Even small omissions mean that compost does not rot. An insufficient number of compost worms or indiscriminate layering are among the most common pitfalls that torpedo the decomposition of garden and kitchen waste into valuable natural fertilizer. Even if home gardeners compost strictly according to regulations, the rotting process takes a full twelve months. Read in this guide how you can successfully accelerate composting.
Optimize the population of compost worms
For compost to rot quickly, it depends on a sufficient number of hard-working compost worms. In addition to countless microorganisms and microorganisms, special subspecies of earthworms process your garden and kitchen waste into humus soil. As the name suggests, a compost worm prefers a compost or dung heap as a habitat. Here it feeds on plant residues and organic kitchen waste, which is excreted as humus. Sometimes it takes some time for a sufficient population to settle in the compost heap. On the way there, the compost rots very slowly or not at all. By purchasing and releasing compost worms from specialist retailers, you will significantly accelerate composting. How to do it correctly:
- Ideally, buy live compost worms at a regional specialist market
- Alternatively, order online from special worm farms
- 1000 copies are sufficient for each m³ (450 l) of compost
- Spread on the compost heap on the same day
Reputable online providers ship live compost worms Monday through Thursday. For safe transport, every 1000 earthworms should contain around 1 kilogram of worm humus. Please give preference to those providers who use reusable during summer time
Cool packs protect the animals from heat stress during shipping.Tip: In full sun, every compost stubbornly refuses the longed for rotting. Choose a semi-shady to shady location, preferably under the canopy of a deciduous tree as natural rain protection.
Chop and mix ingredients
In order for compost worms, microorganisms and microorganisms to work smoothly, the right composition of the ingredients is essential. A wide range of vegetable garden and kitchen waste is suitable for conversion into natural fertilizer. These include withered parts of plants, cuttings from woody plants, lawn clippings, remains of vegetables and fruit. The organic material causes the hard-working helpers considerable digestive problems if it is too coarse, too fine, too wet or too dry on the table. In the worst case, the entire processing process comes to a standstill and the compost does not rot. How to get your composting going:
- First shred woody waste in the chopper to 5 to 10 cm
- Chop thick peels of oranges, lemons, and bananas before composting
- Tear tea bags and coffee filters
- Mix coarse with fine and wet with dry material
- Examples: wood chippings with lawn clippings or withered perennials with autumn leaves
- Alternatively, alternately distribute different consistencies as thin layers
The more diverse the raw material, the faster the processing by compost worms & Co. Conversely, compost cannot rot if it is taken from a large pile of lawn clippings or scarifying residues consists. A
Compost heap doesn't rot, it stinks to heaven when cooked scraps of food, meat, and bones build up. Combined with rising temperatures, putrefaction spreads, which inevitably attracts rats and mice. In this case, even the mixture with chopped woodcut does not start the rotting process.Note: Did you know that summer heat stops compost from rotting? Even in a shady location, the decomposition process comes to a standstill when the material dries out. In midsummer, douse the compost heap with rainwater or stale tap water when the sky keeps its locks closed.
Add compost accelerator
The lengthy process from the organic waste heap to nutritious permanent humus is nerve-wracking. Under optimal conditions, busy microorganisms complain for up to twelve months for their beneficial activity. If you don't want to be patient over such a long period of time, you can use a compost accelerator. These are natural aids in the form of bacteria and fungal cultures that promote the rotting process. The following overview presents recommended products for the home garden:
- Quick composter with guano from Beckmann, 7.5 kg for 9 m³ at a price of 20.85 euros
- Oscorna compost accelerator, 10 kg for up to 10 m³ at a price of 20.70 euros
- Radivit compost accelerator from Neudorff, 5 kg for up to 10 m³ of green waste at a price of 16.80 euros
- Bio compost accelerator from Dehner, 5 kg for up to 8 m³ of green waste at a price of 10 euros
- OBI compost accelerator (the cheap one), 2.5 kg for up to 12 m³ at a price of 6.99 euros
Ready-to-use compost accelerators are available in powder form. Sprinkle the remedy thinly on the unwilling compost heap directly from the package. Spread about 30 grams per square meter and a 3 to 5 centimeter thick layer of garden soil on each 10 to 20 centimeter high layer. Repeated mixing or repositioning optimizes the effectiveness. The bacteria and fungi it contains get to work immediately, so that the heat fermentation starts within a few days. Ideally, cover the compost heap with reed mats during this time.
Make rotting aid yourself
Savers among home gardeners make compost accelerators themselves. This is how it works (material required for 1 m³ of compost):
- 500 grams of sugar
- 8 l water (lukewarm)
- 1 cube of fresh yeast
- 1 bucket
- 1 watering can
To prepare, fill the bucket with lukewarm water and add the
Add the yeast cubes that you have previously crushed with your fingers. Stir the water and yeast lumps vigorously so that oxygen builds up in them. Now add the sugar, stirring constantly, until it has completely dissolved. Let the mixture sit for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. You fill the finished compost accelerator into the watering can and distribute it evenly on the compost heap. Finally, mix the compost well. In the next three days the temperature will rise significantly. If available, you can use a compost thermometer to monitor the process. After a week of waiting, turn over the compost or mix the material well one more time.Mode of action
Thanks to the self-made decomposition aid, the decomposition process in the compost is activated. This is primarily achieved with a combination of 80 percent moisture, at least 15 degrees of heat and plenty of air. Under these conditions, bacteria and fungi multiply rapidly, provided that nitrogen and carbon are available in the ideal ratio of 1:20. By adding the compost accelerator you create the perfect balance. Dissolved sugar acts as an energy supplier for the necessary hot rots. The yeast cube contains important mushrooms for the decomposition process. The more systematically and loosely you have created the compost heap, the more effectively the aid accelerates sluggish composting.
Vegetable compost accelerators
Home gardeners who are close to nature start every new gardening season with a sufficient supply of plant manure. Nettle, comfrey and valerian are not only useful for ecological crop protection. After the fermentation process, the rich manure works as a natural compost accelerator for free. How to Properly Produce a Vegetable Rotting Relief:
- Set up a rain barrel or old vat in a remote corner of the garden
- Collect 1,000 grams of non-blooming nettles, comfrey or valerian leaves
- Put leaves in the container and fill up with 10 liters of rainwater
- Cover the bin or vat with rabbit wire
- Stir daily with a wooden stick
The fermentation process is completed after about three weeks. Filter the liquid manure with a sieve or remove the fermented leaves with an old ladle. Dilute the plant manure with fresh, lime-free water in a ratio of 1:10. Use a watering can to apply the vegetable compost accelerator and mix the pile thoroughly with the digging fork.
