What is humus: how to make, store, and use it

Fertilizers and preparations

Humus is a substrate for fertilizing agricultural crops. Fertilizing and storage must be done according to the rules to prevent loss of nutrients. It enriches poor soil with nutrients, enriches the soil with microelements essential for growth and development, and increases the volume and quality of harvests. However, application rates must be followed.

Humus – what is it?

An organic fertilizer. You can prepare the mixture yourself. For processing, use the following components:

foliage;
cattle manure;
bird droppings;
straw;
hay;
weeds;
ash;
leftovers from fruits and vegetables;
bark;
wood sawdust;
special additives;
branches;
shrubs.

Add plants removed from the area there.

Please note!

Gardeners prefer to use grass and leaves to make compost. This is insufficient, as the finished product lacks nutrients.

Cattle or poultry manure should be added to the composition. Omitting the organic additive will only result in the grass rotting. The following should not be added:

chemicals;
plants removed from the site because they were infected with serious diseases;
food of animal origin;
seeds from weed crops.

Manure can only be used from healthy animals.

How to make compost from manure

To make high-quality humus and avoid using commercially prepared products, it's important to properly follow the layering sequence. Beforehand, it's recommended to study the schematic photos to clearly visualize the preparation process.

Description of the process:

Plants. The layer should not be thicker than 15 cm. Thicker layers slow down the rate of rotting. Use only grass that doesn't have seeds. Otherwise, they will sprout, and instead of compost, you'll end up with a container full of weeds. Cover the layer with a layer of soil to which lime has been added.
Hay and straw. Straw enriches foliage with nutrients and oxygen. It is essential for creating a porous structure and binding moisture within the humus. Before applying the material, carefully chop it into small pieces. This material can even be added to regular mulching.
Leaves. Dry thoroughly before use. Otherwise, the leaves will clump together. Mix them with other plant waste and then apply in a thin layer.
Sawdust. To make compost, you need wood sawdust. To activate and improve the decomposition process, mix it with grass before adding it.
Tree bark. It contains a large amount of nitrogen. To increase its concentration, mix the bark with chicken manure or cattle manure.

Cow manure can be used to create compost for soil cultivation. It improves the soil structure, making it looser, more moisture-retentive, and lighter. Warm compost is a semi-liquid substance with an unpleasant odor.

Attention!

The advantage of this supplement is that it does not contain toxins, has a wide range of applications, and can be applied several times per season.

Horse manure is rare these days, and it's best used primarily when planting greenhouse flowers. The fertilizer should be semi-rotted. Applications:

flowers;
carrot;
beet;
tomatoes and other vegetables.

It is best to add rotted horse organic matter in the fall during digging or to seedlings as an additive.

Chicken manure has a negative impact on garden plants. It should only be used in limited quantities. Otherwise, the crops will die from toxic nitrates. The fertilizer should be semi-liquid and weak in concentration. The acid can burn roots within a few hours.

Cooking technique:

Put the manure in a pile.
Prepare a hole, box or area.
Cover the pile with roofing felt.
Water regularly to promote ripening. The top layer should always remain moist.
Loosen the soil regularly.

Preparation fertilizers from manure Store-bought cattle don't require shelter. They can be left outdoors and used after 1-2 years.

How to quickly make humus from leaves

Storing compost in bags is not recommended, nor is making it without adding manure. Straw, plant residues, and this component are the most ideal ingredients. Specifically:

There are no special restrictions on the choice of foliage, as materials from any deciduous tree are suitable;
leaves should be mixed with waste and sawdust;
bird droppings are placed on the leaves;
each layer is carefully poured.

If numerous gnats have formed around the container, the humidity is too high. To resolve the problem, leave the box open and do not water for a week. If the material doesn't change color or smell like damp earth, it needs to be moistened. Some gardeners add potato peelings and fresh grass.

Please note!

Mulching with humus should be done in such a way as not to harm the plants and their root system.

Rules for compost preparation

The substrate must be prepared over a long period of time. Months must pass for the organic matter to release its most beneficial components, and a number of rules must be followed:

The thickness of the layers is 70 cm.
Materials must not be compacted.
To activate the rotting process, it is necessary to maintain humidity, for this purpose watering is done.
To ensure oxygen penetration into the substrate, regularly shovel it with a pitchfork.
The optimal volume of 1 container is a cubic meter.

Cover the box with a cloth that allows good air permeability.

The composting medium should not contain meat or dairy waste. These wastes don't rot, but rather quickly turn sour, making the air around the compost bin unpleasant and even hazardous to human health. These "aromas" attract rodents and other pests. Household waste should not be added to the compost bin. Avoid turning the bin or container into a landfill.

Rules for making

Composted manure should be applied in the fall. The substrate should be evenly distributed over the area. It's essential to dig the soil to a depth of 15 cm. The organic matter will decompose during the winter, and in the spring, the entire soil will be fertilized. Nutrients will enrich the soil, and plants and trees will receive the nutrients they need for active growth and development. Chicken manure should also be applied in the fall.

Adding grass compost to black soil should be done in the spring. The fertilizer must be fully mature, and its readiness can be determined by:

softness;
looseness;
friability;
black or dark brown;
a smell similar to fresh earth.

Leaf mold has a pungent odor. Apply it to planting holes, along with transplanting trees and shrubs.

It's not enough to simply understand what humus is and what it consists of. It's important to avoid mistakes when using the substrate:

There must be a drain for the water that accumulates in the tank.
The compost heap should not rot.
It is prohibited to add only carbon or nitrogen-containing components, this will reduce the quality of the finished composition.
It is prohibited to use weeds with seeds. They will subsequently germinate in the garden bed.

Fertilizer can be made at home from grass in bags.

Reviews

Compost can be prepared in a factory or at home. The latter option takes longer. Here are some gardeners' reviews of this fertilizer.

Irina, 42 years old

I'd never used compost before. I thought it was a completely pointless purchase. A neighbor recommended it and said it produced good results. This was my first time ordering from a specialist company, but now I'm trying to make it myself. I'm very happy with the savings on fertilizers and treatments.

Saveliy, 50 years old

I would never have thought that it was possible make humus from grass with your own hands By hand. I tried it, read up on what humus is and where to get it, looked at the photos—I really liked it. The benefits are truly great, but with minimal effort. The composition is very useful. I have loamy soil at my dacha. For years, I couldn't do anything about it; I had to repeatedly till the soil with a cultivator and add chemical additives, but to little avail. Now I use only humus. And if you get it, you won't regret it.

Humus helps enrich the soil, improve crop yields, and increase their volume. Proper distribution of the substrate in your garden prevents diseases, soil depletion, and other consequences.