Compost Lab

Building a Compost Lab Darius Dixon Biology 5TH Period 6/7/10 Introduction Composting is nature’s way of recycling and is the key to healthy soil and a healthy environment. Composting is a cost- efficient way of getting rich natural soil for a very cheap price. There are numerous types of compost bins available to make; each enable the growth of lawns and gardens.

A compost pile is usually made from fruit and vegetable scraps, newspaper and grass clippings, worms (that act as decomposers), and leaves. HypothesisAccording to the concept of composting it is more than likely that rich filled nutrient soil will be produced from the worm compost bin at the end of a twenty day period. Rich soil that one buys at the store will be the same as a cost efficient, home- made worm bin. Materials 1Clear Plastic 2-liter Bottle 2Lawn Fertilizer containing nitrogen 3Scissors 4Water 5Thumb Tack 62 or three Worms 7Non-Sterile Garden Soil 8Thermometer 9Organic Waste 10Large Spoon Procedure A. ) Use scissors to cut off the top of the bottle. B. ) Use a nail to punch 50-60 small holes around the bottle.

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C. Begin compost pile by alternating layers of non-sterile garden soil, organic material, lawn fertilizer, and water. D.

) Place thermometer into the middle of the pile. E. ) Place compost pile in an accessible place away from extreme temperatures or direct sunlight. F. ) Check the moisture level of the compost pile every two days, and add water as needed.

G. ) Once a week gently turn and aerate compost with a large spoon. H. ) Observe compost and collect data. Data Compost Pile at Home Window Age of Compost PileTemp. (F) OdorTextureChanges Start compost 5/18N/AOdorlessRough and dampNo changeDay 2 5/20 57OdorlessRough and dampNo change. Add fertilizer and more dirt. Day 4 5/2258Citrus smellClumpy and dryWorms die due to too much fertilizer.

Get more worms next day Day 6 Aerate 5/2462Scent of BananasWetAdded more Organic Material and stirred Day 8 5/2659RottenMoist Added newspaper to absorb moisture Day 10 5/2864More natural soil smellDry Worms Died to due direct sunlight Day 12 Aerate 5/3057Rotten SmellDry Moved bottle outside due to smell Day 14 6/149OdorlessRough/ moistCompost pile was dug into by squirrel or rodent Move back to window sill.Day 16 6/3N/AN/AN/A6/4 Add fertilizer to make up for lost compost. Lettuce turns black Day 18 Aerate 6/550Fresh SmellMoist More worms however they are fried from being under sunlight and add dirt. Day 20 Finished 6/751Ok lookingRoughDead worms show so mix up in compost. Analysis and Conclusion At the conclusion of my experiment my hypothesis was correct. The worm bin was successfully composted and the organic waste was decomposed by the worms. However as a fault of leaving the worms under direct sunlight it seems that they were burned and died.

Also, as a result of moving worm bin outside due to smell, a rodent knocked it over therefore I dirt was added to refill lost soil. When one should conduct experiment again may upsize worm bit to produce more soil. 1Worm compost saves you money by replacing store-bought soil conditioners. 2Helps garden and house plants grow by improving the fertility of your soil. 3Saves water by helping the soil hold moisture and reducing water runoff. 4Benefits the environment by recycling valuable organic resources, reducing air and water pollution from refuse trucks and runoff, and extending the life of our landfillsAnalyze and Conclude Qusestions 1The organic waste added to the compost soil was decomposed by the worms and was turned into nutrient filled compost soil.

2The banana, orange peelings, and newspaper decomposed the fastest, and the egg shells decomposed the slowest. This happened because of the texture of the materials were different and easier to eat through. 3Yes, it seems as if the compost became cooler at the end of the experiment. This can be the result of more oxygen now in the soil and the climate change from the house to outside.

It was important to allow circulation of air to reach the compost pile it also good to move worms around and mix natural soil with composted soil so it won’t be divided. 5Yes, I fill that using worm compost is a great alternative method for creating soil and not polluting landfills. If everyone was to create a worm compost bin at their homes I’m sure land fill pollutants would decrease dramatically.

All the things we throw in the garbage we can recycle and go into a continuous cycle of home gardens and scraps. We alone could have an independent ecosystem with worms and save our earth one step at a time.

Author: Marc Osborne

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