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CompostingCompostingBill DeKramer
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SustainabilitySustainability
What makes something sustainable?
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SustainabilitySustainability
What makes something sustainable?How then do we define unsustainable?
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SustainabilitySustainability
What makes something sustainable?How then do we define unsustainable?What is the importance of sustainability?
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SustainabilitySustainability
Life on this planet is the flow of nutrients through different life forms
Nutrients In Nutrients Out
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SustainabilitySustainability
Life on this planet is the flow of nutrients through different life forms
Nutrients In Nutrients Out
And, for life to thrive, the nutrients need to come in and go out in the proper the proportions.
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SustainabilitySustainability
What does this have to do with Organic Gardening?
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SustainabilitySustainability
What does this have to do with Organic Gardening?
How do we manage nutrients in the food we grow?
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SustainabilitySustainability
What does this have to do with Organic Gardening?
How do we manage nutrients in the food we grow?
“There’s a universe beneath our feet” - The Soil Solution (movie)
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Topics for tonightTopics for tonight
Compost and soil structure / valueElements of a compost pileWhat makes compost workTypes of compostingBuilding some models
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What is Compost? What is Compost?
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What is Compost? What is Compost?
Nature recycles nutrients as organic matter (OM) in place
Composting is a man-made system to recycle these nutrients as OM more quickly and efficiently
Composting in one form or another has been used in agriculture since ancient times
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Compost and soil structureCompost and soil structure
What are the structural components of soil?
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Compost and soil structureCompost and soil structure
Structural components of soil– Sand– Silt – Clay– OM
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What ratios would you like in What ratios would you like in your garden?your garden?
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What ratios would you like in What ratios would you like in your garden?your garden?Medium Loam:
– 20% clay– 40% sand– 40% silt
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What benefits does Compost What benefits does Compost bring to the soil?bring to the soil?
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What benefits does Compost What benefits does Compost bring to the soil?bring to the soil?
Organic Matter (OM)Microbes
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What is Organic Matter?What is Organic Matter?
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Organic MatterOrganic Matter
Food for soil food web microbesHumus (not hummus)
– OM that has reached a point of stability, i.e. won’t break down any more
– Humus is a colloidal substance, and increases the soil's cation exchange capacity, i.e. its ability to store nutrients in the soil that won’t leach out in a rain.
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Organic MatterOrganic Matter
Herbicides and pesticides from conventional farming kill not only weeds and pests, but also Organic Matter.As soil organisms die off in their natural, sustainable cycle of life, their structures become the Organic Matter that stabilizes the soil and feeds other organisms.By killing the soil organisms, this cycle ends and the OM build up ends as well.
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What Makes Compost Work?What Makes Compost Work?
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What Makes Compost Work?What Makes Compost Work?
Microbes
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What Makes Compost Work?What Makes Compost Work?
Microbes
One system’s waste is another system’s food(This is a key principle of sustainability)
Me: Food (O2) Waste (CO2)
Plants: Waste (O2) Food (CO2)
In nature there is no such thing as waste.
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What Microbes are in Compost?What Microbes are in Compost?
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What Microbes are in Compost?What Microbes are in Compost?
BacteriaFungiAmoebas, slime molds, multi-celled algaeNematodes Bugs
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Controlling Nutrients for CompostControlling Nutrients for Compost
CarbonNitrogenOxygenWater
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Elements to Control in Elements to Control in CompostCompostFood stock (Carbon and Nitrogen)Moisture (Water)Air (Oxygen)TemperatureParticle SizepH
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Food stockFood stock
Carbon sources:– Hay and Straw– Leaves– Black and white newspaper– Sawdust and Wood chips– Old Natural Fibre clothing
Nitrogen sources– Kitchen scraps– Weeds (without seed heads)– Animal manure (except dog, cat, pig or human)
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What not to addWhat not to add
Kitchen scraps like meats, oils, fish, bones and dairy products
Weeds that have gone to seed or spread by their roots (quack grass, etc.)
