A compost pile releases steam due to heat.

The Five Rules to Successful Hot Composting (or How Anyone Can Hot Compost)

Have you struggled to get your compost heap hot before? Chances are you have missed one of the six keys to successful hot composting.  Or quite possibly you’ve become disheartened after listening to instructions to turn your heap every other day, or build a huge pile. (As Joseph Jenkins noted in The Humanure Handbook, the …

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Peatlands Destruction Continues As UK Government Bows to Professional Growers

24th March 2023 The UK government has faced criticism for its “bitterly disappointing” decision to delay a ban on peat-based compost for the professional horticulture market until 2030. While the ban on peat-based compost for private gardeners is set to go ahead in 2024, environmental campaigners have slammed the delay in the professional sector ban, …

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Front cover of Compost Science for Gardeners.

Compost Science for Gardeners: Can Robert Pavlis’ Book Help You Create a Thriving Garden?

Compost science is a fascinating topic, but getting a decent grasp of it online often means wading through realms of densely written material.  Simply put, science-based articles on compost are rarely written for the layperson.  So when I was recently offered a copy of “Compost Science for Gardeners: Simple Methods for Nutrient Rich Soil” for …

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Ancient Aztecs farming and tending fields.

Compost History: The Fascinating Story of an Ancient Science

Think the history of compost is boring? Think again. In this article you’ll find bones stolen from graveyards and battlefields to fertilise Yorkshire fields. You’ll find Egyptians facing death for stealing earthworms and ancient people using blood to fertilise their gardens. You’ll also find some sound principles and solutions that could well help us in …

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Mixture of green and brown material in a compost bin.

Get to Know Your Organic Materials: C:N Ratio Tables for Effective Composting

In our guide to the Carbon: Nitrogen ratio, we took an in-depth look at the role of the essential nutrients in composting.  As discussed there, you CAN compost with a wide range of C: N ratios.  Moreover, while you can calculate exact ratios, it’s complex, time-consuming and probably far more involved than the average home …

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Colorado city view.

Colorado Contamination Crisis: A1 Organics Limits Accepted Compostable Materials

19th March 2023 Starting April 1, A1 Organics — Colorado’s largest recycler of organic materials — will only accept food waste and yard trimmings as compostable materials, and the University of Colorado Boulder will follow suit. A1 Organics said it has been dealing with contaminated items and is limiting those it can receive, even though …

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Food scraps compost heap, tags: michigan communities - CC BY-SA

Michigan Communities to Start New Composting Programs

18th March, 2023 Michigan communities are preparing to implement new waste regulations focused on sustainable composting efforts. In December, the Michigan Senate finally passed a stalled bill supporting further implementation and regulations in composting and recycling. Local counties are encouraged to redirect recyclable materials away from landfills and into greener alternatives, building more accessible waste disposal …

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