Conditions          Vermicomposting

Composting

Americans generate over 200 million tons of waste every year, half of which ends up in municipal landfills. Yard and food wastes make up 30-35% of the waste stream in the US. It is a matter of great energy and worldly importance to be able to divert organic wastes from landfills. So much so, that there are directors for creative diversion of municipal waste in almost every county in the United States.

Composting

Compost : By piling kitchen scraps and garden debris in a bin or heap, gardeners create an ideal habitat for decay organisms. These microorganisms break organic material down to form humus. In addition, the heat inside the pile from all the biologic activity will kill off many disease organisms and unwanted seeds. Compost piles benefit from the addition of manures (for their high nitrogen count and the beneficial bacteria they harbor), occasional watering (so that it is moist not wet), and frequent turning (for aeration).
is a natural process, but can be utilized as a method of treating solid waste in which organic material is broken down by microorganisms in the presence of oxygen to a point where it can be safely and beneficially stored, handled, and applied to the environment. Composting is an essential part of reducing household wastes. It can be done inexpensively by every household and produces a valuable product -- finished compost or humus -- that can benefit the environment as a natural fertilizer for gardening and farming.

As with all "natural" processes, composting is a process that predates our recognition of it. The oldest known reference to "composting" is a set of clay tablets from the Akkadian Empire in the Mesopotamian Valley 1,000 years before Moses. There are references to composting in the Bible and Talmud. Hamlet even advises, "do not spread the compost on the weeds, to make
them ranker."The ancient Romans and Greeks deliberately piled animal manures and soil in such a way as to aid in decomposition. The value of crushed bones, wool waste, wood ashes and lime are spoken of in old Arabic manuscripts. The Medieval Church preserved the knowledge and composting continued through the Dark Ages, Renaissance, and in the New World by the native Indian tribes and European settlers. Since then, researches and agricultural scientists have refined the technique and developed new products to make it easier. In fact, for over 2000 years composting and manuring were the only methods available to farmers to enrich their land. It has only been since the 19th century and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that synthetic refined-mineral fertilizers have been available.

The act of composting is relatively straight forward, but the actual logistics and specifics involved in the biology are multi-tiered involving myriad different organisms and processes. The microorganisms break down the organic material through aerobic respiration

Aerobic respiration : Respiration in which molecular oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide and water are produced. Opposite of anaerobic respiration.
. Oxygen is obtained through the turning of the pile itself and is needed by the various organisms. Failure to turn your compost pile will result in anaerobic respiration and can result in foul odors. The microorganisms also require water to live and multiply. Through the respiration process, the microorganisms give off carbon dioxide and heat. Temperatures within compost piles can reach as high as 100-150 degrees Fahrenheit (28-66 C). If the compost pile or bin is actively managed by turning and watering regularly, the process of decomposition with resulting compost can take as little as 2-3 weeks. This is known as "active" composting. Compost piles left to fend for themselves can take as long as a year and are referred to as "passive" composting.

As was mentioned above, the compost pile hosts a complex organization of many living organisms—a massive, biodiverse foodweb. Bacteria

Bacteria : Primitive, unicellular, microscopic organisms that lack a cell nucleus and other organelles, obtain soluble food by absorption, and reproduce by simple cell division. They include the photosynthetic cyanobacteria (formerly called blue-green algae), and actinomycetes (filamentous bacteria that give healthy soil its characteristic smell). T hese are the most abundant of all organisms --and the simplest (having only a single cell). They are beneficial to decay mechanisms, but many kinds are considered disease organisms. Examples of bacterial diseases include blights and some types of rot and wilt.
and fungi break down the organic matter primarily. Protozoa, nematodes , and mites feed on the bacteria and fungi and predatory nematodes, predatory mites, and other invertebrates- such as sowbugs, millipedes, and beetles- feed on the protozoa, mites, and nematodes. All the organisms work to balance the population of organisms within the compost, which is vital to the process and a fundamental phenomenon in nature.


Conditions

Temperature
The result of the abundance of activity involved in composting is heat. Temperatures can reach upwards of 150 degrees F in an actively engaged compost pile. This phenomenon has several beneficial effects for the backyard gardener. High temperatures kill pathogenic organisms and undesirable weed seeds that may accumulate with your waste. This ensures that when the finished compost is distributed in the garden, the unwanteds are not viable. This also means the decomposition process will slow during cold weather. To ensure that adequate temperatures are reached inside your compost pile, do not turn more than three times a week. This will ensure that adequate oxygen is reaching the microorganisms, but will not disrupt the processes underway. It will also ensure that the high temperatures needed to eliminate pathogens and weed seeds are maintained long enough to do the job.

