Autumn compost: 5 tips for winter storage

Compost is a valuable natural fertilizer that arises from decomposing organic substances. It will take some time to mature (at least 6-9 months). Certain rules must be observed when laying out compost, otherwise the biomass dries out or emit an unpleasant smell. Better create a compost heap in autumn, then you can already feed plants with the fertilizer next season that need a lot of nitrogen.

Suitable place for a compost container

The composer is usually installed in a remote corner of the garden, removed from the eyes. It is undesirable that trees grow nearby: their roots can change the growth direction and remove nutrients to the compost. The space should not be shined by the sun from morning to evening. Otherwise, the organic substances dry out, they have to constantly monitor the condition and often add water.

Grube, pile or tank?

Compost can be made in different ways. In the first case you dig an about 1 m deep hole with a size of 1.5 x 2 m. You can make it a little larger or a little smaller. The larger the compost container, the faster the compost matures in it. Biological processes require a stable temperature and a constant humidity. These indicators are easy to provide in the pit.

The second method includes the construction of a compost heap. Its optimal dimensions are 1 m at the base and 1-1.2 m in height. Before laying the compost, they dig a 20-25 cm deep hole, put the drainage off the branches on the ground – the liquid formed during the fermentation process flows down. Then the organic substances are laid out in layers. Along the circumference, the stack is fenced with boards or a fine network. From above the compost heap is covered with spinning fleece or straw.

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Another option is to put the compost in a special plastic container that can be bought in the garden center. This compost container has a buil t-in water supply hose and a rotating drum with which you can mix the content. The compost container looks aesthetically appealing and does not require the effort required to dig a hole or build a fence.

Regardless of which composting method is chosen, some other conditions must be met in order to obtain hig h-quality compost and no smelly, slimy mass.

So they compost correctly

Organic material is brought into the compost in layers. Organic materials are traditionally divided into two types – green and brown. It is better to change them together. Previously, the waste must be crushed, large pieces of organic matter rot much longer.

The green mass includes:

Cutting grass;
uprooted weeds;
Vegetable and fruit stitches;
Sharpen.

In conversion reactions, this type of organic material releases a considerable amount of nitrogen. This group also includes manure and bird droppings, which can also be added to the compost in order to accelerate the maturation.

Organic fabrics related to the brown mass:

Leaves;
Wood waste;
Cardboard;
Paper;
Straw;
Branches;
bark.

These are carbo n-containing components with a high fiber content. Their presence makes the compost loose and enriches it with various chemical elements that are necessary for the normal development of the plants.

Each layer consists of a thickness of 15 to 20 cm. Food waste, paper, fallen leaves are mixed with coarser materials to increase breathability. Lime or dolomite flour is added to wood chips and bark in order to accelerate the components’ decomposition process. The lowest layer of organic fabrics is sprinkled with the addition of lime.

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Waste not suitable for compost

Not all waste are suitable for the production of compost with high quality. Plants of plants affected by a mushroom or bacterial infection cannot be put in a compost heap. Disease pathogens in the process of decomposing organic substances will not die and can continue to infect landings. The tops of potatoes and tomatoes are toxic, so that it can cause the death of fermenting bacteria. It is also better not to put them in a compost.

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For this purpose, weeds and rhizomes of mult i-year weed plants do not use. Kot adds feces, cats, dogs where helminths cannot be added to compost, no add. You cannot put a glass, plastic pieces, synthetic materials in a compost heap because they do not overwhelm. Big bones are prohibited, laminated paper, shell of citrus fruits.

Accelerators the use of composting

The compost mass is regularly moistened. Moisture is required for fermentation processes. The air humidity must be kept in the range of 45 to 70 percent. Touch should be organically similar to a pressed sponge. The optimal temperature in the compost heap is 30 ° C (3 ° C deviations in both directions are acceptable).

Dry organic fabrics do not decompose and the cream will be too damp and the fermentation process is disturbed. The content of the compost heap is shocked once every 2 weeks. In wet weather, this will be done more often. Not only bacteria, but also insects and earthworms take part in the production of compost.

