Elements of Active Composting- Moisture

For the active composter there are a few key parts of the composting process that they will need to keep
an eye in order to help the compost along in the most efficient way. What exactly those parts are can be
a subject of much heated discussion but in general most people that deal with compost agree on the
following four.

• Temperature
• Material type and ratio
• Moisture level
• Aeration or oxygen in the pile

Having these four aspects of composting in sync can lead to producing quality compost in a efficient and predictable manner.

Which for anyone that needs or wants compost on a larger scale it is vitally important to fully understand what the four elements of composting above can do to your pile if they are not managed correctly.

The element I will be discussing in this article is the topic of moisture level or water content of the pile.
Water in a compost pile is like water in the rest of the world it is the stuff that makes the whole thing
work. To dry of a pile and your microorganisms either cannot do their job or simply will not even be in
the pile because it is to inhospitable for them. To wet on the the other hand and again you will have
compost gone wrong. The type of organisms we want doing our compost are the aerobic or air needing
microorganisms. If your compost it to wet they literally can't breath and that doesn’t help you make
good compost.

Signs of to dry of compost would include:

• not heating up

• poofs of dust when you add material :)

• little change in the pile as time passes

Signs of to wet compost would include:

• Bad smell like rotten eggs
• pooling water
• water draining from bottom of pile

Fixing dry compost is fairly easy since all you have to do is either add material that contains a lot of
moisture like melon rinds or other watery vegetables or simple take the hose and add some water.
Compost will be at the perfect moisture level when you grab a handful of the finished product and
squeeze and only a drop or two will come out between your fingers.

Drying a compost out can be a little tricky depending on what you have to deal with. In drier climates
like the Great Plains and desert regions of the US simply turning it over and adding more dry Browns
to the mix will usually do the trick after a few days. But if you live in the rainier parts of the country
like the Pacific NW and the East Coast you might have to do the above as well as cover the compost
with some type of shelter or tarp. It may seem like overkill to cover rotting organic matter up but if it
gets to wet it can cause issues with smell and insects in your pile.

Maintaining the Right Moisture

Keeping a pile at the right moisture is paramount for quick and clean turn around on compost production. Its fairly easy to do as long as you keep in mind what kind of material you are putting in the pile and what moisture nature is adding on its own. If you are adding a lot of juicy veggie scraps it would be prudent to add dry leaves or grass along with it to balance out the extra water. Also a weekly check with you hand is never a bad idea. This means you will have to stick you hand into the compost pile a varying depths and pull up some material and give it a good squeeze. If a little water comes out between your fingers than you are good to go. To dry and no water will come out and to wet and you'll swear you have the Mississippi coming out between your fingers. Like everything else in active composting it is all about paying attention and fixing what is wrong quickly. By making sure everything is doing what its suppose to do you will ensure that your pile goes on making dirt like a champ.

Elements of Active Composting- Materials

For the active composter there are a few key parts of the composting process that they will need to keep
an eye in order to help the compost along in the most efficient way. What exactly those parts are can be
a subject of much heated discussion but in general most people that deal with compost agree on the
following four.

• Temperature

• Material type and ratio

• Moisture level

• Aeration or oxygen in the pile

Having these four aspects of composting in sync can lead to producing quality compost in a efficient and predictable manner. Which for anyone that needs or wants compost on a larger scale it is vitally important to fully understand what the four elements of composting above can do to your pile if they are not managed correctly.

The element I will be covering here is the ratio and type of material you put in your compost. How
much of the carbon rich materials aka Browns and how much of the nitrogen rich materials aka Greens
you put in your compost can have a large impact on the quality, quantity and rate at which you produce
your compost. When building a compost pile the general rule of thumb to be followed is about a 30:1
C:N ratio. This ratio provides the right mix of carbon to nitrogen that allows the microorganisms in the
pile to work at their peak efficiency. Why this ratio is so important comes right down to the
microorganisms and how they use each element. Carbon is used by them as a energy source that they
“burn” to go about their business of making compost. While nitrogen on the other hand is a critical
element in forming cell structures of new microorganisms that help compost the pile.

