Wintering worms

Wintering worms

Any heated room with normal humidity (a comfort, garage, cellar, attic) where the temperature does not fall below 7 ° C. Worms love the darkness, so the light must be dim.

If you decide to continue biohumus production next year, and there is no increase in the number of home areas, you can provide winter apartment equipment on site. It should be not only warm, but also airtight. To do this, dig a hole the size of 120 × 150 cm and depth 35-40 visible

The height of 30-40 is made of excavated land, see Depth of the pit, along with the height of the embankment, should exceed the freezing level of winter land in the area.

The bottom and walls were laid with durable material, and to protect against mice and moles use plastic wrap or felt felt. After that, the pit was filled with compost or rotted manure and the worms were moved there.

The hay is thrown on top, straw or dry leaves are covered at 40-50. See "The flat" is also warmed around the perimeter with posture twigs fur (1 m wide), covered in a film above, the edges of which are laid out on the board. After the first snowfall, the snow at the edges of this film bends down and pours water (to protect it against the rats).

On the menu of all worms, besides semi-overgrown compost and manure, include kitchen waste of plant origin: chopped boiled and rotten vegetables and fruits, bread, scraps, but not fresh or fermented (the worm does not live in an acidic environment). Mix in smooth shell eggs, tea beds, coffee grounds. Immediately a lot of food is left out, a new portion is only added when the previous one is eaten. The habitat layer is mixed twice a week, but be careful not to mix the unprocessed feed with biohumus ready.

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Where to place worms and how to care for them?

Where to place worms and how to care for them?

Compost ridge

In warm weather, biohumus production can be organized directly on site, fixing worms on the compost ridge, fenced from all sides with boards, slates or sheet iron. In the summer in the wild you can keep both savages and cultural individuals. With personal subsidized farming, farm animal fertilizer can be a great raw material for feeding worms, but not only fresh, but aged for 6 months.

This method is for those who continue to live in the country or in their own home.

Box, box, worm.

At home, under the "hotbed" you can adapt a variety of containers: a wooden box, a cardboard box, a plastic container. Or buy a handmade rug, made up of three spacious plastic or wooden boxes, tightly stacked with each other.

Clean dry sand will be poured underneath and they will replace it as it is pure. A second box with a mesh bottom was placed over it, where the leaves were laid, the fertile soil, which would feed and re-soil. This "cake" moisturizes and the worm starts. The box is covered with wet burlap that lets in air, but not light.

Worms are fed with food, 2–3 times a week, caterpillars are watered (3-5 ° C) and have been maintained for 20-24 days. When the box is full, a new one is placed in the new one. By 1-2 months, all the worms from the second box, where no one is left, move to the top. The second box will be removed, freed from the finished biohumus and then restored above for a few hours.

With this option, breeding of worms can be done year round, and if the family of lonely friends is small, the "hotbed" can easily be transported from the apartment to the country and back.

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Simple arithmetic

Simple arithmetic

An average "dung" worm per day produces biohumus as much as it weighs - around 0.5 g. During the warm months, it can provide 6 g (91 g multiplied by 0.5 of sun) of a fertile substrate. Not too small. Moreover, the children, which are male, and thus "function." A non-purebred copy of the season provides a cocoon on which the children appeared at 182.

Enough 2-3 to thousands of pieces a year to get biohumus for the initial fertilizer standard 6 acres. Having settled in the spring in a wormhole or on a site of 400 worms, in the fall get only the required number of workers and about one cent (100 kg) of first-class environmentally friendly fertilizer.

Of course, Californians and Vladimir, because more fertility is more productive. However, this advantage is valued by money spent, additional problems and huge risks.

When buying worms, you need to keep in mind that they must be of different ages: adults, children and cocoons. Take and stock food, knowing its composition, so as not to harm the animals a sharp transition to a new diet. They experience this gradually, mixing small portions into the standard feed.

