Organic fertilizers are not all equally available. It is possible to obtain manure in an amount sufficient to fertilize the site only if it is possible to keep livestock. Otherwise, manure remains only to buy. The situation is much easier with compost. Having built a compost pit on the site, you can organize the production of an excellent, highly environmentally friendly first-class fertilizer. In addition, properly prepared compost eliminates the ingress of helminth eggs into it, which are often found in manure.
What do you need for a compost pit
Compost is a product obtained from the natural processing of plants. For a small standard area, a pit with a volume of one and a half square meters is quite suitable. A set of tools necessary for preparing the pit is available on the site of every self-respecting gardener - this is a bayonet shovel, covering material (for example, old film) and a wood saw.
To strengthen the edges of a dug hole, boards, pieces of slate are suitable, you can use a brick. The compost should be placed in a secluded area of the site and in such a way that the wind does not bring the aromas of rotting mass to you. You should not arrange a structure near fruit trees - they can die from such a neighborhood.
How to make a compost pit
Make markings on the ground for the future compost pit and remove the sod around the entire perimeter for half a shovel. It is not necessary to dig deep deep - this will lead to a constant accumulation of rainwater, which will slow down the processes of decay. Fix wooden pegs along the edges of the removed turf. They are hammered in deep, after which boards are nailed to them. It will turn out something like a sandbox, but it must be filled not with sand, but with plant debris.
For compost, you can use cut grass, leaves, tops, rotten root crops. Raw fruits, cereals, twigs, sawdust, and even small pieces of paper will do. Bones, potato leaves, animal excrement and non-organic debris should not be thrown into the compost.
When filling, the main thing is to dump plant residues in as much as possible, but they should not be rammed, because silage will turn out. When laid correctly, the compost will rise slightly above the edges of the boards. If there are no extra boards on the site, you can simply form a pile and wrap it around the edges with pieces of slate or rubber mats. In dry weather, the future compost must be watered.
In conclusion, the pit must be covered with a film or other covering material - this will help create a greenhouse effect. The process of natural processing of the contents of the compost pit will take one and a half to two years.
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If the site has poor soil, then a container is built to create humus, which is an important part of any garden plot. The use of top dressing in the form of compost allows you to grow environmentally friendly plant and vegetable crops. Recommendations from experienced gardeners will help you understand how a do-it-yourself compost pit is created, the manufacturing options, photos and installation features of which can be considered in detail below.
Tanks can contain several compartments, which increases their performance
A compost pit is easily created with your own hands. In this case, manufacturing options can be seen in the photo. Simple products can be made from pallets, which are taken after the sale of building materials and purchased for a small amount.
It is important to choose the right location. It should be far from home. It should be a well-ventilated area. This will prevent bad odors. Containers from improvised materials are distinguished by high availability. The finished design allows you to dispose of weeds from the site.
Useful information! The vegetation is compacted over time and, under the influence of bacteria and humidity, is converted into an excellent organic fertilizer. Perfectly is suitable for processing of different cultures in a kitchen garden or a garden.
What is the purpose of the pit?
An excellent method of recycling various garbage is a do-it-yourself compost pit. Manufacturing options, photos and drawings can be found in sufficient quantities on the Internet. This facility allows you to get high-quality fertilizers in the shortest possible time. In this case, cut grass, leaves and manure are used.
- side walls are being assembled;
- the walls are sheathed with boards, two walls are made with gaps and two of tightly standing boards;
- boards for the back side are attached;
- the bottom is made;
- cover is mounted;
- lower doors are installed.
Useful information! The wood from which the pit is made must be impregnated with a special solution. This will prevent destruction from high humidity, harmful insects and decay processes.
DIY compost pit: manufacturing options, photos and nuances
There are many ways to make compost pits in the country. It is worth choosing a type of structure that meets the requirements of a particular area.
