When you start composting properly, you start an ingenious, natural process. Disdainful waste from the garden and kitchen is transformed into rich natural fertilizer. At the end you hold a loose, wonderfully forest-scented humus in your hands for nutritious garden soil and magnificent plants. How to set the course for this worthwhile goal is explained in this guide with lots of tips. This is how you create your own compost in the garden and on the balcony in an exemplary manner.

A two-chamber compost heap is particularly useful

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. choose location
  3. When to create?
  4. Create new compost
  5. Tips on the right shifts
  6. Three-chamber principle
  7. Quick and thermal composter
  8. What goes on the compost?
  9. Compost fall leaves
  10. Make compost on the balcony
  11. Simple working principle
  12. 5 common mistakes
  13. frequently asked Questions

    14. the essentials in brief

    • The compost should not be in the sun; semi-shady to shady locations are ideal
    • Cooked food, meat and fish, cat and dog droppings, weeds and the remains of diseased plants have no place in the compost
    • Wet waste, such as fruit and vegetable waste, should be layered with dry waste, such as leaves or lawn clippings
    • Particularly functional - also for the balcony - is a multi-chamber compost, the chambers of which are in different stages of composting

    Choose location carefully

    The ideal location for the composting area is partially shaded to shaded and surrounded by air. Under the canopy of mighty trees, the conditions are perfect. Organic waste does not dry out as quickly in the damp, cool shade of trees as it does in full sun. Open ground is important as the subsoil. This allows excess water to seep away and hard-working soil organisms to get inside. Sealed areas are taboo for this reason.

    So that enough oxygen can get to the compost in the airy location, please make sure there are wide air slots in the side walls of the container.

    A compost heap needs to get enough air

    When is the best time of year?

    Basically, you can create a new compost at any time, as long as it is not freezing or there is constant rain. The best time of year to tackle the project is in spring. Rising temperatures call on the indispensable soil organisms that are responsible for the decomposition process. Furthermore, it is advantageous for the composting process with temperatures of up to 70 degrees if the difference to the outside temperatures is as small as possible.

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    Create a new compost - step-by-step instructions

    Classic compost gets by with just one container to start with. Traditionally it is a simple silo made of wooden slats or wire mesh (€14.99) where you can collect the organic waste. The option of adding a second or third container, which later accommodates semi-mature or mature compost, is advantageous. How to properly create a new compost:

    1. Lay out wire mesh at the chosen location to protect against voles
    2. Set up a compost bin
    3. Distribute coarse material 15 to 20 cm high as the first layer, for example a mix of wood and perennial cuttings
    4. As a second layer, pile up shredded kitchen and garden waste to a height of 15 to 20 cm
    5. Spread 5 to 10 cm of humus-rich garden soil or ready-made compost as a third layer
    6. water with rainwater when dry
    7. Fill compost heaps with mixed waste to a maximum height of 120-150 cm

    The final step is to equip each compost bin with a lid. Straw or reed mats are good and cheap. Optionally, you can protect a compost heap against constant rain, snow and cold with a breathable compost fleece.

    Compost is the gardener's bank account. You pay in organic waste and receive valuable natural fertilizer as a return.

    Layer compost correctly - tips & tricks

    A wide range of organic waste is suitable for composting. The more colorful the mixture, the higher the quality of the end product. You can take advantage of the different structure and texture of garden and kitchen waste by layering and mixing the materials properly. The following examples illustrate the principle:

    • wet and dry: Lawn clippings and fall leaves
    • Dense and loose: Banana peels and trimmed, withered flowers
    • Nitrogen rich and nitrogen poor: Coffee grounds, tea filters and shrub cuttings

    Add a thin layer of good garden soil or prepared compost every now and then to inoculate the compost pile with more microorganisms. A handful of rock dust (€14.13) works wonders against unpleasant smells.

    When it comes to compost, it all comes down to the right layers

    The three-chamber principle is trumps

    Compost experts advocate the three-chamber principle. All suitable waste is collected and mixed in the first container. Next door, the first rotting phase is taking place. In the third chamber, semi-finished compost decomposes completely and becomes garden-ready. If you have used up the finished humus in the garden, put the contents of the second chamber there. The contents of the first container move to chamber number two, freeing up space for fresh waste.

