How to obtain humus from manure. How to prepare compost yourself and make good humus. Physical properties of humus

Material prepared by: Yuri Zelikovich, teacher of the Department of Geoecology and Environmental Management

Humus or humus is the most effective complete organic fertilizer with long-term microelements. Simply put, if you rent a plot of land for up to 5 years and the prospect of extending the lease agreement is not clear, then it is advisable to apply quick, highly active fertilizers, incl. compost and rotted manure. If you have your own farm, which you intend to pass on by inheritance, then Regular fertilization with humus will preserve and increase soil fertility for many years. Although quick, from spring to autumn, the effect of using humus for fertilizer is quite noticeable. In the case where the plot is small and does not allow for proper crop rotation, it is difficult to do without humus - regular fertilizing is needed during the season, but without thorough knowledge of agrochemistry, local conditions and soil properties, it is easy to deplete it within 3-5 years, and reclamation is complex and expensive. Humus will serve as a general strengthening agent for the earth and create a stable soil environment favorable for plants. Artificially prepared humus is a loose earthy mass of various shades Brown

, see figure:

Humus is formed from the manure of herbivores and plant residues with the correct alternation of their aerobic and anaerobic decomposition. Unlike compost in a pit, in order to form humus, aerobes must completely finish their work and smoothly pass the baton to anaerobes, which do not form volatile compounds of nitrogen and sulfur. This requires a small amount of air access to the humus formation zone, which does not allow the most aggressive anaerobes to “run wild”.

Humus and fertilizing Even the most humus-rich soil, e.g. steppe, in agriculture it needs to replenish humus reserves. Under natural conditions, its natural influx is ensured by the winter-spring rotting of dead plant debris and waste from wild animals. This is not the case in the cultivated area, and the humus horizon is continuously thinned by cash crops during the growing season, leaching under the influence of atmospheric precipitation good harvests and on lean soil, but replenishing the natural loss of humus will greatly reduce costs, as well as eliminate the risk of overfeeding plants or a sharp drop in yield in unfavorable years.

What is humus

The composition of humus in terms of plant nutrients remains generally the same as that of the original raw material, see Fig. since the ripening mass is not subject to leaching during cooking, see below. But radical changes occur with organic matter during the process of humus maturation. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, replacing each other, convert the organic components of manure and plant residues first into active organic acids and then into humic acids.

The agrotechnical properties of humus are largely explained by the presence of humic compounds. Thanks to them, the microstructure of humus is elastic, slightly sticky lumps with gaps between them. Mechanical properties humus microgranules are preserved in a wide range of humidity, temperature and pH of soil moisture. As a result, humus:

Absorbs a lot of moisture, holds it well and gradually releases it, i.e. has a high exchange moisture capacity.
Structures the soil - its dusty particles adhere to humate granules without creating a continuous, weakly permeable mass. On soil regularly fertilized with humus, the capillary crust that dries out the soil does not form in the normal season, and in very hot summers it is eliminated by loosening it once a week.
When feeding with mineral fertilizers, it regulates their transport to plants for the reasons stated above. On soil moderately filled with humus, it is difficult to overfeed plants, and the loss of active substances due to leaching and weathering is minimal.
The need for prompt seasonal feeding is also reduced, to the point of being unnecessary, because humus itself is a complete fertilizer. In practice, at a dacha with soil filled with humus and mineral fertilizers, only emergency fertilizing is carried out if signs of starvation of any element appear.
Does not interfere with intensive commercial farming with regular fertilizing due to its ability to regulate the transport of nutrients. On the contrary, the use of humus in intensive cultivation allows soil reclamation to be carried out less frequently and at lower costs.
Contains in bound form carbon dioxide more than other organic fertilizers, which improves gas supply plants.
Unlike mineral fertilizers, it attracts very useful earthworms to the site, while repelling moles.
In some cases, it allows you to do without vegetable or mineral mulch. Mulching with humus during the season (see below) does not create nesting places for slugs and harmful insects, like vegetable mulch, and does not disrupt the metabolism in the soil, like mineral mulch.

In general, humus is used as a fertilizer in terms of activity, i.e. availability of nutrients for plants in it is inferior to fresh manure, slurry and rotted manure.

Therefore, it is much less likely to burn the roots of plants with humus than with fresh or just rotted organic matter. However, humus must be added to the soil in a certain way, see below. At the same time, the regulatory properties of humus will ensure its long-term effect. If you need to get a quick effect from humus (during the season before harvest, but not immediately in 2-7 days), it should be used where the routes for migration of food to plants are minimal, also see below. Note:

the use of humus for fertilizer on normal and alkaline soils does not require mandatory periodic liming, because During the process of humus ripening, the acidity pH of the ripening mass drops from 7.8-8.1, like that of fresh manure, to 7.2-7.5, i.e. to neutral value.

