Making & Using Compost
Part 1 – 316 | Unit 1.7
Students’ Step-by-Step Instructions, Demonstration 1
E. Assessing Piles and Documenting Observations
- Examine piles at different stages of decomposition for:
a) Heat, temperature curve
b) Odor
c) Moisture
d) Recognizable parent materials
e) Different materials or techniques used
f) Examples of good, finished compost
- Look for trouble signs
a) Too wet (can squeeze water out)
b) Too dry (usually doesn’t heat up properly, may have dry pockets)
c) Anaerobic conditions (smells like sulfur, usually wet and compacted)
d) Didn’t heat up (could be lack of moisture, improper C:N ratio)
- Make written recommendations for achieving desired rate of decomposition and
implement them
a) Heat, temperature curve examples (record book)
b) Odor, color, texture
c) Moisture
d) Recognizable parent materials
e) Different materials or techniques used
f) Show examples in continuum from coarse to finished
g) Examples of good, finished compost