It’s almost fall, which means that the season of quiet recycling is upon us. Why do I get so excited about this season? I love the fact that there is a time when plants and animals start to go to sleep and when plants prepare for the winter by sending many of their parts for recycling. When the deciduous trees drop their leaves, that’s a boon for many soil-dwelling animals that rely on leaves for food and homes.
You can explore the plants’ recycling process at any time of the year by combing through finished or almost-finished compost. Gross! Yuck! But you know what? The kids will love it. My daughter grew up visiting the worm bin specifically so she could visit with a few worms.
What will you find in your compost? A healthy compost will have macroinvertebrates like woodbugs, slugs and worms. Depending on how hot the compost is, some of these animals may be near the top of the bin cooling off. These big animals take big bites out of the goodies that you put in your compost. They start the decomposition process, getting things ready for the smaller organisms.
If you look at a sample from the compost with a magnifying glass, you will begin to see these smaller organisms. Mites and nematodes eat the compost itself, while other mites and tiny animals called springtails are predators. How can you tell what you have? Mites are similar in body shape to spides, while nematodes are more worm-shaped. Most springtails have a tail-like structure called a furcula, which they tuck under their body. This acts as a spring when they need to get away quickly.
You will also see things in your compost that are not animals at all. Sometimes there will be pieces of root material from compost that has started to grow. Tomatoes and many other plants love to spring forth from seeds in the compost. The other root-like structures you see are likely the mycelia of fungi. While you might think of fungi as a plant, it is something completely different, and the part that we see is simply the fruit of an organism that feeds off decaying material. The mycelia are the root-like structures that allow the fungus to “eat” the decaying matter.
Take a look in your compost. Yes, use a shovel and gloves, but don’t be alarmed. It’s full of life that’s doing it’s job turning your old food and garden waste into useful soil.