At least half of the carbon is lost. Microorganisms use the organic material as a source of energy. Respiratory loss of carbon dioxide represents most of the loss of carbon. Nitrogen is lost by volatilization of ammonia and leaching and denitrification of nitrate. N ratio is narrowed.
Potassium is lost by leaching.
Phosphorus is conserved, for it is mostly in insoluble compounds that are neither leached nor lost as gaseous substances. N ratio will soon narrow so that nitrogen will be released. Procedures for composting Procedures for composting involve collecting the materials, selecting the site, and selecting the process for composting. A substantial amount of material must be collected to build a compost pile. The ideal size of a pile is 5 ft x 5 ft x 5 ft.