Composting - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 25
About This Presentation
Title:

Composting

Description:

... organic fertilizers, landscaping, lawn maintenance, horticulture and alternative ... We also offer landscape design, consultation, project management and ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:104
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 26
Provided by: marcl
Category:
Tags: composting | lawn

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Composting


1
Composting
  • By Marc Landry CEPIT
  • Organik Touch

2
  • Organik Touch
  • We specialize in organic fertilizers,
    landscaping, lawn maintenance, horticulture and
    alternative solutions for gardening
  • We also offer landscape design, consultation,
    project management and conferences
  • We offer biodegradable, phosphate free household
    cleaners

3
Quick facts
  • The Department of Environment estimates that for
    every ton of organic material diverted from the
    landfill, there is a reduction of 15 tons of CO2
    equivalent
  • A Feasibility Study completed for the NSWC in
    2007 estimates that over 5000 tons of organics
    are sent to the landfill from Northumberland
    County each year.  

4
(No Transcript)
5
Basics of composting
  • Simple process of nature.
  • No need for specialized equipment or special
    knowledge
  • We need to know how to separate the ingredients
    (greens and browns)
  • Trial and errors

6
How composting works
  • In nature, organic wastes are broken down
  • through a combination of biological and
  • chemical processes. Biological agents like
  • worms, insects, fungi, bacteria and other
  • micro-organisms "chew up" the materials,
  • which are further transformed by oxidation
  • (exposure to air), reduction and hydrolysis
  • (exposure to water).

7
Successful composting
  • The right amount of water and air to keep the
    biological and chemical processes functioning.
  • The right temperature. For the purposes of
    composting, the warmer it gets, the better. In a
    cool environment, the composting process slows
    down.
  • The right CN ratio. This ratio will affect the
    speed of decomposition. Ideally, your CN ratio
    should be thirty to one..
  • The right container. You can build your own or
    buy one from your local hardware store or garden
    supply centre.

8
Keys to success
  • Air
  • Humidity
  • Turning
  • Material (size and mixture)

9
Building a composter
  • Building your own composter will allow you to
    design a unit to suit your specific needs.
  • A composter can be made of wood, concrete blocks,
    wire mesh or almost any material you have
    available.

10
Key features in a composter
  • A lid that protects the pile from rain and snow
    and allows you to control how much moisture gets
    in.
  • Holes or vents to allow air circulation.
  • A means of removing the final product.
  • Access for turning the pile

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
Vermi composting the basics
  • Red worms are simply the best method of
    composting kitchen waste
  • designed over millions of years into the fastest
    natural composters.
  • They will happily turn kitchen waste into compost
    or vermicompost.
  • The castings are thick, dark, nutrient rich
    compost that will result in increased garden
    yields and indoor plants to thrive.

14
  • Worm composting, or vermiculture, requires very
    little work, produces no offensive odors, and
    helps plants thrive.
  • You can compost vegetable scraps, fruit peelings,
    bread and grains, tea bags, coffee grounds and
    filters and well-crushed eggshells. Do not
    compost meat, bones, fats, dairy products, salt
    and vinegar.
  • Your red worm can consume 2 to 3 pounds of waste
    for ½ pound of worms and 3 to 5 pounds for a
    pound of worms over 10 days.

15
(No Transcript)
16
Compost recipe
  • You can use the simple rule that compost needs to
    be about 2 "brown" and 1 "green"
  • Learn to C/N ratio to balance the recipe

17
  • Algae
  • Bone meal
  • Coffee grounds
  • Eggshells
  • Feathers
  • Flowers
  • Fruit and fruit peels
  • Grass clippings (fresh)
  • Hair
  • Manure
  • Seaweed
  • Tea Leaves
  • Vegetables and peelings
  • Weeds

18
C N Ratio - GREENS
19
  • Buckwheat hulls
  • Coffee filters
  • Corn cobs
  • Cotton/wool/silk scraps
  • Grass clippings (dried)
  • Hay
  • Leaves (dead)
  • Paper
  • Peat moss
  • Pine needles
  • Sawdust
  • Straw
  • Tea bags
  • Wood chips
  • Wood ash

20
C N Ratios - Brown
21
  • Pet wastes
  • meat, fish, fats and dairy products
  • insect-infested or diseased plants
  • Materials contaminated by synthetic chemicals or
    treated with herbicides or insecticides
  • Weeds with mature seeds, and plants with a
    persistent root system
  • Leaves of rhubarb, oak and walnut contain
    substances toxic to insects or other plants
  • Painted products
  • Contaminated ashes
  • Bio medical waste

22
Building a compost pile
  • Gather both "green" and "brown" ingredients,
    enough to make a compost pile measuring at least
    1 meter (3 feet) in each direction (high, wide
    and long).
  • Chop or shred into small pieces as much of the
    material as possible
  • Layer 15 cm (6 inches) of well-watered "browns"
    and 7.5 cm (3 inches) of "greens," mixing the two
    layers together.

23
Troubleshooting
  • Smell
  • An earthy scent is normal and inoffensive, but a
    well-built compost shouldn't produce unpleasant
    odors.
  • If it does, your problem is either too much
    "green" stuff (ammonia smell) or too little air
    (rotten-egg smell).
  • First, aerate the pile. If the odor persists,
    turn and rebuild the pile with more "brown"
    materials.
  • What if the compost pile doesn't heat up?
  • The odds are that an inactive compost pile just
    doesn't have enough "greens" or
  • The pile is too small
  • Check if the pile is moist

24
Benefits of compost
  • It helps hold moisture in the soil making your
    plants more drought-tolerant.
  • Compost releases nutrients slowly when your plant
    needs them.
  • Compost adds macronutrients (nitrogen,
    phosphorous and potassium) and micronutrients
    (calcium, magnesium and boron) to the soil.
  • Compost allows your plants to become healthier
    and stronger. The result is that they are much
    more resistant to disease and pest problems.

25
  • Thank you!
  • Organik Touch595 Woodland Dr EastNorth
    Tetagouche, NBE2A 4Z1Tel 506 545 6505 Fax 506
    545 6504www.organik.nb.catouche.organik_at_nb.aibn.
    com
  • In collaboration with
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com