Composting with Devine at Nourish

Devine Nxumalo

Devine works as a Environmental Monitor (EM) - based at the Nourish Eco Village. The EM program is hosted through the Kruger to Canyon biosphere reserve in partnership with SANPARKS and Department of Environmental Affairs. Nourish is honoured to host these passionate young people, and grateful for the capacity they give Nourish to support more programs and educate more children on the environment. Devine's key passion is PERMACULTURE - and his garden at Nourish experiments with mulching, raised beds, vertical gardens, worms, companion planting, composting, environmentally friendly insecticide and so much more. Devine also works with the Aftercare program at the Nourish library and gets the children and scouts involved and hands- on in learning how to grow their own food. 

​NOURISH COMPOST ARTICLE
 
INTRODUCTION:
Compost is an essential decomposed material that are used in combination which includes crop residues, leaves, grass clippings, animal manure and what is regarded as kitchen waste. It has proven time and time again that it provides soil with many essential nutrients to support proper plant growth and as a result it’s considered as an organic fertilizer.

Furthermore compost has the ability to improve soil structure in a way that the soil can have high moisture holding capacity, it also improves the texture of both sand and clay soils. Making either type rich, moisture retentive to proper growth of plants
In our organic gardens, compost is regarded as the best natural mulches and fertilizers for improving for improving soil fertility that creates a viable environment for plant growth. Composting has a both agricultural and social b benefit which serves as an important process to us and members of the society.

• Reduction in waste volumes which results less garbage in our spaces and surrounding community areas.
• It helps to prohibit the growth of weeds.
• It is a natural fertilizer and reduces overall costs of purchasing synthetic fertilizers.
• Reduces the costs of irrigation rates, it saves water.
• It improves soil fertility.

Essential materials we use for effective compost

• Carbon - rich ( dried plants , weeds, dried grasses and sawdust( untreated)
• Water – assist in allowing decomposing process to take place as it attracts microbes.
• Nitrogen –rich ( green leaves, fruit and vegetables scraps)
• Animals manure (cow dung and chicken manure)

Caution (unwanted materials in the compost.)

• Fish, meat: This food material usually attracts detrimental and undesired pests to both the compost and the soil which the compost will be applied.
• Plastics and plastic bottles : These materials takes a very long time to decompose (10-1000 years)

Come visit me at the Nourish Eco Village and I will show you our compost heap, and the processes we use to mulch, water and make compost, and the beautiful vegetables we grow in our garden that we use in the Granny's kitchen to provide food for the children everyday. 

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