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Compost: It Happens!
Lydia Clayton
Master Gardener Course
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Overview
Why We Should Compost
How Compost Happens
Hot or Lazy-You Choose
The PILE
Vermicomposting-it’s not a dirty word
Making Compost Work for You
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Environmental Implications
Compostables make up over 20% of the average household waste
Saves Money
Soil Benefits
Compostables contain valuable soil-building nutrients and organic compounds
Why Compost
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Components of Solid Waste
Other 9%
Paper 37%
Yard Trimmings 15%
Food 7%
Wood 7%
Metals 8%
Glass 8%
Plastics 9%
CIS1066, Composting at Home, 1993
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Environmental Implications
Compostables make up over 20% of the average household waste
Saves Money
Soil Benefits
Compostables contain valuable soil-building nutrients and organic compounds
Why Compost
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Double Savings! Every pound of organic material composted
at home is one less that must be collected, transported and deposited in landfills.
Compostologists also get a free soil amendment which improves the health of their garden and reduces maintenance costs
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Environmental Implications
Compostables make up over 20% of the average household waste
Saves Money
Soil Benefits
Compostables contain valuable soil-building nutrients and organic compounds
Why Compost
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Why Compost “The condition of the soil is so swiftly
changed by cultivation, so quickly corrected by the proper application of good composted humus, that no given site can be definitely fixed as far as acidity is concerned.”
Jerome Irving Rodale, 1944
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What is compost anyway? Compost, in short, is one of nature's best
mulches and soil amendments.
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It’s a start, but…..
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How Compost Happens or
Compostology
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The ‘fungus among us’ and our bacterial friends…
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?p=g6956
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http://www.weblife.org/humanure/chapter3_3.html
Our Bacterial Friends
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Our Bacterial Friends
Thermophiles = 100-160F; usually keep at 160 F for 3-5 days
Mesophiles = 70-90F; are more efficient than thermos
Psychrophiles = 0-55F; first to invade pile
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The ‘fungus among us’ Actinomycetes ‘half bacteria, half fungi’ work in
medium temperatures and can be identified by the grayish, cob-webby material
Fungus add to the fun by breaking down lignin and cellulose
These two plus the bacteria produced enzymes, do the ‘dirty’ clean-up work of decomposing cellulose, proteins, lignin, and starches…even paper!!!
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The BIG boys and girls
Macroorganims – creatures you can see…dig, chew, digest, and mix
Earthworms are especially important to good composting
• leave castings behind
• digest for bacteria
• ‘eat’ bacteria
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It may be doubted if there are any other animals which have played such an important part of history of the world as these lowly organized creatures.
-Charles Darwin
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More about Earthworms!
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Vermicomposting is the process of using red wiggler or brown-nosed worms and microorganisms to convert food scraps into dark, earthy smelling, nutrient-rich humus.
Vermicomposting
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Vermicomposting
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/worms/neighborhood/index.html
1 lb of worms (~1000) will eat 1 lb of garbage /day 1 lb of ‘garbage’ fed need 1 ft2 surface area 3 lbs bedding for every 1 ft3 of space 3 pts of water for every 1 lbs of bedding 50-70 F Feed weekly (Bury food 3-4” !!!) Can harvest after 3-4 months
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http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/vermicomposting/pubs/earthworms.pdf
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How Fast Compost Happens
The speed at which it happens depends on a variety of variables:
• Nutrients
• Degradability
• Moisture
• Aeration
• Temperature
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C:N Nutrients - C (energy) and N (protein) most
important nutrients. A well-balanced proportion will ensure that nutrients will be plant available.
For best performance, the compost pile, or more to the point the composting microorganisms, require the correct proportion of Carbon for energy and Nitrogen for protein production.
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Carbon(energy):Nitrogen(protein)
Excellent C:N Ratio of Components @ www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com
In general, a pile ratio of 30:1 (C:N) will provide adequate decomposition Rule of Thumb Any organic matter that has a C:N ratio •smaller than 30:1 is considered a GREEN •larger than 30:1 is considered a BROWN
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Food Scraps 17:1 Vegetable Scraps 25:1 Coffee Grounds 25:1
Grass Clippings - Fresh 17:1 Leaves 60-80:1 Straw, Hay 90:1
Shredded Newspaper 175:1
C:N
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How do we balance it?
For example, food scraps, grass clippings and leaves come close to an average of 30:1. How?
Add-up the Carbon side of the ratio for all three materials, i.e. 15, 17, 60, and divide by the number of materials, i.e. three. 92/3 = about 31:1
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Degradability
Easily degradable materials contain a high proportion of sugars, starches, and proteins
• food scraps, manure, green vegetation
Woody materials take longer
• straw, plant stems, branches
Chopping to <6” or shredding material ¼” - 2” increases degradability
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Moisture
Rule of thumb- for a yd3 pile, 5 gal. of water/week
Microorganisms need moisture, if materials dry out the process slows.
Pile should have the consistency of a damp sponge
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Aeration
Oxygen is in constant use by micro-o’s during decomposition and needs to be replaced.