Herbicide treated grass clippings or weedsDog, cat, pig or human faeces
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Diseased Plants in CompostDiseased Plants in Compost
There are different opinions about whether to add diseased plants to compost or not.In favor of:
– By adding diseased plants, the microbes in the compost that feed on the disease multiply and in this way strengthen the soil food web
Against:– The disease may not be controlled by the composting
process and spread into the soil
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Carbon / Nitrogen ratioCarbon / Nitrogen ratio
Having the right carbon / nitrogen ration makes a difference in how quickly the food stock breaks down.
Ideal is 25 : 1 carbon to nitrogenCurrent discussion at NOSB is that a
range of 15 : 1 to 60 : 1 produces good quality compost
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Common Compost MaterialsCommon Compost Materials
Kitchen / Table scraps 15:1Grass clippings 12:1Old manure 20:1Fruit waste 25:1Corn stalks 60:1Old leaves and straw 80:1Paper 170:1Sawdust and wood chips 500:1
C / N - Rule of ThumbC / N - Rule of Thumb
When adding the materials you’ve collected for your compost, the rule of thumb to achieve the 25:1 C / N ratio is 70% brown and 30% green.Roughly 3 parts brown to 1 part green
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Prohibited for Organic Prohibited for Organic ProductionProduction Prohibited
– Sewage sludge– Glossy paper and coloured ink– Paraffin from waxed cardboard (not to exceed .75%)
Regulated– Slaughterhouse, hatchery, fish-farm waste– Yeast fermentation waste– Whey– Mushroom compost
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MoistureMoisture
Ideal is about 50%Rule of thumb: like a wrung out spongeThe amount of moisture determines if the
pile is aerobic or anaerobic
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AirAir
There are 2 types of compost piles– Aerobic– Anaerobic (Bokashi is fermentation)
If an aerobic bin gets too wet, it can become anaerobic and toxic to the other microbes, slowing the decomposition and quality of the compost produced.
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･ Performed by aerobes or facultative aerobes under high oxygen conditions. Metabolic breakdown relies on oxygen
･ Organic molecules are completely broken down, i.e. oxydized (burned)
･ Metabolic porducts are carbon dioxide and water
･ Performed by facultative anaerobes under low oxygen conditions. Metabolic breakdown relies on enzymes
･ Carbohydrates and glucose molecules are partially broken down
･ Metabolic products are lactic and other organic acids, alcohols, antioxidants, carbon dioxide, and other other simple organic compounds that can be absorbed by plants and other organisms
･ Performed by anaerobes under no oxygen conditions. Metabolic breakdown relies on enzymes
･ Proteins, polysaccharides, lipids and nucleic acids are partially broken down.
･ Metabolic products are trace elements and smaller organic molecules, gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, and volatile amines such a putrescine and cadaverine, that can be highly toxic to plants and other organisms.
AEROBIC ANAEROBIC ANAEROBIC
Oxidation Fermentation Putrefaction
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TemperatureTemperature
Hot CompostCool Compost
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Hot Compost Hot Compost (50º-75º C)(50º-75º C)
Relies more on aerobic bacteriaMakes compost quicklyCan kill pathogens and weed seedsRequires frequent turningRequires attention to brown/green ratioVery fertile, but not as fertile as cool
compostTo certify as Organic, NOP requires that
all feedstock reach 55º C for 3 days
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Hot Compost Hot Compost - Sweden- Sweden
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Hot Compost Hot Compost - Sweden- Sweden
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Hot Compost Hot Compost - Sweden- Sweden
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Cool Compost Cool Compost (25º-50º C)(25º-50º C)
Low maintenanceCan be built (layered) over timeTakes longer to finish than hot compostDoesn’t kill all pathogens or weed seeds
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Particle SizeParticle Size
The smaller the particle, the quicker it decomposes
For example, grated apples break down faster than whole apples
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pHpH
Ideal pH is around 7 (neutral)Usually don’t need to worry about pH if
including a wide variety of food stocks, but some things like an excess of coffee grounds can make the pile acidic.
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Types of CompostingTypes of Composting
LayeredWorm (vermiculture)BokashiSheet composting (permaculture technique)
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A Compost pile is not a garbage pile
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Layered CompostLayered Compost
This is the most common form of composting Layered composting is an evolution of the
Indore method that focused on the carbon/nitrogen ratios and moisture.
