How to make humus

Humus Humus is manure, bird droppings, and plant debris that have been decomposed and treated with bacteria. Simply put, humus is an organic fertilizer obtained from rotted manure and plant debris.

Fertilizers are necessary for garden soil to nourish and produce a good harvest, and to improve crop rotation.

Most people use both mineral and organic fertilizers, giving the latter a larger share.

Humus – description

The stage of humus maturation goes through several stages. Readiness can be determined by the following parameters:

• looseness;
• flowability;
• homogeneity of structure;
• color brownish;
• absence of ammonia and putrid odor;
• The weight of humus in a 10-liter bucket is about 6 kg (overdried humus weighs much less, and immature humus weighs more).

Agrotechnical properties of humus:

1. A quality such as looseness allows moisture to be absorbed well and retained in the soil for a long time, trapping air (necessary for roots).
2. In sandy soil, after adding humus, moisture is retained longer, and humus makes heavy soil looser and more nutritious.
3. Improves the soil structure – a capillary crust does not form in normal weather, and in hot weather it is easily loosened.
4. When fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, it facilitates their delivery to plants.
5. The nutrients contained in humus mean that plants do not need to be fed throughout the season (except in cases where a specific substance is needed to nourish the plant).
6. It significantly improves the gas supply to plants due to the large amount of carbon dioxide in a bound form.
7. The use of humus makes it possible to carry out soil reclamation less frequently.
8. Attracts earthworms and repels moles.
9. Humus mulch does not harbor slugs and harmful insects, as is the case with plant mulch, and, unlike mineral mulch, it does not disrupt the metabolism of the soil.
10. Does not burn plant roots.

Composition of humus

The amount and composition of nutrients in humus depends on the original substance, but general composition is the same:

• organic matter;
• water;
• nitrogen (total);
• potassium;
• calcium;
• phosphorus.

All these substances are necessary for the root system, fruit setting, formation and development, and plant growth.

Humus made by hand

You can make your own compost. The process is simple, doesn't require much time or money, and, crucially, the starting material is readily available in your garden.

From the grass

One of the challenges on a property is the disposal of weeds, grass clippings, and leaves. Using such waste to create compost—an excellent organic fertilizer—can help solve this problem.

High-quality humus is obtained from mixtures: fresh grass (main component), leaf mixture, weeds with roots, dry grass, bark, sawdust, vegetable and fruit scraps, ash, manure, additives to speed up fermentation.

Avoid adding any feces, chemicals, weed seeds, animal feed, infected plants, or non-decomposable components to the compost. Otherwise, the resulting compost will have an unpleasant odor and be of poor quality.

Composting box:

• made from planks;
• large volume;
• one wall is removable (for easy removal);
• in the bottom with holes for moisture drainage;
• the upper part – pieces of slate, cellophane, roofing felt.

Preparation:

1. Place prepared compost or sawdust at the bottom of the box. Add bacteria to the sawdust (for fermentation).
2. Place the box in a semi-dark place.
3. It is better to chop the grass (you can use a shovel).
4. Gradually fill the container, stir the contents, and moisten. Continue stirring the mixture periodically.
5. Sprinkle the grass with soil or sawdust.
6. Do not allow the mixture to dry out.

Instead of a box, if the area of ​​the site allows, you can use a pit, the walls of which are covered with slate or film, but be sure to leave gaps for air circulation.

For the winter, cover the box (hole) from above with straw, hay, or rags, and in the spring, open it, using the covering material for a new batch of humus.

The entire process can take different amounts of time: from 3 months to 3 years.

Special fermentation additives will help speed up the process.

From manure

To prepare humus from manure you should:

• set aside a special place that is not blown by northern winds, preferably near a fence (the manure does not freeze for a long time and the bacteria remain active for a longer period);
• a small amount of manure is placed in a structure whose walls have holes for air to pass through (one wall is removable), the upper part opens (pieces of slate, film, shields, roofing felt);
• It is essential to cover the top so that the manure mass is not washed through by water (if the holes in the cover are small, it’s not a problem);
• During the warm period, the manure is mixed with a pitchfork and slightly moistened;
• to accelerate ripening, use the preparations "Baikal", "Northern Lights-3" and others;
• If there is a lot of manure, it is piled in a heap, choosing a not too sunny and windy part of the garden plot, and covered from above (make holes in the covering).