For the accelerated maturation of the compost mass, add them:

Special biological fertilizers, for example Baikal-European Championship, Radiance. The microorganisms contained in them contribute to the rapid decomposition of organic pieces.
Herbs “Cocktail”. It is made from mowed grass with chicken litter (5 kg or 2 kg, 20 liters of water). The composition may be transmitted under the lid for 5-7 days, which regularly mixed the contents of the container.
Hef e-Sauereig. For his preparation 1 tablespoon. l. Dry yeast and a glass of sugar per 1 liter of warm water. A deep hole is made in the middle and a yeast solution is poured there.

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You can determine the maturation of the compost according to its appearance. The mass becomes loose and homogeneous, consisting of small particles. The color of the tire compost is dark brown and the smell resembles the smell of wet earth. If there are no visible changes in the compost heap, it does not contain enough moisture. It is necessary to add potato cleaning, the mowed grass and water into the total mass.

Is it necessary to close the compost heap for the winter?

One of the most effective and affordable fertilizers is compost. It can be used for almost any kind of soil that improves the harvest of most types of vegetables and collect them in every garden components for compost. Today we will talk about the characteristics of the winter compost, which not only delivers the soil before the spring season, but also warm hibernation cultures in difficult tests at low temperatures.

Compost – the basis of the nutrient environment of the soil

Compost is generally used in spring and autumn. And if its importance in spring is not so extreme, then autumn compost is really only necessary for plants. First, it saturates the soil with useful elements that will help plants wake up easier in spring. On the other hand, compost is often used before winter as insulation material that warms the earth in cold weather.

Of course, you cannot rely on compost alone, no matter how dense and saturated it is in winter. It will not be able to fully protect some plants, so additional insulating material may still be needed. For this reason, compost is not often recommended when it comes to warming the soil for the winter. If the main task is precisely to warm the soil, then it is better to use other, more reliable components, both organic and inorganic. However, if you grow common crops in our latitudes, especially vegetables, then using compost for the winter is a really wise decision. On the one hand, it supports the plants in winter, on the other hand, it becomes the basis of the necessary nutrient medium.

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Create and use autumn compost

A variety of items of organic origin can be used as compost before winter – leaves, mowed grass, branches, straw, wood chips, sawdust, paper, food scraps, etc. Such waste in the fall is a complete garden and vegetable garden. Anything that seems unnecessary and organic will work for your compost. The only caveat is that you should not use diseased plants and meat waste. They can attract animals, and the digestive waste from cats and dogs can be vectors of disease. As such, almost anything you collect from the job site will fit in the compost, as will literally all the food waste that accumulates on a daily basis if not thrown away. For compost, egg shells, spoiled vegetables and fruits, leftovers, etc. are excellent components.

How difficult the composting process will be depends primarily on how much material you have. There are two main types of compost – cold and hot. For the so-called cold compost, it is enough to stack a pile of grass, paper and dry leaves directly on the ground or in a small container and let nature do the rest. This method does not require much maintenance, but it can take 6 months to 1 year to complete the decomposition process. The slow composting method is good if you don’t plan on spending much time on the compost pile, don’t have too much waste, and don’t plan on using the compost anytime soon. However, it should also be noted that making such a compost will take a lot of time.

Hot compost is more challenging, but with a few minutes a day and the right ingredients, it’ll be ready in a matter of weeks (subject to favorable weather conditions). It is ideal for winter for several reasons. Due to the high temperature created in the compost heap, the process can be delayed and go into winter, so the compost will continue to ferment and continue to ferment, warming the soil, protecting the plants from frost with its mass and just being ready in early spring. Therefore, it is of course advisable to prepare hot compost for the winter, there is still enough time for this.

Compost heaps for the lazy. What must not be composted?

Not allowed: plants affected by diseases, rhizomes of harmful herbs, fats, inorganic waste, synthetic materials. It is not recommended to put cabbage in the compost, since its decay gives an unpleasant smell, as well as meat waste, since in addition to the stench, they also attract rats.

But that’s not all. When forming a compost heap, you need to follow two rules. First, the smaller the waste, the faster it will decompose. Secondly, the ratio of green (high in nitrogen) and brown (low in fibre) should be 1:5. This ratio allows the bacteria to fully develop and significantly speed up the process of compost maturation.

