Composting & Renewable Energy

COMPOST

Simply is the decaying remnant of organic matter. It is used in landscaping, horticulture and agriculture as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. It is also useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover.

Compost serves as a growing medium: a porous, absorbent material that holds moisture and soluble minerals, providing the support and nutrients in which most plants will flourish. To maximize plant growth, it is sometimes necessary to dilute compost with soil or peat to reduce salinity or to add neutralizers to bring the pH closer to 7, or additional nutrients like fertilizers or manure, wetting agents, and materials to improve drainage and aeration, such as sand, grit, bark chips, vermiculite, or clay granules.

Why Make Compost

Composting is a natural process through which organic material is converted into a soil-like product called compost or humus. The process works with the help of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi combined with air and moisture.Composting is an important way to recycle and can be done at home. It is an easy way to reduce the amount of household garbage by about one third. As well, it produces a valuable soil amendment for use in gardening and landscaping. Composting is nature's own way of recycling. Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic material such as leaves, twigs, grass clippings, and vegetable food waste. Compost is one of nature's best mulches and soil amendments, and you can use it instead of commercial fertilizers. Using compost improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and increases the soil's water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils retain water. Adding compost improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants. The organic matter provided in compost provides food for microorganisms, which keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. Understanding how to make and use compost is in the public interest, as the problem of waste disposal climbs toward a crisis level. Don't throw away materials when you can use them to improve your lawn and garden! Start composting instead.

How to Make Compost, Composting Instructions:

Composting is the process of producing compost through aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter. Composting can be divided into the two areas of home composting and industrial composting. Both scales of composting use the same biological processes, substances should not be composted by the average home owner, as they require more sophisticated systems, competent management, and more efficient, cost-competitive, environmentally sound technology.

Compost types and ingredients- Biodegradable waste:

Compost is the end product of a complex feeding pattern involving hundreds of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects. Composting replicates nature's natural system of breaking down materials on the forest floor. By providing the right environment for the organisms in the compost pile, it is possible to produce excellent compost. By knowing the optimum conditions of heat, moisture, air, and materials, we can speed up the composting process. Besides producing more good soil faster, making the compost faster creates heat, which will destroy plant diseases and weed seeds in the pile.

Compost Materials:

Almost any organic material is suitable for a compost pile. A few leaf species such as live oak, southern magnolia, and holly trees are too tough and leathery for easy composting. Avoid all parts of the black walnut tree as they contain a plant poison that survives composting. In very large quantities, they can acidify your compost, which would be a good thing if you have alkaline soils. If you have a lot of grass clippings to compost, spread them on the driveway or other surface to bake in the sun for at least a day.

Compost Bins:

Some locations require closed bins for composting. Homemade compost bins can be constructed out of scrap wood, chicken wire, snow fencing or even old garbage cans. Manufactured bins include turning units, hoops, cones, and stacking bins. You can purchase compost bins at a home or garden centre. There are many types of compost bins, including recycled plastic bins, compost bins made of wood and some made of metal and other materials.

Sources of Composting:

You can successfully compost all forms of kitchen waste. All additions to the compost pile will decompose more quickly if they are chopped up some before adding. To collect your kitchen waste, you can keep a small compost pail in the kitchen to bring to the pile every few days. Wood ashes from a wood burning stove or fireplace can be added to the compost pile. To avoid problems don't compost weeds with persistent root systems, and weeds that are going to seed. Spoiled hay or straw makes an excellent carbon base for a compost pile, especially in a place where few leaves are available. Manure is one of the finest materials you can add to any compost pile. Manure for composting can come from bats, sheep, ducks, pigs, goats, cows, pigeons, and any other vegetarian animal. Most manures are considered "hot" when fresh, meaning it is so rich in nutrients that it can burn the tender roots of young plants or overheat a compost pile, killing off earthworms and friendly bacteria. Manure is easier to transport and safer to use if it is rotted, aged, or composted before it's used. Seaweed is an excellent source of nutrient-rich composting material. Use the hose to wash off the salt before sending it to the compost pile. The list of organic materials which can be added to the compost pile is long.

