Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio - Composting 101. All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of carbon (C) combined with lesser amounts of nitrogen (N).
The balance of these two elements in an organism is called the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio). For best performance, the compost pile, or more to the point the composting microorganisms, require the correct proportion of carbon for energy and nitrogen for protein production. Scientists (yes, there are compost scientists) have determined that the fastest way to produce fertile, sweet-smelling compost is to maintain a C:N ratio somewhere around 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, or 25-30:1. If the C:N ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down.
If the C:N ratio is too low (excess nitrogen) you will end up with a stinky pile. Below are the average C:N ratios for some common organic materials found in the compost bin. Beneficial insects in the landscape: #51 Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) About 120,000 different species of flies annoy folks around the world. They are found everywhere including the Antarctica. Sometimes it is hard to remember that flies are an integral part of our ecosystems. Flies can be beneficial and necessary, aiding in controlling other insect pests, acting as pollinators, recyclers and scavengers, and they are also a part of the food chain.
Remember only bees (and a few wasps) pollinate more plants than flies. The multi-beneficial black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is probably the best-known member of the Stratiomyidae family in the Diptera order. Aristotle used the term more than 2300 years ago. Black soldier flies can be seen in bright, sunlit areas, resting on nearby structures or vegetation and frequenting flowers of the daisy and carrot families. The hale and hearty adults are about 7/8-inch long. Gender-wise, the female's abdomen is reddish at the top and the male's abdomen is rather bronze. Lawn Care Service: 40 Cool Blogs for Composting Fanatics. I just completed a nice weekend of camping with a group of kids from our church and I must say it was exhausting in just about every aspect.
It was great to be outside a ton and to really enjoy some of the best woods, lakes, and natural habitats that I have seen in a long, long time. However, that’s not the point of this particular article. You see the camp had an amazing cafeteria and kitchen staff that cooked some great meals for our crew. In the center of the table they placed some great information on their composting program and as soon as the meal was over we walked everyone through separating out their garbage and going through the composting process.
It was a really unique experience and an opportunity to teach the kids quite a bit about composting and some of its benefits. 1. 2. Article - Seed Savers Exchange Forum. July 26, 2008 I've been composting my kitchen waste for 20 years, and there's not much in the way of rotting food that can gross me out anymore. But last summer, the maggots appeared. For years we'd had an open-air compost pile that we'd manage by layering food scraps with leaves and soil, then turning it over periodically. We saw bugs occasionally, but the turning kept them from getting too comfortable.
Then the city of Santa Cruz sold us a set of plastic, rodent-proof compost bins. One afternoon, during a midsummer heat wave, I went to toss a bucket of food scraps into the bin. The bin was boiling with brown and beige maggots, big leathery fellows 3/4 inch long and nearly 1/4 inch wide. My scalp tingled, and I frantically checked my bare legs for creepy crawlies. I didn't know what to do about this infestation, so, once my alarm subsided, I decided to do nothing. Over a period of weeks I noticed a few things about my new tenants: They ate like crazy. I became rather fond of my maggots.
Things You Can Compost That You Didn't Think You Could.