Compost: How to use.
Fully processed compost
Completely composted compost is similar to light and porous mud soil. Fully converted compost is used as fertilizer as the plants can immediately absorb the nutrients in it. Therefore, you should also use only fully-grown compost in the garden in the spring. In winter, the plants do not absorb the nutrients and therefore do not use because the nutrients are washed away by the rain.
It is very different how much nourishment is in compost. It depends on what you threw on the compost pile. Ordinary garden compost can usually meet the plants’ needs for phosphorus, potassium and lime, while it may be necessary to give the plants extra nitrogen fertilizers, especially the very nutrient-demanding and fast-growing plants such as vegetables and summer flowers. If you use only compost to fertilize your plants, nitrogen deficiency will develop over time and your plants will slowly gain yellowish leaves and lose some of their growing power. Nitrogen acts as fuel on the plant engine.
You can increase the nitrogen content in your compost by adding animal manure, such as the waste from chickens or some other form of barnyard manure.
As a rule of thumb, add a layer of compost of approx. 4 cm in the beds every 3-5. year or approx. 1 cm every year. If the compost is very nutritious, for example because it contains animal manure or larger amounts of green kitchen waste, you need to use half as much – i.e. only approx. 0.5 cm per year. Mix the compost into the upper soil layer with a grip or similar.
You will benefit most from your compost if you put it out in the early spring when the plants start to grow.
In the kitchen garden and in beds with summer flowers you can mix the top soil layer with 4 cm garden compost before planting or sowing. You should never sow in compost as the seeds can then have a hard time germinating.
Semi-processed compost
Semi-digested compost is coarser, smells a bit acidic and still contains residues of not fully digested plant parts.
Semi-processed compost you can put in the beds on top of the soil. Here, the compost eventually forms completely and the nutrients are released at the same time so that the plants can absorb them. Semi-digested compost also improves soil structure and retains moisture in the soil.
You can put semi-processed compost in the beds in the fall. The nutrients are not washed out during the winter. They are bound in the compost and are released only when the temperature rises in the spring and the decomposition starts again.
What to use and not to use in your compost.
You can use this in the compost pile
- Withered flowers and stems
- Cut flowers
- hedge clippings
- Remains from vegetables and fruits
- Fallen leaves
- Falling Fruit
- Discarded potted plants
- Fertilizers from rabbits, chickens, horses, etc.
- Twigs and branches cut into smaller pieces¹
- Eggshells¹
- Coffee filters with coffee¹
- Tea leaves and filters¹
- Paper towel¹
- Orange Peel¹
¹ Can be composted but takes a relatively long time to decompose.
Do not use in the compost pile.
- Stinging plants, such as roses, thistles, tar, barberry, as they are unpleasant to handle.
- Meat and remnants of prepared food as it smells and can attract rats and foxes.
- Fertilizer from cats and dogs as it may contain parasites that infect humans.
- Shells from sprayed bananas and citrus fruits as the sprays can inhibit degradation.
- Ash from the stove as it contains many toxic heavy metals.
- Pressurized wood, newspapers, and magazines with ink as they can contain toxic substances.
- Weeds – especially weeds in flower and roots from perennial weeds such as squash cabbage.²
- Sick plants, for example, plants with radiation spots, mildew or the like, and plants that are attacked by pests.²
² Applies only to cold composting. Plant diseases such as cabbage herb, potato mold or rust diseases you must be careful with. But it assumes temperatures will reach about 50 degrees inside the compost.
Compost: Problems
The compost is too dry
The compost must not become too dry, as the decomposition of organic matter then stops. In dry weather, it may therefore be necessary to water the compost. The compost is moist if you can squeeze a few drops of water out of a handful of compost material.
If the compost is covered with a tarpaulin or similar, it may be necessary to water it with 10 liters of water 1-2 times a month during the summer months. Some times, more often if the weather is very hot and dry.
The compost smells ugly
A compost pile will only smell ugly if it does not work properly. Compost should smell of forest floor debris.
If the compost pile smells very ugly, it is because there is not enough oxygen inside the compost material for degradation. Instead, the garden waste is starting to rot. If the pile is very wet, it is easier to decay.