Since it is difficult to form a compost heap at once, and in most cases it gradually fits, it is quite difficult to visually assess the amount of green and brown matter deposited in it. But there are principles you can follow to understand what needs to be added: if the compost heap has an unpleasant odor, then it’s missing a brown component, if it’s cool and has no visible fumes, you need to add green mass. If balanced, the compost pile should smell of soil, give off heat, be moist, and float a little.

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Ideally, a compost heap is laid out in layers, with green and brown fillings alternating with finer and coarser fractions of the components. After the final formation, it is covered with a layer of earth (5 cm), and then with old straw or a specially perforated (for ventilation) film.

Do I need to cover the compost heap with cling film? Compost under the foil

A few years ago, a gardener came up with the idea of insulating compost heaps under plastic sheeting. This simple invention solved the problem of the peculiar smell spreading from the compost heap throughout the site, and also simplified the protection of the compost heap from insects and rodents, giving the gardener a simple and inexpensive way of anaerobic (without air access) compost preparation.

Now you can freely prepare compost on your personal plot, without fear that uninvited guests will get inside. Simply cover the compost heap with a large piece of plastic wrap (opaque plastic is preferable for this event), isolate it from the substrate (soil) and forget about the compost for a long time. Simple: no smells, no flies, no rats!

Compost made under anaerobic conditions decomposes in less time than compost made open (with access to air). Covered composting not only speeds up the breakdown of organic matter, but is also an easier way to compost than traditional methods that use open compost heaps.

This method does not require overbrushing, wetting the heap several times, and generally no additional expense, effort, and resources other than a one-time covering of the compost heap at the very beginning of composting. First, the area reserved for the compost heap is plowed to loosen the soil and activate the bacteria present in it.

A compost heap is created in a common way on a plot prepared. After you have created the compost heap, it is necessary to pour it – so that water penetrates from top to bottom. After such irrigation, the stack is covered with a piece of plastic film. Gardeners who use this method report great results.

Compost heap in winter. Compost and compost pit

Compost is a product of the microbiological conversion of almost all organic substances into a valuable fertilizer. In addition to the fact that it offers a balanced diet for plants, its use perfectly improves the structure of the soil, increases the humus content in it, makes it easy, optimally moisture and breathable and easy to process. Compost is also a place where plant remains are disposed of: cut grass, weeds, leaves, inferior fruit and vegetables, kitchen waste, peat, fresh manure and much more. The more diverse the content of the compost heap, the faster the decomposition processes run. Compost does not burn the roots and is good for all plants.

Compost pits and other containers

When we speak of a compost pit, we don’t mean an informal hill made of rotting grass. In fact, both a compost container and a compost container or, in the simplest case, a bunch can be referred to as a compost. Most of the time they are knocked out of boards, which consist of a wire mesh that is attached to wooden frames. It is relatively simple to produce a compost tank from old pallets that are attached in a vertical position. However, they are not very attractive. The industry also produces a variety of compost containers, but they often consist of cheap polyethylene, which is not UV-resistant, and therefore do not last for more than three years.

Compost ventilation

Ventilation, i.e. ventilated, dramatically accelerates the composting process. Usually stir or throw a few pale forks. It’s pretty hard work, but it can be made easier.

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Place thick sticks every thirty centimeters long. After laying and heating the compost, it is useful to shake it and thus loosen the ripening mass and to supply it with oxygen. If you just pull them out, you will get a kind of product.

Install a polyethylene or asbesta pipe with several holes in the middle of the future pile. This ventilation pipe will serve for many years and provide useful microorganisms.

Organic factory

In order for bacteria and fungi to work more efficiently, the compost must be supplied with lack of nutrients. If the compost of last year’s leaves, fallen needles or rough stems are dominated, nitrogen fertilizers must be added. If the compost is produced on the basis of weed or mowed lawn grass, it makes sense to add phosphorus or potash fertilizers. Ash and egg shells significantly improve the quality of the compost and shorten the ripening period. The ripening period of the compost is 1-2 years. Therefore, the location must have at least two compost containers. Incovered plant residues can serve as the basis for the application of the next compost or use warm beds in spring.

