What to plant in a compost bed the first year. Paths instead of compost heaps. In place of a regular garden bed

For several years now I have been arranging “warm” beds in my garden, this method has become a real salvation for my plot. The effort invested in creating natural “warmers” is minimal compared to the benefits the gardener receives:
The plant waste that makes up the bed warms the plants from the inside and allows you to get early harvest. This is very relevant for the North-West, because... May and June, and often all summer, are very cool here, night temperatures drop to +8-10 degrees, and you can’t plant the entire garden under a greenhouse.
The soil in the garden must be constantly renewed. However, importing soil by truck is very expensive. Plus, purchased soil often brings only disappointment - the gardener receives dirt and clay instead of humus. Various options“warm” beds allow you to renew the entire land on the site in sectors, using a method invented by nature itself.

Different types of beds that warm and make the soil themselves

All gardeners create “warm” beds in one form or another, sometimes they simply don’t realize it. All that remains is to approach this issue wisely, and the yield on the site will increase.

There are several ways to create warm beds:

1. Compost heap in a stationary box. Summer residents who ignore this method, simply burying or throwing away grass or waste, are acting very unwisely. Organize several compost heaps in boxes with a removable wall is very simple, and the benefits of this are enormous. The sides can be cemented or made of wood and scrap materials.

One such heap is filled with layers of kitchen waste, grass, and manure all summer long - late in the fall it is covered with compost on top, the next season you can plant pumpkins or zucchini on it, and after the summer the heap is opened to get compost for the beds.

While one compost bin is being filled, vegetable crops are growing in another and soil is taken from it in the fall or spring. This way, there is always fresh compost and it is of good quality. You can also make a compost heap based on a barrel or a concrete ring.

2. Grass pit. On virgin soil or in a garden bed loamy soil at the beginning of the season, you can dig a hole 40-50 cm deep, throw grass there all summer after cultivating the beds, at the end of summer fill the hole with compost, next season plant green manure or legumes in this place and get a piece of fertile reclaimed soil.

3. “Warm” ridge-trench. A deep rut, which is dug two shovels deep or even deeper and gradually filled throughout the season or at the end of summer.

4. “Warm” bed in a box, which forms in layers at the end of the season.

How to quickly turn an ordinary garden bed into a “warm” one

In my garden I use all the methods, but I’ll tell you more about the last one.
At the end of summer after collection vegetable crops The beds are gradually being emptied, this is the best time to make “warm” beds. Typically, we grow zucchini, pumpkins, squash, and beans on such beds - the yield of these crops drops significantly if they are not heated from underground.
All our beds are enclosed in a wooden or metal box 30-40 cm high; based on this design it is very easy to make a warm bed; you can proceed according to this scheme:
We choose a sector of approximately 1.5 by 1.5 meters, rely on our own strengths, too large garden bed It will be difficult to dig out at one time and will take a long time to fill.

We dig up soil from the garden bed, put the top soil in buckets or throw it in a pile on the side, and send the bottom loam to long-term compost or use it for household needs. If you have a strong assistant, you can dig up the entire box, which will completely renew the bed.

However, there is a simpler option - make a wide, deep trench in the middle of the bed.

At the very bottom we place branches, large tops, wood chips, paper; these organic materials will decompose slowly, so they are placed at the base. Plus, there are always gaps between the dense stems and pieces of wood, which creates a kind of drainage layer that ensures a gradual outflow of water. If I make a warm bed not from scratch, but with a furrow, then I put not hard branches at the base, but tops from beans, Jerusalem artichokes, sunflowers, zucchini, sprinkling everything with coarse sand. I am against chips and rotten pieces of wood in the garden bed, because... we already have a lot garden ants, so I don’t use such materials at all, but I mention them because... this material is in use among gardeners.

Next, we compact and water the greens well, the amount of water depends on the weather. We cover everything with a layer of soil; you can use the dug up soil that we put in buckets.
Place in the next layer organic waste, which decompose more quickly - traditionally, leaves, soft tops, wood chips, rotten vegetables and fruits are placed in the middle of the bed. I usually process strawberries during this period, so this layer in my bed gets the most strawberry and strawberry foliage from the trimmings; I’m afraid to put rotten apples in the beds, because... This greatly acidifies the soil.

