This warm bed is quite different from the compost pit. It's not just vegetable waste stacked in multiple layers and covered with fertile soil. This is a separate small ecosystem, with thoughtful drainage and air exchange.
Doing a warm bed of the principle of the compost pile, you can not expect a good and bountiful harvest. The maximum that you will get is a little more fertile land.
In this article I want to talk about how to make this a warm bed of improvised. To make it clearer, the whole process is divided into several stages.
1. Choose the type of beds
I distinguish only two types of warm beds (not to be confused with filling options):
- Recessed into the ground;
- Raised above the ground.
It would seem that the difference is only in the convenience of creating and future treatment. However, it is not. Each type of beds for your site.
If the area late spring dries and groundwater are very high, you will approach only
raised beds. Otherwise, throughout the season, you'll have problems with excessive humidity.If the site is dry, and the terrain is raised, it is necessary to warm the beds deepen in the ground. Otherwise, during the summer the plant will experience a lack of moisture.
drainage water quantity and quality are very important for normal growth and development of plants. Pre-define your style beds with a view of the foregoing.
2. Making the protection of
Not many gardeners pay attention to the fact that the contents of the warm rows attracts various rodents. Therefore, at the very bottom to be installed in a special protection. Otherwise, the pests will equip the beds inside a house and will annoy throughout the season.
As a security best to use a fine metal mesh. In the case of raised beds, it is attached to the wooden walls. If the bed is recessed from the grid do something like trough, so that the walls and floor were reserved.
On drainage and air exchange of the grid will not be affected.
3. Put insulated layer of bottles
Now it's time to create an insulating layer. We will do it not because of long rotting waste such as branches and wood, but from bottles. The thing is that the first layer should not only retain heat, but also to ensure good drainage and air circulation.
To do this, perfectly suited closed plastic bottles with air inside. Color and shape of the recycling does not matter.
Bottles are such that between them was as small as possible empty space. This creates a uniform layer which will transmit water and air, but it will retain heat.
Unlike rotting branches, a layer of plastic bottles would be great to function throughout the life of a warm bed.
4. Puts remaining layers beds
The layer of plastic bottles can be filled with chopped branches of trees and bushes. Next fit foliage and other rapidly decaying fillers. After that, the bed filled with compost and is filled with fertile soil.
The bed set up on this principle will have good drainage and will remain warm for a long time.
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