EN-6
EN
7. Using the compost and the
seep liquid in the garden
The compost makes an excellent soil conditioner, and contains
nutrients with a long-lasting effect that are usable for plants. Compost
soil changes and develops constantly. It should be used in a different
manner in the different stages of its development. Typically compost
soil is divided into two groups based on its maturity: cover soil and
compost mould.
7.1 Using cover soil
The compost emptied from the Composter Biolan 220eco is usually in
the cover soil, i.e. in the cooling phase. The decomposing process
has reached a level where food waste has already decomposed.
The harder wood material, eggshells and citrus fruit peels may not
yet be completely decomposed. Therefore, the cover soil has quite
a rough look.
During the growing season cover soil is applied acover on the ground
surface. During the cold season, the compost undergoing the cover
soil phase, and to be used in spring, shall be transferred into a
composter with a cover or protected by some other means to avoid
rainwater ushing away the nutrients.
The maturing of cover soil to fully exploitable compost mould takes
about 6-12 weeks. This means that the cover soil emptied from the
Composter Biolan 220
eco
after maturing in 6-8 weeks is only suited to
covering the growing bed. It needs to be matured more before it can
be used for other purposes. It cannot be used as planting or sowing
soil or on the most sensitive plants. Raw compost contains substances
that hamper germination and growth of the plants. The rich-in-carbon
non-decomposed material that it contains also binds the nutrients and
oxygen in the soil for use by the decomposing organisms.
The cover soil, i.e. the half-mature compost, is not harmful to the
plants, if it is spread to cover the planting area of ornamental plants
as a layer of a few centimetres. A suitable thickness for the layer to
be applied is about 2-5 cm.
If you also compost toilet waste mixed with kitchen waste, you can
apply it quite normally, in the same manner as cover soil, on the
ornamental plants, but compost it for one more year before applying
it to edible plants. The intestine-derived bacteria in the toilet waste
compost die off when the composting lasts for one year.
7.2 Maturing cover soil to compost soil
If the cover soil is post-composted, it will mature into proper compost
soil.
You can post-compost the cover soil, for example, in a stack or in a
non-insulated composter, because maturing compost soil does not
heat up any longer. For post-composting, it is advisable to use a
composter with a cover, such as (e.g.) the Biolan Garden Composter
(see Accessories on page EN-8) or the Biolan Stone Composter
(see Accessories on page EN-8) to prevent rainwater from ushing
away the water-soluble nutrients. Over 6-12 months, the compost
matures into compost mould of a dark-brown colour and coarse
aggregate structure, in which source substances, except for bigger
wood splinters, can no longer be distinguished.
7.3 Testing the maturity of the compost
mould at home
The maturity of the compost mould can easily be tested at home by
sprouting garden cress.
1. Fill two pots: one with compost and the other one with growth
peat.
2. Sow the seeds, cover with plastic and place the pots in a sunny
place.
3. In two weeks you can judge from the result whether the compost
is sufciently mature or not. If the plants sprout signicantly
better in the pot with peat, the compost still contains substances
that impede growth.
The compost is not mature, if the seeds germinate, but the plants
soon wither away.
7.4 Using mature compost mould
The fertilising effect of the compost depends on its raw materials.
Compost created from domestic waste has in general a better nutritive
value than compost based on garden waste. Plain compost mould does
not make a good growing medium, so it should be mixed with at least
1/3–1/2 of mineral soil, such as for example sand, silt, loam or clay.
7.5 Using seep liquid
If you have collected the excess liquid separated from the bottom
of the composter via a hose connected to the seep liquid hole in
the composter, you can make use of it. This liquid is called "seep
liquid" as it has seeped through the compost mass. The seep liquid
contains nutrients that the plants can make use of.
• for watering garden plants, use the seep liquid diluted in a ratio
of at least 1:2.
• you can also recycle the seep liquid by pouring it from above
into the mass in the Composter Biolan 220eco. Add bedding and
absorb at most 5 litres of liquid per day. If the mass is already
wet, do not water it further with seep liquid.
Please visit www.biolan./composters for more information about
composting.
8. Problems that may occur
Is the composting not successful?
Most of the problems that may be encountered result
from using the wrong type of litter. Make sure that the
bag bears the label “Biolan”!
What is the correct temperature of the compost?
In the Composter Biolan 220eco the temperature of
the composting mass varies between +10 – +70 °C.
Typically, the reading of the temperature gauge is
+30-40 °C. The composting process will, however,
proceed at an even lower temperature. The less waste
the micro-organisms have to decompose, the lower
the temperature. The most important prerequisite for
keeping the composting process alive is that the mass
does not freeze. Only the result (the cover soil) matters
– not the temperature at which it has been achieved!
8.1 Smell of decay
If the composter smells rotten, the mass is too tightly packed and
wet, and has run out of oxygen.
• make sure that the bedding used is Biolan Compost and Toilet
Bulking Material.
• check that you have added a sufcient amount of Biolan Compost
and Toilet Bulking Material.
• increase the amount of bedding temporarily to bring the moisture-
content under control.
• open and empty the biodegradable bags before putting them into
the composter.
• adjust the outlet air valve (part 8) more open (see point 5.6).
• empty wet mass from the composter via the lower way (see point
5.2). Spread it in a layer a couple of centimetres thick under
ornamental plants. The unpleasant smell will disappear in a few
days.
• shovel a couple of spadefuls of Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking
Material through the emptying door (part 15) on the bottom of the
composter.
• drop the mass from above and mix it with a large amount of
Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking Material.
8.2 Smell of ammonia
A pungent smell of ammonia from the composter means that
nitrogen is evaporating from the mass. If the nitrogen content is too
high compared with the carbon content, the micro-organisms will
not have enough time to make use of the nitrogen.
• check that no substances with high nitrogen content, such as
urine or poultry manure, have been added to the composter.
Stop adding excess nitrogen to the composter.
• do not add ash or lime into the composter.
• make sure that the bedding used is Biolan Compost and Toilet
Bulking Material (see Accessories on page EN-8).