Buy or make? There are quite enough offers to sell humus, but introducing purchased humus into open ground

will cost much more than “doping” from mineral fertilizers in depleted soil or foliar fertilizers. It is advisable to buy humus for potted or greenhouse crops: in them it is consumed faster, and in winter it may simply not be available when mature. In this case, when purchasing, you need to check the quality of the humus. This is easy to do by taking a handful from the pile and not completely squeezing it in your fist. The humus sample should shrink like not excessively moistened loam, see Fig. on right:
The humus should be various shades of brown up to almost gray (see the picture at the beginning), but not black;
Weight – 5-8 kg per bucket. The light one may be overdried during aging and not ripe, and the heavy one may be suffocated due to waterlogging;
Moisture should not be squeezed out of the sample;
The sample should not stick to the fingers and palm;
The compressed areas should compact into a viscous crust with the papillary pattern of the hand visible at least in places;

Areas not subjected to direct pressure should retain a fine-lumpy structure, without crumbling or being squeezed out between the fingers by tongues.

It is best to use humus in private households for your own consumption or commercial use for the garden and, in the spring, for berry gardens. In the garden, the nutrition from humus simply does not have time to reach the small suction roots of trees during the season. Fruit trees need to be provided with humus in a natural way (see also below), introducing manure into the trench along the contour in the fall trunk circle. However, fertilizing with manure is a different topic.

How to make humus?

So, for the dacha and personal plot, humus It will be cheaper, although more troublesome, to cook it yourself. The formation of humus instead of compost (see also at the end) requires compliance with certain conditions:

The original animal component is herbivores. Rabbit droppings are best; then – , sheep. The use of pig and goat manure to make homemade humus should be avoided.
The plant component is dry biomass of cereals and legumes (hay, straw). Weed tops and garden crops Suitable for compost, but not for humus.
Aging time of the ripening mass: 4-5 years in a pile, 3 years in a box.
Sheltering the ripening mass from precipitation to avoid leaching of intermediate products of the process. Without this, compost will also come out instead of humus.

In general, you can make humus yourself in a pile or in a box. The hole will produce compost, but not humus. The pile method is suitable when there is a lack of initial components on not completely depleted soils that require filling with humus every 4-5 years. A typical example is ordinary garden land in a dacha or personal plot for one’s own consumption and partially, if there is a surplus of produce, for sale. For predominantly commercial farming with annual soil amendment with humus, as well as in cool regions with rainy summers, it needs to be prepared in a box.

Therefore, it is much less likely to burn the roots of plants with humus than with fresh or just rotted organic matter. However, humus must be added to the soil in a certain way, see below. At the same time, the regulatory properties of humus will ensure its long-term effect. If you need to get a quick effect from humus (during the season before harvest, but not immediately in 2-7 days), it should be used where the routes for migration of food to plants are minimal, also see below. Burm humus can be obtained ready-made and more often if you lay several heaps in a year or two, because you cannot take it from an unripe heap. The dimensions of the collar in plan are approx. 1.5x1.5 m, so it’s up to the owner to decide how much use this land area will bring.

In fairly damp places with warm winter and with unstable snow cover, it is possible to prepare humus in a natural way directly on the site; then no special technique for introducing it is required. Within the Russian Federation, humus can be prepared naturally in regions from Voronezh to the Caucasus, except for the arid zone in the east (south of the Volgograd region, Astrakhan, Dagestan).

In the pile

To prepare humus in a pile, the so-called. using the French method, you need a plot of dense, infertile soil: it does not sink under the heap and does not suck moisture out of it. The area for the collar with dimensions from 1.2x1.2 to 2x2 m is surrounded by boards and drainage made of crushed stone or gravel is poured into the resulting tray. Without fencing, the drainage during the ripening of the mass will spread under the heap and it will sit on the ground. This is fraught with capillary leaching of the mass and its contamination by weeds and pests.

A bedding of straw, reeds or reeds is laid on the drainage. Backfilling of the material is done as for a compost heap (see figure), in layers of 10-15 cm, but organic components are needed only from those indicated above. The soil for seeding with bacteria is garden soil from the site. Pile height – approx. 3/4 of its side; 0.9-1.5 m for the above sizes. Each laying layer is sprayed until moderately moistened.

