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Lesson 4: CompostsOverview
Mature, well-made compost is fundamental to organic farming. It is a stable, slow-release fertilizer that builds up soil life and will not "burn" plants. Synthetic amendments and manure can provide soluble nutrients for plant growth but do not build the soil's long-term biological reserves as well as compost does. At its best, compost can:
• Recycle nutrients
• Stabilize volatile nitrogen (Composted organic matter contains nitrogen in a relatively stable form (nitrate) that is readily usable by plants.)
• Improve soil structure and stability
• Add a concentrated supply of humus and plant nutrients to the soil
• Convert wastes into resources
• Increase moisture retention (One hundred pounds of dry humus can absorb as much as 195 pounds of water!)
• Buffer pH ( Optimal pH for compost is 6.5 to 7.)
• Suppress soilborne diseases
The basic secret of making good compost is that you want just the right mix of nitrogen-rich green materials, such as green leafy crop residues, and carbon-rich brown materials, such as cornstalks or old straw bedding.
Because compost is alive with microbes, bacteria and fungi, the composting process continues even after compost is applied, breaking down raw materials and reassembling them into more-stable humus.
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Unfinished compost at Intervale in Vermont. (Photo: TRI)
"There's a difference between composting and making salsa. You're not just blending it and putting it in a jar. Composting is a complete chemical, physical and biological process. You are changing the very structure of the material."
~Adam Sherman Former manager of Intervale Compost Products |