    If you create a new compost, the three-chamber principle gives you the first premium-quality compost after about nine months. Once this cycle has been set in motion, the waiting time is reduced to six to seven months in the years that follow. The most important premise is a maximum capacity of one cubic meter per chamber.

    digression

    Replant the lawn with compost

    Compost provides valuable starting aid for noble grasses when you lay out a new lawn. Sown lawn seeds turn into a dense, velvety green area if they are granted a fertile soil cover of 15 to 20 centimeters. To do this, incorporate mature, screened compost into the topsoil. The addition of quartz sand guarantees good permeability and prevents waterlogging. Before sowing, work the nutritious subsoil with a rake and rake until a finely crumbly seedbed forms.

    Special forms of quick composter and thermal composter

    Low waste generation in the garden and kitchen brings two special forms of composting into focus. If only a small compost is to be managed, investing in a quick composter becomes interesting. Specialist shops offer these small compost silos in the form of closed containers with lids. Microorganisms and compost worms gain access through holes and slits in the soil. Important for a smooth composting are an open ground as a subsoil, a good mixture of different materials as well as regular aeration.

    A quick composter must stand directly on the ground

    Thermal composters emerged from the quick composter. The containers are additionally lined on the inside with heat-insulating material to keep the temperatures at an ideal level for rotting organisms. A thermal composter boosts self-heating even if the material volume is actually not sufficient.

    If you want to create compost in the garden with children, quick and thermal composters are perfect. The bin is filled in one go, poured over with nettle juice and sprinkled with stone dust. Regular turning of the hand crank ensures that the materials are mixed and that the air is supplied. Live and within a short time, children experience the basics of a functioning, natural cycle, in the spirit of permaculture.

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    Quick composters inexorably turn into a heavyweight as more organic matter builds up in them. The containers are well positioned on a stable base made of grass pavers. Waterlogging cannot form and the bin does not sink into the ground when continuous rain softens the ground.

    What goes on the compost - what doesn't?

    If you create your own compost, organic waste from the kitchen and garden will turn into nutrient-rich humus. Of course, the goal moves far away if you indiscriminately dispose of rubbish on the compost site. You should always dispose of some substances in the household waste. The following table shows what goes on the compost and what does not:

    Well bad
    Vegetable leftovers (uncooked) cooked leftovers
    perennial pruning spoiled fruits and vegetables
    pruning All kinds of baked goods
    coffee grounds, eggshells leftover meat and fish
    Tea and coffee filters weed
    small animal litter dog and cat feces
    kitchen paper fresh horse manure
    Tissue glossy magazines
    withered flowers metal, ceramic, leather, glass
    lawn clippings vacuum cleaner bags
    fruit bowls sick plants

    Composting wood and wood ash is a double-edged sword. Only use both materials for the compost if you are sure that there are no toxic residues in them, such as heavy metals, pesticides or chemical stains. Against this background, the peels of exotic citrus fruits are also better off in the household waste because they have been treated with antifungal chemicals for the long transport routes. If poisons and chemicals sneak in through this back door, there can no longer be any question of organic compost.

    Special case horse manure

    Horse manure is traditionally one of the most valuable natural fertilizers. Of course, horse droppings only have the much-vaunted fertilizer value after a months-long decomposition process. Fresh horse manure is therefore just as unsuitable for composting as the legacies of dogs or cats. Rather, a separate composting area is to be created for horse manure, where the composting takes place. Regular mixing ensures the necessary oxygen supply. Furthermore, the rotting manure must not dry out. Layering different materials, as with garden compost, is not necessary. After four to six months, horse manure has turned into valuable fertilizer.

    Compost autumn leaves correctly - tips & tricks

    Autumn leaves must be combined with wet waste

    A high volume of leaves in autumn often causes headaches for newcomers to composting. Disposing of large amounts of autumn leaves on the compost heap torpedoes the basic rule of healthy mixing. How to manage your composting area with expertise in autumn:

    • Toss fall leaves on the compost in layers of 10 to 20 cm at a time
    • Scatter dried lawn clippings or scarified moss as an intermediate layer
    • Distribute horn meal thinly as additional nitrogen suppliers
    • Spread stone flour or bentonite against unpleasant odors

    If you create a new compost in autumn with large amounts of leaves, spread some humus garden soil or mature garden compost between the layers. If walnut, oak, birch or chestnut leaves dominate, chop up the leaves first and mix them with dried lawn clippings, stone dust or horn shavings slows down the rotting process significantly. These concerns do not exist for the leaves of fruit trees, maple, ash, hornbeam or lime.

