Expert: Greg - 2/16/2011

Question
QUESTION: Dear Greg,When you use a compost pile or worm composting bin the material is solid and takes time to break down to be able to be used by bacteria,worms etc.correct?Why not just put kitchen scraps
into a blender with water and liquify it and pour it into the soil to get results ASAP ? Some garden waste/plants can be done the same way.(use a cheap flea market blender not your food one).
Plants needing nitrogen can use pea plants/roots etc.and use it now not next season/tomatoes and egg shells / roses and bananas....You get my point.
Thank you for your time,Mark

ANSWER: Hello Mark

Ahhh yes, if it were only that Simple.

Yes, I get your Point.

You need a Nitrogen to Carbon Ratio of 25-30 to 1 to acheive the Ideal Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio for Composting. If you exceed this Criteria, either way, 2 Things can happen. Too much Carbon, and it will slow down, and it some cases, cease to Decompose. A Pile of Sawdust, will stay a Pile of Sawdust, for a LONG time, without anything to balance out the C/N Ratio. Too much Nitrogen, and it will turn Putrid, and Smell, like a Pile of Grass Clippings.

It is true, that the smaller the Matter is, before you Compost it, the quicker it will Decompose. But you MUST balance the C/N Ratio, hence, the Composting Pile. The worms, as they ingest the matter, pass Castings though their System, this is the process that Nature has intended to recycle. As the Castings are laid in the Soil, they feed the Plantings. We take the Compost and use it where we want it, Castings and all.

For your Idea to work, you would need Scales to measure all the Matter, to get the right Ratio, and constant turning, because you have expedited the matter, chopping it up, and Blending High Nitrogen Matter. Remember the Matter has to Decompose first, or it's just wasted, till it does.


I hope I have explained this, but if I have missed something here, please ask a follow up question, and I will explain further. This is a good question, and I don't get many like this.


The Best of Luck

   Greg

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Greg,Thanks for your answer.I guess solid waste for the compost bin and liquid/blender waste for the worm bin because worms don't have to worry about the 30-1 ratio.By liquid I mean to strain the material of the water
(water can go into compost bin)and mush to worms.Would this be a better idea?Once again ,thank you for your time,Mark

Answer
Hello Again Mark

Yes this would be a Better Idea.

As far as the Conditions that would Help or Harm a Worm Bin, you would have to ask someone in the Specailty of Vermiculture. I would not want you to Create a Condition, that would harm Worms. This "could" create a conditon unsuitable for them, and since I always try an Achive a C/N Ratio as close to 25-30-1 as Possible, I just don't know if this particular Nitrogen Infusion, and what the effect would be. There may be an Expert on this Site, who has more knowlege of this Particular situation. Bait shops get thier Worms from people who do this for a Living, and I am sure the Growers are Experts in that Field.

Greg