Issue No. 09
May 15, 2013
Facts about compost pit
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ardeners and horticulturists have been encouraging waste plant material to break down to form nutrient-rich compost to improve soil condition. Nowadays, more people are turning to composting as a way of reducing the amount of waste routinely buried in landfill - and cutting back on the transport energy required to collect it and get it there in the first place. Good composting’s basic method might be difficult to grasp, thus here are few things to consider before starting: •
Particle size and shredders. The perfect particle size for composting represents something of a compromise. The smaller the bits are, the more of them is available to the bacteria and other microorganism which break them into compost. However, a good compost needs a good aeration – if the particles are too small, it tends to be compacted and there will not be any space between them for the air to circulate.
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Keep it moist. Moisture is essential to good compost production. The ideal moisture content for good composting should be at least 60%. Getting the level right and maintaining it calls for a bit of vigilance. Some types of garden waste are naturally “spot on”, but other kinds can be dry – perhaps having only 20% - 30% moisture, while others can be too wet, so it can be a bit of a balancing act to mix it right. Composting material gradually loses moisture, largely due to evaporation; hence, spot watering from time to time is necessary.
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Unpopular benefit of compost. Compost is well-known for soil conditioning, addition of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the ground and improved water retention. Among the many benefits, there is one less appreciated – it helps to control natural disease.
Photo courtesy of http://smkabdullahmunshiriverranger.blogspot.com/p/smart-ranger.html
Properly made compost contains a range of naturally occurring fungicides and a whole host of various kinds of essential soil bacteria and other microbes, which improve the soil environment and help control disease. However, one of the most intriguing applications of this particular property is the use of “compost teas” – infusions made from steeping compost in water for several hours or even days – to combat a series of moulds and fungal wilts that commonly afflict a range of plants. As horticulturists and gardeners across the world have found out, it really does work! Source http://www.energysavingcommunity.co.uk/composting-what-youmight-not-know.html
Published by the Trade and Industry Information Center (TIIC) for the DTI ENERCON Management Team in support of the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program. If you have Enercon tips to share, other suggestions or requested topics, please e-mail us at publications@dti.gov.ph.