COMPOST

Compost is a combination of decomposed plant and animal materials and other organic
materials that are being decomposed largely through aerobic decomposition into a rich
black soil. The process of composting is simple and practiced by individuals in their
homes, farmers on their land, and industrially by industries and cities.

Compost soil is very rich soil and used for many purposes. A few of the places that it is
used are in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture. The compost soil itself is
beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer to add
vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost
soil is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and
as landfill cover (see compost uses).

Ingredients
Given enough time, all biodegradable material will oxidize to "compost". One objective
of composting today is to treat readily degradable materials that may otherwise enter
landfills, and decompose anaerobically, releasing greenhouse gases. Most small-scale
domestic systems are not maintained at the thermophilic temperatures required to
eliminate possible pathogens and disease vectors, or deter vermin, therefore pet
droppings, meat scrap, and dairy products are best left to larger scale high-rate, aerobic
composting systems. A local organics recycling facility may operate such a system.
However, hobby animal manure (horses, goats, sheep, chickens), fruit and vegetable
food materials and Garden materials are excellent raw materials for home composting.

Major types of biodegradable organic materials used:

 Cardboard
 Paper
 Coffee grounds  Manure
 Coir (Coconut  Mushrooms
inner husk)  Spent
 Garden mushroom
materials substrate
 Humanure  Tree bark
 Leaves  Eggshells
 Seafood  Fruit
 Vegetables
 Seaweed
 Crustacean
shells

Inorganic additives
  Sea shell
 Soil
 Sand
 Rock dust
 Agricultural lime

Uses
Compost is generally recommended as an additive to soil, or other matrices such as coir
and peat, as a tilth improver, supplying humus and nutrients. It provides a rich growing
medium, or a porous, absorbent material that holds moisture and soluble minerals,
providing the support and nutrients in which plants can flourish, although it is rarely
used alone, being primarily mixed with soil, sand, grit, bark chips, vermiculite, perlite,
or clay granules to produce loam.

Generally, direct seeding into a compost is not recommended due to the speed with
which it may dry and the possible presence of phytotoxins which may inhibit
germination,[4][5][6] and the possible tie up of nitrogen by incompletely decomposed
lignin.[7] It is very common to see blends of 20–30% compost used for transplanting
seedlings at cotyledon stage or later.