Compost: It Happens!

Lydia Clayton

Master Gardener Course

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is compost anyway? Compost, in short, is one of nature's best

mulches and soil amendments.

It’s a start, but…..

How Compost Happens or

Compostology

The ‘fungus among us’ and our bacterial friends…

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?p=g6956

http://www.weblife.org/humanure/chapter3_3.html

Our Bacterial Friends

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

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!!!

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

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

More about Earthworms!

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

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

http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/vermicomposting/pubs/earthworms.pdf

How Fast Compost Happens

The speed at which it happens depends on a variety of variables:

• Nutrients

• Degradability

• Moisture

• Aeration

• Temperature

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Temperature

http://nuwildroots.wordpress.com/category/compost/

Which way is best? Add-as-u-go = constantly adding new components Batch = saving components up

Add-as-u-go

Batch Pile

• Do I have an empty bin ready to fill?

• Have I stockpiled enough brown and greens to fill bin?

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

The PILE

It’s all about: Location, location, location!

So many composting systems!

Bins!

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

Mortality Composting

Wanna know more? Visit WSU. http://bqa.wsu.edu/documents/ON%20FARM%20COMPOSTING.pdf

Video

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!!

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

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/aminopyralid/

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

C6H12O6 → 3CO2 + 3CH4

Anaerobic Digestion

www.biogas.psu.edu/basics.html

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

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!

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

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

Compost in Landscapes

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

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

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

Websites

Home Composting Made Easy!

http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com

Books

Let It Rot!

The Rodale Book of Composting

Backyard Composting

Teaming with Microbes

Resources

Gardening without the bin!

Resources

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

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

Don't Bag It™ - Compost It!! http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/landscape/compost/intro.html