Although chemical fertilizers give plants a quick, lush growth boost they are soon depleted and actually leave the soil in a chemically dependent state. The use of vermicompost as fertilizer adds living micro-organisms to the soil and begins breaking down organic matter, making it nutritionally available to plants. Surrounding and existing soil becomes viable and [...]
Posts Tagged ‘soil’
“Rotline” Question of the Week: Why is vermicompost better than chemical fertilizers?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged chemical fertilizers, compost, Composting, depletion, soil, vermicompost ratio to soil, vermicomposting, worms on September 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Why should I compost? I’m not growing vegetables.
Posted in Master Composters, tagged alternate daily cover, anaerobic, biodegrad, carbon dioxide, carbon sequestration, compost, Composting, decay, decomposition, food scraps, garden compost, gardening, green house gases, greens, healthy soil, home composting, landfill, Master Composters, methane, moisture, organic material, pollution, runoff, soil, soil amendments, Solana Center, sustainability, vermicomposting, waste, water conservation, water retention, yard clippings on November 18, 2009 | 2 Comments »
by: David Emmerson, LCCHS Science Teacher and Solana Center Master Composter Kitchen waste, yard clippings, paper, coffee grounds, and other organic materials that are produced in the home are all considered “biodegradable”. This term has a positive connotation, especially to us environmentalists. It means that they can be broken down into their raw materials by [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: Do I need to shred or grind my materials to compost them?
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "Rotline", augers, blender, chippers, clippings, compost bins, Composting, decomposition, grinding, plant trimmings, shredders, shredding, soil, soil amendments, Solana Center, speeding up the process, vermicompost, worm bins, worms on August 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Shredding and grinding materials speeds up the process of composting. Smaller pieces will break down faster in your pile because it increases the surface area. This makes the material easier for bacteria to break down the material. You do not have to shred or grind your materials. The process will just take longer. If you [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: What is the difference between biodegradable and compostable?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged amendments, biodegradable, compost, compostable, home composting, industrial composting, soil on April 7, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There are some things that are biodegradable that are not recommended for your compost bin or worm bin. This includes meat, dairy, greasy foods, pet/human waste, and sweets. Biodegradable materials will break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass within a reasonable amount of time in the natural environment. Some biodegradable materials may contain toxins. [...]
“Rotline” Question of the Week: Can Compost Make You Sick?
Posted in "Rotline" Question of the Week, tagged bacteria, compost, farmer's lung, gardening, histoplasmosis, illness, infection, manure, paronychia, sickness, soil, tetanus on March 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There are tons of microscopic bacteria and organisms living in the pile that are breaking down organic material into good humus. Generally speaking, bacteria are pretty harmful to humans. The wrong ones can definitely hurt you, and if in some cases could even be pretty serious. So what about the bacteria in your compost pile? [...]
Earthworms – saviors of the planet?
Posted in In the news!, tagged carbon, compost, Earthworms, forest, global warming, Purdue, soil, vermicomposting on October 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
A new development of robotic super suits will now allow us to have a whole army of Earthworm Jims who can defeat evil and save the world from the clutches of doom. If only this were true. We are not going to have super hero earthworms who can help us save the world. Or are [...]
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