Learn About Composting Day on May 29 is all about giving a treat to your backyard soil by feeding it the compost.
What is Compost?
Alike humans, the soil also needs nutrition. Compost is an organic mixture that improves and fertilizes the soil, making it rich in nutrients for the plants.
We can use food waste, organic materials, leaves, organic kitchen scraps, shredded twigs, and decomposing plants as the ingredients of compost.
We can use the following types of organic stuff as the ingredients of a compost:
- Food waste
- Organic materials
- Leaves
- Organic kitchen scraps
- Shredded twigs
- Decomposing plants
- Lawn clippings
- Leaves wood chips
- Newspapers
- Coffee grains
Any food product participates well in making the compost but does not use the processed food such as:
- Meet
- Fish products
The process of composting decomposes the organic solid waste material into a rich humus-like matter which is known as the “compost”.
Gardeners address the compost as “black gold” too because of its rich properties and benefits to the garden.
What is the Process of Composting?
The natural process of recycling and converting organic matter into a valuable, high-quality fertilizer is called “composting”.
The composting process relies on four prime components: oxygen, moisture, organic matter, and bacteria. The richness of organic matter depends on both plant matter and animal manures.
Illustration: A girl with food products and another girl preparing for making the organic compost! In the middle of the illustration, a wooden container flaunting the plants, fertile soil, and worms in it!
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Date of Learn About Composting Day Observance
29th of May.
History of Learn About Composting Day
The Earliest Age
It’s not hard to guess that since humans existed the plantation and composting have been a part of human life. We do not have any written evidence though.
However, it is not hard to guess that the first composting belongs to our early ancestors who existed during the stone age.
The 1750s: First Composter of America
Founding father George Washington is renowned for being America’s First Composter.
It Was Crazy!
The Practical Farmer, a famous book which was penned by John Spurrier from Washington, suggests a crazy idea that was followed in 1793.
The owner called all the workers of his farm and told them to rake and collect every type of house trash to be used.
Commercial Composting
During the 1850s, Stephen Hoyt, who was from Connecticut, gave a boost to industrial composting at a large scale.
He composted whooping two lakh fishes and about 17,500 bushels of manure. Till then, it was the largest number of a single season.
Learn About Composting Day Celebration Ideas
Learn from the Pro!
Farmers and gardeners are the best ones to learn about composting. We know it is not rocket science, but it is not a theoretical subject as well. Visiting a farmers’ market or the workplace of a gardener is probably the best idea to start with.
Those who sell organic produce can give the best knowledge about the product. So learn from the local farmers and gardeners about the basics of sustainable farming.
You can gather some information about:
- How to start composting
- The types of composting
- Composting process and methods.
Make after Learning
Composting for beginners can be a nightmare. But when you will have some practical knowledge once and learn through witnessing from your own eyes, you will be able to make the most of it.
Once you get strengthened with the information, make the compost on your own.
Compost is made of a mixture that contains the following type of matter:
- 2/3 of carbon-based products such as organic kitchen scraps
- 1/3 of nitrogen-based stuff such as cardboard, newspapers, wood shavings.
You know the ingredients now, let’s dive into the recipe!
Backyard Composting
- Choose a particular area in your backyard.
- Repair a base of weeks.
- Start to layer the matter.
- Make a lid-type cover of the tarp so that the increased heat can ease the decomposition process.
- Do nothing for about a week.
- Mix up the pile of the compost using a shovel.
- If you find it dry, pour some water into the mixture for keeping it moisturized and damped.
That’s it! This no-cost, simple method of making the compost is in your hands now to explore.
Introduce this naturally made fertilizer to your plants and enjoy their speedy growth.
Spread the Word, So the Process!
Composting is one of those natural processes that aid in the conservation of naturally found resources.
Let people know how to prepare the compost by simple, easy practices. If not grown-ups, you can target the kids as well. Is the best age to make your child learn about the importance of conserving natural resources.
Guide them on how to create a compost pile by collecting the dry leaves, actions, and potato peels in one place. Once educated, rich for the life-time with the precious piece of useful information.
