Experienced gardeners always monitor the level of soil fertility. After all, a depleted plot is unlikely to give a good harvest. Do-it-yourself compost boxes will solve two problems at once - the manufacture of humus for fertilizing the site and the disposal of plant waste.
Content:
- Which is better, a compost pit or a box?
- Sanitary norms and placement rules
- Materials for manufacturing
- Dimensions
- Design
- How to decorate a container?
- What can be put in compost?
- Basic bookmark rules
- What should not be in compost?
- How long does it take to prepare?
- What is vermicompost?
- Liquid fertilizer from compost
- The best cooking recipe
- Can I dig up unripe compost?
- How to apply compost?
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Which is better, a compost pit or a box?
Unlike manure, compost does not "burn" and does not burn the roots of plants. At the same time, it has no less, and in some cases even greater, nutritional properties.
The contents of the compost pit rot more slowly
Initially, the compost was laid precisely in the pits, filling it with a layer of soil.. But, firstly, such a construction is possible only if there is a large plot. Secondly, compost matures much more slowly in such pits without air access than in ventilated containers. This process is lengthy and takes at least 3-4 years on average. This method is called anaerobic.
In boxes, that is, ventilated containers in the presence of oxygen (aerobic method), plant residues overheat in 1-2 years, that is, much faster. Plus, compost is allowed to periodically report, which cannot be done with the anaerobic ripening method.
Therefore, even in large areas for the manufacture of this valuable fertilizer, it is better not to use pits, but special containers. This technology is called Finnish.
To speed up the ripening process, plant residues must be enriched with oxygen. To do this, often (at least once a month) turn the contents of the box with a pitchfork. And you need to do this from the sides to the center, without breaking the edges.
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To avoid fines and conflicts with neighbors, be sure to consider the location of the compost bin. According to SNiP 30-02-97, the close location of compost devices near residential buildings is unacceptable. The minimum distance from them is 12 m.
It will be necessary to retreat 8 m from reservoirs, drinking wells and wells. Such structures should not be placed close to the neighboring fence - you should retreat from them 1 m.
Five easy steps to compost
In practice, they are trying to remove them to the most remote place of the site. To prevent the smell from spreading throughout the territory, the location must be protected from the winds. You should not install boxes in a lowland, otherwise the melt water will wash away the contents.
The ideal place is on a small hillock.
Organic waste compost should not be placed in the open sun - with excess heat in direct sunlight, it will burn. Dangerous for him and excess moisture. Therefore, it is better to install such a container in partial shade under cover, in the shade of trees.
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Materials for manufacturing
There is no need to use expensive materials to make a compost bin. Old boards are fine.Excellent if pallets (pallets) remain after transportation. In their manufacture, a massive board is used, and a box made from it will last a long time.
Slate is a less successful material for manufacturing. The content in it will overheat too slowly.
The simplest container for compost
In order for the structure to last longer, it is better to treat the tree with an antiseptic. To protect from rain and snow, you can cover the compost box with ordinary plastic wrap (it is better to take black) or slate. But it is better to make a dense wooden lid so that the smell does not seep out. And without access to light, compost will be faster to overheat.
Some gardeners use other materials at hand to assemble the box. For example, a fence metal mesh stretched over poles.
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We will tell you in detail how to make a compost box. It is not necessary to build too large a container, otherwise, due to excess heat, the contents will quickly burn out. With a small volume of the box, plant residues will begin to dry out, and there will be little sense from such compost.
Compost box device
Very easy to use container with three compartments. In one, plants can be planted on partially rotted plant residues, in the second, compost will be prepared, and in the third, humus will be stored.
- The size of each compartment is 1.5x0.7x1.5 or 1x0.5x1 m (width, height, length)
- Thus, the total length of 3 boxes will be 3-4.5 m.
For a small area, you can make a container with one compartment. Raw materials are loaded into it from above, and the finished fertilizer is selected through a door located in the lower third of the box.
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Design
No special drawings are required to make a compost bin.
