How long does it take to make compost in a bin
How do I make my compost?
You can make compost simply by adding compostable items to a compost heap when you feel like it. It will all compost eventually but may take a long time and if the mix is unbalanced, may not produce a very pleasant end product. With a little extra attention you could improve things dramatically. If you want to produce more compost in a short time, and are able to put more effort into it, follow the 'HOT HEAP' route.
An ideal mix
To make good compost you need a more or less equal amount of 'greens' and 'browns' by volume. You can also include small amounts of the 'other ingredients' listed in the What can I compost? section.
The COOL heap route
- Try, if possible, to collect enough compost materials to make a layer of at least 30cm or more in the compost bin. Weed the garden, mow the lawn, empty the kitchen bucket! Mix in some straw, woody prunings, scrunched up cardboard packaging eg cereal boxes – this helps create air spaces within the heap.
It may help if you place a few woody plant stems or small twigs on the bottom first as this will improve the air circulation and drainage
- Continue to fill the container as and when you have ingredients. If most of what you compost is kitchen waste, mix it with egg boxes, toilet roll middles and similar household paper and cardboard products to create a better balance
- When the container is full - which it may never be as the contents will sink as it composts - or when you decide to, stop adding any more. Then either just leave it to finish composting (which could take up to a year) or go to Step 4
- Remove the container from the material, or the material from the container – whichever you find easiest. If the lower layers have composted, use this on the garden. Mix everything else together well. Add water if it is dry, or add dry material if it is soggy. Replace in the bin and leave to mature
The HOT heap route
- If you have the energy, give the heap a good mix several times.
Gather enough material to fill your compost container at one go. Some of this may have been stored in a cool heap and have started to rot slightly. Make sure you have a mixture of soft and tough materials - Chop up tough items using shears, a sharp spade (lay items out on soil or grass to avoid jarring) or a shredder
- Mix ingredients together as much as possible before adding to the container. In particular, mix items, such as grass mowings and any shredded paper, which tend to settle and exclude air, with more open items that tend to dry out. Fill the container as above, watering as you go
- Within a few days, the heap is likely to get hot to the touch. When it begins to cool down, or a week or two later, turn the heap. Remove everything from the container or lift the container off and mix it all up, trying to get the outside to the inside. Add water if it is dry, or dry material if it is soggy. Replace in the bin
- The heap may well heat up again; the new supply of air you have mixed in allows the fast acting aerobic microbes, ie those that need oxygen, to continue with their work.
Step 4 can be repeated several more times if you have the energy, but the heating will be less and less. When it no longer heats up again, leave it undisturbed to finish composting
A hybrid route
There’s nothing wrong with doing a bit of both. Fill your heap as you create waste (as for the cool method), then turn it when you have time. This will help it heat up. You can turn it as much or as rarely as you please – the more often you turn the heap, the quicker your compost will be ready.
When is it ready?
Compost can be made in as little as six to eight weeks, or, more usually, it can take a year or more. In general, the more effort you put in, the quicker you will get compost.
When the ingredients you have put in your container have turned into a dark brown, earthy smelling material, the composting process is complete. It is then best left for a month or two to 'mature' before it is used. Don't worry if your compost is not fine and crumbly. Even if it is lumpy, sticky or stringy, with bits of twig and eggshell still obvious, it is quite usable.
It can be sieved before using if you prefer. Any large bits can be added back into your new compost heap.
Return to Home Composting page
How Long Does It REALLY Take To Make Compost?
It’s the question on everyone’s mind as they start composting: when will I get to use my compost?
Frustratingly, there isn’t a simple answer. You could be lucky enough to have finished compost in less than a month, or you might need to wait a whole year or longer.
Some factors influencing how long it takes for organic wastes to become black gold are out of your control (like the weather). However, there are lots you can do to speed up composting results. For example, why wait 12 months or more for your compost when you could have it in half that time or quicker?