And here you step ahead and grow not only healthy plants but also a lifelong conservationist.
Why is Learn About Composting Day Celebrated?
We love this day because every compost-related aspect boosts profit and savings. Let’s point out how compost is a great option for plants!
It’s a No-cost Idea
A little space and efforts are all that you need to initiate for making your own compost pile. Once you will go through the process and learn all the aspects and your steps, you’ll start to log turning the trash into a treasure.
They can’t be more exciting than turning your household garbage into useful fertilizer known as compost or black gold.
We Love Natural Ways
We like those ways where we can go natural, avoiding the use of chemicals. It’s both environment-friendly and cost-effective.
It’s Interesting
It’s fun and inspiring when our little efforts pay great.
The difference in the growth of plants after making the soil compost-rich is encouraging and motivating.
It leaves us with a feeling of slight pride as well about how we recycle the organic waste and turn it into a useful product.
It Doesn’t Ask for Many Efforts
The composting process is not very complex. It’s simple and effortless. You just need to dedicate some space and throw the kitchen scrap in that yard area instead of those dustbins.
It Promotes the Smart Use of Organic Waste
Instead of throwing into the dustbin, if used smartly, the organic household waste becomes black gold. This precious source of boosting soil fertility is the perfect example of how a small brainy idea can also pay you much.
Significance of Learn About Composting Day
It Aids in Waste-management
After throwing the waste into that dustbin, we do not know where will it go.
Many a time this waste remains wrapped in plastic and doesn't get an opportunity to get decomposed. It turns into a harmful substance for our environment.
On the contrary, if turned into compost, it becomes fruitful to us and the environment.
It Saves the Resources
Think about the other options! The moment we think of replacing the organically made compost, all that we remain with is “chemicals. Harmful to the environment and much pricey to the pocket.
Compost saves fuel and resources.
Interesting Facts about Learn About Composting Day
50% of Waste Can Be Used
About 50% of waste that we send to the landfills is organic. It means that composting can reduce about half of the waste from entering into landfills.
Municipal West Stream
If you talk about municipal waste, 30% of it can be composted.
Observing Learn About Composting Day makes us aware of such facts and figures and motivates us to switch to composting instead of leaving the useful scrap for the dustbin.
It’s Shocking
Can you imagine how many individual bacteria can and 1 tablespoon of healthy soil contain?
It’s a whopping number, so strengthen your heart before knowing it.
It’s 1 billion — 100 million.
Worms’ Capacity
If you have got about 8000 to 12,000 worms in your soil, they can process about 5 to 8 pounds of organic stuff every week.
Likes and Dislikes of Worms
- It’s true that worms like vegetable scraps and fruit peelings, but they don’t like too much food.
- Where worms love the leaves of tea, tea bags, and coffee grounds, they don’t like fatty foods. They indeed feel suffocated in the oil.
- Worms are fond of grains but they don’t like garlic, onions, alliums, capsicums, chilies, and other is spicy foods.
- They love wet and shredded scrap paper, napkins, and newspapers.
- They pretty much enjoy the green grass waste and heated grass cuttings.
- Worms neither like citrus foods nor dairy products.
Consumption by Earthworms
Earthworms can consume about 2 tons of dry material every year per acre. Interestingly, they digest some of its portions and mix the remaining portion with the soil.
Living in Soil
We often deal with the soil with great joy while engaging ourselves with gardening. Do you know that your soil might have the following types of living in it:
- Bacteria
- Protozoa
- Plant roots
- Algae
- Fungi
- Ants
- Worms
- Insects
- Grubs
- Nematodes
- Mites
- Maggots
- And even large animals.
Components of Soil
Have you ever thought about the components of our soil that make it what it is? The soil that grows amazing plans contains:
- 40% of minerals
- 25% of fair
- 25% of water
- 5% of organic matter.
The Eye-opener!
By 2050, healthy soil is supposed to be the key to hush up the starvation of about 9 million people.
