By Ivory Harlow

*Free for Dirt Lovers Everywhere

Composting 101

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“True stewards of the land understand that

more living organisms are in a double-handful

of healthy soil than there are people on the

face of the earth.”

From The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer

by J. Salatin

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Table of Contents

Composting Terms p.4

Composting Tools p.5

Composting Techniques p.7

10 Step Composting Process p.9

Organic Matter: Compost Ingredients p.10

Troubleshooting p.13

Compost Tea p.14

Compost as Fertilizer p.15

Vermicomposting p.18

Resources p.22

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Composting—the biological reclamation of organic materials by natural decomposition process. Returns organic matter to soil in a usable form.

Compost—the total of organic matter plus bacteria, microorganisms, fungi and protozoans.

Humus—dark, crumbly, nutritious product of composting. The end of the decomposition process.

“If humus declines, the entire soil ecology runs down and with it, soil tilth and the health and productivity of plants.” –Organic Gardener’s Com-

posting

Tilth—the physical condition of soil in relation to growing a crop.

Biomass—All things organic, dead and alive. Fertile soil sustains a large amount of bio-

mass.

Organic matter—green and brown compost ingredients

Nitrogen— “green” compost ingredients

Carbon—“brown” compost ingredients

C:N ratio—carbon to nitrogen ratio

Fertilizer—a concentrated plant nutrient source that rapidly becomes available in the soil. Can be ei-

ther chemical or organic.

Vermicomposting—indoor worm composting

Traditional compost tea—brewed compost and water

Aerated compost tea— brewed and aerated compost and water, plus food to feed microbes.

Aeration—turning compost to encourage healthy oxygen flow. Accelerates decomposition.

Mulch—a protective layer of material, such as straw, leaves or wood chips, positioned around plants

to help retain moisture, control weeds or soil erosion.

TERMS

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Composting Tools

Fork– manure, digging or pitchfork for aerating compost by hand.

Shovel– used to turn compost and chop larger items down to size.

Compost aerator– a specialty designed tool that makes aerating large, deep piles easier.

Hedge clippers, machete or shredder– to chop larger items down to compost friendly size.

Bucket or barrow– to collect and transport compost ingredients.

Bin or pile– houses compost, bacteria, microbes and/or worms.

Turning bins and tumblers- square bins that flip or barrel bins that crank for easy aeration.

Accelerants- concentrated amounts of microorganisms. Applied as either a “starter” or “accelerator”.

Thermometer- critical tool for hot composting. Monitors compost temperature.

Moisture meter– monitors the moisture level of compost .

Cover– protects from excessive moisture or sun on outdoor piles.

Compost extractor and brewing system– equipment for aerated compost tea making.

Aquarium pump– a cheap alternative tool to make small batches of aerated compost tea .

Strainer or cheesecloth– for straining compost tea.

Screen– used to sift compost before application.

Spreader– a walk behind alternative to hand broadcasting.

Test– to analyze C:N, nutrient levels, moisture, minerals etc. See resources.

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1. Crops deplete soil nutrients, adding compost replenishes soil nutrients.

“No society can be economically or ecologically healthier than the soil on which it depends.”

From Folks, This Ain’t Normal by J. Salatin

2. Avoids adding organic waste to landfills and bogging down trash incineration systems.

“Yard wastes alone contribute between 15 and 20 percent of the solid waste generated by a city.”

From OSU CDFS 110

3. Compost provides potting or nursery container medium.

4. Composting is a great way to reduce and recycle.

“20-30% household waste is compostable.” From OSU HYG-1189-99

5. Compost conditions soil for future planting and is a vitamin pack for newbie transplants.

6. Compost is free fertilizer for your lawn, garden, house plants.

AND

It may allow you to reduce or discontinue using pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

“They [industrial farmers] apply chemical fertilizer that burns out organic matter, which is the secret to soil life.”

