Composting 101 2020 01-25
- 1. COMPOSTING 101Ellen Book, Master Gardener Miami-Dade County Cooperative Extension http://TINYURL.com/CompostBasics202
- 3. http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences IFAS
- 4. (Every Day Information Source)
- 5. (Every Day Information Source)
- 9. Was NOT me
- 10. A Tumbler Bin Composter
- 16. Sheet Composting Top-dressing on the soil surface like a garden lasagna right onto a future growing space. Trench Composting - composting directly in the soil Cold Bin Composting Fill your compost bin halfway with browns and bury kitchen scraps Bokashi Bucket anaerobic bacteria (grass-like inoculated bran, rice, dried leaves sprinkled over scraps). 10 days to ferment & “pickle” waste, forming an acidic organic matter that must be dug into the soil or added to a compost pile. TYPES OF COMPOSTING
- 18. GREENs = nitroGenBROWNs = carBon NitroGen = ProteinCarBon = Energy
- 22. Citrus (oranges, grapefruit, lemons, tangerines) Green/nitrogen - cut in half or quarter before composting; mix with browns & add 6-inch layer of browns on top
- 25. BROWNS ON THE BOTTOM & TOP ARE
- 29. Each time we turn the soil, we disrupt billions of bacteria, fungi, insects, worms, and other animals living in the first few inches of earth. The unlucky ones are sliced by the shovel or flipped to the surface where they dry out in the sun and die. Others end up in compacted areas where they die because air and water aren’t able to move through the soil. The rest of the soil ecosystem has to find balance again. Insects and worms rebuild “homes.”
- 35. AS PILE TEMPERATURES & TIME IS NEEDED FOR VARIOUS MICROORGANISMS TO COLONIZE
- 36. Left: (1 year old) Last year’s material all garden stuff, grass & leaves, kitchen: banana peels veg. trimmings from the pile’s top. Middle: (2 years old) bottom of this year’s pile put into bags Right: (3 years old) Finished product from the bags to be used in the garden & greenhouse this year GUESS WHERE THIS COMPOST WAS MADE?
- 38. Smaller surface areas decompose faster
- 43. The free compost bins have trapdoors at the bottom to access the compost which may need to be further cured/finished at a lower temperature.
- 44. Check for moisture when turning the compost. The consistency should feel like a wrung-out sponge.
- 45. Unfinished compost may stress plants, causing yellowing or stalling growth
- 46. Heat cooks most weeds. For hot composting turn when pile temperature drops below 100°F or if the pile is more than 150°F
- 47. LANDFILL SITES
- 50. 1) I'm having problems with my compost system and I'm not sure of the cause. What should I do first? c. Turn the compost
- 51. 2) My compost smells bad and I turned it yesterday. What can I do? a. Add bulky browns/carbon- rich material
- 52. 3) My pile won't heat up, but I have the proper volume of material (approximately 1 cubic yard), enough oxygen (aeration), and a good balance of carbon to nitrogen (approximately 30:1). What can I do? b. Add moisture
- 53. 4) What can I do about flies in my compost? c. No need to act
- 54. 5) How can I compost in my high-rise condo or apartment? b. With worms
- 55. 6) What is the optimal size of a composting system? c. About 3 feet high by 3 feet long by 3 feet wide
- 56. 7) What can be used as a catalyst or inoculant to get my compost pile started? a. Finished compost b. Large pieces left over from screening compost c. Small amount of organic top soil from the yard d. Commercially prepared inoculant e. All of the above
- 57. 8) How do I get rid of fire ants in my compost pile? b. Water and turn the pile
- 58. 9) When is the compost finished? b. When the compost appears dark, crumbly, and looks and smells like soil
- 59. 10) What determines how long it takes for organic material to become useful compost? a. Size of materials place into composting system b. Carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio of materials place into composting system c. Level of management/attention paid to the composting process d. Intended use for finished compost e. All of the above
- 60. 11) Must I cover the compost bin? b. No
- 61. 12) What items may harm my worms if added to my vermi- composting system? a. Alcohol or vinegar
- 62. 13) If I can't compost it, what can I do with it? a. Reduce b. Reuse c. Recycle d. All of the above 14) Must I use a manufactured composting bin? b. No 15) What is the lowest-cost backyard composting system? a. Pile, trench, and sheet composting
- 63. 16) What best accelerates the decomposition of oak leaves? c. Shred leaves before adding to the compost 17) How can I accelerate the compost decomposition process? a. Active management of the compost system
- 64. 18) How much time does it take to make compost? d. As little or as much time as I want
- 65. 19) Hot composting and vermi- composting are compatible? a.False
- 66. 20) How does composting affect soil pH? c. Has a buffering effect In general, compost has a buffering effect on soils. Compost made from acidic materials, such as pine needles or oak leaves, may have a slightly acidifying effect on soils. Because many soils in Florida are slightly basic, there is rarely a need to add lime to neutralize even acidic composts. .
