Description
Well made compost is a brown, crumbly, soil like material which contains all the ingredients needed for plant growth. It has moisture and oxygen retaining properties and its structure is ideal for plant and root growth. Packed with beneficial micro-organisms that support and actively promote plant health, which in turn minimises the need for insecticides and fungicides.
See 7 Composting Steps (Click Here)
Experience/Research: We used two compost thermometers when monitoring the compost of freshly deposited grass in Compost Bin measure 60cm (w) x 60cm (d) x 90cm (h). We found that the centre was reaching 65C and the perimeter was 22C. Any hotter than 65C valuable carbon sources can be burnt up and micro-organisms killed off. Any less than 55C and we are not generating enough heat. With the reading from the thermometers we decided to turn the heat mixing the perimeter material into the centre where it would heat up.
Filling a compost bin 1.20m (w) x 1.20m (d) x 0.90m (h) with just grass the maximum temperature we attained was 78C.
1st Phase: Decomposition (at least 2-3 weeks). Control temperature 50-80C.
2nd Phase: Conversion to humus (at most 9 months). Control temperature 40C or less.
