Compost heap: what are benefits and how does it work?

Considering starting a compost heap? We provide you with advantages, possibilities and conditions for composting your own waste.

Compost heap – is there a rooster crowing? And if so, why? The composting combines various advantages, but of course also involves more work than disposal in the organic waste bin. To better weigh the pros and cons, In this article you will find a comparison of the advantages and the work involved.

Many hobby gardeners swear by it, others are not sure if the work is worth it. Below we summarize the advantages of a compost heap for you.

Benefits of a compost heap

A rotting heap of compost doesn't seem like a very noble achievement of human civilization at first glance. So why has the concept of the unsightly heap caught on?

However, a compost heap impresses with some good arguments, which we would like to present to you here.

1. A compost heap picks up waste that would otherwise end up in the organic or residual waste bin and thus ensures smaller bin sizes.
2. When a compost heap needs to be emptied, in the same breath you get valuable fertilizer that every connoisseur licks their fingers for.
3. Garden waste such as grass clippings, leaves or wood residue, bush, lawn and hedge clippings can be disposed of directly on site.
4. Depending on the type of compost, the use of compost ranges from being applied as a fertilizing and protective agent Mulch layer to use as an effective soil improver to mixing your own potting soil.
5. Building or purchasing your own composter usually means little effort, the same applies to preparing and layering with a little experience. Even with a little knowledge, hardly anything can go wrong.
6. The presence of a compost pile often attracts beneficial insects, mammals, and birds that come to the For example, pests eat, loosen the soil and sometimes also very worthy of protection and in need of protection are. For example, the garden shrew is an effective eater of snails and insect pests, but is listed as "endangered" in the red list.

sell compost

Although most garden owners can hardly get enough of their compost that has matured over the course of months, sometimes the opposite situation also applies: someone runs one Heaps just to minimize garbage costs, but without using compost for a garden, sooner or later he'll be faced with a heap of fragrant manure - and he doesn't know where to put it. Since the quality of your compost is in no way tested or guaranteed, it is impossible and also not legally permissible to sell your own compost for a profit.

No prudent landscaper or horticulturist will spend money on a compost whose composition and nutrient content are not documented and its effect on the soil and plants is therefore not predictable for him is. Instead of selling your compost, you can simply choose one of the following options:

• Giving away compost to friends, family, acquaintances and neighbors or placing an advertisement and passing it on to unknown gardeners - you can certainly agree on reasonable remuneration
• A bed or Build a raised bed, plant shrubs or trees in order to somehow accommodate the large amount of compost in your own garden at the right moment and also in the long term
• Dispose of the compost at the recycling center - up to a certain volume, this is even free of charge at many green waste collection points

There are certainly other ways to hand in your compost: perhaps the local allotment association would be happy, or the municipality would like a bed around a monument beautify and needs good soil - if you go through the world with open ears, you will very likely find someone who will thank you for the coveted compost decreases.

How does a compost heap work?

In the compost - if the conditions allow it - the structure of your green and Biowaste is decomposed in order to then be assembled into new molecules, the humus molecules - or "humic acids". will. If you take a closer look at the whole thing, the living beings involved - insects, worms, Roundworms, mites, snails, fungi and bacteria - your carbohydrate and nutrient-rich ones legacies.

So they are used to generate energy, just like we eat a slice of bread. And just as we then have to carry something to the toilet and carbon from the carbohydrates in the form of CO₂ (Carbon dioxide) exhale, the little compost helpers do the same: A wide variety of species separate them material in progressively smaller form, until only molecules and atoms remain, and breathe in the process CO₂ the end. Their vital activity generates heat, which can cause temperatures of over 60 °C to develop in isolated heaps. Some of the assembly into new biomolecules also takes place in the digestive tract – for example in that of earthworms. However, purely chemical processes also lead to the aggregation of the molecular building blocks. Their composition makes them very stable against renewed degradation by microorganisms and also gives them the special properties of compost.

Tip: Vermicomposting in a worm farm or worm box takes advantage of the abilities of specific types of worms to produce compost very efficiently in a small space. Other groups of microorganisms are also involved. Since the worm boxes are indoors, there are optimal temperatures for composting all year round, so that the concentration of soil organisms per volume is increased over that of a normal compost heap is. Vermicomposting allows you to make your own compost even in a city apartment.

Fresh compost, finished compost and mature compost

Under good conditions, fresh compost can be obtained after six to eight weeks. At this stage it is as nutritious as the incoming raw materials allow. This means that a compost made of nutrient-poor material is of course never particularly rich in nutrients. As a fresh compost, however, it is at its maximum in this respect - from now on the availability of nutrients is going downhill.

