What is put in the compost pit. We prepare compost in the country: rules and technology for the manufacture of organic fertilizer. Making a compost pit with your own hands

Before starting the construction of a compost pit in the summer cottage, think about whether you need it and for what purposes. Such a facility performs the functions of recycling household organic waste. A compost pit will also come in handy in order to produce the fertilizer needed by the garden and vegetable garden, in case you are not going to plant green manure on your land to fertilize the soil.
You can, of course, put the waste, along with the remnants of vegetables and fruits, in bags, and then take it to the city garbage containers. But do not do this - it is environmental pollution. If you build on a summer cottage compost pit, you can recycle the vast majority of organic waste into a wonderful nutrient mix for your plants called compost. And waste time is not wasted.

The purpose of the compost pit

Each compost pit has a set of appropriate design features that depend on the needs for which it will be used. If you don't know where to throw your garbage, you may be interested in a nice bonus that you can get in a few years - valuable compost. Then you need to arrange a compost pit using the appropriate scheme.

Obtaining and using compost.

If you want to quickly prepare fertilizer from improvised materials, which can be leaves, mowed grass, manure, then the compost pit will have a different design. There are some requirements that must be followed when equipping a compost pit.

How to equip and use a compost pit?

When choosing a location compost pit try to take into account some pretty important points:

Arrange a pit at a distance of at least 25-30 meters from sources of drinking water - wells, wells, streams or other bodies of water.

In summer cottages with a slope, the pit is located at a level below the well.

Compliance with such precautions is necessary because otherwise the decomposed waste may end up in drinking water, which is dangerous and undesirable.

When building a pit, consider the wind rose so as not to poison yourself and your neighbors with unpleasant odors.

If you place the compost pit in an open sunny area, its contents will overheat. This will stop composting. Therefore, the best option would be to arrange a pit equipment on a site shaded by tree crowns.

The best place for a compost pit is a corner of the land adjacent to a fence or blank wall.

It is also necessary to decide which waste is placed in the compost pit, and which cannot be thrown into it.

Waste that can fill the compost pit

Raw vegetables, fruits, berries, tea, cereals, coffee, cleaning residues;
Hay, cut grass and straw;
foliage;
Branches, bark of trees, roots of shrubs and trees that need to be crushed a little;
weeds;
wood ash;
needles;
Napkins, cardboard, paper bags (paper must be natural) - all this is crushed;
Unpainted wood waste;
Second year herbivore manure.

How to fill a compost pit in a summer cottage.

What is forbidden to fill the hole?

Bones;
Pet experiments because they can have helminth eggs;
Insect pests and their eggs;
Plants affected by diseases (tops of tomatoes with late blight, pumpkin and powdery mildew, and others);
Plants from land plots that have been treated with herbicides;
Inorganic waste, which can be in the form of plastic, iron, rubber or synthetic fabrics.

All waste that cannot be composted is best incinerated or disposed of in if they are excrement.

Rules for sorting household waste for use in a compost pit.

Organic waste is processed by microorganisms and earthworms. Do not insulate all the walls of the compost pit that are below ground level, because if you dig a hole in the ground at a depth of 50 cm and then enclose it with impervious material, worms and microorganisms will not enter it. In this case, their own accommodation is necessary.

As can be seen from the above, the rules cannot be called complex, but they must be observed.

Set up a compost pit or pile

The most important thing during the construction of the compost pit is the necessary provision of good moisture and looseness in case you want the composting process to be of high quality. There are no specific recommendations on this subject.

Arrangement of a compost pit in a summer cottage.

To keep the compost heap moist, you can water it regularly, or cover it with a film that will create a steamy effect. The friability of the structure of the contents of the compost heap is supported by the fact that it is periodically crushed with a conventional pitchfork, or materials with different densities are laid in layers.

The optimal size of the compost pit

Width - no more than 1.5 meters;
Length - up to 2 meters;
The maximum height is 1.5 meters;
Deepen into the ground no more than 0.4 meters.

There are several different compost pit designs, which can match the preferences of any owners.

Compost pit with two sections

It takes about 2 years to rot and compost organic waste, unless you use the services of additional effective microorganisms along with those that are present in the soil on your site. In order to make the use of the pit more convenient, a two-section structure is constructed:

Fresh waste is placed in the first section;
The second section contains waste that is composted from last year.

Prepared in the second section compost they take it out and lay it out in the beds, where they want to improve and saturate the earth with useful substances. The compost pit can be enclosed on all sides by making it in the form of a box, but use only material that provides free access to air.

Wooden box for arranging a compost pit.

The box can be made from wooden fences, which are nailed with a small distance between them. At the same time, the contents of the pit will not rot and will not smell unpleasant. Such a compost pit can be built independently in just 1-2 days - the duration of work depends on the material chosen for fencing.

Compost pit with free access from the bottom of the structure:

Such a hole will perfectly replace the first option, because it does not require breaking into sections. Protect the pile 30 cm from the ground. Below is the accumulation of finished compost. If necessary, it is easily selected with a shovel and used to fertilize the garden.

The construction of such a pit is very convenient and causes little trouble. Constantly, when the compost is taken from below, the contents of the heap fall below, and occupy the vacated space, in parallel it is saturated with oxygen. No special loosening and throwing is needed.

