In most cases, an inexperienced gardener believes that it is quite enough to get excellent harvest. In reality this is not the case at all. We offer you an article that tells you how to properly combine compost and fertilizers rich in potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and nitrogen. For full harvest timely application of mineral complex mixtures is necessary.
Apple trees and pears and plums - let them fruit trees will become one of the primary consumers of compost. Adding compost to them is one of the best ways to quickly get an excellent harvest.
The best option is regular one-season country compost with the addition of toilet waste, that is, with a fairly high nitrogen content. Such compost can be applied in small quantities, several buckets under an adult tree (several bags or wheelbarrows would be required of crumbly humus).
Compost preparations and waste composting
Particular attention should be paid to items such as compost preparations. It is much better to apply them in the fall, in mid-September, but it is also possible in the spring. This procedure is especially necessary if composting waste is carried out, which is poor in many microelements.
Pour buckets of compost into different places near the trunk circle, level it a little (it is not necessary for the compost to lie evenly over the entire surface, it is quite enough to apply it in “pockets”). Here, on the spot, you can chop the compost a little with a shovel so that it mixes better with the soil. Then we dig it in half the length of a shovel (such minor damage to the roots does not harm the tree, it can be compared to lightly pruning branches).
Species compost
The method is based on the fact that for some of our selected crops (the most important or the most problematic) we compose a separate species compost only from plants that are friendly to them.
For example, for potatoes, rowan berries, tops of corn and all legumes, beets, cut old strawberry bushes (garden strawberries), as well as withered marigolds. For the apple tree - compost from tansy and tops of cucumbers and pumpkins. For tomatoes - from rotten pine needles, carrot tops and garlic. This is just an example; any gardener is able to develop his own unique recipe, as long as it makes the crop resistant to diseases or pests. Of course, all this will affect the background of the same uniquely precise system of fruit replacement in the beds for each crop - there is the same wide field of possibilities here.
Enriched compost
Compost can easily turn out to be depleted of some important nutrient for plants or soil. It could be nitrogen, or it could be magnesium. It is always good to enrich the prepared organic matter with some conventional additional fertilizers, where one or another element is in concentrated form. Some fertilizers contain several elements at once. You can get by with literally handfuls of fertilizer, and the effect will increase greatly. Well, if you overdo it, the soil will correct everything: everything in it will then be mixed and absorbed.
Organics work best when combined with mineral fertilizers, - this is an example of our enrichment principle. Just don’t blindly pour any mineral water into the compost, but select only environmentally friendly and truly necessary ones.
Application of phosphorus fertilizers
Correct application of phosphorus fertilizers stimulates the formation of ovaries and accelerates the fruiting period. In crop production, in general, it is recommended that all phosphorus fertilizers be first composted with organic matter (through manure compost or any other). You just need to make sure that the concentration of fertilizer salts does not curtail the activity of compost microbes. Superphosphate and nitrophoska do not need to be added to the compost, but with less soluble phosphorus fertilizers - phosphate rock, ash, etc.
It is well known that phosphorus in the soil tends to form strong insoluble compounds that are difficult for plant roots to access. A significant part of it is firmly in bound state. It happens that there is a lot of phosphorus in the soil, but the plants do not have enough of it. To solve the problem, it is often enough to add organic fertilizer - the same compost - in the presence of which this element enters into the active life of the soil. Phosphorus is introduced into circulation by microbes. All agronomists know this: it is desirable for phosphorus in the soil to be “closer” to humus, to decaying plant residues, then it is more soluble and available to plants. Therefore, when composting, they try to add to manure or garden compost phosphorus fertilizer that was going to be applied to the site: it is better not to dig it up separately in the beds or tree trunks, but first let it lie down and combine with organic solutions. It is useful to lightly water this compost.
Usually they use phosphorus fertilizers such as phosphate rock, ash, bone meal (sold in powder form, but we already have a homemade one from the oven).
It turns out that those who like to heat a country bathhouse, as well as those who like barbecue or shish kebab, can fully provide their plantings with phosphorus from the ash and bones burned during the year. Even if you have a rarely operating garden stove, composting will proceed at a higher level, because the best is enriched compost (even if it is small, it is concentrated and can be distributed over large number plants).
Bulk phosphorus fertilizers are sprinkled on the compost occasionally and little by little, as if “salting a pie.” Let the box with ash or phosphate rock stand next to the composter (covered with a lid, of course). And so as to create whole layers of ash or phosphate rock, - this is excessive, creating sharp changes in the environment, for example, in acidity and alkalinity.
If you add similar sources of phosphorus to the compost, then you can also add special microbes that break down phosphorus compounds; they are sold in garden centers(phosphorobacterin, etc.). These microbes are not found in all soils, and if you settle them in your plantings and buy a preparation for dilution in water or sawdust and scattering over the beds, then a small part of it can be sent to live in compost. The microbe will find food there, breaking down fish remains, eggshells and other “organic phosphates.”
Fertilize with potassium?
Let's try to answer in detail the question of whether or not to fertilize the prepared compost with potassium. Compost in general is well supplied with potassium (as are most clay soils). But fertile soil is one in which there is a supply of all nutrients, so additional potassium in the compost will not hurt. The source of potassium is liquid potassium humates, ash, and green garden potassium soap. There is enough ash, it contains a lot of soluble potassium. Potassium is the most soluble of the nutrients, so it leaches easily from both soil and compost. If the compost has been washed by rain for a long time, it has probably lost some potassium and its content needs to be increased.
