Can apples be thrown into a compost bin?

Gardeners who independently prepare organic fertilizer using plant and food residues are often concerned with the question: is it possible to throw apples into a compost pit? Fresh fruits are rich in minerals, vitamins and beneficial macroelements, large quantities of which are preserved in carrion. Experts say that rotten apples make excellent food for flowers and vegetables, so they can and should be thrown into compost. The main thing is to follow the rules for collecting and processing this organic raw material.

Should I compost apples?

It is known that when laying a compost heap, plants affected by fungal diseases should not be used, since fungal spores along with fertilizer will easily spread throughout the garden. But carrion is not necessarily infected with such serious diseases. Most often these are fruits that have fallen from the tree due to some external reasons: due to strong winds, hail or during a drought.

There is especially a lot of fall in the fall, when the tree, in preparation for winter, sheds its leaves and the crops left on the branches. Such apples may be damaged by codling moth larvae or other pests, but they retain all the elements useful for the soil used. And harmful bacteria and insects will certainly die as a result of decay.

Apples can be placed in a composter, but it is best to use its contents only after two years. During this time, everything unnecessary will “burn out”, and the fertilizer will only bring benefits to the plants.In addition, care must be taken that in the compost pit, in addition to carrion, manure, soil, and the remains of herbaceous plants are laid in layers.

What apples should you not put in the compost?

No matter how great the temptation may be to collect all the carrion and send it to the compost heap, in some cases this is strictly forbidden, otherwise you can not only ruin all the fertilizer, but also significantly damage the plantings.

• If fruits have been treated against pests with pesticides or other chemicals, then it is not recommended to use them as a component of fertilizer for 3 months after treatment.
• You cannot throw fruits affected by moniliosis and other fungal diseases into the composter.
• Apples contain a lot of acid and can significantly change the pH of the soil in the area where the compost is applied. To neutralize the fruits, they are treated with soda at the rate of 100 g per 10 kg of carrion.

Only rotten fruits are used to make compost. Fresh fruits do not contribute to the processing of organic elements.

Liquid compost

There is no need to throw away fallen apples: in addition to traditional compost, they make an excellent liquid fertilizer, suitable for all cultivated plants.

Recipe for preparing liquid fertilizer:

1. Rotten fruits, along with other plant debris, are placed in a barrel, filled 2/3 with water and covered with a lid.
2. The barrel is exposed to the sun to speed up the fermentation process.
3. After 10–12 days, the apple fertilizer is ready. A solution is made from the concentrated composition at the rate of 1 liter of fertilizer per 10 liters of water - it is used to water the plants at the root.

You can eliminate the unpleasant putrid odor emanating from the barrel by adding 2-3 drops of valerian.

Fallen apples are a valuable product that should not be ignored.Properly prepared organic fertilizer from carrion will become an invaluable assistant in growing crops.