Compost heap equipment

Not all summer residents like the artificial creation of unnecessary difficulties. The best way out of this situation is to do nothing, in which nothing is dug, fenced, divided. Only a certain place is chosen where organic waste is accumulated, gradually forming a heap.

Food waste for the compost pit.

If desired, this pile is watered with EM preparations, or covered with an opaque film to speed up the composting process. If you have nowhere to hurry, then you should not cover the pile - its contents will overheat on their own, it only takes time.

Use of plastic containers and barrels

Using plastic compost bins is convenient for those who do not spare money and want their compost pit to look presentable. The container is installed in any convenient place, since there is no risk of contamination of drinking water due to the tightness of the container. In addition, the tank has a special ventilation in order to prevent water from stagnating.

Using plastic barrels to make a compost pit.

When using this option, you need to know that it is necessary to use drugs that accelerate the decomposition of organic waste, or to move earthworms into the pit.

Self-construction of a compost pit

An example is a self-equipped compost pit in one of the summer cottages. If the structure is fenced on all sides, and has a height of one and a half meters, its contents must be shaken periodically, but this is a very inconvenient task. Therefore, it was decided to arrange two piles, or rather, one pile on two sides.

After choosing a good place - the corner of the site near the fence itself, they put organic remains in the corner. It is very good if the alternation of grass, manure and earth is made. At first, before the formation of a heap, a place for it is laid with branches of trees and shrubs.

Building a compost pit with your own hands.

When a heap reaches 1 meter in height, deep holes are made (several pieces), into which an EM preparation is poured (this can be Oksizin, EMochki, Bokashi). On the advice of experts, you can cover the compost heap with an impermeable film - this way it will maintain constant humidity and temperature, but not everyone does it. When covered with a film, the compost will be ready in 2-3 months, and for composting uncovered waste, it takes at least six months to a year.

You can not use EM drugs. California worms or prospector worms will do an excellent job. However, the use of worms has its drawbacks. Worms love heat, so they do not work in the cold month of the year. And it is enough for microorganisms that the temperature in the compost heap rises to only + 4 ° C.

It is necessary to water the pile with water from a hose during dry times. If it is necessary to obtain ready-made compost for transferring it to the beds, you can transfer the upper part of the heap to another place and select the humus that has accumulated at the bottom of the heap. After the humus runs out, waste is thrown back into this place.

When building a compost heap, it occurs to some summer residents to spread a plastic film on the ground, on which they then dump organic waste. They make such a design, believing that in this way there will be no washing out of useful elements into the soil. However, they are wrong, this cannot be done for the following reasons:

When the base of the compost heap is isolated from the ground, conditions are created that cause moisture to quickly evaporate from the heap. At the same time, moisture does not rise from the ground, despite the fact that even on hot days, thanks to a natural mechanism, moisture must rise from the depths of the earth upwards using special capillaries.

If the pile is isolated from the ground, this prevents the humus from washing out of the compost. Mineral fertilizers are washed out, since trace elements are combined with organic matter and are constantly in the upper soil layer.

But these properties are quite convenient for use in gardens - neither rain nor downpour is terrible. And while limiting the minor leakage that may still occur, pour a 10 cm layer of peat, which perfectly solves these problems: it prevents nutrients from leaking into the ground. Peat also allows groundwater to rise into the heap.

Requirements for a proper compost pit

If after reading the article you still have questions about building a proper compost pit, get advice - do not build it at all. Why?

The labor of dragging grass and other organic waste from one place to another can be considered unnecessary and meaningless work. When composting, carbon dioxide vapors are formed - this is an indispensable plant food, which mediocrely disappears on a heap, simultaneously acting on the nerves of you and your neighbors with an unpleasant smell.

Proper arrangement and use of the compost pit.

You may be called a weirdo, but it's better to lay out organic waste directly on the beds, where it overripes well and does not emit unpleasant odors. In addition, microorganisms will multiply in them right on the beds, earthworms will crawl, which will appreciate such an abundance of work for them. The cut grass can be used as mulch. Chop and lay branches in paths between rows, and scatter peelings from fresh vegetables and fruits in the garden.

This will allow:

Keep moisture in the beds;
Feed plants with carbon dioxide;
Do not allow weeds to germinate in the beds;
Engage in the preparation of compost in places where it is needed;
Prevent leaching of humus;
Reduce the amount of work.

The work proposed above for the implementation of organic and food waste is simple, not requiring additional skills or efforts.

A compost pit is a place where organic waste is disposed of. All garden waste here decomposes under the influence of microorganisms. This later becomes the basis for organic fertilizers. How make your own compost pit hands reviewed in this article.

Such heaps in some way are on every personal plot. These are ordinary heaps into which garbage is dumped. But such garbage can be turned into valuable fertilizer. To do this, you need to design the pits correctly or make special boxes. In this case, you can increase the amount of valuable fertilizer and the speed of its creation.

Making a compost pit correctly is quite easy, using improvised tools and building materials that can be found. in the country and any household plot.

Compost pit principles

Why make these pits and what is the use of them? In such pits, optimal conditions are created for the vital activity of microorganisms, bacteria and worms, which contribute to the speedy formation of compost and increase the rate of its formation. These organisms live under certain conditions:

sufficient humidity;
elevated temperature;
enough oxygen.

What is needed for all of the above conditions to be met.