Additional potassium usually ends up in the compost by itself when ash is added to it (it contains about 20-30% potassium compounds) or liquid humates of the full composition NPK, which are added for the sake of nitrogen or microelements. Therefore, some purely potash fertilizers there is no special need to add it to compost. But if you pour the remaining solution of green garden soap into the compost (it is used for spraying against pests), then this will actually enrich the compost with pure potassium.
Fertilize with nitrogen?
In principle, there is no other answer to the question of whether to fertilize with nitrogen or not, except in the affirmative. Those who approach composting with strict standards, as an art, ensure that the ratio of nitrogen to carbon in it is strictly defined (1:30), so that the amount of nitrogen does not exceed its limits. Up to 99% of the total nitrogen in the soil will eventually be concentrated in humus, no matter how much it is added. Plants are planted on ready-made, well-prepared soil brought to fertility, and not in any kind of substrate, and then hastily managed with the help of “proper compost,” it is very useful to increase the nitrogen content in the compost several times. For this there are bird droppings, humates, feces and, finally, urea (for autumn application).
How to use nitrogen fertilizer in compost?
The easiest way is to water the top of our decaying plant materials with a nitrogen-containing fertilizer solution. The difficulty is this: wet compost - and properly prepared compost is always wet - almost does not absorb new moisture, it lets all of it down into the ground. Layers of earth or turf, as well as peat, will serve as a barrier and a good reservoir of nutrient solution.
You can do it differently: wait for the next time the compost is dried and moisten it not with water, but with a nutrient solution. Dilution according to instructions as for fertilizer or feeding or even weaker. Strong concentrations can inhibit microorganisms. Moisten from a watering can with pauses in small doses, “like dew,” allowing the solution to absorb into the organic matter.
Bird droppings can be applied in layers, or just before adding compost to the beds, chopping and mixing it with the droppings. The same applies to fresh manure(for example, in the park along the alleys you can collect fresh horse manure from walking horses in a bag - for gardeners this is real manna from heaven as a nitrogen supplement for ripening compost).
Fertilizer with potassium and magnesium
In many soils middle zone there is not enough calcium and magnesium, which are necessary for plants in significant quantities (peat bogs, marshy soil, soddy-podzolic soil, podzolic, floodplain).
In addition, on acidic soils it is desirable to enhance the deoxidizing properties of compost (in general, compost by itself already somewhat eliminates soil acidity, but not strongly enough). To do this, it is most convenient to add dolomite flour to it; it contains calcium and magnesium approximately equally. Fertilizing with potassium and magnesium by adding them to the compost mixture gives excellent results.
You can do two things: either mix with dolomite flour all the finished compost before adding it to the ground, or add flour little by little as the compost accumulates (it is permissible to gradually pour a 2-kilogram bag into a medium-sized compost box (70 x 70 cm); it does not create such aggressive environment like ash).
Application of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer
The use of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer for preparing compost on summer cottage permissible in strictly dosed form. This micronutrient-rich mixture quickly breaks down all waste. If we also add a solution of specialized fertilizer containing a full range of microelements, it will turn out to be a “restaurant dish”. If desired, you can find pure microelements on sale in the form of a solution or tablets. Some brands of liquid humates are also very convenient, which, in addition to the main nutrition NPK, contain a complete or close to complete composition of microelements (then there is no need to additionally enrich the compost with nitrogen-potassium additives, but phosphorus additives will not hurt).
Fertilizers can also contain calcium, magnesium, iron, sulfur - they are not so deficient (especially since in the strict sense they are not microelements). We add calcium and magnesium with dolomite flour, there is already an excess of sulfur in any organic matter, and there is already a lot of iron in most soils in the middle zone.
How to make a solution with microelements?
It is necessary to ensure that the solution of microelements does not flow completely into the soil. It is more advisable to first pour the bottle into a dry substrate poured into a basin, say, sawdust or just dry soil, stir until it is wet and loose - and then sprinkle the compost with it.
It is generally accepted that ash, manure, and bird droppings, by definition, contain all the microelements necessary for plants, since they themselves are prepared from plants (according to logic: if the plant has already grown, it means that it contains all the microelements necessary for its construction, and if it is then burn, then they will all remain in ash, and if the plant turns into manure, then trace elements will also be in it...). There may be some loss of trace elements. For example, when burned, some of them will evaporate along with the smoke, some will be absorbed by the cow itself and will not end up in the manure, some will bind into strong compounds with phosphorus or something else, some will be washed out by rain or go into solution during fermentation... Only one of them can fall out. This is the most malleable microelement. Therefore, in gardening practice, it does not hurt to once again add the rarest microelements in the form of fertilizer. And the best way to do this is through compost, so that they are accompanied by humus substances and thus remain accessible to plants in the soil.
You can come across an erroneous term: due to incorrect translation of Western literature, it has become almost customary to call trace elements “minerals”. Whereas in the understanding, a mineral, as is known, is a rock: quartz, mica, etc., and when our soil scientists and agronomists say “mineral part of the soil,” they mean sand and clay, which is crushed rock. Therefore, it is incorrect to call trace elements minerals. Or rather, at least in the old fashioned way with “thumps” - it is important to mean true things.
