Compost accelerators get the rotting going. Hobby gardeners who are close to nature appreciate this because the waiting time for the valuable natural fertilizer is significantly reduced. This guide explains how you can easily make your own compost accelerator, introduces you to recommended products and gives tips for professional use.

A compost accelerator shortens the waiting time for ready compost soil

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Compost accelerator overview
  3. Make your own home remedies
  4. colonize compost worms
  5. Plant manure as a compost accelerator
  6. Top 5 compost accelerators
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. the essentials in brief

    • You can make compost accelerator yourself with yeast and sugar or from plant manure.
    • Settlement of additional compost worms accelerates the formation of humus.
    • Good commercially available compost accelerators are powders and are made up of living microorganisms and natural ingredients.

    Which compost accelerators are there? - Overview

    There is a wide range of compost accelerators to choose from

    When the compost is decomposing in slow motion, impatient home gardeners can push the process forward. You can do this with a compost accelerator. These are liquid or powdered agents that supply new microorganisms and encourage existing microorganisms to become more active. The conversion process then goes into high gear, so you only have to wait 6 to 8 weeks instead of 12 months for mature, nutritious garden compost. You can make your own quick composter or buy one. The following table provides an overview:

    home remedies Organic compost accelerator AF products
    with yeast compost worms Humo fix
    with sugar syrup vegetable manure Oscorna compost accelerator
    Neudorff Radius
    Beckmann quick composter
    Dehner organic compost accelerator

    These tools perform their beneficial task in the existing and newly created compost. If you fill a raised bed with compost, each layer will benefit from a portion of rotting accelerator. The aim is to offer hard-working soil organisms and compost bacteria an ideal living environment. Where there is enough food and cozy warmth, the compost helpers work like mad, multiply explosively and produce nutritious humus in record time.

    Make your own compost accelerator - home remedy recipe

    A super compost accelerator can be made from sugar, yeast and water

    The home remedies for a DIY compost accelerator are on the kitchen shelf. Water provides the necessary moisture. Sugar serves as an energy supplier for the hot rotting. Fresh yeast contains fungi that turn to breaking down organic matter. The following recipe has proven itself in practice. How to make a compost accelerator yourself:

    ingredients and accessories

    • 0.5 kg sugar or 200-250 ml sugar syrup (molasses)
    • 8 liters of warm, collected rainwater or stagnant tap water
    • 1 cube of fresh yeast (alternatively in a sachet of dry yeast)
    • wooden stick or cooking spoon
    • bucket
    • watering can
    • optional: compost thermometer

    application

    Fill the bucket with warm water, crumble the yeast cube and stir vigorously. As you stir, the yeast will dissolve and oxygen will be introduced. Now add sugar or molasses and stir again until everything has dissolved. Now the solution should rest for an hour. Stir the finished DIY compost accelerator vigorously one last time before pouring the liquid into the watering can. Water the compost heap and mix the material. In the following 2 to 3 days the temperature rises and the thermal fermentation takes the desired course. You can use a compost thermometer to monitor the process so that you can intervene at temperatures below 15° and above 80° Celsius.

    digression

    Sugar-water accelerates horse manure rotting

    Composted horse manure is very popular as an organic fertilizer in natural gardens. Knowledgeable hobby gardeners and horse owners use the stable manure of their darlings as a natural heat source in cold frames and greenhouses. If the decomposition process in the horse manure comes to a standstill, a home remedy provides a remedy. Mix 10 liters of hot water with 200 milliliters of sugar syrup and 2 handfuls of horn meal. Spread the solution over the horse manure with the watering can. Thermal fermentation is activated within a short time.

    Settle compost worms - this is how it works

    Compost worms can be purchased from specialty retailers or ordered online

    Compost worms are the main players in the compost heap. The special subspecies of the well-known earthworm usually finds its way to the garden compost on its own. Does the immigration of beneficial insects in the compost heap or raised bed leave much to be desired? Then you can increase the population. For this purpose, worm farms offer live compost worms. How to engage farmed compost worms as a compost accelerator:

    1. Order compost worms (per m³ compost, corresponds to 450 l, at least 1000 worms)
    2. Supplied with 1.5 kg of worm castings per 1000 specimens
    3. spread on the compost on the day of arrival

    Please give preference to reputable suppliers who only deliver live compost worms from Monday to Thursday in sufficient quantities from worm castings for animal-friendly transport. In the summertime, worm farms are proficient, shipping compost worms complete with reusable cool packs.

    tips

    Did you know that mature compost soil from the previous year is the best compost accelerator? The application works quite simply by inoculating a newly created compost heap with a few shovelfuls of mature compost soil. This jump-start contains hordes of hard-working microorganisms that get to work right away.

