Fun for Kids

Compost in a Bottle

Have you ever wondered what goes on in a compost bin? What helps to break down the organic matter (fruit and vegetable scraps) into compost?

Why is compost so good?

During decomposition, bacteria and fungi feed on the organic matter, multiply and give off great amounts of heat. And then we are left with compost which looks like soil.

Compost is great because, instead of throwing away all your fruit and vegetable scraps you can compost them and have great compost to put back onto your gardens. By composting it means less organic wastes go to our tips, so less space is being taken up. It is also a cheap and easy way to help improve your garden soil.

You can add some fertiliser to help increase the nutrient levels in the compost. This helps plants to grow big and strong but it isn't a must. Don't put dairy products, bones and meat into a compost bin as they all stink and can attract rats and mice.

We can now watch what happens in a compost bin and see how long it takes it to turn into the compost!

What you will need

• A clear two litre plastic soft drink bottle .
• Two cups of fruit and vegetable scraps, chopped up (e.g. apple cores, banana skins, carrot and potato peelings etc).
• One cup of grass clippings and leaves.
• Two cups of garden soil.
• One tablespoon of fertiliser (preferably blood and bone).
• One cup of Newspaper (torn into squares).
• Spray bottle containing water.
• Spoons for the soil, scraps and leaves and grass etc.
• Tape (clear or whatever is handy).
• Permanent Marker.

What to do

1. Remove the label from the drink bottle, leave the lid on and cut it ¾ of the way up the bottle to form a flip top. Don't cut it totally off! Get an adult to help with any cutting!
2. Push the flip top back on the bottle and fill it up:
   • Place soil in the bottom 2- 3cm thick. If the soil is dry, moisten it by spraying it with water from the spray bottle.
   • Add a layer of fruit scraps 2-3 cm thick.
   • Cover with another soil layer of 1cm thick.
   • Sprinkle with a little fertiliser.
   • Add the leaves and grass.
   • Cover with a layer of soil 1cm thick.
   • Sprinkle with a little more fertiliser.
   • Place the newspaper in the bottle.
   • Cover with soil 1cm thick
   • Sprinkle with some fertiliser.
   • Add another layer of the fruit and vegetable scraps 2-3 cm thick.
   • Cover with a layer of soil 1cm thick.
   • Sprinkle with fertiliser.
3. When finished, tape the top up and mark on it with a permanent marker the height of the compost on the bottle.
4. Put in a sunny spot, like the window sill
5. Every week for three weeks:
   • Mark any level changes on the bottle with the marker
   • If it gets too moist take the lid off to help dry it out a little bit.
   • If it gets too dry add a little water.
6. When all the food scraps are composted down then put it out on your garden.

Watch out for the bacteria and fungi (mould)! It is amazing!