The Do's and Don'ts of Compost

Did you know that you can compost lint but you can't compost brains? We learned a lot about the do's and don'ts of compost last Saturday, and we even got a chance to mix up our own compost too!

Compost is the remains of decomposed organic matter that can be used in gardens to enrich the soil. It is full of nutrients and good bugs that help make plants grow healthier and stronger. We can make good compost out of a number of things including fruit and vegetable scraps, cow manure, dead leaves and twigs, and even egg shells. Composting is a way to help the earth by honouring and contributing to essential life cycles that feed and nurture all living things on the planet. By feeding the earth we are also feeding ourselves, and other beings that depend on good soil for sustenance.

Anisha helped us learn more about composting by setting up a chart and going through a list of obvious and not so obvious compostable items.The kids learned a lot and laughed a lot, especially when Anisha asked us if we could compost a telephone.

Next, we got to mix up our own compost soup with some fruit and vegetable scraps, paper, lint, and egg carton bits. It was slimy and yucky, but the kids loved it! After mixing our own individual bowls of compost, we brought them to the main compost bin in the garden ( a feature every garden would greatly benefit from having), and dumped the contents in.

The Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden has a three stage system compost where there are three compost bins side by side. After filling up the first bin, you move the contents to the second bin and start to fill up the first bin again. When the first bin is full, you move the contents of the second bin to the third bin, and the contents of the first to the second bin. And finally, when you fill up the first bin again, you move all the contents over one bin, and the last bin is rich with dark compost material that can be added to the garden soil. This process involves the turning and mixing of compost to provide aeration required for decomposing bacteria. All the kids had a chance to turn the compost and experience the stench that is decomposing organic matter. Despite the grossness we had a marvelous time!