Monday, September 14, 2009

How to make compost

Compost is an essential ingredient in an organic garden. I make my own compost using all the garden waste, which is collected in a heap in a shady, far corner of my garden. My helper, Ningamma sprays a mixture of fresh cowdung and neem cakes mixed in water on the heap once in ten days.Neem cake is what you get after the oil has been extracted from neem seeds. It is a powerful organic insecticide, available in garden stores.
Ningamma gets the fresh cowdung from the neighbouring village where she lives. She manages the compost heaps in half a dozen gardens in the neighbourhood. Once the heap has grown big, she gives it a final coating of the cowdung mixture and lets it cook in its own heat.

After two months, we get a heap like this- dark and full of goodness. I don't turn the heap as some gardeners do. The worms and Ningamma do all the work. She is planning to buy a gold nose ring from the extra money she earns making compost.


Pink calliandra fed on compost.



4 comments:

  1. You're lucky to have such a clever helper! Compost is as good as gold, for a gardener.

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  2. Thats very nice and those pink calliandras are too good!

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  3. Katarina, Yes, my helper is worth her weight in gold!
    Zindagi, thanks for your comment.

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  4. Great minds lol, I've got a blog ready for post in a few days about my composting too :D

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