Microorganisms and Composting
by John Yazo
To have a successful composting system you need some key ingredients, carbon rich material, nitrogen rich material and microorganisms to decompose the organic matter. Bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes are the three main microorganisms that account for the majority of the decomposition process in a compost pile. They are what is known as chemical decomposers, they change the chemistry of organic matter. There are also larger organisms that work just as hard in the process of decomposition, these are called macroorganisms. Earthworms are the most commonly known of these organisms to the home gardener, others include beetles, centipedes, slugs, spiders and flatworms. They all aid in the decomposition process by chewing, grinding and tearing organic material into smaller pieces.
The most important all these organisms in your compost pile is the aerobic bacteria and there population can be incredible. In one gram of soil there can be millions. They are the most diverse of all organisms and can devour just about anything. Bacteria, although it can eat it's way through a variety of organic material, it is not indestructible. The environment can be it's worst enemy. The change of temperature, moisture and oxygen can harm and kill off bacteria as well as help it. The proper percentage of these three elements are very critical in composting to have a successful ending product.
Compost piles have more than one type of bacteria and there population will vary depending on the temperature of the compost pile. Psychrophilic bacteria is one that works in a pile with low temperature, Mesophilic bacteria for mid temperatures and the heat loving Thermophilic bacteria for high temperatures.
Along with the various types of bacteria that is needed to work the compost pile, there are other higher forms like Actinomycetes. They are a large group of bacteria that grow as hyphae like fungi, and are responsible for the earthy smell of fresh turned organic garden soil. Even though they can decompose a large variety of substrates, they are especially important in degrading hard to decompose componds, and are active at high ph levels, unlike fungi that are more important at lower ph levels.
Composting is a basic process that can easily be preformed by the home gardener, but when you get into the compost pile you will find out the large amount of complexity that makes it work.
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