Aeration
The turning of your compost pile allows the oxygen needed for aerobic respiration to reach its vital destination. Without adequate oxygen, anaerobic respiration occurs, which can lead to foul odors that can potentially attract rodents and other unwanted pests to your area. An actively composting situation should have an "earthy" smell that is not unpleasant and will not attract strangers.

Moisture
The moisture of your compost pile should be maintained between 40-60%. Below 40% microbial activity slows. Above 60% aeration is hindered from being water logged. This is not terribly hard to maintain since most of the materials you will add to your pile- food scraps, grass clippings, etc.- will be mostly water anyway. However, because you are adding two parts C (generally dry), to one part N (generally moist) attention should be paid. An easy way to determine if your moisture is correct is to give the "squeeze test". Your compost should feel like a wrung out sponge. If water can be squeezed from your material it is probably too wet. Conversely, if you feel a lack of moisture it is too dry. Odds are you will not need to maintain the moisture level; it should take care of itself.

Particle size
Although not vital, the particle size of the material being composted can have a significant effect on the speed of the composting process. The smaller the particle, the more surface area present for the microorganisms to feed on, the faster the process.

Carbon(C) :  Nitrogen(N) Ratio
The C:N ratio

Carbon-Nitrogen ratio : The ratio of the weight of organic carbon to the weight of total nitrogen (mineral plus organic forms) in soil or organic material. Usually referred to in regards to composting. Needs to be 30:1, or 2:1 by weight, for proper decomposition for composting.
is a fundamental aspect of the composting process and vital to ensuring that adequate food is present for the organisms doing the work and the processes involved. The bacteria and fungi use the C for energy and use the N for reproduction and digestion. The C:N ratio needs to be 30:1, respectively; but can be accomplished by presenting your compost scenario with a C:N ration of 2:1, respectively, by volume. Getting it right is more a fine art, than an exact science.

Carbon (Brown's)
Generally dry and slow to decompose. Used as source of energy for microbes.
Ex: Straw, dry leaves, woodchips, paper products

Nitrogen (Green's)
High in moisture, fast to decompose. N is raw element of proteins used to build microbe bodies and for microbial reproduction and digestion.
Ex: Veggie scraps, fresh grass, green leaves, manure, coffee grounds

In the case of unwanted odors or grub infestations, lime is a potent resource to utilize. Grubs can accumulate in compost situations that utilize meats, dairy's or any other slow decomposing materials. If composting rotten fruits it is a good idea to bury them under your pile. Grubs are the larvae stage of certain flies and although it takes 2-3 weeks for their transformation, if left unchecked can become an annoying nuisance in your composting situation. It is a good idea to allow complete decomposition before adding compost to your garden. Unfinished compost can actually use some of the beneficial Nitrogen in your garden to finish the process, taking it away from growing plants.

If you have a question about something you wish to compost do a quick web search, check here, or contact us.

What to add

  • Kitchen waste - best to chop up or grind the wastes so that they can be broken down faster
    • Fruit and vegetable wastes - peels, skins, seeds, leaves
    • Egg shells
    • Coffee grounds (including paper filters), tea bags, used paper napkins
    • Corncobs - should be shredded to make them break down quickly
  • Yard waste
    • Grass clippings - Some grass is okay, but too much will add excess nitrogen to the compost pile and make it smell bad.
    • It may be best to use a mulching lawn mower for your grass.
    • Leaves
    • Pine needles
    • Weeds
    • Woody materials (branches, twigs)
    • Straw or hay
  • Newspaper
  • Seaweed, kelp or marsh grass hay - If you live by the ocean and it is legal to harvest these, they are excellent, nutrient-rich materials. Rinse or soak them thoroughly in fresh water to remove excess salt before adding them to your compost pile.
  • Sawdust - This is an excellent source of carbon.

Meat and Dairy products
Meat and dairy products are high in fat. They will cause an unpleasant odor if added to a passive pile or poorly managed active compost pile. For a hot, well-turned compost pile, meat and dairy wastes are acceptable. However, it is better to run the wastes through a blender or food processor to reduce their size and speed their decomposition. To be safe, you might want to avoid them altogether.