Black "gold" organic farming can rightfully be called compost.
Compost(from Latin compositus - composite) is a collective name that combines organic fertilizers, which are obtained as a result of the decomposition of various organic substances under the influence of the activity of microorganisms. Don't be alarmed, it's not that complicated. Simply put, compost is well-rotted organic matter of all shapes and types.
Garden compost is good and beneficial in every sense. For the summer resident, this saves effort, money and time on purchasing other fertilizers, on watering and weeding, as well as on garbage disposal, since garden and kitchen waste will go straight to compost heap.
For plants, compost added to the soil- this is wonderful organic fertilizer, saturated essential microelements and humus. For the soil - a natural conditioner, a means of improving the structure of the soil, which has a loosening and moisture-saving effect.
Spread in a layer on the surface of the soil, compost is an excellent organic mulch that suppresses weed growth and helps retain moisture at plant roots. The living inhabitants of the dacha also appreciate the compost heap. This is an excellent “dining room” for birds and small insectivorous animals, as well as a place for mass habitat and breeding of earthworms, which (along with bacteria and fungi) actually decompose organic matter. They are the “chief cooks” of this “food” for plants.
It is no exaggeration to say that producing and using your own compost makes the life of a gardener much easier and makes a wonderful contribution to environmental protection.
How to make your own compost?
Making compost is a whole science. Morally obsolete expression“compost pit” very incorrectly reflects the meaning of this structure in the garden. Not a pit, but a heap, that would be more accurate. After all, the most important thing for ideal composting is access fresh air and the absence of decay process. What happens in any pit, including a compost pit? Right. We will leave the reader to imagine this not very pleasant picture for himself.
So, let's prepare proper compost.
The place for the compost heap is chosen away from housing, in the shade. It is better if it is under a canopy and near a source of water that is needed for irrigation. The maximum height of the heap is 1.5-1.7 m, width - about 2 m, length can be arbitrary.
It is better to have 2 compost heaps: the 1st with the current year’s filling, the 2nd with the past, with mature and usable compost.
If there is enough space on the site, the optimal solution would be to build 3 compartments. Freshly collected compost, semi-ripe and mature - are then placed side by side. When the compost pile is used up, it can be collected and stacked again.
Basic materials for preparing composts: any nitrogen-rich organic materials: peat, manure and bird droppings, grass clippings, tops and hay, sawdust and fallen leaves, kitchen waste (vegetable remains). Green grass and tops must be dried out, otherwise instead of a compost heap you will end up with a silage pit, and that is not what we need.
In small quantities, nitrogen-poor organic materials can be added to the compost - pine needles, twigs, straw, wood waste, shredded paper and cardboard. Adding legumes, on the contrary, will enrich the compost with nitrogen.
Food waste is also composted: tea and coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells. Meat trimmings, food scraps and dairy products can also be used. But in this case, they need to be embedded deeper: this will avoid unpleasant odors. Only rodents like such smells, but their invasion is very undesirable.
Not everything is compostable. Synthetics, glass and plastic should not be placed in the compost heap. It is also better to avoid hard-to-rot organic matter: these can be bones, lard and fat. Boiled kitchen waste is just as unsuitable as meat trimmings—they emit an unpleasant odor, attracting harmful insects. Sick plants and established weeds will infect the compost heap with their problems - so they should not be composted either. In addition, citrus fruits are unsuitable for composting, as they oxidize the composted material, making the pile unattractive to earthworms.
Before laying compost, you need to prepare a place for it: loosen the soil, select soil to a depth of 10 cm (it is then used to cover the pile). In order to avoid stagnation of liquid, drainage must be laid as the first layer. In normal or heavy soil, it is better to use chopped branches as drainage. For light and sandy soils, loose, easily absorbed material, such as peat, sawdust or straw, 15-30 cm thick can be placed at the bottom of the heap. The height of the following layers can be from 5 to 25 cm. The total height of the compost heap is no more than 1-1.5 m.
The collected, well crushed and mixed residues are laid in layers 15-20 cm thick. You should alternate layers of dry brown matter (straw, hay, branches, bark, paper, peat, fine soil, humus, bark) and lush green material (cut grass, tops, turf, moss, weeds, food waste, manure). Compost additives are laid between the layers.
Thin layers of soil or ready-made humus (2.5-5 cm) will provide an abundance of decomposer bacteria and the absorption of water and gases that can extinguish the decay process.
The top layer should always be covered with soil (or any plant material). In dry weather the pile will need to be watered.
It may take from 3 months to 1-2 years to transform organic material into a homogeneous crumbly mass of dark brown color.
It takes at least 6 months to prepare compost from mown grass. lawn grass, in which selective herbicides have accumulated.
The compost into which feces are dumped is kept for at least 2 years, as they contain helminth eggs, and they must be neutralized at high temperatures, and for a long time. Alas, modern life is such that a person stuffs his body too much a large number all kinds of chemistry. Pouring out the contents cesspool on the compost heap, you need to remember that feces are dangerous due to the accumulation of heavy metals, as well as biologically toxic active substances(hormones, antibiotics and their degradation products).
Good compost should be neither too dry nor too wet. Whether the compost is ripe can be determined very simply: sow nasturtium seeds through a sieve, lightly press them and moisten them. After 3-4 days, most of the seeds should germinate. The strong green leaves of nasturtium are a sign of mature compost.