How to deal with compost smell

So that the compost pit does not become a place for breeding of flying, do not pour any meat broth on it and do not throw any fishing waste. When they break down, they not only attract insects, but also an unpleasant smell. It is better to dig a flat fossa under the tree, throw the grunt or acidic cheese into it and immediately sprinkle with the earth on the bayonet of the shovel. The tree will surely react with quick growth to such “burials”.

Another reason for the bad smell from the compost pit is the prevailing anaerobic processes in the those that go out without air. This happens when the grass is folded after mowing the lawn with thick, more than 0.5 m and a layer. To prevent a sour smell from appearing, you should throw a few shovels of ordinary land on every grass layer.

Location of the compost pit or pile

So that the pile does not dry out, put the compost in the shade. For the same purpose, it is useful to cover it with synthetic film or other improvised materials. The cover with a film helps to extend the expansion time until deep autumn. In winter it is also necessary to take care of the compost heap. More snow is encountered for this. This prevents undesirable freezing.

Where can you place a compost heap. Compost: Where can you place it?

For composting in garden areas, you can use all biological waste and waste, everything that contains organic matter: branches, kitchen waste, tops, weeds, mowing grass, chips, sawdust, leaves, human life. Organic fertilizers of excellent quality are preserved from these. Some composts in the nutrient content are very close or the same as the fertilizer. Composting is the best sale of the sale for organic waste and obtaining environmentally friendly and cheap organic fertilizers.

The preparation of composts in garden areas has a number of advantages:

• We get environmentally friendly fertilizers because we always know that we insert a compost pit.

• We undoubtedly have economic advantages, since the use of composts reduces the costs for the purchase of other types of fertilizers, mainly minerals that are now expensive.

• We can prepare any required amount of compost from any organic waste in the garden.

At what location choose the compost?

If you decide to cook compost on your website, you have to assign a place for it. It is better to take it from his border to the back corner of the location at a distance of about 0.5 to 0.8 m. The composting storage (the s o-called waste storage space) should not be removed very much from the house (kitchen). It is worth presenting a way out of tiles, bricks or other materials. Ideally, this area should be protected from wind and closed from direct sunlight.

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If there is no way to build a component (or, as you say, a composter) in the shade of trees or high bushes, the place that is reserved can be artichokes, corn, curly beans that need a disappointment every year. They are often planted for shading on a compost heap and a pumpkin (it should be planted on the edge).

The layout should not immediately catch the eye and spoil the view of the garden. It can be decorated, for example, to hide from prying eyes with the help of shrubs – an elder, a hazelnut, a black mountain ash and lilac. You can also implement a small fence from the racks, which will serve as a support for all climbing plants. There is one more option for decorating: installing an escape fence from twigs – it will come out both original and beautiful.

The size of the composting site can vary depending on the size of the garden and the amount of compostable material you have. A 3-4 m2 connection can provide organic fertilizers with an area reserved for planting.

To create good quality compost, you need to meet the main composting requirements: choose the right organic components, guarantee air access and optimal humidity in the compost mass.

Preparing a compost heap for the winter. It is necessary to cover the compost for the winter or not, argue gardeners

There is no exact and only correct answer to this question. Every good business manager has their own unique way of preparing compost. And everyone considers themselves a specialist in this matter. But there are two reasonable explanations why it is necessary to cover it for the winter and why not.

Harvesting the compost begins in the spring when the air temperature allows you to keep it open. But winter is a different matter. First you need to understand what happens during the maturation of this fertilizer. This is not just a decay process. This is the processing of organic waste using anaerobic bacteria. And for their life, a certain temperature and humidity should be maintained. That is why a group of gardeners believe that in order to maintain heat, compost for the winter must be closed with a film. On the other hand, the compost heap should “breathe”. And in this case, the film prevents oxygen. Therefore, other gardeners refuse this method.

The fact is that with the correct laying of the compost, during its processing into humus (fertile layer of soil) itself is heated to a temperature above 70 degrees, so there is no need to cover the film. But how to close it to maintain such a temperature in winter can tell farmers.

The word “compost” itself is translated as “composed”. That is, it consists of many layers. The filling can be various organic waste, divided into two groups.