The required volume of the compost facility must be at least 1 cubic meter. This will keep the temperature stable.
The gaps on the sides of the structure are made for the regular supply of oxygen to the inner layers of the compost heap.
The top cover must be removable so that moisture can flow in sufficient quantities.
The bottom of the structure should be on the ground so that worms and bacteria can get inside.
The front wall must be removable or discarded so that the finished compost can be removed.

Watch the video! Making a compost bin

For the manufacture of a compost pit, you can use those materials that are found in the summer cottage: the remains of slate, corrugated board, boards, mesh or car tires. It is possible to build a pit with more durable materials, for example, drive out of brick. Special structures made of plastic or metal are also sold, they are easier to install and transport.

Important! The compost pit should be installed at least 20 m from sources of drinking water. It is not permissible for water from the pit to flow towards the well or pool.

Choosing a place for a compost pit

The compost pit should not become a source of groundwater contamination. No need to make a hole in places where water stagnates.

Things to remember when choosing a place for a pit:

20 meters to places where drinking water accumulates. These are wells, wells, ponds. Be sure to make sure that rainwater does not drain in their direction from the compost pit.
10 meters to residential buildings. It is necessary to take into account the buildings of neighbors. Be sure to follow the direction of the wind so that the unpleasant smell does not overshadow the rest. An excellent location option would be the far corner of the garden so that the pit does not interfere and is not conspicuous.
Keep a distance from trees and shrubs so that they do not feed on decay products that fall into groundwater. This can damage both the plantings themselves and the fruits.
Partial shade would be a good place. The bright sun will dry out the contents too much, it will have to be constantly moistened.
In order not to spoil the external impression, the pit is installed in an inconspicuous place. It would be nice to lay a path to it so that you can bring filling to the pit on a wheelbarrow.

Advice! The compost pit can be decorated if desired. Plant climbing flowers or put up a fence.

Making a compost pit with your own hands

To make a compost pit with their own hands, they use improvised tools and materials that can be found in most yards. A good design will last a long time, helping to turn garbage and waste into fertilizer that will be useful to plants. There are several types of structures, consider the design of each of them and manufacturing options.

Compost pit in the soil

To create a compost pit in the ground, you must:

Choose the right place.
Remove the top layer of soil of arbitrary length, 1.5 m wide.
Go deeper by 0.5m.
Pour a sand cushion to drain excess water from the bottom.

Cut branches (for drainage and aeration of the heap);
Grass;
Dry leaves;
Sawdust;
Food waste;
Manure;
weeds.

Between the layers it is necessary to sprinkle earth or peat and spill water. If it is necessary to speed up the process, before laying all the contents, it can be chopped with a shovel.

The pile should rise a maximum of a meter from the ground, its total height will be 1.5m. From above you need to cover with something, you can slate. When the temperature is very high outside, it is necessary to pour water.

In just two seasons, the whole pile will turn into fertilizer under the most common conditions. This method is the most economical and simple.
Additionally, EM preparations can be used. In order to process waste for microorganisms in the pit, a temperature of +4 degrees is sufficient.

Board compost pit

A compost box is made from boards for ease of use and speed up the recycling process. Size 1 * 1.5m is the most convenient and suitable for these purposes.

Phased construction of the structure from the boards:

Location definition.
Markup.
Removal of the top layer of turf 10 cm thick.
In the corners it is necessary to dig in copper pipes, insert bars that will serve as supports. If necessary, they must be supported.
Wooden materials to be used are recommended to be treated with protective agents. When rotting, substances are released that will damage the boards.
It is necessary to choose boards that are stronger and fix them with self-tapping screws. Between the boards leave a distance of up to 5 cm, so that the air can pass into the pile.
A distance of approximately 30 cm is left below, so that ready-made fertilizers can be selected, and new ones will be reported from above.
As an alternative to boards, construction pallets are used. They can be connected to each other or disassembled into separate boards, from which to build a box.
It is necessary to take care that the pit is covered from heavy rainfall and bright sun. To do this, you can make a convenient cover on which to adapt the handle. It will be convenient to fix it on the back wall.

It is necessary to lay the contents there through the top, and from the bottom to get ready-made fertilizer. The procedure remains the same as when laying a hole in the ground.

Slate compost pit

One of the positive properties of slate is its strength. The material will not be affected by the rotting of the contents. You can choose the one that is convenient or available.

It can be both flat and sheet version.
How to make a composter:

Mark up and deepen the sheets prepared in advance. From the outside, they are fixed with a crate made of wood or metal.
A more durable option would be to use recessed metal pipes at the corners, to which a frame of bars is attached and sheathed with slate.

If there are wooden parts, they are covered with special means so that they do not rot under the influence of the contents. The lid can be made from plywood or boards. In such a device, the front wall is made 2 times lower than the rest. You can also use a film or material for shelter, because it is very convenient to fix them on solid foundations.

Compost pit from corrugated board

There is one plus in using corrugated board for the manufacture of a compost box - you can immediately choose a material that is not afraid of corrosion.

How to design correctly:

Choose locations and make a base. You can use metal or wood.
The size of the sheets can be adjusted to the size of the box. In it, if desired, you can build several sections.
The base is made according to the same principle as in a wooden box.
The corrugated board is fixed from the outside, self-tapping screws with gaps of 3-5 cm are used for this.
The top is made of boards or plywood. You can cover the frame with a protective compound to extend its service life.