I’ve been experimenting with different composting techniques for years. I am about to share the must-know tips and tricks I’ve discovered.
How Long Does Compost Take To Make
Making compost can take as short as a few weeks or as long as a year or two.
Different composting methods, types of organic waste, and weather conditions either speed up or slow down results. Carefully built and maintained hot compost systems give the quickest results.
Phases Of Composting
Suppose the conditions are just right for aerobic (with oxygen) composting. In this case, organic wastes will go through three phases as they decompose:
- the mesophilic phase,
- thermophilic phase,
- and maturation phase.
The Mesophilic Phase
You’ve just built a compost heap that offers composting creatures (bacteria, fungi, and creepy crawlies) everything they’ll need to perform at their peak. Your compost is about to enter the mesophilic phase. The mesophilic composting team tackles the task of decomposing your organic wastes.
At the start of the process, the compost’s temperature is about 50°F.
Then, as the mesophilic composting team breaks down the organic wastes, they produce heat, raising the temperature.
Within a few days, the heap warms up to about 115°F, and the compost moves into the thermophilic phase.
The Thermophilic Phase
During this phase, the heat-loving thermophilic composting team goes all out to break down the organic wastes. The team decomposes wastes at quite a rate, letting off great heat as they work. As a result, the temperature in the heap soars to about 140°F.
After two weeks or so of fast, fiery work, the team runs out of things to decompose, and their work intensity eases. The temperature in the compost then drops to what it was in the mesophilic phase. Finally, the thermophilic team hand over to the mesophilic squad to finish the composting.
The Maturation Phase
With temperatures in a pile back in the range of 50 to 115°F, the mesophilic composting team continues breaking down what’s left of the organic wastes.
The team works slowly and steadily to get the compost plant-friendly. The maturation phase is the longest, lasting several months.
How Long Does It Take To Make Compost In A Pile
It can take anything from three months to a year or two to make compost in a pile.
The one- to two-year time frame is for organic wastes you dump and leave to break down without your help.
You can cut the composting time to a few months by getting involved (I’ll give you pointers later in this article).
How Much Time To Make Compost In A Compost Bin
Making compost in a bin is quicker than making it in an open pile because the bin holds heat for faster results.
Making compost in a bin can take two months (with your dedicated help) to about a year (if left to nature).
How Long Does To Make Compost In A Tumbler
You should get quicker results making compost in a tumbler than in a bin or open pile.
If you take your compost tumbling seriously, you can have finished compost in under a month.
Tumblers speed up the composting process in two ways: making it easier for you to turn the compost and retaining heat and moisture inside the container.
You’ll find aerated compost tumblers like this one that will make the process more efficient. (Amazon)
Signs That Your Compost Is Ready:
You can tell your compost is ready by its look, smell, and texture.
Finished compost looks like dark-brown, rich soil with few pieces of organic matter you can recognize. It feels fine and crumbly. And it smells like fresh earth after a thunderstorm.
Want another way to tell whether your compost is ready? Try this test: seal a handful of compost into a resealable plastic bag and put it aside. Three days later, open the bag and smell inside. A sour smell shows that the compost needs more time to mature before adding it to your garden.
Smells earthy and sweet? It’s ready!
What Will Make Compost Break Down Faster
Now for everyone who’s waaay too impatient to wait a year (or even two!) for their compost, here are some guidelines for faster results.
How to Hurry Composting Along:
The secret to fast composting? Heat. Remember that ideal 140°F temperature during the thermophilic composting phase, where heat-loving composting creatures are revved up and working like crazy to decompose organic wastes? That’s the temperature you want for your compost till the bulk of organic wastes has broken down.
There are 3 basics to boosting composting results:
- Balance your nitrogen-rich greens and carbon-dense browns. Many composting experts recommend using three-part browns to one-part greens. However, getting this ratio right might be tricky, so just make sure you have at least an even mix of browns and greens in your compost.
