Fertilizer from the mushroom farm, constituting a substrate for mushroom cultivation, is a fermented horse manure or, now more and more used, substrate made of straw and chicken with the addition of gypsum. Content of the most important nutrients in fresh fertilizer, coming from the mushroom farm, according to prof. dr Wł. Kłossowski [9] is as follows (w %):
fertilizer nitrogen phosphorus potassium
fresh 0,54 0,23 0,54
with the ground 0,40 0,44 0,17
It is used similarly to manure.
Peat is formed as a result of plant death and partial decomposition in conditions of excessive humidity and poor air access. There are high and low peats (arches). High peat is acidic, they contain quite a lot of organic matter and have high absorptive capacity, while low peat is richer in nutrients, especially in nitrogen and calcium, and sometimes into phosphorus. They are usually slightly acidic, and they can even be alkaline; however, they have lower absorption capacity.
Only low peat is suitable for fertilizing the soil, called agricultural, non-acid, decomposed and rich in minerals, especially in nitrogen (2,5-3,5% dry weight). It is sold in bulk. It is best to use it in autumn in fairly large doses (500-1000 kg in 100 m2). The peat fertilizing effect continues 3 years and more. It mainly consists in bringing organic substances into the soil and increasing its absorptive capacity. Peat is also a great addition to composts prepared in the garden.
For mulching the soil and covering certain crops for the winter, e.g. tulips, high peat is the most suitable, called horticultural. This peat and peat mulch are sold in bales and in plastic bags. Peat substrates available for sale for greenhouse crops and in foil tunnels, They are made of garden peat with the addition of chalk or calcium fertilizer, in order to obtain the appropriate soil pH for a specific group of cultivated plants. Multicomponent mineral fertilizers are also added; such mixtures are sold under different names, given to them by producers.
Rich lignite deposits and their exploitation in Poland have made it possible to use this raw material for fertilization purposes. Lignite is an organic fertilizer and, like peat, it improves the soil structure. Loosens clay soils, heavy to grow, zlewne, impermeable, and the soil is sandy, light makes it more cohesive. Professor Wł. Kłossowski recommends using brown coal in doses not less than 100-200 kg in 100 m2. Along with brown coal, some amounts are introduced into the soil: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, manganese, zinc, molybdenum and boron.
Ash obtained from brown coal is a valuable mineral fertilizer, of which, as the industry develops, more and more are obtained. Since this fertilizer contains approx 30% calcium and numerous micronutrients, it is used for soil deacidification. It should be used in doses 130-150 kg in 100 m2. Along with the ash, magnesium is also introduced into the soil, which plants are lacking, especially in light soils.
Slurry should not be equated with slurry, which flows down from the manure heaps, located in the dunghill on farms or in the field. The manure water has a very low fertilizing value, while the liquid manure is a highly valuable potassium-nitrogen fertilizer. It contains nitrogen in the form of ammonium carbonate, which is readily available to plants; likewise potassium. In addition to these ingredients, the liquid manure contains approx 1% organic compounds, from faeces and litter, and plant growth promoters.
Dilution of slurry should be used for watering plants 1:3, and even 1:5 or greater, if it contains a lot of nitrogen and potassium.
Gnojowica, mainly produced on farms with little litter, it is a fermented mixture of faeces and urine with the addition of water. This additive comes from washing the manure discharged in litterless barns and is intended to reduce nitrogen losses (less ammonia volatiles in the dilute solution). It is also a potassium-nitrogen fertilizer, which for watering is diluted in proportion 1:3.
Faeces are a mixture of human waste – feces and urine. They can be used for fertilizing purposes, as long as they do not come from sick people. You also have to remember, that an overdose of fertilization with this agent can impart, especially vegetables, unpleasant taste. For these reasons, the most appropriate use of this valuable fertilizer is the composting of faeces with peat. Such a mixture, under favorable conditions, can give after already 3 months of compost, containing significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and some micro-ingredients. As a result, it is classified as a high-quality and fast-acting fertilizer.
Bird droppings on the plots may only come from hens, whose rearing is allowed in limited quantities. Bird droppings are an excellent fast-acting fertilizer, containing all the nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus: nitrogen is 1,2-4,1, phosphorus 1,2-2,6, potassium 0,8-2,3 and calcium 2,4-6,8%. Because nitrogen compounds, contained in chicken manure, they very quickly transform into volatile ammonia, you need to collect and cover the collected fertilizer, most conveniently with earth. Bird droppings can be used directly as fertilizer or for composting. They are used in doses from a few to several kilograms per 100 m2 of the garden area. Similar properties, like chicken droppings, pigeons have droppings.