The Scoop On Composting
By: Maya, Elise, and Bai
What is composting?
Have you ever considered where soil comes from? A great way soil can be made is through composting. Composting is the decomposing of organic matter ( greens and browns). Greens are high in nitrogen, and examples include fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, coffee grounds, green plant cuttings or weeds, and garden waste. Browns, on the other hand, are abundant in carbon. Browns include dead leaves, straw, wood chips, sawdust, pine needles, and newspaper. Other things you can put in compost are eggshells, food scraps, and nuts/nutshells. Things you should not put in your compost are trash, plastic, metal, glass, milk cartons, meat, and bones. You don't want your compost to dry out, so it is important to water your compost regularly. Watering the compost will speed up the composting process as well.
Finishing Up the Compost
A sign that your compost is working is that it should heat up. It can heat up to about 140 degrees! When it's ready to use, it will cool down. Another sign that your compost is making progress is that it should appear to be breaking down. This is due to decomposers, or animals and microorganisms that break down organic matter. These include: bacteria, earthworms, sowbugs, millipedes, fungi, and other insects. Compost is really good for plants and provides vital nutrients. It is also relatively inexpensive, and is very good for the environment because it lessens waste.
You can also compost by putting leaves in a trench, or small hole in the ground.
There is such a thing as a composting toilet.
Earthworms eat their way through the soil and release minerals back into it.
Composting at Hutchinson Middle School
Why We Should Compost At Hutch
We think that composting at Hutchinson Middle School would be beneficial because it would help reduce our waste, and it is good for the environment. It also helps educate students about ways to help the environment and how they can make a difference not only in our community, but the world.
Regards, Elise Jackson, Maya Leisure, and Bai Nur