- Get your compost’s moisture level feeling similar to a wrung-out sponge. Aim for 40 to 60% water (you can check moisture levels with a compost moisture meter – Amazon).
- Turn your compost regularly to give the composting creatures the air they’ll need to flourish. (If you’re using a tumbler, spin it about three times a week. Composting in a bin or pile? Use a fork or spade to turn your compost once a week. However, if it becomes soggy, add straw or shredded newspaper and turn it more frequently.)
More steps to supercharge your composting:
- Start your compost bin or pile with a layer of bulky browns like sticks, cobs, and husks. A base like this will improve airflow and drainage.
- Position compost piles or bins in sunny spots if you have a cooler climate. Cover your compost with a protective tarp if you live in a rainy area.
- Build a compost pile at least 3x3x3 feet in size (or bigger if you think you can manage it).
- Shred or grind most of your organic wastes before adding them to your compost. Keep some larger pieces, like bits of egg boxes and cobs, to encourage airflow through the compost.
Note: compost shredders are probably the most satisfying gardening equipment you’ll ever own! I recommend something like this powerful electric shredder. (Amazon)
Bonus Composting Hacks To Try
So, you’ve balanced your greens and browns, you’re keeping your eye on your compost’s moisture level, and you’re turning it when it needs a good airing. But is there more you can do to get those composting creatures fired up?
Yes, you could give compost activators a go!
Compost activators are supplements you add to your compost for faster results. You’ll find all sorts of activators, from synthetic and natural ones at the store to ones right there in your backyard.
These are my top picks:
- Finished compost or topsoil. Fully matured compost is the perfect activator for a new batch! Every time you add a new layer (about a foot high) of organic wastes sprinkle a thin layer of compost on top. Can’t get your hands on finished compost? Use topsoil instead.
- Manure. Or you could go for stink-free manure pellets (which you can buy at the shops).
- Powdered meals. These can be animal-based (bone and blood meals) or plant-based (alfalfa and soybean meals).
Something else that might give you better composting results is a gadget called a compost aerator. This nifty compost tool takes some effort out of turning your pile, upping the chance you’ll do it regularly!
Compost aerators come in two designs: a corkscrew style (best for light compost) and a plunger style (for heavier loads).
Quick compost - excellent fertilizer and no fires on the site.
How to make aerobic compost in autumn and spring? Photo — Botanichka The last month of summer is coming to an end. The autumn season is about to begin. The garden and the garden will be “decorated” by heaps of dry weeds, leaves and plant debris. Where to put them? And the first thought is born - to burn. But a prudent owner will not burn such "wealth". All plant debris can be easily and quickly turned into organic fertilizer. There are several ways to quickly get organic fertilizer for garden crops through aerobic (fast) composts. They will be discussed in this article.
Quick compost - excellent fertilizer and no fires on the site. © dandelion_dealsAdvantages and disadvantages of fast composts
Aerobic composts have a number of advantages over traditional ones:
- Quick production of organic fertilizer from the source material, which is especially important on depleted and heavy soils that need increased amounts of nutrients and loosening material .
- Space and labor saving . Heaps for obtaining ordinary compost take up a lot of space and time for the production of fertilizer (up to 3-4 years), require constant shoveling during the fermentation process.
- Nutrient preservation . When cooking in heaps and compost pits, some of the nutrients are lost due to seepage into the lower layers of the soil.
- Quick compost can be prepared in small portions, mobile containers can be used, freeing up the necessary land for growing vegetables and other crops.
- Quick compost is also beneficial in that it is a way to use autumn heaps of plant debris . They do not have to be burned, poisoning the air and destroying much-needed nutrients for plants.
Aerobic composts are not without drawbacks. The laying of material for decomposition should be disposable and with a wide variety of plant waste. The laying of one leaf mass of fruit trees or only the tops of cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes or other crops can slow down the composting process due to the increased carbon content or quickly “burn out” with excessive release of excess nitrogen.
What does it take to make good quality quick compost?