Therefore, it is much less likely to burn the roots of plants with humus than with fresh or just rotted organic matter. However, humus must be added to the soil in a certain way, see below. At the same time, the regulatory properties of humus will ensure its long-term effect. If you need to get a quick effect from humus (during the season before harvest, but not immediately in 2-7 days), it should be used where the routes for migration of food to plants are minimal, also see below. if the plant organic matter in the pile is hay from a floodplain meadow (grazing area), it will be useful to sprinkle each soil layer, except the top one, with crushed eggshells for approx. half a glass per sq. m. This will prevent calcium deficiency in the humus.

A canopy made of any light-proof, moisture-proof material is installed over the collar; ventilation gap between the canopy and the top of the pile is approx. 0.5 m. After spring thunderstorms until the beginning of autumn, the canopy is moved obliquely to the south side so that the collar is wetted by rain. Drying out the pile in direct sunlight is unacceptable, it will immediately ruin the entire batch!

Humus is considered mature when the heap stops settling. This usually happens in the 4th-5th year, when the apparent volume of the heap decreases three to four times. Mature humus should smell quite strongly of damp earth, the so-called. spring scent and tested for suitability as above. Ammonia, sulfur, chlorine and other foreign odors are a clear sign that this batch was a failure.

In the box

For annual use, especially in unfavorable climatic conditions, you need to prepare humus with your own hands in the American way in a 3-section box, its structure is shown in Fig; the outer cladding of the first section is not shown. Unlike a compost bin, in a humus bin it is better not to have doors that slide upward to remove the finished compost from underneath, but rather to have collapsible doors made from boards. As the heap settles, the top boards are removed to allow the released gases to escape, otherwise the heap may suffocate.

Therefore, it is much less likely to burn the roots of plants with humus than with fresh or just rotted organic matter. However, humus must be added to the soil in a certain way, see below. At the same time, the regulatory properties of humus will ensure its long-term effect. If you need to get a quick effect from humus (during the season before harvest, but not immediately in 2-7 days), it should be used where the routes for migration of food to plants are minimal, also see below. Since the humus box must operate for many years, the material for it must be of sufficient quality. The optimal combination of price and durability is boards from construction pallets. How to make a compost bin out of pallets, see the video below.

Video: compost bin made from pallets

Just like in nature

The natural way to enrich the soil with humus is very simple: rotted dry crushed manure is scattered on the ground before winter. There is no need to add too much; soil bacteria will not cope with the excess. You need to throw it so that the earth is visible everywhere under the manure. Usually a bucket is enough for 2-4 square meters. m or more. It is also useful to lay out some straw in advance and plow it or dig up the area. You need to scatter manure on damp ground so that it sticks immediately and is not blown away by the winds.

Usage

The use of humus for fertilizer is also possible in several ways, depending on the crop being treated and the desired time for the effect to appear:

When planting seedlings, the effect is long-term, for 3-4 years;
For seedlings – ensures an increase in yield by prompt fertilizing during the season, reducing the risk of overfeeding plants;
From the fall after harvesting - for any crops, the effect as in point 2 for the entire trail. season;
In the spring - the same as according to point 3 for garden crops with a small root system;
Promptly during the season - allows you to fully realize the potential for yield growth in favorable years.

Humus for application during planting is mixed with garden soil 1:2 by volume. Half a bucket (bush/tree) is poured into the holes for seedlings, sprinkled with 10-15 cm of soil and planted. The planted plant is watered abundantly. For seedlings, peat pots or a box are filled 1/3-1/2 with the mixture, covered to the top with soil and the seeds are sown. Then the furrows or holes are also prepared for planting seedlings in the ground, but the mixture is made from humus and soil 1:4.

From autumn to spring, immediately after the snow melts, humus is scattered over the site at the rate of a bucket per 2-3 square meters. m. The treated area is harrowed, cultivated or raked. Autumn-spring application of humus should be carried out in moderately moist soil.

Prompt feeding of garden crops with humus during the season is done by mixing it with soil 1:4 – 1:5. The mixture is used to mulch the plants under the roots, stepping back from the root collar by 2-3 cm, or, if planted tightly, between the rows. Seasonal fertilizing with humus should be carried out following the general feeding rules: after watering in the evening or in cloudy weather.

Why humus is not compost

The proportions and nutrient content in compost can be the same as in humus, especially since both vary quite within wide limits. However, the main difference from humus is that the former does not structure the soil and does not have a long-term positive effect on its fertility. Compost also has a much weaker regulatory effect on the transport of nutrients from the soil to plants. Very It is also important that the danger of plant infection when fertilizing with humus is practically zero: in the anaerobic environment created in the ripening mass of humus, the embryos of weeds and pests do not survive.

Plant nutrition, as well as organic matter, which has a positive effect on soil properties.