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Make a conclusion

Make a conclusion

California worms will not be left for winter on the site - they will die of cold even on the compost heap. Vladimirsky, in principle, may be, but remodeling a winter apartment is a very laborious and difficult process. Yes, and from rodents, which worms - a cure, protection is needed. Therefore, for breeding to maintain the site it is best to choose locals. But for the production of vermicompost and feed fish, birds and animals - cultivated.

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Which worm is better: Californian or Vladimir

Which worm is better: Californian or Vladimir

Summer residents can choose from three types of underground tillers. The most industrious are the red californian worms. With proper care, their population doubles every 2-3 weeks. One problem is that the food is very noticeable in the food and is tender: the optimum content temperature is 20-28 ° С, and if it drops below 5 ° C, they die.

In our climate, Californians are not the best choice. Only fans of organic farming, lively fishermen and owners of exotic animals fed worms, such as geckos, can disturb them. Yes, and they're not cheap - about 4 thousand rubles for 1500 individuals.

The soil in composting worms of domestic breeding - the Vladimirs - is stronger and tougher, not too fast in terms of food, and they are not inferior in terms of fertility to foreigners (the offspring of a caterpillar reach to 750 individuals in half a year). Price from manufacturer (pre-order and prepayment) - 1500 rub. for pieces of 1500. At dealers 2 times more expensive.

The overall productivity of "savages", which can be consumed for free in their own garden or near the forest, is markedly lower due to slow reproduction. For the first time they crawl, which is not to say about their cultural counterparts. But they are perfect in local conditions, they will always find food on site and live in the winter.

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Vermicompost (biohumus) - The fertilizer is prepared by worms

Vermicompost (biohumus) - The fertilizer is prepared by worms

Every summer resident knows about the great benefits of earthworms that improve soil fertility. But now, the prospectors underground in these plots are becoming less and less. So you need to buy in the biohumus (vermicompost) store - the product of the important activity of worms, the best ecological fertilizer.

However, biohumus is not a cheap hobby. Wouldn't it be more logical to start breeding worms yourself? Now, at the beginning of the season, it's time to do their breeding. But, before starting the new and exciting activity, you need to decide on the following points: what worms to choose, for what purposes to grow, where to keep them and how to keep them in winter? The answers to these questions will determine your further actions.

When biohumus is introduced into the soil, yield of carrots and onions doubles, radishes and lettuce - by 50%, potatoes - by 20%, cucumbers (in greenhouses) - by 30%, and vegetables - eight times. And many vegetables ripen 2 weeks earlier than usual. Their taste and retention of quality have dramatically improved. In an extract of water from the biohumus, the seeds of any flowers grow and grow faster. Gladioluses and roses were flowering 2 weeks earlier, the number of flower stalks and the size of inflorescences increased.

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Composting solution

Composting solution

Now the market offers a huge selection of industrial composters: from the simplest and cheapest to the ones that are managed even in the negative air temperatures.

Make advanced composters as follows. Vegetable and food residues were loaded into the container through the upper hatch, and the finished compost was removed by lowering. Each layer of composted waste is poured into the soil or special peat. This is complete with some models. It is not necessary to drain the contents of such composters, as inside the tank there are pipes through which the oxygen enters. The compost preparation process is controlled by a thermometer mounted on the front panel. If the temperature inside the tank drops below 60 ° C, the air supply automatically stops.

The manufacturer makes sure that the finished product is available within one month after the first batch of raw materials is laid out on the composter.

It is possible to judge whether the compost pile correctly "ripens" by the odor coming from it. If the compost is burning like rotten eggs, hydrogen sulphide takes over and you need to add leaves, which are mowed grass. If the odor of ammonia enters the nose, it means that nitrogen prevails and sawdust, the bark or straw should be added to the compost.

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Biological products - compost ripening accelerators

Biological products - compost ripening accelerators

Biological preparations, due to the beneficial bacteria contained within them, accelerate the decomposition of plant residues and the maturation of the compost. In addition, they prevent pathogens, which means that the quality of compost increases.

Organic materials were layered in layers (thickness of each layer of 15–20 cm) with prepared solution of the selected drug (for example, Baikal EM1) and ground soaked (10% of total mass).