The maturation period of humus is from one and a half to two years.

It is ready when the mass is uniform in consistency, loose and crumbly, dark brown.

Leaf humus

Leaves on the plot are often burned, forgetting that this is good material for high-quality leaf humus.

Benefits of leaf humus:

• free material;
• always at hand;
• almost no heat is required for cooking;
• retains moisture well near the plant's root system;
• Suitable for garden compost;
• a good option for mulch;
• can be prepared from any foliage.

Oak, chestnut and beech leaves contain tannins that have a negative effect on the root system, so they are not suitable for forming humus.

Pine needles take 3 years to decompose, so it's best to crush them.

Containers for preparing leaf humus:

• a specially prepared structure: thick stakes or posts are driven into the corners of a 1 m² plot and covered with mesh (chain-link);
• thick plastic bags (puncture them in several places to allow moisture to enter);
• plastic containers, large in size (for example, a leaky barrel will do).

How to cook:

• The leaves are poured into prepared containers, well compacted and moistened.
• the cooking process requires the presence of moisture - the containers can be left in the open air (if necessary, moisten them yourself);
• the preparation process lasts 2-3 years;
• The process will be accelerated by crushing the leaves, adding nitrogen (can be in the form of mown clover, nettles, peas), moisture and partial shade (less evaporation).

Leaves raked in late autumn do not need to be watered, otherwise the thawing process will take a long time in the spring.

How to use humus

All crops need organic matter as a fertilizer, containing the necessary components for normal growth, flowering and fruiting.

Options for using humus:

• In the fall, a 10-liter bucket of humus, superphosphate (1-2 tablespoons), fertilizer with phosphorus and potassium (2 tablespoons), ash (2 cups) are added per 1 m² of area; in the spring - from two to four buckets per 1 m²;
• preparing a mixture for seedlings (1/2 part peat, compost, garden soil and ½ part humus);
• using a small amount of humus when planting nasturtium, cosmos, eschscholzia, ageratum (the plant goes into foliage with a large amount);
• fertilizing pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers in spring by adding them to the soil (15 cm) during digging;
• scatter under the strawberries (5 cm layer), sprinkle sawdust and straw on top so that it does not touch the ground;
• It is applied under raspberries in a 5 cm layer and is not covered;
• added to the soil for indoor plants (a third or a quarter of the total volume);
• fertilizing greenhouse soil (1st year – 40-70 kg per 1 m², later – 15-30 kg per 1 m²);
• used as the main component of liquid fertilizers.

Method for preparing liquid fertilizer from humus

Fill a 200-liter container with humus (manure, compost), add weeds and pulled grass, fill to the brim with water, and cover with dark plastic wrap. The mixture is ready in two weeks. Apply a solution of 10 liters of water to 1-2 liters of the mixture to the plant under the bush (2 liters).

How to store humus at your dacha

Gardeners not only grow vegetables and fruits, but also strive to make their plots look beautiful, so that the garden brings not only benefits but also aesthetic pleasure.

Piles of manure and humus don't look very nice, so you need to find more aesthetically pleasing storage options.

For example:

• put humus into old barrels, containers, boxes, close them and place them against the fence behind bushes and trees;
• If it is not possible to hide the barrels behind bushes, you can place flowerpots with hanging plants or containers with some garden crops on them;
• Storing humus in heaps requires covering it with film (the heap can be planted around the perimeter with tall flowers, so it won’t be conspicuous);
• You can cover the piles with colored film - this will add decorativeness to the area;
• Use large plastic bags and put them in a secluded place.

Reviews

Ruslan (Peter)

I bought a truckload of 10-year-old manure—it was simply superb—it was rich black soil. The zucchini absolutely thrived on it.

No name Answered the question: "How can you tell humus from peat?": "Humus contains the remains of dry plants. And the color is closer to regular soil. Peat has few remains and is black to brown in color. Plus, it's crumbly. And peat clumps float on water; they don't sink."

Valentina Answered the question: "I plan to add compost or manure to all the beds in the fall when I dig them up. The soil is heavy clay. Will that be okay?": "Compost and manure are different fertilizers. It's better to apply manure in the fall, and compost in the spring."