Organic fertilizers consist of substances of animal and plant origin, which, when decomposed, form minerals, while carbon dioxide, necessary for plant photosynthesis, is released into the ground layer. In addition, organic fertilizers have a beneficial effect on the water and air nutrition of plants, promote the development of soil bacteria and microorganisms that live in symbiosis with the roots of vegetable crops and help them obtain available nutrients. Organic fertilizers include manure, peat, compost, bird droppings, humus and other materials.

Types of organic fertilizers

Manure

This is the most valuable organic fertilizer. The manure of different animals contains on average (%): water 75, organic matter 21, total nitrogen 0.5, digestible phosphorus 0.25, potassium oxide 0.6. The quality of manure depends on the type of animal, its food, bedding and storage method. Thus, when feeding pigs, a lot of concentrates are used, so manure has a high nitrogen content, and the diet of ruminants contains roughage - their manure contains more potassium.

The best bedding material for manure is slightly decomposed high-moor peat, but straw or sawdust is more often used. Horse manure on straw bedding is indispensable in cold weather. clay soils. It is best used as a biofuel for greenhouses. Large manure cattle warms up worse than horseback, as it contains more water. But this manure is indispensable on light soils. Pig manure is acidic; when using it, lime must be added. Rabbit manure contains all the substances necessary for plants. Its value increases when mixed with the manure of other animals and bird droppings. Nutria manure chemical composition and physical properties are sharply different from the manure of other animals, so it can only be used in fermented form, or even better, added to composts. The compost heap can be periodically watered with a saturated solution of nutria manure, but to prevent nitrogen loss, it is necessary to add superphosphate (1.5-2 kg per 100 kg of compost). In the spring of next year, such compost can be added to the soil.

There are four stages of manure decomposition. In slightly decomposed (fresh) straw, the color and strength of the straw change slightly. When washed, the water turns reddish or green tint. In half-rotted manure, the straw becomes dark brown, loses strength and breaks easily. Water solution dark color. Manure at this stage loses 30% of its original mass. Rotted manure is a black, smearing mass. Straw decomposes completely, manure loses 50% of its mass. Humus is a loose earthy mass. At this stage of decomposition, the loss of the initial mass reaches 75%.

Manure at a lesser decomposition stage is applied in the fall, and more in the spring. It is not advisable to use fresh manure. If there is not enough manure, then it is advisable to apply it in smaller doses, but over a larger area, for example, in holes. On cold soils, manure is buried to a depth of 10-15 cm so that the top is covered with earth; on warm, quickly drying soils - to the full depth of the treated layer. Slurry (liquid part of cattle manure) is a nitrogen-potassium fertilizer. Due to the low phosphorus content, it is useful to add superphosphate (15 g per 1 liter) to slurry. This fertilizer is used for liquid fertilizing, for which it is diluted with water, as well as for preparing peat manure compost. Mullein (a water infusion of cow feces) is quite often used for liquid feeding, diluted with water (1:6 or 1:10). The solution is usually prepared in wooden utensils. If the solution is left to ferment, then nitrogen quickly evaporates from it, so ammonium sulfate (10-20 g per 10 l) is added before use.

Bird droppings

According to the chemical composition, bird droppings are classified as best views organic fertilizers. Chicken and pigeon droppings are considered the most valuable, duck and goose droppings are less valuable. When manure is frequently applied, nitrogen accumulates in the soil in nitrate form, so it is better to apply this fertilizer in the fall, evenly distributing it over the entire area. But bird droppings are most effective when used in liquid fertilizers. To prepare the solution, containers are half filled with droppings, then filled with water, closed with a lid and left for 3-5 days. Next, the solution is diluted a second time with water (1:10).

Peat

Peat contains few plant-available nutrients, but it increases the humus content and improves soil structure. The dark color of peat helps absorb heat and quickly warm up the soil.

There are several types of peat based on the degree of decomposition. Horse is distinguished by a low degree of decomposition of plant residues and high acidity. Lowland characterized high degree decomposition and less acidity. Transitional peat occupies an intermediate position between them.

Peat is collected in swamps, then spread out for ventilation or placed in a compost heap. Peat is applied at any time of the year, even in winter on snow. But we must not forget that lime must be added to it. In the garden, peat is best added to composts, as well as soil mixtures for growing seedlings and protected soil.

IL

Silt accumulates at the bottom of ponds, lakes, and rivers. It contains a lot of humus, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. After a short ventilation, sludge can be successfully used on sandy soils (3-4 kg per 1 m²).

Feces

Feces are latrine sewage. They are rich in minerals that are easily absorbed by plants. However, feces located in cesspools quickly decompose, and nitrogen quickly evaporates from them. For better nitrogen retention at the bottom cesspool pour peat in a layer of 20-25 cm. Then the feces are layered weekly with a small amount of peat. As a result, not only nitrogen is preserved, but also the foul odor disappears. Before use as fertilizer, feces are composted to disinfect them from worms, the eggs of which die at a temperature of 55...60 °C.

