Although the squeeze-test is useful, and often sufficient, for monitoring moisture in the composting process, it loses utility as the scale of composting grows larger and management becomes more scientific. Simply squeezing material is subjective and inexact, and it does not provide a quantitative measure of the moisture content. Therefore, composters have come to rely on other techniques to gauge moisture in the materials being composted and the compost produced. Such techniques range from the standard of drying and weighing samples to more recent electronic sensors that furnish an immediate reading or output signal. Moisture Is Number One,But Heed The Sponge Assuming organic matter is already on hand, water is more important than any other composting requirement.
Water is essential to biological decomposition.
It allows organisms to live, acquire nutrients from their surroundings, and move about. It also provides a medium for chemical and biochemical reactions. Most composting organisms would be happy in a saturated environment except for the fact that they also need a continuous supply of oxygen. Too much moisture interferes with oxygen transfer and leads to anaerobic conditions. Decomposition continues anaerobically, but it is incomplete, creating odorous and phytotoxic compounds.