Editor’s Note: Good Morning. SPROUTS gardening goddess Kendra Quince is here to kick off our Earth Month goodness with a quick lesson in composting.

While I’ve got you thinking gardening, this gives me the chance to announce some big news here at Our Big Earth.

On Monday morning (April 6), if you wake up bright and early I suspect the sun will be shining and you may be day dreaming about planting that garden. If you are anything like me, the brown thumb or maybe just lack of experience on how to garden with your kiddos may keep you from digging in the dirt.

Now, it doesn’t have to.

On that morning (Monday, April 6), you can instead jump out of bed, flip the computer on, head on over here to Our Big Earth and get your family signed up for the new SPROUTS Children’s Gardening Program.

This FREE 6-week series for kids ages 3-9 and their parents is THE perfect introduction to family-style organic gardening.

The fun, kid-focused classes (they will run about an hour) will be led by compost educator Patty Rose and dig into composting (worms), water use (those cans are fun), planting a garden, learning about bugs (ladybugs), a big art project and learning about local food.

It all kicks off at 3:30 p.m. May 7 (running for for six Thursdays) and is sponsored by the Comox Valley Regional District and Our Big Earth Media Co.

There are only 12 spaces for kids. So, if you are interested, be sure to get back here on Our Big Earth early Monday morning to register.

Which leads me to one last fantastic announcement. The CVRD and OBE are launching another exciting partnership at the CVRD’s Earth Day on April 18 at the compost education centre.

That day, we will cut the ribbon on the new Family Community Gardens – a space where eight local families will be able to garden all season.

The event will be filled with good times including eco-crafts, gardening fun and great community. So, look for more details about the community gardens and be sure to drop by Earth Day celebrations as we dig deep with this new community partnership.

Here’s Kendra:

What pops into your head when the word “compost” is thrown out there?

*pun intended* – haha

Dead veggies, rotting goo – dirty, smelly, and altogether yucky old food that I really don’t need to deal with once was my general frame of mind.

And then…. I became a gardener.

As a parent realizing that taking care of the planet would mean a better life for my children, old veggies meant a better garden AND a greener Earth (methane from organic material is one of THE greatest contributors to the greenhouse effect).

Suddenly there was nothing better than the dark, rich soil.

That was a few years ago.

It didn’t take long to realize that composting is a piece of cake. You and your family can get started composting today with some simple dinner prep scraps.

It doesn’t even take lots of gear. A compost can be as simple as a free standing pile somewhere in your yard, as small as you like, or as complex as a large structure with sections.

You can build your own compost bin out of wooden pallets and wire. But, to make it even easier, the Comox Valley Regional District has the Earth Machine composters available out at the CV Compost Education Centre on Headquarters Road. Pick one up and get started making some soil.

Then, it gets easier and easier to see that having a compost in your back yard is great for many reasons.

Aside from the obvious science experiment implications, composting lowers your household garbage output drastically. It creates a nutrient-packed soil for growing everything from flowers to veggies to grass, and its really easy to do!

If you mix grass clippings and manure in with your food waste, and turn the compost regularly, you should have compost in about 5 months. As temperatures increase, the materials decompose faster, so if you have the option, choose a sunny site and turn it over often (we use a pitchfork to “stir” it up)!

This year, as we turned the compost over, we were shocked by how many worms we could see. There were thousands!

If your kids are like mine, then they like worms!

Before we knew it our daughter had a handful of worms she was redirecting into the grass while mom and dad looked on feeling slightly grossed out.

We took the time later to go in and turn over an avocado peel to see what was under it. What do you know – lots of worms! And one quick beetle who got away.

The two basic methods of composting are hot and cold.

In the cold pile method, you start with a bunch of “brown” compost. This includes things like nutshells, decaying leaves, pine needles, and sawdust. Basically, if its dead, dying and brown, then it qualifies!

Then, add in your green compost when you have it. Green compost refers to fresh plant material such as grass clippings, fruits and veggies, egg shells, tea bags, etc.

You will have to turn the pile over at least once a month, and because there is little heat it can take up to a year to break down properly.

In contrast, a hot pile usually only takes three months to produce well rotted garden compost.

To create a hot compost, wet the ground under the pile and then layer twigs or chunky browns to provide some air circulation. Then alternate greens and browns, watering as you build your pile to keep it moist.

You want to cover your hot compost with a lid to keep the heat in.

As with all compost, turning the soil will decrease composting time, and should be done at least once a week in the hot months, and less often when it is cool.

If you’re not sure what to use in the kitchen to collect your compost, try a glass container with an air proof seal.

We used to have a second step-on garbage can, but in the summer the fruit flies were atrocious! Then we tried a large plastic tupperware, but over time I found that the plastic became stinky, and sometimes would stain from the food – yuck. So when I noticed a nice glass jar on my friends counter, I decided that was the way to go.

It’s funny how many people have actually commented on it, wondering what strange sort of art piece I have. No joke!

Sometimes the layers of colors and textures inside mimic those bottles of beans and whatnot you can buy! Imagine, that stinky stuff I wanted to stay away from suddenly becoming artistic decor!

Another route to go if you can’t find a corner to compost in, is to simply purchase compost somewhere and add it directly to your garden beds or potted plants.

While I love my at home compost, it doesn’t produce enough for all our garden beds, so we supplement with Earthbank’s Fish Compost. I really like that it is certified organic, and that we can make it a family event to go out and get our compost for the season!!

Daughter and dad don their work duds, and we pile into the car for a visit to Black Gold Landscape Supply. (The name says it all!)  And at only $3 a bucket, the price is right. It’s nice buying just what you need, in bulk, without the extra cost or packaging.

So the kids (big and small) dig away and I wonder around the large dark hills dreaming of my garden which is soon to be growing. Our daughter peeks from behind a pile of compost while the tractor moseys by, and then she helps her dad get some of “that stinky stuff” into the car.  All in a gardener’s day

Happy Composting!!!