The high quality of quick compost is ensured by the variety of materials used for composting. In addition to the examples below, you can use all the waste from the garden, garden and surrounding wastelands.
- Plants with a high nitrogen content - fresh nettles, grass clippings, green manure, ground mass of peas, other legumes.
- Small amounts of animal urine, bird droppings and pig and cattle manure may be added.
- Plant residues with a high carbon content - leaves of trees and shrubs, wheat straw, sawdust.
- If paper waste, stalks of tomatoes, eggplant, cabbage are used for composting, which contain an average amount of carbon, then the mixture needs additional pouring with powdered brown coal or crushed residues of carbon storage plants (melon, buckwheat, mustard, rapeseed) .
In addition, making quick compost requires containers that can be easily moved from place to place.
As a rule, multifunctional cling film bags of 120-150 (up to 200) kg or liters are used. But boxes of the same volume, lined with foil from the inside (to preserve moisture), bags made of other materials are also suitable.
A smaller volume is unprofitable, the raw material in it quickly dries up, and fermentation practically stops.
Important! Quick compost bins must be free of holes and openings.
The main condition for the preparation of high-quality quick compost - loose laying of the source material. Why is fast compost called aerobic? Due to the loose laying, the waste contains an increased amount of oxygen, which accelerates the decomposition/fermentation of the starting material.
Quick compost is prepared at least 2 times a year - usually in spring (but also in summer) and in autumn.
Quick compost requires containers that can be easily moved from place to place. © Survival GardeningSpring laying of quick compost
In spring, the components of the future compost are evenly placed in the prepared container in layers (10-15 cm): weeds, tops, foliage of fruit trees, legume stalks, mowed grass, small pieces of turf without soil and other waste (sawdust, shavings, paper).
If available nearby, you can add the green mass of storage plants: comfrey, nettle, mustard, rapeseed, legumes, etc. salt" each layer).
It is even more effective to shed each layer of the starting material with the working solution of the Baikal EM-1 plant extract. If the components are very dry, they are slightly moistened before processing with EM-1 (humidity should not be higher than 50-60%).
Preparation "Baikal EM-1" or another composting accelerator can be purchased at any garden store. The extract contains several dozen (up to 80) strains of beneficial soil microorganisms that actively suppress pathogenic microflora and, with the help of beneficial ones, ferment organic waste into humus compounds, the elements of which are available to plants.
Filled containers are crushed and tightly tied or sealed with adhesive tape, the boxes are tightly covered with foil. The temperature in the container rises to +40°C, which contributes (along with fermentation) to the death of helminth eggs, seeds of most weeds, and pathogenic microflora.
Of course, part of the beneficial microflora also dies, which is restored when it enters the soil.
If possible, ready-made compost can be spilled with EM-1 working solution 2-4 days before direct use, covered and applied to the soil after the scheduled time.
The process of fermentation of plant residues in quick compost lasts 1-3 months, and the compost is ready for use both during the growing season and for the autumn preparation of the soil for the next season.
Autumn laying of compost is carried out after complete harvesting, leaf fall, withering of the ground mass of vegetable and garden crops, greenhouse cropsAutumn laying of quick compost
. Stems of eggplant, tomatoes, dry weeds and other dense waste (bark, small branches, everything unnecessary, but organic) are laid in the bottom layer (10-15 cm) in the container. They will serve as drainage, increase aeration of the entire laid mass at low temperatures. You can do without drainage. Grind the mass of plant waste on a shredder or manually with a hatchet, secateurs and fill the containers.
The laying and processing of the material is the same as in the spring. Tie / seal the filled container tightly and take it to the basement or other non-freezing place - in regions with frosty winters, in the south - the containers are left on the street.
Read also our material What to do with plant residues, or Not just compost.
By spring, you will have loose, rotted compost that can be used in garden beds, when planting fruit bushes and trees, transplanting indoor flowers, fertilizing winter gardens and greenhouses.
