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.

Composting Bins Product

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.

Composting Bins Product

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.

Composting Bins Product

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.

Composting Bins Product

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.

Composting Bins Product

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.

Composting Bins Product

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.

Composting Bins Product