Waste Disposal

When the students are first introduced to the garden program, include garden waste recycling in their instruction. There will be a small amount of trash such as paper and plastic fertilizer bags and discarded pots that may be handled in the school’s trash recycle program. Most vegetation from the garden can be placed in the compost bins that should be present in every garden. Do not add any weeds with seed to the compost pile because most compost bins do not get hot enough to kill the seeds. Dispose of diseased or woody plant materials in trash containers. Locate containers for all the trash and recycled materials in the garden area for easy student use. Make arrangements for periodic pick-up of the disposed materials.

When the garden is cleared at the end of the gardening season or school year, make provisions to dispose of a large amount of vegetative material if the volume of material exceeds the capacity of the compost bins. Keep in mind that good housekeeping of the garden area is important, as its appearance will add greatly to the students' sense of pride and ownership.