Some gardeners have adapted to get fast compost with a continuous conveyor. © wastebustersQuick Compost Conveyor
Some gardeners (my friends, for example) have adapted to making quick compost with a continuous conveyor. Somewhere in a secluded corner (behind the house, barn, outbuilding), one or two 200-liter barrels are installed on bricks. On the side of the barrel below, near the ground, they make a door 20x25 cm (so that a shovel enters).
All vegetable and even food waste is placed in the barrel. Sometimes they are slightly compacted, more often they are slightly crushed. From above, water with a working solution of EM-1 or another "composting accelerator". The top of the barrel is covered with a film or a lid. The moisture content of the weeds in the barrel is maintained at 60%, for which the material is moistened or the barrel is left open for some time in the rain.
The fermented mass settles and, as necessary, new portions of plant waste are thrown inside and again literally sprinkled with an accelerator. After 1-2 months, the first portion of the compost is raked out through the lower door, the upper ones remain for fermentation. Two barrels on 4-6 acres are enough to keep the site clean and without autumn bonfires.
If the area around the house is large, there are free areas and huge amounts of plant waste, then fast or aerobic compost can be obtained in large quantities by the same laying of plant waste, but in stationary heaps or compost pits.
Do-it-yourself composting in the country and at home (for champignons)
Author: Elena N. https://floristics.info/en/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: Garden plants Reissued: Last edited:
Contents
- What is compost
- What can and can't be composted?
- Why is compost useful?
- How to make compost with your own hands
- How to prepare compost at the dacha
- Fast compost
- compost at home
- compost for champignons
- compost in the bags
9000 9000 General components - is it worth buying - Literature
- Comments
Any plant develops better and bears fruit in fertilized soil. One of the most affordable and common fertilizers for the garden and garden is compost.
What ingredients can be used to make compost, how to make compost at home or in the garden, what crops this fertilizer is used for, whether it is worth buying ready-made compost and which of the proposed compositions to prefer, we will tell in our article.
What is compost
Compost (lat. Compositus - compound) is a fertilizer that is formed during the decomposition of organic matter under the influence of microorganisms. Composting is a natural method of recycling and recycling organic waste, which improves soil structure and saturates poor or depleted soil with substances necessary for plants. But garden compost should not be confused with those soil mixtures that are sold under this name in garden centers and pavilions. If you make your own compost, this best of all organic fertilizers will cost you nothing. There are many recipes for making compost, and we will introduce you to some of them.
What can and cannot be composted?
May:
- raw cereals, fruits, vegetables and their cleaning and trimming;
- sunflower stalks, corn cobs, garden and melon tops, dry leaves, cut hay;
- spent tea and coffee grounds;
- prepared food leftovers;
- thin branches and shoots, unworked and unpainted wood, including sawdust and chips;
- straw, seed husks, nutshells;
- bird droppings and fresh herbivore manure;
- paper - napkins, packing cardboard, xerox paper and newspapers in shredded form;
- peat;
- shredded natural fabrics - linen, cotton, wool, silk, hemp and linen ash;
- Down and feathers of birds, animal hair.
Not allowed:
- large and hard meat bones;
- ashes from stoves or fireplaces;
- synthetic materials and fabrics;
- peel from citrus plants;
- perennial rhizomatous weeds, especially when flowering or seeded;
- plant residues affected by diseases or treated with herbicides;
- insect pests and their larvae.
Experts still have no consensus on whether human and carnivore feces can be added to the compost, as well as on the question of whether milk, fat, meat and fish residues can be added to the compost.
The process of converting grass, food and household waste into organic fertilizer is conditionally divided into three parts:
- decomposition: at this stage, the waste is heated inside the pile, changes its structure and is enriched with useful substances. As a result of transformation, useful microorganisms, fungi, earthworms appear in the compost, which help to accelerate the processing of the mass into fertilizer.