Compost is used as an independent organic fertilizer for digging the soil or in the form of mulch at any time of the year and for any crops.
A compost heap in the garden is not a very cheerful sight. But you can also use this moment to your advantage. To decorate the compost heap, you can plant Jerusalem artichoke, sunflower, corn or amaranth around it. You can plant a pumpkin - the summer resident is guaranteed large fruits. Lining the compost bin with boards will make it look a little more attractive.
A leading American expert on compost and plant pathology, H. Hoitink, states: “Two to three centimeters of compost will protect plants from pathogens, especially those susceptible to disease, better than a proprietary fungicide.”
Every knowledgeable gardener dedicates to compost special place, since the latter is the creator and source of vitality of plants and their main natural fertilizer. Plant health and future harvest directly depend on the quality and structure of the compost. If this mixture is prepared correctly, the gardener will not need to use fertilizers. This article will tell you what compost is and how to prepare it.
Compost - what is it?
Compost is an indispensable component fertile soil in any garden and the most accessible fertilizer in every sense, which is obtained from plant residues. If prepared correctly, it will not only meet the needs of plantings nutritional components, accelerating growth, but will also significantly improve its looseness, and how it can absorb and retain moisture.
Compost in a country house or garden is a one-of-a-kind natural organic fertilizer produced by fermentation, which is provided by earthworms and bacteria.
The production of this fertilizer takes place in compost heaps or compost bins . They can be built simply as a hole in the ground, but the best option would be a specially equipped place. This is usually a closed or open type or a box with access inside.
Sometimes gardeners are interested in what “American style” compost is. This is usually a bucket into which food waste is placed and diluted with the soil. As the mass is filled, it is transferred to a large container or poured into the main compost bin.
Conditions for compost
All organic substances that can decompose are allowed to be added to the compost heap. These include, among other things, hay and straw. You should not add fresh feces to the compost, because they are composted separately, mixed with peat and soil, for at least several years.
So that the microorganisms that ensure fermentation can process everything that is added to the compost heap, and then produce humus from it, certain conditions, since they require adequate nutrition to function. They receive carbon from plant waste, and they must be provided with nitrogen by appropriate additives, which are animal manure.
Cow manure is added about twenty percent of the volume of the entire heap, and less concentrated poultry manure is required. If there are difficulties with the availability of this ingredient, then it is replaced leguminous plants, young nettle or grass.
Preparation of compostane does not require such components as fertile soil saturated with microorganisms and fermentation stimulants. To create a more high-calorie composition, add fused phosphate or at the rate of six kilograms per cubic meter and potassium ( wood ash or in the amount of two kilograms per cubic meter.
When creating necessary conditions and the correct design of the composter, the heap warms up, accelerating the decomposition of the residues.
What compost is not made from
One of the popular hobbies among people is gardening and gardening. To successfully manage them, you must have certain skills, one of which is knowing how to prepare fertilizer for garden plants.
To obtain high-quality compost, it is important to understand what components should not be in it:
- plastics;
- fats;
- synthetic materials;
- bones;
- lard;
- meat and dairy waste.
The last three are undesirable because they smell bad and attract rodents. It is possible to add them in small quantities for quick rotting and in the very middle of the compost bin.
Remembering what compost is, you cannot make a garbage pit out of a heap by putting the following components into it:
- human feces and pet waste to avoid helminthic infections;
- rags, glossy paper, stones, bones, rubber, as they do not decompose in the compost bin;
- disinfectants and chemicals;
- food residues and waste of animal origin that cause rotting;
- plants affected by diseases and pests that must be burned;
- roots and stems with weed seeds, since they do not lose their germination during the process of overheating.
"Green" elements
The components of a compost heap can be divided into two categories:
- “green”, which contains a significant amount of nitrogen;
- “brown”, which has virtually no nitrogen, but includes a lot of fiber.
The green group includes kitchen waste, tops, bird droppings, hay legumes, green leaves, squeezes, various fruits. The processes of rotting of these components occur quite quickly and occur with heating and an increase in temperature inside. For the most favorable flow, it is necessary to properly prepare the raw materials.
To make herb compost, the greens and leaves are dried before adding to the compost bin. If this is not done, then the mass in the compost heap will become compacted and will not allow air to pass through, which will lead not to rotting, but to souring, and the result will be a toxic fertilizer. Layers of greenery are also layered with dry leaves and sawdust.
Hay is an excellent basis for compost, but you need to remember that each layer of it must be covered with ready-made humus or moistened with herbal tincture for faster growth of bacteria and, therefore, speeding up the composting process. Dried hay is watered with a solution of manure, kitchen waste or water.
Kitchen scraps and fruits are mixed with brown elements, and bird droppings are diluted with water.
The “brown” component of the compost heap
The brown category includes bark, seed husks, paper, and dry leaves. Also included are sawdust, corn cobs, straw, chaff, and manure. Compost containing these components acquires the necessary porosity, since they act as leavening agents and retain air and moisture.
The processes of overheating of these components are quite long and occur without the formation of heat. As they rot, the amount of nitrogen in the compost decreases slightly. Therefore, when forming a heap, brown ingredients should act as auxiliary layers that feed bacteria. A good way to support this process is to water the heap with urea in the proportion of one and a half to two kilograms per cubic meter of heap.
