Chernozemnsliving soil: a guide for gardeners and allotment holders

An independent guide to soil for gardeners. It is not a news outlet or a laboratory, does not sell fertilisers and has no connection with the former website on this domain.

Guides

Practical guides

The first article in this section is about compost, the simplest way to return organic matter to the soil. A heap that smells rotten and turns sour puts many people off. Usually only two things are to blame: too much moisture and too little air. Below is a sequence of steps that helps you avoid both.

A good compost heap smells like a woodland floor. If it stinks, the problem is not the waste itself but the fact that it has no air to breathe.

— Editor's view

What to prepare in advance

  • A spot in partial shade, on bare earth rather than concrete or plastic sheeting, so that worms and microorganisms can move up from below.
  • A bin, a mesh enclosure or simply a dedicated corner; the key thing is to be able to reach the heap from every side.
  • A supply of "brown" material: dry leaves, straw, shredded prunings, non-glossy cardboard.
  • A source of "green" material: grass clippings, foliage from healthy plants, vegetable peelings.
  • A garden fork or compost aerator for turning.
  • A watering can or hose with a rose to moisten the heap in dry spells.

  1. Build an open base

    Lay coarse twigs or tough stems at the bottom. This cushion lets air in from below and stops water collecting at ground level.

    Illustrative example: a gardener puts raspberry canes and sunflower stalks at the bottom and only then adds leaves on top.

  2. Alternate greens and browns

    Moist materials provide nitrogen and moisture, dry ones provide carbon and an open texture. Add them in layers rather than one big mass: fresh grass in a thick layer quickly packs down and turns sour.

    Illustrative example: after mowing, the clippings are not tipped in all at once but mixed with last year's leaves saved in sacks.

  3. Chop up large pieces

    The smaller the pieces, the faster microorganisms break them down. Chop thick stems with a spade or secateurs, and put prunings through a shredder if you have one.

    Illustrative example: cabbage stalks are chopped into pieces; otherwise they would sit in the heap unchanged until next year.

  4. Watch the moisture

    The material should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge. If water runs out when you squeeze a handful, add dry material; if it crumbles to dust, water it.

    Illustrative example: after a long spell of rain, a gardener covers the heap with a board lid and mixes in dry cardboard.

  5. Turn and aerate

    Every so often turn the heap with a fork, moving the outer layers to the middle. This lets air in and keeps the process even.

    Illustrative example: the compost is turned every time a large batch of fresh grass clippings goes in.

  6. Leave out what doesn't belong

    Keep diseased plants, roots of persistent perennial weeds, weeds with seeds, meat, bones, fat and pet waste out of an ordinary heap: they attract pests, break down poorly or spread disease.

    Illustrative example: foliage showing signs of disease is disposed of separately, and only healthy green material goes on the heap.

  7. Check that it is ready

    Mature compost is dark and crumbly, smells of earth, and you can no longer pick out the original leaves and stems. Leave unfinished material to mature, or use it as mulch rather than in planting holes.

    Illustrative example: coarse leftovers are sieved out of the finished heap and added to a new one.

Common mistakes

  • Piling up nothing but fresh grass: it packs down and starts to rot without air.
  • Standing the compost bin on plastic sheeting or in a hollow where water collects.
  • Soaking the heap every time you water the vegetable plot.
  • Putting diseased plants in ordinary compost and hoping it will all "burn off".
  • Leaving the material unturned for months and then wondering why it smells.
  • Digging immature compost with undecomposed remains in around plant roots.
  • Adding animal-based kitchen waste that attracts rats and mice.

Other options

  • If space is tight, use a closed garden compost bin or a box with a lid.
  • Leaves can be stored separately in sacks with holes; after a while they turn into leaf mould.
  • If you don't want to bother with a heap, try surface composting: organic matter is spread as mulch straight onto the bed.
  • Trench composting: plant waste is buried in a trench where a bed will go, and it partly breaks down by planting time.

Check yourself

  • The heap stands on bare earth, in partial shade, and is easy to get to.
  • A base of coarse stems or twigs lets air through.
  • Green and brown materials are mixed rather than laid in single-type slabs.
  • Large pieces are chopped up.
  • The moisture is like a wrung-out sponge.
  • The material is turned from time to time.
  • Diseased plants and animal-based waste stay out of the heap.
  • Compost is used only once it is dark, crumbly and smells of earth.

Article catalogue for English-speaking readers

This catalogue will gather standalone articles on soil for gardeners and allotment holders: its composition, fertility, cultivation and common problems. They are written specifically for the English-language version of the guide, with the mild, often wet climate and the gardening habits of our readers in mind, from back gardens to allotments and raised beds.

What we are working on

  • Autumn and winter green manures: what to sow after summer crops and when to cut them down.
  • Leaf mould: turning fallen autumn leaves into a gentle soil conditioner.
  • No-dig beds: how to start one on lawn or weedy ground and keep it going.
  • Raised beds: what to fill them with and how to keep the soil in them alive.
  • Clay in a wet winter: protecting soil structure from waterlogging and trampling.

Editorial rules

  • Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
  • Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
  • We do not publish news or advertising for fertilisers, garden products and shops, rankings, prices or reviews.
  • Questions

    Short answers about soil composition and type, compost, mulch, green manure, acidity and fertilisers.

  • Collections

    Reading paths: your first season on the plot, heavy clay, and sandy soil that won't hold water.

  • Reference

    Glossary: humus, soil texture, structure, pH, salinity, compaction, mulch, green manure.

  • Sections

    Four topics: soil composition and types, fertility and organic matter, water and air in the soil, and common soil problems.

Sources

  • Textbooks and encyclopaedic sources on soil science
  • UN / FAO: materials on World Soil Day and the International Year of Soils

This article reflects the general understanding of soil science as of the date it was prepared. Every plot has its own soil, so before making big changes to how you look after it, it is worth having a soil test done and reading the label of any product you plan to apply carefully.