Sawdust and tree bark

Sawdust is a cheap organic fertilizer that can significantly increase soil fertility, improve its air permeability and moisture capacity. Only they should not be entered in fresh, but rotted or mixed with other materials. To speed up the decomposition process, sawdust is piled up and moistened with water or slurry. You can mix them with fallen leaves and plant debris. It is useful to layer sawdust with earth. During the summer, the pile is shoveled twice, adding accumulated plant residues and nitrophoska. Due to the fact that sawdust has an acidic reaction, lime or chalk is added to it (120-150 g per bucket).

Tree bark (waste from the wood processing industry) is composted before use. Bark with a moisture content of 75% is crushed into pieces 10-40 cm long, piled up and mineral fertilizers are applied (kg per 100 kg): ammonium nitrate 0.9, urea 0.7, sodium nitrate 2, superphosphate 0.2, ammonium sulfate 1 ,5. The pile is periodically stirred and moistened. After 6 months, the compost is ready for use.

Green manure

This organic fertilizer is a high-stemmed plant mass of annual or perennial plants plowed into the soil. leguminous plants(spring peas, spring vetch, broad beans, lupine, seradella), as well as phacelia, buckwheat, sunflower and others. In terms of their effect, green manure is almost equivalent to fresh manure. Nutrient elements contained in the green manure plant mass, entering the soil and gradually decomposing, become available for subsequent crops, and organic green manure helps restore the soil structure. Some green manure crops (lupine, buckwheat, mustard) increase the solubility and availability of sedentary soil phosphates for plants, and lupine can use hard-to-reach forms of potassium.

Depending on the degree of soil depletion, green manure is placed on the site all summer or as an intercrop. For example, they are sown after harvesting early vegetables. Sometimes winter peas or winter vetch are sown, in the spring after flowering the mass is rolled or mowed and plowed, and the area is leveled and sowed. In the garden, green manure is sown in continuous rows (row width 60-90 cm, row spacing 15 cm). The planting depth for annual legumes is 5-6 cm, for perennial legumes - 3-4 cm. Post-sowing rolling is required, especially for perennial grasses. Green manure does not require care, but with watering they grow better.

Composts

Composts are prepared from various organic materials. Plant residues not affected by pests and diseases, feces, bird droppings, manure and other materials are placed in a loose heap (stack) on a flat surface, interlayered with turf soil or peat. The basis of the heap is a bedding of leaves, sawdust or peat with a layer of 10-12 cm. Periodically, the heap is moistened with water or a fertilizer solution, after 40-50 days the compost is mixed, and when its temperature reaches 60 ° C, it is compacted.

In summer, the compost heap is protected from the sun, and in winter it is covered with earth or sawdust with a layer of 30-40 cm. After 8-11 months, the compost can be used. Weeds that have produced seeds are composted separately, as they remain viable for about five years.

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Synonyms

See what “Humus” is in other dictionaries: Humus, fertilizer, manure Dictionary of Russian synonyms. humus noun, number of synonyms: 5 humus (4) manure ...

Synonym dictionary humus - A homogeneous earthy mass formed as a result of the decomposition of manure and organic remains of plant or animal origin. [GOST 20432 83] humus A homogeneous earthy mass formed during the decomposition of organic waste... ...

Technical Translator's Guide HUMUS, 1) the same as humus. 2) Rotted manure, organic fertilizer...

Modern encyclopedia 1) the same as humus. 2) Rotted manure, an organic fertilizer used mainly for cooking peat pots , mulching crops...

Big Encyclopedic Dictionary HUMUS, humus, plural. No. M. Component soil formed as a result of decomposition and rotting of various plant and animal remains. Chernozem is the richest in humus. || Rotten manure (region). Dictionary Ushakova. D.N. Ushakov...

Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary HUMUS, I (yu), husband. 1. A component of soil made from rotted plant and animal residues. 2. Rotted manure. | adj. humus, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 …

Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary See humus. Ecological encyclopedic Dictionary . Chisinau: Main editorial office of the Moldavian Soviet Encyclopedia. I.I. Dedu. 1989 ...

Synonym dictionary Ecological dictionary - A collection of black or dark brown soil organic matter formed as a result of the decomposition and biochemical transformation of organic residues. Syn.: humus...

Dictionary of Geography HUMUS - cm …

Pond fish farming- HUMUS, 1) the same as humus. 2) Rotted manure, organic fertilizer. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

It is known that many gardeners and gardeners use manure as a nitrogen fertilizer, but it is now expensive and not always available, and mineral fertilizers cost a lot of money.