- humus formation: at this stage, it is important to ensure aeration of the pile, because without oxygen, microorganisms that organize and carry out the process of compost maturation can die. To provide air access, the mass is mixed with a pitchfork or a shovel;
- mineralization: at the stage of mineralization, nitrogenous compounds are decomposed, and humus is converted into mineral forms. The process reaches its maximum value after a year of compost aging.
Why is compost useful?
Firstly, this is one of the best mineral fertilizers, filling the soil with a huge amount of important trace elements.
Secondly, it is the cheapest means for structuring the soil, which is carried out by increasing moisture conservation.
- Why you shouldn't water plants at night - the consequences can ruin the harvest!
Thirdly, compost is convenient to use as a mulch that slows down the evaporation of moisture from the soil and suppresses the growth of weeds.
Fourth, you no longer have to remove or burn organic waste, as it can be placed in a compost pit and turned into an excellent fertilizer.
How to make your own compost
How to make compost in the country
There are two ways to make compost - fast and slow, otherwise called cold and hot. But first, let's decide on the compost bin and the location of this bin in the garden. It is best to build a box from wooden planks or any boards that have not been in contact with toxic materials - wood stain, varnish, paint, and the like. If you want a box to last for years, make it from pine planks - it won't cost you much. Put together four walls, observing the gaps between the prefabricated planks - these gaps will serve to aerate the compost.
It is better to place the box (pillar) on an elevation so that it is not washed away by water, and away from the garden, otherwise the roots of all plants will change direction and stretch towards the compost pile.
Choose a place, level the surface, dig in four supports and nail three walls to them. It is better to make the fourth wall removable or openable so that it is convenient for you to turn the compost or get it to mulch the beds. It is better to concrete the bottom of the box, or you can cover it with thick plastic wrap or old linoleum.
If you don't feel like nailing down boards, you can buy a ready-made plastic or metal composter in the store - a compost bin with a lid, the main purpose of which is to prevent the compost from crumbling. The advantage of such containers is that they can add protein waste - meat, fish, milk, because they are tightly closed with a lid, and rodents do not penetrate into them. In addition, they retain heat well and can be moved around. And the disadvantage of industrial composters is that they do not receive air. If you are not on a tight budget, buy a local organic processing station that independently maintains the process temperature and is equipped with a control system.
In the end, you can make a cylinder of the desired height and width from a chain-link mesh and put waste for composting into it, but it will be inconvenient to get compost from such a container and dig up the mass in it.
When can I make compost? There is no strict framework in this question: you can start laying layers in the spring, after pruning trees and shrubs, and replenish the layers as organic material arrives. In autumn, fallen leaves, tops of vegetables and melons can be placed in a compost heap. Advances in modern science even make it possible to produce compost in winter. But first things first.
How to make compost? At the bottom of the composter or heap, place wood chips or cuttings of branches that will serve as drainage material, and then start filling the composter layer by layer, and the more types of organic matter you put in the compost, the higher its quality will be. Composting involves alternating dry waste with wet and green with brown (nitrogenous with carbonaceous).
In the so-called green layer, waste is laid, which is a source of nitrogen - trimming and peeling vegetables, small twigs, green tops, and in the brown layer - torn newspapers and other paper containing carbon, fallen leaves and dry twigs. You can enrich the composition of the compost with plants that contribute to the rapid formation of humus - yarrow, dandelion, chamomile, valerian. To speed up fermentation, the compost heap is watered with a solution of mullein or bird droppings. The consistency of the mass should resemble a damp sponge, but moderation should be observed in moistening the compost, since the "flooded" microorganisms will not be able to generate heat that promotes decay.
- Pruning an old vine bush: how to choose which vines to cut and which ones to leave?
To maintain the temperature and environment necessary for the process, a homemade composter should be covered with oilcloth, old carpet, linoleum or a lid knocked together from tight-fitting boards.
