As when making sauerkraut, what
is needed is present at the start. A small packet of inoculant is
not likely to introduce what is not present anyway. And the complex
ecology of decomposition will go through its inevitable changes as
the microorganisms respond to variations in temperature, aeration,
pH, etc.
This is one area of controversy where I am comfortable seeking the
advice of an expert. In this case, the authority is Clarence
Golueke, who personally researched and developed U.C. fast
composting in the early 1950s, and who has been developing municipal
composting systems ever since. The bibliography of this book lists
two useful works by Golueke.
Golueke has run comparison tests of compost starters of all sorts
because, in his business, entrepreneurs are constantly attempting to
sell inoculants to municipal composting operations. Of these
vendors, Golueke says with thinly disguised contempt:
"Most starter entrepreneurs include enzymes when listing the
ingredients of their products. The background for this inclusion
parallels the introduction of purportedly advanced versions of
starters-i.e., "advanced" in terms of increased capacity, utility
and versatility. Thus in the early 1950's (when [I made my]
appearance on the compost scene), starters were primarily microbial
and references to identities of constituent microbes were very
vague. References to enzymes were extremely few and far between.
Pages:
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272