HORT 15 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Microorganism, Compost, Vermicompost
Document Summary
Humus - the process of decomposing organic matter into a soil like structure. Natural process - leaves fall to ground an they decompose. Grasscycle - leaving clippings on lawn, build up thatch layer. Sheet / lasagna composting - alternating layers of soil, materials to be composted. Trench composting - digging a trench and dump the stuff in. Co-composting - variety of materials going into compost, often used faecal sludge and commercial scale. Vermicomposting - red works put in bins with materials to be composted. Windrow composting - long windrows of materials, turned on a regular basis. Aerated static pile composting - piles of materials with tubes running through to aerate / water. Need to manage: air, nutrients, water, raw ingredients, mo. Browns - dried leaves, straw, keep dried leaves in bags over the winter. Greens - fresh material, fresh and dried green grass clippings, garden waste, household scraps, mainly a source of nitrogen.