The most famous methods are used:
- building a hole in a certain place. The pit should look like a well, but be smaller. At the same time, the walls of the pit are additionally strengthened and sheathed, but only at a height of 20-25 cm from the bottom, so that microorganisms easily penetrate inside;
- the container is mounted on the garden plot. This allows you to get the compost mixture at any time. Formwork is at the base of the pit. In this case, a plastic tank or a box of boards is used; It is important to install ventilation holes;
- The easiest way is to create a compost heap. This creates a substrate of sand, dried grass and gravel. Waste is laid on top, which must be recycled.
There are many options for creating such a structure. They differ not only in materials, but also in the properties of the tank and dimensions.
Useful information! Before laying plant materials in the structure, you need to carefully loosen the bottom and install a vent. After rains, the pit can be covered with polyethylene to speed up the work of microorganisms.
How is a compost pit made from slate in a country house?
The advice of the masters will help you decide how to make a compost pit in the country from slate in order to get a reliable and durable construction.
Slate canvases will be an excellent basis for the walls of the box. The construction is carried out in several stages:
- suitable dimensions are determined;
- after choosing a site for the location of the structure, you need to make a small indentation;
- supports made of pipes or boards are mounted in all corners;
- with the help of slate sheets, a pit is mounted;
- a partition is installed in the box, which divides the space into two parts.
How to make a compost pit correctly - sooner or later every owner of a suburban area faces this question. From this article you will learn how to competently equip a place for obtaining natural fertilizers.
Compost is an effective tool for improving soil fertility. This is known even to novice gardeners. But, unfortunately, not everyone knows how to equip a compost pit. There are many nuances in this case. And only a competent approach will allow "to kill two birds with one stone" - to dispose of household waste and lay the foundations for a rich harvest.
Choosing the right place
If you are puzzled over the question of how to properly make a compost pit, then the first thing you should take care of is choosing the right place.
As a rule, the compost heap is settled behind outbuildings, in the backyard of the site. Don't stir the pit too close to a drinking water source. The optimal distance to it is 25 meters. The place should be shaded, because. direct sunlight slows down recycling processes. It is important to take into account the direction of the wind, it is unlikely that the neighbors will be delighted with the smell exhaled by the future fertilizer.
Think about ease of access as well. Many people forget about this, and then they suffer with the laying of garbage and the sampling of humus. It is good if the surface of the earth is flat - stagnant water reduces the flow of oxygen, which will significantly extend the time of "cooking" the most valuable additive.
Have you chosen a place for a composter? Fine! Clear the ground of sod and loosen it to a depth of 30 cm. This way you will create favorable conditions for the life of worms and other beneficial microorganisms that take an active part in processing.
About dimensions and design features
So, we figured out the place for the composter. And here a new question is brewing, what size should the compost pit be? The size is determined by the principle of "two cycles". That is, the first half of the pit should be occupied by waste that has accumulated over 2 years, the second half by “young” compost (not older than 2 years).
It is important to understand that the larger the compost pit, the faster it heats up to the desired temperature (up to 60 degrees). If the pit is small, then, of course, it will also heat up, but it is unlikely to reach the temperature indicators at which all pathogenic flora and weeds die. Experts recommend laying a compost heap with the following dimensions: height - at least 1.2 m, width - 1.5 m, length - 2 m.
Be sure to provide a removable cover for the composter. Do not cover the bottom with film, rubber, metal sheets or slate. They will prevent the passage of moisture upwards, which means that the compost will be dry. The best floor for a compost pit is earthen.
Manufacturing options
Compost heaps can be of several types. Consider the arrangement options, and you choose the most convenient for you.
ordinary pit
"Compost for the lazy" is an ordinary shallow pit. First lay tree bark, hay or branches on the bottom. Next - plant and food residues. Cover with black plastic wrap. After each dumping of new waste, cover it with grass. To be honest, this option cannot be called successful - the contents of the pit will not warm up enough, and a lot of effort will have to be spent on mixing. It is better to try and build something more efficient.
