Compost
Definition
late 14c., compote, "mixture of stewed fruits, a preserve," from Old French composte "mixture of leaves, manure, etc., for fertilizing land" (13c.), also "condiment," from Vulgar Latin *composita, noun use of fem. of Latin compositus, past participle of componere "to put together," from com "with, together" (see com-) + ponere "to place" (see position (n.)).
The fertilizer sense is attested in English from 1580s, and the French word in this sense is a 19th century borrowing from English. The condiment sense now goes with compote, a later borrowing from French.[1]
Historical
Technical
Per the Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering the process of "composting" is, technically:
the biological decomposition and stabilization of organic substrates, under conditions that allow development of thermophilic temperatures as a result of biologically produced heat, to produce a final product [=compost] that is stable, free of pathogens and plant seeds, and can be beneficially applied to land. Thus, composting is a form of waste stabilization, but one that requires special conditions of moisture and aeration to produce thermophilic temperatures. The latter are generally considered to be above about 45°C (113°F). Maintenance of thermophilic temperatures is the primary mechanism for pathogen inactivation and seed destruction.[2]
"Thermophilic temperatures" refers to
Production
Feedstocks
GREENS + BROWNS
Reactors
- Bokashi
- Toilets
- Hugelkultur
Application
- ↑ Online Etymology Dictionary, "Compost" https://www.etymonline.com/word/compost
- ↑ Haug, R.T. and Haug, H.T. (1993) Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton.