The depots that I visited are now
producing approximately 100,000 tons of top quality compost every year. As a thank you to the community, the depot send a few lorry loads over to the local tip on designated days for house holders and gardeners to help themselves. The purpose of composting is to stabilise and homogenise green active waste, reducing or inactivating pathogens. Composting causes the formation of humus (soil fertility) and the degradation of organic micro- pollutants.
The mountain building of the waste
produces rising temperatures. At around 35-45 degrees C there is maximum variety in micro-organisms participating in the breaking down of the waste, at 45- 55 degrees C the maximum bio- degradation occurs of the organic material and the temperature continues to increase to around 70-80 degrees Celsius where the composted organic waste reaches a maximum of sanitisation. The bad microbes are killed off and the waste cools down again, which further encourages new beneficial micro- organisms to become active and break down cellulose. Nitrates are formed from Ammonium, and lignin is broken down to form humus. The mattresses are watered down to further encourage microbial activity but, on occasions, the heat in the mattress can cause combustion and rather than soak the burning area with water, excavators are used to extinguish the fire by bringing burning material to the surface. Interestingly adding water to an internal fire at this stage of the composting process would often compound the problem by helping temperatures to soar and increase further combustion. The compost that is finally formed is
full of beneficial micro-organisms which improve soil structure and plant residue turnover. The produced compost suppresses diseases and improves mycorrhiza formation. It is a source for stable humus,
improving workability and drainage on clay-loam soil and the water holding capacity on sandy soil. The compost is also a great provider of
slow-release nitrogen-fertiliser as well as Phosphor, Potassium and micronutrients. It also helps to raise the pH of some soils, to which it is added. Importantly it is free of weeds, which is
great when blended in new topsoil mixes and root zones. Many golf greens, tees, and major sports fields (such as football pitches) are established using manufactured root zone. In these cases, there are highly specific requirements regarding water retention and percolation rate (saturated hydraulic conductivity) in the final root zone.
These requirements, together with specific analytical methods, have been put forward by the United States Golf Association to obtain a maximum amount of playing time on the green while maintaining a high-quality grass cover (USGA, 2004). The main component of topsoils for USGA greens is very uniform sand usually mixed with some organic material. Again, mature, uniform, weed-free and fairly nutrient- low compost types are best suited for this application.
In a world with declining resources
there is huge potential, as well as clear benefits, for the use of compost in amenity, landscaping and private gardening.
New mattress Council waste arrives all day every day
Mattress
Flail machine
Days OFF!
... or what Pitchcare readers get up to out of office hours
VICTORIA GLOVER: Daytime job - Sales and Marketing Director of Rivendell Projects Ltd, the European distributor of Protea mowers. Leisure: showjumping. I have been in this industry for just one year. Previously I set up a company importing Porsche cars, which I still run today. Two years ago I hit upon the idea of importing a brand of high quality cylinder mowers that were already market leaders in South Africa. So far, this business has exceeded all expectations. I was brought up on a smallholding so my first pony, called Gussy, was bought for me before the age of 5. However, he threw me off in stinging nettles one day and, being a stubborn child, Gussy was soon replaced with Robbie. As all little girls do, I went to a few gymkanas, which progressed to showjumping, eventing and polo. We travelled all over the UK competing at quite a high level until, eventually, nightclubs and boys seemed far more alluring! In 2004 I decided to take up riding again. I’d always loved the look of the stunning Spanish Andalusian horses and, after a long internet search, I found just the horse I was looking for in Madrid, Spain. His name was Flamenco, small in stature but brave and kind. He had been highly trained as an exhibition stallion and, whilst he could perform the most amazing stunts, he had never been allowed loose in a field, eaten grass, seen cars or travelled in a horsebox. I was so sad I immediately sent my Euros and, shortly after Christmas 2004, he arrived. Andalusians are not great jumpers but 90% is heart and 10% ability, and this little boy would try to jump the moon for me. In less than one year’s competing he’s progressed from never having jumped to winning or being placed in virtually every competition in showjumping and cross country entered. We compete over fences up to 4ft high, and against horses sometimes 8-inches taller, but his diminutive size doesn’t faze him. We were on target for a great season but, at the end of November, he slipped and fell on the road, badly breaking my foot. Any offers of jigsaws, trash magazines, chocolates or alcohol are therefore welcomed!
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