Organic Compost 

At Allure Greens farm and my home, i played around with composting. Specifically, I tried the following:

  • Composting in 3-layer khamba, air-drum cold composting, and using a thermometer 
  • Selective inputs for browns and greens
  • Different sources of high nitrogen
  • Adding sugar and starch to compost
I drew ideas from my visits around the villages, speaking to senior citizens, and training from my different courses such as Clea Chandmal, Soil Food Web, Solitude Farm, and Farmizen.
 
I tested my compost for PH, NPK, and soil microbial activity.

Types of Composting

I used 3 different approaches to composting,. The traditional and easy method is to simply toss compost into a khambha or an aerated bin. In this cold, layer compost, I addied vegetable scraps with browns till the container was full, and left it to decompose. The themophilic composting is a scientific and correct apporach propounded by the Soil Food Web and the USDA organic composting practices. I measured inputs and monitored the temperature. I turned the compost, which is quite a bit of workout and not always easy to get correct. Bokashi is the easiest, toss in vegetable scraps with bran, and drain the waste fluid to be used on plants or to clean the toilets.

Cold Composting, traditional

A mix of greens and brown are left to decompose at their own speed. However, I adapted the process by developing a balance in the ratio of browns to the specific green. I added compost, decomposers, and simply kept layering the compost. This was a simple and easy approach, and the compost was ready in 3 months.

BioComplete Compost

Following the proprietary approach as taught by the Soil Food Web program, I monitored temperature of the compost. The thermophilic approach is imperative to kill weeds, and help transition to a natural and organic farm over a shorter period of time.

Bokashi

For immidiate kitchen scap composting, bokashi is my go to approach to composting. Once the compost pickles, I use the same either as a green or, if I have added soil and cocopeat, I use this as a brown part feed. Why do I further compost bokashi? In order to reduce the incidence of anaerobic microbes, and reduce the time for decompostion.

Why conduct composting experiments?

A few years ago, when my uncle was strulling in the ICU with imbalance in sodium and potassium, I was the mentor to a team designing vertical farm with soil. I came across this article which details the repurposing of Sony’s walkman and semi-conductor factory in hydrophonics. Of particular note, I saw that there were incidences of increasing or reducing potassium through absorption by green leafy vegetables.  Since then I have been hooked on getting vegetables that are fresh and filled with complete nutrients. Soil and compost is where this journey begins.

Compost inputs for plant specific nutrition

I conducted two different types of experiments. The first set was to determine the combinations of inputs based on the plants that I wanted to grow. Constant brown inputs were castor oil leaves, neem leaves, giant milkweed, banana stem, moringa leaves, and general leaves. The change in the input was determined by the nutritional needs of the plant. For example, as a feeder compost for tomato plants, I used water hyacinth, coffee, and eggshells in my browns.

I did find that there were pests such as slugs in the soil when I used green hyacinth. I noticed termites when I used more wood scraps from the woodworking shop. Sugarcane as mulch and feedstock needed to be managed and balanced. 

Correlating Nitrogen and Rate of Decomposition 

When I first began composting, smelly and low rate of returns sent me in a loop, searching for errors in my composting process. It was only when I began to test my sources of nitrogen that I realised that the feedstock lacked the nitrogen inputs needed to sufficiently raise the temperature of the pile.

Inputs for Composting

For browns we try and use any and all types of leaves, including grass cuttings. While leaving the piles to dry out, I would, on a weekly basis, add older compost or vermicompost, to speed the decomposition. However, the addition of these speciifc types of leaves and bark in both green or brown, adds a pest control value to the compost.

Specific Browns for composting – Coffee, ground eggshells, sugarcane mulch, beer hops, bokashi, banana stem, and cardboard

Greens – spirulina, toddy, fruit rinds, vegetable scraps, leaves

Source of high nitrogen – Cow dung, sheep goat manure, water hyacinth

I have not documented results using bokashi compost.

Sources of Inspiration

Over the course of my journey as a coach, mentor, and judge, I have come across a few experiments that have lingered and guided the way I think. Two of these experiments are: In 2015, when visiting Boston, I was intrigued by the “Big Belly” solar trash collector. I was the coach and mentor of a team that was developing solution to reducing the volume of trash at source. My students developed a prototype that use fresnel lens, mechanical compactor, and sand to collect and reduce odur from decaying organic material. In 2022, As a judge and mentor to a couple of teams at the Carbon-Zero-Challenge of IIT Madras, I met Waste Chakra and Ecofert and the team working on converting urine collected to amonia and nitrogen fertilizers. The power and ability to reduce and repurpose waste requires us to transcend our sensitivities.

It is these and more such inspirations that have influenced my approach to thinking about composting.

Cold Composting, traditional

A mix of greens and brown are left to decompose at their own speed. However, I adapted the process by developing a balance in the ratio of browns to the specific green. I added compost, decomposers, and simply kept layering the compost. This was a simple and easy approach, and the compost was ready in 3 months.

BioComplete Compost

Following the proprietary approach as taught by the Soil Food Web program, I monitored temperature of the compost. The thermophilic approach is imperative to kill weeds, and help transition to a natural and organic farm over a shorter period of time.