Turning the loess in the northwest into nutrient-rich black soil is the right thing to do!

Step 1: Material preparation

(Author: Yi Xiaowu Source: Sina Blog)

Suitable materials:

Dried leaves, dry grass, leaves of evergreen coniferous trees, straw, wheat straw, clippings, flowers, green leaves, vegetable and fruit peels, and weeds before they go to seed.

Trash from bird cages, newspapers and cardboard boxes, sawdust, eggshells, leftover tea, coffee grounds, hair from dryers and vacuum cleaners.

Unsuitable materials:

1. Meat, fish, bones, and fats will produce a foul odor when fermented, and take a long time to decompose, and may even attract small animals to turn over.

2. Dairy products, whether it is cheese, yogurt or something like that.

3. The feces of carnivores. Cats and dogs are considered carnivores, and of course humans too, so we shouldn’t use them.

4. Wild grass with seeds. I want to emphasize this. Although composting is a process of continuous fermentation and high temperature, some grass seeds are tenacious. After successful composting, they will be distributed to every corner as the soil is used. All you have to do is wait for weeding!

5. Sick flowers and plants must not be used. After being composted, they will bring germs to other plants!

Container selection:

1. It is easy to stuff in without getting stuck.

2. The opening is large enough to facilitate air circulation.

3. Convenient for turning the pile.

4. There should be a cover to retain moisture and cover up the fermentation smell.

Step 2: Material preparation

(Author: perfect123 Source: Qiantu.com)

Note that if conditions permit, it is best to break the prepared materials into smaller pieces to increase the contact area and speed up the fermentation process.

Then add a layer of soil to the processed materials, and then a layer of materials. It is better to cover the top with soil~

Finally, cover it with a lid and wait for 2 to 3 months for fermentation.

Step 3: Fermentation testing

After 2 to 3 months, find a plastic bag with good sealing properties, put a bag of soil in it, squeeze out the air (the cleaner the better), and then seal the plastic bag.

After leaving it for 24 hours, check if there is extra air in the bag and it smells a bit bad. If so, it means that the compost is not ready yet, the bacteria are still active, and fermentation needs to continue. Otherwise it means it has been fermented!

The fermented humus is black, soft and loose, and it breaks into pieces when squeezed. It also doesn’t smell smelly anymore! It's almost the same as the soil we usually dig up.

Step 4: Sterilization

The fermented soil must be sterilized and disinfected, otherwise it will affect the growth of plants, such as causing insects, root rot, etc.

The simplest and most environmentally friendly method is to spray alcohol on the soil at a concentration of 2%, then cover it with plastic film and let it sit for 1 to 2 weeks, and the disinfection is complete. Moreover, the alcohol will naturally decompose in the soil and will not affect the environment. The disinfection effect is also great!

Step 5: Notes

For those who are making flowers for the first time, you will probably encounter various problems during the production process. You can refer to the picture below to solve them.

After completion,

Flower lovers can use the black soil they made by themselves to plant.

Cuttings and sowing are both OK~