Once or twice a month, the layers of compost should be turned over with a pitchfork to loosen the mass, achieve uniform moisture and stimulate processes that are fading due to lack of ventilation. In the heat, the compost is watered from time to time to maintain the required moisture.
Well, you put compost in the box, now you need to wait until it rots. Ready compost looks like a dark, damp, crumbly mass that smells like forest soil.
The production of compost requires following certain rules:
- The compost must not smell bad. If there is a smell of ammonia, then the processes are not proceeding correctly, and the mass can turn into poison. In this case, add torn paper to the compost to neutralize the predominance of nitrogen components in it. So that the ammonia formed during fermentation does not leave the pile in the form of fetid gas, but is processed into nitrogen, the following order of filling the tank should be observed: each layer of waste should be no more than 50 cm thick, and organic layers are interspersed with layers of soil or manure 5-10 cm thick;
- everything that you put in the compost heap should be chopped beforehand, and the greens should be slightly dried so that it does not sour in the compost, but rot;
- before the onset of winter, you need to shovel the entire pile so that the bottom layer is at the top and the top is at the bottom;
- the height of the pile should not be more than 1.
5 m, and the width should not be less than 1 m, otherwise it will be difficult for you to shovel the mass. The height of the heap is measured a couple of months after the compost is laid, since during this time it settles significantly.
Quick compost
Many gardeners prefer to make quick compost: they dig a shallow (no more than 40 cm) but wide hole in an elevated area, which is filled with broken branches and chopped wood, and covered with earth from above. In a year or two, you will have an excellent fertilizer for the garden and vegetable garden.
The fastest compost is obtained from leaves: in autumn, fallen leaves are laid in a shallow pit, layered with garden soil, watered with biostimulants (EM preparations - Baikal-M1, Humisol, Tamir, Urgasa or the like) and covered with a black film, and in the middle May, this compost can already be partially used for its intended purpose. To speed up the process, you can put a “sourdough” from already rotted compost into young compost.
You can speed up the process of preparing compost by such means as a solution of sugar and yeast, which should be abundantly poured over plant residues put into the composter, or nettle infusion: pour ¾ buckets of nettle with warm water, add a bag of dry yeast and put in a warm place for 5 days, after which the infusion is filtered and watered with compost.
Compost at home
Compost can be prepared at home in winter.
Do-it-yourself compost at home is easy to make. For this you will need:
- We make wood chips after trimming the garden and vineyard - we use a chipper
- plastic bucket;
- trash bag;
- several plastic half liter bottles;
- a bottle of EM liquid that speeds up the composting process;
- spray gun;
- plastic bag for sugar;
- bag of garden soil or commercial soil.
Make cylinders of plastic bottles of equal height by cutting off the bottom and neck, and place them on the bottom of the bucket.
Place a garbage bag with a few small holes in the bottom to drain excess liquid into the bucket and start filling it with crushed plant debris, spraying each three-centimeter layer from the spray bottle with the accelerator solution prepared according to the instructions. After moistening the residue, squeeze the air out of the bag, tie it tightly and press down with a load - for example, a five-liter plastic bottle of water. About every three days, empty the bucket of water that has drained from the compost - this liquid can be poured down the drain overnight to clean sewer pipes and drains in sinks. And if you dilute this liquid with water in a ratio of 1:10, you can water indoor plants with it.
As the bag fills with organic matter, spray each layer of fermentation promoter, bleed the bag out of the bag and put pressure on it - do this until the bag fits in the bucket. As soon as the bucket is full, put it together with the compost in a warm place to ferment for a week, then mix the compost with a little garden or garden soil, transfer it to a sugar bag and take it out to the balcony or loggia where it will now be stored.
Place a new garbage bag with drainage holes in the empty bucket and start the process of collecting and turning waste into compost again. If you do everything right, you will not hear an unpleasant smell. A sour smell can occur simultaneously with the appearance of white mold on the surface of the compost - this is a sign that the process is not proceeding correctly. To correct the situation, add finely chopped newspapers or other paper to the bucket. Put the second portion of the ripened compost into the bag in which the first batch of fertilizer is stored. Ready-made home compost can be poured into pots of indoor plants, added to the substrate for seedlings, or taken to the country and used as fertilizer or mulch.
