Bad experiences on composting
I have often seen people wanting to start off with composting with full "josh" after knowing that such thing exists and after a few weeks, they get disappointed that the result was not so good or as not expected. With a heavy heart, they thrash the half done compost.All in vain!
Such experience also pulls us down to take that step again.
If one attends the exams without studying the subject and comes back complaining that "it is not for me" - who has to be blamed? :)
What should you know, before you begin
Even though we cannot wait to do a thesis on composting for years and then start doing it in practical, and even though composting is a simple procedure, people MUST AND SHOULD do a basic study of :
- How to setup the bin in first place
- How much carbon component is required
- What to expect during the process
- What troubleshooting techniques are available
How to setup the bin in first place
Decide the way you want to start composting : Aerobic or Anaerobin
If you go for Aerobic and a "Do It Yourself (DIY)" setup,
Aerobic = Needs Air = The bin should breathe.
- Earthen pot suits the best for DIY setup.
- If you want to choose a plastic blue drum or bin, ensure the bin you choose has enough holes for air to circulate at the top of the bin.
- Do not use a bin that is suffocated and then complain that it stinks. You are setting up it wrong in the first place!
Pic Courtesy : Smitha Lobo-Mascarenha
DIY Composting in Earthen Pots
Anaerobic = Does NOT need air = It should be tightly closed and not opened now and then (I can understand your curiosity, but it is a NO! :) )
How much carbon component is required?
For successful composting, the below ratio has to be calculated approximately.
Compost -> Nitrogen (Kitchen Waste) + Carbon (Dry leaves/sawdust/cocopeat/soil)
Ratio should be 1:30 (Nitrogen:Carbon)
So, just know that dry leaves should be more than the kitchen waste and not vice versa. Do not do the vice versa and complain that the bin is stinking and the leachate is too much.
What to expect during the process
Important : Leachate
Leachate (liquid that oozes out of the bin) is an EXPECTED by-product during composting.
Have you tried keeping the veggie waste in the dustbin for 2-3 days and see some liquid would have formed? Yes, it is a natural process and first step towards decomposing.
So, you should expect leachate to be formed in either Aerobic or Anaerobic process (even though the amount of leachate is lesser in aerobic method, sometimes it can get messy). So, if you have decided to go for Aerobic DIY setup, ENSURE that you have made a hole at the bottom of the bin for the leachate to drain out!
Do not come back complaining, that now the bin has filled up and it is stinking because there is no space for leachate to go out and it is messy to drain out the leachate manually by hand.
If you choose to have a anaerobic DIY setup, fit a tap that can drain out this leachate.
If you choose to have a anaerobic DIY setup, fit a tap that can drain out this leachate.
Quantity of leachate generated in any type of composting, depends on what has gone into the bin. If too much of watermelon peels and papaya peels, the quantity is obviously higher.
Fungus
Formation of fungus is expected and the first step towards decomposing. Do NOT discard the pile thinking something went wrong and hence the fungus. It was just taking the next step and all the efforts would be put in vain if you discarded it!
Fruitflies / Maggots
Insects help decompose the matter. It is nature's job and this is expected! Few of them are good when they exist. But do not let them multiply in abundant in the pile!
To drive away fruit flies : cover the top layer of the pile with a lot of dry leaves and then a full sheet of newspaper (not just lightly... press it in so that itis properly covered.) if there are too many fruit flies, spray lemongrass solution.
Maggots : If there are too many, put a teaspoon of red chilli powder or neem powder.
Available troubleshooting techniques
Almost EVERYTHING is covered in dailydump's page :
Be well equipped to face the challenges!
Failures should not discourage us, rather should motivate us to think - "when all of them out there can do it, why not me?" And try to find solutions to it.
We all learn by failures, but the baseline for all should be clear, so that we do not waste our effort and time in doing wrong things.
Helpline
Still have doubts? Do not hesitate to ask even the SILLEST doubt in below FB groups :
But remember, to do A LITTLE HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU BEGIN! If not, the tendency of disappointments may be more that can be demotivating and we want you all to succeed!
Its OK to fail, in composting, it will STILL be a success one day
Sometimes, even with a lot of theroy knowledge, we fail, it is OK... nature is very forgiving.. she gives us all a second chance to learn from the mistakes. We learn by making mistakes and sharing about it with others. Composting can NEVER be a failure, becasue it may takes minimum of 2-3 months or maximum of 1 year - it STILL composts eventually!
Good luck with making lovely Black Gold ! :)
Nice informative article, which everyone should know before starting composting.
ReplyDeleteAs said good homework is required for anything and everything.
Thanks madam for sharing details information.
Thank you for your feedback, Sandeep!
DeleteYes, when we have decided to do something, lets do it right, than going all around and coming back disappointed. The goal is to make life easier and little efforts in the very beginning can set a lot of things right!