By: D Acres Of New Hampshire

Compost is part of a solution to our current state of pollution. I choose to grow organically because I do not wish to introduce synthetic chemicals into the food, air and water supply. The process of making compost is a sensible alternative to the commercial petroleum based synthetic 10-20-10 fertilizers. Compost builds the health of soil and provides nutrients for plant growth.

Our landfills are overflowing with organic materials that could have been recycled as compost. By creating a compost system we reduce our needs for more landfills and municipal services locally. On a global level, composting is a method to reduce our dependence on distant sources of oil.

There are many possible recipes for making compost. It is similar to creating a soup of leftovers, an artistic expression of organic degradation. The process involves recycling anything that is organic (once living) into a form that serves as plant food. The household is the best source of materials, obviously toxics should be avoided.

The following is a list of possible ingredients; grass clippings, kitchen waste, wood ashes, weeds, leaves, garden residue, pet and human hair, shredded paper, twigs and wood chips, and animal manures.

Here are some exceptions and considerations. Dog, cat and human manure should be treated separately considering disease pathogens. Garden residue should be avoided if pesticides or herbicides had been applied, or if the plants were diseased. Kitchen waste that includes meat must be treated carefully to avoid odor and local scavengers. The site location and the mixing of the proper ratio of ingredients determines a successful compost pile. Sites should be accessible, convenient to dump the daily kitchen waste. Depending on the scale of the system, it may be appropriate to plan for tractor and trailer to transport material to build the pile. A common system is the three pile method.

Compost piles can be contained by fencing, this allows the pile to be built vertically and provides air ventilation. The size of the pile is determined by the ability to turn the quantity of material. The freshest material is layered into the first pile. Oxygen, water and biologic factors begin to degrade the material. This process generates heat, this heat spurs microbial activity and kills weed seeds and disease pathogens. After a period of time, dependent on the type of materials and the ambient temperature, the compost is turned into the second pile. In the second pile the biologic activity builds until a point where it stabilizes and becomes useful for plants. At this point the compost is stored ready for usage in the third pile.

The proper ratio of raw ingredients and water determines the compost process. The ratio of Carbon to Nitrogen is crucial. A ratio of 30:1 is ideal for compost. Materials high in nitrogen like manure and kitchen scraps need a lot of leaves and wood chips to achieve a proper balance. Otherwise, the bacteria are over-stimulated by the available nitrogen, over multiply, and die before they decompose the high carbon material. A properly balanced chemistry is required. Likewise the right amount of water is essential. A wet pile becomes a stinky anaerobic mess that is difficult to turn, dryness also prevents decomposition. The ideal is damp but not over saturated.

Finished compost material is not recognizable as what it was. Properly prepared, compost is a stable, odorless plant food. We can nourish crops by building the life of the soil. Compost is the alternative to petroleum based synthetic fertilizers that pollute food and water. Households, restaurants, schools, and municipalities can use the simple science of compost to more efficiently use resources.

Josh Trought is a member of the Pemigewasset chapter of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. He lives, works and practices organic farming at D Acres Organic Farm & Educational Homestead www.dacres.org.

By: Alasdair Meldrum

What is composting? Composting is a natural process which can mean different things to different people. The term ‘composting’ is used to describe a wide range of activities, from a heap of manure at the bottom of a garden to sophisticated treatment processes for commercial wastes and is designed to reduce the quantity of organic waste sent to landfills.

Community composting sites tend to be relatively small. A typical site may process up to 200 tonnes of material a year. Commercial sites, where composting is specifically a business activity, or local authority sites set up to divert biodegradable material from landfill are much larger. With some of the larger sites processing tens of thousands of tonnes each year, materials handling equipment and systems become a necessity.

The purity of the product is very important and is graded according to its organic purity. Glass is the main product that needs to be eliminated to produce a compost that is pure enough for sale. This has caused a few problems with some main commercial composting facilities therefore rendering the compost to be used for capping material until a solution can be found.

But put simply, the microbes break down large molecules into smaller ones that they can use as food. This releases heat energy, water and carbon dioxide during the breakdown as by-products and it is this heat that causes the temperature to rise, which is why compost heaps are often warm and steamy.

Here are 5 reasons why everyone should consider composting:

1. Composting reduces the environmental impact of having to incinerate organic waste.

2. Organic material can form up to 1/3 of our weekly waste. Without composting, this goes straight to landfill. Composting minimises our landfill waste and recycles it back into our gardens.