From The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer by J. Salatin

7. Compost loosens clay soil, improves moisture retention of sandy soil, and adds essential nutrients to all soil.

8. Compost is delicious food for your lawn, houseplants, garden and ornamentals.

9. Scattering compost on top of your perennial garden in fall, may help your perennials survive winter.

10. Participation in the circle of life!

“Ingonyama, Ingonyama,” From The Lion King

10 Benefits

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In-vessel – composting within a confined space. Small scale barrels and tumblers to industrial sized cylinders. +year round +controlled +commercial Static piles – outdoor piles or windrows, approx. 4-5 feet wide, long, and high. +cheap +easy +natural Trench – Compost ingredients buried in trenches or holes; yard landfills. +cheap +easy +natural Sheet—organic materials layered on top of soil surface; composting in place. Examples include allowing lawn clippings to decompose in place, or using cover crops. +easy + small gardens to huge fields +fall and winter when traditional compost piles are stagnant Hot –speed up decay process with increased temperature. +speedy +commercial use Vermi—using worms to compost indoors. +year round +small scale +easy Bokashi – Japanese method of fermenting organic matter using starter cultures. +speedy +compact

Methods

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“Leaves, grass, carcasses of bugs and

animals. Trees that fall over. The life,

death, decomposition, regeneration cy-

cle is both physically and ecologically

fundamental and profoundly spiritual.”

From Folks, This Ain’t Normal by J. Salatin

5 Critical Components to Composting

1. Carbon and nitrogen organic materials

2. Bacteria and microbes, fungi and protozoans

3. Water – moisture is critical for microbe movement. Maintain compost moisture level of a wrung out sponge. Ideal compost moisture con-

tent is 60%; when content falls below 50%, the rate of decomposition decreases.

4. Heat— Initially sun, warm summer atmosphere, green ingredients, and aeration heat up compost. During decomposition microbe activity

and the breakdown of organic material continue to increase the internal temperature. Compost temperature will vary wildly throughout the

composting process.

“It takes three days at 131 degrees F (55 degrees C) to kill parasites, fecal and plant pathogens.”

“Most composting should include temperatures in the thermophilic range (100-150 degrees F).”

From OSU Bulletin 792

5. Air- air exists in the space between soil particles. It allows passages for earthworms, and increases the compost’s internal temperature,

thereby increasing it’s rate of decomposition.

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In northern winter climates you will have to make

adjustments:

1. Follow instructions above until pile freezes.

2. Allow pile to hibernate until spring.

3. Once pile thaws, add extra nitrogen and/or a

compost accelerator and continue the process.

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Green Nitrogen Rich Ingredients:

Manure

Coffee grounds

Egg shells

grass clippings

green plant material

Citrus peels

Vege scraps

Animal bedding

Alfalfa

Human hair

Brown Carbon Rich

Ingredients:

Cardboard

Newspaper

Dry leaves

Dry Pine needles

Sawdust, wood chips, bark

Aged hay and straw

“Microorganisms use the car-

bon in leaves or woody

wastes as an energy source.”

From OSU HYG-1189-99

“Nitrogen provides the microbes

with the raw element of proteins

and nucleic acids to build their

bodies.”

From OSU HYG-1189-99

DO NOT COMPOST

Meat

Dead animals

Grease and Fat

Bones

Diseased plants

Infested plants

Poison ivy/oak

Pet or people poop*

Dairy

Invasive plants

*Experts warn that pet waste may contain disease organisms that infect humans and untreated hu-

man waste may harbor dangerous bacteria; but both pet and human manure are composted and

used on food fields in foreign countries.

“Carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) is the most important single aspect that controls both the

heap’ ability to heat up and the quality of the compost that results.”

From Organic Gardener’s Composting

Maintain a C:N ratio of 25-30:1

“Given the right balance of car-

bon and nitrogen, the appropri-

ate amount of water, and

enough mass, a compost pile

can digest anything that was

once alive.”

From The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball

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Manure is a valuable and nitrogen

rich compost ingredient.

Maerere, A., et al. Imperative Effectiveness of Animal Manures on Soil. January 2001. Retrieved from http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajst/article/viewFile/44623/28125.

Sundermeier, A. Manure and Compost: Nitrogen Availability in Organic Production. n.d. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

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What is the right balance of Carbon to Nitrogen?

30:1 is ideal, 25:1 is acceptable.

How long does it take to achieve finished compost?

