Gardening For Dummies Three e-book Bundle by Geoff Stebbings

Author:Geoff Stebbings
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-12-10T16:00:00+00:00

Figure 3-1: Three phases of thermophilic composting.

Turn, mix, and water: Temperatures drop as supplies of food, air, and water are exhausted. Turning the pile to aerate, mixing undecomposed ingredients on the outside into the center, and/or adding moisture may encourage temperatures to rise and promote more rapid decomposition. At some point, food supplies are exhausted and turning the pile no longer boosts temperatures.

Destroy pathogens and weed seeds: Most plant pathogens are destroyed if temperatures remain between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (54 to 60 degrees Celsius) for 72 hours. Most weed seeds are destroyed if exposed to temperatures above 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) for 72 hours. (Chapter 8 provides details on cooking up a hot pile to destroy weed seeds and plant pathogens.)

Don’t overheat: Heating your pile above 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius) for more than a few hours is not recommended, because it inhibits most microbial activity and shuts down the decomposition process.

If the pile is too hot, turn it to aerate the core and release heat build-up.

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