permaculture

[Dieter Brand <brand.dieter2015@gmail.com>]

On 27/05/2016, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com> wrote:
> Because depending on weather, rain, site considerations, drainage the pile
> could go anaerobic.

I'm trying to question the assumption that anaerobic decomposition is
always bad. I don't believe it is. There are numerous situations in
which organic mater is broken down under anaerobic conditions, for
example, in lower soil layers, in the digestive tracks of animals and
humans, etc. Even a so-called aerobic compost pile often contains
anaerobic parts. For example, under freshly cut grass whitish mold
will typically occur because the grass tends to cut out air. All of
that doesn't matter. The whitish mold will turn aerobic immediately
when it comes into contact with air.

The great advantage of anaerobic decomposition is that it involves
fewer losses. The disadvantage is that it takes longer than aerobic
decomposition.

The last time I had my neighbor deliver a load of cow manure (which is
more than 10 years ago), the stuff he brought was a mass of solid
sh*t. I don't know what he did, perhaps he didn't use any straw as
bedding. Anyways, the stuff was so solid that it was impossible to
turn, let alone mix it with other material. I just let it sit for a
couple of years. After which it was perfectly good compost, which I
kept on using for years. It decomposed very well even without
aeration.

I'm not saying that anaerobic composting is the thing to do in this
case. That depends on many factors. But I think it is good to question
received ideas sometimes.  People just keep on repeating that this or
that is bad because everybody says so. I think we shouldn't be so
afraid of anaerobic decomposition.

Dieter