What is Compost?

What exactly is Compost, and How does Composting Work?

What is Compost?

Compost, as stated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, is organic material that can aid in the growing of plants. The three main components of compost are greens, browns, and water. Greens include carbon-based materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs. Browns include nitrogen-based materials such as grass clippings, coffee grounds, vegetable waste, and fruit scraps. Water, in moderation, is important to the composting process because it ensures that moisture is retained and the compost does not dry out. The greens, browns, and water are all mixed together with soil, and then after the decomposition process, is added as nutrients to plants!

How does Composting Work?

During the composting process, all the components of the compost decompose, which means to "make or become rotten". The process of decomposition is helped along by microorganisms, which are tiny, or "microscopic", organisms which include bacteria, viruses, and fungi; the microorganisms involved in the composting process are mostly bacteria and fungi. These microorganisms help the different components, or parts, of the compost decompose by "eating" them. Other organism that help in the process of decomposition are worms and insects called sow bugs; these organisms love to dig around in the compost to see what they can eat!

Decomposing "Greens"

Bacteria

Fungi

Earthworm

Sow Bugs

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