But here are some nuances. There should be no direct sunlight in the compost pile or crate. 1-2 is recommended to mix and dampen the aging compost once a month, and a steady supply of oxygen is required for the bacteria to function effectively. And the ambient temperature should be above 10 ° C.

If all conditions are met, and the pledged mass is more or less identical, then the ablation will ripen in six weeks.

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Layer cake

Layer cake

Some gardeners lay under the old board, sheet of iron and even concreted. However, it is better not to block access to the compost of earthworms. Let them participate in recycling. Therefore, it is best to use fall or straw leaves as a waste. Next is a layer of green plants: herbs, cut grass, vegetable tops (up to 20 cm), some fertilizer (5 cm) or ammonium nitrate (100 g in 1 m2 square) and "starter" (some compost and soil from the site).

You can also add pre-chopped branches of fruit trees and shrubs, bark, herbs and "spices" (lime, ash, superphosphate).

With time, the compost pile is replaced 3-4 times so that the decomposition of the organic matter becomes more uniform. Then, in the spring of next year, the compost will ripen and become a homogeneous, friable mass of dark brown with the characteristic odor of forest soil.

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Spring-start of summer: begins to prepare the compost

Spring-start of summer: begins to prepare the compost

Composting organic waste allows you to improve soil structure and significantly increase its fertility at no cost.

But not all gardeners use it to significantly increase its fertility. But not all gardeners use this method. Some compost preparations are considered to be extremely difficult, others, which have received a negative experience, are not in a hurry to repeat the experiment.

Choosing a place for compost
First, the site where you will store the waste plant must be level, without any bias. Second, it should be protected from direct sunlight (hence lower humidity). Third, we need an easy way to load waste, shovel, water, and remove the manufactured compost without hindrance.

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Compost pit, compost heap or compost bin?
If you choose a hole, you can dig it behind the bushes in the corner of the garden or behind the outbuildings, so as not to catch your eye. But mobilizing its contents is not enticing, oxygen is not flowing properly, so the compost ripens for a long time. As a rule, such pits are used for simple waste storage. This is an option for those who are not in a hurry. After filling, which lasts the entire season, the pit is filled with a small layer of soil and left for 2-3 years.

Do you have enough space and no time at all? Then you can stack the trash. But heaps are harder to cover, retain moisture inside, and look less attractive. But it's easy to shovel the contents, moving the composted mass to a new location. On piles, compost, laid out in the middle of summer and cracked a few times, usually ripens by the spring of next year.

The compost heap should not be like a hay bale (steep edge, rounded crown). In the cross section, it is rather a trapezoid. The following are considered best: height 1-1,5 m, width 1.5-2 m, length 3-4 m. The next batch of raw materials in the tab should be dense.

Keep in mind that small piles cannot warm to the required 60-65 ° C and compost them for a long time. For better absorption of moisture in the upper part of the pile, a small depression was created.

There are even more benefits for boxes, especially two- or three-section ones. The raw material is in the enclosed space, helping to maintain a constant temperature and humidity. As the compost ripens it is easy to move from compartment to compartment, easier to wet and cover. And by making the edges of such a collapsible vehicle composting, you can adjust the height. And in appearance, such designs are more aesthetic.

Compost ripening in boxes is faster, but also depends on the number of transshipments. To get fertilizer in the middle of the fall, the starting mass should be regularly moistened and disturbed at least twice a month.

Preparing Your Own Compost

Preparing Your Own Compost

First of all, forget about those piles of garbage in the garden, where you once piled, year after year, all the leaves, cut grass, straw, dry fodder, and grass that will likely overflow. As more garbage can be added to the kitchen this morning, the odor is inevitable, as the experienced gardener knows well. To solve this problem, you need a proper compost bin (bin). The idea is that you can do in your garden the wonderful process described above. It is also the process that recycles the dead organic matter that accumulates on every floor of the forest, and has been going on for thousands of years. Of course, God created it first, when he created the green plants that would eventually die and began the process of composting to recycle the necessary chemicals for reuse. — Genesis 1: 11-13.

