Page 116 - School Garden Development Guide - 4th Edition

Composting
Composting is a great option to reduce your yard and food waste
while creating a beneficial product for the garden.

Two materials are needed for successful composting:
• “Brown” materials including small twigs, dried leaves,
shredded newspaper, cardboard and paper
• “Green” materials, including vegetable and fruit scraps, grass
clippings, and yard clippings

Keep products with a lot of seeds, invasive weeds, or that
are diseased, out of your compost. Compost is best when it is

approximately 50% brown and 50% green.

Composting Safety
1. All schools must follow composting guidelines posted
on the Garden SharePoint page prior to composting
any materials.
2. Composting containers should be prefabricated plastic
or metal. Do not use wood as it will rot.
3. Compost made at a school site should only be applied
to shrubs and trees. Keep site compost out of garden
beds. Only use commercially produced compost for
garden beds.
4. Make sure the compost bins remain covered and locked
so that wild animals (e.g. raccoons, skunks, rats, etc…)
cannot gain access.
5. If composting efforts are discontinued: clean, dismantle
and remove the composting bin from the garden.
6. Prior to purchasing and installing composters on your
campus, please contact the Garden Collaboration Team
for guidance.
7. Meat or dairy products of any kind are not allowed in
composters. All composting activities, such as feeding,
tending, watering, rotating and removing the compost,
must be done under the supervision of an adult.

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