Kitchen Garden Composting Trials

Kitchen waste compost - start date Feb 8th, 2020

For my kitchen garden I have started making compost using a cylindrical shaped bin made using mesh net. First I put some dried leaves and then kitchen waste above it. After a month, applied some waste decomposer (developed by NCOF - National Centre For Organic Farming) solution.After a while I could see black soldier fly larvae in it, initially I thought it won't come since it is aerobic composting. But since I dump the food waste also, it will be there.

I could see the bottom part getting heated, when I pushed a stick and when pulled after some time. I keep it wet, by pouring water at the top, but the side does not remain wet. All food wastes were put here including fish and meat also.

11-May-2020

Lots of leaves were seen outside without any changes, so opened up and took the outer layer and put it as first layer, then kept on moving things from top to bottom. Since kitchen waste was not mixed dried leaves properly, it had formed a layer without oxygen, after mixing it looked better. May be next time, we can mix kitchen waste with leaves in a basket and then spread it.

25-June-2020

Did couple of mixing....now it looks almost ready. Inner side is bit soggy, may have to allow it to dry a bit.

Berkely type compost heaps1 - March 22nd, 2020

With one week apart formed two heaps using dried leaves and glyricedia and other green leaves, also applied waste decomposer solution between the layers. After 3 weeks, combined both of them...

24-April-20

Present state after combining

15-May-2020
Got some fresh cowdung, made cowdung slurry with that and applied at layers.

Berkeley compost heap 2 - 10-April-2020

In this heap, both dried leaves and green leaves were made small pieces and used. Dried leaves were crushed using hand and leg and green leaves were cut using a knife. Waste decomposer solution also appled in between layers and some bio-char also was put in between layers. It was getting hot very nicely. Watered on every alternate days to keep it moist.

After 4 days 1st turning was done, after that turned on every 2-3 days.

15-May-2020

Made cowdung slurry, and then applied in between layers.

Berkeley compost heap 3 - 17-April-2020

Here also dried leaves and green leaves were made small pieces,waste decomposer applied in between layers, some biochar also were added.

First turning after 4 days, then every 2-3 days.

15-May-2020

Made cowdung slurry, and then applied in between layers.

30-June-2020

Finally ready for using, decomposed well.

So may be in 2 months, we are getting good compost. Now we have to see without turning and without making leaves to small pieces how long it take. May be we can do couple of turning, when done on large scale, frequent turning is difficult.