Curious about Compost ?

Making compost with our kids is going to be such a rewarding and educational journey.   As a teaching team we decided that our gardens needed a revamp to liven things up and revitalise our special outdoor classroom.   There is so much we want to do and achieve but we know it requires some knowledge in and learning alongside our experts to get it right.   We have been thinking about simple ways to make a positive impact on the environment while teaching valuable life skills around science and sustainability.  In this years 'Wonderland' -  Our philosophy is 'learning from the ground up'.  

We have watched and learnt about soil and components of good compost.   This week, we started in our own lunchboxes with a lunchbox audit.  We noticed we all had fruit and/or vegetables which were going to make great scraps.  

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We learnt that some breads and dairy were not recommended.   We also learnt that meat was no good in our compost either. 

Why Compost with Kids?

• Hands-on Learning: Composting is a sensory experience.  Kids get to touch, smell (hopefully not too bad!), and see things change.  We have already had some experts dripping with worms explaining the quality of our current compost ! 

• Environmental Responsibility: It teaches them about reducing waste and the importance of recycling organic matter.

• Science in Action: We are all learning about decomposition, bacteria, fungi, and how things break down.  We now know the true FBI is fungi, bacteria and insects.  

• Gardening Connection: The finished compost will be amazing for our garden! They'll see the direct benefit of their hard work.   The feelings of Positive Accomplishment will be worth it. 

We have been exploring......  What Does Compost Need?

We have been learning alongside some experts.  Darcy was able to share some gems with us.  She has been knee high in our compost.  With hands full of worms she thinks we have great rich compost towards the middle.  It just needs a turn ! 

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She had compost from home that was 6 months into the process and another sample of 12 month old compost.  Darcy also told us about the super stinky Bokashi tea - Now this sounds like absolute gold for the garden but OUTSIDE due to its pungent aroma !!   We look forward to learning more as we go.  

Colourful Layers.

Just like we need food, water, and air to survive, composting microbes need specific ingredients to thrive. We have been thinking of this like a great recipe:

Green Waste (Nitrogen):

• Provides: Energy for the composting microbes to multiply and break things down quickly.

• Examples: Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, weeds.  

 Brown Waste (Carbon):

• Provides: A source of food for the microbes to build their bodies. They also provide structure and allow for airflow.

• Examples: Dry leaves, straw, shredded paper or cardboard, twigs.

Water (Moisture):

• Why it's needed: Microbes need moisture to survive and move around within the pile.  Think of it like: A wrung-out sponge. You want it damp, not soaking wet.

Air (Oxygen):

• Why it's needed: The microbes that do the most efficient composting need oxygen to breathe.

• How to get it: Turn or mix your compost pile regularly to add air.   This is how we also explored our current compost.  What we realised was that we had some rich compost underneath with all the ingredients needed.  It was dark in colour, moist with a healthy dose of bugs and worms. 

Speaking of dosing - What is the Magic Ratio !

We discovered a good rule is to have about 3 parts Browns to 1 part Greens by volume. This creates a balanced environment for composting microbes.   We have some experiments going at the moment.    We have made a Composting Jar so that we can observe what is happening.   

We are experimenting with compost in a jar so we can begin to notices the layers: We have a layer of browns, then a layer of greens, and we are going to continue alternating.

https://gardentotable.org.nz/resources/compost-in-a-jar

• We will add water:  Sprinkle some water over each layer to make sure it's damp.

• We will turn it over:   Every few weeks.   This adds oxygen and helps speed up the process.  We also know that we have to make sure our scraps are cut up small for our compost in a jar to work. 

We have a great spot with new compost bins on the way !

Our kids are curious and keen, getting involved by being: 

• Investigators:  We are discovering what is working and what is not in our current composting environment.   

• Scrap Collectors: They are becoming responsible for collecting fruit and veggie scraps in a container.

• Layer Makers: They will help layer the greens and browns in the compost pile.

• The "Waterer":   We will moisten the pile.

• The "Turner":  This is minimal with our experimental jar.  When we really get going we will be able to take turns being the 'turner'. 

We cant wait to see what we can achieve !  But we know we have to dial up our GRIT, Patience and Perseverance for this project to be successful !  Watch this space.