This layer should be quite voluminous; it can be divided into two, sprinkled with earth and spilled with water. I also add ash, because The soil on my site is quite acidic.

The next layer of the bed is formed from organic matter, which decomposes very well; this is an elite level, which should turn into humus by the beginning of the next season. Here I place short grass without seeds or roots, plucked or mowed with a sickle, and lawn grass after the lawnmower, which I collect and dry, producing hay.

A “warm bed” settles very strongly, so at this stage you need to fill the bed so that the grass sticks out of the bed. This green hill must be compacted, shed and covered with a 10-15 cm layer of compost humus. Then you can wait a few days and duplicate this layer again.

Place a layer of humus on top again.

Then on the newly made ridge you can plant green manure - oats, rye, mustard.

Previously, I sometimes planted oats before winter and then we sort of shoveled them, or beans in the spring, when we left the ground fallow. This year I planted rye, after 5 days the sprouts already began to creep out. I read that pulling and burying are not best method, he destroys root system green manure, which accumulates nitrogen, phosphorus and other minerals. This year I want to try cutting rye - although this requires a very sharp flat cutter or hoe.

There is no need to dig up such a bed, just loosen the soil with a hoe. In the spring, to start life in the ridge, you can water it warm water or manure solution, then cover with film for a while. Temporary greenhouses on such a natural “heating pad” also give good results, because the plants are heated both above and below, creating a real bathhouse. A “warm” bed in a box lasts 2-3 years, in the second year I add compost to it, and in the third or fourth year I change it.

A “warm” ridge based on a trench lasts 7-8 years, because it is dug out with two shovels or even more, sand and large branches and pieces of wood are placed at the bottom. In my opinion, a bed in a box is more convenient and efficient, because... it is easier to make, and the soil changes more often, which allows you to avoid leaving the ridge fallow for rest.

Vegetable gardening in Russia is famous for the fact that people are constantly adopting various low-cost ways to increase productivity. The so-called warm beds have earned high popularity. Their design is created in such a way that early heating of the soil occurs with natural (from rotting organic matter) or artificial (using energy) heat.

To put it simply, a warm bed is a kind of compost pit, which has drainage at the bottom and a planting soil. There are three options for compost beds according to their placement relative to ground level:

raised above the surface;
recessed;
mixed design (the base is at depth, the top is located above ground level.

In any case, filling the bed will look like a layer cake, in which each layer represents some kind of organic material.

Such beds are formed either early spring, or late autumn. Going into winter with pre-prepared beds is very rational, because before freezing in the depths of the structure, the process of decomposition of organic matter will already begin, and in the spring it will continue with renewed vigor.

Contents of organic warm beds

Approximate contents of raised beds from bottom to top:

protection from rodents - mice and moles (use metal or plastic mesh);

drainage layer (plant branches, large twigs, logs, remains of old stumps and other bulky material);
insulating fabric (geotextile) or a layer of old newspapers and cardboard on top of it;

IMPORTANT. The insulating layer protects the drainage layer from being flooded with water and also prevents the germination of weeds.

sawdust, bark, chopped branches;
unrotted organic matter - old foliage and various plant remains;
rotted compost;
garden soil or specially brought fertile soil.

IMPORTANT. The thickness of the top layer must be such that the roots have enough space and do not grow into the layer of unrotted organic matter. Study in advance the specifics of the plants that you plan to plant in this bed.

Depending on the design, some layers can be eliminated. For example:

if the bed lies on the ground without deepening, then a drainage layer of bulk material is not needed. There is no need for cardboard either - just cover the bottom of the bed protective coating from rodents, and then with waterproof technical fabric so that irrigation water does not quickly go into the soil;

if the bed is of a mixed type (buried with an elevation), make sure that the ground level is somewhere between a layer of cardboard and unrotted organic matter.

There are no strict rules. Main task for a novice designer of warm beds is to understand the whole operating principle:

sequence of layers;
organization of the rotting process;
protection from rodents;
thickness of each layer of filler.

