Task 3: 2nd Class: Composting Our Garden Grass Cuttings in our compost heap

Composting

• Composting is the process of decaying organic matter. It adds a number of nutrients back into the soil. Composting is essentially nature’s way of recycling and a great sustainability practice to use in your garden. Anything that was once living can be composted – apple peels, coffee grinds, tea leaves, potato skins, grass clippings, mulch, etc. It is important that you don’t add meat to your compost pile as this attracts unwanted visitors (flies, rats, foxes).

• To start your own school composting pile, simply pick an area in the far corner of the garden and start collecting dead leaves, grass/plant clippings in a pile. To keep it from looking a mess, create a small square using old fencing or pallets to contain the compost pile. Make sure to turn and mix the pile weekly using a shovel or pitch fork to help the decomposing process!

In Bandonbridge NS we compost our grass cuttings.

When we mow the football pitch we put all the cuttings into the compost corner.

We do not cut the football pitch grass during winter so we have not added to the compost heap since autumn. The grass cuttings have broken down and become nice dark, rich soil. We will use this in our flowerbeds. Then we will start to build the compost heap up again with new grass cuttings very soon!