Getting the Right Mixture

Getting the correct ratio of materials in your pile can be a easy or as hard as you want to make it. There
are ways to directly calculate the C:N ratio of your materials using equations like the ones used by the
Cornell University. Or if you don’t feel like suffering a large headache that the math will give you can
simple guess using a sheet of carbon: nitrogen ratios that can be found all over the Internet. By taking
a look at the general values of C:N in everyday composting materials you can usually make a good
guess at the right amounts of what needs to go into a pile.

One rule of thumb that many composters follow is to always layer your materials. If you add a layer of Greens then you should place a layer of Browns on top of it. One more thing to keep in mind is that composting is not a exact science and no pile will be exactly the same as the last. You must be flexible with your approaches and observant of what your pile is doing. If you pay enough attention to your pile will give you clues to what is going on and with a little research you can fix problems quickly.

Elements of Active Composting-Temperature

For the active composter there are a few key parts of the composting process that they will need to keep
an eye in order to help the compost along in the most efficient way. What exactly those parts are can be
a subject of much heated discussion but in general most people that deal with compost agree on the
following four.

• Temperature

• Material type and ratio

• Moisture level

• Aeration or oxygen in the pile

Having these four aspects of composting in sync can lead to producing quality compost in an efficient and predictable manner.

Which for anyone that needs or wants compost on a larger scale it is vitally important to fully understand what the four elements of composting above can do to your pile if they are not managed
correctly. The first element I want to touch on is temperature. How hot or cold your pile is determines how quickly the compost will decompose to the useful black gold that you want. Most of the time you are looking to maintain a pile temperature of between 135 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the optimum
temperature range for thermophilic microorganisms which are the important microorganisms in the
process of composting. Maintaining a temperature between 135 and 160 also has beneficial side effects
of killing weed seeds and reducing potential pathogens. According to the USDA it will take around
three days at 135 degrees and above to safely kill the seeds and pathogens The longer and hotter you
can maintain the pile the greater the removal of weeds and pathogens from your compost.

Building a Hot Compost Pile

The best way to build a hot compost pile is to build it all in one shot. As in create a Batch pile of
compost rather than an add as you go. This will help create a hot pile because all of the material
needed by the microorganisms is present in the pile when you are finished building it. Another key
factor is the C:N ratio of materials in the pile. You want to maintain a 30:1 ratio for optimum
microorganism activity which is what generates the heat in the pile.

Maintaining a Hot Compost Pile 

You will run into one of two difficulties in maintaining the right temperature in the pile for the required
number of days. Either it will be to cold or it will be to hot.

Fixing to Cold....

• Turn the pile over using a pitchfork, shovel or compost aerator.

• See if C:N ratio is wrong and adjust accordingly

• Add water if dry

• Apply a compost starter like these to add more microorganisms to the pile.

Fixing to Hot...

• Most composters agree that turning the pile will reduce temperature. However studies done by
   the Cornell University have shown that is will do it only temporarily.

• It will go down by itself after the microorganisms have died off or run out of things to compost.
  You really only need one thing to monitor compost pile temperature and that is a thermometer with a
   long enough sensor to reach all the way into your compost pile. They can be found in many different        
   models and types and you can see some of what is available in my Soiled Stuff store. For a easy way
   to keep track of what temperature your pile is reaching check out my Compost Tracking Worksheet
   located in the Composting Resources section of this page.

Vermicomposting 101

Vermicompsting or worm composting is a type of composting by leaps and bounds in recent years. It is similar to regular composting in many  respects like you use a combination of Browns (carbon rich materials)and Greens (nitrogen rich materials) contained with in a bin. The only real difference between the two is the addition of worms to the bin.

What do the worms do? 

