Composting
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COMPOSTING
Best Ever Compost
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 2-6
OBJECTIVE:
To learn about composting and how composting
turns organic wastes into a valuable resource.
BACKGROUND:
Composting is nature’s way of recycling.
Decomposition will occur whether we help it
or not. But since we produce so much waste,
we get paid back when we help to speed up
the composting process. Composted material
improves our gardens.
Composting is like baking a cake. Simply add the
ingredients, stir, “bake”, and out comes– compost!
Whether you compost kitchen wastes or yard
and garden wastes, there are a few basic steps to
follow. Here are the necessary ingredients and
general directions for composting.
TIME:
One 30-minute period to collect all of the
necessary materials and set up the bin, one 30minute period to layer in the bin and water
follwed by periodic observation, minimal
maintenance & optional turning for 6 weeks to 6
months.
MATERIALS:
Kitchen Compost
Add a mixture of some or all of the following
ingredients:
v Vegetable peels and seeds
v Fruit peels and seeds
v Coffee grounds
v Egg Shells
v Nut shells
v Any other vegetable or fruit scraps
Note: Do not add meat scraps, bones, dairy
products, oil, or fat. They may attract pest
animals.
Yard or Garden Compost
Add a mixture of some or all of the following
ingredients:
v Straw
v Grass clippings
v Leaves
v Ashes
v Sawdust
v Wood chips
v Weeds and other garden waste
v Manure
v Shredded paper
PROCEDURE:
1. Choose a container for making your
compost. Any type of composting bin will
do but the ideal bin size is 3 to 4 feet wide,
long and tall. (Some examples are the
Welded Wire Cylinder bin (see attached),
wooden box or commercial black plastic
bin.)
2. Place kitchen or yard wastes into the
composting bin. Chop or shred the
organic materials if you want them
to compost quickly. But also include
materials with a diversity of particle sizes.
(Chunky things encourage air flow and
drainage, fine things break down faster.)
3. Sprinkle soil or “already done” compost
over the compost pile. This layer contains
the microorganisms and soil animals that
do the work of making the compost. It
also helps keep the surface moist.
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COMPOSTING
(*Note: This step is optional since there are
plenty of decomposers on the surfaces of
your compostable materials)
4. Adjust the moisture in your compost
pile. Add dry straw or sawdust to soggy
materials, or
add water to a pile that is too dry. The
materials should be damp to the touch, but
not wet enough that drops come out when
you squeeze it.
5. Allow the pile to “bake”. It should heat up
quickly and reach the desired temperature
(90 to 140 degrees F, or 32 to 60 degrees C)
in four to five days.
6. When the temperature of your pile drops
you can mix it with a pitchfork or a shovel.
This will speed up the baking time.
mixing no more than 20% with the soil or
a ratio of 1/4 compost to 3/4 soil.
(*Note: an effective method of composting is
to lasagna layer. See attached fact sheet from
CCETC)
FOLLOW-UP:
Try growing a few beans or other seeds in pots,
some filled with sand and others filled with a
mixture of sand and compost. Compare how
well the seedlings grow. Plants need nutrients
and water. Discuss why. Sand is a poor nutrient
source and does not store water. When compost
is mixed in, both of these needs are better
met. Gardeners can enrich their gardens using
compost.
7. The pile will settle down from its original
height. This is a good sign that the
compost is baking properly.
8. If you mix or turn your compost pile every
week, it should be “done” in one or two
months. If you don’t turn it, the compost
should be ready in about six to twelve
months. (See attached “Is it Done Yet?”
fact sheet.)
9. Your “best ever compost” should look
like dark crumbly soil mixed with small
pieces of organic material. It should have
a sweet, earthly smell.
10. Feed finished compost to hungry plants by
SOURCE:
Cornell Waste Management Institute. 1991.
Trash Goes to School (http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/TrashIntro.html)
98
COMPOSTING
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These are inexpensive and easy to assemble. They are easy to move because a cylinder of welded
wire fencing is stiff enough to stand up on its own without posts. Welded wire bins also offer ready
access to the material inside for turning or harvesting your compost.
Materials needed:
• Fencing length: The bin should be a minimum of 3 feet in diameter, so
you need at least 10 feet of welded wire fencing. We recommend 11 or
12 feet, to give enough to overlap the ends and allow for expansion.
(Max. diameter is 5’, which requires ~15’ of fencing.)
•
Fencing type: The fencing comes in different mesh sizes; 1” x 2” mesh
or smaller is fine. Larger mesh (2” x 4”) is less expensive and will also
work, although some particles may fall through. Fencing width of 36”
gives a 3’-tall bin; 48” width also works and would hold more, although
a tall bin can be difficult to reach into. Garden supply stores sell the
fencing by the foot.
•
Ties: Use short lengths of wire, plastic-coated twist-ties, or nylon string to tie the cylinder closed.
(Tying the ends together makes it easy to undo the cylinder when you are ready to move the bin or harvest the compost.)
Assembly Steps:
• The cut ends of the fencing are very sharp, so it is best to either snip the ends off close to a
crosswire and then file down the edges, or cover each end of the fencing with two layers of duct
tape folded over to cover the sharp wires.
• Lap the ends of the fencing over each other to get a cylinder of desired size. Tie the ends closed,
and set your bin in place.
• Locate the bin in a shady, well-drained, level spot that is convenient to your kitchen and/or your
garden. (Think of both summer and winter accessibility.)
Using the Bin
Fill the bin as you would any other type bin. The Lasagna method works
well with a welded wire bin (see our Lasagna handout). When you wish to
turn the material, or harvest finished compost, simply undo the ties and
unwrap the fencing from around the compost. The material inside should
hold its shape like a layer cake, because it will have settled and started to
break down. Reset the cylinder in the desired spot, and start again.
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COMPOSTING
Lasagna Composting
The “Lasagna Method” is a way of structuring a compost system so that
maintenance is minimized, pests are deterred, and both large and small
amounts of compostables can be handled at any time. This simple layering
system can be used in any bin.
Initial Layer:
• The first layer in your bin should be a loose layer of twigs and
branches – stalky material that will not compress as the compost
bin fills up.
• The purpose of this layer is to build in a way for air to reach the
center of your pile. Oxygen ensures that the decomposition will not
generate unpleasant odors.
“Brown” Layers:
• These can be made of straw, dried leaves, wood chips,
sawdust, even torn up paper. All these materials are
carbon-rich, supplying a critical food source to the
decomposer organisms.
• The brown layers help to balance the moisture in a pile,
since the brown materials are usually much drier than the
food scraps in the green layers. These materials are
also usually coarser, so they create a porous structure
that allows air into the center of the pile and allows
excess water to escape. Finally, the brown layers serve
as a visual and physical barrier to pests, by filtering
food smells and putting the food scraps out of reach of
insect pests.
“Green” Layers:
• These are nitrogen-rich materials, supplying another
critical food source for the decomposers.
• Acceptable “greens” include food scraps from meal
preparation, inedible leftovers, grass clippings that are
too long to be left on the lawn, garden weeds, manure,
etc.
• DO NOT include meat, oily materials, dairy products, or
bones. These risk attracting pests to the compost area.
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COMPOSTING
“Is It Done
“Is ItYet?”
Done Yet?”
