Compost is a great organic fertilizer and that's why I decided to write about it.
Location of the composter and ways of masking itIn general, no composter does not look very attractive, so it is worth choosing a place in the garden where the pile will not throw into eyes. I also do not display the composter and I planned it at the back of the house, near the border with the property of a neighbor who has a shed right behind my fence. I planted grapes and a hibiscus bush near the composter. When the plants turn green, they mask it well. Additionally, right next to the composter, Małgosia's wife planted rough sunflowers.They grow tall and well cover the not very aesthetic chest.
What to put on the composter?The composter usually accumulates all plant residues. I do that too, but apart from that, I throw away kitchen waste, e.g. peelings. I know that specialists do not look very favorably on such a procedure, but I prefer to throw the leftovers from the kitchen into the compost than into the garbage. And I think that it is probably thanks to this waste that hedgehogs have lived in our garden, because they will always find something for themselves to eat.
How to build a composter?
My home composter looks like a box. It is not completely built-up and consists of movable boards. They can be added or removed as needed on a stable rack, which I made from old central heating pipes. They are rusted now, but they are firmly buried in the groundand do their job.
Composter in winterDuring the winter, the composter is usually covered with snow and only sometimes I throw some waste from the kitchen there. Only in the spring I start cleaning it.
Compost soil
Every second season, in spring, I remove the outer, least-processed layers to get deeper, where the compost has already formed. To clear the compost soil of larger particles and debris, I sift it through the sieve that builders use to clean sand. Then I put the layers back together, smoothen the surface with a shovel and shred up the remains of plants that ended up in the pile after autumn cleaning. In the summer, I gradually supplement itwith new plant waste.
Thanks to these treatments, every year I have at my disposal a large amount of perfect compost soil, which I use in my own garden or share it with my neighbors. The wife also mixes the compost with soil bought at the garden store and uses it for potted flowers.
Kazimierz Kozak
RECIPE FOR THE GARDEN - How and where to set up a composter?
The composter should be set up on the sidelines, but not too far from the house and garden, so that there will be no problems with carrying plant residues.It is worth hardening the road to it - then it will be easier to navigate on it. Ideally, the composting site should consist of three parts. These can be, for example, three boxes made of boards or logs with the following dimensions: 80-90 cm (height), 100-150 cm (width), 100-200 cm (length). We collect composting material in one of the boxes, and composting in the other two. This is because no waste should be added to the already prepared compost material. Apart from plant residues, any kitchen waste is suitable for composting, except for:
- meat - when decomposing, it gives off a bad smell and can attract flies and animals;
- citrus peels - they decompose very slowly because they are saturated with chemicals to prevent them from rotting;
- bread - bread mold contains a substance that slows down the decomposition of organic matter.
The composted material should be shredded, well mixed with each otherand separated with layers of earth.It should also be covered with straw, leaves or old hay to protect it from winds and drying out. If the composter is made of planks, make sure that there are gaps between them for aeration. It is good to line the bottom of the composter with branches, and insert drains with holes into the heap. When the composter is poorly ventilated, undesirable putrefactive processes take place. Following these rules will allow you to obtain mature compost after 8-9 weeks.
