Compost preparation
In horticulture, proper compost preparation is of great importance. The gardener has a wide variety of plant debris and waste at his disposal, which, after composting, will become fertile soil. However, not all waste can be treated equally, np. we handle kitchen waste differently than with cattle or horse manure. We divide waste into three groups and we distinguish three types of compost.
The first group includes leaves, grass, weeds (before flowering) and various plant debris, including kitchen waste, np. vegetable peelings. A garden compost is made from them.
The second group is cattle or horse manure. We use it to make a particularly valuable manure compost. Cattle fertilizer is best for this purpose. The horse manure heap requires more careful care to maintain the right temperature.
Finally, leaves belong to the third group, scobs, straw and various kinds of bagasse. We make special compost from them. Garbage is not suitable for this purpose, because they often contain various admixtures that are not used in horticulture.
In the commercial production of flowers or vegetables, specially prepared horticultural soil is usually used. The owner of a small town usually has to be content with compost made of various types of waste. The size of the compost pile depends on the needs and possibilities. Usually its width is 1.2-1.5 m, and the height is approx 0,8 m. The prism should have slightly sloping sides. On farms, which have a large amount of materials, compost heaps are arranged in one day. It takes much longer in small gardens. The harvested material is covered with straw or reed mats, old hay or brushwood. We should always keep order around the prism.
Once a week, use a hoe or an ax to mulch thick and hard parts of the plants, like for example. cabbage noodles, branches, old perennials or sunflower stalks. We mix everything thoroughly with forks and put them in layers, then we cover everything again. In poorly arranged heaps there are too compacted places, which inhibits the air supply. After some time, the prism reaches the desired height. Then it is covered with straw, old hay or a thin layer of earth. You have to remember, that the entire pile must breathe. As time goes on, we gain experience in choosing the best material, and we know, which of the collected substances are best suited for composting.