TestingTesting
Compost
MaturityMaturity
Compost
The degree of “doneness” that is appropriate depends on how the compost is going to
be used. If you are using compost as a topdressing or mulch on garden beds, it is
appropriate to use coarser, somewhat less finished compost. If you are
going to be working compost directly into the soil close to planting time,
then the compost should be mature and should be fine enough to fit
through a ½ inch screen. This excludes wood chips or other coarse
material that might not yet be fully decomposed. For making up a potting
soil for germinating seeds, the highest level of maturity is required and a
finer screening – such as to ¼ inch or even 1/8 inch – would be desirable.
With respect to soil incorporation or potting mixes, the reasons for being
careful about maturity are summarized as follows in A Green Guide to
Yard Care by Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, 1/98:
“Using compost before it is ready can damage plants. Undecayed ‘brown’ materials in
the soil can temporarily reduce plant-available nitrogen. Undecayed ‘green’ materials
can harbor pests and diseases. Immature compost can also introduce weed seeds and
root-damaging organic acids.”
Simple checks of compost maturity:
Compost should be dark, crumbly, with no recognizable food.
Compost should have an earthy smell.
… but these alone are not enough! If you know your compost is already
a year or two old, you don’t have to worry. But if you are trying to get
compost into your garden quickly, it’s best to take a little time to test it
further, especially if you will be planting the area soon. Two additional
tests are described below:
The “Jar Test”:
Put some compost in a jar, add water to make it soggy, and seal the jar tightly.
Leave it alone for a week, then open the jar (carefully!) and check for odor. If it smells
like nice wet earth, then the compost is done. If you notice bad odors then it means that
the materials in the compost were not sufficiently decomposed and anaerobic organisms
have gone to work on the nutrients that remain. These anaerobes produce unpleasant
odors as a by-product, so bad smells are the indicator!
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Creative Compost Column
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 4-6
OBJECTIVE:
To help students understand the biological
decomposition process.
BACKGROUND:
As students study solid waste management, they
should realize that organic waste can be disposed
of in three ways: by CHEMICAL means (burning),
PHYSICAL means (landfilling), or BIOLOGICAL
means (composting).
TIME:
One class period to set everything up. Then allow a
minimum of 1 to 3 months for student observation
depending on what is composted. This activity can be
monitored throughout the school year for a long-term
project.
MATERIALS:
v Three two-liter plastic soda bottles with labels
removed.
v Scissors, razor blade knife, nylon stocking or other
mesh material, electrical or duct tape, rubber band,
water marking pen, centigrade thermometer, and
milliliter measuring cup.
v Two cups of garden soil, food scraps (such as
potato, carrot or fruit peelings), yard waste (grass
clippings and leaves), plastic, and newspaper or
school paper.
NOTE:
The 3 two-liter bottles can be easily separated for
student monitoring.
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COMPOSTING
PROCEDURE:
1. The teacher will need to cut the plastic soda
bottles. Cut the top off one bottle and the bottoms
off two others. Arrange the bottles into a column
as the diagram indicates. Cut out three or four
windows (air holes) in the top two bottles the
approximate diameter of your thumb. Cover
windows with nylon stocking or other mesh
material and tape to hold firmly.
2. Place nylon stocking or other mesh
material over middle bottle opening
and secure the stocking or mesh
with a rubber band.
3. Place soil in the middle bottle. Bury
vegetable or fruit scraps, grass,
newspaper, plastic, etc., in the soil. (NOTE: The
smaller the pieces, the faster they will decompose.)
Add just enough water to moisten the soil, and
allow a few drops to drain into the bottom of the
column.
4. Replace the top bottle making sure the windows
remain uncovered to allow air flow in and out of
the compost column
5. During monitoring, keep soil moist
by recycling the compost water
from the bottom to the top bottle. As
students make their observations,
remind them to turn the soil with a
spoon.
6. Use the chart on the following page
to record any observable changes over a period of
time.
SOURCE:
Bottle Biology Resource Network, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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COMPOSTING
Creative Compost Column Observation Chart
Date
Temperature
(oC)
Odor
(If any)
Amount of
Water in
Column
Bottom (ml)
Evidence of
Organisms
Observations
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COMPOSTING
Discover Composting
Organisms
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: K-3
OBJECTIVE:
To expose students to some of the organisms
that carry out decomposition in order to better
understand what makes composting work.
BACKGROUND:
The insects, worms, bacteria, and fungi found
in your compost pile do the work of making
compost. You can see some soil animals with the
naked eye, and for some you will need a hand
lens or a microscope. These organisms are some
of the decomposers that fit into the cycle of life:
Producers (Grass)
Primary Consumers (Sheep)
Secondary Consumers (Wolf)
Decomposers (Insects, Fungi)
PROCEDURE:
Put a small compost sample on a glass slide with
a drop of water. Observe the sample under a
hand lens or microscope. If you don’t see live
organisms, take a fresh sample from the compost.
Draw a picture of what you see.
Option: Try to identify organisms with a field
guide.
FOLLOW-UP:
Take a field trip to see a compost pile, and bring a
hand lens to do on-site investigations.
Discuss what would happen in the world if there
were no decomposers. What would happen to
leaves in the fall, or to dead trees in the forest?
(Decomposers are the recyclers of the natural
world. They break down organic matter and
turn it into materials that can once again be used
to support life. That is why compost contains
many nutrients that help plants to grow. Without
decomposers, we would all be buried in wastes!)
MATERIALS:
Fresh sample of compost, glass slide or petri dish,
hand lens or microscope, paper, pencil.
SOURCE:
Cornell Waste Management Institute. 1991.
Trash Goes to School (http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/TrashIntro.html)
106
COMPOSTING
SOURCE:
Nature. 1992. Out of Sites
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COMPOSTING
SOURCE:
California Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Waste Management Board.
1999. Worms, Worms, and Even More Worms, A Vericompositing Guide for Teachers
108
COMPOSTING
SOURCE:
California Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Waste Management Board.
1999. Worms, Worms, and Even More Worms, A Vericompositing Guide for Teachers
109
COMPOSTING
Soil and Decomposition
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Egg Carton Worms
PROCEDURE:
1. Cut out the cups from the egg cartons.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: K
2. Give each student four cups.
OBJECTIVE:
To have fun on a project that the whole class can
work on together.
3. Have the students glue pairs of egg cup
bases together (2 cups will make one “worm
segment”). Leave the two end segments
unglued.
BACKGROUND:
Earthworms are segmented. They have different
numbers of segments depending on the type of
earthworm.
TIME:
One class period.
MATERIALS:
v Egg Cartons
v Glue
v Magic Markers
v Crayons
v Two Buttons
v One Long Needle and Thread
4. Have the students color and decorate their
segments as they choose.
5. Fasten thread to a button and thread the
segments together. (The button will be on the
inside of the head segment.)
6. Fasten thread to the button on the tail end.
7. Glue on the head and tail half segments and
the result will be a long colorful earthworm.
SOURCE:
Governor’s Recycling Program. Winter 1992/1993. Worms in the Classroom, Activity Ideas.
111
COMPOSTING
Fungi and Bacteria
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 2-6
OBJECTIVE:
Students observe and compare the growth of
fungi (yeast) and bacteria as organic matter is
decomposed in different environments.
BACKGROUND:
Fungi and bacteria are essential to the decay
of plant material. Fungi and bacteria are
decomposers working at the microscopic level to
help plants break down into their basic elements.