Most questions revolve around how thick each layer should be. Experienced gardeners We recommend paying attention to the following key points:

top fertile soil with compost 15-25 cm (depending on the length of the roots going deep);
unrotted organic matter (old leaves, etc.) in a layer about 12-15 cm thick;
layer of old branches, sawdust- about 10-13 cm;
the lower drainage layer is from 5 to 10 cm.

Varieties

There are different versions beds that provide natural warmth from the inside. The choice of design depends on how much time and effort you are willing to spend on the result. Remember that any garden design is considered simultaneously as:

the opportunity to increase yields;
means of facilitating further gardening work, increasing convenience;
aesthetic organization of plantations and plantings on the site.

Technologically the simplest option. What are the advantages of a warm bed of this type:

they are much easier to care for;
there is no need for hard work digging the earth to depth;

IMPORTANT. Ideal for conditions where the soil is excessively swampy (an optimal environment is created inside the contour of a warm bed by selecting fillers, and the bottom is covered with insulating material).

easy to create clear geometric shapes(relevant for lovers of the delights of landscape design);

it is much easier to protect plant roots from mice and moles.

In-ground beds

Most difficult option in terms of labor costs. However, the result is more solid:

below ground level, organic matter does not freeze as much as in raised beds, so the process of heat release begins much earlier in the spring;
Once you dig a trench and fill it with organic materials, you don’t have to worry about repeated work for several years (shelf life is about 3-4 years without the need to change the internal contents);
saving effort and time on the side framing of beds, because you can do without it (if the surface of the bed is level with the level of the surrounding ground).

Mixed type

This option is considered optimal:

the buried part plays a long-term role (there is no need to dig it up every spring);
the elevation of the upper fertile part allows you to cultivate the bed with less effort;

IMPORTANT. Working in a sitting position is important for older people. They often suffer from atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, in which a head-down position is contraindicated.

the recommended height of the part protruding above the surface is approximately 55-70 cm;

the rising part will have to be decorated with side walls, that is, the result will be an aesthetically attractive look - the garden or vegetable garden will look more stylish, pleasing to the eye with landscape design.

Materials

Very important aspect- what to make the contour of the bed from. Although there is a wide variety of materials on the market, they have different properties:

aesthetic appearance;
financial high/low cost;
fragility/durability;
response to temperature;
safety from an environmental point of view.

IMPORTANT. Never use glass. There is a high risk of combat, and it is simply unrealistic to remove small fragments from the soil.

The final decision is always yours, and let it be balanced. Brief overview materials claiming to be used:

DIY garden bed

In this article we will look at a mixed type design:

buried by the base;
having an above-ground part;
wooden side frame.

This instruction will help you better understand general scheme and details of working with various materials.

Preparing for work

Tools and material:

carpentry (saw, drill, level, screwdriver, measuring tape, corner);

gardening (shovel, rake, pitchfork, garden cart for transporting compost and other filler materials, earth drill);
edged board 2-2.5 cm thick, 17-20 cm wide;
4x4 cm block for stakes;
metal or plastic mesh from rodents.

Bed dimensions:

The width is important so that it is convenient to work with the bed when growing plants. It is optimal if the bed is no wider than 1.0-1.3 m. bottlenecks plot (for example, near a fence), you can make beds 70 cm wide. Even with one-way access, plantings will be necessary care and the care of the gardener.
the length is arbitrary - as far as the configuration of your garden plot allows.

as mentioned above, the ground part of the bed is recommended to be 50-75 cm high;
however this recommendation is not mandatory. Moreover, taking into account the fact that the thickness of the internal layers varies. Therefore, the bed can also be placed inside a lower contour (20-35 cm).

IMPORTANT. Plan in advance, this will make it easier for you to implement your plans without wasting time on alterations and improvements.

Frame making

Please note that the sides of the bed will have to be made of double boards, that is, place one board vertically above the other so that the height of the walls is sufficient. Thus, you will have the following actions:

measure the required length, cut boards (4 side boards, 4 end boards);

prepare stakes from a 4x4 cm bar, 75-80 cm long;

IMPORTANT. How many stakes will it take? With a bed length of 2-2.5 meters, 6 pieces are enough. With a bed length of 3.5-4 meters, 8 pieces are enough.

make two-level sides by joining two boards together (use scraps of boards, loosened into planks with a hatchet);

keep in mind that the screws should not extend beyond the drilled wood (when purchasing screws, remember that the thickness of the board is 2.5 cm, and it needs to be multiplied by two, since the connecting strips will be the same thickness).