Wooden two-section composter
A wooden box immersed in the ground is the most common option. Dig a hole about 50-80 cm deep, 1.5-2 meters wide and 2-3 meters long. Dig in the support bars in the corners, stepping back from the edges of the pit 20 cm. Pipe sections will do a good job with this task. Pre-treat them with a bioprotective compound.
Assemble three walls of the box from the boards, providing ventilation holes. Install and align if necessary. Divide the composter in two using a wooden board. The first compartment is for the "old" compost, the second - for the "young". Screw on the front wall.
Cover the bottom with straw or tree bark. This will protect against the accumulation of excess fluid and ensure normal air exchange. The lid can be made from a sheet of plywood attached to the back wall with hinges. First, treat the wooden parts with an impregnation that protects against moisture and insects, and then cover with acrylic paint in two layers.
You can divide the compost pit not into two, but into three sections. The first compartment is for ready-made compost, the second is for ripening, the third is for laying new waste.
Most often, the composter is made of wood, but if desired, you can use slate, metal sheets or bricks.
Composter with one section
If a two- or three-compost composter seems inconvenient to you, then you can make a pit with one compartment. Install a wooden box so that 30 cm remains between the ground and the edges. Ripe compost will be selected from this hole. New raw materials are laid from above, that is, there is no need to loosen the fertilizer. In principle, very convenient.
concrete pit
Those who want to make a compost pit once and not worry about it anymore should be advised to concrete "reservoir". Mark the area (approximately 2x3 meters) and dig a shallow trench (70-80 cm). Build formwork 10-12 cm thick around the perimeter of the future composter. Prepare the concrete and pour it into the formwork. After the final hardening, the formwork is disassembled. Place waste in the pit and cover with foil, metal mesh or wooden shields. That's all.
plastic containers
A modern interpretation of the traditional yama that needs some work. The plastic does not allow air to pass through, so you will have to make the ventilation holes yourself. Doing this can be problematic. It is better to buy a ready-made plastic composter equipped with a lid, ventilation ducts and lower doors for laying out fertilizers. The volume may vary. On average - from 400 to 1000 liters. The cost varies from 2 to 10 thousand rubles.
When the work on arranging the compost pit is completed, you should think about how to use it correctly. After all, how quickly you get humus and how nutritious it will directly depend on this.
- from time to time "comb" the contents of the pit with a pitchfork. So you provide oxygen access and speed up the process of decay;
- do not forget to water the compost heap - dry waste does not decompose;
- the film that covers the pit will help speed up the “cooking” process;
- sometimes plant worms in a box and add decomposition-activating drugs (Compostin, Compostar, Baikal EM-1, etc.);
- stack raw materials in layers. Plant residues alternate with food waste, wet - with dry;
- accelerate the process of decomposition of cow dung, as well as some plants (dandelion, chamomile, valerian, yarrow);
- do not compact the layers tightly, make sure that the contents are not too wet, too loose or, conversely, dry;
- dry material in the compost heap should be 5 times more than wet.
And finally, about what can be put in a composter and what cannot. This, by the way, is the defining moment for obtaining good fertilizer. Plant residues are thrown into the compost pit - mowed grass, straw, tree bark, leaves, branches, wood ash. Food waste will also come in handy - tea leaves, peels of fruits and vegetables, eggshells, leftover cereals and soups. Black and white newspapers, napkins, cardboard, old wool or cotton items will do.
To enrich the contents of the pit with nitrogen, from time to time it is necessary to add manure, bird droppings, bone meal, bean and pea stalks to it. Do not forget about superphosphates, dolomite flour and complex mineral fertilizers.
You can not make animal excrement, fats, bones, spoiled foods, tomato and potato tops, weed seeds, plants treated with herbicides, inorganic debris (rubber, plastic, glass, synthetics).