3. Organic waste which is dumped in landfill rather than composted stagnates and produces methane and toxic run-off which contaminates soil and groundwater.

4. Composting can successfully be carried out at any level, from multi-acre commercial or municipal windrows to simple backyard bins.

5. Composting is fun, easy and very satisfying.

Composting is a fun and environmentally-friendly activity. It’s something anyone can do to make a positive contribution to helping the environment.

Albion Environmental Ltd can advise if you have any composting problems. We have experience in helping our clients achieving PAS100:2005 status.

By: Kolawole Olambiwonnu

Synthetic fertilizers are out and organic gardening compost is the in thing with farmers who are trying out the holistic way in planting.

Organic Gardening

With organic gardening, farmers are going back to the most basic way of growing plants and trees and that is by being one with nature. The latter phrase meaning that they no longer use artificial fertilizers and the commercially available pesticides, but instead rely on the natural environment to be able to grow produce.

Organic Gardening Compost

Compost is the mixture of decaying plants, animal manure or other organic materials that is being used as a fertilizer. While nature can work on compost by itself, men can speed up the process by using the equation air plus water, carbon, then nitrogen is equal to compost.

Composting in Simpler Terms

Don’t be overwhelmed by the word equation stated above. This is not really a complex thing. This can actually be done in a simple and step-by-step ways.

Hot Compost

While others opt to burn fallen leaves, such is wealth for gardeners as this is the start of their composting process. The first thing they have to do is to bag those leaves. Clipped grass from mowed surfaces can also be put in the bag.

To bring in oxygen and a quantity of water enough to dampen the leaves systematically, put several holes near the bag’s top and at its bottom. The holes will also let the carbon dioxide out and excess water as well. Pour in about two shovelful of garden soil into the bag where the leaves are, then shake it to mix the contents. Or if not possible, just roll the bag thoroughly.

Mixing should be done on a schedule after every other week. Check on the leaves and pour water to moisten those if they’ve dried out. In about two to three months, alas, your compost is ready. The contents of the bag that look like dark and flaky stuff are your compost.

To use that dark and flaky stuff as a fertilizer for your plants, put an inch thick layer on the soil’s top layer. That will then be absorbed by the plants. It actually acts as fertilizer and at the same time pesticide and can even prevent weeds from growing. It also contributes in conserving water as your plants won’t need as much.

To be able to come up with the same output at lesser time, you can also try shredding the leaves first before sacking it all up.

Cold Compost

The difference between cold and hot compost is that the first is easier to do than the latter which takes more effort.

Cold compost can be done by simply gathering wastes from your own backyard, may it be leaves, grass clippings and weeds, then piling them up. Allow a period of six to twenty-four months for earthworms and other microorganisms break the stuff down. While waiting, you can add up materials to your pile. In this scenario, the stuff at the bottom decomposes first.

But aside from the long wait, this type of compost is not as effective as the hot compost. It cannot kill weeds and pathogens. Also, before using such, you should screen out for undecomposed materials from the pile.

Whatever you may choose between the two, you’re still on the winning side by using organic gardening compost because not only you are saving up money but more so, you are helping out conserve and clean our environment.

By: Gargi Nath

Composting is a natural and simple process and yet it has been complicated by machines, fallacies, misinformation, myths, and misunderstandings that came out due to erroneous publications and aggressive commercial marketing approaches. Some of these misinformed facts have been passed around so many times that the general perception has become truth. An example would be the seemingly accepted fact that all compost smells. But before we go into that, let’s discuss some other composting myths first.

Myth: Composting requires a lot of work

Truth: Composting is a natural process which involves basically the elements of nature doing the job for you. All you need is to gather all the materials, lay it on, and let nature do her job. Composting is a low maintenance activity as well. You only need to turn the compost file every once in a while to keep the air flowing to quicken the decomposition process and that’s it. You practically sit and wait for the the compost to finish.

Myth: Composting is limited to farms and wide open spaces

Truth: On the contrary, people living in urban areas who have no luxury for space can create their own composting bin from a trash can. How much space would that take up? Also, there is another technique which you can use, the so-called vermicomposting which involves the use of red worms in a contained bin where you feed them table scraps.

