The use of quality compost from olive milling waste in the preparation of growing media in floriculture

In this work we investigate the use of compost in the preparation of growing media in floriculture. The compost was obtained from a turned windrow composting process to transform the wastes produced during the extraction of olive oil (olive husks, fresh mill waste waters, olive leaves resulting from the mechanical harvesting of olives). These products were mixed with different amounts of sewage sludge and wastes to obtain high quality compost, which could be used in the preparation of growing media in floriculture. Tests were carried out mixing different ratios of compost with peat to evaluate the growth of plants in these growing media. The results obtained demonstrate that composts can be used in the preparation of growing media for cultivation, which would minimize the presence of peat and maximize the quantity of compost.