Composting

Definition of Composting / What’s Compost Composting, often described as nature’s way of recycling, is the biological process of breaking up of organic waste such as food waste, manure, leaves, grass trimmings, paper, worms, and coffee grounds, etc., into an extremely useful humus-like substance by various micro-organisms including bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the presence of oxygen.

Compost Grass clippings Food scraps Leaves Using the natural process of decay to change organic wastes into a valuable humus-like material called compost Grass clippings Compost Food scraps When we compost organic materials such as grass clippings, food and kitchen scraps, and leaves and brush, we are using the natural process of decay. Composting turns these wastes into a valuable humus-like product called compost. Leaves

Definition of Composting / A Natural Cycle Decomposition naturally happens almost everywhere . All organic matter will decompose, given enough time to devolve and perish.  Low temperature interrupts the composting progress, as it cannot reach the temperature hot enough to kill pathogens.  However, bacteria performs exothermic actions as they help in the process of decomposition, so it helps the temperature to become higher than that of the environment where decomposition takes place, but a cold weather still slows down the progress.

Definition of Composting / The Human Factor The help of humans is necessary for the mechanical process to take place.  Non-biodegradable should be separated from the biodegradable matters.  These pathogens usually live in manure of a living organism .  Scraps of animal meat and dairy products have a lot of pathogens living in it too. Water, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen all together is a perfect mixture to combine with organic matter to materialize the process of decomposition.  This procedure will result to productions of compost which will eventually help the soil become healthy for planting.

Composting - Speeding up the natural decay process A compost pile or bin allows you to control Air (oxygen) Water Food, and Temperature Composting is nothing more than speeding up the natural decay process. A compost pile is used to help us manage the environmental factors that affect the rate of decay. These factors are : air (more specifically oxygen) water food, and temperature The rate of composting (decay) and the quality of the resulting compost depends on how well you control these factors. By managing these factors you can speed up the otherwise slow natural decay process

Need of composting • Healthier Plants • Composting Saves You Money • Composting is practical and convenient : Simply add them to your backyard pile or bin and watch these items turn into rich dark humus. • Composting is a good alternative to landfilling or incinerating convenient Our yard and garden wastes account for almost 20% of the total amount of trash thrown away each year. Your choice to compost reduces the need to burn or bury organic material and increases the quality of our precious top soil.

What do you need to make compost? Decomposers – simple organisms such as bacteria or fungi that break down dead organisms and waste and returns important nutrients to the environment. These are the microbes (mainly bacteria and fungi) that do all the work for you. Food for the decomposers The organic materials to be composted The right amount of air, water, and warmth to keep the work crew happy Composting is a natural process and its easy for you because you have a work crew that does almost all the work for you. Naturally occurring microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) do the hard part of breaking down organic materials into compost. All you have to do to keep your decomposers working hard is provide them what they need: The right kinds of food, and The right amount of air, water, and warmth. MOST of the energy in a compost bins is converted into HEAT Energy!

Where do the decomposers come from? If you build it, they will come… Soil Leaves Food scraps Manure, and Finished compost Each of these will add microorganisms to the compost pile How do you get this decomposer work crew into your compost pile? Where do the decomposers come from? If you build it, they will come… In fact, its impossible to keep them out. Bacteria and fungi are present in soil, on leaves, on food scraps, in manure, and in finished compost. Adding any of these materials will provide enough microbes to start the composting process. If you provide them with the right environment they will rapidly multiply and fill the whole pile.

More about food for your decomposers Your compost workers will grow vigrously if you give them a balanced diet. Composting will be most rapid if the decomposers are fed a mix of carbon rich and nitrogen rich materials. Carbon rich organic wastes are known as “browns” Nitrogen rich organic wastes are known as “greens” Just like you, your decomposer work force will do best with a balanced diet. They need a mix of high carbon materials known as “browns” and high nitrogen materials known as “greens”.

Browns High carbon materials such as Leaves Straw Paper Sawdust Animal bedding mixed with manure (Manure provides food for micro-organisms which enrich the soil) Here are some examples of browns. The numbers in parenthesis are the carbon to nitrogen ratios found in these materials. Any material with a carbon to nitrogen ratio higher than 30 to 1 is a brown. Browns tend to be drier than greens and they decompose very slowly.

Greens High nitrogen materials such as Vegetable scraps Coffee grounds Grass clippings Manure-provides food for micro-organisms which enrich the soil Cow Horse Poultry Hog Greens are nitrogen rich materials, those that have carbon to nitrogen ratios that are less than 25 to 1. Greens also tend to be more wet and soft than browns. They decompose very rapidly.

One teaspoon of good garden soil added to compost contains 100 million bacteria 800 feet of fungal threads One good source of inoculum is your own good garden soil. Small amounts of soil added to your compost pile will provide all the bacteria and fungi it needs to get fired up.

Organisms Composting is Aerobic ( Needs Air ) Aerobic Organisms The microorganisms and invertebrates fundamental to the composting process require oxygen and water to successfully decompose the material. Anaerobic Organisms These organisms produce byproducts detrimental to plants.

Passive Composting Composting is a dynamic process Depending on the process used it will occur quickly or slowly A pile of organic waste will eventually decompose, but slowly. (Decomposition Happens) “Passive composting" requires very little maintenance.

Active Composting Fast or "active" composting can be completed by creating ideal conditions to encourage the natural decomposition Active Composters pay attention to: Aeration Moisture Carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio

Types of Composting / According To Its Nature Aerobic composting: - This means to compost with air. High nitrogen waste (like grass clippings or other green material) will grow bacteria that will create high temperatures (up to 160 degrees). Organic waste will break down quickly and is not prone to smell. This type of composting is high maintenance, since it will need to be turned every couple days to keep air in the system and your temperatures up. It is also likely to require accurate moisture monitoring. This type of compost is good for large volumes of compost. Anaerobic composting: - This is composting without air. Anaerobic composting is low maintenance since you simply throw it in a pile and wait a couple years. If you just stack your debris in a pile it will generally compact to the point where there is no available air for beneficial organisms to live. Anaerobic composts create the awful smell most people associate with composting. The bacteria break down the organic materials into harmful compounds like ammonia and methane.

Vermicomposting: - This is most beneficial for composting food waste Vermicomposting: - This is most beneficial for composting food waste. Along with red worms, this includes composting with bacteria, fungi, insects, and other bugs. Some of these break down the organic materials for the others to eat. Red worms eat the bacteria, fungi, and the food waste, and then deposit their castings. Oxygen and moisture are required to keep this compost healthy. This is medium maintenance compost since you need to feed your red worms and monitor the conditions.

Types of Composting / According To Its Use Industrial systems: - Industrial composting systems are increasingly being installed as a waste management alternative to landfills, along with other advanced waste processing systems. Mechanical sorting of mixed waste streams combined with anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting, is called mechanical biological treatment. Agriculture: - In agriculture, windrow composting is used. It is the production of compost by piling organic matter or biodegradable waste, such as animal manure and crop residues, in long rows (windrows). This method is suited to producing large volumes of compost. Home: - Home composting is the simplest way to compost. At home, composting is generally done by using composting bins or in the form of pile composting. It is a small scale process and requires less outlay of capital and labor.