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This glossary offers brief explanations of the terms used in this book that relate to compost and composting methods, as well as types of plants, insects, and animals.
Actinomycetes
A form of bacteria that look like fungi and digest woody material in the compost heap or bin.
Aerobic digestion
The process of decomposition carried out by invertebrates and microorganisms that require oxygen to breathe.
Anaerobic digestion
The process of decomposition carried out by microorganisms that operate without oxygen in airless conditions, which can occur in waterlogged compost. By-products include the gases hydrogen sulphide and methane.
Annual
Plants that germinate, produce green growth, flower, set seed, and die within one year.
Biennial
Plants that germinate and produce leaves in the first year, then flower and set seed in the second year.
Biodiversity
The variety of living organisms, including microorganisms, animals, insects, fish, and plants, in a given environment or habitat. It refers to diversity within species and between species.
Bokashi composting
An anaerobic process that pickles food waste, after which it can be composted outside in a conventional bin.
Brandlings
Another term for red or tiger worms, which are used to make compost in a wormery).
Bulbs
The collective term for all plants that form underground storage organs, including bulbs, tubers, corms, and rhizomes.
Carbon:nitrogen ratio
Also known as the C:N ratio, this is the proportion of carbon to nitrogen in materials that can be added to a compost bin or heap.
Cool composting
The process of gradual decomposition of organic matter in a heap or bin that never reaches the high temperatures in a hot compost bin.
Decomposers
The invertebrates, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that decompose organic matter in a compost bin or heap.
Grassboarding
The method of sandwiching cardboard and paper between grass clippings to make compost.
Green manure
Plants grown to protect the soil from erosion and weed growth and supply nutrients when they are dug in and break down. Nitrogen-fixing green manure plants, such as legumes, boost this key plant nutrient when they rot down in the soil.
Greenhouse gases
Air pollutants, including carbon dioxide and methane, that contribute to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Hardening off
The process of acclimatizing seedlings and young plants grown indoors to the lower temperatures outdoors before they are planted in the garden.
High-fiber composting
Combines cardboard and paper products with food and garden waste materials to form compost.
Hot composting
Also known as “traditional composting,” this decomposition method makes compost very quickly by combining large quantities of brown and green organic waste that heat up to temperatures of 140–158°F (60–70°C).
The Hugelkultur method
A method of composting woody waste by burying it in trenches along with green waste to decompose in situ.
Humus
The carbon-rich, spongy, black-brown material that is left after decomposers have extracted all the nutrients from the organic matter in compost. Humus is essential to the creation of good soil structure.
Invertebrates
Creatures without a backbone, such as worms, slugs, snails, and insects.
Lasagna composting
Layering cardboard or paper with kitchen and garden waste to form compost on top of the soil rather than in a heap or bin.
Leaf mold
Decomposed leaves collected in autumn or other times, often used as mulch or in seed-starting mixes.
Lignin
The material that forms the cell walls of many woody plants, making them rigid. It is decomposed slowly by fungi and actinomycetes.
Loam
Soil with almost equal proportions of sand and clay particles that make it ideal for plant growth.
Mesophilic
Describes bacteria and other microorganisms that operate in temperatures below 113°F (45°C).
Microorganisms/Microbes
The collective term for bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic decomposers.
Mulch
A layer of organic or inorganic material such as compost and gravel, used to protect the soil surface from weed growth and evaporation. Organic mulches also rot down to improve the soil structure and deliver nutrients to plant roots.
Mycorrhizae
Fungi that grow within or around the roots of a plant in a symbiotic relationship where they provide nutrients to the plant in exchange for carbon received from the plant.
NPK value
The ratio of the key plant nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) found in fertilizer and potting mixes.
Perennial
A plant that lives for more than two years; the top growth of most, but not all, perennials dies down in winter and new growth reappears each spring.
pH value
The measurement of acidity, alkalinity, or neutrality of a soil or compost, which determines the types of plants that will thrive in it.
Photosynthesis
The process by which plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce food to sustain their growth.
Pricking out
The process of replanting congested seedlings in their own pots or modules, or spacing them out further in trays of fresh compost.
Sheet composting
Another term for lasagna composting.
Soil structure
The way in which individual particles of sand, silt, and clay are assembled to form larger particles (aggregates) in a soil, which affects its drainage capacity and its nutrient content.
Soil texture
The relative percentage of sand, silt, and clay within a soil which, unlike soil structure, cannot be changed by applying compost or other types of soil amendments.
Symbiosis
The interaction between two different organisms living in close physical proximity with one another, usually to the advantage of both; for example, mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots have a symbiotic relationship.
Thermophilic
Describes bacteria and other microorganisms that operate in temperatures of 122–158°F (50–70°C) in a hot compost bin.
Tiger worms
Another term for brandlings or red worms that are used to make compost in a wormery.
Trench composting
The method of digging a trench or hole in the ground and filling it with kitchen and garden waste to decompose in situ.
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