Mushroom compost
Bag compost
Mushroom cultivation is now a very profitable business, and many adapt to grow these mushrooms in their cellars - this method is called intensive, in contrast to extensive, when mushrooms are cultivated in natural conditions.
Mushrooms are grown in different ways, but the most effective method is growing in bags: it does not require high financial costs, and diseased mushrooms in one bag do not infect mushrooms in neighboring bags. The only drawback of this method can only be considered that the laying of the substrate in bags requires considerable physical effort. Compost in bags is placed on the floor in parallel or in a checkerboard pattern, and the checkerboard arrangement saves production space.
A high yield of mushrooms can only be obtained on a nutrient medium, and this requires a substrate based on compost. Compost for growing mushrooms, like garden fertilizer, can be prepared independently. For 100 kg of wheat or rye straw, you will need 100 kg of horse manure, 8 kg of gypsum, 5 kg of chalk, 2 kg of superphosphate and urea. Straw is cut 15-20 cm long, poured for 2-3 days with water so that it does not get wet, but moistened, then put three or four layers of straw in a pile or box in line with layers of manure, adding compost fertilizer - all urea and part of superphosphate (500 g).
Then the mass is thoroughly mixed, gypsum is added, then the remainder of superphosphate, then chalk, and after adding each ingredient, the compost is thoroughly mixed each time - 4 times in total. The output is 300 kg of substrate - this amount should be enough to lay 3 m² of mycelium.
If you use not horse, but bird droppings, then the proportions will be different: 100 kg of droppings and 100 kg of straw will require 300 liters of water, 8 kg of gypsum, and alabaster is used instead of superphosphate and chalk.
Mushroom compost must mature outdoors in a place protected from the sun and rain for three weeks - during this time the components “burn out”, the ammonia evaporates completely, and the compost can be used: approximately 15 kg of compost is placed in special perforated bags masses and plant mycelium in it.
Crate compost
The mushroom box system was developed in the USA in 1934 and is still popular today, mostly in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Growing champignons in boxes, as well as in bags, allows you to localize the defeat of fungi by diseases and pests and provides the opportunity to keep mushrooms at different phases of development in different rooms.
Boxes are made from spruce, birch or alder planks. The volume of the boxes can be from 0.4 to 2 m², and the optimal depth of the containers is 12-15 cm. Before use, they are disinfected with a 4% formalin solution or a 2% Lysol solution. As for the substrate, the method of its preparation is the same as when growing champignons in bags.
Ready-made compost - is it worth buying
If you have no time to make compost or you are afraid of not being able to do it, you can, of course, purchase ready-made compost. The Biud product has proven itself well - a universal concentrated and environmentally friendly biocompost that can be used both for ornamental crops and for fruit and berry crops. To create this biofertilizer, both traditional composting methods and the latest Finnish technologies are used.
The basis for the compost of this brand is high-moor and low-lying peat, cattle or horse manure, poultry droppings and fur-bearing carnivorous animals. Chopped straw, sawdust of hardwood trees, dolomite flour, vermiculite and other natural preparations are used as additives. By the name of the compost, you can determine what type of manure is used in it - "Cow", "Horse", "Chicken". There is also a biocompost in the series, created to fertilize the soil in autumn, it is called “Autumn”.
The use of compost during planting has a fruitful effect on vegetable crops - fertilizer is applied to the wells one tablespoon at a time. 2-3 cups of fertilizer are placed in the pits of berry bushes, and a liter jar of compost is placed in the pits of fruit trees.
Mushroom compost is also not in short supply - you can buy it both loose and in briquettes. However, it is still worth trying to make compost yourself, because this will require very little effort, and all the necessary ingredients are waste of your life.
