Sitting in front of the laptop and trying to research a bit on the same topic I read this quote of Sir John Muir “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand of tempests and floods. But he can not save them from fools”. Having read this, I started thinking why someone would quote in such a way. Thereafter I thought of a bigger picture i.e considering ‘environment’ in place of ‘trees’ and entire ‘mankind’ in place of ‘fools’. In an urge to industrialize, modernize, we forgot that we are a part of the environment and not the entire environment. We started clearing forests, cutting down trees, feeding agricultural lands with chemical fertilizers, and thereby degrading the entire ecosystem.
Therefore, now the need of the hour is protecting the environment. One thing that we can do is start from our homes with homemade compost. Homemade compost will hit two targets at a time, one is providing us with very enriched and nutritious compost, second is declining use of chemical compost. Now let’s start with a simple preparation of homemade compost.
Method
Requirements: Organic kitchen wastes
Steps:
- First, segregate organic and inorganic waste from the entire house or kitchen.
- Add organic waste to a compost bin that is already kept ready in your house.
- Add a handful of dry leaves, tree straws into the bin.
- Add 4 to 5 tbsp of curd to it.
- Mix all the things properly.
- After 2 to 3 months your compost will be ready to use.
Reasons of adding curd
Curd is a product of fermentation; therefore, curd contains an enriched colony of micro-organisms, which respire in the compost bin. Microbes’ respiration causes the organic matter in the compost bin to decompose faster and nutritious compost is obtained.
Reasons of adding dry leaves
If your kitchen waste contains more of nitrogen content, basically protein-rich waste, then your compost bin will start emitting a bad odour which might be unbearable. In this case, what you need to do is just add things that are high in carbon content so that high carbon content organic stuff neutralizes the bad odour. The cheapest high carbon content things are dried leaves.
Things you need to do for a good compost
- Periodicallymix the content of compost bin well, so that microbes are well exposed to air and respire aerobically. Aeration is a prime thing you need to do if you are composting in the house.
- If your compost bin starts emitting a bad odour just add a handful of dry leaves.
- If your compost is very dried up, then add kitchen wastewater to it, so that compost is moist.
- Your compost bin should have a drainage hole at the bottom and few aeration holes at the sides.
By making homemade compost you would be contributing towards the larger cause that is environmental protection. It will also bring you closer to nature and help you find peace. Home composting is one of the easiest things to do and I think we all (all the users of natural resources) should try composting. In the end, I would like to pen a quote by Japanese farmer masanoba fukoko “ the healing of land and purification of the human spirit is the same process” so let us work towards the healing of the land.
Article written By Shamin Tuscano Pius
