शनिवार, 13 अक्तूबर 2018

Composting with crawlies

In forests , leaves , fruits , flowers , and seeds from trees fall to the ground and rot on their own . They turn into compost , which helps plants to grow. This happens all the time and without the help of humans . Nothing is wasted and everything is recycled back to nature . In cities , people make more waste than nature can manage . But with a little help from human hands wastes , waste can be turned into rich soil . Composting is  a cheap way to reduce and recycle waste to make natural nutrition for soil .

How it works 

Compost is made when different kinds of living creatures such as worm , beetles , insects , bacteria , and fungi feed on waste . It needs air , water , carbon , and nitrogen . Carbon is found in ' brown ' materials such as dry leaves , straw , wood chips , and cardboard . ' Green ' materials contain nitrogen gas , which is found in living things like grass , plants , and vegetables .

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 When these ingredients are mixed in the right quantities in a pile or a container , the waste begins to rot . Too much of green material can turn the pile smelly . Too much of brown material can make the pile rot very slowly . The waste pile will turn into compost over a period of time even if it is not checked . The heat from the sun and air are all that are needed . However , if the pile is stirred from time to time it will rot faster . Finally , the waste will turn into a sweet - smelling humus , or compost . 

Worming it up 

Compost can also be made using worms . This is called vermiculture and it can be done is small spaces using just a container . Since worms are omnivores , meat leftovers from the kitchen can also be added to the pile . The compost that is made by worms is of very high quality and can be used in the garden soil or potted plants .

Food for the ' soil ' 


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Compost is a health food for grass , plants , and soil . Chemical fertilisers have to be used in the right quantity so that plant roots do not burn . That is not a problem with compost . The soil can take in and use as much as is put into it .

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