How Microbes Break Down Compost:

Most folks love the fun process of composg in their home or backyard and even understand the science behind it . But the rest of us, composg is like another skill that we have to learn bee we can even think about taking it head-on. If you're thinking about taking on the chenge of composg, congulations! Not only will you be reducing waste and cost by sending scraps to landfills, you'll be giving back to the earth.

Genery, composg is an aerobic, or oxygen filled process that combines air, heat and moisture to break down matter, which is why you need to turn y compost heap every few days to maintain a good tempeure. Composg is an eft shared by both you and by the many microbes, organisms and bacteria that are going to spring up in y compost pile. After you've added the essential ingredients composg (food scraps, vegetable stalks, fruit rinds, yard wastes free of diseases and seeds) into y compost bin, the billions of little microbes will take care of the rest. These little guys are responsible the decomposition and tempeure of y compost, which results in rich, ready to use compost. Tempeure especiy is vital to the composg process.

Here's how it works and why:

Starg at 55 degrees Fahrenheit little to no breakdown happens; even humans that's pretty cold. Once it hits about 70 degrees Fahrenheit things start to heat up. This warm change in tempeure is caused by cool tempeure bacteria ced Psychrophiles; they burn the carbon found in y compost heap, thus releasing heat and goodies in the m of amino acids.

As the tempeure increases to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, another set of hard working microbes ced Mesophiles eat through EVERYTHING, which can raise the heat to 100 degrees. This then sets the stage the Thermophiles that can live in the sauna of y compost heap in up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit! These hot guys live up to a five day period working extra hard to make sure that any diseases or unwanted germs are annihilated. In addition, they genee what's ced humic acid, which is like ambrosia y plants.

After a few days the tempeure in y compost heap will decrease graduy and you'll be able to sift through the compost and add it to y garden or house plants.

*Special thanks to C. Forrest McDowell, PhD and Tricia Clark-McDowell their compost guide Home Composg Made Easy, available on Cortesia Press.