The most suitable manure for compost is straw or horse manure, worse - pork. When using the latter, it should be covered with straw, sawdust or husks, before laying, liming should be done in the ratio of a couple of kilograms per cubic meter of raw materials and kept until fully ripe.
Correct application of fertilizer
After the compost has matured and turned into organic fertilizer, it is important to use it correctly, for the benefit of the plants. The following advice can be given to gardeners:
- With ready-made compost mixed with ash, you can dig tree trunk circles young seedlings if they are weak and grow poorly. Mix a layer of earth about twenty centimeters.
- It is imperative to add compost under currant and gooseberry bushes, and between the rows of raspberry and strawberry bushes.
- Having previously added lime to the compost, the mixture is applied under the cabbage and cucumbers, mixing with a ten-centimeter layer of soil.
- Fertilizing the land in the fall can be done by adding unripe compost to the soil, covering these places with film for the winter so that valuable substances are not washed away by precipitation. By spring the fertilizer will ripen.
Composter dimensions
The ingredients for preparation are stacked in a certain way in the composter. If the laying is done correctly, the heap will not fall into the ground harmful substances, and also will not bother you with a strong unpleasant odor.
Therefore, maintaining the dimensions of the compost bin is sufficient important point, otherwise a comfortable temperature and humidity regime for compost maturation will not be created. The most acceptable dimensions of a composting bin are one and a half meters wide and about twenty meters high. The length is optional, but more than one and a half meters. A smaller pile will not be able to warm up well and will lose moisture quickly, which will slow down the ripening of the fertilizer.
It is also advisable to set up the composting site constantly in the same place. This will lead to the proliferation of the necessary microorganisms and their rapid colonization of new heaps.
How to set up a compost pyramid
Fertilizing the land in autumn has great value for maturation good harvest. Therefore, properly organizing a composter to obtain useful organic fertilizer is the task of any gardener.
- In a shaded area of the site, select an area for a composting bed and prepare it: level it, remove extraneous roots (especially weeds).
- Fence the area with boards, slate or shields.
- To ensure unhindered outflow of liquid, place drainage consisting of sand, gravel, or a fine grate or mesh at the bottom.
- Next, a layer of already matured last year's fertilizer is placed - it will become a source of bacteria for fermentation.
- The components for the bookmark need to be crushed with a shovel.
- The brown and green layers are laid alternately, not forgetting that the green mass should make up no more than a third of the total volume.
- Between layers you can add a little or fermentation stimulator.
- Closer to the top, the width of the pile should converge in a cone shape.
- The top of the pile is covered with straw or boards (for air access).
Fertilizer ripening conditions
Gardening and vegetable gardening are quite common, but to do it successfully you need to have some knowledge, including how compost matures.
Fermentation and ripening of compost lasts from several months to a couple of years, depending on the conditions created and the preparation of the components: the volume of the heap, the size of the crushed ingredients, the fermentation mode.
It is important that the temperature inside the heap reaches sixty degrees Celsius or higher, which will speed up the process of overheating and the death of pests. No less significant is sufficient air access and humidification of the components of the pyramid.
Tips for gardeners and gardeners on setting up a compost heap
Some tips for caring for your compost pyramid:
- With the onset of heat and drought, in the morning on a clear day, the pile must be watered abundantly with the addition of fermentation accelerators until all layers are wetted, which requires a lot of water.
- A couple of times a season, the pile needs careful shoveling of the layers.
- The compost heap left for the winter must be insulated - covered with humus or peat and covered with straw. IN next year this “lid” will be useful for the new pile.
- You can use compost only when it is mature, has a loose, homogeneous structure with the smell of wet earth and rotten leaves (without mold or mildew).
- You cannot set up a compost bin in a pit to avoid rotting due to stagnant water.
The article discusses what compost is, how to properly prepare and use it. This knowledge is important for people involved in gardening, since the fertility of the land and the abundance of the harvest depend on it.
Compost is a fertilizer of organic origin. This fertilizer is obtained from the decomposition of various organic products. To increase the effect of the fertilizer during the preparation of humus, it is watered with urea.
Fertilizer properties
When preparing fertilizer from biological mass, nitrogen, humus, potassium, phosphorus and other components are released, with the help of which the full growth and development of plants is ensured. If the compost preparation technology is fully followed, this leads to the neutralization of pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms.
The advantage of compost is that it is as accessible as possible to any gardener and gardener. This method of preparing fertilizers is quite simple, which allows anyone to do it. Fertilizer using urea is characterized by the presence of all necessary components for full plant growth and rich harvest.
Benefits of biomass
The preparation of fertilizer is carried out in such a way that soluble organic salts combine with organic substances, which limits the possibility of their leaching. Compost is characterized by the fastest and highest quality absorption of moisture. Humus also produces air exchange. Thanks to the presence of such properties, revitalization and saturation is produced useful microelements upper layers soil. Thanks to the presence of urea, the soil is saturated with nitrogen.
During the application of humus, a change in the structure of the soil is ensured. When using this fertilizer in clay soils, their loosening is ensured, as well as high-quality water exchange. When using humus in sandy soils, moisture retention and nutrients. Compost consists of a large amount of humus. This leads to the fact that the soil is saturated with beneficial inhabitants - beetles, earthworms, etc. When using fertilizer for garden crops Birds return to them and eliminate harmful insects.
