Composting

In Room 3 we have been learning to reduce (whakaitingia) the amount of landfill waste which we produce, and to recycle (hangaruatia) paper, cardboard, cans, glass and some plastics. Today we learned about an excellent way to reuse our foodscraps - composting! When we make compost, we make a rich, nutrient rich soil - and our food and garden leftovers get used again by the worms and mirco-organisms and turned into plant food, yum yum :)

Our expert, Sarah Langhi, tells us that we have to build up our compost using green (nitrogen rich, wet) and brown (carbon rich, dry) materials (around 10 parts "brown" to one part "green" is best). These provide the nutrients we need. It is important not to pack the heap and to turn it every few weeks to allow air into the soil, and to water occasionally. The decay process for compost usually takes at least 8 to 10 weeks. When the compost is ready it will be dark brown and crumbly with an earthy smell.