Drawer consisting of 3 sections
Its design is simple:
Pallet compost bins are even easier to assemble. It is only necessary to connect several pallets together by attaching them to the side racks, attach the bottom and hang the lid.
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A compost bin made of unhewn boards does not look very aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, if desired, it can be painted in any color or covered with drying oil, stain. Ask the kids to decorate it with drawings using an aerosol can. A bright container will only decorate the site.
You can assemble an unusual decorative design and close the box with it from thin wooden slats assembled crosswise in the form of a lattice. Plant climbing plants on the sides. Such a structure will be an excellent decoration of the site.
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Do's and Don'ts in Compost
It is allowed to lay any quickly decaying plant waste in the compost.
- tops of plantsremaining after harvest
- dry foliage
- seasonal weeds; often gardeners are afraid of getting into compost boxes of plants with ripened seeds, although, in principle, the seeds are able to quite safely rot along with the rest of the organic matter; you just need to lay the weeds with them in the very center of the compost and be sure to cover them from above with other plant debris
- sawdust, wood ash or cardboard: their addition to the biomass accelerates the maturation process; but, since in the process of decomposition they are able to "lock" nitrogen, there should not be too many of them in the compost; only the use of sawdust obtained during the processing of painted or chemically impregnated wood is unacceptable
- food waste, except meat and dairy products: peel potatoes, cores and peels of vegetables and fruits, seed husks, spent tea, coffee grounds, etc.
- eggshellrich in calcium
- peat
- chicken manure and manure herbivores: a compost bin can be used to quickly rot manure - after all, when fresh, it can burn the roots of plants
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To speed up the fermentation process, do not dump all organic waste randomly. Otherwise, they can ban and become covered with fungus. Wet and dry layers (for example, straw) must be alternated. To accelerate maturation, large plants are crushed to a size of 20 cm.
Ideal compost should contain about 20 cm of plant residue, 5 cm of manure and 15 cm of kitchen waste.. That is, plant residues should be about 70%. Some gardeners alternate them with 5-7 cm layers of earth to speed up the process.
From the remains of plant waste you can get an excellent fertilizer
For compost, both excess moisture and its lack are very dangerous. It should feel like a wrung out sponge. The optimum humidity is 45-70%. Dry biomass decomposes very poorly, too wet biomass is too compacted, and the components stop interacting with each other.
Excessive overheating is also dangerous - the favorable development of microorganisms occurs only at temperatures up to +60 C, then they die. Therefore, too large compost bins should not be made.
If the compost bin does not have a bottom, prepare drainage from tree branches before laying the bulk. It is desirable to shed a bunch of manure infusion. Hay or straw is poured on top. For winter, to protect against the cold and protect against leaching of nutrients, the compost is covered with a film or an old carpet.
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Poorly biodegradable ingredients and hazardous chemicals or organic compounds should never be added to the pit or compost bin.
What should not be in compost
So, it should not be:
- pet faeces, as they may contain eggs of the most dangerous parasites; for example, cats are carriers of Toxoplasma, whose cysts can settle in the tissues of the human body
- dairy and meat products: firstly, they decompose much more slowly in compost, and secondly, with the help of them you will attract rats to their storage place, mice and wandering animals
- boiled kitchen waste, even vegetable ones, are also undesirable - they will attract flies, plus they emit an unpleasant odor when decomposed
- the contents of the vacuum cleaner: it has been proven that household dust contains tiny particles of synthetic fabrics that cannot decompose in the soil, and harmful chemicals formed during the operation of furniture and appliances
- drywall: despite the fact that its main component is ordinary cardboard, which can rot quite quickly, due to the introduction of chemicals into its composition, it is better not to use this material as compost
- large pieces of wood: they will overcook too long
- newspapers and magazines: printing ink is a rather toxic substance containing salts of heavy metals
- coal ash and slagwhich are almost indestructible
- roots of some perennials, for example, thistle, horsetail, bindweed; they are so tenacious that they will immediately begin to sprout right in the compost pit
- pig manure and human feces due to the high probability of containing helminth eggs in them
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With aerobic maturation without the use of special preparations, it can take from 1 to 2 years before the plant residues completely rot and humus is formed from them. The resulting mass differs from ordinary earth in color.
