Quarter IV – Module 2

STORE AND
STOCKPILE
MATERIALS KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 1
Introduction
• Good waste management on farms is essential to
ensure a healthy, safe and productive farming
enterprise. Inappropriate disposal of wastes on
farms can cause contamination and pollution, and
increase farmers’ liability. Recycling and
composting are a couple of the best methods of
waste management.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 2

• Composting is so far only possible on a small
scale, either by private individuals or in areas
where waste can be mixed with farming soil or
used for landscaping purposes. Recycling is
widely used around the world, with plastic, paper
and metal leading the list of the most recyclable
items. Most material recycled is reused for its
original purpose.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 3

• What is compost?

• Compost is fine-textured humus, which is an

end product from the natural decomposition
of plants and plant products under controlled
conditions.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 4

• Why Compost?

• Composting is the most practical and convenient

way to handle your yard refuse because it is
easier and cheaper than bagging or taking refuse
to a dump site. Compost also improves your soil
and the plants growing in it.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 5

 Requirements for Efficient Decomposition
• Decomposition of organic material in the
compost pile depends on maintaining microbial
activity. Any factor that slows or halts microbial
growth also impedes the composting process.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 6

• Efficient decomposition occurs if aeration, moisture,
particle size, and nutrient levels (nitrogen) are
maintained for optimum microbial activity.

• a. Aeration
• Oxygen is required for microbes to decompose organic
wastes efficiently. Some decomposition occurs in the
absence of oxygen (anaerobic conditions); however,
the process is slow, and foul odors may develop.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 7

• b. Moisture
• Adequate moisture is essential for microbial
activity. A dry compost will not decompose
efficiently. Proper moisture encourages the
growth of microorganisms that break down
the organic matter into humus.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 8

• c. Particle size
• Grinding the organic material before
composting greatly reduces decomposition
time. The smaller the size of an organic
refuse particle, the more quickly the
microbes can consume it.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 9

• d. Temperature
• Temperature of the compost pile is very
important to the biological activity taking
place. Low outside temperatures slow the
activity down, while warmer temperatures
speed up decomposition.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 10

• Materials for Composting
• Almost any organic plant material can be
used for composting, including grass
clippings, leaves, twigs, chipped brush and
old vegetable or flowering plants. Vegetable
peelings and coffee grounds can also be
composted.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 11

• Many organic materials are suitable for
composting. However, organic materials
containing both carbon and nitrogen in varying
amounts (used by the microorganisms for
energy and growth) are preferred.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 12

• a. Carbon-Nitrogen Ratio
• Microbial activity is greatest when the carbon-to-
nitrogen ratio (C/N) is 30:1.
• For proper decomposition the nutrients in the
compost heap should be in the right proportions.
The carbon : nitrogen (C/N) ratio will determine
how long decomposition will take.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 13

• When the decomposing organisms do not have
the proper diet of carbon, the organisms may lose
nitrogen to the atmosphere as ammonia. If the
initial carbon portion is too high in the
compost heap, the process will be considerably
slower and very inefficient. (The higher the
number, the higher the carbon content and the
longer the breakdown time.)

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 14

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 15
• b. Organic Refuse Materials
• Yard refuse, such as leaves, grass clippings, straw, and
non-woody plant trimmings can be decomposed. The
dominant organic waste in most backyard compost
piles is leaves. Grass clippings can be decomposed;
however, with proper lawn management, clippings do
not need to be removed from the lawn. Kitchen wastes
such as vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells
may also be added.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 16

• c. Fertilizer and Lime
Microbial activity is affected by the carbon to
nitrogen ratio of the organic waste. Because
microbes require a certain amount of nitrogen for
their own metabolism and growth, a shortage of
nitrogen slows down the composting process
considerably.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 17

• Material high in carbon and low in nitrogen, such
as straw or sawdust, decomposes very slowly
unless nitrogen fertilizer is added. Even tree
leaves, which are higher in nitrogen than straw or
sawdust, can still benefit from nitrogen fertilizer.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 18

• Composting Structures
• To save space, hasten decomposition, and keep
the yard looking neat, contain the compost pile in
some sort of structure. Structures can consist of a
variety of materials and can be made as simple or
complex as desired.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 19

• Types of Structures

• A barrel or drum composter generates

compost in a relatively short period of
time and provides easy turning (Figure
1). It requires at least a 55-gallon barrel
with a secure lid. Be sure that the barrel
was not used to store toxic chemicals.
Drill six to nine rows of one-half inch
holes over the length of the barrel to
allow air circulation and drainage of
excess moisture.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 20

• The lid can be removed
after
turning to allow for air
penetration. Ideally, the
compost should be ready in
two to four months. The
barrel composter is an
excellent choice for the city
dweller with a
relatively small yard.
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 21
• 3. Figure 2. Circular Bin
For larger quantities or
organic waste, bin-type
structures are the most
practical. A circular
bin can be made by using a
length of small spaced
woven wire fencing held
together with chain snaps
(Figure 2).

