What is Composting?

What is Composting?

Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer to improve soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. Decomposing organic materials like plants, food scraps, and other organic waste make it. This blend contains beneficial bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and fungi, all of which better soil fertility in gardens, landscaping, urban agriculture, and farming, diminishing the need for costly, commercial chemical fertilizers. The advantages of compost include the provision of vital nutrients to plants as a fertilizer, serving as a soil conditioner, improving the humus and humic acid contents of the soil, and fostering beneficial microorganisms that reduce the threat of soil-borne diseases.

At the simplest level, composting requires gathering a mix of ‘greens’ (green waste) and ‘browns’ (brown waste). Greens are nitrogen-rich materials such as leaves, grass, and food scraps. Browns are woody materials rich in carbon, such as stalks, paper, and wood chips. The materials break down into humus in a process taking months.

To begin the composting process, a carefully monitored cycle with appropriate inputs of water, oxygen, and carbon and nitrogen-containing materials is necessary. To enhance decomposition, shredding the organic materials, hydrating them, and aerating the mixture by routinely turning it with open piles or windrows are key. Additionally, the action of fungi, earthworms, and other detritivores contributes to breaking down the organic components. Meanwhile, aerobic bacteria and fungi regulate the chemistry, releasing heat, carbon dioxide, and ammonium as a result.

Composting is an integral element of waste management since around one-fifth of the materials in landfills are food and other decomposable materials. Unlike dumping them into landfills, this process reduces anaerobic methane emissions and offers various economic and ecological advantages. Furthermore, compost can be employed in projects such as stream restoration, construction of wetlands, and covering landfills.

In-vessel composting involves methods that limit the composting material to a structure, such as a plastic tank, concrete bunker, or metal container. Airflow and temperature within these units are kept at optimal conditions for aerobic decomposition with the aid of bioreactors. Air is introduced through tubes that are buried underground, and an efficient biofilter expels the exhaust air. Temperature and humidity levels are observed and regulated using probes that are inserted into the compost.

What is Compost Tea?

A nutrient-rich liquid, compost tea is created through an infusion process, extracting the beneficial microorganisms – bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and micro arthropods – from compost. The finished product is complete with all organisms that were in the original compost and the nutrients which it contains.

Benefits of Worm Casting

Worm castings are a naturally produced form of fertilizer created by earthworms. Commonly referred to as vermicast, the castings are, in fact, the waste left by worms after they consume compost. The resultant material enriches the soil to optimal levels.

Here are 11 key benefits of using worm castings in your garden:

1. Packed with nutrients that help to make plants grow faster
2. All nutrients are water-soluble, making it an immediate plant food
3. Extracts toxins, harmful fungi, and bacteria from the soil. This helps prevent plant disease
4. Repels pests that feed on plants, such as aphids and spider mites (a natural pesticide)
5. Contains beneficial microbes and bacteria which helps protects plants from disease
6. Contains humic acid, which aids in plant nutrient absorption and stimulates plant growth
7. pH neutral – this offsets acidic conditions in the soil
8. Improves the condition of soil, including stability, aeration, drainage, and water retention
9. Increases garden yield by as much as 25%
10. Worms remove toxic heavy metals from the soil. This means their castings are heavy metal free
11. Cannot burn plants as the nitrogen is slow releasing and it does not contain any salts