Master Gardener Handbook Quiz on Chapter 6: Composting
Questions
1) Composting is the controlled, biological, and chemical decomposition of ______matter.
2) Compost suppresses some soil-borne diseases.
True______False_____
3) Microbes work most efficiently at 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
True______False______
4) The mixture of materials containing ______parts of carbon to one part of nitrogen is considered ideal for composting:
a) 10
b) 20
c) 30
d) 50
5) Brown materials, such as fallen leaves, are low in carbon.
True______False_____
6) Composting needs oxygen to occur.
True_____ False______
7) One of the following materials does NOT belong in a compost pile:
a) egg shells
b) wood ash
c) cat manure
d) farm animal manure
8) Microbes function best when composting materials are about as ______as a wrung-out sponge.
9) A compost pile should not be higher or wider than 3 ft. by 3 ft.
True____ False______
10) Full sun is necessary for a composting system.
True______False______
11) Tumbler units work best when:
a) space is limited
b) appearance is important
c) unwanted pests could be attracted when kitchen scraps are the prime ingredient
d) all of the above
12) Temperatures above ______degrees F. kill composting microbes.
13) Compost can be incorporated into a garden soil at a rate of between 25-50 bushels per ______square feet of area.
a) 500
b) 1,000
c) 2,500
d) 5,000
14) Organic mulch should not be applied more thickly than 3 to 5 inches around trees and shrubs.
True_____ False_____
15) A possible cause of an ammonia odor from a compost bin might be a lack of ______.
Answers on next page
Master Gardener Handbook Chapter 6
Answers
Page in Handbook
1) organic 85
2) True 85
3) False (130 to 140 degrees F.) 86
4) c. 30 87
5) False (high in carbon) 87
6) False (can occur with or without oxygen) 88
7) c. cat manure 87, 88
8) damp 88
9) False (5 ft. X 5 Ft.) 89
10) False (Microbes, not sun, drive
the decomposition process.) 89
11) d. all of the above 91
12) 160 degrees 93
13) b. 1,000 94
14) False (2 to 3 inches) 95
15) carbon 95
Revised for 2012