Wen-Chia Tsai Parker
For my three little monkeys Kanoa, Makena and Kiki The world is your garden to love.
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1. Kids can compost to help our earth grow happy and healthy. Composting is easy and fun. This book will show you how.
Copyright Š 2010 by Wen-Chia Tsai Parker All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. For more information regarding permission write to wenchia@gmail.com ISBN #: 0-557-41016-3
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Composting is turning organic matter like paper, leaves, and food scraps into rich brown food for the earth. 4
You will get lots of help from earthworms and insects. The compost will feed your garden and make flowers and plants grow big and beautiful! 5
3. Get a compost bin from the store or even better make your own. Use a garbage can or wood box with the bottom cut out. Find a home for your bin outside where there is sun, good drainage and ventilation. The compost container needs to be touching the dirt on the ground so that your helper worms and bugs can get to their food by crawling in from the earth. You can even dig a big hole in the ground and use the earth itself as your compost bin.
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4. You will need five ingredients to cook up great compost for your garden: 1. Greens 2. Browns 3. Water 4. Air 5. Heat Start by collecting Greens, from your home. Keep a bucket in the kitchen for food scraps like banana peels and apple cores. Put any fruits, veggies, plants, old bread, rice and pasta into your compost instead of your trash. Your parent's coffee grinds and tea bags are great too! Worms love to eat up your left over greens!
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5. Add the browns from your yard, get leaves, grass clippings, shredded paper, cardboard pieces, paper towels, wood chips and mix all this into your compost bin. You want to have about half greens and half brown stuff in your compost mix.
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Water…water….water…..
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6. Keep your compost moist by adding water. It should be damp and wet like a sponge. If there is too much water inside, give it a day or two to drain. Mix and mix well, so that the water can get to all parts of the compost.
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7. The compost needs to breathe air. There are lots of living things in your compost, and all living things need air to be happy! When you mix up your compost, it gets air to all your helpers living inside.
8. Your compost will get HOT! The heat means that the worms and bugs are working to cook the compost! Let your worms and bugs build a happy home!
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9. Take care of your compost by adding greens and browns from your home everyday! And don’t forget to mix! After a few weeks you will see a rich dark mixture. This means your compost food is ready for your garden. You can scoop out some and sprinkle… Sprinkle…..and sprinkle….. it in your garden. Sprinkle under and around trees, flowerbeds and plants. Let some worms and bugs move with the compost to a new home!
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10. Share your compost with the world! Give some to your friends and neighbors! Teach them how to make their own!
Thank you for helping to take care of our earth! 17
More tips for Grown ups: Composting is a great way for your children to help you and the environment. It teaches them how to recycle and reuse our resources and reduce our waste. Your compost should smell earthy and sweet. Do not place meats, cheese, or animal feces in the compost, or it will get very stinky. If there are too many fruit flies in your compost, you need to add more browns, mix well and cover with more browns and or a lid. Check out your neighborhood garden group on getting more tips. They can provide you with some earthworms to get your compost going! Your city municipality may also offer discounts and rebates on compost bins and supplies! Once you become a composting expert teach others! Help your neighborhood facilities such as schools and parks start a composting program! Kids can compost! Visit my website at www.wenchia.com for more!
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