Moisture and darkness encourage rapid growth
of fungi and some bacteria. Both of these factors
help fungi and bacteria thrive.
TIME:
One 30-minute period, one 15-minute period and
observation periods over two weeks.
MATERIALS:
v Two slices of bread for each group of students
v Two lemons or oranges for each group
v Several bananas
v A knife to cut the bananas
v Six plastic bags for each group
v Twist ties for each bag
v One-half teaspoon of yeast for each group
v Cotton balls
v Masking tape
v Water
PREPARATION:
Day One
1. Ask students how they think plants
decompose and what factors effect
decomposition. What conditions do they
think are the best to help plants decompose?
2. Explain that they are going to test
how environmental conditions affect
decomposition. Provide each group with six
plastic bags and enough ties to secure them,
two slices of bread, two oranges or lemons
and two pieces of banana.
3. In each of the two bags have the students
place a slice of bread. One slice should be wet
but not soggy. Nothing should be done to the
other slice. Ask the students to seal both bags
with ties. Place the bag with the moistened
slice in a dark warm place and the other bag
in the refrigerator, or a cool place.
4. In each of the other two bags, place a piece of
banana. In one bag pour half a teaspoon of
yeast on the banana and mark this bag with a
“Y”. Place both of these bags in a warm dark
place.
5. Rub the oranges or lemons on the floor to pick
up bacteria and let them sit out in the air for
one day.
Day Two
6. Place each orange or lemon into a bag. Add
a cotton ball moistened with water to one of
the bags. Tie both bags closed. Place the bag
with the cotton ball in a warm, dark place and
the other bag in a cool spot.
v A warm dark place to store things for two
weeks
v A refrigerator or cool place to store things
for two weeks
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COMPOSTING
7. Have the students hypothesize what will
happen to each of the items. What will the
yeast do? What affect will temperature and
light have?
of paper. What has the yeast done to the
banana? What role does moisture play?
Note: The oranges or lemons may take a week or
longer to turn into bluish-green fuzz balls. If so,
continue the experiment an extra week.
During The Week
8. Twice during the week have students observe
each bag and record their observations on the
worksheet.
After One Week
EXTENSION:
Bake yeast bread. The yeast are fungi that are
alive. The fungi eat the honey or molasses in
the dough and give off carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The carbon dioxide gets trapped in the
net of gluten fibers and causes the dough to rise.
9. The bread and banana should be well on
their way to decomposing. Allow the
students to observe the structures of mold
and the decomposition of the bananas with
a hand lens. Students can draw what they
see on their worksheet, or on separate sheets
SOURCE:
California Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Waste Management Board.
1999. Worms, Worms, and Even More Worms, A Vericompositing Guide for Teachers
113
COMPOSTING
Fungi and Bacteria Worksheet
Name:_
Bread
Date
Wet/Warm
Dry/ Cool
Banana
Date
Wet/Warm
Dry/ Cool
Orange/Lemon
Date
Wet/Warm
Dry/ Cool
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COMPOSTING
Garbage: It’s For the Worms
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 4-6
OBJECTIVE:
To see the biodegradation of food scraps and
learn that there can be more productive uses for
food garbage than throwing it away.
BACKGROUND:
Worms in the house? Yuck! But this composting
system actually works! Done correctly, the
worms stay in the box and eat household scraps,
and the box gives off little to no odor. Worm
composting can be done in apartment buildings
or other homes with no yard space. You might
try it in your school! Many types of existing
containers will work.
TIME:
One 30-minute class period to set up the
worm bin plus follow-up observation and
experimentation.
MATERIALS:
v Plastic 5 gallon bucket or large plastic
container (like a dish washing basin)
v Styrofoam, wooden or plastic box, (with
holes in the bottom and a row of holes
along the sides)
v Red wiggler worms (Eisenia foetida)
v Bedding (newspaper, leaves, paper bags,
and other materials)
v Water
v Food scraps or other organic wastes
PROCEDURE:
Fill the 5-gallon bucket or plastic container with
water. Shred the bedding and dip it into the
bucket/container of water. Moisten the bedding
materials for the worms. Try to get the bedding
moist, but not overly damp. Squeeze excess
water back into bucket/container. If you get the
bedding material too wet, excess moisture will
run off when it is placed into the composting
container. It is a good idea to put a tray,
newspaper or flattened cardboard box underneath
the bin. Another option is to put wet bedding
material into the bin outdoors and wait until all
the water has drained out (up to two hours).
Add about 10 inches of moistened bedding to the
bottom of the bin. In go the worms! Leave the
lid off for a while and the worms will work down
into the bedding away from the light. Then add
more bedding until the bin is ¾ full.
Pull back the bedding on one side and add your
vegetable and food scraps. Then cover the scraps
with the bedding. Do not add any potentially
hazardous chemicals, or any non-biodegradable
wastes such as glass, metal or plastic. Do not
add meat, dairy products or excessive oils to the
worm bin because it may smell, attract pests and/
or promote pathogens that could pose a health
hazard.
Keep your compost moist, but not wet. If flies are
a problem, place more bedding materials over the
wastes or make a fly trap (see attached diagram).
Go to the next side, pull back the bedding and
place the vegetable food scraps. Within one
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COMPOSTING
month the worms will crawl over to the new
bedding and the finished compost on the “old”
side can be harvested. Add new bedding to the
“old” side.
Find a good location for the box. It can be placed
anywhere as long as the temperature is more
than 50 degrees F (10 degrees C). The most
productive temperature is 55-77 degrees F (1325 degrees C). Garages, basements, and kitchens
are all possibilities as well as the outdoors in
warm weather (not in direct sunlight, and not in a
locations where pests will eat the worms). Make
sure to place the box where it is convenient for
you to use. Lastly, raise the bin off the ground
(or tray/paper/cardboard) using a few flat rocks,
bricks or sticks. This helps keep the bin aerated.
For more details on composting indoors with
worms, see the attached Tompkins County
Cooperative Extension fact sheet entitled “Your
Guide to Vermicomposting.”
SOURCE:
Cornell Waste Management Institute. 1991.
Trash Goes to School (http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/TrashIntro.html)
116
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SOURCE:
Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tompkins County fact sheet
117
COMPOSTING
Your Guide to
MAKING A WORM BIN
VERMI-
1. Assemble your materials
COMPOSTING*
RED WORMS
BEDDING
FOOD SCRAPS
BIN
RED WORMS may be ordered by the
pound (approx. 1,000 mature worms / lb.).
For sources, call Cooperative Extension.
* i.e., composting
with worms
Prepared by Master Composters
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Tompkins County, State of New York
BEDDING materials may include shredded newsprint, cardboard, brown leaves,
straw, coconut fiber and / or old sawdust
(worms eat the bedding!). Newsprint is especially cheap and available. A handful of
sand soil may be added for grit.
FOOD SCRAPS are fruit and vegetable
scraps from your kitchen (chop up large
chunks – worms don’t have teeth!). Weigh
your scraps for one week. Once settled in,
a pound of worms can consume up to 3#
scraps per week.
BINS may be plastic or wooden containers. Lightweight Styrofoam® boxes are
often available free at pet stores. For 3-4#
scraps per week, the bin should be about 2’
x 2’ x 12” to 18” high. For air flow and
good drainage, drill 1/4” (pencil-sized)
holes in the bottom and sides, about 5”
apart (plastic bins may need more holes).