The compost storage box is preferable, since it keeps the materials together and allows for better ventilation, which speeds up the ability of the decay process. The apertures or holes need to be made at the side of the storage to get the oxygen needed for the bacteria. Also, fluidity must be controlled. The storage should be lifted to the ground, and the right place should be selected. The process of making compost will not work well if it is exposed to sunlight, nor will it work in the dark.

The compost mixture itself can be considered as a multi-tiered sandwich: a layer of garden weeds, a soil layer, a household waste layer, which repeats it until you have a heap of 1.2 or so. 1.5 meters high. Finally, the resulting clamp may be covered with grass or similar material.

After two years you will have a very fertile soil and the best friends of the gardener — many worms. They work tirelessly to loosen and oxygenate the soil surface of your garden. The process of making compost can be further accelerated by occasionally rolling down a heap or adding products that will speed up the decay, such as a bit of animal waste. With proper storage and proper mixing of materials, the decomposition process is simplified until the compost can be used only after three or four months instead of two years.

And remember, compost needs to be breathed, so adequate ventilation, with the right moisture, will make the mixture become a mulch that is conducive to your plants. When you lay it on the ground, the table is ready, and the feast of your flowers and vegetables may begin. Give your garden such care, and it will reward you with a rich harvest of beauty for your eyes and delight in your taste.

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They Make Food for Insects

They Make Food for Insects

“The new compost makers are trying to understand and manage the existing process: digestion of microbes. True, they make food for insects, ”the Times article explains and provides details:

“Composting is simple in its essence, but intricate in detail. Mainly, that is how the soil makes the remains of raw organic matter into materials that are useful to plants. Soil microbes — one billion of them in one gram of fertile soil — have an extraordinary appetite for organic compounds, mainly made up of carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms. Bacteria and fungi burn coal for energy and use nitrogen and some coal to build their body cells. Most work with oxygen, but some are better without oxygen. When the raw compounds are depleted, they eat each other. From all these eateries and sources comes heat, water, carbon dioxide and a substance called humus, a complex organic molecule that pulls and inhibits the food, water and air that plants need to grow. ”

With proper compost mix, microbes can consume diesel oil, TNT hydrocarbons, and uranium. Sure, these are small powerful microorganisms, but as you make compost in your yard, it will not face such challenges.

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Making “Compost” Returns and Bigger Than Ever!

Making “Compost” Returns and Bigger Than Ever!

MAKING compost is as old as gardening. Roman farms have compost pits, where human and animal waste is covered with weeds, leaves, and whatever else is left in the house. From time to time, water is added to help decay. A millennium later, in Moorish Spain, an agricultural agreement set out three ways to make heaps of “artificial waste,” as compost calls it - the pigeon waste was added to speed up the decay.

With the advent of community dumps for waste disposal and easy-to-use and non-messy chemical fertilizers for use in lawns and gardens, home composting has become almost a rarity. But compost production is returning recently. Dumps have begun to overflow, states have imposed restrictions on what and how much to dispose of, and disposal fees can range from $ 30 to $ 100 a ton. In addition, environmental concern has intensified, and composting has also made it a fashion trend once again.

Not only does compost return, it is bigger than ever. Its purpose is to use the method of making compost in piles. “Composting is a promising technology that can lead to solving the growing problem of waste disposal,” says an article in The New York Times Magazine. “Its proponents believe it can use up to half of the garbage — kitchen waste, yard waste, even some paper waste — that is being dumped today by most Americans. They believe that compost production can create crops that fertilize the soil rather than destroy it, that compost can replace damaged or damaged soil, protect cheap plants from disease and reduce reliance on pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. ”- September 8, 1991.

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These are the ways to do basket composting.

These are the ways to do basket composting.

• 1. Choose a wooden or galvanized container of sufficient size and length. It has a meter depth.
• 2. Spread evenly on piles of dried leaves, hay, vegetable and fruit, animal waste, and soil as well as compost pits until the container is full.
• 3. Contain the contents of the container and label it with bamboo to decompose the waste immediately.
• 4. Cover the banana leaf or roof the vessel so that it is not exposed to flies and other pests.
• 5. Remove the bamboo sticks and mix the contents of the container so that the soil and the rotting objects come together within a month.

