Composting Guide

Today we'll focus on a topic that has become a strong trend in the gardening world recently, and we believe you'll find it interesting. We'll be talking about how easy it is to start and use compost.

Composting is a great opportunity for every grower and gardener to turn biological waste such as leaves, grass, vegetable scraps or fallen fruit into something useful — namely your own organic fertilizer!

Experience shows that there is plenty of biological surplus in every garden, and it would be a shame if this valuable material, which after successful composting can serve as a universal organic fertilizer effectively supporting all kinds of plants, ended up in a landfill where it is hard to burn and often contributes to foul odors spreading far beyond. That’s a bit about the ecological aspect; now we can move on to practical tips for your garden.

Is it worth composting?

The answer is clear: YES! As is well known, fertile soil is characterized by a sufficient amount of quality humus, which is created precisely by letting nature work in a composter with the biological waste you gradually add. Humus has a crumbly structure that retains water in the soil while also aerating roots — what more could you want. The whole process can of course be sped up using a suitable product, for example in the form of granules from the Czech brand AgroBio. They contain the right bacteria to help nature. Besides the considerable long-term benefits composting will bring you, you can also take comfort in the fact that you're doing something good for the planet yourself.

How to do it?

1. First choose a location, ideally rich in humus, where you will establish the compost. Pick a spot you can easily reach from time to time even with a wheelbarrow loaded with biological waste. Avoid the common mistake of placing composts in depressions or holes where air circulation is poor. Rot (putrefaction) definitely does not belong in composting — what you want is gradual natural decomposition or decay, which is different. You also need a place that won't be in direct sun all day.
2. Get a composter. It can take the form of a simple compost pile occupying roughly 1.5 x 1 m. A composter made from wooden slats saves space, because with a classic compost pile the waste is layered at one end and the transformed material is taken from the other end, which can stretch the length. With wooden slats you should choose a wood that resists decay, ideally larch. Wood can be replaced by iron constructions that do not weather. Recently thermocomposters made of plastic with practical lids have been particularly popular. If you are just starting composting, this is the easiest option.
3. A reliable recipe for proper composting is layering according to proven rules. The bottom part of an ordinary compost should contain branches or pieces of dead wood as harder-grain material. This forms a kind of separation between the soil and further biological waste so that oxygen can more easily reach the microorganisms working in the composter. We further distinguish nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich layers. This is, let's say, the basic foundation for the content of the fertilizer we will later have from our own biological surplus. Apply layers about 10 cm thick. Everything green, including kitchen scraps and eggshells, forms the nitrogen layer. Everything brown, wet or dry, forms the carbon layer — straw, leaves, sawdust, etc. If you use an accelerator when starting the compost (and why not), intersperse layers of soil mixed with the compost accelerator.
4. Compost doesn't require too much maintenance. The pile will gradually compact, which reduces oxygen supply, and the compost needs to be turned and re-layered roughly every two months. In rainy weather keep the compost covered, and if it's dry it's good to water the pile occasionally.

Compost maturity

In short, three stages are generally distinguished, and each phase in which the compost currently is determines the best use for the decaying organic matter:

• Fresh compost is about 3 months old and you can still identify individual components. Even at this early stage you can use it to support utility plants such as tomatoes, potatoes or cucumbers.
• Mature compost is characterized by an age of six months to a year. You recognize it by its dark brown to black color. It smells like forest soil, and apart from shells you can no longer distinguish most of the original components. If you sieve it before use, it is suitable as an additive for all lawn and garden areas, beds and, not least, as a quality soil for flower pots of all kinds. Mature compost already contains a large amount of essential nutrients, and it should be used evenly and in moderation to avoid over-fertilization.
• Compost soil is usually more than a year old and the nutritive effect that is so intense in mature compost decreases over time, so you can safely use it for all conceivable types of plants, preferably during spring and summer.

Now you know how to start a compost and how to speed up the composting process. If you have any questions related to starting a compost, don't hesitate to contact us at the usual address and we will be happy to advise you. Write to info@higarden.cz.

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