Maximum Yield USA 2009 March | Page 65

Composting replicates nature’s natural system of breaking down materials on the forest floor. The Compost Decomposition Process Compost is the end product of a complex feeding pattern involving hundreds of different organisms including bacteria, fungi, worms and insects. What remains after these organisms break down organic materials is the rich, earthy substance your plants will love. Composting replicates nature's natural system of breaking down materials on the forest floor. In every forest, grassland, jungle and garden plants die, fall to the ground and decay. They are slowly dismantled by the small organisms living in the soil. Eventually these plant parts disappear into the brown crumbly forest floor. This humus keeps the soil light and fluffy. Humus is our goal when we start composting. By providing the right environment for the organisms in the compost pile, it is possible to produce excellent compost. We usually want to organize and hasten Mother Nature's process. By knowing the optimum conditions of heat, moisture, air and materials, we can speed up the composting process. Besides producing more good soil faster, making the compost faster creates heat, which will destroy plant diseases and weed seeds in the pile. MAXIMUM YIELD USA - March 2009 65