Learn About Composting Day

Put on your gardening gloves because May 29th is Learn about Composting Day! Everyone would like to contribute something to conserve natural resources and reduce our carbon footprint. Compost is not only an environmentally safe fertilizer; it can save you water, energy, fuel and money! It also prevents toxins from entering our running water and groundwater through the use of chemically derived commercial fertilizers. Using natural compost made of compost will make your garden the perfect place for helping wildlife like honey bees, hummingbirds and of course worms!

So what does it brew? Compost is decomposed organic. In a garden, composition is very useful! Compost can be created from kitchen scraps, lawn mowers, newspaper, wood chips, and coffee grinders - pretty much any food product except processed foods (no Twinkies in the compost) mix!). Compost saves resources and because of its high nutrient content, it increases soil stability and reduces soil diseases. It will help your garden grow lush and promote healthy growth of seedlings and plants. It is for all these reasons that gardeners call compost "black gold". Composting allows you to do three big environments: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

History of Learn About Composting Day

Who would have thought that waste from your kitchen could turn into rich nutrients for the food in your backyard? Learn about Composting Day shows you what ingredients (and more you might be surprised to learn about!) can help speed up your garden by mulching nutrient-rich mulch! Tired of raking leaves from your front yard and packing them for trash day? Wish you could do something with all those newspapers after you finish reading them? You can! All of these can go into your compost bin!

For those who do not know, composting is the practice of collecting certain types of waste that appear in the house every day and putting it in a compost bin for regular decomposition. With the right mix of ingredients, which can range from wood ash, to grass clippings, eggshells, even feathers and feathers, you can create a powerful nutrient-rich blend that helps your plants thrive to be bigger than ever!

All you have to do is create a simple compost bin, or just a pile of organic material, and shovel it up once a month. During the winter, you only have to flip it every three or four weeks, as it doesn't have the heat from the sun to speed up decomposition.

Why Learn about Composting Day is important

• It is free

Starting to make your compost pile will cost nothing but a little effort, space, and time. Figure out the method you want to use to compost and take items you may have thrown away or recycle and use them to create your compost pile! Once you've got the right mix of items, just keep it slightly damp and flip them once in a while and the decomposition will do all the work for you! Be patient and in a few short weeks you can have your own black gold made from your household trash. It is a case of turning trash into treasure.

• Environmental friendliness

By using your household organic and paper trash, you reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. When organic waste is placed in the trash, the bin is sent to a disposal site, where it can take years to decompose because it is encased in a plastic bag. Using compost in your garden or on the farm also reduces the amount of hazardous commercial fertilizers used to encourage crop growth and conserves water by improving the stability of the soil you've grown fruits, vegetables, flowers and shrubs.

• It is fun

There's a sense of complete satisfaction when you take something that should have gone in the trash and turn it into a usable substance. It's almost like magic! Also, using compost will increase the number of worms and if you have kids you'll know worms are in fact fun to watch and wiggle in the palm of your hand! You know the worms are doing the job of aerating the soil and increasing nutrients in the soil, but your child just thinks the worms are cool.

How to celebrate Learn about Composting Day

• Visit the farmers market

Talk to local farmers and gardeners about composting and their growing practices. Compost is one of the cornerstones of sustainable farming and you'll find growers, especially those selling organic produce, quite knowledgeable about compost. Afterwards, wander the farmers market and enjoy the colorful wares, the smell of fresh produce, flowers and baked goods, and score yourself some tasty and healthy treats.

• Make your own compost

Compost is ideally made with a mixture that is two-thirds carbon (that's your organic kitchen scrap) and one-third nitrogen-based (newspaper, cardboard, wood chips). All you need to do is select a portion of the yard, lay down the branches and start layering your materials. If you cover it with a tarp, it will increase the heat to aid decomposition. Once a week, use a shovel to mix your compost pile, and if it gets too dry, be sure to add a little water as it must be kept moist. You can use this simple, inexpensive method or invest in one of the many compost bins to speed up the process.

• Introduce children to make organic fertilizer

Get your kids excited about contributing to the conservation of natural resources through composting! First, make them a snack of “earthworms.” In a clear glass, place some chocolate pudding. Next, place the crushed chocolate sponge cakes on top to form the “dirt” and finally, poke some marshmallow worms into the mixture. Then tell your child you need help to save the planet. Explain how to make a compost pile and show the child where he or she will need to dispose of potato skins, eggshells, dried leaves, and more. As soon as your kids see the workflow (and don't forget the worms!), you'll fall for them and will make a conservationist for life.