Making Compost - Organic Gardening for Children ~ Teacher Guide; by Garden Organic UK ` For more information, Please see websites below: ` Organic Edible Schoolyards & Gardening with Children http://scribd.com/doc/239851214 ` Double Food Production from your School Garden with Organic Tech http://scribd.com/doc/239851079 ` Free School Gardening Art Posters http://scribd.com/doc/239851159` ` Companion Planting Increases Food Production from School Gardens http://scribd.com/doc/239851159 ` Healthy Foods Dramatically Improves Student Academic Success http://scribd.com/doc/239851348 ` City Chickens for your Organic School Garden http://scribd.com/doc/239850440 ` Simple Square Foot Gardening for Schools - Teacher Guide http://scribd.com/doc/239851110

1. Making compost
Composting is a natural process
but a little help speeds things up
Where to compost
Compost bins need…
• Easy access location
• Sunny or part-shaded
• On to soil, grass or concrete
• Wide opening for adding waste
• Lid to keep heat in and rain out
• Strength to hold contents
Getting the right mix
‘Greens’
(‘activate’ the process,
but decay to a smelly mess on their own)
Grass, soft green
plant shoots
Green weeds
(avoid seedheads)
Raw vegetable
and fruit peelings
Comfrey and nettle leaves
(very good activators)
Tea bags/leaves;
coffee grounds
Horse, cattle, poultry manure
‘Browns’
(balance the process,
but decay too slowly on their own)
/ 50
Woody plant shoots, tough hedge
clippings (cut up)
Cardboard, eg cereal packets,
egg boxes
Scrunched-up waste paper,
magazines, newspaper (some,
recycle rest)
Hay, straw, shredded paper,
wood shavings
Bedding from herbivorous pets,
eg guinea pigs
50 °
°
Add mix to cool or hot heap
(or combination)
Bit by
bit
All at
once
ADDing mix
Now and
then
Again and
again
Hot heap
Turned Over
Ready in 6-12 months
Cool heap
Ready in 12-18 months
e
m
Welco
•
Do not compost
Meat, fish, cooked food,
cat litter, dog faeces, coal
months in a plastic sack, and coke ash, disposable
eg for dandelion
nappies, glass, plastic,
Diseased plant material metal
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