composting and good soils: a gardener’s best tools · soil biology and chemistry: good soil...
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Composting and Good Soils: A Gardener’s
Best Tools
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Why should we care about healthy soils?
Sustain us and make possible our food, shelter, fiber and so much more
Promote development of beneficial microbial communities (bacteria/fungi) that allow plants easy access to moisture and nutrients
Play an important role in mitigating climate change, through carbon storage and reduction of greenhouse gases
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The Importance of Cycles
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Back to the Basics: Elements (Atoms → Molecules → Everything!)
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Chemistry is all around (and in) us!
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Some of the compounds in a leaf
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Plants feed themselves andthe soil
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The Soil Food Web
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How Can Soils Help Fight Climate Change?
First, a few definitions: "Global warming" refers to the long-term increase in
Earth's average surface temperature. "Climate change" refers to any long-term change in
Earth's climate, or in the climate of a region or city. This includes warming, cooling and changes besides temperature.
The “Greenhouse Effect” refers to the natural process that traps heat from solar radiation via a layer of atmospheric gases (such as CO2, CH4 and N2O) that surround the Earth.
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The Carbon Cycle: Our role
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Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations
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Human-Caused CO2 Emissions vs. Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations
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How can soils sequester Carbon? Soil Minerals (a little):
CO2 + CaO = CaCO3
CO2 + MgO = MgCO3
Plants (a lot): make and store C; send extra C to soil to feed microbes
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Soils 101 Soil Formation Factors: ClORPT: Climate,
Organisms, Relief, Parent Material and Time Soil Texture: Sand/Silt/Clay Soil Structure: Aggregates protect organic
matter. Organic matter builds aggregates. Soil Biology and Chemistry: Good soil
management fosters active and diverse soil biology and chemistry, which increases resilience and moisture/nutrient availability.
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Elements of Sustainable Soil Health Management
Low/no till: minimal disruption Organic matter additions (compost, mulch,
manures) Roots in the Ground
Cover cropping and continuous cover, with a diverse variety of plants
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Best Cover Crops for Northeast Vegetable Gardens*
*www.gardening.cornell/edu/factsheets/ecogardening/impsoil.html
Spring: Clovers, Buckwheat, Hairy Vetch Late Summer: Oats/Peas mixture, Buckwheat*Note: Rye, though recommended, can be very invasive and hard to control, as well as allelopathic
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Why Continuous Cover?Bare soils are unproductive and unsustainable!Cover crops: Minimize soil erosion/water runoff Minimize nutrient loss Keep carbon in the soil Reduce compaction/increase aeration Suppress weeds Attract beneficial insects/pollinators “Fix” atmospheric N (legumes) Foster mycorrhizal fungi Add soil organic matter
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Legumes “fix” N
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Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
A symbiosis between fungus and root (+80% of all plants have it). Nutrient/H20 superhighway
AMF hyphae produces glomalin, a glycoprotein that helps create stable soil aggregates (structure)
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Adding Organic Matter: Benefits of Backyard
CompostingWaste Reduction
Greenhouse Gas Reduction (CO2, CH4)
Organic Matter “Creation”
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Waste ReductionU.S. Household Trash Generation:3/4 ton per person per year (4.3 lbs./day)
25% is food/yard waste (45 m tons)
40% of all food produced is discarded
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Greenhouse Gas (GHG)Reduction
Composting reduces methane (CH4) from landfills by facilitating aerobic decomposition.Removing organic waste from incineratorsmakes the process less polluting.
Utilizing compost keeps carbon in the soil, reducing formation of CO2 and feeding soil microorganisms
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Five Essentials of Composting
Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) RatioVolumeMoistureAerationSurface Area
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Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) Ratio
Materials High in Carbon: (2 parts)“Browns”: Dry, brown materials such as leaves, straw, paper, woodchips, sawdust
Materials High in Nitrogen: (1 part)“Greens”: Moist, fresh materials such as vegetative food scraps and garden waste
Always cover greens with browns!
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Some C:N Ratios
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Composting High Carbon Materials Only
(compensate for low N by adding moisture)
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2. Volume
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3. Moisture
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4. Aeration
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5. Surface Area
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What can you Compost? Yes!
No!
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Composting Methods: Hot (batching) vs. Cool
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Composting Systems
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Composting Systems (cont’d)
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Regardless of system, leave room to turn the pile.
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Composting Tools:
Compost Fork* Spade*ThermometerTurning toolAccelerators
*only essential tools
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Composting Kitchen Scraps Separately
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Soil Incorporation
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Worm Composting (Vermicomposting)
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Using Finished Compost(A soil amendment, not a fertilizer)
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Using Finished Compost: Plant Nutrient Overview
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Benefits of Using Finished Compost
Improves soil health, “tilth”, structure, making life better for plants and soil organisms
Conserves moisture (enabling nutrient uptake) and moderates soil temperature, reducing plant stress
Organic matter fuels microbial activity, making minerals available to plants and reducing the need for chemical inputs and reducing NPS pollution
Suppresses pathogens, reducing plant diseases Neutralizes soil pH, which increases nutrient availability Increases Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) Etc., etc., etc.
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Using Finished Compost: pH and Nutrient Availability
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Using Finished Compost
Top or Side Dress Potting Mix Soil Incorporation (herbaceous plants only) Seed Starting Mix (mature compost) Compost Tea
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Invest in a Soil Test