It is a dark or light brown moist substance, which, when squeezed by the hand, sticks together in a lump and does not stick to the palm. From it should come a pleasant smell of the earth. Upon closer inspection, small unrotten inclusions are visible in it.
Humus formed as a result of compost overheating
In warm weather, ripening is faster. It also accelerates with frequent heap mixing. Much depends on the type of plant residues. For example, autumn foliage is best laid separately. After all, it contains tannins, which are difficult to decompose substances.
Such compost matures much more slowly - it may take 2-3 years to get humus from it. For any kind of feces, it will take a couple of years. The grass, freshly cut by a lawn mower, is capable of overheating in 3-4 months.
The top layer of compost usually does not rot completely. It can be recycled or used as mulch to control weeds. It is obtained from immature vegetation residues and is not bad garden bed for cucumbers, pumpkins or zucchini. Grass piled up will continue to decompose, releasing heat.
What is vermicompost?
Vermicompost (biohumus) is called rotten plant residues, processed by a special breed of worms called Californian, which can be bought at the store.
Used for its manufacture and earthworms. Such compost is nutritionally close to pure manure and contains more nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. After all, the resulting substrate - coprolite - in fact, is a substance that has passed through the intestines of the worm. Bring it in in smaller quantities.
Vermicompost
However, it is hardly worth singing praises of this product either. Ready-made vermicompost costs a lot and is often used to fertilize indoor plants. It's too expensive to enjoy.
Not cheap and the worms themselves. Plus, they are pretty picky. For breeding "Californians" it is required to maintain only positive temperature. In severe frosts, compost pits will require special shelter.
Better lure more earthworms to your compost. For this, a box or pit with overripe fertilizer must be watered periodically, especially in the heat. A standard box 1-1.5 m wide of water will need 2.5-3 buckets, no more, so as not to erode the most valuable fertilizer.
In general, such a procedure is required not only for growing worms. Organics should rot, not burn, and this is possible only in the presence of moisture. Therefore, in hot weather, do not forget about periodic watering.
Liquid fertilizer from compost
There is another term in the fertilizer industry called "vermicoffee". No, this is not a coffee bean product. Vermicoff is a common water extract from vermicompost, which has a reddish-brown hue. Just a publicity stunt, nothing more.
You can make a similar (perhaps slightly less saturated) liquid fertilizer for watering plants from ordinary compost. And absolutely free. By the way, this substance also has its own name. It is called vermichaem.
Top dressing strawberries
This nutritional top dressing is made from blackened plant residues that have begun to overheat, which have lain in a box for 2-3 months. To do this, it is placed in a large container to a height of 1/3, filled with water and left in the sun for 3-4 days.
It's great if you can get an old cast-iron bath. This capacity is enough for watering even a large area. An iron barrel will not last long - after all, in the process of decomposition of bioremains, the metal will also suffer.
Vermichaem can be watered any kind of plants. Since plant residues do not completely overheat in a short time and pathogenic organisms that are dangerous to plants may remain in them, it is better to add a little wormwood or nettle to the infusion to reduce the risk of their diseases.
The best cooking recipe
The most useful compost is made from a mixture of peat, manure, soil, fallen leaves and wood ash, to which a little slaked lime is added. As you know, peat is a loose rock from the remains of moss; it is not used in its pure form due to its high acidity.
But in the process of overheating, a wonderful fertilizer is obtained from it.
Well-rotted compost has a brown tint and sticks together well.
Most plant species (except, perhaps, gourds - melons, cucumbers, zucchini etc.) have a negative attitude towards fresh manure. Before mixing it with the ground, it is better to first lay it in compost containers from boards or pits.