Compost Site Selection:

Any pile of organic matter will eventually rot, but a well-chosen site can speed up the process. Look for a spot that allows you to compost discretely, especially if you have neighboring yards in close proximity. If you want your compost pile to stay active during the winter, you'll want an enclosed bin with insulated sides. In areas with a cold winter, spring is the best time to start the compost pile in earnest. Summer is the time the compost pile is working at its peak range of decomposition, especially if it has been turned once or twice. Cover and store the finished compost, or use it, and start another batch. With enough organic waste, you can produce several batches of highly managed compost during the summer.

Making Compost:

Compost can range from passive - allowing the materials to sit and rot on their own - to highly managed. Whenever you intervene in the process, you're managing the compost. If you're eager to produce as much compost as possible to use regularly in your garden, you may opt for a more hands-on method of composting. Passive composting involves the least amount of time and energy on your part. It might take a year or two, but eventually organic materials in any type of a pile will break down into finished compost.

Uses of Compost:

Compost is used in gardening and agriculture as a soil amendment, and commercially by the landscaping and container nursery industries. It is also used for erosion control, land/stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill. Compost is also used as a seed-starting medium generally mixed with a small portion of sand for improved drainage. Composting landscape and kitchen wastes at home reduces the volume of curbside solid waste. If you have a garden, lawn, trees, shrubs or even planter boxes or houseplants, you have a use for compost.

Compost ingredients:

Given enough time, all biodegradable material will compost. However, not all compost feed stocks are appropriate for backyard composting. Most backyard systems will not reach high enough temperatures to kill pathogens and deter vermin, so pet droppings, non-vegetarian animal manure, meat scraps, and dairy products are best left to operators of high-rate, thermophylic composting systems. However techniques and different factors must be taken into account. Managed composting is the controlled decomposition of organic matter rather than allowing nature to take its slow course. A composter provides an optimal environment in which decomposers can thrive.

The goal of a composting system:

The goal in a composting system is to provide a healthy environment and nutrition for the rapid decomposers, the bacteria. Commercial-grade composting operations pay strict attention to this ratio. For backyard composters, however, the charts of carbon and nitrogen ratios in various ingredients and the calculations required to get the ideal mixture can be intimidating, so many rules of thumb exist to guide composters in approximating this mixture. Given enough time to die, all biodegradable material will compost. Certain substances should not be composted by the average home owner, as they require more sophisticated systems, competent management, and more efficient, cost-competitive, environmentally sound technology These substances include non-vegetarian animal manures and bedding, by-products of food production and processing, restaurant grease and cooking oils, and residuals from the treatment of wastewater and drinking water. Composting will also break down petroleum hydrocarbons and some toxic compounds for recycling and beneficial reuse. The use of composting for such purposes is most commonly referred to as a form of bioremediation. High-carbon sources provide the cellulose needed by the composting bacteria for conversion to sugars and heat, while high-nitrogen sources provide the most concentrated protein, which allow the compost bacteria to thrive.

Nutrients of Compost:

The nutrient content of each batch of compost is impossible to predict because it depends on so many variables. What was the carbon nitrogen ratio of the pile? Were any amendments added in the way of activators? We do know that the greater the variety of materials used in making compost, the greater the variety of nutrients in the finished product. Adding compost to your soil breaks down over time and provides nitrogen to your garden and landscape plants. Sufficiently aged compost releases organic nitrogen after soils warm in the spring. Compost attracts earthworms and provides them with a healthy diet. The presence of earthworms, redworms, centipedes, sow bugs, and other soil critters shows that compost is a healthy living material. The process occurs naturally, but can be accelerated and improved by controlling environmental factors.

