the collar should be kept warm. Considering the emanating smell when components rot, it is better to place the pile or hole away from housing on the leeward side. The location of the pit should be below the level drinking well at a distance of at least 15 meters.
It is recommended to place the pile in the shade. The best place- under the tree. But if the pile is open-bottomed, then the roots of the tree will change the direction of growth in order to obtain nutrients. Therefore, it is better to make stationary boxes with a solid bottom.
Humus is considered one of the types of organic fertilizer. This is manure compacted over two years. The method for making humus from manure is similar to composting in a pile. It is necessary to put organic matter in a special box. In this case, you need to understand exactly how to store the substance.
It is compacted to limit the access of air or, conversely, loosened so that it rots faster. In the first case, the temperature will be about 30 degrees and will not rise higher. In the second - as it should be for the maturation of a compost heap - about 75 degrees.
When manure rots, it releases pungent odors that can displease neighbors. There is a way to make humus at the dacha to fertilize the soil without smell. This is an anaerobic method. Bacteria that destroy sewer odors will help prevent odors coming from the pit from spreading. But in this case, it is necessary to arrange storage.
How to properly make a box for ripening organic matter
For the anaerobic method, you need a pit or a sealed pile to completely exclude air access. To equip a pit, its bottom and walls must be filled with concrete. This is done so that the liquid flowing down during the preparation of the fertilizer is not absorbed into the soil.
It is rich in nutrients, so it is advisable to preserve it. Before laying the components, the bottom is lined with peat, soil, straw or sawdust. These substances retain nutrient fluid.
After filling, the hole is covered with film and sprinkled with earth. Complete darkness and an airless environment are formed. When using manure, methane will accumulate under the film.
IN sewage drains use ventilation. In the case of a pit, you can also attach a tube for removing gases, at the end of which there is a valve. The accumulated gases open the valve, exit, the valve closes, and with it the air enters.
If you put a bunch in a box, then there are 2 options - for the aerobic and anaerobic methods. Burt is installed on concrete platform. The distance between the boards for the aerobic method is at least 3 cm around the entire perimeter. You need a door to make it convenient to turn the layers over with a pitchfork.
For an anaerobic pile, the boards are nailed close to each other, and the inner surface is lined with film or other solid material.
For ease of use, two-chamber piles or pits are made. A new portion of components is placed in one, and fertilizer for the current season is taken from the other.
If the ripening time is not pressing, you can use a net: use it to fence off an area on the site and put household waste there. Air penetrates well through the mesh, especially if the components are not compacted. When it rains, the storage must be covered so that the finished nutrients are not washed out. You can make humus in a fine mesh - add straw manure and wait for it to decompose naturally.
Making fertilizer with your own hands - methods
How to properly make compost at your dacha:
- Using earthworms.
- Using only bacteria.
Instant compost can be obtained only if earthworms are introduced into the organic matter. Those species that have a good appetite are recommended. They quickly digest the components and crawl up for a new portion.
How to quickly make compost at your dacha using worms:
- Place peelings, bread, food waste, and rotten fruits in a compost container half or one third full. Check for moisture: if water flows out when squeezing, add sawdust, shredded cardboard or soil.
- Add starter from EM preparations.
- Mix everything and leave for 2 – 3 days. The mixture should not emit a putrid odor.
- Before introducing worms, mix the soil, so that the ratio is 1:3.
- Launch the worms and make holes for air access in the lid.
- Wait for the adults to process the waste.
When the worms eat the entire portion, add a new one. If the composter is equipped with a bottom door, the finished fertilizer can be taken out and used. All adult worms will crawl up.
Stages of creating a compost heap
What is proper compost:
- the substance is dark in color, loose, moist;
- has a pleasant smell.
To start a compost heap, you need to prepare the components and grind them. Regardless of who will process the organic matter - bacteria or worms - they will eat smaller parts faster.
It is advisable to remove diseased tops of vegetable plants. Green grass leave in the air to dry.
Often, summer residents come across an area with infertile soil on which plants grow poorly. Of course, you can bring in black soil, but it is quite expensive. Excessive use of chemicals is also undesirable, because harvested will be used by family members. The only way left is to prepare healthy compost. These are organic fertilizers obtained during the decomposition of natural waste due to the activity of microorganisms.