Advice! In the warm season, the metal is very hot, so you need to monitor the level of moisture in the contents.

Metal mesh compost bin

You can also make a waste container from a metal mesh. Then you need to do it in the form of a cylinder. The undoubted advantages of this design are that air enters it well, the contents are ventilated, and do not rot. These structures are easy to manufacture, lightweight, can be transported and assembled.

Procedure:

The mesh must be of the required length and with a margin of 20 cm for entry.
Film or garden textiles must be the same size.
You can fasten the mesh with wire, put textiles or film inside.
To make the structure more stable, it is reinforced from the outside with bars. Sometimes they are dropped.
The edges of the material that lies on the bottom are fixed from the outside with simple clerical clips.

To simplify the task, you can use huge garbage bags. You can use special bags that are sold in gardening stores. Fill according to the same general principle, starting with the branches.

concrete compost pit

This hole has a number of advantages:

its walls will maintain the required temperature for a long time;
she is not afraid of any environmental influences;
she is not afraid of excessive moisture or the sun.

If you make such a pit with several departments, then the use will be much more convenient and practical. For example, in one compartment, compost from one season, in another from the next, and in the third - ready-made fertilizer.

Procedure:

The pit should have proportions of 1.5m * 3.5m already in finished form. Depth 70cm will be the most comfortable.
It is necessary to make formwork, leaving a distance of about 15 cm to the edges of the pit. You can use plywood or boards.
The walls of the finished structure should be 40 cm above ground level.
The iron mesh is installed inside and poured with concrete.
To make concrete, cement, screenings and crushed stone are needed in a ratio of 1 * 3 * 3.
You can ram it with a shovel or reinforcement so that there are no voids in the walls.
The formwork is removed when the concrete is fully cured, approximately 14 days later.
As a cover, you can use a special coating material or wood.

It is worth remembering that when using a concrete pit, the process does not go very quickly. To speed it up, you can purchase special tools and manually add earthworms.

Conclusion

There are no special tricks in the design of the compost pit. The materials that are used are in any garden or cottage.
The benefit of a compost pit is that household and household waste will be disposed of in it.
When the compost pit is arranged correctly, fertilizer is formed in it, which does not contain any harmful substances, it is environmentally friendly. Its use will increase productivity. Rational use and economic approach will help reduce material costs and improve the environmental situation.
To achieve the best result in the manufacture of a compost pit or box, you can use the tips from the article, read additionally with photos and videos of manufacturing.

Watch the video! How to make a compost pit with your own hands

(20 ratings, average: 4,15 out of 5)

Even an inexperienced gardener knows the benefits of compost, which is used to nourish the soil. It is able not only to fertilize the soil, but also to improve its friability and structure. Since the main components of compost are waste, nutrient fertilizer is obtained from almost nothing / In terms of costs, it is the most affordable. However, it is not enough just to dump plant residues in one heap. To obtain valuable material, compost in the country with your own hands must be done correctly.

What is a compost heap made of?

When forming a compost pit in the country with your own hands, you need to know that you can’t throw everything into it. The main products for composting are:

weeds;
slightly crushed roots, branches and bark of trees;
leaves;
straw, cut grass, hay;
raw berries, fruits, vegetables and cleaning from them;
coffee, cereals, tea;
needles;
wood ash;
second year herbivore dung;
unpainted wood waste;
shredded paper bags, cardboard, napkins.

Do not add to the compost heap:

To make compost with your own hands correctly, you should add a brown mass with poor fiber and green, nitrogen-rich waste , at a ratio of 5:1. This will speed up the development of bacteria and the maturation of the compost. Waste will also quickly rot if it is crushed beforehand.

How to make a compost heap with your own hands? There is nothing difficult in this. You can understand that the balance is maintained and the compost is correct by its condition. If it's moist, steamy, warm, and smells green, it's in the right mix of ingredients. If the compost heap has no visible fumes, it needs more green mass. In the presence of an unpleasant odor, brown components are added.

A proper compost heap consists of alternating layers of brown and green filling, as well as coarser and finer fraction components. The finally formed compost with your own hands is covered from above with a five-centimeter layer of earth and a perforated film or old straw.

How to make compost in the country on your own?

First of all, for the compost pit, you should choose a suitable place. It should be hidden from prying eyes and protected from the scorching sun and winds. All leftovers and waste are placed in special compost bins, which are best made from a wooden frame.

Before laying organic matter digs compost pit 20 cm deep, the bottom of which is covered with a layer of peat or a film. This will retain moisture and nutrients.

Compost heap care

The quality of the compost and the period of its formation depends on the proper care of it:

Humidity is of great importance, so a dry heap is moistened. To do this, it is carefully watered from a watering can, but so that it is exactly wet, not wet. Too much humidity impairs the functioning of bacteria;
Every month the compost must be carefully turned. This will enrich the organic matter with oxygen, make it loose and contribute not to rotting, but to burning out the waste. In extreme cases, the pile can not be dug up, but pierced with a pitchfork;
In order for the compost to ripen faster, more nitrogen is added to it, which is contained in slurry and green parts of the plant.

Usually organic residues are completely overheat in a year and a half. The fact that the compost is ready can be recognized by smell and visually. You should get a dark brown crumbly mass with the smell of forest land.

How to make a compost bin with your own hands?