Anaerobic decomposition is slower (as much as 90%!), less complete, can be a source of odors, and produces little heat.
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Temperature
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http://nuwildroots.wordpress.com/category/compost/
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Which way is best? Add-as-u-go = constantly adding new components Batch = saving components up
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Add-as-u-go
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Batch Pile
• Do I have an empty bin ready to fill?
• Have I stockpiled enough brown and greens to fill bin?
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Hot or Lazy
3-6 months -- With regular turning, adequate moisture, and a good mixture of materials 30 days – daily turning and highly degradable materials 1+ year – no turning, no watering, and a adequate mixture of materials
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The PILE
It’s all about: Location, location, location!
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So many composting systems!
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Bins!
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Soil incorporation is a useful composting technique if you need to dispose of small amounts of food waste. Waste is mixed with soil to speed decomposition and covered with at least 8 inches of additional soil.
Pit and Sheet Composting
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Mortality Composting
Wanna know more? Visit WSU. http://bqa.wsu.edu/documents/ON%20FARM%20COMPOSTING.pdf
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Video
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All that and it still won’t heat up? Maybe you need a compost activator…
Causes: Too high C ratio Cool weather Solution: Higher Nitrogen!!
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A note or two on choosing materials…
Avoid fatty foods
Avoid perennial weeds, diseased plants, and weeds that have set seed
Walnut Leaves
Treated or painted wood
pH of materials
Grass clippings with long-lasting herbicides:
Dicamba Bensulide MCPP
2,4-D DCPA Benefin
Glyphosate
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http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/aminopyralid/
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EKO Compost
Commercial composting must come to 160 F multiple times before finished.
Testing of each batch of compost and results available to customers.
See handouts of nutrient, heavy metal and soluble salt analysis.
www.ekocompost.com
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C6H12O6 → 3CO2 + 3CH4
Anaerobic Digestion
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www.biogas.psu.edu/basics.html
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Anaerobic Digesters Anaerobic Digester --March 14, 2012.
• Financing an Anaerobic Digester System, to be presented from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Central Time, will feature dairy producers, community leaders and lenders who have been involved in financing the installation and maintenance of digester systems.
• The afternoon webinar, to begin at 1:30 p.m. Central Time, will examine Technical Aspects of Anaerobic Digester Systems. In addition to an overview of technology options, webinar participants will hear from individuals using specific systems--why they selected the system they did and how that system performs.
• To register, visit the Farm Foundation, www.farmfoundation.org
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Compost Nutrient Breakdown
Extremely variable
Can be tested for through UI ASL
Generally: 1-1-1 with ~ 2% calcium
Trace amounts of many micro-nutrients!
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General Fertilizer Guidelines Intensity or plant requirement
– Low = 1 to 2 lb nitrogen/1000 sq feet • Low maintenance turf
• Low intensity vegetables (peas, beans)
– Medium = 2 to 4 lb nitrogen/1000 sq feet • Medium maintenance turf
• Medium intensity vegetables (most vegetables)
– High = 4 to 6 lb nitrogen/1000 sq feet • High maintenance turf
• High intensity vegetables
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Compost for Lawns
Best in Fall or After dethatching or aerating the lawn
Thin layer (1/8-1/4 inch) over entire lawn and water in
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Compost in Landscapes
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Vegetable Gardens In general Heavy, Medium, or Light feeders
Heavy feeders: Brassica crops Melons Corn Cucurbits Solanaceous crops Greens
Light feeders: Carrot Garlic Allium crops Peppers Potatoes
Soil Builders: Beans Peas
In containers: A water soluble, slow release or organic fertilizer every 2-3 weeks with an occasional dose of fish emulsion or compost for trace minerals should be adequate
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Make good use of Compost
Fall Spreading – best if turned into soil
Spring Spreading – a month before planting
Rule of Thumb- Mix compost to a depth 3x the thickness of the layer applied
1” compost covering 1000 ft2 = 3 yd3
3 yd3 = 800-1000 lbs of compost
so….1ft2 = 0.003 yd3
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Compost for Everything
Mix: 1 part compost, 1 part water
Steep 1 hr – 4 days
Stir occasionally
Strain Mixture
Can be applied diluted or kept at strength
Apply as Root Drench or Foliar Application
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Websites
Home Composting Made Easy!
http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com
Books
Let It Rot!
The Rodale Book of Composting
Backyard Composting
Teaming with Microbes
Resources
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Resources University Publications
Composting at Home, UI Publication
http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/CIS/CIS1066.pdf
Don’t Bag It! Recycle your Grass Clippings
http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/CIS/CIS1016.pdf
On-Farm Composting Handbook
http://compost.css.cornell.edu/OnFarmHandbook/coverpg.html
WSU Extension, Whatcom County Website
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/index.htm
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Making and Using Compost
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6956
University of Missouri
How to Build a Compost Bin http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6957
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Don't Bag It™ - Compost It!! http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/landscape/compost/intro.html
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