Creating a compost bed. About the benefits of organic fertilizers. How I prepare the right compost Yield vegetable garden compost bed
In the spring, you want to start sowing as quickly as possible in order to get the harvest as early as possible. The earth at this time is still cold, and the roots of the plants need warmth first of all. You can speed up ripening and increase the yield by arranging a warm bed; it is very easy to do it yourself. The manufacturing technology does not require large financial costs, but the harvest can be obtained three times per season. Let's look at how to make a warm bed with step by step instructions, decorated with photographs. Watch the example of creating beds in the video to understand what the end result should be.
Advantages of a warm bed
To understand whether it is worth setting up warm beds on your site and spending own time and strength, it is necessary to understand the advantages of this method.
- A raised warm bed is especially good for damp, cold regions. The soil warms up earlier, and it is possible to get the harvest earlier. In case of overwatering, the plants do not get wet. Even stone fruit trees are planted this way to protect root system from groundwater.
- A properly arranged garden bed will last about five years. Then it can be redeveloped, and the resulting fertile land can be used for sowing other plants.
A warm bed allows you to get an early harvest of vegetables
- Water consumption is reduced. Organic matter retains water, so watering once or twice a week is sufficient. And if you arrange drip irrigation or at least lay a leaky hose for irrigation, then labor costs are reduced to a minimum.
- When organic matter decomposes, heat is released, which stimulates seed germination. The resulting compost as a result of the activity of microorganisms and earthworms is an excellent source of plant nutrition.
- There is no need for compost heap, all organic matter is dumped directly onto the garden bed.
- You can install a warm bed outside or in a greenhouse - it will bring the same effect. IN open ground It is enough to install arcs and stretch agrofibre to protect plants from frost.
- After rainfall, the crop remains clean, since a layer of mulch covers the soil, and rain splashes do not stain the vegetables.
- Weeds germinate with difficulty and in small quantities and are easily pulled out.
- It does not take up much space, is convenient to process, and does not create dirt or clutter.
Advice. In the fall, all available small organic matter and leaf litter add to the garden bed and cover with cardboard so that the heat is retained and the beneficial substances are not washed out by rain into the lower layers.
Arrangement rules
When groundwater approaches close, the bed is raised above the soil. In dry regions, on the contrary, they deepen it, making it level with the soil or slightly higher. Raised beds bordered different materials. Most often they use wood or slate, less often metal. Placed in the middle of the lawn, framed by a tiled blind area, such a bed pleases the eye and decorates the area. Or they make it in the form of a meter-long hill without sides. Essentially, a warm bed is a compost heap, folded in the form of a layer cake according to certain rules.
Neat beds look very nice
- Coarse organic matter is placed on the lowest layer, which takes a long time to decompose: stumps and tree trunks, thick branches. Spill with urea. The larger the waste, the longer the bed will last. Wood retains moisture well.
- The next layer is laid with smaller organic matter: corn and sunflower stalks, small shrubs. Paper and kitchen waste, leaves, and straw can also be used.
- To speed up the process of decomposition and warming up, lay semi-rotted manure or compost. Top with turf, grass side down, and then a layer of mature compost.
- After this, the seeds are sown.
The length of the bed can be any optimal width about a meter. The depth will depend on the composition of the soil and the type of bed chosen. The depth of the bed is 40 - 60 cm. The height of the raised bed is up to 1 m.
The air remaining in the cavities between large organic matter will provide breathing and rapid heating of the bed. You can speed up the process by sprinkling the soil with special bacteria.
Advice. If the soil is initially good, then the need to dig up the bed will disappear on its own. Already in the first year, the soil is well loosened to a depth of 20 cm, next season Just add compost and plant the plants.
The process of making beds
Let's consider the process of making a deep bed with a small wooden side from an unnecessary board.
- We knock down the boards to make a rectangle.
- We mark the size of the bed on the ground and dig a trench approximately 60 cm deep.
- Cut turf and top layer We throw the fertile soil to one side - it will come in handy.
- We fold the bottom layer in the other direction.
- The sides of the trench can be additionally insulated sheet expanded polystyrene, and place closed plastic bottles on the bottom.
Insulating the bottom of a warm bed
- We fill the trench with branches and logs. We place finer material higher.
- We pour out several wheelbarrows of semi-finished compost - this will be a starter of beneficial microorganisms for processing and heating organic matter.
- We lay fertile soil and turf with the grass facing down.
- We fill the top with compost, a mixture of sand, peat and sawdust with the addition of microelements.
Filling the bed with compost
- Water well and cover with film. After two weeks, you can plant seeds or seedlings.
- Cover the soil with dark mulch. Light mulch, such as straw or sawdust, is best applied in the summer - it reflects sunlight well and prevents the roots from overheating.
What plants are planted in a warm bed?
A container filled with organic matter heats up quickly in the spring. Heat-loving vegetables can be sown in such a bed ahead of schedule, covering with film for the first time. By correctly calculating the planting time and the distance between plants, you can first grow radishes and greens. Place a trellis in the center and plant cucumbers and tomatoes. After harvesting the radishes, plant carrots, onions, and beets. In the fall, plant radishes, salads and herbs again.