Description of urea
Urea is a highly effective fertilizer that helps stimulate plant growth. That is why it is widely used when laying holes. Urea is an artificially synthesized substance, during the use of which the presentable appearance. The production of urea is carried out in the form of granules, which can have various shades of white and yellow flowers. The fertilizer is characterized by the fastest possible dissolution in various environments. In order for urea to dissolve, it must be provided with an optimal level of humidity.
Urea is a highly concentrated fertilizer that is 46 percent nitrogen. When this component interacts with enzymes produced by bacteria, urea is converted into ammonium carbonate. With high biological activity of the site, the transformation process lasts only a few days.
Methods for preparing humus
To ensure all the qualities described above, it is necessary to properly prepare the fertilizer. Today there are two bookmarking methods compost pit, which enjoy a high level of popularity. The filling of the pit can be done using the hot or cold method. The choice of a particular one directly depends on the preferences of the summer resident.
Using the slow method
Summer residents claim that if you use a slow method of preparing the substrate, this will make it possible to obtain the highest quality fertilizer, rich in various mineral components. This method requires the use of a compost pit, the depth of which is at least one and a half meters. When choosing a site for a pit, you must give preference to the most dry area.
Organic matter must be poured into the pit in layers. You can use a variety of food products, green mass, and small branches. The main component in the preparation of humus is manure. It is best to give preference to waste from horses, cattle or chicken manure. It is necessary to lay soil between the layers. The resulting compost is used several years after the pit is laid. The basis of this natural method is the processes of decay. If you want to get a ready-made substrate in the spring, then you need to water it with urea as the heap dries.
Ready cold humus is characterized by a homogeneous mass, as well as a pronounced smell of fresh soil. If you start mixing the biomass, it will crumble. If there is an unpleasant odor, there is no doubt that rotting processes are incomplete.
Using the shortcut
To use this method of preparing fertilizer, it is necessary to build a compost pit that has closed type. Drainage of straw, hay or dry grass is placed at the bottom of the pit. The drainage layer must be at least ten centimeters. A variety of organic materials are laid on top. They should be laid in layers. After laying out hard, dry materials, it is necessary to lay out soft and wet ones, which will ensure their fastest and highest quality decomposition.
How to improve productivity?We are constantly receiving letters in which amateur gardeners are worried that due to the cold summer this year there will be a poor harvest of potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other vegetables. Last year we published TIPS on this matter. But unfortunately, many did not listen, but some still applied. Here is a report from our reader, we would like to recommend plant growth biostimulants that will help increase the yield by up to 50-70%.
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To speed up the composting process, each layer is laid with additional organic matter in the form of rotted manure, peat, and excrement of herbivores. It is also necessary to carry out regular watering with urea. It is strictly forbidden to compact the layers, as this may negatively affect the rate of decomposition. To ensure rapid decomposition, it is necessary that the inside of the pit be very warm. That is why the compost pit is covered with polyethylene, which has small holes for ventilation. It is recommended to loosen the contents of the compost pit with a pitchfork twice a month.
In order to ensure the required level of humidity, it is necessary to regularly water the biomass. In this case, you need to ensure that the contents of the pit are not waterlogged. If you follow the rules of composting, you will be able to obtain fertilizer within a few months.
Varieties of methods
Composting is divided into several types, depending on the method of laying the components. The most commonly used compost pit. This type is used for cold composting. The disadvantages of the pit are the accumulation of water, difficulty in accessing oxygen and the difficulty of mixing the biomass.
You can also use the pile to make compost. The components are located above the ground surface. The opportunity to mix the contents as conveniently as possible is provided. The gardener can also monitor the rotting temperature. To avoid waterlogging of the heap as a result of precipitation, it is covered with colored polyethylene film.
You can also use a special box or container for composting. This method is characterized by the highest quality heat retention, which contributes to the rapid decomposition of biomass. The compost container is characterized by mobility, which allows it to be installed in any convenient place. When using this device, it is ensured reliable protection compost from exposure to precipitation.
When using this method, compacting the biomass is strictly prohibited. Its subsidence will be gradual. If there is a sour, pungent odor, the humidity level is reduced. Regardless of the composting method used, to speed up the process of decay of the pit elements, it is regularly watered with urea.
Allowed Composting Items
The most common form of compost is the use of fallen leaves and grass clippings. Also, when laying a hole, the use of bird droppings or manure from domestic animals is allowed. A fairly useful component of the fertilizer is eggshells, which have not been previously subjected to heat treatment. If you have scraps of raw fruits and vegetables, they can also be placed in the compost bin.
Composting involves the use of peat, straw, and sunflower seed husks. If the cold composting method is used, then small branches can be laid. To prepare a compost pit, sleep coffee and tea are used. Wood shavings and sawdust will be quite useful in the pit. It can also accommodate feathers, natural fabrics, and paper. To ensure the fastest possible decay, it is necessary to water the contents of the pit with urea.
List of prohibited components
In order to obtain high-quality fertilizer, you need to know which products do not decompose and are not used in pits. The use of diseased plants is strictly prohibited. This is explained by the fact that after decomposition, pathogenic microorganisms will remain in the biomass, which will negatively affect the plants. When laying a compost heap, synthetic fabrics and materials are not used, since they are characterized by a rather long process of decay.