Indeed, there are usually no farms and livestock farms near summer cottages or just outside the city.

But as soon as you drive further away, to some distant village, and look for livestock farms near it, you will definitely come across the so-called letniki. These are plots of land temporarily fenced with rafters or planks, intended for the summer night placement of teenage livestock (young animals).

In the morning, at 8-9 o'clock, the shepherds drive the cattle to the pasture to feed on lush grass and by noon, after watering, they drive the herd into the pen for rest. After lunch, at 15-16 hours, the whole procedure is repeated, and until the morning the herd spends the night in the pen.

Thus, twice a day - in the morning and after lunch - the corral remains empty and open (as a rule, the shepherds do not close the entrance due to the heavy and inconvenient gates they made, and there is nothing and no one to steal there). Taking this opportunity, for many years now I have been collecting mullein from this pen in the form of dry granules in unlimited quantities.

The young animals trample these cakes with their hooves during the day, and the heat of the sun turns them into granular dry manure 2-3 cm thick over the entire area of the paddock. The amount of fertilizer does not decrease, since there are few hunters like me, but the herd is growing every week, and the number of cakes is increasing.

On next year Not far from this place, shepherds make a new corral for cattle (since we have plenty of land, the corral is not cleared), and the cycle repeats.

The selection of granules is carried out as follows. It’s best to start this work at the end of May, when the soil finally dries out and lush grass grows for feeding livestock, and there will be up to 25 bags of cakes per two hundred square meters, the rest goes to the beds, under apple trees, and other shrubs. Part of the heap remains for humus until next spring.

Of course, all my recommendations are for car owners who have vegetable gardens or personal plots. Although at one time my wife and I had small plot, and as a warm-up on my bike, I also carried one bag of dry mullein on the trunk in the morning and evening 5 km from the paddock. Firstly, great benefits for the garden, and secondly, even more health benefits.

Where to get ash to fertilize your garden

In villages where they burn wood, there is ash in every house, but try to ask and no one will give it to you. It's the same in gardening. A friend told me how he wanted to pick up a bucket of ash on the road opposite a private house, so first they threatened him from the window, and then an elderly woman jumped out of the house and almost broke his arm with a stick, with which he was trying to protect himself from her...

If you heat your sauna with wood at least once a week summer season, then this ash is barely enough for the beds. For annual feeding of a potato garden (one glass per hole), at least 4-5 buckets of ash are needed for just one hundred square meters. Where can I get it?

I extract ash in the following way. We still have nostalgia for the “communist subbotniks” when the cleaning was going on local area(first all this year we clog it, and then clean it up one day). At the end of April, the 21st-22nd (Ilyich’s birthday), on a clear sunny day, residents apartment buildings Together they go out to the “Leninist” subbotnik and begin to pile up garbage from the territory.

In addition to cans, bottles and various rubbish, wood waste (old stools, broken chairs, various sticks, etc.) is also put there, in addition, old trees and bushes are cut down. All this waste is burned and turned into ash. Now it is necessary not to doze off: in the evening or the next morning, I first rake out the unburnt large debris (glass, bricks, etc.) from the pile of ash, and then scoop the ash into a plastic bag with a scoop and put it in the car.

Thus, 2-3 bags of ash are collected from two or three piles. At the dacha I sift this ash through a sieve. As a sieve I use an empty herring jar (200 mm diameter) with 5-10 mm holes. You can also use an old baking sheet from a gas or electric stove oven as a sieve, having previously drilled the appropriate holes in it.

To what has been said, I will add that it is better to collect ash early in the morning (when residents are sleeping) or at dusk in the evening, otherwise neighbors and residents may not understand my good intentions and call the police. Thus, without much effort, without problems and for free, I stock up on valuables for future use. mineral fertilizer.

Note to the gardener:

The effect of ash is enhanced by peat, compost and humus.
Ash does not mix with manure, bird droppings, superphosphate and nitrogen mineral fertilizers.
Ash needs a strict dosage: in large quantities it will destroy all the beneficial inhabitants of the soil - their numbers will take a very long time to recover.

Leaf humus is most often used to fertilize agricultural crops. But this nutritious fertilizer can be made not only from leaves. It is also important to store it properly so that it does not lose nutrients.

What is humus?

Humus - what is it? Inexperienced summer residents often ask such questions. Humus is a fertilizer of organic origin. With its help, you can saturate poor soil with all the microelements necessary for the growth and development of plants. Humus is easy to make with your own hands. All the ingredients necessary for this can be found in any farmstead.

What does it consist of?