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Method for making compost peat

Method for making compost peat
ORGANIC ORGANIC ACTION PROCEDURES
Compost peat compilation of decaying waste such as animal waste, leaves, fruit bark, grass and so on. This can be done on vacant lots.

Basket composting
• It also combines decaying waste. This is done if there is no vacant lot that can make the compost pit.


Method for making compost peat
 • 1. Find a relatively high spot, dry, flat, and remote from home or any form of water.
• 2. Build a pit at a width of two meters, five meters long, and a depth of one meter. Press and flatten the inside of the pit. Let it be exposed to the sun to prevent germs.
• 3. Place cut grass, rotting waste and vegetable and fruit containers inside the pit. Lay it evenly under the pit until it is 30 cm high.
• 4. Cover it with animal waste such as pork, poultry, and cattle until it reaches a height of 15 cm. Lay the second layer of soil, ash, or lime.
• 5. Repeat the pile until the pit is full. Keep the corners of the pit straight and upright by placing a few pieces of stick and bamboo
• 6. Sprinkle the surface of the pit to level it. Keep looking forward. If it is raining, cover it with some banana leaves on the surface to keep it from drowning.
• 7.Place the compost pit with a few pieces of bamboo that have been peeled off and cut to the side. This will help to compost the compost and easily decompose the waste.
• 8. After three weeks, pull out the bamboo strip and mix the mound. Lower the clamp surface so that it closes evenly. After two months or so, depending on the type of waste used, the compost pit can be used as fertilizer.

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Organic waste can become compost. Check out how to compost

Organic waste can become compost. Check out how to compost

Recycling, reducing and transforming your own household or company waste are some of the suggestions made to the population by the campaign launched by the City of Curitiba. All advertising pieces have the therapist Dr. Sigmundo as the protagonist.

"Simple attitudes are enough, which do not require extra costs, but only a change of habit that must come from each citizen", explains the municipal secretary of the Environment, Renato Lima.

One of the suggestions is the transformation of organic waste into fertilizer. The composting process, which is simple and can be done at home, benefits the residents themselves, the city and the environment, as it drastically reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills.

The suggestion is to make the most of leftover food, such as stalks, bark, seeds, roots and leaves for preparing recipes. But leftovers unsuitable for consumption, such as egg shells, spoiled fruits and coffee grounds, can go into composting, generating a powerful source of nutrients for gardens, gardens, pots and flowerpots. Other residues, such as chimarrão grass, cuttings and straw, can also be transformed into organic compost.

“It is very easy and totally possible to do domestic composting, even for those who live in an apartment or in a house without a backyard”, explains the head of the Urban Agriculture Unit of the Municipal Supply Department, Edson Rivelino. In this case, the process must use boxes, vases, pots or pet bottles and the priority is waste such as leaves and herbs.

“There are a lot of people in Curitiba practicing urban agriculture, which includes composting”, informs Rivelino. He explains that the Curitiba City Hall encourages, guides, supplies and monitors urban gardens, whether they are community, home or institutional. "Currently, there are about 1,300 scattered around the city under our supervision and guidance, and in about 70% of them, composting is practiced," he says.

For those interested in getting started, the Municipal Supply Secretariat informs that there are three ways to carry out the process: placing the waste in piles, buried or in containers, suitable for those who do not have an outdoor space (see more detailed guidelines below).

The specialist points out that animal fats should be avoided, as they are difficult to decompose, as well as meat remains and foods with salt, as they attract insects and give off a bad smell. “Materials such as magazines and newspapers must also be avoided in composting, as they decompose more slowly. They can be sent for recycling ”.

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Campaign

TV films and pieces for print media, urban furniture, busdoor and collection trucks for the new campaign reaffirm Curitiba's vocation to innovate in environmental issues. In 1989, the city was the first Brazilian capital to have selective garbage collection. Two years later, Curitiba launched Câmbio Verde, a pioneer program in the exchange of recyclables for food, later implemented in several cities.

