COMPOST CHALLENGE! NO.5

This is the 5th LFC compost bag currently in use. The aging period is about to begin.

The carrot seeds we planted and talked about during Compost Challenge No.r blog unfortunately did not bear fruit.  Was the time of sowing late? Was the seed itself weak? We’re not entirely sure about the reason, but it died as soon after it sprouted.

But now it’s spring and time to try to grow vegetables again! 

Fortunately, our garden is in the best location and environment at the moment as it gets a lot of sun.  However, since it is not grown in a greenhouse, we need to choose the seed that suits the current season. This time, my son and I decided on these three vegetables:  "Radish", "Norabou-na” (or “canola” in English) and"Broccolini".

Reasons we chose these were because it grows up fast and you can harvest many times.

We will use the soil that was in the planter already and mix it with the compost.

When the soil is ready, dig a trench and sprinkle the seeds.  Please note that if you plant too much seeds, it will be difficult to thin out the seedlings later and if you don’t, the vegetables won’t grow properly.

After sowing the seeds, cover with soil from above and press a little with the palm of your hand. If you do this, it seems like the buds will get stronger and push the soil, making the roots grow better. All of the knowledge gained from the 1.2-mile community compost has definitely helped! 

Give it plenty of water and voila!  That’s it!

Now, here is one suggestion from us!

We’ve kept the used bamboo toothbrush that we use at home for this purpose; use it as the name plate for the vegetable garden. You can of course easily buy them online, but why not reuse the bamboo handle after taking the nylon out? In the end, it will return to the soil, and you won’t be burning them by throwing them out as garbage. (Of course, make sure to dispose the nylon brush part properly to your plastic recycle bin)

It’s been about 10 days since planting the seeds. The first sprouts we saw were  the broccolini and “nobarou-na” (canola). We’re looking forward to them grow even more! When it gets a little warmer, we will start preparing for summer vegetables. I think it's very important to eat vegetables that match the seasons. It is not natural that you can always eat the vegetables you want to eat. You won't get a sense of the seasons, and nature probably won’t like that either. 

It's been a year since we started composting. It’s a rough estimate, but  about 20 kg of food waste was composted with one compost bag.  Which means, we were able to get about 100 kg of food waste to return to soil instead of putting them in to the burnable bin or sending them to landfills.

“Food waste is not garbage"

We think we were able to prove that this phrase correct. What type of compost you choose is your choice. Please choose the one that suits your environment and lifestyle.!

If you're uneasy and not sure to start by yourself, we recommend creating a community in your neighborhood! Your anxieties will be resolved and you will surely enjoy it!