As little as 8 weeks with intensive methods, to 24 months with natural decomposition.

How will I know my compost is done?

Compost will look like dark, crumbly fluffy soil. Compost contents will have dramatically reduced in size. Compost will have

stabilized in temperature.

How big should my pile be?

“Piles smaller than three feet cubed (27 cu. ft.; 3-4 ft tall) have trouble holding this heat in the winter, while piles larger than

five feet cubed (125 cu. ft.; 5-6 ft tall) do not allow enough air to reach the microbes at the center.” From OSU HYG 1189-99

How often should I use compost?

Organic Gardener’s Composting recommends once a year, “for the purpose of maintain humus content of vegetable ground at

a healthy level, a thin scattering once a year is gracious plenty,” (1993). However, to improve soil health, rather than just re-

store nutrients used during growing season, you should use compost much more frequently.

I use compost before, after and during intensive planting. I also use compost as part of my potting medium when I start

seeds. I use compost tea to fertilize growing seedlings and I scatter finished compost at soil surface to support seedlings at

time of transplant.

How much compost should I use?

If applied as a onetime soil amendment, it would take 2,500 lbs of humus per 1,000 square feet or 50 tons per acre (Organic

Gardener’s Composting, 1993). It’s harder to over-feed soil than it is to feed it enough. If you are nervous about overfeeding,

brew compost tea to feed your plants. Compost tea dilutes the power of compost and allows you to cover more ground than

if you scatter compost on soil.

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My compost smells.

Too much nitrogen. Add carbon.

My compost smells like ammonia.

“As the C:N ratio decreases below 25, excess nitrogen is converted to ammonia. This is wasted into the atmosphere and results in

undesirable odors.” From OSU Bulletin 792

Too much nitrogen. Add carbon.

My compost smells sweet. Pile is cold.

Too much carbon. Add nitrogen.

My compost is taking FOR-EV-ER to decay.

Too cold. Increase temperature.

Not enough oxygen. Areate.

Chorine in treated water. Expose bin to rain or collect rainwater to moisten vessel contents.

Too much carbon. add nitrogen.

Add accelerator.

Too large of particles. Chop with shovel, shears or machete.

The center of my pile is dry.

Add water. Aerate.

The center of my pile is warm, but the outside is cold.

Pile too small. Add material and turn.

My compost pile is attracting wild animals and pests.

Cover all food scraps with carbon or bury in pile immediately.

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Compost Tea

Compost tea is beneficial because it can expand the reach of your compost, serve as a safe low-strength natural fertilizer

for seedlings, and establish beneficial microbes on plant’s leaves. Additionally compost tea can reduce fungal diseases in

plants and clear out plant predators overnight!

Recipe for Aerated Compost Tea

1. Fill a 1 gallon bucket with water.

2. Run the aquarium pump for one hour to remove chlorine from water (if using city water). Remove pump from bucket.

3. Place 8 cups finished compost in a 5 gallon bucket. Add prepared water and pump.

4. Bring compost/water mixture to bubble. Stir in 1 ounce unsulfured molasses.

5. Continue aerating the mixture for 3 days stirring at least 3 times per day.

6. Strain the liquid from the compost, using cheesecloth or screen

7. Use the compost tea immediately.

Recipe for Traditional Compost Tea

1. In a 5 gallon bucket or large barrel, place an equal amount of finished compost and water.

2. Stir 3 times daily for 5 days.

3. Strain the liquid from the compost, using cheesecloth or screen.

4. Use the compost tea immediately.

Experts suggest gardeners should not apply compost tea to any vegetable within 1 week of harvest .

Application suggestion:

4 pints of compost tea : 1000 sq feet for soil application

1 pint of compost tea : 1000 sq feet or foliar application

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Compost as Fertilizer

Fertilizer – a concentrated plant nutrient source that rapidly becomes available in the soil. Can be synthetic or organic.

Synthetic fertilizer – fertilizer composed of synthetics that have been manufactured into liquid or solid forms to specifically target plants' nutri-

tional needs. designed to mimic naturally occurring nutrients.

