Every gardener or gardener-lover dreams of making his plot fruitful. And one of the most important factors for this is the quality of the soil. And even if the soil cover on your site is not the most fertile, it can always be corrected by composting yourself.
Compost is a natural fertilizer obtained as a result of decomposition of organic components (fallen leaves, rotten fruits, weeds). All this is specially collected and placed in a compost box, where the fertilizer gradually matures, decaying. In this he is helped by all sorts of microorganisms of soil - from the smallest bacteria to dung beetles and earthworms. The compost ripens from one season to several years, depending on the external conditions and its contents. For example, it will ripen much faster, if you add special biologics containing concentrated microorganisms to activate the processes.
Compost matures gradually - in the lower part of it decomposition processes are more intensive, and usually by the end of the season there is already a ready fertilizer. Ready-to-use compost has the appearance of a uniform bulk material and smells pleasantly on the ground.
How correctly to prepare compost?
How to make compost is a whole science, here there are rules and laws.
The first rule of competent compost preparation is to ensure a sufficient amount of moisture and heat. If you "compile" the compost gradually, as organic material accumulates, as the owners of the household plots often do, then cover the box with black polyethylene film. It will, firstly, attract the sun's rays, heating the compost from the outside, and, secondly, to maintain the necessary moisture regime. If you lay compost immediately, you can cover it with soil, dry grass,
As for the compost box, it should be in the form of a cube with a side about 1.5 m. This is necessary in order to maintain its "microclimate" in the compost mass - constant humidity and temperature, so that the compost does not dry out, but at the same time time and did not overheat.
You should not put infected, sick plants in a compost pile. If you want to get a really good fertilizer, it is better to put chopped chamomile, nettle, dandelion or yarrow there. These plants contribute to a faster formation of humus.