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Did you know that 30 percent of residential waste is organic
matter consisting of mowed grass, garden scrub and food scraps?
Furthermore, this huge part of waste uses landfill space and doesn't
compost in a landfill when mixed with other waste - it will react
with the chemicals there and turn into toxic waste.
But you can prevent this from happening to your yard waste. You'll even
get something out of it:
Compost is a very dark - often black - soft, humid mass of organic crumbs. It is nature's fertilizer and mulch that keeps the soil fertile, loose and humid. It's the same material you'll find when you take away the layer of recently fallen leafs from the forest ground: completely and partially decayed plant parts forming a fertile layer on top of the forest's soil, providing it with nutrients and a storage for rain water.
Basically, living organisms turn organic material into compost by eating it.
Microorganisms, funghi and insects are involved in this process. Cellulose -
the natural material wood, straw, leaves and many other plant parts are made
of - is broken down into smaller molecules, finally decomposing into the materials
they were build of: carbon dioxide and water. Proteins release nitrogen when
composted, and the minerals plants took out of the soil are returned to it
when plants compost.
Due to the process of destruction of large organic molecules, heat is generated.
Compost heaps are quite hot: more than 30C are not unusual. The heat speeds up
the process of composting.
Compost
Maintaining your own compost pile, bin or worm composter is as easy as maintaining your trashcan. Choose one of the following topics to receive details:
Using your finished compost is very easy: just spread it in your
garden, fill it into your plant pots or spread thin layers of it over
your lawn.
If you want to use it indoors, you might consider sterilizing the compost
before you use it. This is simply done by heating it in an oven to at least
120C for about an hour. Microwaves are not suitable for this. The heat will
kill any germs, bacteria and mould that might be left in the compost and
could be of harm to allergic persons.
Outside, the raw compost is simply spread on the ground, put around trees in
circular layers or spread out in thin layers over your lawn, where it will be washed
to your lawn's roots.
If you grow vegetables or fruit, you want to use thick layers of compost on your
ground. Compost provides a good ground for young roots, providing vital humidity
and nutrients.
Furthermore, use compost instead of turf. Harvesting turf destroys the landscape
and the natural living are of species. Compost gives you the benefits of turf
at no price and at no environmental damage.
Another method of compost application is mulching. Mulching means covering
the ground with organic material, and you don;t even need finished compost
to do it. Leaves, grass clippings, wood chips from a shredder or from
Columbia's mulching sites (see further information section for addresses)
will do fine. The principle of mulching is to cover the bare soil with a layer
of material that keeps the surface humid and keeps sunlight away from weed
seeds. You can use mulch as a replacement for herbicides if you use it as
follows:
Various questions about insects, odors, legality and the like are covered in the Questions and answers section.
Columbia Compost Facility: located at 5700 Peabody Road. Public hours:
8-5 Mon-Fr, 8-4 Sat. Phone: 474-9145
Mulch Sites: located on Parkside Drive and in Capen Park. Drop-off for
brushes, yard waste etc., pick-up of free mulch.
Residential Services: call 874-6280 for question about curbside collection, yard waste bags, brush collection.
Compost Class and Free Composter: Contact Tina Hubbs, Public Works Volunteer Program. Phone: 874-6271.
Columbia Compost Demonstration Site: is located on Rollins Street near Hitt Street/Rollins
Street and shows five models of composters and some information. Click here to
see a picture of the place.
This is the material used to build the compost pages above. It containes very
detailed descriptions of composting, soil benefits, compost recipes and the like.