Radek Tesár 21. 9. 2025 clock 3 minutes video
Composting is not just a necessity, it is also gardening art. If you learn to understand your compost, you will quickly find out what is missing, what dwells and how to correct it.
The smell, color, structure and temperature will tell you all the compost if you pay attention to it. Although the decaying organic material can at first glance be chaotic, a precise biological process is underway inside the pile. And just like any process, the composting can sometimes bind. If you know what to watch out for, you can easily recognize symptoms and hit before a valuable source of nutrients becomes a stinking unusable waste.
Do you want to have quality and healthy compost? Watch a video of how to proceed in its foundation:
What tells you the appearance and scent of compost
A strong, pungent odor indicates that the compost is poor decomposition and there is no oxygen. Most often it is too dense or nitrogen material such as fresh grass or kitchen remnants. The solution is to aerate the pile immediately and add dry carbon material, ideally leaves, chips or cardboard. It can also be too damp. Here the so -called fist test will help: Simply press the compost in your hand. If water drips from it, it is necessary to add a dry component and mix.
On the contrary, dry and dust compost that does not decompose and remains unchanged, suffers from a lack of moisture and nitrogen. The solution is adequate moistening and complementing the “green” component, ie fresh or grass. It is also ideal to add a little ripe compost or manure that starts the process. Remember that compost should be like a wrapped fungus. Wet but not wet.
Heating compost is desirable. It indicates that microorganisms work fully and so -called hygienization. However, if the compost is heated and then nothing happens for a long time, there is a problem in the component imbalance. Overheating causes too much nitrogen component without the corresponding amount of carbon and without regular copying. In order for the compost to really work, it is necessary to switch it after 4-6 weeks, supply air and possibly adjust the coal ratio: nitrogen at an optimal 25: 1.
When is the compost finished and how to use it
Mature compost is dark brown to black, crumbly and smells of forest soil. It must not be too wet or lumpy. If you still recognize the original raw materials, it’s not done yet. Compost needs time, normally 6 to 12 months, even less in ideal conditions. Unripe compost can be used as a mulch, but only after full maturation.
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Finished compost is a real treasure for the soil. You can work it into the beds, use it to plant trees or when setting up a lawn. It is also perfect for elevated beds as a lower layer where it supports microbial life. If the compost is exceptionally good, do not be afraid to fertilize even demanding vegetables such as tomatoes, pumpkins or cucumbers.
Compost really is not just the place where you throw bio -waste. It is a kind of living organism that requires attention, care and a little emotion. If you learn to read the signals it gives you, it will cease to compost mysterious alchemy and become a meaningful part of everyday gardening.
