subject: The Science Of Composting [print this page] Composting is simple, and, when well-made, is the most effective long-term fertilizer for plants. Since compost is decomposed organic matter, its environmentally appropriate to turn your fresh fruit and vegetable scraps into fertilizer if you have a location to do so. This will not only enable you to grow healthier plants, it will reduce the volume and unpleasant smell of your trash.
The most effective compost is high-temperature, or thermophilic, compost. With high temperature compost, nutrients are readily available to plants, moisture retention of soil is increased, and most pathogens and weed seeds are destroyed.
Hot compost, with attention to aeration is called aerobic. One way to aerate the compost is to turn it. Its important to turn the compost pile because this reintroduces oxygen to the mixture, and maintains the rate of decomposition. With the addition of air and water, carbon and nitrogen cause a chemical reaction that breaks down materials into soil.
The ideal mix for a compost pile should be 50 percent carbon and 50 percent nitrogen by volume. The carbon can come in the form of straw, woodchips, or dried leaves. The nitrogen in a compost pile should come from grass and weeds, added when freshly cut or pulled for greatest benefit.
Most compost will take six months to break down (or cure). The more you turn it, the faster this usually takes, since the aeration will ensure more evenly distributed decomposition. Youll know that the compost is ready to use when all of the original ingredients are indistinguishable, both by sight and by smell.
Plants can grow in nothing but pure compost, since it contains all the basic nutrients, moisture-retaining qualities, and structure to support roots. If not all used, it is also helpful to add remaining finished compost to a new compost pile to help inoculate it.