Choosing a place for a heap
Before throwing organic waste into a huge pile, it is important to decide on the location. Usually, an area is allocated at the end of the garden or behind outbuildings so that it does not spoil general form. It is advisable that the site is not blown by winds and is located in the shade. You can decorate a bunch of climbing ornamental plants.
It is also necessary to find out the direction of rain flows during heavy rainfall. It is advisable that they do not flow down to the source of drinking water, and that the products obtained during the process of decay do not spoil it.
Compost bin made from boards
Rational storage option organic fertilizers – wooden box with three special sections: for waste, saturation of fertilizing with oxygen and ready-made humus.
Making containers from boards with your own hands takes place in 5 stages:
- 1. Wooden beams in the amount of 8 pieces are dug into the ground. To protect the wood, parts located in the ground are lubricated with tar or other moisture-repellent agent. If the box is placed along the fence, some of the pegs can be tied to it so as not to dig additional holes.
- 2. The dug bars connect wooden planks for the formation of partitions. It is important to leave gaps between adjacent slats to improve air exchange. In the front part, sections 1 and 2 of the board are fixed to the middle. In the future, doors will be made in this place. In the last compartment with big door Only one bottom strip is nailed.
- 3. The ends, partitions and back wall are reinforced with additional crossbars. Install doors that simultaneously serve as covers in the first two sections. In the last compartment, 1 large door is installed.
- 4. For protection, all sections of the box are coated with two layers of paint. Color selection paint coating- it’s a purely individual matter, but it’s better that it fits into the overall landscape design.
- 5. Install fittings: handles, latches. The box is ready for use.
Compost bin made from boards
A place for storing organic fertilizers is installed for a long time. Experienced summer residents recommend concreteing the bottom of the box and putting in drainage. You can use plastic boards or slate.
Box for humus from pallets
Putting organic waste into one pile is the first step in obtaining fertilizer. The convenience and neat appearance of compost requires wooden fence. The use of such material will help it become enriched with oxygen. The construction of a pallet box is simple. It's easy to do by following the following plan:
- 1. To obtain a single sheathing, the pallets are disassembled.
- 2. Using a chisel and hammer, remove excess elements.
- 3. The remains of protruding nails are cut off with an electric grinder.
- 4. One crate is removed from the bottom, where there will be a hole for extracting the finished compost.
- 5. For structural stability, the partitions are installed level.
- 6. Wood screws are used to fix the walls.
Box for humus from pallets
By properly organizing the accumulation of organic waste, you can ensure country cottage area high-quality fertilizer after six months. Under normal conditions, compost maturation lasts 1-2 years.
Compost Heap Ingredients
High-quality fertilizers are obtained if the pile is formed by a variety of organic waste. Thus, humus is enriched with minerals. It is important to maintain the correct nitrogen and carbon content. The main component of fertilizing is carbon, which is contained in large quantities in the stems of green plants. Nitrogen found in bone meal provides nutrition for microorganisms. chicken droppings, weeds, legumes and stems of vegetable crops growing in the garden.
To activate the chemical reaction in humus, the amount of nitrogen relative to carbon is 1 to 10. Excess substances are removed during the formation process carbon dioxide and ammonia. You can get high-quality fertilizer by saturating it with minerals. To do this, just add superphosphate.
Components undesirable for compost
Do not add diseased green plants to the container and weeds with seeds. Remember, compost is not a garbage dump. It is strictly prohibited to use the following as organic waste:
- poorly chopped plants;
- fruit seeds;
- litter of domestic dogs and cats;
- spoiled food.
Some ingredients speed up chemical reaction in a compost heap, forming humus. Others, on the contrary, slow down the processes, increasing the period of formation of fertilizing.
Rules for preparing organic fertilizers
Preparation of high-quality organic fertilizers in the shortest possible time implies compliance with certain rules. Experienced gardeners recommend:
- 1. Mix different components, laying them in layers. At the bottom of the box, lay out 30 cm of soil, 10 cm of dry and high-quality chopped grass, covering everything with leaves and weeds of 25 cm each.
- 2. Regularly add food waste that does not contain bones and fatty tissue to the compost.
- 3. When laying, wet all layers with water.
- 4. Apply bone meal and mineral-based fertilizer at regular intervals.