Myth: Composting needs precise measurements

Truth: Even though composting ideally would be best achieved with the right combination of greens and browns elements, having the exact measurements is not that necessary. Estimates work just fine. And those neatly piled up layers of composting piles you see in commercials, books, pamphlets and brochures of composting products, those are all for show. You don’t need to copy those, composting works the same way as you pile them up haphazardly.

Myth: You need specially formulated chemicals as starters or activators

Truth: Well, despite the claims of commercially available products that applying them to the compost pile will speed up the process of decomposition, buying them is not really necessary. It is often the practice to just throw in some finished compost into the newly formed compost pile and that itself will serve as the activator to get things started. There’s no need to buy those expensive stuff.

Myth: Adding yeast will boost the compost’s performance Truth: This is not true at all. What you’re doing is just wasting your money by adding yeast to the compost pile. Yeast does not do anything to the compost pile and neither does it affect the performance quality of the compost.

Myth: Animals are attracted to composting piles

Truth: Yes, this to some degree is true. Composting piles do attract the occasional cat, dog or raccoon. Small critters will likely go for open compost piles and for piles that have kitchen scraps like meat, fat, dairy products, bones and pet manure to the pile.

Myth: Compost smells

Truth: Compost should not smell. If you find bad smelling compost, then the maker did a poor job picking the materials for the compost pile. Other composting myths exist and it would be best to do your research first before accepting them as truth.

http://organic-composting.blogspot.com

By: MIKE SELVON

Compost is a collection of different organic matter, such as yard clippings, small twigs, leaves and organic kitchen waste that have gone through the process of decomposition. Numerous people do composting so that they can make good use of the available organic material that is around their property and even in their home. This gives composters a chance to make use of the nutrient rich muck that is produced and which is very beneficial to garden soil.

In fact, to avid gardeners, compost is highly regarded and considered the “black gold” of garden fertilizers. Material that has gone through the composting process ends up producing a wonderfully rich material that is filled with minerals and nutrients that are well suited to encouraging lush and healthy growth of new plants.

The end result of composting is a very rich organic substance that is able to mix with and improve virtually all types of soil. Clay soil is easier to work with when compost is added to it and a wider variety of plants can be supported. When dealing with sandy soil, the addition of compost helps the soil retain moisture much better.

The composting process involves four different components that are required to create a mixture that will deliver the sought-after benefits. These four key components are organic matter, correct moisture, sufficient oxygen and bacteria.

The organic materials suitable for composters include various plant materials, food scraps, and some varieties of animal manure. Good compost should include a mix of brown organic material and green organic material. The brown organic matter includes such as dead leaves, twigs, and manure. The green material will be comprised of things such as grass clippings, hedge trimmings, coffee grounds, fruit rinds and vegetable waste.

The brown materials provide carbon for the mixture, while the green materials bring in supplies of needed nitrogen. As much as possible, it is best to try to maintain a one to one ratio of brown material to green material to produce the best final compost. If you have a compost pile that contains more brown material than green, then you can add in a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer. This will add nitrogen and will speed up the decomposition process.

Sometimes it is helpful to shred, chop or mow the available materials into smaller pieces. This will serve to speed up the composting process because the smaller the pieces of material are the greater the surface area.

The proper moisture levels are important to a successful composting process. It is said that the compost pile should have about the same amount of moisture as a sponge that has been wrung out by hand. If the compost pile is too dry, then the decomposition slows down. You can simply add some water to the pile during dry weather periods or any time when a lot of brown material has been added to help keep the process moving along.

Should the compost become too wet, simply dig in and turn the pile to mix the materials and spread the moisture. You can also add some brown organic materials that are very dry to help balance things out.

Sufficient oxygen is also a key element that is necessary for decomposition. Oxygen supports the breakdown of the organic materials by the bacteria. Supplying oxygen to the compost pile is as simple as turning the compost so the materials at the outer edges of the pile are moved to the center. This also helps to control odors that can develop. The pile should be turned about every two weeks for best results.

It is the bacteria, and other types of microorganisms, that do the real work involved in the composting process. With the other needed elements in place, the bacteria can go to work breaking down the organic components into the compost that will benefit the organic garden.

When the composting cycle has turned the organic waste matter into a muck that is rich in nutrients, you will be able to easily add it to your garden soil. While preparing your soil for a spring planting, simply cover the ground with about 3-4 inches of the compost and then till the soil to mix it in well. In no time you will start to see a healthy and vibrant garden.