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When you manage to create a fully functional compost, the enthusiastic home gardener will have an organic fertilizer at their disposal in their garden for cultivated crops that few things can surpass. Many diverse factors contribute to the proper process of decomposition of natural waste. Above all, you need to be patient. Over time, as a result of the activity of microorganisms, insects, or fungi, a high-quality fertilizing material is formed. So how should you ideally start a compost?
Creating compost step by step
If you decide to create a compost, you should proceed as follows:
- Choose a suitable place in the garden. Ideally it should be at the edge, where there is partial shade.
- Purchase a professional composter. In garden centers or gardening supply stores there are boxes or containers available for starting a compost that allow regulation of moisture thanks to ventilation. They are often made of wood. However, you can also make a composter yourself, for example from old pallets. It is not advisable to make compost in a dug pit, where it is more difficult to maintain appropriate moisture.
- Place only organic materials into the composter and regularly turn them to make composting more efficient by supplying oxygen.
- Some gardeners also add earthworms to the compost, which accelerate the decomposition of organic matter.
What materials can be put into the compost?
Organic material in the compost should be as varied as possible. The more varied it is, the better its quality. Into the composter you can put smaller tree branches, wood shavings, tree bark, crushed plants (including weeds), fresh manure or bedding, leaves, hay, straw, vegetable and fruit peels, without any traces of mold. To prevent an unpleasant odor from the compost, it is necessary to exclude cabbage from the vegetables. Animal products are also completely unsuitable. Only plant-based items are suitable for composting. You should also be careful about contaminating organic waste with cleaning agents, which could spoil the entire compost and would only promote the growth of molds and fungal diseases.
How long until the compost is usable as a fertilizer?
Creating quality compost intended for fertilizing or mulching cultivated crops takes roughly ten months to one year. To support the growth of fruit or vegetables, you can add it to the garden or to pots from spring until the end of summer. Compost cannot be used as a substrate on its own.