The proposal now is to reduce. Curitiba produces 1.8 thousand tons of waste daily, which means that each resident of the city discards, on average, one kilo per day. The greater the production of waste, the more nature becomes overwhelmed. On the other hand, if each citizen does his part, the situation can improve a lot.

Guidelines:

Composting in a battery system:

• The organic material must be piled up to form a pile approximately 2 meters long, 1.5 meters wide and 1 meter high, alternating 20 cm layers of dry materials with more nitrogen-rich materials (leaves, kitchen scraps ).

• Batteries with smaller dimensions do not promote ideal temperature ranges for the decomposition process to take place properly.

• When assembling the layers, wet each one, but without soaking.

• To enrich the compost, you can use, among the layers, materials such as: gray (little quantity), fertile soil, rock phosphate, limestone, finely sprinkled.

• Protect the pile with straw and turn it over every 15 days, starting in the second week.

• The compost will be ready for use after a period of 90 to 120 days.

Burial composting:

• A hole must be made in the ground, in a shaded place, where organic waste will be deposited daily. The size and number of holes will depend on the amount of organic material available and the planting area. It is recommended, for vegetable gardens and gardens in the yard, the opening of two or more holes, using approximate measures of 1 meter in length, 0.50 meter in width and 0.50 meter in depth.

• It is important to cover each layer of organic material with a thin amount of soil or straw to avoid direct sunlight and not to attract animals.

• Manure can be mixed, as it accelerates fermentation and enriches the fertilizer.

• Organic fertilizer should only be used in the vegetable garden and pots when it is fully tanned, after a period of 90 to 120 days.

Composting in containers (suitable for apartments and houses without a yard):

• When there is no space available outdoors for the formation of a pile or burial of waste, it can be placed in containers for the manufacture of organic compost.

• Preferably, reuse old plastic buckets, wooden boxes, gallons of water, broken water tanks or ice cream jars.

• Just deposit the organic waste in the place, always taking care to keep the container covered, to avoid insects and bad smell.

• Drill holes in the bottom of the container for the leachate (liquid eliminated by the decomposing organic material).

• If the container is on an impermeable surface, place a bowl (shallow bowl) on the bottom to collect the leachate.

• The liquid can be returned to the compost mixture or diluted and applied to the plants (one glass of leachate for nine liters of water).

How to make organic fertilizer and pesticide?

How to make organic fertilizer and pesticide?

There are several alternative products for different purposes, such as fertilization and pest and disease control . Therefore, the choice will depend on the crop for which the fertilizer will be destined and the problem that requires the use of a pesticide. In general, organic fertilizers use cattle manure and poultry litter. However, difficult to obtain and high cost, they can present problems of chemical and biological contamination.

Developed by Embrapa Agrobiologia , there is a technology for the production of organic fertilizers and substrates of 100% vegetable origin, which can be accessed by video . To provide resistance to the plants against the attack of parasites and diseases, the technical team of the Experimental Seropedic Station of the Agricultural Research Corporation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Pesagro-Rio) has a formula called agrobio. For the production of 500 liters of biofertilizer, reserve for fermentation for a week the mixture of 200 liters of water, 100 liters of fresh bovine manure, 20 liters of cow's milk, or whey, and 3 kilos of molasses. The broth, which also includes the addition of several other ingredients in a process that takes weeks, can be sprayed in the production of seedlings, leafy vegetables and fruits. If the intention is to combat tomato moth and borer , caterpillar and corn cob caterpillars, apple caterpillar and sugar cane borer , for example, the wasp Trichogramma spp . for biological control. Baculovirus anticarsia is also an option to avoid the incidence of soybean caterpillar; Metarhizium anisopliae , to remove leafhoppers from pastures, ants and ticks; Acremonium sp ., To control the sandpaper of the coconut tree; and Beauveria bassiana , to combat sugar cane and banana borer weevils. Widely used for medicinal purposes and as a pesticide, the neem plant (Azadirachta indica) has an insecticidal action on most insect pests. The mixture of solutions made from garlic and mackerel is intended for the control of cucumber downy mildew.

