For the third year in a row, City Fruit is partnering with Woodland Park Zoo and the Phinney Neighborhood Association to give away some precious Zoo Doo compost to our community members!
Composting, the process of decaying organic matter to get a concentrated yield of nutrients in your soil, is extremely important for growing all sorts of plants, and especially fruit trees. What goes into your compost is extremely important for what types of plants you’re wanting to grow; some plants respond to specific types of nutrients better than others. According to Anthony from Help Me Compost in reference to fruit trees, “when buds appear on the trees, add well-aged chicken or cow manure to the compost mix to boost the nitrogen levels.” So if you’ve got a fruit tree and want to sustain its growth, Zoo Doo might be the perfect option.
What is Zoo Doo, you may ask? Zoo Doo is a sustainably-sourced compost that serves as a way to mitigate waste, while also being an extremely nutrient dense food for your plants. From Woodland Park Zoo, “Zoo Doo is a fully composted blend of select animal manures mixed with bedding materials such as straw and wood chips from around the grounds of the zoo.” Zoo Doo is just one of the many ways the WPZ incorporates sustainability into their work.
How it’s made?
“The process begins when fresh manure and bedding materials are collected from animal enclosures. Next, the materials are taken to the Zoo Doo yard for composting. The active composting phase lasts 30 days and the piles maintain temperatures between 135°F and 160°F, which allows for optimal decomposition of organic materials as well as destroying weed seeds and potential pathogens.
Active composting is followed by secondary composting, or curing, which is the decomposition process slowing down as the microbes finish breaking down the materials. During this phase, temperatures in the pile decrease, and the compost matures into a dark and crumby humus. After this 30 or more day process, the material looks and smells like rich organic soil or mulch, bearing little resemblance to its original components. Now it’s ready for use in home gardens!” (WPZ website)
If you’re interested in stopping by to get Zoo Doo for free, register for a timeslot to come by the Phinney Neighborhood Association on April 1 between 2-4pm, where we’ll also be joined by the PNA who is hosting a seed swap. You can bring some seeds to trade and share as well!
For more information on composting, check out this article from WSU! For further questions or information about the compost giveaway, please contact Riley at [email protected].