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 22

• Figure 3. Three-Chambered Bin
A very efficient and durable
structure for fast composting is a
three-chambered bin (Figure 3). It
holds a considerable amount of
compost and allows good air
circulation. The three-chambered
bin works on an assembly line idea,
having three batches of compost in
varying stages of decomposition.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 23

• Location
• Locate the compost pile close to where it will be
used and where it will not interfere with
activities in the yard or offend neighbors.
Examples of good locations for the pile include
areas near the garden or kitchen or between the
garage and house.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 24

• The pile will do best where it is protected from
drying winds and where partial sunlight will help
heat the pile. The more wind and sun to which
the pile is exposed, the more water it will need.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 25

 Preparing the Compost Pile
• Figure 4. Layering
Prepare the compost pile
in layers to facilitate
proper mixing. Figure 4
illustrates the layering
process. Each pile
ideally should be about
five feet high.
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 26
• Steps to follow include:
1.) Coarser materials decompose faster
in the bottom layer. The coarse material
also allows air circulation around the base
of the pile creating a chimney effect that will
take air up through the pile and heat it up.
Moisten all layers as they are put in the pile.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 27

• 2.) Organic wastes, such as leaves, grass,
and plant trimmings are put down in a layer
eight to 10 inches deep. This layer should be
watered until moist, but not soggy.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 28

• 3.) Apply about a one-inch layer of soil or
completed compost on top of the fertilizer layer.
Adding soil ensures that the pile is inoculated
with decomposing microbes. In most cases,
organic yard wastes such as grass clippings or
leaves contain enough microorganisms on the
surface to bring about decomposition.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 29

• 4.) Place the nitrogen source on top of this
layer. Use two to three inches of livestock
manure or a nitrogen fertilizer, such as
ammonium sulfate, at a rate of one-third cup
for every 25 square feet of surface area.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 30

• If these nitrogen sources are not available,
one cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 25 square
feet of surface area will also suffice. Do not
use fertilizer that contains a herbicide or
pesticide. Other organic sources of nitrogen
are green grass clippings, lake plants or
blood meal.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 31

• Repeat the sequence of adding coarse
material, organic waste, soil and fertilizer
until the pile is completed. Remember to
water each section as you make the pile.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 32

• Maintaining the Compost Pile
• To prevent odors and hasten decomposition, turn
the pile once a month. Turning also exposes
seeds, insect larvae and pathogens to lethal
temperatures inside the pile. When the compost
is finished, the pile will be about half its original
size and have an earthy smell to it.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 33

• Table 2 lists additional composting problems and their solutions.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 34

• Does compost have a nutrient value?
• Yes. Compost slowly releases a small amount of
plant nutrients, but it won’t substitute for
fertilizer, particularly for nutrient-demanding
plants like annual flowers and vegetables.
Gardeners often need to supplement the compost
with a granulated fertilizer, like 10-10-10, or an
organic fertilizer, like composted animal manure.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 35

• When is compost ready to use?
• Compost is ready when it looks like rich, crumbly
earth and the original plant material is no longer
recognizable. Each time the pile is turned, some ready-
to-use compost should be available for harvesting from
the bottom of the pile. Some gardeners screen their
compost by sifting it through a mesh screen. Any
organic materials that have not fully
decomposed are added back to the pile to continue
decomposing.
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 36
• How can I use compost?
• Compost can be used in the landscape and vegetable
garden. Before planting, place 3 inches of compost on
the soil surface and incorporate it to a 12-inch depth.
Compost also can be used as mulch on the soil surface.
Avoid using pure compost for containerized plants
because its high levels of organic acids and salts may
damage roots.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 37

• It also tends to dry out more quickly than
growing media containing peat moss, vermiculite
and other water- absorbing substances. It's best to
use prepared growing mixes obtained from
garden center for containerized plants

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 38

 RISK AND REWARD OF RECYLING IN
PLANT NURSERY
• Reusing growing media can turn your operation more
eco-friendly, but don’t let your plants suffer from
improper practices. The demand, use and need of growing
media worldwide is increasing due to the increased
production of plants in containers and controlled
environments. An industry that once primarily served the
floriculture and ornamental nursery industries now serves
a booming industry of container grown vegetables,
cannabis, herbs, leafy greens and small/soft fruit.
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 39
• The future is very promising and strong for the
continued need of various growing media
components as more and more countries become
more advanced in growing crops in containers,
and as more and more different crops around the
world begin to be cultivated in places other than
the field.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 40

