COMPOSTING

 Composting is the rotting down of plant and

animal residues before it is applied to the
soil.

 Composting is the natural process of

recycling organic matter, such as leaves and
food scraps, into a valuable fertilizer that
can enrich soil and plants.
IMPORTANCE
OF
COMPOSTING
 Sangalang, et.al (1977) claim that the composting process involves the
decomposition of organic materials to form small bits of organic matter
called compost. The whole process is done by organisms that use organic
matter principally as a source of carbon and secondarily as a source of
nitrogen and other elements for their growth and reproduction.
 If the organic matter contains little or no N, the microorganism gets it from
the soil. A majority of the decomposers are microorganism.
Microorganisms such as earthworms, termite, and other insects also
contribute in breaking down organic materials. Therefore, the two
requirements for the process to occur are (1) composting materials and (2)
decomposers to speed up the process. The composting materials must be
easy to decompose, and the needs of the microorganisms must be
adequately supplied.
WHAT DO COMPOST
ORGANISMS NEED?
 According to INGO (2005), the needs of the compost
organisms are:

1. Balanced Diet of Compost Materials

 “Browns” – Browns are compost materials that are brown
and dry. Examples of which are sawdust, dried leaves,
straw and small twigs, and others. “Browns” are high in
carbon, which for microbes are energy food.
 “Greens” – Greens are compost materials that are
green and moist like kitchen wastes, grass cuttings,
and the like. “Greens” are high in nitrogen, which
microbes need to make proteins

Composition of a balanced diet of compost organisms

If you add about 3 parts of browns to 1 part of
greens, then the compost organisms will have a balanced
diet.
2. Right amount of air and water

If there is the right amount of oxygen and

moisture, microbes can rapidly grow and multiply. If
there is too much or too little water, then the microbes
die.

Compost materials should have a thin film of

water around them, and many pore spaces filled with
air.
 3. Right temperature

Organic materials will eventually decay even in a

cold compost pile. However, the decay process is sped
up in a hot compost pile.

When bacteria and fungi grow rapidly, they burn a

lot of food, and give off a lot of heat. If the compost pile
is big enough, the heat will build up inside the pile.
Bacteria that grow well at high temperature take over
and speed up the decay process.
METHODS OF COMPOSTING
Sheet Composting
“Sheet composting, also known as sheet mulching, can be
a great way to add organic matter back into your soils.
Essentially, this composting technique entails spreading thin
layers of organic materials (i.e. compost ingredients) on top of
the soil surface. Some also consider this technique to be
"composting in place." Using green manure is another means of
sheet composting. This technique is often used on a large scale;
however, it can also be done successfully in your backyard.”
 In-vessel Composting

“In-vessel composting is becoming more and more popular with

large-scale compost producers. This method involves composting
within an enclosed containment system, often a large cylindrical-
shaped container. The equipment involved in setting up an in-vessel
composting system is typically quite expensive, and therefore usually
limits it's usage to industrial-sized composting operations. There are
numerous benefits of in-vessel composting, such as an increased
processing speed, year-round composting, and a highly controlled
environment.”
 Anaerobic Composting

“Anaerobic composting describes the biological breakdown

of organic materials by living anaerobic organisms. This may not
be the most odorrific composting method, but it can be quite
effective. Some of the benefits of composting anaerobically
include the following: it is one of the most basic means of
producing compost; it can be done on a small scale; and it
typically produces more humus per unit of starting material than
most other composting methods.”
 Trench Composting

“Trench composting involves digging holes in

your garden soil and burying raw compost ingredients.
Some people swear by this method, whereas others want
nothing to do with it. Similar to anaerobic composting,
this method of decomposition is quite simple; however,
the materials tend to take longer to breakdown than
when using other composting techniques.”
 Bokashi Composting

“Bokashi is a Japanese term meaning fermented organic

matter. Therefore, bokashi composting describes the making
of compost via fermentation. To achieve optimal results, your
compost materials are inoculated with a microbial starter
culture, and placed inside a sealed container. These starter
cultures consist of several different species of
microorganisms, all of which thrive in anaerobic conditions.
One of the most popular microbial inoculants is called
Effective Microorganisms or EM.”
 Composting Barrels

“Composting barrels, or compost tumblers, are a great

composting technique for backyard growers. They are self-
contained, clean, and if big enough, can produce a fair amount of
compost in a short period.”
 Vermicomposting

According to Lomat (undated), normal decomposition of

grass cuttings can take up to six months. However, this can be
accelerated to as short as 30 – 45 days by the use of earthworms
to digest the organic materials. This is called vermicomposting
(vermis in Latin) that yield beneficial by-products known as
vermicompost or vermicast. In a single process, two products
are produced: the vermicast which is pure worm excreta and the
worm biomass.
Direction: Identify the terms that being described.

____________1. It is the rotting down of plant and animal residues

before it is applied to the soil.
____________2. This method of composting are self-contained, clean,
and if big enough, can produce a fair amount of compost in a short
period.
____________3. This method of composting may not be the most
odorrific composting method, but it can be quite effective.
____________4. Compost materials that are green and moist like
kitchen wastes, grass cuttings, and the like.
____________5. It is also known as sheet mulching, can be a great
way to add organic matter back into your soils.