Compost Compilations

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Compost Compilations

• Kelly Feille

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What is this rotting mess?

• Composting speeds up the natural process of
  decomposition
• Bring together organic materials, create for them
  a prefect environment for decomposing
• comtogether
• postto bring

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Why should I compost?

• ¾ of household waste is organic material
• Yard waste 230 pounds per person a year
• Food waste 100 pounds per person a year
• Family of 4 1320 pounds of organic waste a year

• A small school of 400 students serving two
  meals a day resulting in 50 pounds of food waste
  per student produces ONE TON of compostable
  material a year.

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Healthy Soil

• Compost contains N, P and K as well as Boron,
  Cobalt, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum and
  Zinc and releases these nutrients as plants need
  them.
• Increases water capacity of soil
• Neutralizes toxins and metals
• Acts as a pH buffer

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How it works

• Organisms work to break down organic material
  releasing valuable nutrients.
• Bacteria
• Fungi Actinomycetes
• Macroorganisms
• (worms and insects)

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Three levels of bacterial growth

• Psychropilic below 55 F oxidizes Carbon and
  releases heat energy to move into mesophilic zone
• Mesophilic 70-90F where much of the
  decomposition occurs
• Thermophilic 100-160F peaking temperature where
  harmful substances are killed off

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Beyond bacteria

• Fungi Actinomycetes
• Cool temperature fungi break down cellulose
  lignin
• Medium temperature ½ breeds of fungi and bacteria
  (actinomycetes) have a cobwebby look.

• Macroorganisms
• Earthworms
• Insects

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Getting Started

• Methods
• Heap method - a 5x3 pile out in the open.
  Youll need at least two piles.
• Indore Process (not indoor) invented by Sir
  Albert Howard uses sandwich like layers of
  green/wet dry/withered and requires you to keep
  an accurate moisture content, optimum pile size
  and good aeration.
• University of California Method will give you
  compost in just 14 days. Use all chopped or
  shredded material with a thorough blending of CN
  and turn your material often.
• Ogden 3 pile system requires that you move a
  completed compost pile and start a new one. The
  idea is that you should have compost at 3
  different stages at all times beginning, middle,
  end.

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Systems

• Wooden box made using pallets. Create ½ of a
  cube to contain your compost. It is recommended
  to use 4 pallets per box, using one as a floor
  piece to allow for aeration.
• Circular or 5 panel wire bins
• 3 bin system made from wood and wire
• Commercial plastic bins made from a steel drum or
  garbage can
• Composting tumblers

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Compostable Materials

• GREEN MATERIALS
• Shaved feathers contain Nitrogen
• Garbage all organic kitchen refuse (including
  coffee grinds!)
• Except grease, oil and animal fat! Meat scrapings
  will attract animals and flies. Dishwater often
  contains grease.
• Grass clippings
• Dry first
• Mix with dry, absorbent materials
• Put them into layer cake pile in thin layers
• Leaves chop and mix to speed up decomposition
• Hops spent (from brewery waste) may retain a
  bit of moisture
• Weeds thermophilic temperatures kill most weed
  seeds and also if subjected to digestive system
  of earthworm they will not survive. If you add
  weeds, add manure or like substance to ensure
  sufficient heating.
• Seaweed (Kelp) adds potassium

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• BROWN MATERIALS
• Peat Moss adds no nutrients, but adds bulk
• Newspaper shredded
• Carcinogenic carbon black ink is rendered inert
  by high temperatures
• Colored ink is mostly vegetable dyes, no longer
  heavy metal ink
• Pine needles break down slowly but are a good
  texturizer
• Sawdust thin sprinkles
• Sod adds topsoil and organic matter and is a
  good insulator (place on top of pile, roots up,
  grass down)
• Ground stone and shells very fine particles
• Hay or Straw should be weathered first
• Hedge trimmings chopped or shredded
• Ashes (wood only) potash a fine sprinkling over
  18 or so
• Leather waste (dust) contains Nitrogen and
  Phosphorus

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Ratio RecipeCarbon to Nitrogen ratio of 301
Aka Brown
Aka Green
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Do not use. . .

• Coal/charcoal
• Colored paper with heavy metal dyes
• Diseased plants
• Non-biodegradable items (synthetic materials)
• Pet litter
• Sludge (human waste)
• Toxic chemicals

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Speeding it Up

• Activators
• Complete compost
• Manure
• Meal (but look out for pesticide residue found on
  many types of meal)
• Natural activators
• Alfalfa meal, blood meal, bone meal, compost,
  cotton seed meal, fish meal, hoof meal, manure,
  soil
• Artificial activators
• 10-15-10 fertilizer 1 cup for every 10 square
  feet
• Bacterial activators

• Techniques
• Aeration
• Ventilation stalks, lift and fluff with a pitch
  fork or aerator.
• Moisture
• Ratio of 40-60 (consistency of a well wrung wet
  sponge)
• Moisten as you build and add material
• Moisten as you aerate
• Use rainwater!
• Turning your compost
• To remain in a thermophilic state your compost
  bin needs to be turned every 3-4 days
• Turn the pile whenever the temperature drops
  below 100 F
• Ground, chop and chip your material before you
  put it into your pile.

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Is it done yet?

• Finished compost will
• Be free of pathogens weed seeds
• Have an adequate supply of major nutrients
• Be crumbly
• Be dark in color
• Smell sweet earthy
• Have a drop in temperature from 150F to outside
  temperature.
• Be 25-30 organic material

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What do I do with it?

• Spread over whole growing are in the fall or a
  month before spring planting
• Spread over plantings
• Compost tea
• 1 part compost with 5 parts water, stir and let
  sit for several days and poor over plantings
• Dont overdo it! Too much compost will not be
  beneficial for your soil.

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In the Classroom
Qualitative Quantitative

• Data to collect
• pH level healthy soil ranges from 4.7-7.0
• Adding lime raises pH of soil
• Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK)
• Temperature
• Hot piles kill seeds, pathogens destroyed quickly
• Cold piles doesnt harm earthworms, less turning
  needed
• Insects present
• Odor
• Color
• Height
• Texture/consistency

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What changes are taking place in a compost bin?

• Tools available
• Thermometer Observation Disks
• Meter Stick Pitchfork Soil test kit
• What data will we collect?
• Is it qualitative or quantitative?

Your turn!!
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Data Analysis and Presentation

• How will your group display your data and what
  does it mean?
• Be prepared to
• share your findings!

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Rosemont 6th Grade Compost Compilations
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Take it home

• What changes will you need to make to this
  activity to make it work for your students at
  your school?
• What hints are helpful to keep in mind?
• Share your great ideas!

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Evaluation Time

• Thanks for coming! I hope youve learned
  something and, even better, have something you
  can take with you to your students!

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Compost Compilations

• Kelly Feille
• Rosemont 6th Grade
• FWISD
• kelly.feille_at_fwisd.org