- 69. Contains • 5Xs the available nitrogen • 7Xs the available potash • 50% more calcium than 6” of good top soil • Water soluble nutrient immediately available for plant intake. Will not burn root system unlike fresh raw manures
- 70. COMPOSTING 101 QUESTIONS? Upcoming Master Gardener Programs https://tinyurl.com/PlantEvents Access this presentation at: http://TINYURL.com/CompostBasics Sat., February 8, 2020 Water Issues in our Landscapes, Gardens and Parks Miami Beach Botanical Garden 10am - noon Growing Your Own Herbs California Club Branch Library 4 pm - 6 pm Sat., February 15, 2020 Rain Barrel Workshop Doral Police Training & Community Center 10 am – 11:30 am Native Plant Groundcovers: Alternatives to a Grassy Lawn AD Barnes Park Nature Center 3pm
Editor's Notes
- #3: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/miami-dade/ Google Miami Cooperative Extension
- #6: ADVICE SUCH AS WHAT FRUITS AND VEGGIES WILL GROW AND THRIVE.
- #7: ADVICE FOR SOUTH FLORIDA GARDENERS
- #12: START WITH FOOD SCRAPS. BUT THAT IS JUST THE START…
- #13: TOO MUCH OF ONE THING – LIKE FOOD SCRAPS – MAKES A STINKY MESS.
- #14: LIFE AND COMPOSTING – IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE.
- #15: THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMPOST BINS. SOME CITIES DON’T ALLOW OPEN BINS. MINIMUM SIZE 3’x3’x3”
- #16: A COMPOST PILE IS AS EASY AS A CIRCLE OF WIRE. ENCLOSURES ARE A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP OUT DOGS & RODENTS FROM DIGGING FOR FOOD SCRAPS.
- #17: A COMPOST PILE IS AS EASY AS A CIRCLE OF WIRE. ENCLOSURES ARE A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP OUT DOGS & RODENTS FROM DIGGING FOR FOOD SCRAPS.
- #18: START OUT WITH A VEGETARIAN COMPOST PILE. IF YOUR PUTTING THE COMPOST ON EDIBLES, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT THE PLANT TO UPTAKE FROM THE SOIL IF THE ANIMAL EATS MEATS – DON’T COMPOST ITS POOP. IF IT STILL HAS A WATER CONTENT – IT’S A GREEN
- #19: The bacteria responsible for the composting process require C & N as nutrients to construct their bodies as they reproduce and multiply. CARBON HAS A “B” SO THINK BROWN NITROGEN HAS AN “G” SO THINK GREEN CARBON CREATES ENERGY AS HEAT. NITROGEN IS USED A FOOD/PROTEIN. THE ELEMENTS IN THIS SLIDE ARE THE RECIPE. GREENS + BROWNS + WATER + HEAT + MICRO-ORGANISMS + MACRO-ORGANISMS + OXYGEN = COMPOST
- #20: RECIIPE IS SIMPLE – DO NOT OVERDUE THE GREENS
- #21: EXAMPLES OF GREENS
- #22: Examples of browns
- #25: LIKE THE FOOD PYRAMID OF HOW MUCH WE SHOULD EAT – THIS IS WHAT COMPOST IS CREATED FROM: MORE BROWNS, THEN GREENS
- #26: YES, YOU CAN MIX IT ALL UP. BUT THIS METHOD IS BALANCED. BALANCING MAKES THE COMPOST BREAK DOWN FASTER.
