Most summer residents, gardeners of course heard about the composting process. Many successfully, productively use this opportunity to fertilize the soil on the site. Is it possible to put apples in a compost on a par with other plant or organic waste? This issue is often discussed at the "summer" forums, and the opinions of the advising parties often differ. Let's find out where the truth is.
Apples fall, photo:
Where to put apples fall?
The most basic rule of composting is not to use plant fragments affected by diseases or pests. Such material is subject to destruction - this is not even discussed. As for scavenger, it will be much more rational to use it for compost, although some gardeners are in a hurry to dispose of spoiled fruits. When laying a compost pit from a scavenger, it is important to use “healthy” apples, without signs of disease or pests. Rotten fruit can also be used because putrid microorganisms die during composting due to high temperature.
Should I clean the apple picker? The answer will be positive, since apples lying on the ground in any case will be attacked by pests, even if they fell completely healthy from the tree. In order not to produce a nursery of garden diseases and a "resort" for pests, the scavenger must be removed in a timely manner. If this is not done, the codling moths or worms, having eaten scavengers, will climb onto the apple tree for the supplement - the tree will be in danger.
Is it possible to dig in the apple picker? You can if you do not want to mess with compost or if the apple harvest this year was very generous. With the advent of autumn, fallen fruits can be buried in the beds, which are thus prepared for next year. Only in this case, the scavenger should be dug as deep as possible. It will be very good if you chop the apples with a shovel before digging into the soil. However, the best option is, of course, arranging a pit or box for apple fall.
Apples in a compost
This process does not require any special conditions or preparation. You can dig a compost hole in an inconspicuous place for the eyes or pre-prepare for this business a large tank - plastic or knocked down from wooden boards. The second option will look more aesthetically pleasing on the site, if you choose the pit, then, from a practical point of view, it is better to equip it in a place lit by the sun. In a “warm” place, it will be better to warm up, the composting process will be much faster. By the way, plastic containers specially designed for compost can be bought today in the corresponding garden departments of supermarkets.
Homemade compost containers, photo:
The contents should be agitated regularly to ensure airflow to the compost masses. If for some reason you can’t do this regularly, take a wide plastic pipe (its length should be equal to the depth of the compost pit or container), make holes in it, set it in the center of the heap. Thus, you will establish the ventilation process. It is very important not to place a pit or compost tank under the tree - the shadow will interfere with heating, and the root system of the tree will “pull” nutrients.
The bottom of the pit or tank is better to cover with straw, you can also use bark from trees, trimmed branches. As already mentioned above, apple carrion must be pre-chopped, in the intervals between the layers a little wood ash or plain earth should be laid. To enrich the compost mass with nitrogen, you can add plant ingredients to the contents of the pit (capacity) - grass, foliage, peeling potatoes, carrots, and other food waste. The source of carbon is straw, wood bark, even paper. Excessive apple harvests can benefit your garden. Do not be afraid to put rotten, wormy apples into the processing - everything will cross over in the pit and turn into fertilizer.
Apple picker as fertilizer
All of the above components of compost react with air and moisture, heat production is provided by the activity of microorganisms. This process works on the decomposition and maturation of the contents of the compost pit. Some gardeners are trying to speed up this action, they add special bacteria to the tank or pit that optimize composting, for example, the Fast Compost drug. Thanks to such an additive, after a short time you can get potassium-rich fertilizer rich in vitamins for the garden.
To ensure oxygen access, the content of the compost pit should be mixed periodically. In a properly designed compost tank, the temperature will reach 60 ° C - all possible parasites, spores will simply die. Thus, you will get excellent organic fertilizer, rich in nutrients, completely natural. If you have any concerns about the content of possible pests in the compost, then leave it to ripen for a couple of years - then certainly all the "excess" will be destroyed. As for the required humidity, it is important to observe the golden mean, too much or too little moisture is equally bad. To maintain the required level, the compost tank must be covered with a film or covering material. If you notice that the contents have become dry, then simply pour the compost with water from the hose. A freshly equipped compost tank with contents warms up in about 3-3.5 months.
A drop of apples as a fertilizer, photo:
Thus obtained fertilizer is perfect for feeding all types of plants, flowers, vegetables, fruits. It can also be safely used for mulching, it is able to improve the structure of the soil, increase its fertility. The ripened compost is dark in color, moderately moist, crumbly, and smells like forest land. With the advent of winter, compost should be sprinkled with soil or covered with plastic wrap.
Now you know the answer to the question of whether it is possible to put apples in a compost. This is one of the best natural fertilizers, an excellent organic supplement that can be obtained at home completely free.