How to make compost in the country: instructions

What to do

Many gardeners prefer to prepare the compost on their own, as this not only saves time and money, but also reduces the amount of hassle, which is always enough on the site. In order to understand from what and how to make fertilizer correctly, it is important to understand how the procedure for its formation takes place. In fact, composting is a natural process of decomposition of organic waste. In the process of fermentation, a fertile loose composition is obtained, which is suitable for any soil. The most common way to make your own compost is to collect leftovers from the kitchen and organic waste in one pile. After that, bacteria begin to work, which will process “yesterday’s” borscht and fallen leaves into humus. As a rule, you can prepare compost in different ways, however, the whole process comes down to using the aerobic or anaerobic method.

From what you can make garden “gold” with your own hands:

• cut grass;
• foliage that falls in autumn;
• droppings of cattle and birds;
• peat residues;
• brew and coffee;
• egg shells, provided that they have not undergone heat treatment;
• peel and remains of raw vegetables and fruits;
• thin branches;
• straw, sawdust and seed shells;
• shredded paper or cardboard.

Not recommended for compost:

• vegetable peel after boiling or frying;
• diseased leaves and branches;
• weed plants;
• citrus peel;

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

Green components are essential for beneficial microbes, and they decompose quickly. The lack of green part can lead to a lengthening of the time required for composting. If you go too far with the green part, then the pile will smell unpleasantly of ammonia (rotten eggs). The remains of meat and fish products should not be included in the compost in the country, as they take longer to decompose, and there will be an unpleasant smell around.

How to make

The balance of the components is the golden rule at the stage when you are already ready to make garden “gold” in the country with your own hands. A properly stacked pile emits the smell of fertile soil, but if you hear an unpleasant smell, then you need to add brown residues. In order for the process of processing residues to start, the temperature in the center of the pile must reach 60-70 degrees. It should feel warm from it, but if it seems cool to the touch, then you need to add greenery.

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

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

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

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

Video “How to make compost in the country”

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

Where to lay

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

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

Practical use

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

Video “How to make good compost”

In this video you can hear tips on making good compost.