Calculate bin size by allowing 1 sq. foot of
surface area per pound of food scraps / wk.
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COMPOSTING
At least 8 good reasons to
If you want compost for your plants:
•
•
Low maintenance strategy
Feed bin for 4-6 mos. Wait 2-4 months
more until scraps are gone and few
worms remain. Harvest mix. Salvage
remaining worms and restock bin with
fresh bedding, scraps and new worms.
Medium maintenance strategy
Use Push & Wait or Dump & Sort
every 4 mos. Or so.
If you just need fishing worms:
•
High maintenance strategy
Pick out largest worms as needed.
Use Dump & Sort every 2-3 months;
refresh bedding to maintain most
favorable environment for worms.
PROBLEMS?
ODOR: Stop feeding until problem sub-
sides. Top off bedding with a dry layer to
absorb excess moisture. Keep bedding moist
but not wet, and fluff occasionally to restore
air spaces. Always underfeed worms in a
new bin until they are well established.
FRUIT FLIES: Mix material, add a thick
layer of new bedding and stop feeding for a
month. When feeding resumes, bury scraps
deeply and keep bin covered. Avoid tropical
fruits. Move bin outside if weather allows.
TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS:
Bank an outdoor bin with straw, leaves or
an old blanket; move bin indoors in severe
(freezing cold or blistering hot) weather.
VERMICOMPOST
A Worm Compost Bin...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
uses up your kitchen scraps
“works” indoors year ‘round
is convenient, compact and neat
is ideal for apartment dwellers
reduces waste sent to the landfill
teaches kids (and adults!) about
small-scale ecosystems
7. produces an abundance of fishing
worms
8. Produces castings which are a
nutrient-rich addition to your
houseplants, flower and vegetable beds, providing an excellent amendment for your soil
COMPOST improves aeration
and drainage in clay soils,
holds moisture in sandy soils,
eases cultivation, acts as a
disease suppressant, balances
pH, and helps all soils resist
crusting, erosion, and leaching
of nutrients. Worm castings
are the most nutrient-rich, pH
balanced, and consistent of all
composts. According to compost
lore, “if compost is the Cadillac
of soils, then worm castings
must be the Rolls Royce!”
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COMPOSTING
Luckily, you already have
Just remember,
KITCHEN SCRAPS
WORMS don’t do it alone!
Great ideas
here are at least three living components of a successful bin. Worms keep
conditions aerobic and therefore odor-free,
reduce the mass of material to be processed, and produce castings even richer than
compost. But they could not do it without
the help of the second component, namely
microorganisms – bacteria, protozoa and
fungi.
•
•
•
•
•
vegetable / fruit scraps: peels, pulp, cores,
leaves, etc. (red worms love melon rinds!)
coffee / tea: grounds, leaves, filters, bags
vegetable plate scrapings & leftovers
from the back of the ‘fridge
stale cake & bread crumbs
cooked grains & cereals
Poor ideas
•
•
•
•
•
T
pet wastes
dairy products
fatty or oily foods
meat, fish and bones
ANYTHING non-biodegradable
(plastic bags, twist ties, rubber bands, etc.)
& you can easily get
RED WORMS
Eisenia foetida (red wigglers, manure
worms) are heavy eaters of organic material,
tolerate a wide temperature range
(50º–85ºF), are communal feeders, reproduce quickly in confinement, and thrive in a
shallow, enclosed bin (they live in the top
layer of debris in the wild).
Lumbricus terrestris (earthworms, nightcrawlers, angleworms) and other species
will NOT work for you. They eat less, tolerate a narrow temperature range (around
50º F), are solitary feeders, and don’t like
being enclosed (they burrow to a deeper
layer of soil in the wild).
The third living component is you,
remembering that when you take living
creatures out of their natural environment,
it becomes your responsibility to care for
them. It is up to you to create and maintain a habitat in which they will thrive.
Add your care to the work of microorganisms and worms, and fine compost is the
result. What a rich reward!
B
rochure design, layout and text by Elizabeth Mount,
Master Composter Class of 1996, with editorial
assistance by Monica Hargraves. The Master
Composter program is sponsored by Cornell Cooperative
Extension of Tompkins County, with funding from the
Tompkins County Solid Waste Management Division,
Ithaca, N.Y. Thanks to Mary Appelhof, Worms Eat My
Garbage, Flower Press, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1982, for
some text/illustrations, and to Dan Dindal, Ecology of
Compost, SUNY-ESF, 1976, for illustrations of microorganisms, all used by permission
121
COMPOSTING
Reaction to Touch
Do earthworms react to touch?
Remember to be very gentle with the worm for this experiment. We want to test if a worm is sensitive to
touch. Put the worm on a moist paper towel. Very gently touch the worm at the posterior (rear) end and
record your observations. Do the same at the middle section and the anterior (front) end. Record your
observations. This should be done with several worms to see if results are consistent.
Section Touched
Response
Posterior
Middle
Clitellum
Anterior
What are your conclusions about an earthworm’s sensitivity to touch?
SOURCE:
1992 AIMS Education Foundation
122
COMPOSTING
Reaction to Moisture
Do earthworms prefer moist or dry areas?
This test can be done using paper towels or soil. When using paper towels, put two side by side: one
dampened with water and the other dry. Place five worms on each side, check after five minutes,
recount the number on each towel. Test this many times for accuracy and record your results.
Test
Number on dry towel
Number on moist towel
1
2
3
Percentage of total that preferred the dry environment __________%
Percentage of total that preferred the moist environment __________%
Your conclusions:
The same procedure can be done in a tray with soil. One section should be damp and the other dry.
SOURCE:
1992 AIMS Education Foundation
123
COMPOSTING
Reaction to Light
Do earthworms prefer light or darkness?
Remove the lid from a shallow box and cut in half widthwise. Line the bottom of box with damp paper
towels. Place five worms in each half of box and place the lid on top.
After five minutes, record the number of worms in each section
Your conclusions:
SOURCE:
1992 AIMS Education Foundation
124
COMPOSTING
Fun Facts About Redworms
1. Redworms eat the same things we do.
2. Under ideal conditions, Redworms can eat
over half their weight in food a day.
3. Redworms have amazingly similar blood to
ours. Their iron-rich hemoglobin serves the
same oxygen carrying function as our does.
4. Redworms breathe through their moist skin.
Gaseous oxygen from the air diffuses through
their skin, moving from a region of greater
concentration (the air) to a region of lesser
concentration (inside the worm). Carbon
dioxide produced by the bodily processes
of the worm also diffuses through the skin,
moving from a higher concentration (inside
the worm) to a lower concentration (the air).
5. Redworms have no eyes and cannot see but
they use light sensitive skin cells, concentrated
at the front end of their body, to sense light
and move away from it.
6. A redworm’s mouth has a small sensitive pad
of flesh, called the prostomium that protrudes
above its mouth and stretches out to sense
suitable food particles.
7. Redworms have no teeth. They use their
highly muscular mouth, pharynx and gizzard
to break up food particles.
8. Redworms will not reproduce by being cut in
half. Depending on where the worm is cut,
the front part may grow a new tail, but the tail
can never grow a new head.
9. Redworms are hermaphroditic, meaning
that all adult redworms have both male and
female reproductive parts.
