Biohumus: what is it, types and instructions for use

Biohumus is an ideal organic top dressing for garden and flower crops, saturated with by-products of vital activity of red earthworms - their intestinal calculi. Liquid vermicompost is used mainly for young seedlings of vegetable crops and potted plants, dry - for flavoring depleted soil in open beds. How to use fertilizer and are there any restrictions on its use?

What is vermicompost and how to use it?

Soils rich in red worms have always been valued by gardeners. Almost on every site of experienced summer residents, there is a secluded corner with black soil, where liquid slops merge, beveled dead wood is dumped - the so-called compost heap, which has been rotting for years.This fertilizer option cannot be called a full-fledged vermicompost, but even the use of this “folk” prototype significantly affects the yield.

Vermicompost (biohumus) in its pure form is a growth biostimulator rich in microelements and nutrients, which was originally a simple black soil. The impact of vermicompost on garden and horticultural crops is hard to overestimate:

• acceleration of plant growth;
• increasing the resistance of seedlings to diseases and pests;
• Develop resistance to toxic poisoning;
• intensifying flowering;
• contribute to the formation of large and he althy fetuses.

Dry vermicompost, which will be discussed, is better not to use for indoor flowers, since well-fed, organic-fertilized soil attracts flying insects, and it is not easy to eliminate this scourge.But with open ground, the opposite is true - the more biohumus in the garden, the better, and there are no exceptions, because the norms for applying valuable fertilizer are limited only by the lower bar.

The approximate minimum amount of this fertilizer per plant (or per hole) is as follows:

• for potatoes - 250 g;
• for strawberries - 200 g;
• for tomato - 180g

Organic fertilizer is added directly when planting a crop during the digging period or before serious watering, when the soil is not yet very compacted. If the calculation is carried out on the area of the soil treated with biohumus, and not on the number of plants, then for a garden with an area of 10 m2^{2, about 6 kg of fertilizer in granules will be needed.}

Is there a difference in the use of organic fertilizers - humus or manure - which is better and what should be avoided?

• vermicompost is safer for young plants and especially recommended for seedlings, while manure can burn seedlings;
• in a saturated manure environment there are a lot of weed seeds, and in the case of vermicompost, this issue is controlled at the production stage;
• in manure, as well as in humus, there is a large number of bacteria that can adversely affect the he alth of the gardener, and in the biohumus there is no harmful flora and there are about 100 types of microorganisms that cannot harm a person.

The principle of observing safety measures with vermicompost is the same as when working with black soil. It is advisable to prepare rubberized gloves, and after the manipulations in the country, wash your hands well under running water.

Biohumus in liquid form

Liquefied vermicompost is obtained from the same dry, saturated substance, so it contains the beneficial properties of a granular concentrate, but at the same time, it is much easier to digest by plant roots. Liquid biohumus is considered to be adapted to the most important needs of plants - its composition is balanced to tenths of the percentage of the main elements. The ash content of the prepared vermicompost is within 4%, organics - 60%, humins - about 30%.

The use of liquid vermicompost extends to top dressing of seed material. For half a kilogram of seeds, you will need only a glass of fertilizer solution, which should be diluted with water at a concentration of 1:20, and only then the seeds should be immersed in it. The shortest soaking period is reserved for tubers and bulbs - about 20 minutes, the longest (up to one and a half days) - seeds of spicy greens, watermelon and melon, some flower crops (nasturtium, calendula, petunia)For 12-16 hours, seeds of garlic, radish, radish or lettuce can be immersed in a solution of liquid biohumus. Approximately 4-6 hours for soybeans and legumes, 1 hour for any citrus.

However, the main purpose of the biohumus extract is top dressing, prepared in accordance with the needs of the crop and introduced directly into the soil. The general existing dilution rate for vermicompost is 1:10, but this figure is considered relative and should be reviewed for each use of fertilizer.

Instructions for the use of vermicompost is as follows:

• to feed all kinds of spicy greens and onions, dilute 200 ml of liquid fertilizer (vermicompost) per 10 liters of water, once every 7 days;
• for berry crops, the volume of concentrated biohumus is 50 ml per 10 liters of water, once every 7-10 days;
• tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and most other vegetables should be watered with a standard 10% vermicompost solution;
• for citrus and representatives of the grape family, as well as for all types of ornamental garden plants, a 15% fertilizer solution is prepared, which is used to cultivate the land twice a month.

The above fertilizer rates are suitable for adult plants, for seedlings, the concentration of the vermicompost solution made is halved.

How to make vermicompost at home?

Natural vermicompost fertilizer, which meets all standards of clean product compliance, is very expensive. In addition, analyzing customer reviews, we can conclude that the quality of the purchased vermicompost cannot be checked at home. The summer resident will have to rely on the honesty of the manufacturer, and this aspect is rather controversial.There is another option - to prepare biohumus with your own hands and not depend on random factors of conveyor production.

Algorithm for homemade vermicompost:

• a sufficient amount of food waste - various cleanings, dry bread leftovers - should first be ground to a mushy state, and then thoroughly dried by laying it on a layer of wood chips;
• into a box 50 cm high, with drainage holes at the bottom and in the lid, pour soil 3-5 cm and lay out red worms;
• mix dried organic gruel with soil 1:2 in a separate container, and twice a month put portions of the mixture in a box with worms, providing them with a food base;
• once every two weeks, the earth with worms can be watered with slightly warm water.

About 5 months the box will be full - the worms will need to be moved to another place, and you already know how to use ready-made vermicompost.

There are other technologies for preparing vermicompost, in particular, horse biohumus, using ready-made compost on horse manure. However, at home, repeating the methods for making fertilizers of this order yourself is quite difficult.

Not all worms can be used to prepare biohumus - this is the reason for the different effect that fertilizer has on plants. Two types of annelids are considered ideal - Californian and earthworms.

The use of vermicompost is justified in all types of horticultural activities, especially in cases where the use of other types of fertilizer can harm plants. A huge advantage of vermicompost in dry or liquid state is the absence of an unpleasant odor, which almost always accompanies other, in demand, feeding mixtures.Biohumus can be frozen and thawed several times without losing its positive qualities, and ready-made fertilizer can be stored even on a glazed balcony in a city apartment.

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