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How to make 100% vegetable organic fertilizer

How to make 100% vegetable organic fertilizer

Most organic fertilizers use cattle manure and poultry litter, which, in addition to being difficult to obtain and expensive, can present chemical and biological contamination problems. But Embrapa Agrobiologia (Seropédica, RJ) has developed a technology for the production of organic fertilizers and substrates of 100% vegetable origin. And this technology is already available to producers in all regions of the country through the video "Compound 100% vegetal".

Produced by Embrapa Agrobiologia, UFRRJ and Pesagro-Rio, the video lasts 15 minutes and shows the technology step by step. In a didactic way, for example, the raw materials that can be used, the proportion of materials and the ideal way to assemble the compost pile are presented. Details such as the choice of location, formation and mixing of layers, as well as the time required for each stage are also covered.

For Embrapa researcher Marco Antônio Leal, who developed the technology and is one of the authors of the script, the video can help the farmer to produce organic fertilizer on his property, because in addition to the necessary information on the quantity and proportion of materials, the images facilitate understanding of the process. "The compost can be produced both on a large scale and on a small rural property, since it uses a simple process, which does not require large investments in infrastructure", he adds.

According to the researcher, organic fertilizers and substrates obtained from this process are of superior quality to similar ones found on the market and can also be used in organic agriculture. "These products are free from biological contamination, do not use mineral fertilizers and their cost can be much lower", reports Leal.

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Composting: organic matter that becomes natural fertilizer

Composting is a natural process where the residues of the property undergo a biological transformation and become organic fertilizers or humus. In this biological process there is a decomposition of the organic matter contained in animal or vegetable remains. The final result of composting is organic compost, which can be applied to the soil to improve its characteristics, without causing risks to the environment.

The main benefits of composting are: stimulating the development of plant roots, which become more capable of absorbing water and nutrients from the soil; increased water infiltration capacity, reducing erosion; keeps soil temperature and acidity levels (pH) stable, hinders or prevents the germination of invasive (weed) plant seeds; activates the life of the soil, favoring the reproduction of microorganisms beneficial to agricultural crops.

This technique can be used not only to nourish the soil, but also as a way to recycle organic waste - cattle manure, straw, branches, tree leaves, etc.

Composting involves extremely complex transformations of a biochemical nature, promoted by millions of soil microorganisms that have in their natural organic matter their source of energy, mineral nutrients and carbon. Embrapa Agrobiologia has been studying ways to make composting even more efficient. For this, it is necessary to satisfy certain requirements related to the factors that influence the microbial activity of the soil, such as temperature, humidity, aeration, pH, type of existing organic compounds and concentration and types of nutrients available. These factors occur simultaneously, and the efficiency of composting is based on their interdependence and interrelationship.

Learn how to make your own plant fertilizer

Learn how to make your own plant fertilizer

When we think about houseplants, vegetable gardens or even the lawn, we can never forget that they need to be fertilized regularly to ensure their growth. Although we find mineral fertilizers available in the main gardening shops, there is an alternative to natural fertilization, which can be prepared in our home. Whether because of the environment or for economic reasons, homemade fertilizers offer several advantages.

If your choice is to produce your own fertilizer, here are some tips:

1 - Make your own fertilizer:

If you have a place to build your own homemade compost, this is the best way to make your natural fertilizer. You can incorporate garden waste and some household waste.

Then you let it decompose for a few months, stirring regularly. Once well degraded, you only have to apply it to the base of your plants, vegetable garden, etc.