Experienced gardeners who have been using warm beds for many years recommend planning plantings in this way:
- in the first year, when the bed is as rich in organic matter as possible, sow pumpkins, tomatoes and cucumbers with zucchini. It is these crops that will give the maximum yield;
- on next year you can plant the same vegetables again as in the first year;
- in the third season, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, herbs, beets, beans and carrots are planted.
The film can be attached to the bottom row of the trellis with clothespins. Press down the edges loosely with boards. So the garden bed will turn into a greenhouse. Air will be sucked in from below and exited at the top. If you forget to open the bed during the day, the plants will not burn. And if you have free funds, install a roof over the garden bed. It will protect tomatoes from late blight, and cucumbers from peronospora - these fungi germinate in droplets of water on the leaves. Vegetables will remain healthy until frost.
Advice. A deep pit and a large volume of organic matter retains moisture well and gives off heat. Raised boxes with a small layer of organic matter dry out faster and lose nutritional value.
Once, by finding time and effort, as well as a sufficient amount of high-quality organic matter, and arranging a warm bed with an irrigation system, you will not only free up time for rest, but also get an early harvest delicious vegetables. If vegetables ripen in open ground a month earlier, then such a structure in a greenhouse will more than justify the investment of effort.
Warm bed: video
How to make a warm bed: photo
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What is better - compost heaps or mulch on beds and paths? To prove that you are right in such a dilemma is the same as declaring: “it is better to sleep than to be underfed.”
In fact, there is no dilemma if you understand the essence of what I do. I’ll try to formulate this very essence very briefly: the basis of my technology is composting plant residues in paths and beds. I moved the compost pile to a place where it would be accessible to plant roots - in paths and beds. I am fully in favor of composting, but with some reservations. Let's compare two options: composting in paths and composting in compost bins, compost heaps, etc. What's the difference?
- The process of operating a compost heap can be simplified as follows: we collect all organic residues in a heap. We maintain microbiological activity in the heap. We take them out into the beds ready compost. We embed it in the soil of the beds. Operation process compost paths twice as easy. We collect organic residues on the paths. We support microbiological activity in the paths. That's all.
- Composters occupy separate place on the site. Composting in paths requires no additional space at all.
These two points alone show the great advantages of compost paths over a compost heap.
- Lost in heaps during composting carbon dioxide, which is the main building material plants. When composting in paths, carbon dioxide is released in the place where plants are able to use it most fully - in the root zone of crops.
- Lost in compost heaps most organic matter, the heap decreases in volume by 4 times. Nothing is lost in the compost trails. During the decomposition of organic matter, it also plays the role of an effective mulch, which retains moisture, evens out temperature fluctuations in the soil, and helps to enhance microbiological activity in the bed and paths.
- The compost pile attracts worms. But only when the temperature in the pile drops do the worms start working in the pile (vermicomposting). In addition, the compost heap will attract worms from the surrounding beds if the same comfortable conditions for worms are not created in the beds as in the heap. The area of the compost paths is much larger than the area of the compost heap (with the same volume of organic material used), which means that more worms are attracted. The worms work there all the time - the temperature in the paths does not rise. And the waste products of the worms are distributed both in the paths and in the beds through the efforts of the worms themselves. And the worms will lay their offspring right there, in the paths.
- Compost paths do not have the disadvantages of a compost heap. The layer of organic matter in them does not exceed the critical volume required to heat the heap. There is no increase in temperature and everything associated with it.
- In compost heaps, when heated, most weed seeds die. Weed seeds do not die in compost paths. But this is only for the good - free green manure, the seeds of which do not need to be purchased and sown. But on paths with a thick layer of organic matter, to my regret, there are few weeds.
- Proponents of compost heaps are forced to take all weeded weeds and post-harvest residues into the heap. If you have compost paths, this is not necessary. We leave everything in place.
- Compost heaps perform one single role - preparing compost. Compost paths, in addition, are a system for automatically adjusting humidity and temperature in the beds, depending on the season.
And here is another argument against the use of composting in paths and beds: “Your proposal to build up humus in the soil by mulching beds and walkways with raw organic matter is equivalent to the natural process - the accumulation of humus in the soil over many years. The gardener wants to increase soil fertility as quickly as possible...” The question shows a clear misunderstanding of the role of paths as small-volume composting sites. All processes that occur in the paths are equivalent to the processes in the compost heap, except for heating. Accordingly, no less humus is formed in the same time. But for me, the accumulation of humus is not an end in itself. Humus is only an important “addition”. In the process of life, the microcosm decomposes organic matter into solutions that it consumes for its nutrition. These same solutions can be absorbed by plants - this is their main nutrition. That part of the solutions that was not absorbed by plants and microbes combines with the mineral part of the soil, forming slightly soluble stable particles - this is humus.
