Bacteria

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Bacteria

Aerobic Bacteria are bacteria that live and grow where free oxygen is present. Bacteria are the smallest living organisms and the most numerous in compost; they make up 80 to 90% of the billions of microorganisms typically found in a gram of compost. Bacteria are responsible for most of the decomposition and heat generation in compost. They are the most nutritionally diverse group of compost organisms, using a broad range of enzymes to chemically break down a variety of organic materials. Bacteria don't have to be added to the compost pile. They are present virtually everywhere and enter the system on every piece of organic matter.
Many types of bacteria are at work in the compost system. Each type thrives on special conditions and different types of organic waste. Psychrophilic bacteria (a group of bacteria species that work in the lowest temperature range) do their best work at about 13°C (55°F), but they are able to carry on right down to -20°C (0°F).
At the temperature range of 0-40°C, 32-104°F, mesophilic bacteria predominate. In passive compost piles, these midrange composters do most of the work but in active "hot" compost piles, above 40°C (104°F), the real hot shots, thermophilic bacteria, will kick in.
Vermicomposting is considered "cold composting," so the bacteria present are the psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria. If your system heats up due to overfeeding, thermophilic bacteria are present. This condition is not healthy for your worms and must be avoided by only feeding in thin layers to prevent heating up.
The actinomycetes, which produce antibiotics such as streptomycin and nocardicin, live symbiotically in the guts of many creatures within your system. These actinomycetes from castings will live on the roots of certain plants, converting nitrogen into a usable form.

Anaerobic Conditions

By Dr. Elaine Ingham

If the compost is kept quite wet, the material below the active worm layers may become anaerobic. Bacteria are still growing in this material and if fungal growth has not been extensive, aggregate structure may consist mostly of the small bacterial-size micro aggregates. Oxygen diffusion will be limited and anaerobic conditions may develop. But those anaerobic metabolites do not escape the worm bin, since as the alcohols, phenols, terpenes, and volatile organic acids volatilize upwards, they pass through the aerobic areas of the worm bin and are consumed by aerobic organisms. (A bad smell is indicative of an anaerobic bacteria bloom. Aerate bedding to prevent harmful conditions for worms.)
But, if the material is harvested from the worm bin without paying attention to the anaerobic layers that may be present, the anaerobic materials may be placed near roots or on plants and can have quite detrimental effects on plant growth. This is the phytotoxicity that many people associate with compost – but placing this anaerobic material anywhere near a plant should not be allowed to happen. What should be done if the vermicompost coming from the bin seems to be too wet?
What is too wet? If you squeeze the compost and can squeeze water from it, it is too wet. If you squeeze the material and it stays in a balled clump instead of breaking apart, it is too wet. If you blow on the surface of the material and dust blows into the air, it is too dry. If it is too wet, the material needs to be well aerated and stored for at least two weeks before use. During that week, it should be turned and temperature monitored. If heat develops, run that material through the vermicompost bin again - it still has easy-to- use bacterial and fungal foods present that will grow bacteria and fungi rapidly, and steal N from your plants. Or compost the material in a windrow until those easy-to-use substrates are used up and temperature does not become elevated when turned. If you are putting the compost on a bed that currently does not have plants in it, mix the compost into the soil, and let that tail end of the composting process occur in the soil. But don't plant anything until that tail end composting is finished. You'll probably be ok, but you could end up with disease or N-limited plants if you try to take shortcuts here.