COMPOST/ING:
-the pulse of an organic garden
-the most critical task of every garden / farm (Rodale)
-Compost is the critical component to creating a balanced eco-system.
-Experimentation with local and seasonal process
HUMUS in this case is NOT
BUT
-Fungus by-product;
-Nature's way of recycling. Whether you're involved or not.
-A cement that glues the grains or crubms together
-Result of decomposition - holds soil together
-Essential component of soil; you want to create the conditions that create humus
Wikipedia: is degraded organic material in soil, which causes some soil layers to be dark brown or black. In soil science, humus refers to any organic matter that has reached a point of stability, where it will break down no further and might, if conditions do not change, remain essentially as it is for centuries, if not millennia.[2]
In agriculture, humus is sometimes also used to describe mature compost, or natural compost extracted from a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend soil. It is also used to describe a topsoil horizon that contains organic matter (humus type,[3] humus form).[4], humus profile[5]
Humus has a characteristic black or dark brown color, due to an accumulation of organic carbon
Aerobic decomposition: The active microbes in the compost pile requires O2
Anaerobic decomposition: The active microbes in compost pile that do not require O2 (indoor)
Aggregates: larger units of the individual particles of sand, clay, and silt, that naturally group together
Compost: the biological reduction of organic matter into humus (finished compost - within this is humus - the most beneficial component of compost that you want, i.e. the glue holding H2O in your soil, releasing H2) & nutrients into the soil over time)
A. Why Compost?
-naturally improves your soil
-resourceful - conserves resources
-closes the loop
-diverts waste from landfill
-40% of our trash is compostable (mainly food scraps, cardboard, leaves); 1 football field + 15 feed deep of methane CO2 gasses (every day) - global warming
B. Benefits of Compost in Soil?
-improves your soil structure
-increases moisture
-100 lbs of humus; 195 lbs of H2O can hold...?
-slow release of nutrients making available to plants
-boosts fertility of soil by increasing proportion of micro & macro life
-buffers soil's PH (balances)
-promotes disease suppression (microbes in compost that suppress disease e.g. fungus)
-prevents erosive conditions
C. Different Ways to Compost
(1) Worms - food scraps (main compostable item)
(2) Burrying - food scraps in your backyard (bury it deep enough to prevent rodents/beasts)
(3)Cold/Passive Composting - adding to a receptacle or passive pile
In the community garden - weekds break down; acts as a reserve for active back yard of weeds
Sheet mulching is an example of passive composting
helps keep the weeds down; builds fertility; layer of mulch woodchips + manure (compost + chicken manure) composting happens underneath
D. Why Aerobic Decomposition (Hot Composting)
-Fast
-Diverse in Nutrients
-Encourages a diverse eco-system
-Connects you back to nature
-Smells Earthy
-Stabilizes volatile nitrogen, keeps from going out to air
-kills off weeds, seeds & pathogens
-150 degrees for 15 days straight
-allows for use of raw materials (raw manures) to be incorporated directly in the soil
E. Biology of the Composting Process: How does this decomposition happen? - Need to check notes
-microbial process
accomplished by enzymatic digestion of plant & animal materials by soil's micro organisms
-chemical process
chemical process of oxydation, reduction, hydrolysis
these two systems work together to break down organic matter
3 cycles - stage 1 turnover - stage 2 - stage 3
3 cycles - stage 1 turnover - stage 2 - stage 3
3rd cycle fully finshed compost
2 months
2 months
F. Key Compost Organisms - Decomposers
Nature's FBI
Fungus
Bacteria
Invertibrates
Primary Consumers - microscopic organisms worm castings have these micro-orgs that help break down; bacteria & fungus
Secondary Consumers - macroscopic organisms - mites, worms, insects
Role of bacteria - responsible for heating up; responsible for first stages of hot composting
-bacteria reprodcue under the right conditions
Mesophiles bacteria 50degrees - 113degrees (activated) 113-150 thermophiles heat loving bacteria 13 days; decomposition can slow down if you don't have the right heat conditions; 1 month curve
Secondary Consumers - macroscopic organisms - mites, worms, insects
Role of bacteria - responsible for heating up; responsible for first stages of hot composting
-bacteria reprodcue under the right conditions
Mesophiles bacteria 50degrees - 113degrees (activated) 113-150 thermophiles heat loving bacteria 13 days; decomposition can slow down if you don't have the right heat conditions; 1 month curve
KEY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR AEROBIC, HOT COMPOSTING (1-2 weeks)
1. COMPOST MATERIALS
2. MOISTURE
3. AERATION
4. VOLUME & TRAINING
5. ASSESSING COMPOST MATURITY & STABILITY
1. COMPOST MATERIALS (read chart in Rodale pg. 109-120, ch. 6)
DO's
-yard waste
-straw
-grasses, seeds
-coffee grinds, egg shells
-food scraps burried in center to avoid rodents and stench
-manure, horse, chicken, deer, etc.
