Compost Process

Composting is the oldest form of recycling organic matter. The ancient Mesopotamian Valley referred to the use of manure in agriculture on clay tablets 1,000 years before Moses was born. There is evidence that Romans, Greeks and the Tribes of Israel knew about compost. The Bible and Talmud both contain numerous references to the use of rotted manure straw, and organic references to compost are contained in tenth and twelfth century Arabia

Composting is a natural biological process that breakdowns organic material under aerobic conditions into stable compost. During composting, the microorganisms consume oxygen while feeding on organic matter. The microbes utilize the carbon and nitrogen as sources of food. By-products of this process are carbon dioxide, water and heat. The heat generated by the microbes kills off unwanted pathogens, weed seeds and bacteria. When the microbes have used the available carbon and nitrogen they start to decline in numbers and the heat being produced is reduced, indicating the end of the active composting process.

To produce high quality compost curing is required. Curing allows the compost to stabilize, which helps to prevent nitrate leaching and reduces the electrical conductivity, high levels of which can damage soil structure. The longer the period for curing the more soil-like the compost will become. Compost has many uses including land restoration, enhancing soils and acting as a direct growing media for plants.