The process of how compost is made – and how it benefits soil and plants – is fascinating. It’s also useful, as an awareness can help you create faster compost, better soil and healthy, luxurious plants.
If you’re new to the science of composting, we suggest starting with The Science of Compost – How Compost Happens!
30th March, 2023 Bulking agents key to effective composting – scientists identify the best ones to use As global warming and waste management continue to dominate headlines, a team of Greek researchers has identified some of the keys to efficiently transforming food-waste into quality compost within just 21 days. The research highlights the urgent need […]
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Looking for a handy Carbon-Nitrogen Ratio List to guide your composting efforts? In this article, you’ll find a comprehensive table of C:N ratios for everything from food waste to manures—and even a simple calculator to help you mix materials. C:N Ratio Calculator Select materials from the dropdown or add custom ones. The calculator will help
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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
15th March, 2023 Across the world, millions of tonnes of human and pet hair waste are discarded every year. Recycling and re-use accounts for just a fraction of that. Current waste disposal of human waste varies across the world and causes a number of problems. Source: Gupta, Human Hair “Waste” and Its Utilization: Gaps and
Pet and Human Hair Make Great Compost Finds Study Read More »
The fastest way to turn kitchen and garden waste into compost is aerobic composting. Aerobic literally means ‘with air’ – so as you can imagine, air is pretty important for aerobic composting! In this post, we’re going to dig a little into the science of why it’s important, what happens when it’s not present, as
Optimizing Oxygen: Understanding the Role Of Air In Making Compost Read More »
Have you ever wondered what does the heavy lifting in your compost heap? The answer is a single-celled microscopic organism that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be found living in virtually every ecosystem on Earth – bacteria. These microscopic microorganisms are truly tiny (about 500 million times smaller than the
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Composting is a magical process that has been used for thousands of years to improve the soil. Still, there was a time when people worried about what was in compost – in fact, at one point gardeners often sterilised compost before using it. However, in recent years, composting has also been recognized for its ability
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Free Air Space (abbreviated to FAS) refers to the air pockets created in compost piles. In many guides to composting, a huge amount of focus is given the Carbon: Nitrogen ratio. While this plays a role in composting, getting the C:N right is both difficult and less important than you might imagine. In contrast, FAS
Free Air Space: The Key to Making Great Compost Without Turning Read More »
Soil, when looked after, works wonders. In fact, after years of abusing soil with tractors, chemicals and artificial fertilisers, we are only just starting to learn how well it works when treated well. Much of that wonder comes down to Mycorrhizae Fungi. Contents What is mycorrhizal fungi? Mycorrhizae fungi is a family of fungus that
Mycorrhizal Fungi: The Underground Network That Feeds Your Plants Read More »
You know compost is good for the soil, but do you know why? Chances are you think it’s about nitrogen and nutrients. That’s correct – compost does slowly release nutrients. However, these nutrients often help in more indirect ways than you might think. One way compost does so is by helping soil structure via the
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