Composting is an excellent way to help bolster the growth any kind of plant. There are several different types of compost mixes and your best bet is the Aerobic kind.
The Basics: When carbon is oxidized to CO2, a large amount of energy is released as heat. For example, if a gram of glucose molecules is composted under aerobic conditions, 500 or so kilogram calories (kcal) of heat can be created. If organic material is in a large enough pile or arranged to provide some insulation, temperatures during decomposition may rise to over 170° F. At temperatures above 160° F, however, the bacterial activity decreases.
The high temperatures kills bacteria and one-celled organism that are bad for your health and for agriculture.
Aerobic compost is composting with air. Many peoples and websites will say that you must turn your compost pile frequently to keep the microorganisms decomposing the compost from dying, but this isn't always true. Manual turning takes a lot of effort and only increase air circulation by about 15% and only for a very short amount of time. So, to avoid manual turning, it's all in the mix.
The ideal mix (for me at least) is (from the ground up): 4'' of kitchen/garden waste under 2'' of soil/manure under 1'' of minerals/granite dust/horticultural lime. If want to air it out more, grab a pipe and run a few shafts down into your compost. Use a hairdryer to blow hot air into the pipe(s) then remove the pipes. If the compost starts to smell, throw some soil on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment