LET'S GROW!

Intro to Composting ~ Crash Course ~ Word Definitions ~ Garden Preparation Basics ~ The Water Cycle ~

Introduction to Composting

The Earth has been having a tough time lately, because of things like overflowing landfills, loss of rain forests, air pollution, chemical poisoning, soil erosion and disappearing ozone layer.

Much of this is because of how we live. Thinking about trying to change things around our country or around the world can be too much. Composting allows you to do something for the part of the Earth that you live with day by day: your own back yard! Backyard composting follows basic values, such as putting things where they belong and not making a mess.

Composting at home reduces your personal amount of trash, conserves water, increases plant growth, replaces the need for harsh chemical fertilizers, and pesiticides, and is also fun. Your trees, earthworms, frogs, toads, lizards, butterflies, and other plants will be thankful for your composting efforts.

Composting Questions and Answers

What is composting?
Composting is the natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic materials into a humus-rich soil addition known as compost.

Is compost like recycling?
Yes. Composting is nature's own way of recylcing.

Is our yard clippings waste or garbage?
No. It's just like a glass or plastic bottle which is a valuable recycleable item. Glass bottles or plastic bottles are recycleable materials that can be melted, reformed and reused. Leaves, grass, food scraps, paper towels, and even newspapers are organic natural materials waiting to be converted into compost.

How many families in North America are composting?
Over six million compost and the number is growing! Will you start composting today?

How much trash could be composted?
Your yard trash, paper and food scraps make up 30 percent of your garbage. Composting keeps that out of the garbage dumps and can be used in your compost pile.

Why shouldn't your compost scraps go to the garbage dump(landfill)?
In a garbage dump, organic (natural) materials reacts with other materials and creates toxic sludge that may contaminate nearby streams or ponds. Organic materials buried in huge landfill piles do not get any oxygen and they can't decompose naturally.




How does compost help your soil?
Compost helps soil structure, texture, and aeration (amount of air it has) and increases it's water holding ability. It helps loosen hard clay soils, and helps sandy soils hold water. Adding compost to your soils helps prevent erosion, helps soil become fertile, and helps healthy root development in plants. Plants growing in compost rich soil are stronger and can resist disease and insects better.

Why should I Compost?

• Reduces trash
• Provides free soil enrichment
• Helps keep soil moist, saves on water bills

• Feeds the soil
• Prevents soil erosion
• Improves plant production of your fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers

• Turns waste into a valuable resource
• Saves on limited garbage dump space
• Recycles nutrients back into the soil

A Crash Course in Composting

Composting is like cooking, with many recipes and variations. Here is the basic approach:
All composting "ingredients" generally fall under one of two types: "browns" or "greens". Browns are dry materials such as wood chips, dried leaves, dry grass, hay, paper products, and other plants. Greens are fresh, moist materials such as fresh grass cuttings and food scraps (DO NOT use meats, fats, or grease).

1. Collect as many browns and greens as you can to start your compost pile. Larger piles can hold moisture better and decompose faster.
2. Place equal amounts of browns and greens in your heap pile or bin. Always cover food scraps. You can dig a small hole 6 inches deep and place your kitchen food scraps inside and cover with compost.
3. Soak well with water to create uniform dampness.

For quicker composting (1 to 3 months):

• Chop your materials into smaller pieces and moisten.
• Make layers of browns and greens.
• Mix pile by stirring and turning a few times each month.
• Soak your pile once a week.

Troubleshooting:

• Odors? Stinky piles? Add browns and mix your pile.
• Dry pile? Add water, greens and mix pile.
• Fruit flies? Stir and add leaves or grass. Remember to cover your food scraps when adding to your compost pile.

Composting Word Definitions

Organic - (adjective) pertaining to, derived from, like, of the nature of, an organ of the body; relating to the compounds of carbon, relating to natural products

Decompose - (Verb) to separate or break down something into its components; to disintegrate or fragment; to rot, decay or putrefy

Soil - (Noun) A mixture of sand and organic material, used to support plant growth; Mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.

Aeration - (Noun) the process by which air is circulated through or mixed with a substance such as soil or a liquid

Erosion - (Noun) the result of having been being worn away or eroded, as by a glacier on rock or the sea on a cliff face; the changing of a surface by mechanical action, friction, thermal expansion or contraction, or impact

Landfill - (Verb) to dispose of rubbish by burying it at a landfill site or as a (Noun): a site at which refuse is buried under layers of earth; the material so disposed of

Recycle - (Verb) to break down and reuse component materials (recycled paper, recycled plastic); to reuse as a whole

Garden Preparation Basics

There are basic things that need to be done in the garden. Chores, weeding, planting and sowing are common events that take place in garden preparation.

Chores
Common chores to prepare the garden for the coming growing season are tilling, soil amendments (adding compost), weeding and perhaps some harder labor such as building new beds and cleaning.