Natural and Organic fertilizers - derived from natural materials that have undergone minimal processing and are generally applied in their origi-

8 Benefits of Compost as Fertilizer:

1. Compost enhances and builds soil, synthetic fertilizer only feeds plants.

2. Synthetic fertilizer treats symptoms, compost improves soil condition.

3. Compost encourages earthworms and microbes, synthetic fertilizer may kill them.

4. Compost always helps, synthetic fertilizer can hurt.

5. Compost is less potent than quick burning synthetic fertilizer; it burns slow and low. Even slow-release

synthetic fertilizers burn-out soil.

6. Synthetic fertilizers require a larger doses each year to give soil the same pep, compost does not.

7. Compost fertilizer elements will not leach like synthetic fertilizers.

8. Compost possesses a full complement of trace elements, synthetic fertilizers do not.

If I use compost, do I still need fertilizer?

Compost is an organic fertilizer that provides needed plant nutrients in small, slowly released amounts, gradually over the course of a

growing season.

If your soil is particularly unfertile or you are growing nitrogen sucking crops, you may want to feed soil with additional fertilizers. A soil

test will reveal the state of your soil and help you make a decision based on the test’s results and your future planting plan.

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2013 Kroger MyMagazine

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Notes on soil fertility:

-Fertile soil has more lambsquarters, cocklebur and pigsweed.

-Fertile forests have more spicebushes, less mountain laurel.

-Fertile soil has more worms, microbes and other beneficial bugs.

Adding compost to soil increases soils ability to support earth-

worms.

Location of earthworms per sq foot:

Marcellus, NY 38

Ithica, NY 4

Fredrick, MD 50

Beltsville, MD 8

Zanesville, OH 37

Coshocton, OH 5

Mayaquez, P.R. 6

(Organic Gardener’s Composting, 1993)

“12 earthworms per square

foot will produce 6 inches of

highly mineralized soil

castings per year.”

From You Can Farm by J. Salatin

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It’s Vermiculture

“My worms! MY WORMS ARE ESCAPING!” I screamed. I dropped to my knees, ditched my gloves, and began capturing escapees and

gently placing them back into their bin.

“Why are you squirming away-you stupid worms?!” I demanded, “after all of the work I did to build you this beautiful compost palace!”

I constructed the compost palace out of a sterilite 3-drawer storage cart. I drilled holes for ventilation in the middle and top drawers,

leaving the bottom one solid, to serve as a basin for nutrient leakage. I filled the middle drawer with shredded newspaper and then added peat

and moist soil to make bedding. After rehoming the worms from their shipping package, I gently buried some food in the bedding and covered

the middle drawer with a damp piece of cardboard. They lived happily in the compost palace for weeks, before breaking away in a mass exo-

dus.

A quick reference to my worm books offered three reasons the Red Wrigglers might evacuate:

1. Hunger

2. Dry soil

3. Cold

I knew they weren’t hungry; my worms eat rich organic meals regularly. I give the worms plenty of wet coffee grounds that keep their

bedding moist, but I added additional damp soil to the bin just in case.

The compost palace is in my summer kitchen. Though the summer kitchen is well insulated, it is not heated. The exodus occurred when

outside temps hovered just above zero. Inside the unheated summer kitchen the temperature was around freezing, 32 degrees F. I hauled a

ceramic space heater out to the summer kitchen, turned it to low and set it to osculate around the palace walls. The worms were well pleased.

Lesson learned: keep temperature above 32 F. Optimum temperature is between 40-80 degrees F.

DO FEED

Bread

Grains

Coffee grounds, tea bags

Fruits

Vegetables

Leaves/ plant clippings

DON’T FEED

Meat

Fat/ Oil

Dairy

Feces

* Worms don’t have teeth. Chop scraps small for quicker consumption.

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Special Benefits of Vermicomposting

Effective way to get rid of all kitchen scraps, without lawn waste, manure, etc.

Can be done in very small spaces such as an apartment or a house in town.

No unsightly piles

Creates compost indoors, year-round.

Two nutritious products: worm cast compost and leakage.

Low maintenance, no need to turn compost.

Interesting Vermicomposting Facts:

-Proponents of vermicomposting say vermicompost is more valuable than traditional compost. They believe worm cast is better improves soil

conditions.