For the manufacture of peaty- manure mixture is mixed in this way: first half a meter of peat is laid out, then a small 20-cm layer of manure, and again peat 50-60 cm high. We cover the resulting mixture and leave it to rot for a year.
You can lay it directly in stacks or boxes. In the spring, the rotted mixture can be applied to the soil when digging.
When introducing manure into the compost, learn that the rate of its decomposition depends on the type. Horse overheats faster. Cattle faeces decompose more slowly.Moreover, pork and sheep are not only processed longer, but also increase the acidity of the soil.
Can I dig up unripe compost?
It is not at all necessary to wait until the plant residues completely pereprete and turn into brownish crumbly humus. It is enough that the mixture decomposes at least half. Moreover, the introduction of unripe compost is more beneficial for gardeners.
Compost is scattered over the site before digging
- semi-decomposed plant fibers loosen the soil and allow plants to create comfortable root passages
- such a fertilizer is “long-playing”, that is, while continuing to rot in the ground, it supplies the sprouts with nutrients gradually, over one or two seasons
- unripe compost is food for soil fungi and earthworms that will loosen the ground
If there are too coarse fibers, they must be crushed with a shovel. Although it is better to grind large stems of plants even before laying the compost.
Ready-made humus, which looks like ordinary brown soil, is used more often as an emergency measure on severely depleted lands or when planting depleted plants to better strengthen them.
In the latter case, it is brought directly into the hole and mixed with the ground. Moreover, it is undesirable to store humus - over time, part of the nutrients and nitrogen in it is lost.
How to apply compost?
In pristine, nutrient-free soil, the top 5 cm always contains humus, organic compounds important for plants. When it is depleted, it is required to recreate a similar chemical composition.
This is done by digging the earth with the addition of compost to the bayonet of a shovel - just throwing it over the top will not be enough.
Moreover, the more thoroughly the compost is mixed with the soil, the less will be the process of its weathering, and the probability of losing valuable nitrogen will decrease.
For 1 sq. m enough 6-8 kg (2/3 buckets) of compost.
Adding finished compost
For each culture, the time of its introduction may vary. So, under fruit trees, it is brought into the area of \u200b\u200bstem circles closer to mid-September. It is necessary to do this on half a bayonet of a shovel. In this case, part of the compost will already be absorbed by the plant since autumn, and it will be better prepared for winter.
In early spring, when digging is still difficult, the fruit crop will receive a new portion of the nutrients that are so necessary for laying the ovaries. Ornamental perennials fertilize in the ring or between rows.
Garlic and other bulbous, planted before winter, fertilize as follows. Compost is placed between the rows so that its action falls on the spring. Under ordinary beds, this fertilizer is dug up a couple of weeks before sowing or in autumn, in October. If the earth has already been dug up, you can simply compost into it with a chopper.
Like compost and ornamental plants. They can be mulched, for example, roses. It will not only gradually supply them with nutrients, but also restrain the growth of weeds. Plus, it keeps moisture in. Do this only in spring or summer. Before winter, it is better to remove the compost so that the roots of the flowers do not overripe.
Freshly made compost is always supersaturated with nitrates, so plant in this place after it has been introduced into the soil in the first year. pumpkin culture or pepper. Unlike fresh greens, these plants are not able to accumulate harmful substances in fruits.
Excellent response to compost cabbage and celery. But do not plant on fresh humus cucumbers - they are not afraid of manure, but on compost they will suffer greatly from powdery mildew.The following year, any crop can be grown on the plot.
How to make quality compost
Making a compost box with your own hands: a description of the main technical points, recipes for making compost (50 Photos & Videos) + Reviews
great and affordable advice!
Thank you. Good topic covered.
Please try :)
The simplest compost bin is a mesh pipe with a polyethylene sleeve inserted inside. Height optional, I do 150cm. During the summer, I fall asleep mowed grass, organic kitchen waste, manure. In the autumn I close and leave for 2-3 years. In the spring I make a new pile in a convenient place according to the same principle. For 3 years, everything is overheated, both roots and seeds.