Compost is a natural fertilizer that enriches the soil with organic substances and provides plants with essential minerals. However, sometimes it happens that we do not have space for a composter or the amount of compost obtained is too small for the needs of the entire garden. Then it is worth reaching fornatural compost substitutes , both homemade and ready to buy in the store. Seewhich instead of compostuse in the garden to achieve a similar effect of fertilizing the soil and fertilizing plants!
What can replace compost?
Practical ideas for fertilizing plants instead of compost are presented by Rafał Okułowicz, the publisher of PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl, a lover of cultivating in harmony with nature.
Before I go to the proposalwhich instead of compost we can use for natural fertilization , I want to debunk a myth. Well, many people believe that garden peat is a good substitute for compost. Maybe that's true, but only half of it. Peat is natural, like compost, and has a positive effect on the structure and absorption capacity of the soil. However, its advantages end there, because peat is not a fertilizer and does not contain the nutrients necessary for plants to live. So the commonly recommendedpeat cannot be used as a substitute for compostIf we want to use peat, it must be supplemented with additional fertilization.
As substitutes for compostI will not recommend any weed slurry, which, although they work perfectly, have their odor as slurry, and their preparation can be even more burdensome than having a composter . I assume that if someone, for various reasons, does not decide to use a composter, the collection of buckets with foul-smelling weeds is also out of the question … "
Sowhat to use when compost is lacking?Here are some ideas that I use myself!
First of all,the lack of a composter does not mean that all organic household waste must end up in the garbage canAnd so, e.g. directly in the garden, we can useegg shells, which will enrich the earth with calcium. The eggshells can be crushed and sprinkled directly on the beds or poured over with boiling water and set aside for a week to dissolve. This solution can be used to water calcareous plants that prefer alkaline soils.
It is also worth usingbanana peels , which are extremely rich in potassium and phosphorus. And so, fresh, cut into pieces, banana peels can be simply dug around the plants. They are especially useful for flowering plants and tomatoes. You can also dry the banana peels in the oven and crush them, gaining loose fertilizer, or pour water over them - when they dissolve after a few days, we will have a great fertilizer for watering plants.
Of course, egg shells or banana peelswill not replace compost, they can only be an addition to the fertilization . But if there is no composter in the garden, there are good ideas on how to use what would otherwise be put on the compost: -)
For morecomplete compost replacementsit is worth going to the gardening store. Here we will primarily buy liquid biohumus fertilizer. It is a product of metabolism by compost earthworms, which process organic material in the form of livestock manure in special composting plants. Biohumus, like compost, is rich in organic and mineral compounds necessary to nourish plants and maintain soil in good condition, as well as in invaluable living soil microorganisms. We can water plants with it throughout the growing season without the risk of over-fertilization.
Granulated manure will also be a good substitute for compost .It is an organic fertilizer of natural origin, suitable for universal use in the garden. If we want, similarly to compost, manure not only to provide organic matter and minerals, but also to activate the microbiological life of the soil, it is worth choosing Target granular cattle manure. In an advanced technological process, this manure was deprived of weed seeds and harmful pathogens by fermentation and thermal treatment, and then, in order to stimulate biological life, inoculated with beneficial soil microorganisms. We use it in early spring or late autumn, sprinkling it under the plants. Sosimilar to compost : -)