-Comparing an equal amount of traditional compost to vermicompost, data confirms vermicompost has higher levels of nutrients.

-Red worms can reproduce to double in 90 days.

-Worms are hermaphrodites meaning they have both male and female parts, but it still takes two to mate. Two worms produce 5-6 cocoons;

each cocoon can contain up to 20 babies.

-Red Wrigglers can live 1-2 years. They will regulate their own population according to how much food and space you make available to them.

-If you cut a red worm in half, it dies.

-“Rich in humic acids, these castings contain 5 times the nitrogen, 1.5 times the calcium, 7 times the phosphorus and 11 times the potash (to

name just a few) as the original soil. Castings are much richer in nutrients than manure, and at 3 inches per year add 50 tons per acre. –From

You Can Farm by J. Salatin

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Ways to Harvest Vermicompost:

1. Dump and Sort. First, preparing new bedding.

Next, dump old bin onto a large sheet of plastic

under a bright light. Since the worms are photo-

sensitive, they burrow away from the light. The

top pile can be scraped away. Repeat this pro-

cess until all vermicompost has been harvested.

Fill emptied bin with fresh bedding and return

worms to home.

2. Side to Side Harvesting. Side to side is accom-

plished by only feeding the worms on one side of

the bin for a few weeks. The worms will all mi-

grate to that side. Then harvest the vermicom-

post from the unoccupied side of the bin. Put

new bedding in the harvested side and feed the

worms only on that side for a few weeks. The

worms will then migrate to the new side so the

remaining vermicompost in the other side can

be retrieved.

3. Stacking Method. When bin is full and there

are no recognizable food scraps, prepare an ad-

ditional Rubbermaid bin by drilling holes in

bottom and filling with fresh bedding. Set new

bin directly on finished bin. Bury food in new bin

bedding. The majority of worms will naturally

“move up” through drilled holes towards food.

The process takes a month or more. You may

have to relocate stragglers by hand.

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Vermicomposting FAQs

How many worms should I start with?

Worms can eat half their body weight every day. If you have 1 cup (1/2 lb) of kitchen scraps a day, it makes sense to keep 1 lb of worms.

An 8-10 gallon tote can handle 500 to 2000 worms.

Keep in mind red worms can reproduce to double in 90 days.

Why are my worms trying to escape?

Worms may be hungry or bedding may be too dry. Worms may be cold. Feed, adjust moisture and keep worms bin between 40-80 degrees F.

Why are my worms dying?

If your bin is a few months old, it may be too full. Harvest bin.

If your bin is young, add additional bedding if bedding is too wet ,or moisture if bedding is dry.

Make sure worms have adequate food.

Check the temperature; if it is above 80 degrees, cool bin with fan or relocate to a cooler place. If it is below 40 degrees, move bin somewhere warmer.

Smelly worms

Bad ventilation, drill more holes in worm bin.

Too much food, pause feedings for a week.

Add additional bedding if bedding is too wet.

If you eat a lot of garlic and onions, you may want to regulate how much you share with your worms.

Burying food in bedding helps minimize smell.

Fruit flies or rodents

Exposed food. Bury food deeper in bedding.

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Resources

Ohioline Fact Sheets from http://ohioline.osu.edu HYG 1189 99 replaced CDFS 132-93 Composting at Home + includes easy bin building ideas CDFS 110 Composting Bulletin 792 the Composting Process, updated! Books Organic Gardener's Composting by Steve Solomon Compost Tea Brewing Manual by Elaine Ingham Free PDF from the Northeast Organic Farming: Association of New Jersey www.nofanj.org/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=104151 Websites http://www.lundproduce.com/N-P-K-Value-of-Everything.html Understand what nutrients compost ingredients bring to your compost Vermicomposting www.unclejimswormfarm.com www.cathyscomposters.com www.vermicompost.net + includes Rubbermaid worm bin plans More cheap and easy bin plans available at: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/easywormbin.htm http://seattletilth.org/learn/resources-1/compost/WormBinPlans.pdf Compost Testing http://www.holmeslab.com/compost.html