Composting is a natural process that involves the breakdown of organic material by aerobic bacteria. Whether you’re composting with or without a bin, microbes, fungi, and even pests like white worms can be found in your compost, and most times, they help the process along. However, infestations can be a problem.
The white powder in your compost is actinomycetes, a bacteria that shows up in decaying organic matter. These bacteria are important for composting. Other sources of white powder in your compost include fungi and mold and ‘flash,’ which refers to nitrogen that was processed too quickly.
In this article, I’ll explore the different sources of white powder in your compost, when to worry about the white powder, and how you can get rid of any infestation. I’ll also detail the health and safety measures you can take so your compost doesn’t make you sick, so read on!
White Powder in Compost
The white powder in your compost can be several things depending on the status of your compost and what organisms are working to break the organic matter down. An important thing to remember is that the white powder in your compost isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Most of the time, the white powder is caused by organisms that are integral to the process of composting. Bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, and mold all form the group of microbes that convert your composting feedstock into rich earthy brown compost.
Bacteria like actinomycetes may appear like white powder on top of your compost. You might also see some mycelium growth, which is fungi. Another reason why you might see white powder in your compost is if the nitrogen ‘burns’ as a result of being processed too quickly, leaving behind a powdery residue called flash.
Here I’ll explain each of these potential causes of white powder in your compost a little more so you can identify them accurately and decide how you want to deal with them:
Actinomycetes
Actinomycetes are a type of bacteria that are present throughout the composting process.
These bacteria are very similar to fungi and are responsible for the breakdown of the tougher organic materials in the mesophilic, thermophilic, and maturation phases of composting. These materials like lignin, chitin, protein, and cellulose are the hardest to break down, which is why twigs and sticks take so long to compost.
Actinomycetes contribute to the earthy smell of the compost as well. They appear as a white or gray powder or filaments spread across the compost like spiderwebs.
These bacteria become particularly visible when the compost is working quickly, usually just before or after the thermophilic compost stage. As the compost heats up and decomposes, the actinomycetes multiply rapidly, and when they are especially numerous, they become visible.
If you see the actinomycetes in your compost, it is usually a good indication that the composting process is still underway. Actinomycetes may also develop during the thermophilic stage of composting, and these are usually anaerobic. However, they are nothing to worry about, as they will be replaced by aerobic actinomycetes as the compost continues to work.
Turn the compost to aerate it and ensure that the bacteria have enough moisture to continue working, and they’ll eventually become less visible as the organic matter changes into compost completely.
Fungi and Mold
Just like bacteria, fungi and mold are important to the overall process of decomposition. They ensure that your compost doesn’t stagnate at any partially decomposed stage by breaking the greens and browns down into the water, gases, ammonium compounds, and the humus that is compost.
Fungi include both molds and yeasts, and different compost piles can have different varieties of fungi depending on the region, the composition of the feedstock, and the soil. Fungi can be found in outer layers of compost and usually appear as fuzzy powdery gray and white patches on top of the compost.
These fungi are useful as they work on processing organic matter that is too acidic, dry, or low on nitrogen to be processed by bacteria like the actinomycetes. They are also important for breaking down the carbon sources or the ‘browns’ in the composting feedstock.
If the fungi haven’t taken over your compost, then your compost is perfectly healthy. Allow the fungi to continue working and regularly check the pile to turn and water the compost.
Flash
Flash refers to the white powder residue that is left behind when nitrogen sources in the compost get processed too fast. This usually happens in the thermophilic stage, when the compost heats up. If your pile gets too hot, the bacteria ‘burn’ through the nitrogen, leaving behind a white powder.
If compost gets too hot, it is usually because of high nitrogen levels in a pile. The presence of so much nitrogen allows the microbes to multiply rapidly, which increases the heat in the compost pile further. These well-fed microbes burn through the excess nitrogen, producing flash.
In itself, the flash is not problematic. While the process of burning through the nitrogen does mean that that nitrogen hasn’t been introduced into your compost, it doesn’t matter, as the flash only results from excess nitrogen in the pile.
You can ensure that the powder you’re seeing is flash by checking the heat on the compost and carefully checking the texture of the powder. If the texture is like ash rather than the fuzziness of fungi and mold or the spider web formation of the actinomycetes, then you have flash.
When to Worry About White Powder in Your Compost Pile
For the most part, actinomycetes, fungi and mold, and flash are all normal parts of a healthy compost pile. However, if you find that you’re seeing them for too long or that there’s far too much of them, then you might have to identify the exact conditions of your compost pile and work to address these issues.
Actinomycetes are present in compost throughout the process and are vital for composting, so if you see them, you should leave them to continue their work. However, if you believe that you’re seeing too much of them, then you might have to examine if your compost is too wet because of excess nitrogen.
Check for any clumps of nitrogen-rich organic materials that might have led to the multiplication of these bacteria, break up the clumps, if any, and turn the compost to aerate it. You can also add more carbon-rich materials to absorb the excess moisture and restore the balance of browns to greens to ensure that the bacteria don’t take over.
Actinomycetes may also become more visible if your compost pile is heating up quickly, in which case you can control their growth by turning and watering the pile to keep the heat from increasing too quickly.
The presence of flash in your compost pile indicates that there is too much nitrogen in your pile. Depending on the composition of your composting feedstock, you can cool the compost down by aerating it well and adding more water.
Alternatively, you can also move some of the partially decomposed compost to another pile or bin and cover both with carbon so that the nitrogen is more evenly distributed throughout your compost.
How Do You Get Rid of White Fungus in Compost?
While fungi are useful for the breakdown of complex plant materials, they can also lead to illnesses like lung infections, skin infections, and tetanus.
To get rid of white fungus, you should water your compost and add more nitrogen through grass clippings, cattle or chicken manure, and coffee grounds. To help balance the pH value of the pile, you can also add more lime powder to make the pile more alkaline and inhospitable to fungus and mold.
Fungi and mold thrive when the pile is too acidic, too dry, or low on nitrogen. These conditions may also attract insects like ants to your compost pile.
Too many fungi can cause you to fall sick with illnesses like Farmer’s Lung, so if you find your compost completely covered with fungi or mold, you need to address it immediately by creating conditions where the fungi cannot thrive.
If your compost pile is rich in nitrogen and heating up as a result of the bacterial activity, the white fungus will not be able to grow well in your compost pile.
Health and Safety Tips
It is important to be safe when working with compost to ensure that you don’t breathe in any fungus or mold or handle bacteria and fungi that can lead to skin and lung infections.
The primary way to be safe when working with compost is to ensure that your skin is fully covered. Wear dry, breathable gloves, and ensure that your hands and feet are fully covered. Use a nose and mouth guard of some kind, like a mask, to ensure that you don’t breathe in any particles.
Stay updated on your medication and vaccinations, particularly your tetanus vaccine, to prevent any further infections.
Final Thoughts
White powder in your compost is normal and is likely a sign of healthy feedstock that is being processed into compost. Powdery filaments are the bacteria actinomycetes, which are necessary for decomposition. Ashy powder refers to the flash created when the nitrogen burns.
If they’re visible, they indicate too much nitrogen or heat in a pile and can be addressed by watering and aerating the compost. Fungi and mold are equally important but can be more dangerous and can be addressed by adding more nitrogen to the pile and altering the pH to make it more alkaline.
