Day 6 of Horticulture:
In today's class, we were tasked with learning about composting; what it means, how do we compost, what are the benefits, challenges associated with composting, etc.
I learned that composting is the controlled decomposition of organic materials. Composting can be done using one of three different methods; home/backyard composting, vermi-composting and heat-based composting. Home-composting is the natural degradation of household organic waste by naturally occurring microscopic organisms. Vermi-composting is similar to this except it also involves natural degradation by the digestive process of earthworms. Heat-based composting uses high temperatures to increase the rate of degradation and is used by commercial facilities.
Composting involves using the correct amounts of carbon (browns) and nitrogen (greens). The correct ratio of these two to avoid a bad odor is 30 parts brown to 1 part green. Composting is very simple once you know this and have a compost bin to put the waste into. Keep it moist, turn it periodically and keep it filled with organisms and you will have very good compost.
There are many benefits to composting, it turns waste into a useful resource, it diverts waste from landfills and incinerators, it is environmentally friendly and it is economically beneficial because you save money on waste disposal services and fertilizers.
However, there are some challenges. You must make sure your quantities are correct when making compost, do not spread it out if it is not ready otherwise it will destroy the plant life instead of help it. It does take time to make so you must also be patient.
Compost is a very practical and useful resource that helps you save money and create a beautiful garden.
I learned that composting is the controlled decomposition of organic materials. Composting can be done using one of three different methods; home/backyard composting, vermi-composting and heat-based composting. Home-composting is the natural degradation of household organic waste by naturally occurring microscopic organisms. Vermi-composting is similar to this except it also involves natural degradation by the digestive process of earthworms. Heat-based composting uses high temperatures to increase the rate of degradation and is used by commercial facilities.
Composting involves using the correct amounts of carbon (browns) and nitrogen (greens). The correct ratio of these two to avoid a bad odor is 30 parts brown to 1 part green. Composting is very simple once you know this and have a compost bin to put the waste into. Keep it moist, turn it periodically and keep it filled with organisms and you will have very good compost.
There are many benefits to composting, it turns waste into a useful resource, it diverts waste from landfills and incinerators, it is environmentally friendly and it is economically beneficial because you save money on waste disposal services and fertilizers.
However, there are some challenges. You must make sure your quantities are correct when making compost, do not spread it out if it is not ready otherwise it will destroy the plant life instead of help it. It does take time to make so you must also be patient.
Compost is a very practical and useful resource that helps you save money and create a beautiful garden.
"How to Compost" video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAMy_ZJ0Xa8
Compost Poster:
In conclusion to my research on composting, I designed a composting poster with a fellow classmate. We cut out different waste items and organised them into to their appropriate sections for waste disposal. This poster was designed to help people understand how to dispose of their waste and what materials would be suitable for composting. For example, food waste such as apple and banana skins are perfect components needed for composting.
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