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Different Types of Composting

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The most common way to compost organic material into usable fertilizer is to make use of the naturally occurring microbes to use the material as food and energy. Other than ensuring your pile has enough water, food, and air you can leave the rest of the job to the ever helpful fungi and bacteria.

The types of microbes you want to inhabit your composter are aerobic, meaning they need oxygen to thrive and live. You can make sure they have enough air by aerating the compost heap (turning it over with a rake). Another way to ensure there is good air circulation is to add a material such as wood chips or hay – both are bulky and are not easily compressed. This makes sure the air can get in and do its job.

The other kind of microbes that can convert your waste are anaerobic (they do not need oxygen to survive). This may sound like a great alternative – not having to worry if enough air is available. But the unpleasant side effect of having anaerobic microbes in your compost bin is the smell. Without enough air, there will be a distinct rotting garbage smell emanating from your bin.

Another way to compost is to use red worms to help decompose the organic waste. This form of composting is known as vermicomposting. The red earthworms can quickly turn your table scraps into compost. To help the process along it is recommended that you chop or cut the organic material you add to the composter first. This is an optional step but will yield faster results. Only food scraps, paper or yard waste is recommended for this type of composting.

You can purchase the red worms at your local pet or fishing supply store – these are not the same worms that you find crawling in your backyard.

The Benefits of Composting

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Besides a free and nutrient rich fertilizer for your soil and plants there are many other benefits to starting a compost in your yard. A few of the benefits of composting are listed below.

* You can reduce or eliminate weeds in your garden by using compost as it prevents weed seeds from sprouting and prospering. This is a natural alternative to pesticides.

* Mature compost material has been used to stop or prevent erosion in certain areas. The binding capability in the compost can keep the soil in place and prevent dangerous drop-offs.

* Reducing the amount of organic material that goes to a dump unnecessarily – in turn this reduces the amount of methane gas a dump creates during decomposition.

* In wetlands areas that are in trouble, compost has been used to revitalize the soil and surrounding plant life.

* Healthier plants, compost material can prevent your plants from contracting diseases that kill or spread to the rest of the crop or garden.

* Can create a stable and healthier pH balance in your soil.

* If your soil is overly dry (sandy), adding compost to the soil and thoroughly mixing can help the sandy dirt retain more water keeping it moist.

* If your soil is clay-like, you can make the dirt easier to work with and less dense by adding mature compost.

* Provides important nutrients and micronutrients to the soil and plants.

* Increases the temperature of the soil creating a conducive environment for plant growth and health. This is just a few of the important benefits that can be derived from using compost. It helps the environment, your garden, your plants and the planet.

The small amount of time that it takes to set-up and maintain a compost bin or pile is well worth the time and
effort.

Who Should Compost?

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As there are many uses for compost, you will find people with different interests and
occupations utilizing this environmentally friendly resource.

A homeowner can create a compost bin or pile to reduce the amount of trash they are throwing away. As an added benefit they are creating a fertilizer for their house plants or garden plot. Since compost bins require green food (grass clippings) and brown food (organic waste) you can collect your grass clippings and add them to your bin too.

On a farm, crops can produce a lot of waste. A farmer can use crops that are not consumable and add them to a compost bin along with manure from any livestock they may keep. Once the compost matures and is ready, the farmer can use the material for added nutrients in the soil; build up low spots in his field; and to keep the soil healthy –
mature compost has the ability to prevent weed seeds from sprouting.

A professional landscaper can create compost material for clients that want only natural or organic materials used on their lawn or flower beds. This can be a low-cost material for a landscaper to utilize providing his clients with Earth-friendly options with a low overhead cost.

If you like the idea of composting but do not have the space or time to create one, check with your city or municipality’s recycling center. Some will accept your yard waste and clippings for a city compost heap. This material will then be used throughout the city’s parks and gardens. In certain centers they may let the residents utilize the mature compost for their own needs too.

Schools will utilize compost to teach the students the process of decomposition and to teach children what we can do to help our planet. This is in addition to the cost savings for the school in up keeping the grounds and park.

 

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