The worms do a couple things to help in the production of compost. They eat, digest and then excrete
the materials you place in the bin in the form of worm castings. Worm castings are the nutrient dense
leaving of the worms that produce a high quality compost that is easily utilized by plants. Worm
produced compost when done correctly will out do regular compost according to proponents in
texture, nutrient quality and ease of production. It also can have a fast turn around time depending of
course on what you place in the pile and how many worms you have eating the material.

How to get started?

Well as with everything in life at the beginning. Sorry about that little bit of humor there I just
couldn't resist You can start worm composting in one of two ways you can either buy a commercially
made bin or you can build one yourself. I personally am a fan of the commercial bins since they take
out a lot of the guess work in worm composting and make the whole thing a lot simpler for people
just getting started. To see what is available check out Amazon for a great selection of bin types
made to fit every size of operation. If you are feeling braver you can also build you own from a variety of plans on the Internet. A few plans two check out are below

• http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm

• http://www.vermicompost.net/rubbermaid-worm-bin-plans/

Once you have the worm bin built or bought you will usually have to put some type of bedding into it
that the worms will love. Most people use shredded black and white newspaper, cardboard, old
compost or even composted manure as their bedding medium. They will all work it just depends on
what you have available to you. Before you put worms into your bin you must make sure the bedding
is sufficiently moist with about as much water as as it take to lightly moisten all the material without
it being soaking wet.

With the bin assembled the time has come to add worms to the bin. You cannot just use any worms
you dig up from the garden they must be a type that normally lives in and eats the type of materials
into which you are placing them. Most people use a type of worm commonly called red wiggler
worms but are also know by their scientific names of Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus. They
can found easily online at places like Amazon and many other sites in varying amounts . Typically
you will want 1-2 lbs of worm for every pound of food you produce daily. If you cannot get that
many worms right away don't worry they will breed and double their population about every 90 days
as long as conditions in the bin allow it.

How do I maintain the bin?

A bin being used correctly is pretty hands off for most of the process other than adding more food as
needed. You will need to become more hands on after you start to see more compost than bedding in
the bin. This signals that the time has come to separate out the worms from the compost and add
fresh bedding and food so they can start the process over again. Finally the best way to keep your
worms happy is keep them in a location that you find comfortable to spend lots of time in. Basically
some place that is not to wet, not to dry, not to hot and not to cold. If you live in northern states you
will usually will have to bring the bin inside in the winter so keep that in mind when you purchase or
build one.

For more information I would recommend browsing the Internet and or looking into the following
books which go into much greater detail on the technique of using worms to make compost.

Worms Eat my Garbage by Mary Appelhof and Mary Frances

The Worm Book by Loren Nancarrow and Janet Hogan Taylor

Two Types of Passive Compost Piles

The easiest way to define a passive compost pile is one that you have don't have to deal with much
once it is started until you have the finished product. There are many people that prefer this approach
because it doesn't take a lot of time and it appeals to the laziness that everyone has a little bit of inside
them.

There are a lot of benefits to the passive pile including

• Hands off

• Don’t have to deal with turning pile over

• No measuring temperature

• Minimal to no watering (except in dry climates)

• Hands off (no not a typo its a very big pro)

But it has its downsides as well

• SLOOOOOOOOOW- can take from months to years to break down

• Might not get hot enough to kill pathogens and seeds

• Can smell if its not layered correctly or it gets compacted


But downsides aside if you are a busy at your job or you are otherwise unable to take care of the pile on
a consistent basis then the passive pile is the one for you. There are two basic approaches to passive
compost piles, there is the Batch Pile and the Add As You Go Pile.


