Love Dirt healthy soil, healthy future Mission Composts! John Paul, PhD President
Mission Composts! Soil organic matter What is compost? Mission composts! Compost for lawns
What is Soil? Soil is 95 to 99% bits of rock combinations of sand, silt and clay
Organic Matter Makes up the other 1 to 5% of soil Organic matter is present only in the top 15 to 30 cm of the soil We have lost up to 50% of our organic matter worldwide No organic matter, no life
Bits of rock without organic matter is not soil
Why should you care about soil organic matter? Soil Organic Matter Improves Soil Physical Properties Increased granulation and aggregate stability Makes heavy soils easier to work Increases water infiltration rates Increases water holding capacity Decreases erosion
Increased soil organic matter increases water holding capacity of soil Soil water content, m 3 /m 3 soil 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 Field capacity Wilting point 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Soil organic matter, % by weight From Brady and Weil. 1999. The Nature and Properties of Soil. Prentice Hall
Addition of organic matter moves the soil texture towards ideal
Why should you care about soil organic matter? Soil Organic Matter Improves Soil Chemical Properties Increases Cation Exchange Capacity so the soil is better able to store and supply plant nutrients Increases ph buffering so the soil resists changes in ph Reduces Aluminum, Iron, and Manganese toxicity in acidic soil
Why should you care about soil organic matter? Soil Organic Matter Improves Soil Biological Properties Greater abundance, diversity and activity of soil microbes Increased nutrient cycling Increased root elongation and abundance Increased access to water and nutrients
How can we increase soil organic matter? Add compost
A finished compost Has a dark brown color Is crumbly, loose, and humus-like Has an earthy smell Contains no readily recognizable materials 2008/Compost Facility Operators Course/Operation
Compost is not just the backyard type It has a consistent quality It has no weed seeds It is free of pathogens It is safe But not all compost is the same!
Compost is not soil.! Assuming similar maturity, composts vary in ph, nutrient content and electrical conductivity (a measure of soluble nutrients in compost)
Electrical Conductivity Electrical conductivity is a measure of the concentration of soluble ions in a compost These soluble nutrients can include potassium, calcium and nitrogen Composts can range from 0.5 ds/m (mmhos/cm) up to > 12 ds/m. Plants cannot grow well in soil with electrical conductivity higher than 3 ds/m
Compost is not soil.! Some composts are nutrient rich and can burn grass under the right conditions other composts can grow fantastic potatoes.
ph can vary in composts Some composts have low ph (4-5) usually mature woodwaste based composts, or high ph (8 or higher) usually immature composts or some animal manure composts.
Compost provides increased disease resistance for plants Mechanisms for Disease Suppression 1. Competition soil with compost contains greater diversity and number of microorganisms potential pathogens have to compete 2. Specific suppression specific microorganisms in compost are antagonistic to potential disease causing organisms the more mature the compost, the more likely this is to happen. 3. Greater ability of the plant to resist disease
Compost as a Mulch for Gardens Transform Compost Systems Products Provides nutrients Decreases evaporative water loss Inhibits weed seed germination C/N ratio and maturity are important
Making compost safely Transform conducted an organics collection and composting pilot in 2006 No odor, no rodents, met Class A compost requirements District of Kent, BC
Making compost safely Transform has a contract to process greenwaste and foodwaste in partnership with the District of Mission Compost for: - Sale as a soil conditioner - Blending with soil to meet new soil standards District of Mission, BC
District of Mission, BC District of Mission Rot Pot Program Organic Waste Recycling
Composting at Mission Landfill
Reporting temperature
Cooking lunch in the compost pile
Enjoying lunch cooked in the compost pile
Potential pathogen kill results (first batch of compost) Sample # District of Mission Coliforms Total Fecal E. Coli 1 < 3 < 3 < 3 2 < 3 < 3 < 3 3 < 3 < 3 < 3 4 < 3 < 3 < 3 5 < 3 < 3 < 3 6 < 3 < 3 < 3 7 < 3 < 3 < 3 Numbers are in MPN/g (most probable number) All seven samples must be below 1000 MPN/g Compost meets Class A standards for metals
Compost characteristics Characteristics (dry wt) District of Mission Lawn Topdress Compost Moisture Content (%) 35 47 ph 7.2 8.6 Electrical conductivity (ds/m) 3.9 12.2 % N 1.32 3.08 % P 2 O 5 0.53 4.44 % K 2 0 0.99 2.21 Sodium as % of EC 13 15 % Organic Matter 32 66 Which characteristic is most important for marketing compost?
Santa takes Mission s compost back to North Pole for his garden
Compost on Grass Transform Compost Systems Products
We started applying composts to our lawn in 1992. Transform Compost Systems Products
It worked so well at getting rid of moss and thatch, that we tried it on the neighbor s lawn Transform Compost Systems Products
Transform Compost Systems Products Eliminated moss and thatch, and provided a lot of plant nutrients
Grass requires N, P, K, and many micronutrients as well. Nutrient Annual Removal (g per 2500 sq ft) Nitrogen 9009 Phosphorus 2567 Potassium 6933 Sulphur 1142 Calcium 851 Magnesium 519 Iron 48.8 Manganese 45.0 Sodium 41.5 Zinc 12.27 Boron 0.79 Molybdenum 0.60 Copper 0.46 Transform Compost Systems Products
Compost is not magic: actively growing grass outcompetes weeds but, we still need to deal with some weeds Transform Compost Systems Products
We can still have beautiful lawns despite bans on cosmetic use of pesticides Mayor & Council are very pleased with the result. They have received many complements from the residents regarding the health and vigor of the new lawns. Theresa Baxter, Village of Harrison Hot Springs Transform Compost Systems Products
Summary: Compost on Lawns: A Beautiful Lawn, Naturally Compost characteristics: - Screened to < ¼ - Nutrient rich (high electrical conductivity) - high ph okay - ¼ application rate - March or April in BC Can be spread with a rake, or a compost applicator Transform Compost Systems Products
Compost on Lawns: Simpler Maintenance - no aeration required - no dethatching required - no additional fertilizer required Transform Compost Systems Products - no moss control required
Transform Compost Systems Products Conclusions Healthy soil means adding organic matter to supply nutrients and beneficial microorganisms, increase water holding capacity, decrease soil density,. As we increase the diversity of organisms, we can be creative in managing our soils and grass
Thank You!