Experts do not recommend placing cuttings of vegetables and fruits that have previously undergone heat treatment into the pit. The same rule applies to eggshells. It is strictly forbidden to place perennial weeds in the pit, as they are characterized by rather long decomposition and can germinate if they get into the ground. Also, you should not use weeds that are characterized by the presence of ripened seeds. When laying a compost heap, do not use citrus peels.
Pile laying time
Many summer residents wonder when it is correct to lay the substrate? IN in this case There are no strict restrictions. The time for laying the hole directly depends on when the summer resident wants to receive the finished fertilizer and what method he uses for this. Most often, the laying of organic layers begins in the spring as they become available. In autumn, tops and leaves are placed on a pile.
If compost is laid in the autumn, then you do not need to worry about the timing of its rotting. On at the moment There are a huge number of drugs that are used to accelerate the decay process. To prepare quick humus, food products, soil and appropriate preparations are most often used - Baikal M1, Urgan, Tamir.
These solutions are used to moisten biomass. Despite the high effectiveness of these drugs, it would be more advisable to use urea. The duration of the decomposition process of organic matter directly depends on their size. Therefore, in order to obtain fertilizer in short terms All components of the heap must be crushed as thoroughly as possible.
Features of bookmark heap
Regardless of the method of laying waste, it is necessary to lay out a substrate at the bottom of the hole or heap, which consists of sawdust, straw, small branches and hay. The composting process is not an indiscriminate dumping of waste. This is a strictly executed technology. To ensure that waste rots as quickly as possible, it is necessary to choose the correct location for the heap. Most often, the pit is laid in a shaded place protected from the wind.
The size of the compost pit or pile should be from one and a half to two meters. The width of the pit should be no more than one and a half meters. It is not worth increasing the size of the pit, as this can lead to the death of beneficial bacteria. The pit is laid in layers. If waste is laid out on a heap, then its diameter should become smaller and smaller with each layer.
Layers are laid until the pile reaches the required height. Compost should contain nitrogen-rich substances. That is why urea, which contains a large amount of nitrogen, is used in most cases to lay pits. The final stage of the work is covering it with a layer of earth.
This will limit the possibility of the soil drying out. You can also use hay or straw for this purpose, which will provide air access and limit the possibility of weathering of the contents. In some cases, opaque polyethylene film is used for covering. In order to provide air access to the components, it is necessary to make small holes in the film.
Tips for preparing fertilizer
To ensure high quality compost during its preparation, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules. Waste decomposes in a heap according to a certain pattern. In the first twenty days, fiber decomposes in the components of the pit. This has beneficial influence bacteria and fungi. In a similar subsequent period, fungi are completely involved in the process of decay.
The longer the pit is preserved, the more intense the rotting process occurs in it. It is ensured due to the influence of various living organisms - wood lice, worms, etc. These insects contribute to the formation of humus, which has a beneficial effect on the quality of the fertilizer.
To ensure high-quality and rapid decomposition of the heap, it is necessary to add urea to it. It is diluted according to the instructions and used to water the pit. In order to ensure the correct effect of urea on the components of the heap, it is necessary that air circulates inside it.
Waste will decompose as intensively as possible only under conditions optimal humidity. For this purpose, the pit is regularly watered. In this case, you can use a urea solution, but no more than two times. If there is an excess of this substance, the fertilizer will have a detrimental effect on the plants.
Features of humus ripening
Heap components are decomposed only at maximum high temperatures. That is why active rotting of components is observed in spring and summer time. If the heap is bookmarked in warm time year, the fertilizer can be used after six months.
Initially, the formation of coarse mulch and rapid humus is observed, in which the components of the heap can be recognized. The finished humus is a crumbly brown mass that has the smell of fresh earth. IN ready-made fertilizer There are absolutely no traces of the original components. The quality of humus is determined by its moisture level - it should be average. In farming, it is important to remember that to ensure qualitative growth plants and a good harvest, it is necessary to use only completely decomposed fertilizer for cultivation.
Scope of application of fertilizer
Due to the universal properties of humus, it can be used in various fields of agricultural activity. Its most common use is as fertilizer. Humus is applied at any time convenient for the gardener. Thanks to the use of this fertilizer, it is possible to obtain fruits from the plot that are characterized high quality. During the period of application of the fertilizer, it is ensured high level resistance of crops to pests and diseases.
Using humus with urea, the soil is mulched. To do this, it is necessary to use material with not completely rotted components. When using this material, it is necessary to take into account that it may contain weed seeds, which germinate when they enter the soil. That is why many summer residents recommend using fully prepared humus for the procedure.
The material can also be used as biological fuel. It is most often used in greenhouses where seedlings are grown annual plants. With the help of this material, optimal temperature is ensured, as well as fertilization of young plants.
To ensure proper growth of various crops, it is necessary to apply fertilizers with urea. Ideal option is humus. It is prepared in special pits using household and agricultural waste. To speed up the process of preparing fertilizer, urea is used. This is a highly effective substance that raises the temperature. Thanks to the universal composition of urea, rapid plant growth and rich harvests are ensured.
Maturation of the compost heap
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Many subtleties and differences in the composition of country fertilizers lead to confusion in the names. Often this situation occurs around compost and humus. Many gardeners believe that these are one and the same thing: rotted garbage and plants. But upon closer examination of the components and manufacturing methods, it becomes clear that one type of fertilizer is different from another.