You can avoid this by mixing the garden waste well. Mix the moist garden waste, eg grass clippings, leaves and vegetable residues, well with more dry and coarse garden waste such as branches, twigs, dry plant stems and the like. That way more air enters the compost.
If things go wrong and the pile stinks, you can solve the problem by flipping the whole pile on the ground, mixing it well and throwing it back in the compost bin. You can also mix in more dry and coarse garden waste if the pile is very wet.
The compost attracts iberian (killer) snails
An open compost heap attracts snails, including killer snails. The snails overwinter in the compost pile and lay eggs here. However, it should not discourage you from having a compost pile in your garden. When the killer snails are lured to the compost pile, it becomes easier for you to fight them.
Leeks
Leeks are originally from the Mediterranean countries. From here the Romans spread it to Europe. Today it grow most on our latitudes.
Why eat and grow leeks
Leeks is healthy because of their content of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Leeks have a high content of dietary fiber, which ensures a long-lasting feeling of satiety and strengthens your digestion.
The leeks also have a high content of potassium, which helps regulate fluid balance and at the same time counteracts accumulated fluid in the body. At least it strengthens the immune system, and can help lower your blood pressure.
Leeks are one of the vegetables that it really pays to grow and it is nice to harvest one or two perfectly healthy leeks most of the year.
If you want fresh leeks all winter, choose varieties that can withstand frost and winter’s changeable weather. I would suggest that you choose:
- An autumn variety that provides a high yield of early, long-handled leeks of fine quality
- A winter variety – they are fairly short-shaven and slightly more coarse, but provide a safe yield of fresh leeks throughout the winter.
Cooking and use
There are thousands of different ways to prepare leeks. You can eat them raw, baked, fried, steamed and boiled. The white part is the mildest in taste, but the green is richest in vitamins and minerals.
Always remember to clean leeks thoroughly.
How to cultivate
Leeks is easy to grow as it can grow in any area and in different soil types. However, it is important that the soil is free of stones and weeds. You can harvest leeks from the end of July
Leeks do not require as much care. However, it is important that you keep the weeds away from the plants, as it steal the nourishment. Initially you can keep the weeds away by turning the soil, later you apply a layer of cut grass or, plant ground cover to keep the weeds away.
Leeks and seed change
Leek is good for blending culture, as it first needs a lot of space at the end of the season. It thrives well between carrots, celery and broccoli.
This allows you to make the most of the space garden and at the same time to prevent a number of diseases.
Pre-cultivation of leeks
You can germinate the leeks and then transplant them. You can also sow them directly on the open field in April, but they do not grow as large as they transplanted.
The best part is that you pre-cultivate the leeks inside or in the greenhouse. It gives them more months to grow. You can start pre-cultivating them as early as January and until April.
You sow the leeks in boxes with a good compost soil at the bottom. Lay a layer of soil over where you sow the seeds. Cover with ½ – 1 cm of soil. The soil should be suitably moist, and give a slight sprinkling after sowing. Leeks should have sufficient space, so thin to 2 cm distance between the plants. You can move the boxes outdoors in May for curing one to two weeks before transplanting.
Planting
Leeks do not hurt to stand in the boxes, so wait until planting until the danger of night frosts is over.
You should dig an approximately 10 cm deep groove into which you plant the leeks. The deep groove will make it easier for you to later hyperlink the leeks. The hip gives the leeks the white piece at the bottom for which they are so well known.
You can plant leeks at different distances. If you want them thick, they must stand at a great distance (50 cm between the rows and 15 cm distance in the row). You get thinner leeks about 10 cm between the plants.
You can choke the weeds by loosening the soil between the rows and gently chopping some of the loosened soil into the grooves. You can also keep the weeds away by covering the soil with co
mpost. This holds on to the moisture and fertilizers. You must continuously fertilize with compost
In November, it is a good idea to put a thick layer of leaves between the leeks so that they will not lack water in freezing weather as it can damage the leeks. It also ensures that you can pick up leeks in freezing weather.