Video: The device of a modern compost pit on a personal plot
Every summer resident and owner of a private household, who has been growing vegetables in his own garden for more than a year, knows that the land tends to be depleted, while the yield and quality of garden products are reduced. Naturally, the limited area of the land plot does not make it possible to carry out a full-fledged crop rotation, leaving some part of it unused for a year or two: in this case, the soil is, as they say, “fallow” and has the opportunity to restore its fertile potential. We have to solve the issue by fertilizing the soil, and here many people have all sorts of problems.
All (or almost all) issues related to soil improvement can be solved with the help of such a wonderful substance as compost.
This is a very effective natural fertilizer, which can be produced without any financial costs in natural conditions literally from nothing, more precisely, from garbage that is usually burned or thrown away.
It is only necessary to make a little effort to create optimal production conditions - to make compost pit. Next, we'll show you how.
In simple terms, compost is the result of the process of decomposition of organic waste with the help of microorganisms and the obligatory access of oxygen in conditions of sufficient humidity and biological heat. An important role in the formation of high-quality compost is played by earthworms and dung worms.
Immediately make a reservation that the process of formation (ripening) of compost is quite long and without the use of special auxiliary compounds lasts from one and a half to two years. In rare cases, when creating the best natural conditions, it is possible to get good compost in a year, but this process does not tolerate haste, especially since, if the process is properly organized, it will be possible to receive a portion of fertilizer almost annually in the future.
The multilayer structure of the compost mass. Below - a drainage layer of large branches, above - a fresh layer of household waste So, we mentioned that ordinary garbage and organic waste are used to create compost. This is true, and the arrangement of the compost pit will allow you to solve two pressing issues at once - to dispose of most of the household waste and to get a quality soil conditioner.
In the compost pit you will throw:
- fallen leaves;
- cut grass;
- dry branches from trees and shrubs, roots, wood waste;
- withered tops from the garden;
- potato (beetroot, carrot, etc.) peels, banana peels, apple peels, etc. bits, half-eaten salads, tea leaves, coffee grounds and other waste from the kitchen and dining table;
- paper and cardboard waste.
At the same time, you must remember that everything placed in the compost pit must be shredded (especially wood, paper, cardboard), free of paint and varnish coatings and any fats.
You should not place such items as meat, bones, animal intestines, cabbage leaves and dairy products (they rot and form a very bad smell), vegetable stalks affected by late blight and other diseases, as well as weeds - it is still better to burn them in order to there were no problems in the future. Many experts do not recommend throwing pet excrement into a compost pit, since they may contain helminth eggs (worms), which, although they should die from the heat generated inside the compost mass (from 40 ° C to 70 ° C), no one will give such a guarantee, so better beware. Naturally, plastic, rubber, metal and objects made of synthetic materials will not decompose in any way in the compost, which will remain garbage and then end up in your garden.
Making a compost pit with your own hands
For our purposes, it makes sense to talk about three types of compost pits that you can equip yourself, as well as get acquainted with some production samples from the large assortment available for sale in specialty stores and "gardening" departments of hypermarkets.
You can make your own:
- the pit itself, the “working” part of which is below ground level;
- a completely outdoor structure, generally representing a box or enclosed space;
- a rare “universal” type that combines the two previous ones in its design.
In fact, making a compost pit with your own hands is not at all difficult, then we will consider the available designs and you will see for yourself.
Location of the compost pit
Before you start arranging a compost pit in your backyard or summer cottage, you should pay attention to some of the nuances of its correct location.
Taking into account the peculiarities of the waste composting process, the pit should be located at a distance from sources of drinking water - springs, wells, wells. The optimal distance is 25 meters: further is possible (if the territory allows), closer is not desirable.
An important point: if the terrain on your site is heterogeneous, with slopes, always choose the location of the compost pit below the level of the well, preferably at the lowest point of the site. This is done so that during rains (snow melting) decomposition products do not enter the source along with water flows. You can determine the lowest point if you follow the direction of streams during heavy rain.
