Biocomposting• Why compost?

– Contributes to sustainable lifestyle along with recycling

– Reduces landfill waste by weight• Yard waste (9%) • Food waste (15%)

– Reduces landfill waste by volume• Yard waste (8%) • Food waste (6%)

Why Compost?

Why Compost?

• Adds nutrients to soil – feed the soil, not the plant!

• Compost is a natural fertilizer

• Compost is primarily humus – organic soil matter which allows for easy flow of water and air to growing plants

Yard Waste Composting

• Left to decompose naturally, leaves can take up to 2 years to break down into humus

• Outdoor composting accelerates this process – (4 to 18 months)

Yard Waste Composting

• Many different types available – from simple mounds to 3 stage bins and everything in between!

Yard Waste Composting

• Recipe– Layer equal parts of

green and brown waste– Pile should be kept as

moist as a wrung-out sponge

– Allow the pile to “bake” at 90 to 140 degrees

– Turn the pile to let in air – the more you turn, the faster it decomposes

Brown WasteTwigs

Dry leaves Straw

Sawdust Shredded newspaper

Green WasteGrass clippings Green leaves

Vegetable garden scraps Floral clippings

Vermiculture

• The use of specially bred earthworms, to aerate soil and convert organic matter into compost; also called vermicomposting

• Easy winter composting• Manageable size• Very fine compost- no screening needed

Vermiculture is….

• Composting with red worms (Eisenia foetida) for:– Fishing worms– To get rid of kitchen wastes– To create the “perfect” soil for houseplants– Saves money and the environment

To get started you need…• Bedding for the worms

– Shredded paper– Torn up newspaper– Old bark mulch– Peat moss or hay– Dried leaves

• Sticky parts on envelopes• Water• Crushed egg shells (for calcium)• Sand or dirt (for grit)• Lime (so the soil stays “sweet”)

You need a container…

• Wooden box • Cardboard box• Clay pots• Clean trash barrels

• Avoid freezing temperatures• Keep moist• Feed the worms

Feed

Also feed

• Fruit peeling, cores• Vegetable trimmings• Rotten potatoes• Coffee grounds and tea bags• Corn cobs • House plant trimmings

Be cautious about…

• Fats or cheeses• Too much citrus rinds• Horse bedding (may be toxic)• Meat and bones

How do worms produce compost?

• Worms eat organic matter and pass it through their digestive systems, producing castings, or “worm poop”

Harvesting

• To keep the bin going…

• Remove half of the bedding and replace it with fresh materials….

• The worms will follow!

Harvesting for Worms

• When all the fresh food is gone…• Empty out the contents into a conical pile• Shine a light on the pile• The worms will migrate down• Collect the worms

What else lives in the bin?

mite centipede

millipede

fruit flyisopod (sowbug)

springtailmold sporeswhite or pot worms

Responsible Composting

• Do not compost invasive weed species– Seeds of certain plants such as garlic, mustard and

honeysuckle can live in the seed bank for decades

• Freeze vermicompost before using it in your yard, especially if your gardens are close to woodland areas

• Worm egg casings or cocoons can hatch and spread to new areas

• Earthworm invasion began with European settlement• Invasions continue through improper dumping of fish

bait, mulch/compost, tyre treads, road building, landscaping, any activity that moves soil

Worms effects on the environment

• Soil in uninvaded forests has a rich humus layer called “duff” and is covered with a layer of leaf litter

Soil Effects

Soil in uninvaded forest Soil in invaded forest