Short Composting

Without commercial composting equipment, approximating the temperature conditions of Short Composting is very difficult. However, it does provide a model for optimum composting and can be approached by adhering to the basic principles discussed in this chapter. The Short Composting procedure is outlined below. 

For horse manure Wet the starting materials thoroughly. Windrow. 

Make up the pile. Add at supplements except gypsum. Mix and water thoroughly. Pile should be 6 feet wide by 5-6 feet high. The sides should be vertical and compressed tightly. 

First turn Add gypsum and water as needed. Keep the pile height constant and vary the width only In relation to the amount of anaerobic material. 

Third turn Add water as needed. Compost should be ready to fill. 

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The procedures for making a synthetic compost by the short composting method are outlined... 

Figure 88 Temperature zonation during Figure 89 Temperature zonation during Long Composting. Short Composting.

The key to a successful Phase II, whether in trays, shelves or a bulk room, lies in the heat generating capabilities of the completed Phase I compost. To this end the compost should be biologically "active," a term that describes a compost with sufficient food reserves to sustain a high level of microbial activity. Whereas the Sinden Short Compost is a model of a vitally active compost, the Rasmussen Long Compost is considered biologically "dead" because these food reserves have been deliberately exhausted during Phase I. In this same sense, a compost having completed the Phase II is also considered a dead compost. 

One of the most commonly used parameters in soil biology is microbial biomass. The level of microbial biomass is used for assessment of the effects of contaminants in sewage sludge or compost of municipal solid waste in short-term or long-term experiments [56-59,63-69]. 

PLA is a compostable plastic material. Chemical hydrolysis is considered to be the main degradation route for PLA [14]. This hydrolysis process takes place at high humidity and at elevated temperatures (for example in industrial composting facilities). The fragments that result from the hydrolysis process, i.e., short oligomers and monomers, then can be metabolized by microorganisms. Therefore,... 

Carrots grow best in deeply worked, loose soils with a pH between 5.5 and 6.8. No other vegetable is as sensitive to poor soil structure. Misshapen carrots are more often a result of lumpy or compacted soil than any pest problem. Carrots do well in raised beds. Work in a generous amount of compost or well-rotted manure before planting. Cultivars with short roots will tolerate shallow or poor soil better than long, thin cultivars. 

All Esmeralda s plants die shortly after she gets them home from the store consequently, she has the best compost heap in town. 

Shortly thereafter, Yeo, et al. (7.8) showed that the domain size depended quantitatively on the crosslink density, the interfacial surface tension, and the temperature. For many compositions involving non-polar polymer pairs and moderate crosslinking levels, domain sizes of the order of 50-100 nm were predicted. While the theory was developed for spheres for simplicity, it was already known that both phases tended to be cocontinuous, especially for midrange compostions... 

The plants are sold as bundles of rooted canes, or rooted In containers. Plant in late winter in soil fed generously with garden compost or well-rotted manure. Most fall-fruiting varieties have short canes and don t need support, but summer fruiters can reach 10 ft (3 m) high, so use wooden posts (10 ft/3 m high) set into the ground at 10 ft (3 m) intervals. 

The length of time needed for pre-wetting varies according to the condition of the starting materials. Generally 3 days for horse manure and 5-1 2 days for a synthetic compost is sufficient. The pre-wetting time for a synthetic compost can be shortened if the straw is mechanically chopped, but care should be taken that the fibers do not become too short. 

For synthetic composts Break the straw bales and water them thoroughly. Mix in group 1.4 or 5 supplements or chicken manure. Windrow. Start at day -5 if straw is short or has been chopped. 

Compress a long strawy compost and fill loosely a short dense compost. 

It is common procedure to level and compress the substrate to avoid dehydration caused by excessive air penetration. The degree of compression depends upon substrate structure. Long, airy materials can be compacted more than short, dense ones. Commercial tray growers compact the compost into the trays with a hydraulic press so that the compost surface resembles a table top. This enables the application of an even casing layer. 

Short term "natural culture" of this mushroom is also possible although yields are much lower than those attained in a controlled indoor growing environment. Horse manure/straw compost arranged in outdoor beds can be inoculated with mycelium from wild patches or grain spawn can be used. 

Compost anaerobic. Moisture content too high. Straw too short pile too dense, Pile sitting too long between turns. Balance moisture to 70%. Carefully monitor raw materials and adjust pile size as materials compact. Turn more frequently. 

Straws still bright and shiny at filling. Phase 1 too short. Continue composting. 

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