Tools Cleaned
Cleaning garden tools is an important garden preparation chore that kids should do every year. The tools should be inspected for any rust or damage and if clear of that, then washed thoroughly in hot soapy water. Some people use bleach but since it’s for kid, it isn’t recommended because of the dangers it could pose. Tool cleansing helps keep the tools in better condition longer and it helps prevent diseases from spreading across the garden.

Containers Cleaned
If the kids are container gardening cleaning out the containers used is another common chore that might have to be done. Cleaning the containers helps prevent disease from spreading in the garden. Clean the containers out the same way as the tools, with hot and soapy water. Make sure you rinse completely as you wouldn’t want dish detergent left on the containers.

Soil
The soil from year to year is constantly depleted of necessary nutrients either from run off (from water) or use from plants. Some plants give back to the soil when they die. Some do not. Adding new soil and new amendments such as cow manure or compost each year is an important chore that must be done. Some kids love to dig in the dirt while others may not. You can pour in the amendments and use a rake or digging tool if you don’t like dirty hands.

Seeds and Transplants
Even though much of the earlier garden preparation leans to the chore part of gardening decisions have to be made. These decisions can be intimidating especially for a young child just starting on their adventure in gardening. A main decision will be whether to start by seed or plants (commonly called transplants in the world of gardening). Seeds are the cheapest method to start the garden. But they can take a longer time. For kids, that could seem an eternity. But they do have other benefits. The kids can see the whole process of growth from the very beginning and it can be quite entertaining and illuminating. On the other hand, starting with transplants can start the garden off quickly and the kids will see results quicker than by seed. Some plants do better as transplants and some do better as seeds. Plants such as carrots and lettuce that don’t take to transplanting as well are better started by seed, directly sown into the garden. Others such as warmer climate loving tomatoes and peppers do much better by transplants. The climate can play a big part in this decision as some places don’t have a long growing season and the garden has to be planted with transplants rather than by seed. So have kids do some research on the types of plants that grow best in your region.

The Water Cycle: Six Things Kids Should Know

The water cycle not only affects the way we live, it affects our gardens. Learning about the water cycle can better our understanding of the garden and help make the Earth a more pleasing place to live.

The water cycle. A cycle by which water rises and falls, flows and goes. There are many important aspects of the water cycle and these aspects can affect our daily lives including our gardens. Here are six things kids should know about the water cycle.

Closed System
The water cycle is a closed system. No more water is made, or destroyed. What does that mean for our gardens? That means the water we use from our garden hose should be used to its fullest capability. Being prepared for weather and weather changes is important. If the forecast calls for rain, waiting could be better for the plants than using up all that water. Conservation matters in the usage of water. The water cycle can be interrupted by pollution. By polluting, you are taking away more water that could be used for crops and living creatures. It is why it is imperative, very important, that controls are put into place to curb pollution from ever occurring in the water cycle.

Usable Water
Only a small percent, about 1%, is usable by living creatures. Of all the water on earth, about 97% is salt water, unusable for living creatures. Of the fresh water, three fourths of that is locked in the ice caps, frozen, unavailable for living creatures. Then there is the possibility of pollution and getting the water to land to be used.

All States of Matter
Water is easily found in all states of matter: gas (think water vapor in the air), liquid (water water), and solid (ice, glaciers etc). While plants would find water in gas perhaps, the liquid form, best for the garden. Water freezes at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit. Plants don’t have a regulation mechanism like we do. It is the reason why most plants don’t survive frosts and freezes. The water inside the plants would basically freeze and little water could move throughout its system.

Four Important Words
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection are four words that are most important in the water cycle.
Evaporation is water leaving its liquid state and transforming to a gaseous state. It plays an important part in the water cycle. Its how water gets from the ground into the sky and into rain eventually.
Condensation is a “cooling” of the gaseous water as it transforms to the liquid state. It’s important because it’s proof that water does go through a cycle. Living creatures need water and condensation is what helps get that water to the form most living creatures can use.
Precipitation is simply the water falling from the clouds or from air as condensation transforms it. Rain and snow are forms of precipitation.
Collection is how the water is collected when it settles. It usually is collected in clouds, streams, rivers and the ocean.

Sweat and Toil
Sweat is a type of evaporation and condensation process. Humans sweat and so do some other animals. Plants sweat too. They give off water. Sometimes in high heat they can give off too much water. That is why we have to supplement the garden with water especially in hotter climates and temperatures. So remember that plants sweat too and they need water on those hot days.

Conservation of Water
Conservation means the act of saving something. Water needs to be conserved because it is a closed system and no more water is made or destroyed. We have all the water we are ever going to get. Conservation of water means helping to keep pollution at minimal at worst. At best, we need to avoid pollution in any form. Conserving water in the garden can seem to be a hard task. Fluctuations in climate and temperature can make it frustrating to know whether the garden will need supplemental water or not. There are other things that can be done to help with conservation of water. Mulching, putting down wood chips or other biodegradable materials such as newspaper and recyclable cardboard can help conserve or hold in moisture longer so that watering is kept at a minimum and not wasted.