A composter in the country or in the garden can be made in the form of a 2 or 3 section box. It is recommended to use a version of the composter with three sections, each of which will be designed for its own purposes:

for laying waste;
for compost ripening;
for finished fertilizer.

compost bin can be fixed or mobile(on wheels). For quick ripening and obtaining high-quality humus, the height of the box should be at least 1 meter, and each of its sections should be about a meter and a half in size.

Before starting work, all wooden parts are treated with a special compound that will protect the structure from moisture and insects.

DIY compost bin making steps:

8 wooden blocks are buried in the ground;
partitions are equipped, for which boards are attached to the bars at a certain distance from each other;
two compartments in the front are sheathed only to the middle. Doors will be installed on top. Only one board from below is nailed to the remaining compartment;
the end parts and the back wall are sheathed;
a large door is attached to the front wall of one compartment, and small doors to the other two;
the finished wooden structure is covered with paint twice;
latches and handles are attached to the drawer.

Once at the bottom of the compost bin drainage will be installed(dry tree branches, etc.), waste can be placed in it.

How to make a compost pit in the country?

A compost pit will not overshadow the appearance of the site, but the waste in it will rot for a long time. Since fertilizer needs oxygen to ripen, the compost pit needs to be properly equipped.

How to make a DIY compost pit with wood trim?

This option involves making a wooden box and placing it in a pit.

Production order:

After one half of the compost pit is full, the oxygenation material is moved to the other half.

Actively participate in the formation of humus earthworms. In order for them to get into the composter, the bottom and sides of the structure are not covered with anything.

Slate compost pit

A strong and reliable construction can be obtained if it is built from slate. It is made in several stages:

a site is selected and the dimensions of the pit are determined;
a small depression is dug, at the corners of which supports are dug in. You can use pipes or boards;
slate sheets are installed along the edges of the pit;
the space is divided into two or three parts with the help of slate leaves.

concrete compost pit

The walls of the structure can be concreted, as a result of which such a pit will last for decades. For its manufacture you will need:

In the manufacture of a composter for a summer residence or garden barrels can be used. These can be concrete rings or wooden products that are buried in the ground. The bottom of the structure is covered with drainage, and a cover with holes is installed on top to provide ventilation.

Compost pit according to Finnish technology

The main requirement for the Finnish design is the dimensions. The height and sides of the box should be one meter. If the structure is smaller, the contents in it will quickly dry out and turn into dust. In a large structure, organics will burn out from high temperatures.

Materials for manufacturing

It is better to build a compost pit from wood. Not a very good option would be slate. In the construction made from it, waste will turn into fertilizer for a long time.

A cheap and convenient pit will be made from wooden pallets. They can be found or purchased cheaply.

Prepared wooden elements are treated with an antiseptic that can protect them from the ground. After such processing, the structure will last for several years and no repairs will be needed.

To make the design look decent, you need to buy paint.

Making a compost pit:

In one meter-by-meter box, compost will be prepared, which is enough to fertilize the earth on a plot of 5-7 acres.

Compost pit - dry closet

A compost bin using Finnish technology can be purchased at the store. This is a dry closet that is able to turn waste into compost. It consists of two containers, each of which has a volume of 80 liters.

Having visited the toilet, you will need to fill the container with a special mixture of sawdust and peat, and then turn the handle. It is located on the body and is designed to evenly distribute the contents of the container.

With this composter, you can also dispose of food by placing them in a container for this and sprinkling with a dry mixture.

As soon as the first container is full, it moves away, and a second container is installed in its place. In the first container, the compost is ready for use. However, in such a dry closet it turns out to be too concentrated, so it should be diluted with earth, sand or peat.

The purpose of a compost pit is to turn household waste into an excellent fertilizer for the soil. That is why compost pits are widely used by summer residents and gardeners: a compost pit solves the problem of organic waste disposal and at the same time improves crop yields.

In order to make a compost pit in the country, you first need to choose the right location:

Do not place the pit in a sunny place, avoid direct sunlight and overdrying;

It is better to equip the pit on a flat surface or hill so that water does not linger in it in rainy weather.

It is quite difficult to say how to make a compost pit correctly, because there are many different device options and each of them has certain advantages.

The simplest compost pit in the country is not even a pit, but a heap. Many summer residents do not bother building any structures, but simply dump the source material into a pile, where the compost ripening process takes place. Often such a pile is covered with a film and enriched with special preparations - bioactivators.

In order to understand how to arrange a compost pit in the country, you need to figure out how the compost ripens. Dry leaves, tree branches, weeds, earth and manure are the main elements for compost formation. All these components impregnate each other, decompose, rot under the influence of air and moisture, and as a result, an excellent fertilizer is obtained.

This whole process takes about two years, which is why the most common design of the compost pit has become a two-section. A two-section compost pit has two compartments. The first compartment is filled with components, left to mature or actively used after two years, and the second is regularly replenished with fresh waste.

Materials for the compost pit

Only decomposing substances are suitable for creating fertilizer, such as:

Any vegetables and fruits, fresh and boiled;

Tea, coffee, compote;

Grass, hay, leaves, weeds;

Tree bark, branches, roots;

wood ash;

Paper products;

wood waste;

Very often, the remains of cooked food are thrown into the compost pit, which is quite acceptable if all the components of the dish are able to be processed, rot, and decompose.