This completes the preparation. The frame will need to be installed directly into the trench - fastening at the corners of the structure will also be done there. A measuring angle and level will help you maintain accuracy.

Trench and its filling

Step by step steps:

mark the bed or beds (marking with pegs and a stretched cord will allow you to dig a trench of an even geometric shape);

It is advisable to dig a trench so that its depth is about 40-45 cm;

lay down a rodent net (it is sold in construction stores, ask for reinforcing mesh or chain link);
create a drainage layer (see details above) - coarse, long-rotted organic matter;

cover with old newspapers, cardboard;

install side walls;
drill holes for support stakes;

At the corners of the structure, connect the boards and stakes with self-tapping screws;
use a corner and a level to ensure that the structure “sits” in the ground exactly both horizontally and perpendicular to the joining corners;
continue to fill the raised part of the bed;
add dry grass, leaves and other unrotted organic matter;

further - humus, manure or compost;
the final layer is high-quality garden soil.

IMPORTANT. In fertile areas, before starting trench work, carefully remove the top layer of soil and set it aside. This is the turf you use for planting.

After all the steps, do not forget to water the bed to create a moist environment. In such conditions, the process of rotting inside will begin. Do not try to moisten each layer with water as you fill the trench. There is no need to rush, let everything go at a moderate speed. There is still time before planting, and the contents of the bed should rot and be loose, and not rot in a viscous slurry.

Video - Do-it-yourself warm beds

Warm beds with artificial heating

The concept is that:

water pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene are laid on the drainage layer;
the pipe structure is connected to the electrical cable;
heating is controlled by the user (turning on and off the heat supply as needed, depending on the ground temperature).

IMPORTANT. Artificial heating is optimal for covered (tent) beds and greenhouses - the heat generated by the pipes is retained inside the system and is not sprayed in the open air.

The order and list of fillers may vary. In any case, the most important layers should remain:

bottom drainage (it is laid directly on natural soil);
additional insulation (prevents the “layer cake” from cooling from below, from the ground);
sand (occupies the location of the heating pipes) - plays the role of fine-grained drainage, helps retain heat, and facilitates the passage of irrigation water downwards).

Only after all these components is placed at the top fertile layer land.

at dachas it is advisable to use an electric cable (after all country heating, as a rule, temporary and low-power);

in permanent private houses, you can connect directly to the heating (not forgetting to make a shut-off valve in case the house is heated, but the garden bed does not need to be heated at this time).

What type of heating is allowed? It can be of any type:

gas;
electrical;
steam;
water;
oven.

Operating procedure

It's actually quite simple:

prepare layers (large drainage, synthetic insulation, sand);

lay water pipes. Scheme - closed loop (ensure circulation warm water in a circle);

add a little more sand on top;

the final layer is directly fertile soil. Use benign garden soil, as well as additional black soil. Keep in mind that the soil should nourish the plants well when heated;

Connect the greenhouse piping to the heating source.

In the absence of experience working with electricity, invite more help knowledgeable person. If electrical installation work you understand, the whole process will be elementary for you, and the design will be durable, effective and reliable.

Lesson from Galina Kizima.

Year one

Next summer, start a compost heap in place of any vegetable bed or right on virgin soil, especially if you have clay soil.

She should be in the sun.

The width of the heap is 80-100 cm, the height should also be 80-100 cm by the end of summer, but the length should be what the future bed should be or how much material there is enough to lay it.

It can be covered decorative plantings so as not to become an eyesore.

You will start filling it from one edge, gradually increasing in length and height.

On next year start laying a new compost heap next to it, and plant pumpkins or zucchini on the first one.

You can also use it for cucumbers.

To prevent heat and moisture from leaving the heap, it should be covered with an old film - black or white, but spunbond or lutrasil are not suitable for this purpose.

This must be done before the snow melts, otherwise the heap may dry out by the time of sowing.

Before sowing, remove the film and make holes in the heap about the size of a three-liter jar.

Then fill them halfway fertile soil, add a teaspoon of AVA powder fraction to each, water well and sow the seeds.

