An Ode To My Compost Pot

Cooking
waste
garbage
piles.

Or,
compost
small
once
in a while.

Matka
mud
waste
mud
water.

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Matka’s (earther pots) left over from home delivered biryani are great for composting small quantities of waste.

I do this with an inch of mud, followed by an inch of vegetable waste. And then 2 inches of mud to cover it. A sprinkle of water every couple of days – that’s it.

It takes anything between 2 to 4 weeks to compost, and then, we add cuttings of any plant we’re trimming and give them away to friends when they take root.

I’ve tried anaerobic bokashu composting in plastic bins but stopped it as composting in mud needs a lot less effort.

Aerobic composting is just so easy. No draining. No daily checking and stirring. Plus earthen pots used in aerobic composting are just more environment friendly than the plastic pots needed for bokashu composting.

Advice for first-time composters

• Use a lot more mud in the top layer and flies won’t be an issue. Extra mud also prevents odour.
• Use an earthen pot (not ceramic or plastic) as it’s porous and will help dry out extra water if you’ve misjudged and added too much.
• Water the pot every 2 or 3 days. The mud should be damp, not wet. Too much moisture leads to flies. Too little moisture slows down the composting process but other than that, there’s no harm done with less moisture.
• A pot with no drainage is better as this keeps the dampness in until it evaporates, so there’s no smell, and no insects.
• Start very small until you get a feel for how this works.
• When on holiday, just make sure there’s enough mud in the top layer.