Before preparing humus at home, you need to find out what is included in its composition. The composition of humus, as a rule, includes the following components:

Leaves.
Cattle manure.
Bird droppings.
Straw.
Hay.
Weeds from the site.
Ash.
Leftover fruits and vegetables.
Bark.
Wood sawdust.
Special additives to accelerate plant growth.
Branches of trees and bushes.

We can say that the humus can include all parts of plants that grew on the site, as well as cattle manure. This is especially convenient for those summer residents who are also involved in agriculture.

How to do it yourself?

Grass and leaves are the basis for fertilizer. But this alone will not be enough. You also cannot do without bird droppings and cattle manure. Otherwise, instead of nutritious fertilizer, you can get silage or rotten grass, which does not provide any benefit to the plants.

What cannot be used for processing into humus:

Chemical agent.
Infected parts of plants.
Food of animal origin.
Weed seeds.

If cattle manure is used, the animals must be healthy. Not all waste that is intended for disposal can be used to prepare humus at home.

How to get humus?

In order to obtain high-quality humus prepared at home, you need to know exactly in what sequence to place the layers.

Plants. The first layer is the remains of plants. It should be no more than 15 cm. If this layer is larger, the rotting process will be slower. All parts of the grass can be used except the seeds. Otherwise, they may germinate and then you will have to fight weeds. The first layer of grass should be sprinkled with earth mixed with lime.
Straw and hay. Thanks to straw, the deciduous and all other layers are saturated with oxygen. Straw creates a porous structure and binds moisture into humus. Before laying out hay or straw, it must be thoroughly chopped. Mulching with humus with the addition of hay will ensure access of oxygen to the roots of plants.
Leaves. The leaves need to be dried before preparing humus with your own hands. If this is not done, they will clump together. Mix the leaves with other plant residues and spread them in a thin layer.
Sawdust. To prepare humus in the country, you can use sawdust. But they do not decompose easily, so before laying them they are mixed with grass and bone meal.
Tree bark. IN tree bark contains a large amount of nitrogen. But in order to increase its concentration in the compost, it is necessary to mix the bark with chicken droppings, cattle manure or urea.

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How to make humus?

At home, you can get humus from the following components:

Food waste. The preparation of humus is not complete without food waste. They contain many nutrients. But to prevent their decomposition, the waste is mixed with solid material to provide oxygen.
Manure and droppings. Manure produces the most nutritious humus for plants. It contains a large amount of nitrogen, which helps accelerate the growth of crops. It is advisable to sprinkle soil on top.
Paper. Before laying paper when preparing manure with your own hands, it must be coarsely cut and soaked in a decoction of herbs. A herbal decoction can be prepared from nettles. Nettle contains a lot of nutrients, and the paper will absorb them during the soaking process. You need to mix wet paper with other solid material. Otherwise it will crumple.

How to prepare humus from manure?

Many summer residents are interested in the question of humus and where to get it. You can prepare it at home with your own hands. The most common type of humus is based on cattle manure. Sheep, cow or horse manure is suitable.

Prepare humus as follows:

Manure for humus must be taken fresh. It contains more nutrients.
Make a box and put coarsely chopped grass on the bottom. Then you can lay out the straw. This way the humus will be saturated with oxygen.
Then spread manure (you can use chicken manure).
In order to speed up decomposition, biodestructors can be added to humus. It could be Baikal-M or Siyanie. They contain bacteria, which accelerate the decay process.
The humus should be watered regularly (but not flooded). It is important not to let it dry out.

You can use humus when it is impossible to see individual parts. The mixture should be of uniform consistency. The smell of the finished humus should be like that of wet soil. And the color is brown or closer to black.

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How to quickly make humus from leaves?

Leaf humus is also prepared with the addition of manure. You can use straw, paper and other plant debris.

Leaf humus is prepared as follows:

You can use any leaves of deciduous trees. If there are shrubs or fruit trees, then fallen leaves are used.
Since the leaves are poor in micronutrients, they need to be mixed with food waste or sawdust.
Place bird droppings on the foliage layer.
The humus needs to be watered periodically. If a large number of midges appear above the box with humus, then this is a clear sign high humidity. In order to get rid of them on a sunny day, the humus must be left open. When it dries a little, cover it back.
If the humus does not change color and does not acquire the smell of wet earth, then it means it is overdried. You can correct the situation by adding water, potato peelings or fresh herbs.

They mulch plants for the winter so that the roots do not freeze and the bushes do not die. Fertilizers made in this way can be stored in bags.

Where should I store it?

How to properly store humus prepared with your own hands so that it does not lose beneficial features? The best way storage is a box. How to make a box for humus?