- 5. Turn the pile regularly to maintain adequate moisture levels. For work it is better to use a garden fork.
You can determine the readiness of the fertilizer by color and smell. Ripe compost is crumbly, with a pleasant aroma of forest soil and a dark brown hue.
Humus from fallen leaves
Fallen leaves in the garden in autumn are the best ingredients for nutritious fertilizer. When the foliage falls, it loses most of its minerals. Lignin and hemicellulose, poorly soluble substances, remain in the tissues. These are valuable elements of high-quality humus, although their decay period lasts more than a year.
When arranging a pile of fallen leaves in the garden, you should take into account the high concentration of tannin. This is a component with disinfectant properties that slows down the process of compost formation. The maximum tannin content was found in beech, oak and chestnut leaves. Therefore, they are rarely used as a main ingredient in a compost heap. Experienced gardeners recommend using leaves fruit trees.
Features of heap care
To speed up the process of decay after compost is formed, it is important to follow the simplest rules of care. In order for fertilizers to be ready for use in a year, you must:
- 1. Loosen the compost at least once a month. It is advisable to mix all the ingredients to the very bottom. This enriches the humus with oxygen, allowing it to burn out efficiently. If you can't turn the whole pile over, at least pierce it with a garden fork from different sides. The main thing is that the fertilizer does not rot.
- 2. Support optimal humidity organic waste. If the compost is dry, you need to moisten it generously. But you shouldn't create a swamp. Excess moisture pushes air out, slowing down the microorganisms important for composting. Gently water the compost pile with water using a watering can rather than a garden hose. You can protect the fertilizer during heavy rains by covering it with plastic wrap.
- 3. To speed up the process of humus burning, add nitrogen in large quantities, contained in green plant stems and manure. Additionally, add superphosphate, which enriches the mixture with minerals.
By creating a compost bin at their dacha on their own, summer residents will ensure high-quality soil fertilization for many years. At the same time, they will get rid of organic waste that accumulates during human activity. In turn, fertile land will allow you to obtain rich harvests in the garden and vegetable garden without additional costs.
The compost pit is designed for recycling organic waste and producing compost - a natural substrate that significantly improves soil quality. There are a lot of options for arranging such a pit, and one of them is making the structure yourself. How to independently install a practical, convenient pit for processing and storing compost?
Compost: subtleties of the issue
Land enrichment is an important stage in the creation process optimal conditions for the growth of fruitful crops. Not in all areas you can find decent, high-quality black soil. Experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing areas that require additional fertilizing with compost: in comparison with chemicals it is absolutely harmless and gives unsurpassed results.
And although there is an opinion about the dangers of compost pits, which supposedly emit unpleasant odors that permeate the air, this can be easily avoided thanks to proper waste disposal and supporting bacterial activity. How to do this should be described in more detail.
Choosing a location for a compost pit
Correctly selected location of the pit is the first and most important stage that determines the success of the planned business as a whole. Consider three main criteria:
- Distance from residential buildings - rotting organic waste has an unpleasant aesthetic appearance and has a specific smell, and therefore it is better to place it at the greatest possible distance (at least 30 m).
- Lowlands and hills - pay attention to the flatness of the site: the location of the pit on the hills should not be allowed, because during snow melting or rain, waste products can “spread” across the site. The pit should be built at the lowest point.
- Individual preferences - for some it is more convenient to keep the compost “at hand” by placing the hole in the center of the plot, while others, on the contrary, want to move it out of sight: it all depends on the characteristics of the territory and the personal criteria of the gardener.
Important! The hole should not be laid in the open sun.
Taking into account the above criteria will minimize negative factors, typical for compost pits, without causing discomfort land plot and nearby residential buildings.
Types of compost pits
There are several options for arranging waste recycling sites. Most often, composting facilities are installed in the form of:
- Classic earthen pit.
- A semi-submerged bunker.
- Compost bin.
Each option can be designed in-house, each has unique features - to say that one pit is superior in its operational characteristics other designs are simply impossible. What are the main differences?
Classic earthen pit
Is the most in a simple way compost content, representing a hole dug in the ground with standard sizes 1m x 2m and depth from 0.5m. The volume of the pit can be increased due to the large dimensions of the site.
All that is required when creating an earthen pit is a sharpened shovel and a little effort. However, long-term use of the structure requires strengthening the walls using any available means.
