This document provides an overview of composting, explaining its benefits for the environment, such as reducing waste and improving soil health. It outlines the components of compost, effective methods for composting, and various alternative composting techniques, including vermiculture and bokashi. Additionally, it addresses common composting challenges and solutions to improve the composting process.

1. Composting 101Composting 101
Cultivate 2016
Greenville, SC
by
Dan Abend

2. What Is Compost?
Anything that was once living will decompose.
Composting is nature's process of recycling
organic material into a rich soil amendment.

3. Soil
What is it?
● organic material
● minerals
● water & air
● organisms
What does it do?
● medium for plant growth
● water storage, supply, purification
● modifier of the Earth's atmosphere
● habitat for organisms
Soil is alive!

4. Why Compost?
Why don't things compost well in the landfill?
● reduce chemical fertilizers
● reduce pesticides
● reduce erosion
● reduce waste
About 30% of what South Carolinians throw away is yard debris & food waste.
● increase aeration
● increase water retention
● suppress plant disease
● suppress pests
● maintain neutral pH
● help plants absorb nutrients

5. How Does Composting Work?
Four phases allow organic matter breakdown & sanitization.
Temperature, moisture, and oxygen attract and support the
microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) and other creatures (worms,
sowbugs) who do the hard work.
1 2 3 4

6. Planning
Location
● Away from roots that may grow into your pile
● Away from structures that prevent airflow
Container Considerations
● How do I add material?
● How do I remove the compost?
● How does air circulate?
● How do I control moisture?

7. Composter Styles
bin

8. Composter Styles
tumbler

9. Composter Styles
heap / pile pit / trench

10. Composter Construction
pallets wire

11. Composter Construction
blocks bales

12. Composter Construction
simple or stylish commercial

13. Composting Ingredients
The first step is
collecting food
scraps & waste
suited to
composting.
stainless steel compost pail

14. Composting Ingredients
Green (nitrogen)
● fresh clippings
● vegetable scraps
● coffee grounds
● tea bags
● herbivore manure
(chicken, rabbit, cow,
horse)
Brown (carbon)
● dead leaves
● wood chips / twigs
● paper / cardboard
● hay/straw (animal bedding)
● potting soil
● egg shells
● fireplace ashes
● dryer & vacuum lint

15. Composting Ingredients
Water & Air feed the organisms decomposing the material
● Moist like a damp sponge
● Turn and mix to prevent buildup of odor-causing bacteria
Avoid
● plastic
● glass
● meat
● dairy
● diseased plants
● charcoal ash
● treated/painted wood
● fat
● grease
● herbicides
● stickers

16. Compost Problems
Ugly
● Use an attractive container
● Bury and cover
Smelly
● Inappropriate materials
● Too wet
● Not Enough Air
Attracts Animals
● Keep covered
● Avoid inappropriate materials
Takes Too Long
● Too dry
● Incorrect ratio
● Turn turn turn

17. Alternate Composting Methods
Hügelkultur
raised beds built on decaying wood debris and biomass
+ regulates moisture
+ warms soil for extended season
+ can compost whole trees
+ low maintenance

18. Alternate Composting Methods
Bokashi
oxygen-free indoor fermentation of organic matter
+ compost almost any food scraps including meat and dairy
+ fast (2-4 weeks)
+ odorless
+ bokashi juice
– requires inoculated bokashi mix
– only pre-composts
– acidic

19. Alternate Composting Methods
Mushrooms
the spent residual compost from growing
mushrooms
+ fungi eat cellulose plant material
+ you can eat the mushrooms
– spores
– odor
– temperature requirements (60℉-80℉)

20. Alternate Composting Methods
Mob Grazing
allow the animals to do all the work
+ less fertilizer cost
+ better weed control
+ plant diversity
+ erosion control
+ you can eat the animals
– land requirement
– animals are time consuming

21. Alternate Composting Methods
Vermiculture
let the worms do the work
+ can be done indoors year-round
+ reproduce steadily
+ worms can feed chickens
+ worms can be used in the garden
– difficult to harvest compost
– require moisture

22. Alternate Composting Methods
Black soldier fly larvae
let the larvae feed and grow
+ produce larvae as feed
+ don't process high cellulose
+ consume meat
+ don't bite, sting, or vector disease
+ reproduce quickly
– requires special bin to harvest
– produce little compost
– optimum temperature 90℉

23. Alternate Composting Methods
Blatticomposting
let the cockroaches multiply
+ reproduce fast
+ can be used as feed
+ compost all most anything
+ low odor
+ low maintenance
+ fast
– produce little compost
– temperature minimum 77℉
use non-climbing feeder roach species