    Plant manure as a compost accelerator - instructions

    Plant manure not only supports the hobby gardener as an organic liquid fertilizer. Nettles, comfrey or valerian leaves serve as a great compost accelerator for free after the fermentation process. The following instructions explain how to properly produce and use a plant manure:

    ingredients and accessories

    • tub or rain barrel
    • 10 liters of rainwater
    • 1 kg leaves of non-flowering nettle, comfrey or valerian plants
    • Wooden stir stick
    • rabbit wire

    manufacture and application

    Nettle manure is a great compost accelerator

    Place the jar in a secluded, partially shaded corner of the garden. Throw in the collected leaves and pour the rainwater over the greenery. To prevent curious children or pets from falling into the manure, cover the bin with rabbit wire. Stir the liquid daily for the next two to three weeks. The fermentation process is complete when the bubbles have stopped forming. Remove the fermented leaves with a sieve or ladle.

    It is important to note the correct dilution, because pure plant manure is too concentrated to be used as a compost accelerator. The rule of thumb is a mixing ratio of 1 part plant manure and 9 parts water. Pour one liter of liquid manure into a 10 liter watering can and fill up to the brim with rainwater. Irrigate an unwilling compost heap of at least 1 cubic meter volume with this solution.

    Compost Accelerator - Top 5

    Hobby gardeners with little time fall back on ready-to-use commercial products to get their hesitant compost going. Premium quality offerings are based on natural ingredients such as nitrogen, potassium, horn meal and trace elements. The main components are dried, living microorganisms and fungi. The following overview lists purchasing sources and prices for five recommended compost accelerators:

    • Humofix: from 3 EUR/piece, directly from the Benedictine Abbey of Fulda, at Amazon or Ebay
    • Oscorna compost accelerator: from EUR 9.48/5 kg on Ebay, Haas, Rubart, Westfalia, Amazon
    • Neudorff Radivit: from 16.49 EUR/5 kg at Amazon, Ebay, in garden centers and hardware stores
    • Beckmann rapid composter: from EUR 7.75/2.5 kg at Amazon, Rubart, Ebay, in garden centers and hardware stores
    • Dehner organic compost accelerator: from EUR 9.90/5 kg at Dehner, Amazon, Ebay

    Our front runner comes directly from the monastery garden and stands out in many respects. Humofix consists of 5 medicinal herbs, oak bark, lactose and honey and is dissolved in water. The compost activator is extremely economical to use. Even a sachet with 1.2 grams of herbal powder accelerates rotting in 2 cubic meters of compost.

    application

    Commercially available compost accelerators of the best quality are made up of natural ingredients. Main components are organic NPK fertilizer, plant matter, fungal substrates, live microorganisms and compost bacteria. As a rule, 1 kilogram of the powder is sufficient for the conversion process to run at full speed in 2 to 3 cubic meters of compost. How to use the funds correctly:

    • application: Sprinkle powder directly on the compost
    • distribution: spread in stages on every 20 cm layer
    • dosage: 25-30 g per m²
    • complement: Apply 3-5 cm of sifted garden soil

    Effectiveness is optimized if you turn the compost at least once. Good ventilation ensures that the activated microorganisms do not run out of air. Please cover the compost with reed mats or compost fleece to protect against heavy rain.

    frequently asked Questions

    Which compost accelerators are suitable for lawn cuttings?

    Lawn should dry out before composting

    Before compost accelerators are used for lawn clippings, important preliminary work must be carried out. First, let the grass clippings wither. Then mix dry leaves, chopped twigs or soil under the lawn clippings in a ratio of 1:3. This measure is important for good ventilation and a smooth supply of oxygen to the microorganisms. As a compost accelerator, sprinkle algae lime and horn shavings over every 20 centimeter high layer. (32.93€) Alternatively, shower the lawn cuttings compost with Humofix.

    Can you use compost accelerator at any time of the year?

    Yes, you can use compost accelerators all year round. Important to note for a smooth effect are frost-free weather conditions. Even at temperatures below 15° Celsius, the decomposition starts to stutter. When temperatures fall below freezing, the rotting process comes to a complete standstill, making the use of compost accelerators useless.

    Do compost worms also help in horse manure as a compost accelerator?

    In fact, the earthworm species Eisenia Andrei, Eisenia hortensis and Eisenia fetida have proven to be excellent helpers in turning horse manure into humus in a very short time. If the compost worms are present in sufficient numbers, horse stable owners will not be left with useless horse manure for long. The esteemed supplier Wurmwelten.de offers 6000 compost worms in vermicompost, which enthusiastically devote themselves to a 6 cubic meter pile of horse manure and process it into humus.

    tips

    With compost accelerator, autumn leaves are transformed into fertile humus by spring. Simply sweep up on tree discs, distribute the turbo composter and secure against the autumn wind with some soil. Don't forget to pile up a pile or two of untreated leaves as a life-saving winter home for hedgehogs and other small animals in need of housing.

Category:

Care tips