Then cover the pile again with film.

As soon as the seedlings reach the film, cut holes in it and release them outside.

If there is a danger of frost, then the plants need to be covered with lutrasil on top.

This is where your work ends. No more watering or feeding of the plants is required.

Under the film and powerful foliage of pumpkin crops, the compost will mature in one season.

At the end of summer, cut off the fruiting above-ground part and transfer it to the new compost pile that you created over the summer.

Leave the remains of the root system in place. The worms will eat them.

Year two

On next year, having made additional holes in the film and adding a dessert spoon of calcium nitrate and half a teaspoon of AVA fertilizer into each of them, plant seedlings of any cabbage, except for Chinese cabbage and kohlrabi.

It will be necessary to feed cabbage in the second half of summer only with microelements (unless you add AVA during planting).

It is best to do one or two feedings on the leaves, using any of the preparations: “Florist” or “Uniflor-bud” (4 teaspoons per 10 liters of water).

You will only need to water if the weather is hot and dry. Water needs to be poured into the holes in the film under the root, and in very hot weather early in the morning you will have to pour the cabbage directly over the leaves cold water from the well.

In autumn, the covering leaves of cabbage and its roots (if there is no clubroot) should be left in the garden bed.

The film will have to be removed, leaving it only on the sides of the bed.

Year three

Next year, pumpkin crops will move to a new compost heap, cabbage will move to their place, and instead you can plant grown early potato tubers or onions on turnips in the garden bed.

Then you can plant beets, which will have to be watered once with a solution of table salt (1 glass per 1 liter of water) to feed with sodium, when it has 5-6 leaves.

Beets can also be planted along with cabbage along the edge of the garden bed. She loves to grow on the edge and is friends with cabbage crops.

It’s a good idea to plant celery at the ends of the cabbage bed.

And rows of onions can be alternated with rows of carrots. But you can also sow a bed of carrots after onions.

Once again, I draw your attention to the fact that as soon as you have removed the film, only the crop is removed from the bed, and all other parts of the plant are left on the bed and in the soil.

Moreover, in the fall they also throw leaves or weeded weeds on top.

Year four

Another year the bed can be used for lettuce, dill, and parsley. These crops do not need fertilizing or watering.

Lazy bed or Crop rotation on a compost heap

Next year, in early spring, you can sow radishes there, and after harvesting them, plant strawberry tendrils in early summer.

Strawberries need to be planted thicker than usual, that is, they need to be planted in the middle of the bed in one row at a distance of 15-20 m from each other.

When planting, add one-third of a teaspoon of AVA granular fertilizer to each hole, then you will not need any more fertilizing for three years.

To avoid having to do weeding, roll out a roll of paper glued together from several layers of newspaper on both sides of the strawberries.

When the strawberries produce tendrils, make holes in the newspaper to allow them to take root and leave them to overwinter.

In the spring, there will be practically no newspapers left, but there will be no room for weeds to grow, since the strawberries will take up all the free space.

Don't do anything to the plantation.

It does not need to be fed or watered except in very hot and dry weather in spring and early summer.

The fertilizer will last her for three years, and under a continuous canopy of her own leaves she will retain moisture in the soil.

I emphasize again, you don’t need to do anything, let the strawberries grow on their own.

After three to four years, the berry harvest will begin to decline.

When you collect it, simply mow the plants themselves with a scythe, or even better with a Fokin flat cutter, going 2-3 cm deep into the soil.

Leave the leaves in the garden bed and start adding compost to this area.

This whole scheme should be used on sand.

Only under the compost on the sand you need to lay roofing material or old film in several layers to nutrients didn't go through the sand.

If you have perfectly acceptable soil, its fertility will gradually be restored or improved over time if you sow the vacated bed with white mustard each year in late summer and leave all the plant residues after harvesting on it, rather than dragging them into the compost.

Then in the spring, just slightly dig up the soil to a depth of 5 cm and immediately sow the bed with seeds of cultivated plants.

The crop rotation can be left the same as on the compost heap, but before planting each crop, you should add a little “Bogorodskaya Zemlya” and a third of a teaspoon of the powder fraction of AVA fertilizer into the hole.

What kind of “Bogorodskaya Zemlya” is this? This is soil saturated with beneficial microorganisms.