10. Redworms reach adulthood, and can have
offspring, in 4-6 weeks.
11. Adult redworms each produce 2-3 cocoons
per week for six months to a year.
12. Baby redworms take 3 weeks to develop in a
cocoon before they hatch. Two to three baby
redworms hatch out of each cocoon.
13. It is estimated that eight adult redworms
could produce 1,500 offspring within six
months.
14. In the wild most redworms live and die
within the same year. In a worm culture, an
individual redworm has been kept alive for
four and a half years.
15. It is estimated that in the favorable conditions
of the Nile Valley, earthworms deposit over
1,000 tons of nitrogen-rich castings per acre,
per year.
SOURCE:
Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Authority. 1993.
Composting Across the Curriculum – A Teacher’s Guide to Composting.
125
COMPOSTING
Potential Cross-Curricular
Applications of a Worm Bin
Language Art:
v Library work to research information/books
about worms and recycling
v Read/write stories about worms
v Worm bin journals
v Vocabulary development
v Worm puppet shows
v Write to your municipality’s recycling
coordinator requesting information on
recycling and composting.
Math:
v Count worms
v Measure and weigh worms, food scraps
v Sort worms (by size, color, etc..)
v Graph worm information
v Metric measurements/conversions
v Measure bin, three dimensional measuring,
calculate area
v Ratios (worms to compostables, big worms to
small worms, etc..)
v Averages (how much food per day, week,
month)
Science:
v Worm parts
v Worm needs and adaptations
v Worm life cycle and reproduction
v Scientific classification
v Scientific method/work experiments
v Different types of worms
v Other worm bin animals (e.g. sowbugs, ants,
mites, millipedes, centipedes)
v Organic vs. non organic
v Decomposition, mold
v Food chain/ecology
Geography and Social Studies:
v Climate and worms (redworms are native to
the southern US)
v Farming techniques/crops around the world
v Garbage around the world (How much
do other countries produce? How do they
manage their garbage?)
Horticulture:
v Soil composition
v Compost, compost piles
v Plant parts/needs
v Planting lessons and experiments (do plants
grow better in compost?)
Other Potential Topics:
v Waste reduction: reduce, reuse, recycle
v Landfills
SOURCE:
Community Resource Development Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County.
“RW” Goes to School, A Teachers Guide.
126
COMPOSTING
SOURCE:
Community Resource Development Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County.
“RW” Goes to School, A Teachers Guide.
127
COMPOSTING
SOURCE:
Community Resource Development Program,
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County.
“RW” Goes to School, A Teachers Guide.
128
COMPOSTING
Hold the Water
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 3-6
OBJECTIVE:
To introduce and examine the effects of organic
matter in the soil.
BACKGROUND:
Most organic soils contain organic matter.
Organic material has important effects in the soil.
One benefit of compost is its ability to break up
heavy clay soils by aggregating clay particles.
Aggregation improves the clay’s drainage and
mineral exchange. Extra organic matter in sandy
or clay soils also holds water longer, reducing the
soil’s need for irrigation. These two properties
of organic matter seem contradictory, but in fact
they are just two of the benefits of rich soils. It
takes roughly 500 years to produce just one inch
of topsoil. The hard-to-replace nature of our
topsoils makes valuing and protecting them very
important. Some vocabulary words for this lesson
are:
Humus (HEWM-us)
Organic matter in the soil; the remains of living things. Usually associated with a dark rich color in the soil.
Soil profile (soyl proh-file)
Layers of soil from top to bottom, including grass or rock.
Clumping or Aggregation (ag-ree-GAY-shun)
The action of compost on clay soils, causing them to form small particles or clumps. This breaks up the slick texture, allowing more movement of water and nutrients.
TIME:
One 30-minute period to complete the trials and
record observations and more time to answer the
questions and try the extension activities.
MATERIALS:
v 1 quart sand
v 1 quart garden soil
v 1 quart clay (from a local source)
v 1 quart compost (homemade compost
should be sifted to produce a uniform
texture)
v Two filter funnels with support stands.
Make a funnel from 2-liter bottles. The
bottom of the two-liter bottle can be used
as a base.
v Folded paper towels or coffee filters
v 50-milliliter graduated cylinder (or other
appropriate measuring device)
v Measuring cups (1 cup and ½ cup)
PROCEDURE:
Introduce the lesson by telling the students they
are going to test compost’s ability to improve
drainage in clay soils and to slow down drainage
in sandy soils. They will measure the amounts of
water that pass through different soil samples they
create. Students record and compare their results.
Trial 1
1. Mix 2 cups garden soil with 2 cups of sand.
2. Divide this sample in half.
3. To one half of the sample, add ½ cup of
129
COMPOSTING
compost and mix thoroughly.
4. Place a ½ cup sample of each type of soil on a
filter.
important characteristics of soil for growing
plants.)
3. What would farming clay be like?
(Hard when dry, slick and sticky when wet.)
5. Place the filters in the funnels.
6. Pour a measured amount of water (try one
cup) through each sample (be sure to evenly
wet each sample) and collect the water that
comes through.
7. Measure and compare the amounts of water.
8. Note the color and clarity of the collected
water.
9. Allow the filtered water to settle. Describe the
sediment, if any.
10. Complete the Records Chart (attached).
Trial 2
1. Mix ½ cup of clay with 2 cups of garden soil.
4. What would happen to rain that falls on clay
soil?
(High percent of rain would run off.)
5. What would happen to rain that falls on a
sandy soil?
(Rain would quickly drain through.)
6. What is the effect of high clay content on
water movement through the soil?
(On the surface, speeds it as run off; through
the soil, movement is slowed.)
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
1. Try comparing pure sand with sand plus two
cups of compost.
2. Test the effect of more compost in each of the
previous trials.
2. Divide the sample in half.
3. Try a test with pure clay.
3. To one half of the sample, add ½ cup of the
compost and mix thoroughly.
4. Repeat steps 4-8.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
1. What was the effect of the compost?
(Retained water and improved drainage)
2. How would this effect be beneficial?
(Good drainage and drought resistance are
4. Specially formulate several soils for a
plant growth trial. Ask the children which
combinations they would like to test.
5. Test a sample of a commercial potting soil.
6. Measure the water retained in each of your
tests by weighing the samples before and after
adding the water.
SOURCE:
Cornell Cooperative Extension. Teacher’s Composting Workshop Manual
130
COMPOSTING
Recording Chart for “Hold The Water”
Trial
Water In
Water Out
Sediment
Color
Comments
1. Soil
Without
Compost
1a. Soil With
Compost
2. Clay and
Soil Without
Compost
2a. Clay and
Soil Without
Compost
131
COMPOSTING
Composting
B ASICS
•
•
•
•
“Composting” means the
controlled decomposition
(decay) of organic material
such as yard trimmings,
kitchen scraps, wood shavings,
cardboard, and paper.
“Compost” is the humus-rich
material that results from
composting.
Compost contributes nutrients
and beneficial life to the soil,
improves soil structure, and
helps prevent runoff that can
pollute rivers and lakes.
Compost helps the soil absorb
and retain nutrients and
moisture, and protects plants
from diseases and pests.
Better moisture retention
means less watering, allowing
you to conserve water and
reduce runoff pollution.
COMPOST BENEFITS
Compost makes good mulch. It
can also be mixed into garden
and potting soils.