- #27: SOIL THAT IS STERILE (WITHOUT MICRO-ORGANISMS) END UP NEEDING MORE FERTILIZERS. FERTILIZERS SEEP INTO THE AQUIFER.
- #29: In the process of composting, microorganisms break down organic matter and produce carbon dioxide, water, heat, and humus, DIFFERENT BUGS LIKE DIFFERENT TEMPS. Different communities of microorganisms predominate during the various composting phases. Initial decomposition is carried out by mesophilic microorganisms, which rapidly break down the soluble, readily degradable compounds. The heat they produce causes the compost temperature to rapidly rise. As the temperature rises above about 40°C, the mesophilic microorganisms become less competitive and are replaced by others that are thermophilic, or heat-loving. At temperatures of 55°C and above, many microorganisms that are human or plant pathogens are destroyed. Because temperatures over about 65°C kill many forms of microbes and limit the rate of decomposition, compost managers use aeration and mixing to keep the temperature below this point. During the thermophilic phase, high temperatures accelerate the breakdown of proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates like cellulose and hemicellulose, the major structural molecules in plants. As the supply of these high-energy compounds becomes exhausted, the compost temperature gradually decreases and mesophilic microorganisms once again take over for the final phase of "curing" or maturation of the remaining organic matter.
- #30: A LOT OF LIFE GOES ON IN JUST ONE TABLESPOON OF DIRT. Soil is alive. Much more than a prop to hold up your plants, healthy soil is a jungle of voracious creatures eating and pooping and reproducing their way toward glorious soil fertility. A single teaspoon (1 gram) of rich garden soil can hold up to one billion bacteria, several yards of fungal filaments, several thousand protozoa, and scores of nematodes,
- #31: A LOT OF LIFE GOES ON IN JUST ONE TABLESPOON OF DIRT. Soil is alive. Much more than a prop to hold up your plants, healthy soil is a jungle of voracious creatures eating and pooping and reproducing their way toward glorious soil fertility. A single teaspoon (1 gram) of rich garden soil can hold up to one billion bacteria, several yards of fungal filaments, several thousand protozoa, and scores of nematodes,
- #32: DIFFERENT BACTERIA LIKE DIFFERENT TEMPS.
- #33: COMPOST STARTS out COLD, AND AS THE MICROORGANISMS EAT IT GETS HOT, THEN HOTTER, THEN AS THEIR FOOD SUPPLY IS USED UP IT STARTS TO COOL DOWN.
- #34: DIFFERENT BACTERIA LIKE DIFFERENT TEMPS.
- #35: THIS IS THE PROCESS. How much time depends on the mix.
- #36: Compost heat is produced as a by-product of the microbial breakdown of organic material.
- #37: ALASKA! WHAT TAKES THREE YEARS IN ALASKA, CAN TAKE JUST MONTHS IN OUR CLIMATE. THE PROBLEM FOR SOUTH FLORIDA GARDENERS, IS WITH YEAR-ROUND HEAT, COMPOST DETERIORATES QUICKLY.
- #39: CHIP DOWN LARGER ITEMS. ONE WOMAN USES HER BLENDER TO CREATE A MUSH SHREDDERS ARE GOOD FOR TOILET PAPER ROLLS, SMALLER CARDBOARD.