After all, soil fertility is determined by the number of microorganisms living in it.

Most of them die in winter in the top layer of soil.

Some part, of course, will survive and begin to reproduce, but they will reach the required numbers only by the end of the season.

If you take a bag of such soil in the fall before frost and put it in the cellar, the microorganisms will be perfectly preserved and multiply over the winter.

It is especially good to take such soil from rotted compost.

The soil needs to be populated with beneficial microorganisms, and to feed them, unrotted organic matter, in particular, the green mass of mown grass or weeds, must be systematically introduced into the surface layer.

The famous gardener Ryabov L.A. agrees with Kizima G., except for one point:

"Instead of those mentioned by G. Kizima mineral fertilizers it is much better to breed soil animals, for example, by watering the bed with solutions of EM preparations "Shine" or other beneficial soil microorganisms

They will give the plants everything they need for growth and abundant fruiting, and will return fertility to the soil."

Techniques and Ideas organic farming persistently capture the minds of advanced farmers.

Oktyabrina GanichkinaCandidate of Agricultural Sciences, author of hundreds of books about gardening

More and more gardeners are adhering to the principles of organic farming in their dachas - composting plant waste and using soil mulching. How to get started if you've never made compost or gotten rid of weeds with mulch? The most important rules environmentally friendly garden.

What's the best place to compost?

The place for compost should be shaded and protected from the wind, this is necessary in order to avoid overdrying of the compost. At the same time, a completely windless place for composting is also not suitable due to poor ventilation. If there is a lack of natural shade next to the compost containers, you can plant a tree, bush or just tall flowers, which will provide the necessary shade and decorate the compost area.

What should not be added to compost?

Anything that does not decompose with the help of microorganisms: glass, metal objects, wire, foil, any type of plastic, ceramics, construction waste, textiles, any chemicals plants and newspapers affected by fungal diseases.

Plants that cannot be added to compost include foxglove, tomato, potato tops, castor bean, broom, lily of the valley, aconite - the composting process will not be effective, since the contents of these plants toxic substances they kill some of the microorganisms involved in decomposition, and the compost matures more slowly.

What can you add to compost from household waste?

The most common food waste that goes into compost is: potato peelings, eggshell, leftover vegetables, cabbage stalks, spoiled vegetables and fruits, banana peel, drunken tea leaves. All organic waste and leftovers from the home and garden are suitable for composting, especially those of plant origin. These are herbs, green manure plants, crop waste (vegetables, fruits), garden waste, manure, bark, foliage, needles (pine, spruce), straw, sawdust and other materials.

In what form can all this be put into compost?

Green manure plants. The protein-rich green mass decomposes quickly without causing problems. Before laying, let it dry, lay in layers, alternating with coarser materials.

Hay and straw. They are a valuable material, bind moisture in the compost, create a good porous structure of the compost, which provides access to oxygen. Grind thoroughly and allow to dry, mix with nitrogen-containing green mass of compostable plants, kitchen organic waste and add to compost in thin layers.

Foliage. Poor in nutrients. To prevent foliage from becoming lumpy, it should be dried, if possible, crushed and placed in compost in thin layers, mixed with other plant and coarser materials. When composting oak leaves containing large quantities tannic acid, the addition of fluff lime is desirable (for 10 kg of foliage - 200-300 g of fluff lime).

Wood sawdust. They are characterized by a low nitrogen content and decompose very poorly, so it is necessary to thoroughly mix them with the green mass plant material, bring in bone meal and add manure to increase nitrogen content and speed up decomposition.

Tree bark. Compared to sawdust, it has a higher nitrogen content, but nevertheless requires the introduction of nitrogen-containing additives: bird droppings or manure, urea, it is also recommended to add lime at the rate of 10 kg/m2 of bark for the decomposition process.

Food waste. They are valuable organic matter and have a high rate of decomposition. To prevent rotting processes, food waste should be mixed with coarser material that provides sufficient ventilation (for example, sawdust).

Manure. Because of high content nitrogen is very beneficial for compost and is a catalyst for decomposition processes. It is recommended to lay manure in one of the layers among the material from which the compost is made, and sprinkle earth on top.