The technology for creating a conventional earthen pit for compost involves a number of sequential actions:
- remove soil with a shovel, forming a hole required sizes;
- wooden beams are dug into the corners of the pit, to which boards are nailed at a distance of no more than 5 cm, forming a box without a bottom;
- thick branches, tree bark, straw, etc. are thrown onto the bottom of the structure as a kind of drainage 10-15 m high: the drainage layer will drain excess moisture and will help the compost to aerate from below.
The compost in the pit is in direct contact with the ground, which facilitates access for earthworms, which actively convert the soil into humus. Among the pit's disadvantages are the frequent need to mix the contents, as well as the inconvenience of loading operations.
Semi-submerged bunker
A design for waste processing such as a semi-submersible bunker can last for several seasons, and its installation does not require excessive effort:
- a hole about 1 m deep is dug in the ground, formwork is placed around its perimeter in such a way that concrete walls the structures rose above ground level by about 1 m;
- the formwork is filled with concrete, and the bunker can be divided into two, three or more sections, depending on agricultural needs. Partitions between sections are also laid from concrete using formwork or made from boards treated with a protective primer;
- the formwork of the walls is removed, the bottom of the pit is filled concrete screed;
- A cover made of mesh and metal frames is installed in the upper part of the pit. The main thing when installing a bunker roof is the presence of holes that allow air circulation inside the pit.
The semi-submersible bunker is convenient to use, unpretentious in maintenance, and does not require expensive repair work.
Important! The lack of contact between the compost and the soil requires periodic watering of the contents of the bin and planting earthworms in it.
An above-ground “compost factory” can be easily made from available materials at hand - scraps of boards, old barrels, unnecessary car tires. The lightest version of the compost bin is mounted using boards and pallets:
- Prepare planks of the required length and width.
- On the intended plot of land, remove the turf, dig 6 posts at a distance equal to the length of the prepared boards.
- Nail the boards to the posts, leaving gaps between them.
Important! Processing compost in a bin requires careful maintenance of moisture levels and repeated watering, especially during periods of drought.
Compost bins are presented in a wide range on the shelves of gardening stores - those who do not want to bother with tools can purchase a plastic waste storage facility, which is in no way inferior in performance to its wooden counterparts.
Compost: desirable and undesirable ingredients
What type of waste should be placed in a compost pit in order to obtain high-quality, high-quality fertilizer that brings the maximum amount of useful substances to the soil? The leading positions in the list of compost raw materials are occupied by any waste of plant origin - from fallen leaves to vegetable peelings. In addition, it is necessary and important to use:
- paper (except for colored and laminated);
- poultry droppings (turkey, pigeon, chicken, etc.);
- manure (cow, horse);
- fish waste (scales, tails, heads, entrails).
Important! Laying compost categorically does not allow the addition of protein waste (dairy products, lost soups, etc.), since they not only emit extremely unpleasant odors, but also attract “unexpected guests” to the pit - rodents, dogs and cats.
The quality of compost can be improved by:
- Phosphorus flour (2 kg per 100 kg of waste).
- Ashes.
- The soil that is poured over each subsequent layer of waste accelerates the rotting process.
Remember to periodically water and stir the compost, making sure that the water in it does not stagnate.
Waste stacking
Proper and rapid decomposition of waste is facilitated by:
- Moisture.
- Access to oxygen.
- Adding special accelerators.
Gardeners can easily ensure the humidity level themselves by generously watering waste during hot weather.
Access to oxygen is ensured through the proper construction of a compost pit, bin or box, as well as through competent technique stacking of raw materials, according to which dry waste should alternate with fresh, hard with soft, brown with green.
Accelerators of decay processes are sold in garden stores in the form of concentrates that just need to be diluted a small amount warm water, watering the compost mixture.
Among the organic accelerators are fresh manure, infused in water for several days, or finely chopped dandelions, doused with water and left in sunny place for 3-4 days.
Compost, prepared taking into account all the recommendations and requirements, has the appearance of rich, loose soil with a characteristic earthy smell - it can be placed under trees and shrubs, used to mulch strawberries or fertilize the site. And most importantly, a compost pit does not require any special financial costs, becoming an indispensable waste recycler.
DIY compost pit - video
DIY compost pit - photo