- #40: IT’S THE SAME RECIPE. AERATION KEEPS THE GREENS FROM MATTING.
- #41: IF YOU ARE USING AN OUTSIDE OPEN COMPOSTER – BURY ANY FOOD SCRAPS AT LEAST 7 INCHES DEEP.
- #42: AERATION IS A NECESSITY. THIS IS THE PHYSICAL PART OF COMPOSTING.
- #43: THE OTHER PHYSICAL PART IS MOVING THE NEWEST DECOMPOSED MATERIALS OUT TO MATURE. MOVE THE COOLER AREAS OUTSIDE TO THE INSIDE.
- #44: THE COMPOSTER THAT MIAMI-DADE GIVES OUT HAS A DOOR AT THE BOTTOM TO TAKE OUT COMPOST. LARGER PIECES CAN BE PUT BACK INSIDE
- #46: COMPOST IS AN AMENDMENT NOT A FERTILIZER. IT HELPS WITH THE UPTAKE OF NUTRIENTS. JUST LIKE YOU DON’T LIVE BY EATING JUST VITAMINS, THE VITAMIN PILLS THAT YOU TAKE HELP YOU ABSORB THE MOST OUT OF THE FOOD THAT YOUR EAT.
- #47: A THERMOMETER IS VALUABLE! Probe deep into the compost. Take TEMPERATURE readings in several locations at various depths from the top and sides. Compost may have hotter and colder pockets depending on the moisture & ingredients. IF air enters from the bottom, the hottest locations tend to be two-thirds or more of the way up. A well constructed compost system will heat up to 104F -122F within two to three days. As readily decomposable organic matter becomes depleted, the temperature begins to drop and the process slows considerably. The temperature DEPENDS ON how much heat is being produced by microorganisms and how much is lost through aeration and surface cooling. Moisture also affects temperature change; since water has a higher heat than most other materials, drier compost mixtures tend to heat up and cool off more quickly than wetter mixtures, + MICROBES NEED MOISTURE.
- #48: LANDFILLS IN FLORIDA ARE THROUGHOUT FL. THE TRASH PILES ARE GETTING BIGGER AND HIGHER . 20% WHAT’S BEING TRASHED COULD BE RECYCLED INTO COMPOST.
- #49: HEALTHY VEGGIES AND PLANTS START WITH HEALTHY DIRT
- #51: CORRECT! Most problems associated with composting are due to lack of oxygen in the pile so introduce oxygen, break up clumps, mix the materials, fluff up the materials, and improve the environment inside the compost system. Always turn first — the compost may start performing as desired.
- #52: Most odor problems often result from either too much moisture, so the compost compacts and looses oxygen flow or too much green/nitrogen rich material which off-gas smelly odors (or both). Add bulky brown/carbon rich material to absorb the excess moisture and nitrogen rich gasses. You can just add the browns to the top of the compost bin, but if odors persist, mix the browns in throughout the pile where the bulky material will help keep the pile oxygenated.
- #53: Moisture can be the limiting factor for the most efficient composting. Try adding water to a compost system that won't heat up. Your compost should be as wet as a damp sponge. When you grab a handful of compost it will stay in a ball, but not drip with excess moisture. Too much moisture will also slow your composting process and may cause odors.
- #54: Flies and their larvae, which look like white grubs, can be part of the decomposition process. If the flies don't bother you, ignore them. But, to not breed flies in a compost piles, they are most active in wet kitchen scraps which keep tightly covered so that flies can't lay their eggs in the compostables. Bury scraps deeper in the pile, or cover with at least 4-6 inches of brown cover. Also, flies will be less attracted to a very hot pile.
- #55: You can compost kitchen scraps and organic matter such as trimmings from your house plants using a type of composting called Vermi-composting. This is composting with the help of worms such as red-wigglers. The worms need a place to live, such a small tub or bin placed in a shady section of your porch. Vermi-composting is very efficient and produces material suitable for potting plants.
