Johnson-Su Bioreactor Composting System
February is not only the time to focus on starting seeds indoors, but it’s also a great time to focus on soil health. Healthy plants come from healthy soil and—since soil is one of the biggest expenses when vegetable gardening—it’s great to have a composting system onsite or nearby!
Composting is a natural process by which organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, are recycled into a valuable fertilizer for your vegetable garden. According to the NRDC, “Food scraps and garden waste combined make up more than 28 percent of what we throw away and the average cost to landfill municipal solid waste in the United States was around $55 per ton in 2019. With the United States generating more than 267 million tons of municipal waste in 2017 and sending two-thirds of that to landfills and incinerators, we spent billions of dollars on waste management.”
Developed in New Mexico by a molecular biologist at the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural Research at New Mexico State University, the Johnson-Su Bioreactor is one of many variations of composting systems. Soil is made up of many microscopic organisms—but unfortunately, not all soil is healthy. The Johnson-Su Bioreactor is designed to bring healthy microorganisms back to the soil to improve plant health and growth.
Unlike some other methods, the Johnson-Su method allows the compost to break down fully to produce mature compost. The finished product is ready to use in 9-12 months, depending on the size, and can be worked into your existing soil as an amendment to help with germination.
Other benefits of this approach include increased crop yield, better nutrient availability, increased biodiversity and increased seed germination rates. The setup can also be made on a small scale and doesn’t require turning, specialty equipment or more than a little labor once the system gets going. Similar to the no-till approach to gardening, the Johnson- Su compost system requires minimal disturbance.
While you wait for spring temperatures to signal the start of the growing season, assess your compost situation. Use this time to learn, plan, and experiment with new sustainable ways to make your soil healthier and your gardening more effortless!