Another problem is unpleasant odors, which may well come from the compost pit. This should be taken into account so as not to spoil relations with neighbors and your own mood. Therefore, find out in advance the predominant direction of the wind, which should become your assistant in this matter.
Usually, a compost pit is located somewhere away from the eyes - behind outbuildings, at the end of the garden, etc. However, you can still equip some suitable fence like a screen with climbing plants. In addition to the decorative function, such a fence should provide the pit with two extremely important conditions:
- protect from the sun, providing reliable shade;
- do not interfere with the free blowing of it by the wind.
Well, now, in fact, about the pit itself.
The first option can be considered the oldest, which gave the name to all other designs. This is a pit in its purest form, no more than 1 meter deep, 3 meters long and about 1.5 meters wide. Such calculations are due to practical expediency: it will be more difficult to fill a larger volume, and the resulting compost is quite enough for a garden of 8-10 acres.
However, everything is not so simple: the formation of compost is an aerobic process, requiring free access of air to the entire mass, which dense soil is not able to provide. To solve this problem, the walls of the pit should be sheathed from the inside with wooden boards at a certain distance (about 20 cm) from the earthen walls. To do this, columns are dug in at the corners of the pit, to which the boards are nailed. The boards themselves do not fit tightly to each other, they leave a distance of 4-5 cm between them. Such measures are necessary for better ventilation of the compost mass, as well as for earthworms to access it.
A drainage layer of pieces of wood and branches is thrown at the bottom of the pit for better ventilation. Now you need to build a wooden shield and block the hole exactly in the middle, dividing it into two equal parts. Waste will be placed in one, and the other is needed for periodic shifting (several times per season) of the mass in order to better saturate it with oxygen.
Some people prefer to line the walls of the compost pit with bricks (as in the photo above), cinder blocks, or concrete. Such "thoroughness" is completely useless for the reasons outlined above.
Compost bin design
The overhead structure is considered more popular - the so-called. compost box.
For its construction, special skills and calculations are not needed: the main thing is to provide a certain volume for the mass of waste in which they can be and gradually overheat into a nutrient substrate, as well as supplying a sufficient amount of air.
Compost bin made of wooden pallets A compost bin can be made both portable and stationary by digging columns of the desired height (1 m above the ground) into the ground at the corners from a thick wooden beam or metal pipe. These posts are then sheathed with narrow (10-12 cm) wooden planks, maintaining an interval of 1-2 cm, sufficient to ensure drainage functions.
Good so-called. “Finnish” type of compost bin, the main part of which is a cube with a side of 1 m. Such dimensions are calculated in order to ensure that the mass is overheated, and not dried out (with a smaller volume) or burned out from excess internal heat in a significantly larger volume.
A gable roof is being built on top, one slope of which is used for laying waste in a box and is a lid with a convenient handle that leans back on the door hinges. In the lower part of one of the surfaces, it is necessary to place a door 30-40 cm high on the same hinges, through which it will be convenient to take out the finished (mature) compost located in the lower conditional third of the mass (mature, ripening compost and fresh waste on top).
One wall of the box facing the courtyard can be made deaf. As in the case of the pit, the box can be built into two compartments, but this is not so important here.
As you know, demand creates supply, and therefore various manufacturers offer to purchase ready-made compost boxes - composters, made of high-strength plastic or metal (sometimes wood), with a modern design and designed in such a way as to create the most favorable conditions for mass composting.
Composters vary greatly in their cost, manufacturability (some models are equipped with temperature sensors and electromechanical mass rippers), dimensions and design features, which can be both solid and collapsible.
In the presented photos you can see some samples, but it is better to choose in consultation with the seller.
Compost care
Having acquired your own compost pit (or box), you will have to take care of the mass gradually turning into fertilizer. It is not difficult, all care consists in periodically moistening the mass and ventilating it.
