Why Compost?
There are so many good reasons to compost – the major goal of basic composting is to reduce the amount of solid waste you generate. By reducing solid waste, you will save space in municipal landfills, which will ultimately saves you tax money. Now, there’s a good reason to go “green”. Start with recycling grass clippings and simple kitchen waste – its an easy, inexpensive way to produce your own “wonder soil”. Your finished compost has the advantage of being a useful natural fertilizer that is more environmentally friendly than synthetic fertilizers. Your plants will LOVE it!
Now for some stat’s – Americans generate about 210 million tons (231 million short tons) of trash, or solid waste, each year. Most of this trash (57 percent) gets placed in municipal landfills. About 56 million tons (27 percent) is recovered through either recycling, in the case of glass, paper products, plastic or metals, or through composting, in the case of yard waste. Composting is a method for treating solid waste in which organic material is broken down by microorganisms in the presence of oxygen to a point where it can be safely stored, handled and applied to the environment. Composting is an essential part of reducing household wastes. It can be done inexpensively by every household and produces a product — finished compost, that can benefit the environment as a natural fertilizer for gardening and farming. Composting creates the ideal conditions for the natural decay or rotting processes that occur in nature.
Composting requires the following:
- * Organic waste – newspaper, leaves, grass, kitchen waste especially fruits and vegetables
* Soil – source of microorganisms
* Water
* Air – source of oxygen
Here’s what NOT to add to your compost:
- *Pet waste
*Diseased plants
*Meat, bones or fat
*Chemically treated wood products
*Weeds (the seeds need extreme heat to destroy)
During composting, microorganisms from the soil eat the organic (carbon containing) waste and break it down into its simplest parts. This produces a fiber-rich, carbon-containing hummus with inorganic nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The microorganisms break the material down through aerobic respiration, and require oxygen that they get from the air you introduce when you turn the material in the compost bin. The microorganisms also require water to live and multiply. Through the respiration process, the microorganisms give off carbon dioxide and heat — temperatures within compost piles can rise as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 C). If the compost pile or bin is actively managed by turning and watering it regularly, the process of decomposing into finished compost can happen in as little as two to three weeks. Enclosed, tumbling composters speed this process that usually takes months. There is a wide variety of composters and prices on the market, from simple screen enclosures to tumbling, above ground ultimate models.
Wire Bin Composter
Back Porch Compost Tumbler
Compost Tumbler
The compost conditions must be balanced for efficient decomposition. For speediest decomposition there must be,
* Plenty of air – mixture should be turned daily or every other day
* Adequate water – mixture should be moist, but not soaking wet
* Proper mix of carbon to nitrogen – ratio should be about 30:1
* Small particle size – big pieces should be broken up, as smaller particles break down more rapidly
* Adequate amount of soil – should provide enough microorganisms for the process
The compost pile actually has a complex organization of living organisms. Bacteria and fungi primarily break down the organic matter in the trash. Single-celled organisms (protozoa), small worms (nematodes), and mites feed on the bacteria and fungi. Predatory nematodes, predatory mites and other invertebrates (sowbugs, millipedes, beetles) feed on the protozoa, mites and nematodes. All of these organisms work to balance the population of organisms within the compost, which increases the efficiency of the entire process.