-sticks, twigs
tip: leaves can compact so you need to turnover
DON'TS
-Hay - no way (seedheads)
-Meat, cooked foods, oils, dairy
A. Greens (Nitrogenous Materials)
10-1 ratio ; coffee grinds, manure, food scraps
B. Browns (Carbonaceous Materials)
woodchips 500-1
tip: wood chip mulch vs. straw mulch
wood chip mulch steals nitrogen from veggies; woodchips are high in nitrogen; straw is a better mulch for veggies
wood chips are okay for perennial veggies
carbon to nitrogen ratio 30 - 1 by weight
C. Manure - best ingredient for hot composting; nitrogen/bacteria
tip: know what animals were fed
Resources: Daly City; Children's Day School
Dolores - Straw & Chicken Poop
D. Innoculants - Get from outside; biological activator - don't need if you have manure
E. Particle Size - more surface area 3-6"; too big- longer to break down
2. MOISTURE -
consistency of a rung out sponge (50-60%)
all decomposers need water to thrive
get moisture by food scraps; browns need a little water; too wet can become anaerobic (stinky); if too wet add dry carbon and turn it; too dry add water or fleshy materials
tip: during rainy season add tarp to protect
3. AERATION
-aerobic bacteria need air & oxygen
bulkiness of carbon materials - prevents the anaerobic conditions
bottom layer, sticks & twigs + turning it 1x week
tip: when it start to cool down - turn it; don't turn it when it's too hot
4. VOLUME & TURNING
3x3x3 - self insulates
need to add notes here
turn over onto the tarp in a pile and introduce O2 mixing things up
5. ASSESSING COMPOST MATURITY & STABILITY
How do you know when it's done?
No longer the presence of macro-organisms
dark brown/black color
consistency of a rung out sponge
crumbly texture
sweet smell
Composting - WORM vs. BACKYARD
Worm - predominantly HUMUS
use food scraps (nitrogen)
lacks diversity in nutrients
condensed with ________________
1. COMPOST MATERIALS
2. MOISTURE
3. AERATION
4. VOLUME & TRAINING
5. ASSESSING COMPOST MATURITY & STABILITY
1. COMPOST MATERIALS (read chart in Rodale pg. 109-120, ch. 6)
DO's
-yard waste
-straw
-grasses, seeds
-coffee grinds, egg shells
-food scraps burried in center to avoid rodents and stench
-manure, horse, chicken, deer, etc.
-sticks, twigs
tip: leaves can compact so you need to turnover
DON'TS
-Hay - no way (seedheads)
-Meat, cooked foods, oils, dairy
A. Greens (Nitrogenous Materials)
10-1 ratio ; coffee grinds, manure, food scraps
B. Browns (Carbonaceous Materials)
woodchips 500-1
tip: wood chip mulch vs. straw mulch
wood chip mulch steals nitrogen from veggies; woodchips are high in nitrogen; straw is a better mulch for veggies
wood chips are okay for perennial veggies
carbon to nitrogen ratio 30 - 1 by weight
C. Manure - best ingredient for hot composting; nitrogen/bacteria
tip: know what animals were fed
Resources: Daly City; Children's Day School
Dolores - Straw & Chicken Poop
D. Innoculants - Get from outside; biological activator - don't need if you have manure
E. Particle Size - more surface area 3-6"; too big- longer to break down
2. MOISTURE -
consistency of a rung out sponge (50-60%)
all decomposers need water to thrive
get moisture by food scraps; browns need a little water; too wet can become anaerobic (stinky); if too wet add dry carbon and turn it; too dry add water or fleshy materials
tip: during rainy season add tarp to protect
3. AERATION
-aerobic bacteria need air & oxygen
bulkiness of carbon materials - prevents the anaerobic conditions
bottom layer, sticks & twigs + turning it 1x week
tip: when it start to cool down - turn it; don't turn it when it's too hot
4. VOLUME & TURNING
3x3x3 - self insulates
need to add notes here
turn over onto the tarp in a pile and introduce O2 mixing things up
5. ASSESSING COMPOST MATURITY & STABILITY
How do you know when it's done?
No longer the presence of macro-organisms
dark brown/black color
consistency of a rung out sponge
crumbly texture
sweet smell
Composting - WORM vs. BACKYARD
Worm - predominantly HUMUS
use food scraps (nitrogen)
lacks diversity in nutrients
condensed with ________________
Backyard - browns, chicken poop, food scraps, straw, diversity of nutrients
Plants of the Day
Uses (1) Shampoo, (2) medicinal - rub on soars; pains & cramps (3) food - bulbs cooked slowly (4) sealant for baskets (5) glue (6) toxic to fish - stupefy fish to catch them (7) used for tattoos (8) fibers bound into brooms (9) glue for bow & arrows & soap & sut used to antique bows
Lunch black bean quinoa, enchilladas, empanadas, cabbage salad
Misc. For anything DIY and Gardening with Children related - Nichole is your gal.
No comments:
Post a Comment