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    In a natural garden, not all autumn leaves end up in the compost. Stacked in a heap in a quiet, shady niche, the leaves act as a retreat and winter quarters for hedgehogs. Clippings such as branches and twigs are used as a substrate so that a small cavity is created. Layer autumn leaves on top. Fir fronds prevent the dry leaves from blowing away.

    Putting compost on the balcony - is that possible?

    Balcony gardeners do not have to do without beneficial compost for ornamental and vegetable plants. A male fern serves as a substitute for the compost bin in the garden. It is a box made of wood with several chambers. Kitchen and plant waste is collected and inoculated with compost worms, which take care of the decomposition. It works that easy:

    • 1st chamber: organic waste accumulates, is consumed and processed by compost worms
    • 2nd chamber: central habitat and breeding site for compost worms
    • 3rd chamber: ready vermicompost for all balcony and house plants

    Then there is a collection container for rich worm tea in the lowest area. You can use the drain tap to tap off the natural liquid fertilizer to spoil your plants with it. A worm farm is the ideal option if you want to create a compost in the city and without a garden with children.

    Ingenious functional principle - simply explained

    Mother Nature provides the template for a natural fertilizer that you can produce yourself with little effort. Compost is rightly revered as gardeners' black gold. The more amateur gardeners are familiar with the natural connections, the more successfully they can create compost themselves. The following overview summarizes the most important framework conditions relating to the functional principle of compost:

    • definition: Targeted nutrient cycling using organic matter, air and soil life
    • start phase: 1st-8th week self-heating to 35-70° inside by active fungi and bacteria
    • construction phase: 8th-12th week gradual cooling, immigration of isopods, ground beetles, compost worms, mites
    • maturity phase: from the 12th week onwards immigration of earthworms and grubs, successive humus humus formation
    • assembly: Fine processing of finished compost soil by sieving

    As the compost heap progresses through the various stages, optimized oxygenation plays a key role. To do this, mix the material or move the pile. In this way it is guaranteed that busy creatures do not run out of breath at work.

    5 common mistakes

    When gardeners create their own compost for the first time, a lack of experience harbors various misconceptions. To save you from annoying misjudgments, the following table names five common mistakes with tips for prevention:

    error Prevention Tips
    sunny location Create a composting site in a half-shady to shady location
    composts cooked leftovers only use uncooked, organic waste
    Materials not mixed mix dry with moist, herbaceous with woody ingredients
    Weeds thrown on the compost Dispose of ground elder, dandelion etc. in the household waste
    never cast water when dry

    frequently asked Questions

    Creating a vegetable patch with compost - how does that work?

    If you create a new vegetable bed, compost makes a significant contribution to nutrient-rich soil for healthy and vital growth. In this case, the motto is: Don't make a mess, but pack big. Spread 15 to 20 liters of mature, screened compost per square meter of soil. Work in the organic material superficially with the rake. Allow the soil to rest for ten to fourteen days before sowing or planting the first crop of vegetables.

    Our compost does not rot - what to do?

    Various causes can slow down the rotting process or bring it to a complete standstill. An effective method for accelerating decomposition is to increase the worm population. You can purchase and release live compost worms from specialist retailers. It is also helpful to spread a compost accelerator in powder form. It contains valuable bacteria and fungi that promote the fermentation process. Oscorna compost accelerators, Radivit compost accelerators from Neudorff or Bio compost accelerators from Dehner achieve good results. The OBI compost accelerator is inexpensive and just as effective.

    Creating Terra Preta compost - how does it work?

    When you create a compost according to the Terra Preta concept, you essentially follow the guidelines for a traditional garden compost. In addition, add biochar or activated charcoal to the organic waste. This aggregate acts primarily as a compost accelerator. Furthermore, the special charcoal promotes ventilation and oxygen supply, which also vitalizes soil organisms. Last but not least, the powder binds many nutrients and prevents premature washing out by rain. Sprinkle a handful of activated or vegetable charcoal over each layer. You can buy these in specialist shops or make them yourself.

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    Full life pulsates in every handful of ripe compost. You hold more creatures in your hands than there are people on earth. In the initial phase, it is invisible fungi and bacteria. Immigrant woodlice, ground beetles and red dung worms can be seen with the naked eye. Lastly, fat cockchafer grubs, useful rose chafer grubs and hard-working earthworms make their appearance.

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