Preparing humus
Externally, humus is a loose, homogeneous mass, brown in color. It has a slight scent of forest floor. If ammonia notes are felt, this indicates incomplete ripening. To prepare high-quality humus, two types of raw materials are used: fallen leaves and manure.
The purpose of leaf humus is to improve the structure of the soil; it is not considered as an independent fertilizer. To prepare it use plastic bag or a special plastic container with ventilation holes. Fallen leaves are collected in a prepared container and moistened with water. The bag is pierced with an awl in several places. Place in the shade and leave to rot until spring. In spring and summer period Check the humidity and water if necessary. In the fall, the finished product is poured into a storage container.
For manure humus they make wooden box with lid. They lay the raw materials and cover them with roofing felt, slate, black film. To protect against flooding, an additional canopy is built. Leave for 2 years. Finished product should decrease in volume by three times. To speed up the maturation of a manure heap and quickly prepare humus, you can spill it with stimulating EM preparations. The slow method of preparing humus helps to obtain an excellent fertilizer that can be used for any garden and garden crops. Use in sandy soils helps retain moisture, and use in clay soils increases looseness and fertility.
Preparation of compost fertilizer
Compost, unlike humus, is made from a wide variety of food and plant waste, so it has many nutritional elements. Many gardeners wonder how to make compost correctly, but the fact is that every experienced gardener has his own manufacturing tricks. Compost preparation is divided into two methods: slow and fast, both of which have their own characteristics and secrets.
How to make compost in a fast way: for production you will need wooden or plastic box, stimulants, raw materials from plant waste and food waste. The supporting structure can be not only boxes, but also holes dug in the ground. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the future compost heap: large branches, spruce branches, sunflower stems, hay. Layer thickness is approximately 10 cm.
They begin to lay the raw materials in such layers, making sure that dry components alternate with wet ones, and soft ones with hard ones, since it is necessary to make compost loose, with easy access of air.
Each layer of garbage is spilled with a stimulating drug, mullein infusion or herbal decoction green manure plants. They are also sprinkled with a layer of soil from the garden, or old ready-made compost. This determines how long it will take to mature. To maintain temperature regime, the compost heap is covered with insulating material: roofing felt, linoleum, black polyethylene, since compost can be prepared without maintaining internal heat impossible. The pile must warm up for the fermentation process to begin.
How to make compost in a slow way to prepare high-quality fertilizer: for production, dig a small hole, 30 cm deep. Shredded plant debris is poured into it: tree branches, logs. Cover with soil on top and leave for 2-3 years. Compost prepared in this way will become extremely useful feeding for the garden.
Raw materials for preparing fertilizer
Before making compost, you need to study the list of products allowed for use as raw materials. Pre-grinding large items helps to quickly prepare fertilizer.
You can add the following to your compost heap:
- garbage from the kitchen in the form of leftover fruits and vegetables, cereals and cereals, tea leaves and coffee grounds;
- dried grass, hay, wood shavings;
- branches of bushes and trees;
- rotted manure, leaves, grass;
- algae and bottom silt;
- natural fabrics and paper;
- dried green manure plants (alfalfa, clover);
- weeds before the seeds ripen.
- animal bones;
- green leaves, weeds with seeds;
- garbage containing contaminated particles;
- fresh manure;
- pet feces;
- plants treated with pesticides;
- tops of potato and tomato crops;
- land taken near an anthill;
- waste of non-natural origin (glass, plastic products).
How long the compost will take to mature depends on the correctness of the raw materials used. The use of EM drugs will help shorten the process to 3 months, otherwise it will take 1.5–2 years.
To ensure air circulation, the compost is dug up and shaken several times with a pitchfork, and regularly pierced with a stick in several places to the very bottom.
If there is an unpleasant odor rising from the heap, wood shavings or hay are added to it to dry it and stop the putrefactive processes caused by high humidity heaps.
Arrangement of the place
A compost heap can be made in different ways, but they are all united by common rules:
- The location for the site is chosen to be dry, but not sunny. In the spring, water should not accumulate in it, which washes away beneficial organisms and stops the fermentation process. The shade is designed to protect the raw material from drying out.
- The best neighbors for a heap are alder and birch, but you should not place it next to coniferous and evergreen trees.
- Before you make compost, you need to make sure it is available. Raw materials should be easily and quickly removed from the box or pit.
- Regardless of the type, the structure can be closed or open. A closed pit or box is equipped with a lid and wrapped with film or covering material.
- The compost mass must have free access earthworms. They process waste, completing its maturation. Special enzymes contained in their stomach speed up the processes several times.
When using a box, it is important to make its walls non-solid. The gaps between the boards will provide the flow of fresh air necessary for fermentation. When making a pit, it is necessary to protect the raw materials from plant roots. To do this, the walls of the recess are lined with boards, old pieces of slate and roofing felt.
The difference between humus and compost lies in the composition of the raw materials; cooking processes; and how long it will take to prepare them. Compost is waste, conditionally divided into a nutrient medium for microbes, and nitrogen-containing components, which provide them with the necessary atmosphere for fermentation. Humus is rotted manure or leaves that are transformed naturally, without additional components. Regardless of the differences, both ingredients are extremely valuable for plants, improve the structure of the soil and increase its fertile properties.