Layers of brown and green material are alternated
Batch method is when the layers of the whole pile are built in one go. This is usually for the hot method
Continuous method is when layers of the pile are built periodically as the materials come available. This is usually for the cool method.
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Building a layerBuilding a layer
When starting a new pile, lay some coarser material in the bottom to help keep air in
Alternate layers of brown and green Sprinkle a handful or shovel full of soil or
compost in with each layer as an inoculant Finish with a layer of brown material that acts
like a “scab” – Up to half the carbon and nitrogen can be lost to the
atmosphere if exposed to the sun and air. When starting the next layer, pull the scab back
to allow the materials to be in contact
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Demonstration pileDemonstration pile
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Composting in WinterComposting in Winter
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Screens for Finished CompostScreens for Finished Compost
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Worm Composting Worm Composting (vermiculture)(vermiculture)
Composts food waste rapidlyBin needs to stay between 12º - 25º CNeeds a moist environment (worms
breathe through their skin)Worms need oxygen and produce CO2
pH around 7 but can tolerate 4.2 - 8.0Bedding can be cardboard, shredded
paper, decaying leaves or peat moss
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Worm CastingsWorm Castings
Worm castings are very rich– Produce plant-available nutrients– Wide variety of microbes inoculating the rest
of the compost pileWorms can produce their weight in
castings every 24 hours
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Storing the Worm BinStoring the Worm Bin
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The WormsThe Worms
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Feeding the WormsFeeding the Worms
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Demonstration Demonstration
Building a Worm Bin
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Bokashi Bokashi
Bokashi is a Japanese term meaning 'fermented organic matter'
Bokashi is anaerobic composting utilizing a starter to inoculate the pile with specific organisms (facultative anaerobes)
Quick way to compost food scraps Carbon / Nitrogen ratio is much less important Microbes that grow in bokashi are very different
from aerobic compost so it provides differemt nutrients and adds diversity to the soil food web
Food stock can include meat and dairy
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Facultative AnaerobesFacultative Anaerobes
Facultative anaerobes are organisms that can be simultaneously aerobic and anaerobic
They adapt to the oxygen level of their environment
When low oxygen they switch to their fermenting metabolism, which utilizes enzymes to break down food.
Fermentation only partially breaks down the food so it needs to be finished by other microbes
Colette’s Potatoes Colette’s Potatoes (2012)(2012)
Colette added Bokashi bran straight to the soil of one potato plant.
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Colette’s Potatoes Colette’s Potatoes (2012)(2012)
The plant on the right got the Bokashi bran. It did grow larger, but she mentioned it did not have a greater amount of potatoes growing under the plant.
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Sheet CompostingSheet Composting
Sheet composting is a method of building a garden bed by creating a compost “pile” as the bed itself
Sheet composting is designed to mimic the natural processes that occur in forests. You build it right on top of grass or weeds so all the natural organic matter that's already there and the microbial populations don't get hauled away with stripping off the sod or weeds.
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Layers in a Sheet CompostLayers in a Sheet Compost
Cover the area with cardboard or newspaper and water it in well
To accelerate the decomposition of the grass and cardboard, you can put a thin layer of manure down under the cardboard
Cover the cardboard or newspaper with organic matter like compost, peat moss, straw, or leaves and water this well so it's like a damp sponge.
Plant it. Wherever you want to put a plant, push the straw and leaves away a bit, add a little soil and compost and put the plant in it.
This is covered more in Building a Garden Bed
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QuizQuiz
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SummarySummary
What are the most important points about composting?
Why would you want to compost?How will you apply this information?
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2nd Summary2nd Summary
Composting is one of the most effective ways to improve your soil and the soil food web
There are many ways to create compost. The most important way is your way, the way that fits your time and lifestyle
“Just do it!”
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EvaluationEvaluation
Please fill out the evaluation form
Thank You for making this Thank You for making this course possible, and enjoy course possible, and enjoy putting this knowledge into putting this knowledge into practice out in the world!practice out in the world!
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