Do not use objects made of plastic, rubber, bone, iron, artificial fabrics for compost.

Making an open compost pit

To arrange such a pit, it is enough to do a few simple operations: dig a hole of the required size (depending on the expected amount of compost) and a depth of about 50 cm. The walls can be lined with roofing material, linoleum or slate. Put branches, foliage, weeds and other plant components at the bottom of the pit, and pour waste on top. All this is covered with grass or a tarpaulin.

Making a closed compost pit

Such a pit is the most complex structure of all possible, as it requires some building skills.

First you need to mark up the future structure and remove the top layer of soil 25 cm thick over the entire area.

Then a hole is dug up to a depth of 50 cm, along the perimeter of which a wooden frame is made. The height of the box should not exceed one meter, otherwise it will be very difficult to get the finished compost. The frame can be mounted on a columnar foundation for strength, but you can not do this. Next, the frame is sheathed with boards. The beam used for the frame should preferably be treated with something to prevent rotting, and the walls of the box themselves should be sheathed with linoleum or rolled roofing material.

From above, the structure must be equipped with a lid with sufficiently large slots to improve air circulation in the box.

You can use the remains of old buildings as walls of the compost pit: foundations and walls.

If you are not satisfied with a do-it-yourself compost pit, you can buy a ready-made composter - a plastic container. The best maturation of the compost in it is achieved by adding preparations for the decomposition of organic matter.

By building such a simple device on your site, you can secure a rich harvest without any financial costs for fertilizers.

We prepare compost in the country: rules and technology for the manufacture of organic fertilizer

Many summer residents understand that if you annually exploit the site for growing vegetables and fruit crops and do not apply organic fertilizers, then soil fertility will dry out very soon.

How to make compost with your own hands and fertilize all cultivated plants with it in the country will be discussed in this article.

What is compost and its benefits for plants

To begin with, it is important to understand what compost is and how to make it in order to make a good fertilizer. Compost is one of the types of organic fertilizers, which is obtained as a result of the decomposition of weeds, plant residues, fallen leaves, kitchen waste and manure under aerobic conditions (using oxygen). The decomposition of organic matter occurs as a result of the activity of bacteria and for this it is necessary that this biomass has a moisture content of 45-70%, and the temperature of the medium varies within 28-35°C. Along with bacteria, various insects and worms take part in the decomposition process. As a result of their vital activity, additional energy is generated, which contributes to a better decomposition of biomass.

The materials used to make compost require shredding. Large fragments decompose over a longer time. In terms of value, rotted plant residues are in no way inferior to humus and have the following advantages and disadvantages:

as part of the compost, macro- and microelements for plant nutrition are presented in the right proportion;
barely hitting the soil, it takes part in metabolic processes, making up for the lack of nutrients;
it combines with the soil and becomes its integral part;
after irrigation and as a result of showers, nutrients do not pass into the deep layers of the soil, as with mineral fertilizers, but remain in the soil horizon;
it easily passes water and air, which is very important for the normal growth of plants;
as part of this organic fertilizer, humus is present in large quantities, due to which soil fertility increases;
overdose of plants with this fertilizer is impossible, since all the constituent parts are of natural origin;
with natural decomposition, compost does not clog the soil with toxins;
of the entire list of organic fertilizers, it is the most affordable and cheapest.

No appreciable shortcomings were found in the compost, with the exception of an unpleasant odor, which may accompany the process of decomposition of plant residues. In addition, flies, ants and other insects will always indicate their presence around the compost heap. But this problem is solved by arranging a door near the box and placing it in the most remote place of the site.

Factors affecting the decomposition of organic matter

The process of creating organic fertilizer from food waste and cut grass is divided into 3 stages: Decomposition. The components of the mixture are heated inside the heap, changing their structure. Beneficial microorganisms appear in the resulting product, including fungi, as well as earthworms, which contribute to the acceleration of the processing of organic matter into fertilizer. Humus formation. At this stage, it is important to supply the collar with oxygen, without which the microorganisms cannot breathe. Therefore, the shoulder should be shoveled several times, moving its outer layers inward and vice versa. Mineralization. Nitrogenous compounds decompose to bacterial protoplasm and nitrogen, and humus passes into a mineral form. After this stage, it can be used for its intended purpose. It will take approximately 10-12 months to complete all stages in favorable conditions.

Choosing a location for the composter

A compost heap, pit or box is best placed in the far corner of the garden so that the sun's rays do not fall on them. If the composition for the future fertilizer is intensively illuminated by the sun, the process of its preparation will be greatly delayed. Do not set up the composter next to apple trees or other trees - their roots will sprout into a pile and pump out all the nutrients from the pile.

Composter device

If you are thinking about how to prepare compost in the country, then you should familiarize yourself with the device of the composter. Proper organization of the decomposition process is the key to quickly obtaining high-quality organic matter. It is not difficult to make it, following the recommendations. Composting can be done in a compost heap and in a bin. The first way is called classical. The outer frame of the compost heap is made of mesh, which allows air and moisture to pass through. If special additives are added to it, it matures in 9 months. The material for the manufacture of the box can be anything:

grid;
wooden pallets;
slate;
boards.

On the market you can buy ready-to-use plastic containers. The volume of containers is selected from 1 m³. If the capacity is less, the process of decomposition of organic matter will noticeably slow down.

