How to Make Great Organic Compost

Organic gardening is characterized by using natural and organic materials such as compost in the cultivation process. Compost refers to the aerobically decomposed remains of organic materials coming from animals or plants. This organic material is used both in gardening and farming as a fertilizer. Besides being a soil amendment, compost is also used for land/stream reclamation, erosion control, landfill cover and wetland construction. But how is good compost made?

The Compost Process

The process of making compost through the aerobic decomposition of organic and biodegradable matter is called composting. Decomposition is primarily carried out by aerobes. But bigger creatures like ants, oligochaete worms and nematodes. This decomposition naturally takes place in all environments and conditions except in extreme ones like cold weather in the Polar Regions, arid deserts and landfills that prevent the microbes and other organisms from decomposing the organic matter.

The composting process can be classified into two namely: industrial composting and home composting. These two types of composting undergo the same biological process. Needless to say, the factors and techniques applied in them differ in many ways.

Composting is a natural, yet controlled process at the same time. Instead of leaving nature to take its own course, a composter provides the most favorable environment or condition in order to make the process of composting faster. In order to create an optimal environment for the process, a composter must mix the right amount of several essential elements namely: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen (for aerobic composting) and water. But it must be noted that decomposition still takes place even in the absence of some of these elements, although the process takes place at a slower pace.

Making Compost: Active and Passive Methods

There are various techniques used in composting. But all of them employ the two basic methods under aerobic composting. These two methods are active and passive.

Active or hot composting enables aerobic bacteria to thrive. It also kills most seeds and pathogens and produces good compost at a rapid rate. It must be noted that unlike their anaerobic counterparts, aerobic bacteria produces less odor and fewer greenhouse gases. Aerobic bacteria also breaks down organic materials at a faster pace, thus speeding up the process of decomposition.
Pasteurization (in active composting) can take place in any garden compost bin provided that the temperature goes beyond 55 C for three or more days. In order to achieve such temperatures, you must make your garden compost bin warm, damp and insulated because these conditions encourage the growth of actinomycetes, an essential bacteria in the process of pasteurization.

Passive or cold composting is the method that allows nature to take its own course, while leaving many seeds and pathogens dormant in the pile at the same time. Cold composting is the method that is usually employed in domestic garden compost bins where the temperature does not go beyond 30 C. This is done when people put their kitchen scraps in the compost bin and leave them unattended. But this compost bin is likely to become anaerobic and produce bad odor and greenhouse gases due to the high level of moisture. In order to improve passive composting, a gardener can add some small pieces of bark, twigs, leaves, or woodchips.

The two methods of composting mentioned above can either be done in expose or enclosed piles.