Why do I have to let my compost mature?
Many of the nutrients plants need for growth can be found in everyday wastes like kitchen scraps. To grow plants with these nutrients, compost your wastes.
Composting is essentially a two-stage process, as shown clearly by the classic hot heap or Berkeley method. Its first stage takes place with frequent turning (aerating) of a heap of wastes for one month. The heap is then left alone for two or more months while the final stage occurs. Once done, the compost is ready to be used.
Hot heap composting is an impractical method for most households, but the science behind this proven method helped us find a better way to carry out the two composting stages. Our trials involved actual wastes of several households.
The first breakdown stage
We set out to break down kitchen waste to a dark state that is unappealing to pests and pets. This waste is rich in plant nutrients and generated routinely, but is difficult to deal with using compost bins or tumblers.
The hot heap method requires repeated turning to keep aerating the pile of wastes while preventing its core from cooling down. Bioverter is designed to complete this breakdown stage without needing to mix, so eliminating the physical demand of mixing is a significant advance.
Bioverter is an unusual flow-through compost system. All materials in it descend, pulled down by gravity. You harvest darkened materials that drop into a collection basket. These dark solids are ready to be matured or aged in the next composting stage.
The final maturation stage
Immature or unfinished compost is usually dark in colour, sticky and free of odour. It wants to transition to its final stable form, where nutrients unlocked by the first stage evolve into a form that plants can take up.
Microbes in the maturation stage consume oxygen and nitrogen, which plants also want. To avoid competition between them, don’t grow plants in maturing compost.
The final stage of composting is carried out by another set of microbes in conditions different to the first stage. We found that maturation microbes can finish the composting process if immature compost is left undisturbed in a sheltered spot.
Compost maturation takes time. You can tell when compost has matured when it becomes crumbly with an earthy smell. Mature compost is safe to blend with soil or potting mix.
Mature compost is the best end-product, improving your soil health, fertility and drought resistance. It is a soil superfood which enhances plant growth for you to enjoy.