It is convenient to moisten with a garden watering can, wetting, but not filling the mass with water. They ventilate the ripening compost with the help of garden forks, piercing and turning the mass to the maximum depth in several places or shifting it from compartment to compartment.
For better maturation and quality of the future compost, you can add a small amount of overripe (two-year-old) manure to the mass.
It is possible to significantly accelerate the maturation of compost with the help of commercially available special compound preparations: in some cases, the result is obtained in one month, although the consistency of the compost will be different, and it will have to ripen in the soil, which, according to many experts, is even good for plants.
If you have a decent plot of land, you still have to fertilize it from time to time. So why not use high-quality compost for these purposes? No, we do not offer you to buy it with delivery to your personal plot. This pleasure is not cheap. It is much easier to independently produce this useful fertilizer on your own land. All the conditions for this already exist - it remains to establish the system. You can combine business with pleasure: clear the site of unnecessary waste and produce selected compost. Let's find out how you can build a compost pit with your own hands and try to avoid mistakes.
What are the benefits of a compost pit?
On a piece of land, compost pits are used to store waste, surplus products. Subsequently, they decompose and turn into fertilizer of a fairly high quality. If at the beginning of the season you build a compost pit at your favorite dacha with your own hands, already in the fall you will have ready-made, incredibly useful fertilizer. The average compost "ripening" time is three months. Of course, provided that the composter is made correctly, and due attention was paid to the pit. Otherwise, the decomposition process may take 1-2 years.
Compost pit building codes
To build a good and reliable house, you need a well-thought-out project. The requirements for a compost pit are not so severe, but they are also there. To speed up the ripening process of fertilizers, try to ensure a regular supply of heat, oxygen and moisture. Follow these rules:
- The pile should rise above the ground, not be level with it or be below the ground. This is really important, because in this case the pile warms up much better, it is much more convenient to water and loosen it. We advise you to go deep by 45-50 cm, but leave barriers about a meter. An ideal do-it-yourself compost pit has a width of 1.5 meters, a length of 2 meters.
- Keep in mind that if there is at least one water source on the territory, it must be located 25 meters or more from the compost pit. If the site has a certain slope, the pit is always built below the source. Otherwise, the water in it will cease to be drinkable.
- The compost pit in the country is located at some distance from the dwelling or gazebo. You don’t want to meet the morning with an unpleasant smell or fry kebabs in the yard, inhaling completely different “aromas”?
- It's great if there is some kind of big tree on the site. For compost, it is always recommended to choose a place that is in partial shade. This will protect the pit from drying out quickly.
- You should choose the size of the pit with your own hands, taking into account the volumes of garbage that are in the country, and are planned to be brought in in the next two years.
- Fences for a compost pit according to Finnish technology should have a height sufficient for convenient loosening and collection of compost.
Never make the bottom of slate, do not cover it with rubber or metal. These materials prevent the soil from rising up, but the compost will dry out regularly. The bottom is made of earth, the walls are covered with any of the available materials.
Diagram of a ventilated compost bin What is allowed to be thrown into the compost pit, and what is prohibited?
Building a composter with your own hands is half the battle. To get really high-quality fertilizer, you need to know what can not be put in the pit, and what can be.
To achieve maximum efficiency, you can safely lay the following types of waste:
- Bark and leaves, chopped branches.
- Grass, dried weeds.
- Dung that has long overgrown, droppings of birds and other domestic animals.
- Any fruits and vegetables, as well as their cleaning.
- The rest of the tea.
- Small sawdust, shavings, straw.
- The ash that remains after burning wood.
Any video about the construction and further use of such structures will confirm that ash can be put into the compost pit, and even paper in any form: cardboard, napkins. When laying fresh grass, especially if we are talking about a sufficiently thick layer, the decomposition process stretches for a year. To speed it up, we advise you to sprinkle the grass with soil.
Compost filling scheme Never mortgage:
- Bones and very thick branches. They rot long enough.
