Did Jack use compost for his beanstalk?
One lesson we are yet to learn from the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk is whether Jack's farm employed the use of an organic compost or chemical fertilisers.
At the rate his beanstalk grew, I would wager it was compost.
Composting may be a relatively new concept to some but the practice has been around since before Jack, reaching as far back as 2300 BC.
The document, Historical Development of Composting Technology During the 20th Century, stated that the earliest written reference to composting dated back to the Akkadian Empire and was written on a clay tablet.
This nutrient rich soil is gaining popularity by bringing out the Master Gardener in those who have been gardening for a while and those who have taken up the opportunity to learn something new.
Composting adds a sense of satisfaction and joy and is a great way to get your whole family involved in recycling.
Environmental Benefits to Composting
Composting saves water by helping the soil hold moisture reducing runoff, it also benefits the environment by offering a solution to food waste by recycling organic resources which in turn conserves landfill space.
It's a win-win! Composting protects the environment and nurtures our gardens.
It promotes healthy plants and reduces the use of pesticide which will reduce your carbon footprint.
The Browns and Greens of Composting This is by no means a complete list of elements to produce an amazing compost.
Carbon Rich Browns
Cardboard that is free of dyes
Corn stalks
Fruit waste
Leaves
Newspaper
Peat Moss
Saw dust
Stems and twigs
Straw
Nitrogen Rich Greens
Alfalfa/Clover/Hay
Algae
Coffee grounds
Kitchen food waste
Garden waste
Grass clippings
Manures
Vegetable scraps
Weeds that have NOT gone to seed
Starting my own compost bin was something I had been meaning to do for some time and it wasn't until a year ago I got mine up and running.
Now I can't live without it and my garden looks amazing!
When food decomposes it produces methane in a process called anaerobic decomposition but a compost pile undergoes aerobic decomposition because it requires oxygen to work.
The oxygen produces carbon dioxide instead of methane.
Methane is a harmful greenhouse gas, 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide and it adds up to about 3% of Australia’s total greenhouse gases, as much as the entire airline industry!
Join the Compost Revolution by starting a compost bin or pile at home for your food and yard waste. It's a small change that can have a huge collective impact.
The Compost Revolution offer Mount Isa residents 40% off RRP off a compost bin, worm farm or bokashi bin.
Comments