Paper. Good to add to compost. It decomposes well due to the cellulose it contains. Before putting it into compost, shred and wet the paper, preferably in a herbal infusion, so that along with the moisture it absorbs additional nutrients. Lay out in thin layers, combining with coarse material, otherwise the wet paper will clump into lumps, and this will complicate the decomposition process.

Can fertilized weeds be added to compost?

To prevent weed seeds from spreading throughout the garden as part of compost, plants with seeds should first be soaked in barrels of water for 10 days and only then put into compost. To prevent weeds from growing in the compost, it is kept without access to light and covered with dark, impenetrable material (black film, roofing felt).

How long does it take for compost to decompose?

The duration of the compost decomposition process depends on the desired quality of the final product; it can last up to 12 months or up to 2 years. Decomposition begins very rapidly and slows down in subsequent stages. Compost must be mixed to activate the decomposition process and achieve uniformity in all layers. After mixing, the temperature within the compost initially decreases, but then rapidly increases due to the activation of the decomposition process due to the influx of oxygen.

What are the benefits of compost?

Compost is a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms and activates the vital activity of soil fauna.

Thanks to the activity of microorganisms in compost and soil fertilized with it, it is possible to suppress the activity of pathogenic microorganisms or restrain their development.

Since starting materials We have selected the compost material ourselves; there is no need to worry about the admixture of substances harmful to the soil and plant health.

Compost comprehensively improves the structure of the soil, restoring its original ability to retain nutrients and moisture. surface layer soil.

Compost has a mild, dosed fertilizing effect on plants.

Obtaining humus through composting occurs quite quickly, inexpensively and directly at the site of further direct use.

The process of producing compost is very environmentally friendly and close to natural processes in its essence.

What are the benefits of mulching?

Mulching is covering the beds with peat, humus, straw, sawdust and other porous organic materials.

The mulch layer provides favorable conditions for the life of soil microorganisms. The organic mulch cover decomposes, the process of nutrient mineralization accelerates, and the absorption of nutrients by plants improves and accelerates.

The decomposition of organic mulch material occurs directly on the soil, so valuable nutrients are not lost, and the soil constantly has additional nutrients due to the decomposition of the mulch material.

Covered organic fertilizers The soil warms up faster in the spring, caking and compacting less.

The mulch cover makes loosening the soil unnecessary, since plant roots are already well supplied with oxygen due to the absence of a compacted crust. This allows you to avoid mechanical damage tender superficial roots.

The mulch cover suppresses the growth and development of weeds, protects the soil from erosion, wind exposure, the formation of cracks and dry crust on the soil surface.

The protective cover ensures uniform soil moisture and maintains a constant water balance by significantly reducing the evaporation of moisture from the soil surface.

By constantly mulching the soil surface, you can reduce the amount of fertilizer applied, since in the presence of a mulch layer, their leaching is significantly reduced.

The color of the soil largely determines its ability to absorb and retain solar heat Therefore, by changing the color of the soil surface, it is possible to regulate its thermal properties. Important role in regulation thermal regime Mulching plays a role in soil.

Dark mulch on the soil surface attracts sun rays and quickly absorbs heat. This promotes good soil warming. Light mulch, on the contrary, increases the ability of the soil surface to reflect the sun's rays, which prevents overheating of the soil under the mulch cover, and therefore protects plant roots from exposure to high temperatures.

Mulching process followed by decomposition organic matter is one of the ways to enrich the soil with humus.

Practice shows that after several years of mulching, the volume of soil pores filled with water and air increases significantly, which means its air and water permeability, which is one of the main indicators of soil health, improves.

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Advantages of a warm bed

To understand whether it is worth arranging warm beds on your site and spending your own time and effort, you need 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 the 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.

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 compost formed as a result of the activity of microorganisms and earthworms is an excellent source of plant nutrition.
There is no need for a 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.
Doesn't take up much space, is convenient to handle, doesn't 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 to retain heat and useful substances were not washed out by rain into 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; the next season it is enough to add compost and plant 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 fertile land Fold it 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 with sheet polystyrene foam, and closed plastic bottles can be placed at 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 well sunlight 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;
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 the bottom and come out 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. deep hole and large volume Organics hold moisture well and give 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.