2 - Natural fertilizers produced from household waste:

The simplest natural fertilizers come from household waste. The following are some of the household rubbish that you probably have on hand. Here's how to use them as a natural fertilizer for your plants or vegetable garden:

• Coffee Bean: make it a habit every morning to keep coffee grounds in a container. This powder is an excellent source of phosphorus and nitrogen, two essential ingredients to keep your indoor plants green and lettuce in the garden healthy. Incorporate regularly into the soil of your plants. On the other hand, avoid applying it during the flowering period, because nitrogen promotes the growth of leaves at the expense of flowers.
• Tea bags: make a second infusion with the used tea bags, which you will then add to the irrigation water of your plants. Tea residues contain carbohydrates, an element that promotes beautiful flowering.
• Egg shells: after cooking, wash and dry the egg shells completely before crushing them. You can apply it to the soil of your plants, providing them with the calcium, magnesium and potassium they need.
• Banana peels: another excellent source of potassium. Just cut into small pieces and add them to the soil of your plants, or make an infusion that will add to the irrigation water.
• Wood ash: in fact, wood ash is an excellent natural fertilizer for the lawn and vegetable garden. Apply a thin layer to the lawn or garden soil, and rain and watering will be responsible for incorporating this natural fertilizer.

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3 - Nettle as fertilizer for the garden:

Although considered by many to be an undesirable plant, nettle can be very useful in the garden for plant feeding. Just cook and let the plant marinate for a few days in a bucket of water. Then, dilute this sludge with water and apply it to the base of your fruit trees and garden flowers.

4 - The use of comfrey:

Following the same principle as cooking nettle, cook comfrey leaves to make it a natural fertilizer for plants. You can then dilute it with water to feed and encourage the flowering of your ornamental plants.

5 - Other natural plant-based fertilizers:

Many ornamental plants or vegetables can be fed with their own waste. For example, if you grow geraniums in pots or in the garden, know that you can also use the stems to make a natural fertilizer. When pruning your geraniums, make it a habit to store the stems that you will soak for a few weeks in the water.

6 - Magnesium sulfate as a natural fertilizer:

An excellent source of magnesium and sulfur, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate can be used as a natural fertilizer for tomatoes and roses. Add a tablespoon of magnesium sulfate to four liters of water. Dilute well and water your tomatoes and roses, or any other plant whose foliage looks pale green.

7 - The cooking water of your vegetables:

Did you know that you can use the cooking water for your vegetables to make it a natural fertilizer for your plants? Rich in nutrients needed by plants, the cooking water of vegetables can be applied once cooled, without dilution, directly to the soil of your plants.

The proposed fertilizers are used to provide plants with the nutrients and minerals they need for their health. They nourish the plants and, thus, promote their growth, good flowering and fruiting. Plants with nutritional deficiencies show signs of deficiency, are more insignificant and more susceptible to disease.

Showing how to make 100% vegetable organic fertilizer

Showing how to make 100% vegetable organic fertilizer

The product is free from biological contamination and has a lower cost than those found in the market. Most organic fertilizers use cattle manure and poultry litter, which, in addition to being difficult to obtain and expensive, can present chemical and biological contamination problems. But Embrapa Agrobiologia, from Seropédica in Rio de Janeiro, developed a technology for the production of fertilizers and organic substrates of 100% vegetable origin.

- The compost can be produced both on a large scale and on a small rural property, since it uses a simple process, which does not require large investments in infrastructure - explains Embrapa researcher Marco Antônio Leal, who developed the technology.

According to the researcher, organic fertilizers and substrates obtained from this process are of superior quality to similar ones found on the market and can also be used in organic agriculture.

- These products are free from biological contamination, do not use mineral fertilizers and their cost can be much lower - reports Leal.

Composting

Composting is a natural process where the residues of the property undergo a biological transformation and become organic fertilizers or humus. In this biological process there is a decomposition of the organic matter contained in animal or vegetable remains. The final result of composting is organic compost, which can be applied to the soil to improve its characteristics, without causing risks to the environment.

The main benefits of composting are: stimulating the development of plant roots, which become more capable of absorbing water and nutrients from the soil; increased water infiltration capacity, reducing erosion; keeps soil temperature and acidity levels (pH) stable, hinders or prevents the germination of invasive (weed) plant seeds; activates the life of the soil, favoring the reproduction of microorganisms beneficial to agricultural crops.

To disseminate the technology, Embrapa Agrobiologia produced a didactic video, in partnership with the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro and Pesagro-Rio. The video lasts 15 minutes and shows the production step by step.

Composting Bins Product