- inorganic products. In particular, these include rubber and polyethylene, metal and plastic, synthetics.
- Tops of tomatoes, because it is often infected with late blight.
- Plants that have previously been treated with chemicals.
Now you know for sure that you can’t put it in a compost pit under any pretext.
Popular ways to create
At a do-it-yourself compost pit, all manufacturing options can be divided into several types. Let's list them.
Regular waste pile
It is not difficult to prepare such a heap option. You only need to choose the most suitable place to place the compost heap. Then gradually stack the waste. If possible, they are laid in layers. For example, food waste can be alternated with straw, green grass and manure.
As soon as the height reaches a meter, you will need to make 3-4 recesses and pour compost liquid inside. It significantly speeds up the process, so the first compost will be ready in three months.
The option described above is one of the fastest ways to get compost at minimal cost.
All you need to create a compost heap is a wheelbarrow and a shovel. classic pit
One of the manufacturing options is that you dig a small depression in the ground in a square shape. You cover your version of the pit with branches and hay at the bottom, as well as bark. Next, put food, plant waste. The temperature inside will not be very high, so it is recommended to immediately cover with foil.
Please note that this option is the least successful of all. Firstly, such a pit warms up much worse. Secondly, the temperature in it is not always high. But it has a small area and is easy to arrange.
classic compost pit Building a compost bin out of wood
How to make a compost pit so that the design is inexpensive and practical? To do this, you can use bars, sheets of metal with slate. The process of making a hole is as follows:
- You remove the top layer about 35-40 centimeters thick.
- Next, drive in pegs around the perimeter.
- A fence will need to be installed around the hole. You can make it from pallets, use wood blocks, boards and shields. It is allowed to use other materials: flat and wavy type slate, polycarbonate, metal sheets.
- The height of the fence is not more than one meter. Otherwise, even with a large growth, it will be inconvenient for you to mix the compost.
- The structure is covered with plywood or film. The compost warms up perfectly, so this design is considered optimal in all areas.
A very original version of the execution is the construction of a wooden box. The lower edges of the structure do not reach the surface by 25-30 centimeters. Boards and other materials are also attached at a certain distance from the ground. At the bottom, the compost matures several times faster, as it is laid much earlier. Ready fertilizer is taken from below, the pile gradually falls down. The main plus is that there is no need to loosen the pile, because you will always have the opportunity to get the right amount of compost.
Compost bin with sliding wall concrete pit
Perhaps the most reliable and durable option that will serve you for decades. The arrangement of the building is as follows. After choosing a suitable building site (about 2 by 3 meters), you will need to choose a soil of about 60-80 cm. Next, you build formwork 10 cm thick around the perimeter, mix the concrete solution and pour it into the formwork. As soon as the solution hardens, the formwork must be removed. We lay the waste in layers one by one, cover it with wooden shields or film on top.
Despite the fact that this method is one of the most expensive, it definitely has no equal in terms of efficiency. It is advisable to immediately divide the compost structure into two sections. In one of them you will lay the waste of this season, in the other the compost from last year will decompose.
A compost pit can also be replaced by an ordinary large barrel. However, in this case, you will definitely need the use of special preparations or the addition of worms.
How to use the pit?
In conclusion, a few tips for those who already know how to make a compost pit with their own hands. It is equally important to use it wisely throughout the season.
- From time to time loosen the compost with a pitchfork. This will help oxygen to penetrate inside, and waste - to mix with each other.
- Water the pile from time to time to maintain proper moisture levels.
- Cover the contents with a dark film to create a greenhouse effect. When the heap is covered, the compost in it can mature even in 3-4 months.
- Plant earthworms in the prepared compost. They perfectly loosen the pile, recycle it.
There are more than enough videos and articles on the Internet on the topic of building compost pits. All of them agree that, with proper construction, a compost pit can provide the owners of the site with very useful and almost free fertilizer.