• With increased demand and use comes increased
interest by some to recycle or reuse their growing
media, otherwise it has to be disposed of in some
way. A practice that is as old as our current
greenhouse industry, the reuse or repurposing of
growing media has been met with rewards as
well as some serious challenges by different
individuals.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 41

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 42
• Common practice of in ground (mineral) soil
cropping systems involves the solarization of soil
planting beds, common for cut flower
production, when (A) fallow soil (after a crop
production cycle) is covered with (B) transparent
polyethylene tarps and allowed to heat via the
sun until sterile. Soil carts (C and D) are also
often used for loose-fill soil and soilless
substrates prior to use, or reuse in crop
production.
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 43
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 44
• Nursery (and sometimes greenhouse/flower)
operations often stock-pile (A and B)
overs, rejects, damaged, and unsold plants
and attempt to repurpose them by (C)
grinding in a tub grinder (or like devise) and
(D) piling or windrowing the material for
some period of
time before being reused in future crop
production.
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 45
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 46
• Recycled organic substrate materials stored
outdoors can often contain weed seeds (and
pathogens) if not aged properly.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 47

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 48
• Some greenhouse operations have implemented
successful substrate recycling programs that
include (A) grinding root balls followed by steam
sterilization of processed substrate. The steam
heated processed substrate materials (B and C)
can then be aged or stored until being
incorporated back into the crop production cycle.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 49

• Sterilization
• the temporary destruction of most all living
organisms including microorganisms, bacteria,
fungi/spores, nematodes, insect eggs, weed
seeds, etc., using heat of at least 212° F for at
least 30 minutes.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 50

• Sterile
• free from most harmful pests or diseases
commonly problematic for cultivated
plants. Can be achieved without
steaming/heating and does not eliminate all
microorganisms/biology in the soil/substrate.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 51

• Solarization
• the use of the sun’s energy to heat soil/growing
media that is covered in a transparent
polyethylene tarp and allowed to heat to at least
160° F. This can be for short time, 30 minutes or
over the course of weeks, depending on the setup
and operation (Fig 1).

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 52

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 53
• Sanitation
• a condition, situation or environment that is
free of harmful pests.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 54

• Pasteurization
• a process of making something free from most
forms of bacteria, microorganisms, diseases,
weed seeds or other forms of life. This is
typically achieved with steaming to a
temperature of about 180° F for 30 minutes.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 55

• Potential risks
• Recycled growing media can have some
detrimental properties that should be considered
and monitored. First is the potential loss of
physical properties of reused media. Over time,
organic particles naturally break down
(decompose) thereby decreasing structure and air
porosity.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 56

• If materials are ground up or otherwise handled
during sterilization processes, the particle size
will continue to reduce therefore changing the
physical properties when repotted. Blending in
some new growing media with the old/reused
would likely help with this problem.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 57

• Secondly, reused growing media can house
potentially harmful pathogens, pests and other
unwanted goodies if not properly sterilized. The
infection or exposure that improperly
recycled materials can have on an operation can
be very detrimental to future crops and
cropping cycles.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 58

• Recycled materials left outdoors can easily be
contaminated with weed seeds (Fig. 3) and/or
pathogens. Recycled materials not properly
sterilized could contain Pythium, Fusarium,
Phytophthora and other plant-sensitive diseases.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 59

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 60
• Lastly, there can be some toxicity effects from
reused growing media. Mostly in the form of
residual fertilizer salts that can create high EC in
mixes when re-blended or reused in
future crop productions.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 61

• This can alter fertility practices and management
as well as crop growth response and control.
Desalinization via washing or flushing with hot
water is needed to remove potential salts from
materials like coco coir.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 62

• Potential rewards
• If done properly and monitored, the reuse
and recycling of growing media can save
money for some growers if they are willing to
invest the time and resources to properly do
it.
• Growing media is often not cheap, so it is
possible to save some money.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 63

• Reuse of materials is also a great way to reduce
the disposal of organic and inorganic materials,
and make operations more sustainable and
carbon-neutral.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 64

• Some cut flower growers and others have the
process of recycling their growing media down
to a science and have been very successful for
many years incorporating it into their growing
systems (Fig. 4)

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 65

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 66
• With all of the “re-” words listed in the
beginning of this article to describe growing
media, the one that should be considered most is
respect. Your growing media is such a vital part
of the success of your production system, be that
large or small, professional or hobby market.

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 67

• If you reuse or recycle, do it right and understand
the potential consequences. Cutting corners or
trying to save a dollar may be worth it on some
things, but do not jeopardize the quality and
performance of your growing media!

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 68

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 69
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 70

KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 71
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 72
KENNEDY B. SADORRA JHS Teacher III 73