When i was a kid we lived in an independent house with a decent sized empty land beside the house. We grew lots and lots of veggies and in one corner had a pit where we would dump all the wet waste ( we hardly used to have plastics back then) and cover it with soil again. The wet waste over a months time would decompose to give us the most nutritious compost. This method is called PIT CONPOSTING.
Now that i live in an apartment, pit composting is out of question. So got into composting using a KHAMBA. I keep it in between my other planters and this looks like one of them. If used the right way, it doesn’t attract flies nor stinks.I have a khamba big enough for a family of three. You can buy a bigger one too.
I bought my khamba from daily dump. You can too. They have an online buying option of all that you will require for composting. http://dailydump.org
They also provide help in getting you started and their website and the booklet helps you too.
Things you’ll need
Khamba
Newspapers
Saw dust / Remix
A Rake
Neem powder/ Neem oil
Process
There are three compartments in a khamba. Lets call the top most ‘A’, middle one ‘B’ and the bottom most ‘C’.
Compartment A and B are open at the base with few rope criss crossed and are similar looking pieces. That is for air circulation. Compartment C has a covered base.
Day 1
To start with -Place C at the bottom. Then place B on it. Place a sheet of news paper at the bottom of B. Then place A on B and again place a sheet of news paper at the bottom of A. This is the basic arrangement .
Now collect all your wet waste and pour it into compartment A. Cover completely the wet waste with saw dust or remix. You will require almost the wetwaste quantity. Now cover this with a sheet of newspaper and close the lid. News paper helps keep the flies away.
Day 2
Collect the wet waste . Open the lid, remove the news paper and pour the wetwaste into the A compartment on top of day1’s waste. Spread it and cover it again with sawdust, cover it with the same newspaper and close the lid.
Day 3
Day 3 is same as day2.
Day 4
Pour the wet waste and using the rake mix the waste well from the bottom. Cover it with newspaper and close the lid.
So every four days once mix the whole mixture to help in composting process.
The mixture has to be perfectly moist. Not too wet nor too dry. If you have used waste that is watery then it makes the mixture wet. In that case add a little more saw dust. In case the mixture is too dry sprinkle a cup of water on it and mix.
And once every week, mix a cap of neem solution into one mug of water and sprinkle over the mixture and mix well.
Once compartment A fills, move compartment B to top and A to the center. Repeat the same process. But now once a week you need to add neem solution to both A and B and mix well. Once in a while keep mixing compartment A mixture too.
By the time compartment B fills too, compartment A’s mixture would have reduced to half. Pour this mixture into compartment C. And place compartment A on top and start the process again. Now weekly once mix all the compartment’s mixture with neem solution.
Approximately you will have one compartment full of compost for every two months.
So at the end of 2 months you will have three compartments with three stages of composting. Top compartment with fresh waste
The center compartment with dried up waste 1/4th decomposed.
And the bottom compartment with light and airy compost. It should feel good to hold it in your hand.
List of waste that can be used
All vegetables and their Peels
Egg shells (crushed)
Used tea leaves (rinse it in water before)
Fruits and their peels
Mango seed ( takes time, you will have to put them in two cycles)
Dried leaves from plants and trees
Leftover food ( rinse the food once to remove oil and masala before adding)
Bones ( takes time like mango seeds)
Use the wet waste when they are fresh and that’ll avoid the khamba from stinking.
I always have a bowl on my work top in which i keep putting my waste. I add my waste all day and cover it with saw dust once in the evening. And hence my wet waste bin is mostly empty…:)
Wht is ur source of saw dust….will pencil shavings work….pls let me know….
No nivi pencil shavings will not work. I either get it from carpenters or from the link i have given.
Hi dear I am happy about you doing your bit to d environment. Keep up d good intention. Encourage others.