This process in my garden occurs intensively in the paths. If there are compost paths, the decomposition of organic matter on the surface of the bed is not so important, although it is useful. The main thing here is to retain moisture, stabilize the temperature, protect the soil structure from destruction, and create comfortable conditions for the worms. These functions can best be performed by undecomposed organic matter. But my practice shows that even under drought conditions and without watering, organic residues on the surface of the bed decompose, although less intensively than under moist conditions. In addition, these processes can be controlled. If organic matter is crushed, decomposition will go faster. In my practice, I don’t grind anything. I simply select the mulch for the crop according to the size of the organic fragments. For example, I mulch tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes with hay, straw, and other large-sized organic matter. Carrots, beets, daikon, radish - leaves, that is, smaller organic matter.
The paths contain various organic matter, both small and large, both quickly decomposing and long-decomposing. This is done deliberately. This heterogeneous structure of composted materials ensures constant aeration. This prevents putrefactive decomposition from occurring. All of the above does not mean that I am against chopping organic matter for mulch and composting. But my practice proves that you can do without chopping.
This comparative analysis shows that track composting technology is less labor intensive than using compost heaps. And, in addition, it performs many related functions. I conducted this analysis for myself. Just wondering if maybe I'm really doing too much compared to composting in piles? It turns out that my approach is less labor-intensive. Good luck with your gardening endeavors.
Oleg Telepov,
Omsk
To create favorable conditions for the normal development of plants in the garden and in the garden, you need to constantly improve the soil and try not to deplete it with organic and mineral fertilizers. Often, inexperienced gardeners completely remove all the weeds and all the “supposedly” unnecessary organic matter from the beds and paths. But this cannot be done. As a last resort, if the vegetation is infected with diseases or pests, then, of course, you need to get rid of it.
Preparing compost directly on the beds is the fastest and most convenient way saturate the soil useful substances. You can notice that in nature no one ever removes vegetation, and a kind of litter of fallen leaves, dried grass, and twigs creates the most necessary microclimate on the soil surface for the growth of new plants.
If you do not remove vegetation on garden beds, in the garden, then in such litter a symbiosis is formed - a community of beneficial microbes, fungi, worms, which help the green mass decompose faster, and that in turn creates an optimal humidity regime and saturates cultivated plants with nutrients.
All plant residues from the garden (weeds before the inflorescences ripen) are suitable for preparing compost, and you can also use cut grass, sawdust, straw, leaves, and forest litter. All these plant residues are scattered along the paths and between the rows where the cultivated plants are planted. In this way, the covered ground always remains moist, since there is no direct contact sun rays. This mulch retains moisture for a long time, especially after rains or watering.
In the spring, when it’s time to sow all kinds of plant seeds, then you can also sow green manure in the spaces between the rows. In this way, compost will be prepared directly on the beds. Young plants - green manure - will serve as a backdrop for protection cultivated plants from the hot sun, weathering of moisture from the soil. When the green manure grows, they need to be cut or uprooted and placed in rows and on paths. Or, if you have coarse organic matter, for example, chopped corn trunks, Jerusalem artichoke, twigs, then put them directly on the green manure. After a while, you will trample down the row spacing and paths with such a layer a little, and rotting processes will begin to occur there. 
When preparing compost directly on the beds, the following green manures are used:
Legumes - clover, chickpeas, wicca, sainfoin, peas, annual lupine, beans, beans, soybeans, alfalfa, sweet clover, lentils, goat's rue, chinna, saradella, field peas, cowpeas (cowpeas).
Cereals - fescue, timothy, ryegrass, bentgrass, non-spreading wheatgrass, black grass, cocksfoot, wheat, triticale, rye, Sudan grass, paisa, sweet and bread sorghum, spring oats and barley.
Cruciferous vegetables - winter rapeseed, winter and spring rapeseed, white mustard, blue mustard and oilseed radish.
Other families include buckwheat, amaranth, phacelia, and mallow.
If you have sowed the rows and paths with green manure, then you can safely walk on them without fear of breaking them, except for the phacelia, since it has brittle stems. During the spring and summer, green manure can be sown several times. It doesn’t require a lot of effort; you just sow on top of beds with already growing green manure.
But you shouldn’t limit yourself to green manure alone, as they lose mass when they dry out. Then, if possible, be sure to add straw, forest litter, sawdust to the beds, and rye stalks cut at the beginning of heading are especially good.
Preparing compost directly on the beds is also good because you don’t need to carry it and spread it - everything is already here and ready for “use”. And the carbon dioxide that is released in the compost is immediately absorbed by the leaves of cultivated plants, which increases their productivity.
In large compost piles the temperature constantly rises, which earthworms do not like. In our case, where there may be a 5-10 cm layer of compost on the beds, worms live normally and process the soil so that the humus is even better than with Californian worms, which you need to buy.
If you don’t want to grow green manure for compost, since they require repeated sowing, then, when they grow, you need to cut them off so as not to interfere with other plants, then it’s easier to use ordinary weeds that grow in every garden if you don’t weed it out every day. Then leave the weeds on the paths and between the rows. And when they grow to the point where they will soon produce seeds, then they can be uprooted and placed there.
If you think that preparing compost directly in the beds requires a lot of work and time, then you are mistaken.) It is much easier to maintain the fertility of the soil “on the job” - right in the beds. And to get good harvest, we must put more into the earth than we took from it - this is the law of nature. If you stick to it, you will always have an excellent, rich harvest, some of which you can even sell.
Compost preparation video:
