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| - A compost bin is the container used to make compost. Commercially these bins may be made of hard plastic, and is commonly cylindrical in shape, although a variety of shapes and sizes are available. The manufactured bins are commonly found in urban and suburban areas, and in some districts of North America and the U.K., local authorities subsidise the cost to encourage public waste stream reduction. They also may be user-made out of wood, or whatever salvaged, recycled materials are at hand, particularly in rural areas or where larger amounts of yard and garden waste are generated. In some areas, community bin sites are provided. Compost bins can be as simple as a square slatted wood enclosure or as sophisticated as a tumbler, which allows for the “pile” to be turned for aeration purposes.
- Home composting is an attractive, simple method of managing organic wastes at home. It has the advantage of being readily adaptable to fit individual lifestyles, income, yard size, and overall ambition. Backyard composting can be performed by a variety of methods. Typically, these include placing materials in open piles, burying materials in pits or trenches and enclosing materials in drums or bins (e.g., holding bins, turning bins, and worm bins. In order to heat up properly, compost piles should be at least one cubic yard in size. This provides the minimal insulation required to sustain the high temperatures in the center of the pile. Composting units or bins can either be commercial units, or can be simply constructed from inexpensive materials with little carpentry or masonry skills.
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| abstract
| - A compost bin is the container used to make compost. Commercially these bins may be made of hard plastic, and is commonly cylindrical in shape, although a variety of shapes and sizes are available. The manufactured bins are commonly found in urban and suburban areas, and in some districts of North America and the U.K., local authorities subsidise the cost to encourage public waste stream reduction. They also may be user-made out of wood, or whatever salvaged, recycled materials are at hand, particularly in rural areas or where larger amounts of yard and garden waste are generated. In some areas, community bin sites are provided. Compost bins can be as simple as a square slatted wood enclosure or as sophisticated as a tumbler, which allows for the “pile” to be turned for aeration purposes. The advantage of using a compost bin as opposed to creating loose heaps is to provide the ideal controlled environment for aerobic decomposition to occur more completely and rapidly, while providing the home garden a tidy, sanitary spot for on-site disposal of any yard or kitchen waste. Trench composting is a method where a trench is dug and filled with kitchen scraps, leaves, twigs, lawn clippings, and the original topsoil. The area can be used for planting after between a month and a year. German mound (Hugelkultur) is a method of composting, especially woody garden wastes, such as prunings, hedge clippings, and brassica stalks by burying them in the base of a mound in a grassy area. It involves trenching the depth required to remove the turf (sod), 30-90 centimeters (12–36 in) wide, and in its centre is dug another shallow hole into which the rough material is piled. Removed sod is then stacked face-down onto this pile, then layers of compost, well rotted leaves, manure, etc. are added. The layers gradually decompose slowly releasing nutrients and creating rich humus over time; this is ideal for growing hungry crops such as squash or strawberries. The mound also provides a well-drained planting area for plants such as squash that are prone to rotting in moist climates. Sheet composting is the process of placing the organic matter for the compost directly onto the soil as a mulch and letting it decay there, rather than in a heap or container. One or more layers of organic material are spread over the growing area, watered thoroughly, and left to decompose until planting time. The next season's garden is usually planted without tilling the compost into the soil. More layers of organic material are placed as the bottom layers decompose thoroughly. This method is occasionally called "lasagna gardening" because of the layered structure. Proponents of this system argue that sheet composting causes fewer nutrients to be lost through leaching than heap methods, also that fresh organic matter rather than decayed, provides a slower release of minerals when applied. It is also said that, in the long term, sheet composting leads to higher nitrogen levels in the soil, as some may be lost by leaching or vaporisation in a traditional heap. Field composting is a large-scale composting method used in no-till farming. Commonly, this is achieved by growing a 'green manure' cover crop such as mustard, alfalfa, or buckwheat, which is cut, preferably before seed setting, and left on the field to decompose. The next crop is sown without tilling the previous crop into the field. To avoid temporary nitrogen depletion, leguminous green manure crops such as lupin, winter tares, field beans, or clover, which are able to fix their own nitrogen supply in root nodules may be used. The nitrogen is released as the plants decay.
- Home composting is an attractive, simple method of managing organic wastes at home. It has the advantage of being readily adaptable to fit individual lifestyles, income, yard size, and overall ambition. Backyard composting can be performed by a variety of methods. Typically, these include placing materials in open piles, burying materials in pits or trenches and enclosing materials in drums or bins (e.g., holding bins, turning bins, and worm bins. In order to heat up properly, compost piles should be at least one cubic yard in size. This provides the minimal insulation required to sustain the high temperatures in the center of the pile. Composting units or bins can either be commercial units, or can be simply constructed from inexpensive materials with little carpentry or masonry skills. The compost produced by backyard composting is an excellent soil conditioner. It enhances the structure of soil by binding soil particles together. This improves aeration and helps soil to retain water and nutrients. Compost also improves drainage in clay soils and water retention in sandy soils. Compost improves the buffering capacity of the soil and minimizes adverse effects to plants due to extreme shifts in soil pH. Adding compost to soil also attracts earthworms, which aerate the soil and add additional nutrients to the soil. Compost can store nutrients and release them slowly for use by surrounding plants. Although highly beneficial for soil, most composts are not considered fertilizers because they lack the amount of nitrogen necessary to be classed a fertilizer.
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