You can see some compost bins on UW campus. Many of the items including corn-made plastic containers, coffee cups and papers are compostable.
Also, the UW farm is engaging in composting to build nutritious soil.Like this, composting is a worldwide trend under the current situation. However it is said that the practice of composting was accepted all over the world thousands of years ago. In ancient societies, people used rotted manure straw and organic references to compost. It includes Native American society.
(See “Native American gardening: stories, projects, and recipes for families”
by Michael J. Caduto, Joseph Bruchac
Thus, composting is one of the Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK).
What is Composting?
Composting is yard and household organic waste in a pile or bin which is decomposed by microscopic organisms such as bacteria, fungi. They produce a rich organic fertilizer and valuable soil.
What are the benefits?
Compared to the soil with chemical fertilizer which tends to increase the acidity of the soil and reduce the beneficial organism population plant growth, composting makes eco-friendly soil.
- Improves soil structure
- Acts like pieces of sponge in the soil to hold moisture
- Improves aeration so that plant roots can get the air they need
- Holds the nutrients in the soil instead of letting them leach with the groundwater
- Increases the number of microorganisms in the soil
- Neutralizes acid soil and acidifies alkaline soil
- Digests the spores of harmful fungi
- Contains trace elements that are difficult to obtain otherwise
- Destroys pathogens in the soil making plants disease-free
- Helps plants resist stress and insect attacks.
Composting is costless and able to be done at home garden. It is a suitable technique for an individual “alterNative garden”. Here is more detailed information on a “Composting Guide for the Home Gardener”. You will know how to compost, what conditions are needed, what kinds of items are prepared and so on.
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