Tips for Gardening with compost:

Here are a few tips on how to grow a beautiful garden with good compost and manure. Compost and manure can both be purchased from your local garden shop. However, making your own compost is not hard and does not need to be messy If you have a pickup, many dairy farmers or equestrian centers would be glad to give you manure. Don't forget sheep and goat farms - smaller organic farms are best if they are willing to give away their manure. Compost is one of the most valuable resources for beautifying your landscape, and it is virtually free. Vegetable scraps, eggshells, leaves, grass clippings, and the branches you trim are some of the things you can use to make compost. Finished compost is dark and has a pleasant smell. Making your own compost is probably the simplest way to make high quality compost and save money. It's really not as complicated as you may think: There are many commercial composting bins and containers on the market that make it a clean, hassle-free process. Compost can be made in either a pile or compost bin, depending on the amount of material for composting and the needs and size of your garden. A compost pile should be a minimum of one cubic yard, sufficient to ensure a hot temperature. Leave an access area or workspace at the front of the pile for turning the compost, and cover it with a lid or piece of carpet to retain heat and provide protection from rain. A compost bin is often better for smaller gardens. These little gardeners speed the decaying process by loosening the compost and allowing air to enter and circulate.

When is your compost ready to use?

Two bins or piles allow material to accumulate in one while composting in the other. The pile should be protected from hot sun and heavy rain to prevent excess drying or moisture, which prevent effective composting. Compost works best if you add a balanced mixture of rapidly decomposing "green" material and "brown" material, which decomposes slowly. Composting matter should feel damp, but if waterlogged it will smell, attract flies and be inefficient. If the pile is turned regularly, the compost should be ready for use in a month or two. Your compost can sometimes be smelly when you turn it, so set up your compost away from your neighbors! The pile may be left unturned, but the process could take an extra six to twelve months. Compost is ready to use when it has a crumbly appearance, and an earthy smell. You can also add a mix of green and brown materials to make well-balanced compost. A compost pile will mature quickest if it is at least one cubic yard. Microorganisms help break down the compost material. They come from the soil or old compost you add and from the earth on which the compost pile is built. All compostable materials are either carbon or nitrogen-based. Building a healthy compost pile is simple: maintain a working balance between these two. Carbon is referred to as browns, carbon-rich matter peels, thin branches, stems, dried leaves, bits of wood, bark dust or sawdust, shredded brown paper bags, coffee filters, conifer needles, egg shells, hay, peat moss, wood ash gives compost its light, fluffy body. Getting the right mix of moisture and the right mix of ingredients in your compost may take a little practice, but most problems can usually be overcome. If the mixture goes grey and smokes, turn and spread it out to cool the compost down. All compost releases some smell when it is turned. Reduce smell by keeping the compost damp but not wet. Important Note: Many communities have restrictions on composting and/or storage of manure.

Another type of Composting:

Composting toilet systems are another type of friendly environmental practice. This is also known as biological toilets, dry toilets and waterless toilets. This is accomplished by controlling the composting of excrement, toilet paper, and, food wastes. Unlike a septic system, a composting toilet system relies on unsaturated conditions (material cannot be fully immersed in water), where bacteria and fungi break down wastes, similar as they do in a yard waste composter. Sized and operated properly, a composting toilet breaks down waste to 10 to 30 percent of its original volume. The resulting end-product is a stable soil-like material called "humus," which legally must be either buried or removed by a licensed seepage hauler in accordance with state and local regulations in the United States. In other countries, humus is used as a soil conditioner on edible crops.

The primary objective of the composting toilet system is to contain, immobilize or destroy organisms that cause human disease pathogens, thereby reducing the risk of human infection to acceptable levels without contaminating the immediate or distant environment and harming its inhabitants. This should be accomplished in a manner that is consistent with good sanitation minimizing both human contact with unprocessed excrement and exposure to disease vectors, such as flies. This produces an inoffensive and reasonably dry end product that can be handled with minimum risk, and less odor.

Some homebuilders and bathroom remodelers create green bathrooms using water saving toilets and urinals. Bio composting toilets reduce odor and water usage, composting toilet conserves energy and water, and is friendly to the environment. Some of the best selling composting toilets in the world, are as easy and comfortable to use as flush toilets and, there is no need for costly installations of water or sewer lines or connection to septic systems. Some composting toilets use a biological waste treatment system, which evaporates excessive moisture and decomposes human waste with the help of nature's own microorganisms.

If you want to reduce the amount of household waste that leaves your home, composting is something that you need to consider. You need to explore the various types and practice the type of composting that fits your lifestyle and environment while keeping in mind your home and neighborhood surroundings.