Tip: With decreasing nutrient content, the stability against microbial degradation increases: what is poorer in nutrients becomes for the Of course, microorganisms are increasingly “uninteresting” – because it is more difficult to utilize when nitrogen is the driving force of the propagation absent. This can also be an advantage when spreading, because the soil-improving properties of compost only last if it is not broken down again immediately.

After five to six months you will have a finished compost, which consists of approximately equal parts of nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor, more stable material.

Finally, after a year or two, one speaks of mature compost, which has hardly any effect as a plant fertilizer due to its lack of nutrients but can increase the properties of the soil exorbitantly by keeping it in your bed as a stable soil conditioner remains.

Living conditions of the microorganisms involved in the compost heap

In order for composting to proceed as quickly as described above, the working creatures must be well. They must be able to multiply in order to devour and convert larger quantities.

Below we have summarized in a few keywords which conditions promote your activity.

1. Oxygen is of course very important for the air-breathing (aerobic) organisms. A heap that is too wet or too compacted suffocates them and causes them to die.
2. Moisture is just as crucial: Like us humans, the little helpers consist largely of water and can therefore only reproduce and survive in the presence of this.
3. Heat increases the activity of microorganisms - up to astonishingly high temperatures of around 60 °C. Anything far above that, however, causes them to die of heat death.
4. pH affects life activity and reproduction, even the composition of the organisms living in the compost. If it becomes too acidic, fungi in particular feel at home and multiply more quickly. In a slightly alkaline range, this applies to bacteria. The type of compost produced also changes with the prevailing pH value: does it fluctuate into one or the other at the other extreme, humus molecules with less valuable properties are created or the rotting slows down overall yourself.
5. The rate of decomposition is influenced by the nutrient content. Microorganisms in particular need a lot of nitrogen to be active and to be able to multiply. Nutrient-rich compost is therefore beneficial, nutrient-poor compost is a hindrance to their activity. In this context, too, both extremes should be avoided: Too much nitrogen leads to decomposition of the new the resulting humus molecules, too little nitrogen, on the other hand, causes the composting process to come to a complete standstill devices.

Ultimately, composting is about optimizing all of these conditions in such a way that a large amount of high-quality compost is produced as quickly as possible. The oxygen supply is ensured by using coarse, bulky material, if necessary also by turning or mixing and through air slots on the composters. Humidity is to be controlled by location, cover and eventual watering. Heat can also be influenced by the location and at the same time by the type of composter used: any form of insulation - Self-insulation, covering with straw or leaves, insulation in compost walls - helps to keep the temperature even and high keep. For the purpose of heating, composters are always dark in color. The pH value is of course determined by the compost used. If the material is too acidic - for example from bog beds or coniferous trees - the compost in question can be dusted with a little lime. The same applies to the nutrient content: If the compost is too nutrient-poor, it can be compensated for with simple nitrogen fertilizer – also in moderation. Here you can find out how a composter must be structured to promote composting well.

Composting in the composter: workload

So how much work is running a composter? In the following we have put together a small overview table for the operation of a normal compost heap, which can give you an initial overview.

task	How often?
collect organic waste	Daily, as for the organic/residual waste bin
Stack organic waste and garden waste in such a way that fine and coarse alternate; Possibly. apply lime or nitrogen; possibly layer in compost for inoculation	Weekly
Turn over/turn over compost	If odor and putrefaction develop as required, otherwise once or twice a year
Fresh compost removal possible, screening of the fresh compost, rearranging	Every 4 to 6 weeks under optimal conditions
Finished compost removal possible, screening of the finished compost, rearranging	Every 5 to 6 months under optimal conditions
Mature compost removal possible, rearranging it	Every 1 to 2 years

When using quick or thermal composters, there is no need to rearrange, so the filling in layers must be done very carefully. Removal also takes place here through a flap at the base of the composter, so that the remaining compost material just slides down from above and does not have to be stacked again. With roll composters, there is no turning or shifting. Due to the constant mixing, however, it is not possible to remove individual compost stages. If you use a worm box, you should also pay attention to an airy layering. Vermicompost can be removed after six to nine months. The topic "worm box" is also very complex and is explained in more detail in this special article.

As you can see, the type of composting and the amount of work ultimately depends on which composter you use. Again, the selection of the same should suit your needs. Check out this article for tips on choosing the most suitable composter for your needs.