How to prepare compost in the country without any problems

What to make

Many gardeners prefer to prepare compost on their own, as this is not only economical in terms of time and money, but also reduces the amount of hassle, which is always abundant on the site. In order to understand what from what and how to make fertilizer correctly, it is important to understand how the procedure for its formation occurs. In fact, composting is a natural process of decomposition of organic waste. During the fermentation process, a fertile, loose composition is obtained that is suitable for any soil. The most common way to make compost with your own hands is to collect leftovers from the kitchen and waste from organic matter in one heap. After that, bacteria start to work, which will process the "yesterday" borscht and fallen leaves in humus. Composting can usually be done in different ways, however, the whole process is reduced to using the aerobic or anaerobic method.

What to make garden "gold" with your own hands:

• cut grass;
• foliage that falls in autumn;
• cattle and bird droppings;
• peat residues;
• brewing and coffee;
• shells of eggs, provided that they have not undergone heat treatment;
• peel and residues of raw vegetables and fruits;
• thin branches;
• straw, sawdust and shells from seeds;
• shredded paper or cardboard.

Not recommended for compost:

• vegetable peel after cooking or frying;
• diseased leaves and branches;
• weeds;
• citrus peel;

Thus, compost waste is divided into two types: nitrogenous (manure and bird droppings, grass, raw vegetables and fruits) and carbonaceous (fallen leaves, sawdust, finely chopped paper or cardboard). When preparing a compost heap with your own hands, it is important to adhere to a 5: 1 ratio, that is, most of it consists of brown components, which are the basis for the nutrition of beneficial bacteria. One part of the heap is green waste. To speed up the process, shredded paper, corn and sunflower shoots, sawdust, dry foliage and grass are used as brown components.

Green components are essential for beneficial microbes, and they decompose quickly. Lack of green part can lead to lengthening of the composting time. If you overdo it with the green part, then the heap will be unpleasant to "smell" of ammonia (rotten eggs). Leftovers of meat and fish products should not be included in the compost in the country, as it takes more time for them to decompose, and there will be an unpleasant smell around.

How to make

The balance of the components is the golden rule at the stage when you are ready to make garden "gold" in the country with your own hands. A properly folded pile gives off the smell of fertile soil, but if you hear an unpleasant smell, then you need to add brown residues. For the process of processing residues to start, the temperature in the center of the heap must reach 60-70 degrees. You should feel warmth from it, but if it seems cool to the touch, then you need to add greenery.

The second important rule of the compost heap is constant moisture.It should be like a damp "rug", but not wet. If you notice that a crust is forming, then you need to add a little water. The aerobic process of composting requires a constant supply of oxygen, therefore the heap must be turned over frequently. The more often you stir the compost, the faster the finished fertilizer will ripen. You can prepare compost correctly in the country in a quick and slow way. Novice summer residents usually use the first option.

This requires a special box made of wood or plastic, where all the components will be laid. If there is no box, then you can use a pit with wooden logs. The main thing is that oxygen can flow freely from above and from the side to the contents. Layering components in layers or at random is up to you. Consider the option of laying the compost pit in layers:

• at the bottom it is necessary to put straw, hay or spruce branches to create a drainage layer;
• small branches of trees and waste of fruits that are not subject to heat treatment;
• a layer of shredded paper or cardboard;
• foliage;
• mowed grass and residues of annuals.

When laying, follow the rule - one layer is dry, the second is wet, and alternate soft waste with dense ones. To speed up the process, you can use nitrogen supplements, manure, dandelions and nettles. You can even cook with rotted manure or ordinary soil. To create a steam effect, the pit or box is immediately covered with foil or rags. It is required to turn the contents of the compost bin once or twice every thirty days. The slow method of composting requires almost the same steps for laying, only it will take several years to wait for the finished result, for which the quality of the finished material will be much better.

Video "How to make compost in the country"

In this video, you can hear and see how to compost in the country.

Where to lay

To prepare it in the country, you will need to prepare a place where all the components will be laid. Typically, a box or pit in the backyard is used for this. Non-rotten boards and planks are suitable for making a box. It is important that there is no rot, paint or oil residue on the wood surface. The best option is not edged pine in the form of a board or bar. It is this material that will allow you to make a solid and at the same time "budget" box.

When choosing a drawer installation, it does not matter whether the surface is flat or raised. It is advisable to prepare a place for the compost heap slightly above the ground level. Such a measure is necessary so that the soil is not washed away. Further, a large box must be made from a bar or board, while leaving gaps between the strips for oxygen access. We install the supports and three ready-made walls of the box in a permanent place. We make the fourth wall removable so that it is convenient to stir and extract fertilizer. At the bottom of the pit, you can put a sheet of old linoleum.

Practical use

The use of matured compost, if all the processes were done correctly, is already possible in 2-3 months. The substance should be crumbly, slightly wet and dark brown in color. If the mixture smells like earth, then the compost is ready. You can prepare and apply fertilizer throughout the year for almost all crops. It is used for planting trees, shrubs and perennials. A little compost does not place when planting vegetables in the hole. A thin layer on the surface of the lawn will be an excellent stimulator of the growth of lush and thick grass, and making compost with your own hands is not difficult at all.

Video "How to Make Good Compost"

In this video, you can hear tips for making good compost.