Layering rules

It is necessary to lay materials in such a way that soft and wet layers are interspersed with hard and dry layers. This provides an influx of oxygen, which will accelerate the decomposition process. Nitrogen and carbon components decompose differently. Nitrogenous decompose quickly, absorbing a lot of oxygen and releasing heat. And carbonaceous substances have a loose composition, are rich in oxygen and, when decomposed, consume nitrogen. If you put an equal amount of these components into the composter, you can achieve the perfect balance. Layers with a thickness of 15-20 cm should be laid alternately and mixed well, ensuring their contact with each other. You can evenly spread chicken manure, fresh manure or a special stimulant to accelerate the maturation of compost into a pile.

A good organic fertilizer is obtained when the initial nitrogen and carbon components are taken in equal amounts. It is advisable to sprinkle the first layer of ingredients with a layer of earth mixed with lime.

What can and cannot be composted

Those people who believe that compost is just a bunch of rotting plant debris in the back of the garden, where you can throw everything, are wrong. This is not so, in order to get the right fertilizer, you need to prepare it according to certain rules. The following components are added to the composition:

green grass, hay and straw;
green parts of plants and individual weeds;
small branches, pieces of wood and sawdust;
food plant residues;
manure of cattle, sheep, goats and bird droppings;
chalk, ash, egg shells;
special composting accelerators.

There are a number of ingredients that should not be put in a compost pit:

food residues of animal origin, as they stimulate the process of decay with the release of an unpleasant odor;
faeces of carnivores and humans, which may contain worm eggs;
pieces of fabric, coated glossy paper, rubber scraps, stones;
any chemicals;
weeds that produce seeds that remain viable for a long time, as well as underground parts of rhizomatous and root offspring plants that remain viable;
plant residues inhabited by pests and affected by fungal diseases.

Ways to accelerate ripening and hot cooking

The composting process can take from 4 months to 2.5 years, the time required for maturation depends on the size of the ingredients and the conditions created.

Important! The temperature inside the pyramid must be brought to 60 degrees or more. High temperature accelerates the decomposition of organic matter and destroys weed seeds, larvae of harmful insects.

To quickly prepare a nutritional composition, it is better to use the following steps:

provide a pile (pit) with moisture and air;
add a special accelerator (Baikal-Em, Unique-S) or fresh manure to the water for irrigation;
shoveling layers to improve the supply of heaps with oxygen;
warming the heap in winter to extend the period of active fermentation;
watering with herbal infusion, consisting of 5 parts of chopped grass, 2 parts of chicken manure and 20 parts of water;
watering the burt with yeast infusion;
landing on a pile of zucchini and pumpkins, the root secretions of which contribute to the rapid decomposition of organic residues;
the use of Californian worms in the processing of organic residues, which pass organic matter through their digestive tract and as a result biohumus is obtained.

There is another cooking method - hot composting, thanks to which the fermentation process takes place in a short time. This method also has other advantages:

weed seeds lose their germination;
pathogenic microorganisms die;
the substance has a fine fraction.

A variation of hot composting is the Berkeley method, thanks to which the time for processing organic matter is reduced to 18 days. When using this method, the following requirements must be met:

the temperature in the center of the heap should be at the level of 55-65 degrees;
the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the components of the substrate should be 30:1;
the height of the pile is brought to one and a half meters;
all components must be crushed;
layers are shoveled 7 times and mixed well.

The algorithm of actions for the 18-day Berkeley method is very simple:

form a compost heap;
4 days do not touch it;
then within 2 weeks of days turn it over every other day.

The compost is of high quality, dark brown color, with a good smell.

Important! If you notice that earthworms crawl into the prepared compost, it means that it has finally matured and contains a lot of nutrients.

Types and manufacturing technology on the site

The compost is ready for use when it has fully matured. Well-ripened material does not require additional application of mineral or other fertilizers and is capable of providing a decent and environmentally friendly harvest. For the effective use of organic fertilizer from plant residues, you need to know how to determine its ripeness. The following are the main signs indicating that the composition has matured and is ready for use:

the material has a homogeneous structure and it is impossible to see the individual components;
after overheating, the compost has a loose and loose consistency;
compost has acquired a dark brown color;
the finished product has the smell of wet soil.

Ripened compost is similar to black earth soil with a loose and porous composition.

There are many recipes for the preparation of this organic fertilizer. Some of them involve the use of only natural ingredients, in other cases mineral fertilizers are added to the organic matter - after all, the plant components contain enough nitrogen, and phosphorus and potassium are present in small quantities. To make the right compost, you need to achieve the right balance of these nutrients. Depending on the starting materials used, the list and number of additives can vary greatly. Below are the most widely used and effective composting technologies.

Classic based on herbs and food waste

This type is easy to manufacture, while being effective in use. Classic compost is prepared from simple and affordable components, among which it should be noted:

green mass, consisting of tops, branches and algae - it makes up the first layer (20 cm);
cattle manure - the second layer (10 cm);
dolomite flour or crushed limestone - the third layer (0.5 cm).

Layers should be alternated until the height of the collar reaches 1.5 meters in height. This is how this type of compost should be made, the only drawback of which is a one-year or even two-year aging period. The finished product can be used on the site.

