| Composting
is not complicated. It happens naturally, without any help from
us. We can speed up the process, however, by balancing carbon-rich
materials (Browns) with nitrogen-rich materials (Greens), by turning
the compost pile regularly for aeration and by keeping the pile
wet (but not too wet.) Below is a list of readily available materials
that can go into a compost pile.
| Greens
(nitrogen-rich)
freshly
cut grass
plant prunings
spent flowers
coffee grounds
kitchen scraps
barnyard animal manures (cow, horse, chicken, goat, sheep,
and rabbit. NEVER use dog, cat, or human manure/feces as they
may contain pathogens or diseases that could be harmful.)
|
Browns
(carbon-rich
black and white newsprint
brown paper bags from grocery store
torn/shredded carboard (brown boxes, brown packing tubes,
toilet paper and paper towel rolls, tubes egg cartons)
aged wood chips
sawdust from untreated lumber (check with a lumber yard)
straw
dried grass
dead leaves |
Ingredients not suitable
for composting are oil, grease, bones, fat, dairy products and
diseased plants.
Cold Compost Pile
A pile
which is made up of greens and browns and then left alone to
rot in place for several months to several years.
Hot or Active Compost Pile
A pile which is made up of greens and
browns and then turned and aerated often to incorporate air,
water, and/or fresh ingredients. Requires more effort but
often results in finished compost within a several weeks to a few
months.
Sheet Composting or "Lasagna" Bed
A specific sort of
compost pile in which green and brown materials are built up
in layers over a present or future garden bed site.
Pit or Trench Composting
A method where you bury organic material
directly in the ground, sometimes along side of plantings, in
a shallow trench.
How to Build
a Sheet Compost Bed
-
Mark the area for your garden using a water
hose or a long rope to get the desired shape. Do NOT remove
sod or weeds.
-
Cover the area you've marked with wet newspapers
or flattened cardboard boxes (available free from most large
stores). This is your weed barrier.
-
Cover the weed barrier with organic material—leaves,
grass clippings, straw, wood chips, etc. Wood chips are often
available free from your city's sanitation department.
-
Layer several inches of organic material on
top of the weed barrier. Make sure you balance greens with browns.
-
Water until the garden is the consistency
of a damp sponge.
-
Plant, plant, plant. Mulch, mulch, mulch.
Try it. It's easy.
P.A.S.S for
This Activity
-
Grade 1: Science Process—1.2; 3.1
-
Grade 2: Science Process—1.2; 3.1. Life Science - 2.1.
Earth Science—3.1
-
Grade 3: Science Process—1.2; 3.1. Earth Science—3.2
-
Grade 4: Science Process—1.2; 3.1
-
Grade 5: Science Process—1.2; 3.1. Life Science - 2.1.
Earth Science—3.1
-
Grade 6: Science Process—1.1. Life Science—4.1
|
