Compost is a valuable and easily accessible organic fertilizer suitable for all plants. To obtain afull-value ecological compost , use the right ingredients - rich in minerals and safe for the environment. And these will be found in every garden and home. Seewhich can be compostedso that the obtained compost is safe to use, free from pathogens and rich in humus. Here are the7 Best Ingredients for the Perfect Compost!
What can be composted?
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You can compost almost any organic wastethat may appear in your garden or home, as long as it does not contain toxic substances. The greater the variety of organic components in a compost, the better. We start ourlist of the 7 best ingredients for compostwith the things that accumulate the most in the garden - leaves and grass clippings: -)
1. Leaves? Yes, but not all!
The basic ingredient of any good compostare leaves fallen from trees and shrubs, both ornamental and fruit,as long as they are not infected by diseases and pestsLeaves can be compost themselves to obtain the leaf soil or arrange them in successive layers, interleaved with other materials.
Plant leaves differ in the content of mineral substancesh, therefore they have a different decomposition time. Soft leaves of e.g. apple, linden, chestnut, hazel and forsythia decompose the fastest.Much slower decomposition rates have thick pear, oak and alder leaves, rich in tannins and phenolic compounds.Slowly decomposing leaves should be composted in a separate containerin order not to slow down the composting rate of other garden debris.
Needle needles should also be composted in a separate place , which contains resinous substances, slows down the composting and strongly acidifies the compost.
2. Mowed grass and unnecessary turf
The secondcommon ingredient that can be composted is grass clippings and redundant turf . The cut grass breaks down quickly and is nitrogen-rich. After composting, it becomes a valuable fertilizer.Turf is also an excellent compost material . In the composter, the turf should be placed with the roots upwards. The layers of turf can be moved with other materials or composted alone, obtaining turf soil.
3. Plant residues and weeds
Plant residues are also suitable for compostannuals, perennial flowers fading, strawberry leaves, carrot leaves, potted plants (if they contain resins, they should be composted in a separate pile) and other plant remains.
Weeds are a valuable and mineral-rich component of the compostRemember, however, thatdo not compost any weeds that have already formed seedsThe high temperature inside the pile does not weakens their germination and by scattering compost in the garden in the following year, we can introduce them into the soil. The situation is similar in the case of root-growing weeds, such as couch grass, nettle and field horsetail. They can only be composted after drying.
4. Kitchen waste
We can also compost organic kitchen waste , i.e. vegetable and fruit peelings, egg shells, coffee or tea grounds, food leftovers (excluding meat and fat).Remember, however, thatdo not change the composter into a garbage canFor aesthetic and hygienic reasonskitchen waste should be covered with a layer of earth
5. Wood ash
Wood ash can be added to the composter. It enriches the compost heap with potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and trace elements. Ash strongly increases the pH level in the heap.Add ash to the compost in an amount not exceeding 3-5 kg / m³ of composted materialToo much ash adversely affects the decomposition of organic matter.
6. Loosening materials
We can add loosening materials to the composter, such as straw mats, sawdust, dried grass, wood clippings, shredded bark, small branches from pruned trees and shrubs and shredded sunflower stalks. Use them to create a bottom drainage layer thatallows you to drain excess water from the composted material These materials also loosen the prism and facilitate air access to its deeper layers.
7. Sand, loam and clay
If we have heavy soil in the garden,we can add sandto the compost to even out the air and water conditions in the soil. On the other hand, if the soil in our garden is light, sandy, thenwe can add loam or clay to the compost .
Remember!Successive layers of organic matter should be separated with separating layers (approx. 5 cm thick), which can be composed of peat, old potted soil , bottom sediments from the pond or the remains of last year's compost.
How to speed up composting?
Regardless of the composition of our compost, the composting process can be accelerated by adding Trigger-4 composting preparation, which contains bacteria and enzymes to support the composting process. It is so powerful that it is recommendedfor use with materials that are difficult to recompost , such aspaper, chips or faeces and used, among others. in municipal composting plants and landfills. Therefore, it is very useful if you accidentally threw something into the composter that should not be there. In the garden, Trigger-4 enablesto obtain fully mature compost in just 3 months
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MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