Batch Pile

As the name suggests a batch pile is one that is started as one big batch that you don't add anything to
the pile once it is going. This method is considered to be the fastest of the two passive approaches
since all the material is already in place it enable the microorganisms responsible for composting to
have all the material it needs. This pile will also tend to get hot easier since the microorganisms can be
working full tilt throughout the pile. To build a Batch Pile you will only need a few things to get going
the first would be a bin to place the materials. You can either build a bin if your are feeling handy from
scrap lumber or pallets. Check out my article on Infobarrel called Building a Compost Bin from
Wooden Pallets for instructions on how to build one on the cheap. If you are not so handy check out
the bins available commercially in my Soiled Stuff store under the Dust Bins category.

At the bottom you would layer a coarser material like hay, straw, small sticks or twigs to provide good drainage to the pile then you begin to layer in your browns and greens in layers about 3-4 inches thick.
Depending on the moisture of your material it will usually need to be watered as you are building the layers up. Adding water will ensure that the pile doesn't get to dry and stop the decomposition process. Once you get to the top it is a good idea to make the final layer either some kind of compost starter like Ringer 3050 Compost Plus or a brown material like straw, hay or dry grass clippings. If you decide to go with the compost starter it still would be a good idea to cover it with another layer of browns as they would aid in keeping the smell down and help keep heat and moisture in the pile.


Add As You Go Pile.

The name pretty much says it all. This pile leaves room to add materials to it as they become available.
Many backyard or weekend composters like this setup because they do not have enough materiel on
hand to fill a bin The setup for this type is the same as the pile above just stretched out over a longer
period of time. This pile will most likely take longer to decompose because you are adding new
material to it constantly and the microorganisms don't have such a large reservoir of food to feed on at
one time. Piles like this can have odor or insect issues if materials are not layered properly in the pile.
The most common mistake people can make with this is having to much nitrogen or Greens in the pile.
This be easy to remedy by keeping dried grass, dead leaves or straw on hand to place on top of newly
deposited green scraps.

Take Home Points

• Build or Buy a compost bin

• Gather materials to compost

• Cover bottom of bin with larger material to aid drainage

• Layer Greens and Browns in 3-4 inch layers

• Apply compost starter to pile ie. Previous compost, garden soil, manure, commercial starter

• Wait

Making Dirt-Where to Start

Homemade Compost Bins

Making Dirt or “composting” if you want to feel fancy is something that can as challenging or as easy as you want it to be. It has been a process that has been going on for literally the entire history of the planet and all humans have done is co-opted the process for our benefit.

The process is as simple as combining browns (carbon rich materials), greens (nitrogen rich materials), moisture and bacteria in a one location and sitting back and relaxing. Ok so it may not be as simple as I am making it out. It is true that natural composting and decomposition happen all the time without the influence of humans. But with just a few simple steps you can vastly improve the output of the natural composting process and provide yourself with nutrient rich mulch for your lawn and garden.

Passive Approach

The basic approach is to layer the brown, greens, and bacteria laden materials such as manure, previous years compost, or even rich black dirt into a pile or bin. The layers of materials combined with oxygen and moisture maintained in a balance provide the perfect environment for compost to form. Over time usually a year or more you will begin to have compost forming at the bottom of your pile in which the materials are no longer distinguishable from each other. If you stop adding material eventually it all will break down into the rich mulch that is so useful around the lawn and garden.

The approach used above is one of the most common that people use because it requires a minimum of work to build and maintain. The downside of course is the turn around time for the compost when it can take a year or more to get compost you might need many piles to keep up with demand.

Active Approach

The other option is a active approach in which you actively manage your pile by monitoring a few key factors like

• pile temperature
• material ratio
• moisture level
• aeration

By providing the optimum levels of each of these factors you can potentially turn a pile of organic

Letting it rot

matter into compost in as little as 3-4 weeks rather than the year it takes with a more passive system. Having a turn around like that can be very useful if you are a tight schedule or you need to make a lot of compost over a growing season.

If you are unsure where to start but you really want to start composting then I would suggest getting a pile of vegetable, fruit, shredded paper, cardboard and a little black dirt and place it in a pile in a out of the way corner of your yard and just let nature do its work.