Nutrients. Compost contains the
full spectrum of essential plant
nutrients. However, you should
test the nutrient levels in your
compost and soil to determine
what supplements your landscape
requires. Ask your county extension agent for more information.
• Compost contains micronutrients such as iron and
manganese that are often
absent in synthetic fertilizers.
• Compost releases its nutrients
slowly, over several months or
years.
• Soil enriched with compost
retains fertilizers better than
lifeless soil does. Less fertilizer
runs off to pollute waterways.
• Compost balances both acid and
alkaline soils, bringing pH levels
into the optimum range for
nutrient availability.
Soil Structure. Compost helps bind
clusters of soil particles (aggregates).
Soil rich in aggregates is full of tiny
air channels and pores that hold air,
moisture, and nutrients like a sponge.
• Compost helps sandy soil retain
water and nutrients that would
normally wash right through the
sand.
• Compost breaks up tightly bound
particles in clay or silt soil,
allowing roots to spread, water to
drain, and air to penetrate.
• Compost alters the texture and
structure of all soils, increasing
their resistance to erosion.
• Compost particles attract and
hold nutrients strongly enough to
prevent them from washing out,
but loosely enough so that plant
roots can take them up as
needed.
• Compost makes any soil easier
to work and cultivate.
Beneficial Soil Life. Compost
introduces and feeds diverse life in
the soil, including bacteria, insects,
worms, and more, which support
vigorous plant growth.
• Compost bacteria break down
mulch and plant debris into
plant-available nutrients. Some
soil bacteria also convert
nitrogen from the air into a
plant-available nutrient.
Beneficial insects, worms, and
other organisms are plentiful
in compost-enriched soil; they
burrow through the soil keep
-ing it loose and well aerated.
• Compost suppresses diseases
and harmful pests that overrun
poor, lifeless soil.
Water Quality. Compost increases soil’s ability to retain
water and decreases runoff.
Runoff pollutes water by carrying
soil, fertilizers, and pesticides to
nearby streams.
• A 5 percent increase in
organic material quadruples
the soil’s ability to store water.
• Compost promotes healthy
root growth, which decreases
runoff.
• Compost can reduce or eliminate your use of synthetic
fertilizers.
• Compost reduces the need for
chemical pesticides because it
contains beneficial microorganisms that protect your
plants from diseases and pests.
Be sure to contain your compost
pile so that it doesn’t wash off
your yard during a rainstorm. An
excess of nutrients in water can
deplete the oxygen available to
fish and other aquatic life.
Factsheet information from “A Green Guide to Yard Care”,
SOURCE: Fact sheet
information
“A Green
Guide
to Yard
Texas
Natural Resourcefrom
Conservation
Commission
GI-28 PDF
version Care”,
(Rev. 8/01)
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission G1-28 PDF version (Rev. 8/01)
132
COMPOSTING
I Can Compost
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 1-8
OBJECTIVE:
For students to review what they can compost by
calling out something they can compost before the
person in the middle tags them.
BACKGROUND:
See Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins
County’s “Preparation of Food Scraps for Faster
Composting” and “Stopping Trouble Before it
Starts” fact sheets (attached).
4. Once students get the hang of it, put someone
in the middle of the circle, whose goal is to tag
the person with the ball before it is tossed. If
tagged, that person changes places with the
one in the middle.
5. To make sure all the students get a turn,
students can sit down after they have named
something they can compost and tossed the
ball to another student.
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
A song, rap, or poem can be created out of the list
of what can be composted.
TIME: 2
20 minutes
MATERIALS:
A ball or another object to toss.
PROCEDURE:
1. On the board or in their journals, students list
as many items as possible to compost.
2. To start the game everyone stands or sits (if
indoors) in a circle.
3. A person calls out something that can be
composted and the person’s name who the
ball (or other object) is being tossed to.
SOURCE:
California Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Waste Management Board. 1999.
Worms, Worms, and Even More Worms, A Vermicomposting guide for Teachers.
133
COMPOSTING
Preparation of Food Scraps for Faster Composting
The good news is that composting is a natural and powerful process, and if you manage it right you can get
great finished compost with very little work.
The even better news is that if you take a few minutes to cut food scraps into smaller pieces, the composting
will happen even faster. The key is that the organisms that do most of the breakdown are tiny and they work just
on the surface area of food – the smaller the pieces, the more the surface area!
What you need:
• container for collecting food scraps – milk cartons, cereal boxes, or small plastic buckets work well
• kitchen knife or scissors
• cutting board
What to do:
• line your compost container with newspaper – this makes emptying and cleaning the container much
easier
• place the container in a convenient spot – on the countertop, under the sink, on a porch, etc.
• do not cover the container! This just promotes odors due to fermentation.
What goes in?
• any vegetable or fruit scraps
apple cores, orange peels, banana peels, potato skins, corn cobs, garlic tops, wilted lettuce, …
•
•
egg shells — crush them up a bit
inedible leftovers of prepared foods
•
•
•
coffee grounds and filters
tea bags (except those made of nylon) — tear the bag and remove the staple
pizza boxes, newspaper, paper towels, cereal boxes, … any non-waxy paper
pizza, last week’s dinner, moldy bread, etc.
What doesn’t go in?
• No meat, fat, dairy products, bones, or raw eggs (these materials would break down, but they risk
attracting pests)
• No plastic, metal, glass, rubber bands, twist-ties, etc.
What are the steps?
• While preparing your meal, or after eating a snack, cut the leftovers or food scraps into smaller
pieces, to accelerate their breakdown in the compost bin
• Place the scraps in the compost container
• Cover food scraps with used paper towels, torn newspaper strips, or a handful of leaves or sawdust
to prevent odors and fruit flies
• When container is full, take it out to the compost bin and empty it, and cover well with a layer of
“browns” (dried leaves, woodchips, straw, torn paper, etc.)
• Clean the container out, line it with fresh newspaper, and return it to its spot!
SOURCE: Building Strong and Vibrant New York Communities
134
COMPOSTING
Troubleshooting Compost Piles
SYMPTOM
POSSIBLE CAUSE
Compost pile is damp and warm The pile may be too small.
in the middle, but nowhere else.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION/ALTERNATIVE
Gather enough material to form a pile 3’ by 3’ by 3’
and/or insulate the sides and cover the top.
Compost pile isn’t heating up.
If it seems damp and sweet
smelling, it may be a lack of
nitrogen.
Mix in fresh grass clippings, manure, blood meal or other
material high in nitrogen. If it is difficult to turn the pile,
create holes in the pile and add the nitrogen-rich material.
Not enough oxygen.
Turn or fluff the pile.
Cool weather
Increase pile size and/or insulate it with straw or a
plastic cover.
The pile may be too small.
Gather enough material to form a pile 3’ by 3’ by 3’
and/or insulate the sides and cover the top.
Compost pile isn’t heating up.
Pile was built over several
months.
Compost may be finished.
Don’t worry about it. Let pile compost “cold.” Check
for finished compost.
If it looks dark and crumbly and smells earthy (not
moldy or rotten), it may be done. Use it! (If unsure, call
for more info.)
The pile is dry throughout.
Lack of water.
Turn the compost and add water. Moisten new materials
before adding to the pile. If the pile is out in the open,
consider covering with a straw or plastic cover. The pile
should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge throughout.