With manure and superphosphate

This composition, as its name implies, is prepared using superphosphate, which enriches the substrate with phosphorus. Phosphorus helps retain nitrogen by binding the ammonia in manure. Making such compost in the country is not difficult. This type of compost consists of the following components:

land from the garden (10 cm);
manure mixed with superphosphate in a ratio of 50:1 (10 cm).

This method is relatively fast and is suitable for maturation in 3 months. If the ingredients are bookmarked in the spring, then in early July, potatoes are already fed with ready-made humus and raspberries are mulched.

With the addition of bird droppings

Chicken manure is a very valuable fertilizer, but in its pure form it is not suitable for use, as it can burn the plant. The best way to use it is to compost it. To obtain it, the following ingredients are mixed:

a layer of bird droppings 20-25 cm thick;
straw layer - 5-10 cm;
a layer of sawdust - 5-10 cm;
the top layer should consist of a layer of peat - 10-20 cm.

If you cover the compost pit with a film, then there will be no unpleasant smell and the product will ripen in 2 months.

In addition to the above components, compost can be enriched with the following ingredients:

superphosphate;
wood ash;
potassium salt;
ammonium nitrate.

Before laying the compost with your own hands, straw and branches are laid at the bottom of the pit as drainage. Two weeks after laying the top layer, the substrate is subjected to shoveling. Thanks to this procedure, all layers ripen at the same time. For application, you can dilute the finished compost in water or apply it dry.

Based on peat

With this method, you need to saturate the peat with mineral fertilizers, mixing everything well. The ingredients of such compost should be the following substances:

weeds free from seeds - 100 kg;
dry peat - 200 kg;
ammonium sulfate - 350 g;
sodium nitrate - 50-70 g;
potassium salt - 50 g.

Compost is prepared as follows:

on a flat area, a small layer of garden soil is poured;
peat is poured in the second layer (40 cm);
a layer of chopped branches, tops and grass is placed on the peat.

All layers need to be compacted a little, then ripening will be faster. Thus, humus can be made from grass, peat and mineral fertilizers.

For champignons

When preparing compost for growing mushrooms, you need to take the following components in given quantities:

dry straw - 100 kg;
liquid chicken manure - 100 kg;
mullein, in the amount of 50 kg;
gypsum - 5 kg;
chalk - 3 kg;
water, to give proper moisture to the substrate.

Such compost is not used for top dressing, it is used as soil for the cultivation of mushrooms. The ingredients are laid in layers, pouring water. The ripening period can be several months. During this time, the filled collar must be subjected to 4-5 times perebivka. A sign of the ripeness of compost humus is the state of a homogeneous mass of all components of the substrate.

How to cook in bags

Compost in bags is prepared when there is not enough space in the country. Let's try to figure out how to quickly make compost in bags and how to shed it to speed up maturation:

first you need to buy thick black plastic bags;
the turf is removed from the site, putting it in bags;
crushed weeds are added to the bag;
the mixture is spilled with biohumus or other biostimulant;
sealed with tape.

After a few months, the compost will finally mature, it can be used to fertilize vegetable beds.

Production in boxes

Many devices have been developed for storing bio-fertilizers for plants. People prepare compost in a barrel, pit, pile, heap and box. You can buy boxes or make your own. They are mobile and stationary. In the stationary version, the perimeter of the planned capacity is first marked and stakes 1.5 meters high are driven in in the corners. Then the spans are sewn up with boards, between which gaps are left.

Cooking technology at home

Compost can be made in slow and fast ways. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. To quickly prepare compost, you need to work according to the following algorithm:

First of all, we make a container where organic residues will be stored. This may be a well-ventilated box, pit or pile with access to the contents.
At the bottom of the tank we make drainage from a layer of hay, straw, branches.
The components are laid in layers and without compaction, so as to ensure the alternation of wet waste with dry, solid components with soft ones.
To speed up the process, special organic decomposition accelerators can be added to the compost in layers: nitrogen supplements, leguminous plant residues, cattle manure.
To maintain the process temperature in the pile and create optimal conditions for beneficial microflora, you need to cover the pile with an old carpet or oilcloth.
Every month it is required to shovel the compost heap so that its outer layers fall inside, and the inner ones are on top and on the side.
In the summer heat, the contents are lightly sprinkled with water to maintain optimal technological humidity.

If you were able to make the container correctly and carried out composting according to the technology, then you will receive the finished product in 3-5 months.

If you set out to make the right compost from grass or branches, you should be aware that this process will be very long, but in the end you will get a quality product. You need to prepare the components for composting, put them in a pit and wait for 2 years. So, let's look at the technology of preparing a "food supplement" for plants in a slow way:

we dig a wide hole on an elevated site with a depth of 60 cm;
inside the pit we lay chopped tree branches, bark, wood particles, grass;
on top of the heap we fall asleep with a layer of soil and wait for 2 years.

An effective organic fertilizer will be ready for use in 2 years.

Use of organic fertilizer

Ripe compost is suitable for any crops with the same application rates as manure (15-20 kg per 1 m²). Methods can be very different:

in the fall for the main tillage;
under spring plowing;
before planting potatoes;
add to the wells when planting seedlings;
spring and summer as a mulching material.

In spring and summer, ready-made compost is scattered on the soil and dug up to a shallow depth.

Strictly following the simple rules and country advice, on the basis of which this useful organic matter is prepared annually at home, you can also properly make compost in the country with your own hands and fertilize the soil to increase crop yields and improve fruit quality.

Categories

Popular