Composting Vocabulary Words

Front 1

synthetic

Back 1

Fakeor produced, not made of natural materials

Front 2

organic matter

Back 2

anything derived from a living or once-living organism (includes plant and animal wastes)

Front 3

decompose

Back 3

to break down into something else

Front 4

nutrients

Back 4

Minerals that make soil a healthier place for plants to grow (Ex: Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus)

Front 5

porosity

Back 5

tiny holes or passageways in soil that allow water to drain and air to circulate in soil

Front 6

limiting factors

Back 6

factors that must be present for an organism to survive. If they are not sufficiently present then the organisms' survival is limited

Front 7

aerobic

Back 7

requires oxygen (these organisms create healthy compost)

Front 8

anaerobic

Back 8

does not require oxygen (these organisms can lead to a bad smelling compost pile)

Front 9

pH level

Back 9

a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is (0-14)

Front 10

vermicomposting

Back 10

using red worms to compost organic matter

Front 11

brown stuff

Back 11

carbon rich matter from dried plant parts. Ex: paper, hay, grass clippings, sticks, etc.

Front 12

green stuff

Back 12

nitrogen rich matter from plants. Ex: food scraps, grass clippings

Front 13

setea

Back 13

bristle like structures on a worm that help it move through soil

Front 14

crop

Back 14

worm digestive organ that stores soil

Front 15

gizzard

Back 15

Muscular structure in the worm that grinds soil and food

Front 16

nitrogen

Back 16

Produced naturally by the feeding of microorganisms (Potassium & Phosphorus are also produced)

Front 17

sandy soil

Back 17

In this type of soil, compost acts as a sponge to retain water

Front 18

composting

Back 18

controlled decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms, a natural way of improving soil by adding nutrients

Front 19

castings

Back 19

tiny gel coated pellets excreted by worms (also known as worm poop!)

Front 20

microbes

Back 20

very small living things ex: bacteria and many types of fungus. best seen with a microscope

Front 21

clay soil

Back 21

compost adds porosity to this type of soil so plants do not stay waterlogged