Matted, undecomposed layers
of leaves or grass clippings.
Compaction, poor aeration.
Break up layers with garden fork or shred them, then
re-layer pile. Avoid adding heavy layers of leaves, grass
clippings, hay or paper unless first shredded.
Large, undecomposed items.
Size and composition of
materials.
Screen out undecomposed items, reduce size if
necessary and use in a new pile.
Compost pile has a bad odor
like a mixture of rancid butter,
vinegar and rotten eggs.
Not enough oxygen, too wet.
Turn the pile and add course dry materials such as leaves,
straw, or corn stalks to soak up excess moisture. Protect
the pile from rain using a plastic film or other cover.
Compost pile has a bad odor
like ammonia.
Compost pile is attracting rats,
raccoons, dogs, flies or other
pests.
Compost pile contains earwigs,
slugs and/or other insects.
Not enough oxygen, compacted. Turn the pile and shake materials apart to aerate.
Pile may have too much
Add materials high in carbon such as shredded leaves,
nitrogen.
non-treated wood chips, sawdust or shredded newsprint
and aerate.
Inappropriate food scraps
may have been added: meat,
fat, bones or other animal byproducts.
Pile is composting correctly
Insects are a good sign of a
productive compost pile.
Avoid adding such material; use a rodent-resistant bin
with a top, bottom and sides. Bury non-fatty kitchen byproducts 8”-12” deep in the pile.
Note: slugs live happily in compost piles. If the pile is
next to a garden, barriers can be placed between the
pile and nearby garden with traps, metal flashing, etc.
This fact sheet was
adapted
with
permission
The Composting
National Backyard
Composting
Program Training
Manual (1996).
SOURCE:
This
fact
sheet
wasfrom
adapted
withCouncil’s
permission
from The
Composting
Council’s
National Backyard Composting Training Manual (1996)
135
COMPOSTING
Compost Word Find
T
R
S
E
T
S
A
W
M
W
F
A
E
R
E
D
W
O
R
M
S
O
Z
Z
M
E
I
A
Z
I
S
C
O
Z
S
Z
P
I
T
N
U
L
O
D
I
S
C
R
E
E
N
N
U
M
T
P
A
O
G
A
R
D
E
N
P
A
C
R
M
P
O
S
A
S
U
O
P
S
G
P
O
P
O
S
T
M
L
P
S
M
E
L
L
S
U
M
U
H
L
Y
L
F
L
O
W
E
R
S
R
E
T
N
E
M
N
O
R
I
V
N
E
C
T
S
O
P
M
O
C
N
E
S
FIND THE FOLLOWING WORDS:
Water
Air
Food
Waste
Environment
Sun
Humus
Red worms
Garden
Soil
Smell
GrassFly
Flowers
Pizza
Temperature
Apple
Compost
Words can be forward, backwards, diagonal or across!
SOURCE:
Center for Ecological Technology.
136
COMPOSTING
Waste Disposal: Pile It On
3. Begin preparing the four compost piles with
help from the students.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 3
4. Drill holes in the bottoms and sides of three
(of the four) buckets.
OBJECTIVE:
Students will learn the basic components of
a compost pile and see the result of proper
composting. They will do this by observing
different compost piles with various deficiencies.
BACKGROUND:
A compost pile is made of organic wastes and
needs carbon, nitrogen, moisture, and air to allow
the organic waste to decompose over time. Some
vocabulary words for this lesson are: composting,
aerobic, anaerobic, decomposition, mass and
volume.
TIME:
Homework assignment two days before lesson,
one class period for lesson, three to four weeks for
observation.
MATERIALS:
Four 5-gallon buckets, weeds, hay, grass
clippings, sawdust, coffee grounds, fruit and
vegetable peelings, leaves and a thermometer.
PROCEDURE:
1. Have the class collect and bring in a wide
variety of organic waste a day or two before
the lesson.
2. Prior to the lesson, a few students may
be asked to look up information about
composting (why and how) and other
vocabulary. They can share information at the
beginning of the lesson. Then ask the leading
question, “What does a compost pile need to
function properly?”
5. Set up the following conditions in each
bucket:
Compost Bucket #1
(Compost which is low in nitrogen)
v Place mostly dried leaves and just a few
vegetable and fruit peels in the bucket.
v Moisten, do not soak.
v Turn over regularly: once every 3 days for the
first 2 weeks, then once per week
Compost Bucket #2
(Compost without enough moisture)
v Place a mixture of grass clippings (high in
nitrogen – make sure the grass clippings are
not very wet), dried leaves, vegetable and
fruit peels in the bucket.
v Do not water.
v Turn regularly.
Compost Bucket #3 – The one with no holes
(Compost without adequate air circulation)
v Place mostly grass clippings (high in nitrogen)
in the bucket.
v Place a mixture of dried leaves, vegetable and
fruit peels in the bucket.
v Keep moist.
v Do not turn.
Compost Bucket #4
(Compost with optimal conditions)
137
COMPOSTING
v Layer dried leaves, vegetable and fruit peels,
and a small amount of grass clippings in the
bucket. (See the attached Lasagna Composting
fact sheet for details on the layering.)
v Keep moist.
v Turn regularly.
6. Keep daily record of temperatures in the piles.
Observe for several weeks.
Discuss results after several weeks:
v Which compost is dark and crumbly?
v Which is best? What ingredients/
components did it have?
v How does composting reduce the initial
amount of vegetative waste?
v Did all piles look and smell the same?
WHAT NOW?:
Apply information learned about compost piles to
modern landfills. Discuss how the two differ and
explain each difference.
SOURCE:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Health. Here Today, Here Tomorrow (Revisited)
138
COMPOSTING
What Is Biodegradable
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 4-6
OBJECTIVE:
Students will be able to differentiate between the
kinds of materials that nature recycles and those it
does not.
BACKGROUND:
Some materials decompose when buried; others
do not. Microorganisms play a vital role in the
decomposition process.
Decomposition occurs everywhere. If everything
existed forever, we could be buried in our waste.
Our waste products are varied: some are made of
easily degradable materials while others will last
for thousands of years.
TIME:
One 30-minute class period to set things up and
then subsequent observations over a number of
weeks.
MATERIALS:
v Ten pieces of each of the following:
v Glass
v Paper
v Steel or other metal
v Plastic
v Apple, lettuce, or other fruit or vegetable
v Ten containers, jars, or flower pots
v Soil
v Sterile potting mix
v Masking tape or labels
v Handout: Watching Wastes Rot: Record
PROCEDURE:
Display to the class a piece of glass, paper,
metal, plastic, and food. Ask the class to predict
which of these substances are biodegradable
(capable of rotting or decomposing)? Conduct the
following experiment to determine whether their
predictions were correct.
Dig enough soil from a garden or vacant lot to
fill five containers. (One-pound cottage cheese
containers would be suitable.) Fill five of the
containers half full with soil, and the other five
half full with sterile potting mix. Place a piece of
each type of waste into each container. Continue
filling the containers with soil or sterile mix,
whichever they already contain. Add enough
water to all pots so that the soil or sterile mix
is damp but not wet to the touch. Cover the
containers. Label the containers to indicate the
type of waste and whether it contains soil or
sterile mix.
After one week, examine the waste in each
container. Which wastes are decomposing? Cover
the wastes again, and continue to check them
once a week for as long as you want. Record your
observations.
