1. Compost 101
Location
Date , 2016
Presented by:
Speaker #1
Speaker #2
Environmental concerns The process:
composting
The product:
compost
Composting at home

2. Presentation
outline
Compost 101 and
Composting at home
● Environmental concerns linked
to organic waste management
● The process of composting
organic waste
● Compost as an end result, a
product
● Composting at home, outside
and inside

3. Environmental concerns
1.0

4. Landfilling organic waste
● Leachate
● Water table and nearby
rivers
● Watershed scale
● Greenhouse gas emissions
● Alternative: Make better use
of organic “resources”
1.1

5. Agricultural land issues
● Use of biocides
○ Pesticides
○ Herbicides
○ Fungicide
● Use of synthetic fertilizers
○ Algae bloom
● Watershed scale impacts
● Concentration effect
● Solution: use of compost
1.2

6. Urban land issues
● Contaminated land
○ Illegal dumping
● Degraded land
● Construction sites
● Abandoned land
● Solution: use of compost
1.3

7. The Process of Composting
2.0

8. Soil food web
● Organic waste / resource
○ All organic matter
● Microfauna
● Microflora
● Fauna
● Flora
● Nutrient cycling
2.1

9. Modern composting
● Composting: Managed process of bio-oxidation of a solid
heterogeneous organic substrate, including a thermophilic
phase
● Improved technology
● Targeting conditions favorable to composting
● Scale of composting
○ Domestic
○ Farm
○ Commercial
○ Industrial
2.2

10. 2.3
Time
°C
45°C
Larger scale composting

11. 2.4

12. Compost: the end product
3.0

13. Compost: the end product
● Components
○ Sand / Silt / Clay
○ Water
○ Carbon & Nitrogen
○ Other Essential Nutrients (Potassium, Phosphorus,
Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, etc)
○ Biota
● Physical properties
○ Porosity
○ Water retention capacity
○ 45-65% water (should be damp but not wet)
● Chemical properties
○ pH
○ C:N, other nutrients
○ Cation exchange capacity (CEC)
3.1

14. Benefits of adding compost to your garden
PHYSICAL:
● Improves structure - both immediate and long term
○ Enhances aggregation in sandy soils
○ Reduces compaction in clay and clay-loam soils
○ Increases porosity for easier access to roots by water and gasses
● Helps soil retain, distribute and manage moisture content
CHEMICAL:
● Modifies, stabilizes and buffers pH levels
● Increases Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of soils
○ Reduces nutrient leaching
○ Facilitates slow release of nutrients to soil and plants
3.2

15. Benefits of adding compost to your garden
BIOLOGICAL:
● Adds life to soil
○ Bacteria, protozoa, actinomycetes, fungi
○ Sufficient organic matter promotes earthworm proliferation, which helps
with soil aeration and water filtration
● Suppresses plant diseases
○ … But, if it is homemade, ensure it is mature, has achieved the necessary
temperatures for the inputs that went in, and has a good C:N ratio.
3.3

16. Benefits of adding compost to your garden
ADDITIONAL:
● Binds contaminants (including heavy metals)
● Degrades compounds (including petrochemicals)
● Wetland restoration
● Erosion control
● Weed control
● Filtration capacities (sediment barrier)
3.4

17. Composting at home
4.0

18. Backyard composting
4.1
● Outdoors
● Larger volume
○ 4-5 persons
● Seasonal
○ Less active during winter
● Varied inputs
● Needs space
○ In contact with the soil
● Easy management

19. Worm composting
4.2
● Indoors
● Smaller volume
○ 1-2 persons
● All year round
● Selected inputs
● Needs very little space
○ Cupboard, underneath sink
● Slightly technical
○ Basic knowledge is required

20. Rules of thumb
● Humidity: wrung out
sponge
● Odor: earthy smell
● Size: 1 cubic meter
● Aeration: once a month
● Location: covered
● Inputs: smaller is better
4.3
● Humidity: slight
condensation
● Odor: earthy smell
● Size: 2 shoe boxes or
more
● Aeration: leave open for
the night if condensation
happens underneath the
lid
● Location: stable
● Inputs: smaller is better
Backyard composting Worm composting

21. Useful tools
● Gloves
● Fork
● Shovel
● Lock and chain
● Trowel
● Weeding fork / cultivator
● Extra carbon material
4.4

22. Troubleshooting
● Odors
● Pest (squirrels,
raccons)
● Soggy compost
● Weeds
● Ants
● maggots
4.5
● Odors
● Flies
● Waterlogged
● Small insects taking
over the bin
● Roaming behavior
Backyard composting Worm composting

24. Inputs and Foods
● Balance Carbon and Nitrogen (C:N)
● Water content
● Required composting conditions
● Impact on composting conditions
4.6

25. Inputs and Food
Activity

26. Q&A

27. Thank you !
Thomson House, McGill
March 30th, 2016
Presented by:
Vincent Beaudoin
Cameron Stiff
Environmental concerns The process:
composting
The product:
compost
Composting at home