- #56: The ideal size of the backyard composting pile in a bin is about one cubic yard (3' x 3' x 3'). If you generate more than one cubic yard of material, consider using more bins, rather than larger piles. Larger piles might compact and restrict air flow.
- #57: Many of the micro-organisms needed for decomposition already exist in the environment and on the organic material that is being composted. Other decomposers will join the composting process by floating in on air currents. However, you may want to use an inoculant / catalyst to jump start the microbial activity in your pile. The following materials can be added: Finished compost, which has a compliment of microbes active and dormant in the material; Large pieces left over from screening compost, which will provide bulk as well as microbes to the composting process; A small amount of organic top soil, from the yard; and/or A commercially prepared inoculant.
- #58: Fire ants usually avoid places that are disturbed so a compost pile that is turned will be a unattractive. Ants don’t like wet feet, so keep a moist pile. Reaching higher temperatures in the early stages of composting may also discourage the ants. Most fire ant activities are the result of abandoning the composting process. Once the ants become established or are a hazard to you, try pouring boiling water on the nest. As a last resort, you may use fire ant bait killer NEAR but not in the compost pile. However, avoid direct application of pesticides directly on the compost and follow the pesticide label's instructions for use.
- #59: Compost is finished when it appears crumbly and dark, and looks and smells like soil. You won't be able to recognize most of the materials that you put in at the beginning of the process. You may screen out larger woody pieces to remove materials that have not completely composted yet.
- #60: A backyard composting system may yield finished soil-like compost in two to three months by using small organic pieces less than 2", a mixture of organic materials with a carbon to nitrogen ratio of approximately 30:1, actively turning the pile one to two times per week and monitoring for correct moisture content and temperature. Compost that will be used as a mulch will be ready for use more quickly than compost that will be incorporated into the soil for immediate planting.
- #61: In Florida, covers are not necessary for environmental reasons. However, if you need to deter animals from getting into your compost, a cover will be required. Covers are often used in northern climates where snow accumulations could compact the compost and saturate it with moisture.
- #62: Substances such as alcohol or vinegar may harm the worms.
- #65: You can compost most items with very little effort. Only large volumes of "green" material will require more intense effort during the initial stages. But as with many activities, the more that you put into it the more you get out of it. So the amount of time it takes to make compost varies. Just remember that any effort you make to compost will go a long way to reducing pressure on our landfills, and adds organic matter to our highly depleted sub-tropical soils. You can make a difference.
- #66: Temperatures higher than 90 degrees F will kill or drive away worms. Use a cold-composting method if you will be attracting worms to your compost.
- #69: Temperature of 70-80 degrees Bedding and food Air –skin is their lung Moisture –Need water to breathe through their skin. Bodies are filled with water - even more than ours Designed as a "tube within a tube" - the digestive tract runs the length of the body from mouth to anus Consume their own weight in food daily Have 5 hearts, 1 brain, breathe through skin and lay eggs Double in population every 2-3 months in ideal conditions - (60°- 80°F) Life span – 15+ years
- #70: After 3-5 months Option 1 – Push and Wait Push compost to one side of bin. Fill empty side with new moistened shredded paper and kitchen scraps. Worms will eventually migrate to new food source. Compost can be removed Option 2 – Dump and Shine Dump contents onto flat surface. Shine light on largest concentration of worms. Will migrate from light. Harvest when worms have moved. Option 3 – Both at once – harvest worms and compost Dump contents on plastic-covered table in daylight or under lamp. Form many small piles. Worms will move to bottom. After a few minutes you can remove compost free of worms. Ten minutes later, do it again. Rebed worms when finished
- #71: TO ACCESS A COPY OF THIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, GO TO HTTP://TINYURL.COM/CompostITMiami UPCOMING CLASSES FILL OUT YOUR TWO EVALAUTIONS TO RECEIVE YOUR VOUCHER FOR A FREE COMPOSTER.