Humus storage box:

You can put together such a box from any unnecessary boards. You can pour sawdust into the bottom or leave the box without a bottom and immediately put humus in it.
You can lay slate or greenhouse film over the container. Moisture that falls on humus along with rain should not accumulate in one place, but should flow into the ground.
You should also remember that one of the walls of the box must extend. This will make it easier to collect humus to add to the soil.
Humus can also be stored in bags, but you just need to make sure that the sun's rays do not fall on it.

How to store?

What are the features of storing humus? First of all, the container with humus should not be placed in open sunlight. This way the fertilizer will begin to decompose and pathogenic microbes will begin to multiply in it.

It is important to maintain a constant temperature and humidity in the box. The soil and the humus itself should not be too wet, but should not dry out either.

It is not advisable to place containers with fertilizers near trees. Very soon, trees may direct their growth towards composters. And then all the nutrients will be used for their growth.

Humus is a term that is used in almost every gardening guide. But, amazing fact- not many people know what it is, and many experienced gardeners cannot explain this designation.

So let's figure out what humus is, what it consists of, how to properly prepare and store it. We will also look at other important issues related to this topic.

Humus - what is it?

Humus is the same as mature (rotted) manure. That is, if we talk about leaf humus, then we assume compost from tree leaves. But today it is no longer customary to call humus compost.

So, each humus can be prepared from different components. Therefore, after the word “compost” it must be indicated from which components it is prepared.

What does humus consist of?

Humus absorbs moisture perfectly and contains a lot of useful nutrients. Its fractions will not lose elasticity, which allows plant roots to constantly breathe.

The basis of humus can be organic remains of plant origin, or the vital activity of cattle. For example, the most popular “recipes” are based on herbs, manure and leaves.

How to make humus with your own hands

Let's look at how you can prepare humus yourself using the most readily available ingredients.

From the grass

The grass is quickly eaten by microbes and decomposes just as quickly. Therefore, it can be considered the basis of humus. So, if there is too little of it, then humus will form for too long.

If you “overdo it” with grass, then compost heap will be too slippery, it will emanate bad smell ammonia. Therefore, it is important to know the specific proportions for each type of grass.

In addition to grass, you can add other plant waste to the humus: coffee grounds, animal droppings, food scraps. That is, the result should be balanced humus.

To get the most nutritious humus from grass, you need to add substances such as:

Grass, hay and straw;
Tree bark and sawdust;
Roots of any plants;
Leaves and branches of trees;
Bird droppings;
Vegetables and fruits.

Grass is the basis for humus, but you cannot use it alone. It is also important to ensure that the humus does not contain:

Chemicals;
Animal food;
Dog or human feces;
Substances that cannot decompose themselves;
Weeds;
Sick plants.

How to prepare such humus in a bag

Regular mesh potato or flour bags are suitable for us. The remainder of the above components must be poured into each bag in approximately equal quantities.

They are filled in layers, then carefully compacted. Then all the substances must be poured with water and the bags tied. But this can only be done if most of the raw materials are dry.

From manure

It is worth using only rotted manure. It contains virtually no ammonia and will not harm plant roots. Moreover, it does not contain harmful bacteria and viruses.

There are a huge number of methods for processing manure and creating humus from it. The most common of them are composting, adding various humates, and infusion.

How to cook as quickly as possible:

Prepare organic matter: food waste, manure (any), peat, plant tops, straw;
Grind all coarse elements thoroughly;
To speed up decay, you can add bird droppings or EM preparations (sold in agricultural stores);
Place all ingredients in layers in the compost bin;
After a week, mix the pile and pour it with EM solution;
Wait a month until the humus is completely ready.

Leaf humus

It is made from wet leaves that need to be compacted. Next, special structures are built to store them. They can be either metal or wood, or polyethylene.

The process takes several years, and the exact period of infusion of such humus will depend on its storage conditions, humidity, temperature, and the addition of additional elements.

Rules for using humus

If you use humus of animal origin, you need to remember the following rules:

Manure should be laid in layers of no more than 35 cm if it is planned to be used in the spring;
Layers of 50 cm or more are laid when fertilizing is planned to be applied in the fall;
The beds should be covered not only with manure, but also with soil, a layer of 40 cm;
If humus is used for mulching, it should have a dark shade and be loose.

Storage rules

The easiest way to store humus is in boxes. How to make them? You can take any (not rotten) boards or planks without paint. Any wood will do, but it makes sense to use pine. Using nails you need to form the base, bottom and side walls of the future box.

Next, you need to find the optimal place to store the humus. A good option- elevation or territory with free access. Through each layer of manure it is necessary to lay special additives, which can be purchased at a farm store.

There must be gaps between the slats so that in the middle all biochemical processes occur normally and as actively as possible. A layer of dry soil should be placed at the bottom of such a box.