What NOT to Add

  • Human waste or pet litter - They carry diseases and parasites, as well as cause an unpleasant odor.
  • Diseased garden plants - They can infect the compost pile and influence the finished product.
  • Invasive weeds - Spores and seeds of invasive weeds (buttercups, morning glory, quack grass) can survive the decomposition process and spread to your desired plants when you use the finished compost.
  • Charcoal ashes - They are toxic to the soil microorganisms.
  • Glossy paper - The inks are toxic to the soil microorganisms.
  • Pesticide-treated plant material - These are harmful to the compost foodweb organisms, and pesticides may survive into the finished compost.

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Vermicomposting

Most people are introduced to worms at a young age. They're found everywhere and elicit wonder because of their funky physiological shape and uncanny ability to catch fish. They are much more than a novelty though. They are major decomposers of dead and decomposing organic matter, and derive their nutrition from the bacteria and fungi that grow upon these materials. They fragment organic matter and make major contributions to recycling the nutrients it contains. Earthworms occur in most temperate soils and many tropical soils. They are divided into 23 families, more than 700 genera, and more than 7,000 species. They range from an inch to two yards in length and are found seasonally at all depths in the soil. However, only certain species are beneficial to composting.

Composting with Worms
Composting with worms is termed vermicomposting

Vermicomposting : Composting with worms.
. The logistics of decomposition for vermicomposting is no different than regular composting; the worms simply speed up and enrich the process. The most common composting worm is Eisenia fetida or "Red Wigglers". They are amazing creatures, in that they can consume their weight in organic matter each day. The by-product of this ingestion and secretion is called worm castings . Castings contain from 5 to 11 times the amount of N-P-K as the soil the worms ate to produce the castings. How do they work such magic? The secretions of their intestinal tracts act chemically to liberate plant nutrients with the aid of soil microorganisms . Red wigglers are not a burrowing species of worm. They thrive on the detritus found on the surface of forest floors or compost piles. Hence, they will not be happy with a garden bed, which has essentially been composted into humus already. They will also not be happy in active compost due to the excessive heat. Because of this, if worms are to be utilized it is best to spread your compost pile out to increase the surface area and reduce the potential for heat in the center of the pile.

Breeding
Redworms are hermaphroditic

Hermaphrodite : An individual having the reproductive organs and many of the secondary sex characteristics of both sexes.
, and will produce an egg capsule every 14-21 days, each containing over 1 dozen babies. The babies look like tiny white threads about half an inch long, but they grow fast, reaching sexual maturity in four to six weeks and making their own capsules. Because of this one-pound of worms (~1,000 worms) can easily be one thousand pounds (~1,000,000 worms) in as little as a year in ideal conditions. This rapid breeding rate means the worm population easily adjusts to conditions in the worm box according to the feed supply and the proportion of worm castings to feed and bedding.

Conditions for a Worm Home

Container: Specific plans for a worm farm can be found with a simple web search. Here we will concentrate on the ideal conditions for such a home. A suitable bin can be constructed of untreated, non-aromatic wood, or a plastic container. A wooden box is better if you keep the worms outdoors, because it will keep the worms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter through incubation. An outdoor wooden bin can even serve double-duty as a bench. If a plastic container is used, it should be thoroughly washed and rinsed before the worms and bedding are added. The bin size depends on the amount of food produced by your household. The general rule of thumb is one square foot of surface area for each pound of garbage generated per week.

Temperature: Composting worms love cool, damp and dark environs, and will breed optimally when these conditions are maintained. A common trick used for indoor worm farms is to utilize a light source directly over the bin. Since worms have an aversion to light they are scarred down allowing them to become comfortable with their new environment. They will tolerate temperatures from 40 F to 80 F, but 55° to 77°F is ideal.

Bedding: The worms need bedding material in which to burrow and to bury the garbage. It should be a non-toxic, fluffy material that holds moisture and allows air to circulate. Suitable materials include shredded paper (such as black-and-white newspapers, paper bags, computer paper, or cardboard); composted animal manure; shredded, decaying leaves; peat moss (which increases moisture retention); or any combination of these. Add two handfuls of soil or a compost activator to inoculate material with soil microbes for worms to feed on.

Moisture: Conceptually the same as the moisture needs for composting, the medium should stay moist to ensure enough water for microorganisms to move around and proliferate, but not wet enough to inhibit respiration. The "squeeze test" is a good means of determining the correct moisture. If you can squeeze water out of your medium and bedding, odds are there is too much moisture. The consistency should feel like a wrung out sponge.

Material: The recommended materials for vermicomposting are much the same as for composting. Remember, the two processes are essentially identical; the worms simply speed up the process. Refer to above chart or contact us for what to add and what not to add.

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