Check the original predictions and draw
conclusions about which substances are
biodegradable and under what conditions.
FOLLOW-UP:
Explore degradable plastics. Many producers of
plastic bags are now producing plastic bags they
say will degrade.
There are two types of degradable plastic bags;
photodegradable and corn starch biodegradable.
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Research to see where biodegradable bags are
available, find out what makes these plastic bags
degrade by performing an experiment similar to
the one above.
QUESTIONS:
1. What makes these plastic bags degradable?
2. Does the whole bag degrade? Are there any
waste products left over?
SOURCE:
Cornell Waste Management Institute. 1991. Trash Goes to School.
(http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/TrashIntro.htm).
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Watching Wastes Rot: Record
Name
Date experiment started
Fill in the following table each time you check your pots. Under “Waste”, write the name of the item that
you buried in the pot. Under “Soil”, describe the condition of the soil each time you check it. Include
such things as how decomposed the item looks, what color it is, whether or not you see fungi (spots or
thin strands) on it. Under “Sterile Mix”, describe in the same way the condition of the item buried in the
sterile mix.
Date
Time since waste was buried
Waste
Soil
Sterile Mix
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. Which items decomposed most quickly?
2. Which items didn’t decompose at all?
3. In general, did items decompose more quickly in soil or sterile mix? Why do you think this is so?
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Worm Formation
5. Shine the flashlight on the worm.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: K
6. Discuss what the worm did and why.
OBJECTIVE:
To predict and observe the behavior of a worm
when it is exposed to light. Children will learn if
worms are sensitive to light.
WHAT NOW?
1. Set up a classroom vermicomposting
container (see the Garbage: it’s for the Worms
lesson for more details):
BACKGROUND:
Even though worms are usually drawn with eyes,
they don’t have eyes as we do.
TIME:
One class period.
MATERIALS:
shallow container, black paper or cardboard,
moist paper towel, a flashlight, at least one live
red worm (the red worm, Latin name Eisenia
foetida, can be ordered from a biological supply
company, possibly found in a field where animals
graze or ordered from one of the places on
CCETC’s sources of worms fact sheet (attached).
PROCEDURE:
1. Ask children to predict if they think that
worms sense light.
v Shred and moisten newspaper for
bedding. For bins, Styrofoam boxes, plastic
bins or old aquariums work well. Add
aeration holes on sides and bottom of bin,
if possible or use recycling bins. Container
should have a lid to keep out the light. If
using glass, then blacken three sides.
v Add worms, leaves, grass clippings, a
little soil and food scraps, burying them
approximately one inch beneath the
surface.
2. Keep the vermicompost moist, but not too
moist because worms breather through their
skin. A spray bottle works well.
3. Add the castings to a school or class garden.
2. Place moist paper towel in a shallow
container.
3. Cover half the container with cardboard or
black paper.
4. Put the worm in the uncovered part of the
container.
SOURCE:
Mary Applehof. Flowerfield Press. 1993. Worms Eat My Garbage.
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COMPOSTING
SOURCES FOR COMPOSTING WORMS
“Red worms, red wigglers, manure worms”
Local
We occasionally learn about local suppliers, so if you’re looking for a local source, give us a call. And
please let us know if you’re interested in being a local supplier yourself!
Mail-order (not shipped – either too hot or too cold!)
This is only a partial listing. No endorsement is implied. For an extensive list of suppliers, visit the City
Farmer website at: http://www.cityfarmer.org/wormsup179.html
Flowerfield Enterprises
10332 Shaver Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49024
(269) 327-0108
Email: [email protected]
Mary Appelhof Author: Worms Eat My Garbage
Red Worms: $19/lb. + $5 s&h
$17/lb. for 2 lbs. + $7 s&h
Worm Kit:
$76 postage paid (bin, worms, book)
Website:
www.wormwoman.com
Gardener’s Supply Company
128 Intervale Road
Burlington, VT 05401
(800) 427-3363
Email: [email protected]
Red Worms: $34.95/2 lbs. worms in 2 lbs. soil + 8.50 s&h
Worm Factory: 3-tier system $99.95 + $12.50 s&h
(requires 2 lbs. of worms)
Website:
www.gardeners.com (type “worms” in search)
Worm Man’s Worm Farm
116 Pergola Avenue
Monroe Twp, NJ 18831
(732) 656-0369
Email: [email protected]
Ken Chiarella The “worm man” himself!
Red Worms: $19.80/1,000 worms (postage paid)
$33.78/2,000 worms (postage paid)
Website:
www.wormman.com
Worm World
26 Ihnat Lane
Avella, PA 15312
(724) 356-2397
Email: [email protected]
Red Worms: $20/lb. + $6 s&h
$18/lb. for 2 lbs. + $8 s&h
$14/lb. for 5 lbs. + $13 s&h
Complete Kit: $28 (sized for 1 lb. worms) + $7 s&h
Website:
www.wormwrld.com
Information updated 2/26/03
For information about composting, call the “Rotline” at 272-2292.
The Compost Education Program is funded by the Tompkins County Solid Waste Management Division.
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COMPOSTING
Warming Up to Worms
Place your group’s worms on a paper towel where everyone in your group can observe them. Here are
some questions to discuss as you make your observations. Have one person record the group’s answers.
1. What color are the worms?
2. What shape is an earthworm? Describe it.
3. About how long are the earthworms? How did you measure them?
4. How does the worm’s skin feel?
5. Is there a difference between the top side and the bottom side of a worm? If there is, describe what both
are like.
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COMPOSTING
6. Observe your worms with a hand lens. What do you notice that you could not see before?
7. Answer yes or no to each of the following and tell what you observed.
Does an earthworm have:
Eyes?
Ears?
Legs?
Nose?
Mouth?
8. Can you tell which is the front end of a worm and which is its tail? Is there a difference?
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COMPOSTING
9. Describe any other special features you notice.
10. How do worms move? Do they ever move backwards?
11. What happens when a worm meets another worm?
12. Put an obstacle in front of one of the worms? Describe its behavior.
13. Hold a worm in your hand. What does it do?
SOURCE:
California Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Waste Management Board. 1999.
Worms, Worms, and Even More Worms, A Vermicomposting guide for Teachers.
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COMPOSTING
Name
Red Worm Observation
Draw a picture of a red worm. Can you label the parts?
(head, tail, mouth, segments, band)
Draw lines pointing to the parts and write the names on the lines:
Write three observations about the worm.
1.
2.
3.
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COMPOSTING
Collector Name
Recorder Name
Reporter Name
What Does Your Worm Prefer?
1. Light or dark?
2. Wet or dry?
3. On top of soil or underground?
Developed by Betsy Weiss
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COMPOSTING
Name
My Worm Story
My worm’s name is
My worm is inches long.
My worm feels like
My worm likes to move by
My worm likes to eat
My worm helps the earth by
My worm likes to live in
SOURCE:
California Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Waste Management Board. 1999.
Worms, Worms, and Even More Worms, A Vermicomposting guide for Teachers.
149
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COMPOSTING
Worm Coloring
Color the bookworm as follow:
1 = white
3 = yellow
2 = red
4 = black
5 = blue
SOURCE:
Governor’s Recycling Program. Winter 1992/1993. Worms in the Classroom, Activity Ideas.
151