What’s Grey and Fuzzy and Grows in the Compost Pile?

The title of today’s post might sound like the beginning of a joke, but the answer to this question is a serious one. It is also of huge importance to the health of both your soil and plants. You may have wondered what those fine, thread-like filaments that look like spider webs actually are. The grey, powder-like material that stretches across the surface or presents through the outer layers of a pile of A1 Organic’s compost is not mold. In fact, what you see are several highly beneficial filamentous bacteria — Actinomycetes, Streptomyces, and Penicillin These helpful bacteria fight diseases that could otherwise destroy the health of your soil and plants.

These microbes are utilized in our composting process and produce enzymes that accelerate decomposition and help to generate consistently high temperatures. They continue to thrive in the finished compost, and they can become clearly visible when piles remain undisturbed.

Actinomycetes are completely natural and are found in all soil types. In fact, they produce tiny spores that release a chemical called geosmin, which means earth smell in Greek. They are responsible for the pleasant, musty smell you may have noticed before in healthy soil.

Actinomycetes are paramount to balanced soil health and perform numerous critical functions related to plant health and vigor. This bacteria not only provides us with many of the important antibiotics we use in medicine today, but it also secretes a wide range of antimicrobial products and enzymes that play a critical role in maintaining soil ecology and fertility.

Do not shun the grey fuzz — embrace the power of these microbes and take home a nice rich batch of soil life to inoculate your garden beds. Your lawn, shrubs, and flowers will thank you for it.

The difference may be microscopic but the results will be easy to see. Contact A1 Organics in Denver to learn more about the composting products we offer.