Composting - round 1

Well!

Composting is not as easy as 1-2-3.

So, in theory, we did everything according the guideline.

• They said to start with a bottom layer of newspaper. We did.
• They said to throw kitchen waste in. We did.
• They said to throw in a handful of remix powder now and then. We did.
• They said to stir it once a week. We did.
• They said to throw in the microbe powder once a week. We did.
• They said to wait for things to decompose. We did.

And yet, it didn't decompose. So we moved the topmost bin to the middle space and continued throwing our waste in the upper bin. It has been 3 months now and it still hasnt turned into compost *sigh*.

I finally decided to sift out the "compost" and take what I can get. It wasnt too bad, but very dry.

Sifted compost

Compost too dry

And therein lies the crux of the problem! 

We do not eat so many vegetables everyday to generate enough wet waste. Addtionally, Ahmedabad is very dry. I had placed the compost bin in a sheltered part of the terrace. But that did not prevent the winds from drying it out everyday. Hence, we were fighting a losing battle against moisture.

Now we have placed the compost bin just outside our terrace door near the society stairs. It is a dark place, unaffected by the wind. In a week itself, I can see that the scraps are retaining their moisture and decomposing. Fingers crossed that the next batch does not take 3 months to decompose!