Composting vegetable waste in any open space or any outdoor area .

I have been trying to find out information as to how to compost when the quanity of vegetable waste is generated and how i can do it in a pit.
My friend Navneeth has guided me through this.

Two cement rings,one feet high and 3 feet dia -Costs Rs.550 each
The cement lid to close them -Costs Rs.650
First Layer -Broken stones close to 3/4 inch size -Rs.55/cft ..Need around three cubic feet
Second Layer-Sand-Costs Rs.50 for a cubic feet .Need around three cubic feet
Third Layer -Red Bricks Jelly- Costs Rs.50-Need three cu.ft

Then add the vegetable waste and food waste..Cover with Dry leaves..Alternate the food waste and Dry leaves everyday and close with the cement lid.This way we keep food away from rodents and compost it.
Mix them every 3 days.The compost will be ready in 15-20 days time.

One can add neem cake or cocopeat  to it  on and off if it becomes smelly.

GARDEN CONTAINERS -DIY -How to make your own containers!

• Laxminarayan Srinivasaiah is an avid Organic Terrace gardener and  also main coordinator for "Oota from Thotta" to happen in Bangalore.He has written in simple ways how to make this containers for growing vegetable plants.

Here is what he has to say:


Urban gardeners are always on the lookout for solutions for gardening, as every inch of space in the city is getting costly. So, you can hardly find an empty plot for gardening. Even the parks are getting replaced by apartments. Enthusiastic gardeners are now forced to look at alternative solutions. Basic necessities for plants are Manure, Water and Sunlight. Sky scrapers haven't helped much either. So naturally urban gardeners are lead to their roof-top or their terraces. So the basic necessities of Sunlight is taken care of. But many of them, like me, are having the same questions..
1. Will my roof take/handle the weight?
2. What if water seeps into my terrace? Wouldn't it damage the building?

these are the questions, isn't it? So here, in this little note, I will try to provide my thoughts (not exactly solutions) and it should help you a bit in deciding on taking your garden to your roof top.

     Will my roof take weight? - Ideally most of the roofs (4 to 6 inches depth) can take a weight of 200 kg/sq ft. This I would call it bare minimum. So growing something in beds is definitely not a problem. Just make sure to have those heavy pots/containers on the side of the wall. This should be enough.

     Water seeping into my terrace - Normally every roof is built with basic water proofing & is elevated to let the water exit at some place. This is exactly what happens when it rains, the water washes away into those exits. You can get an additional water proofing done so that you can grow directly on the terrace. Some examples are lawn growing directly on the terrace. But this seems to be a bit costly, but who ever can afford it, can get it done. But make sure you get it done from a trust worthy source. The second option is to have your containers which lets the water to drain out. Here's an attempt from my side to create something similar satisfying these conditions.

Here are the steps:

1) Figure out the dimension of the container that you would want to build. Get the frame (in steel) fabricated from any of the vendors. Get the frame constructed with legs (numbering 4 or 6 and a height of 3-5 inches) depending on the dimensions of the planned container. Try and get the frames to have some vertical support for the walls that you will create later (Shown in the pic). Should be similar to a cot.  This is a bit costly affair as the steel prices are constantly rising, but that's the way it is :(  The frame would look like this

Empty Frame

2) Get some wooden pieces ( if we could re-use, so getting pine wood from those container boxes would be better) and place them on the frame so that it forms the bottom. Similar to the one shown in the picture.
Wooden pieces forms the base

3) Create a rectangle box with wood for the dimensions you need i.e., L X W X H. Height should be 4 inches or higher as that would determine the depth of your container. Length and Width will be similar to the frame (from 1st photo above). Use nails to connect them and wrap a plastic sheet around to avoid dampening them while watering. If there is an alternative to plastic sheet, try it out.
Wooden pieces fabricated, forms the sides of the container

4) Place the wooden rectangle you created above on the frame so that it fits into the frame. This will rest on those wooden pieces and not necessarily on the frames (and this is fine). The walls are supported by the frame so as to not fall out when the growing medium is added. Will look like this once completed.

Frame with base and sides

5) Now place a plastic sheet to cover the bottom and it should also extend a bit towards the sides. When the growing medium is added, the plastic sheet gets firmly attested to the base and the sides. Looks like the pic below when the plastic sheet is placed.

Plastic sheet which forms the bottom to support the growing medium

6) Now, add the growing medium.The plastic sheet at the base will sag in between those wooden pieces. Punch a hole into them from bottom (after adding the growing medium) to create the extra water to drain. Around 6-8 holes per container should do. So your final container with the growing medium will look like the following and will be ready to plant.

Container with growing medium ready for planting

So Finally, the idea is to have this frame around 3-5 inches from the ground so that the extra water drains out pretty similar to rain water falling on the terrace. The added advantage of this is (considering the growing medium is light i,e., coco peat & compost) it's mobility. It can be re-located by just lifting it up holding the frame along with the growing medium (including plants).


Thank you Laxminarayan Sir for sharing with us these details.You can also reach this info from this link.
 https://www.facebook.com/notes/laxminarayan-srinivasaiah/gardening-containers-no-rocket-science-/366686480057912

What IS composting??The different types of composting are featured here.

I have been trying to compost my vegetable waste for the very reason of not seeing more dump on the road.I started thinking that the volume of vegetable waste generated from a family of four would be very less,but ended up surprised as we are also vegetarians, there is a whole load of vegetable peels that land on your waste basket.

My journey began by turning waste to something useful for my plants.I started using the Khamba(from Daily Dump).They have a very useful website where they talk about how to use them also. http://www.dailydump.org/kambha/how-use

Composting not helps in recycling waste but has a whole lot of advantages like

-Feeds earthworms and microbial life in soil which actually supports your plants.

-It maintains neutral ph of the soil

-Allows soil to hold more nutrients and water(almost quadruples the soils ability to hold water)

-Any kind of soil(acidic/alkaline) can be improved with compost

-Tea and coffee contains caffeine,which is a natural herbicide.

There are two major types of composting

aerobic composting:

Anaerobic composting

Aerobic composting:

organic materials + oxygen + water = carbon dioxide + water + energy

If the oxygen in the pile is not replenished by stirring or aeration, the microbes that do not need oxygen tend to take over. These are the anaerobic bacteria.They do not produce heat. They do produce a good deal of ammonia, that gives off a tell-tale smell. The ammonia is a waste product; it comes from the microbes as they seek to discard the unneeded nitrogen in their small bodies. Another gas that can get produced in this anaerobic state is hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs.

(Info courtesy:Daily Dump)

Anaerobic composting:
organic materials + water = carbon dioxide + methane + hydrogen sulfide + energy.

Bio gas is a form of anaerobic composting.Given below is the site where the process is happening here in chennai.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-propertyplus/fuel-for-thought/article3694674.ece

Here is a good read on composting:

http://thealternative.in/environment/composting-with-vani-murthy-the-good-old-tub/

Vermicomposting:

is the product or process of composting through the utilization of various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste (excluding meat, dairy, fats, or oils), bedding materials, and vermicast. Vermicast, also known as worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by species of earthworm.

http://thealternative.in/environment/composting-with-vani-murthy-vermi-composting-with-earthworms/

I have been now composting for the past four years and have graduated to collecting vegetable waste from 30 homes,my neighbours and  composting them in bigger drums as Khamba is not sufficient.The happiness generated by this is incomparable. I am saving the roads from becoming a big dump and giving a better future for the coming generations.I have slowly started teaching people and setting example to others.

Looking forward to hearing the way you compost at your own place.

PRESERVING SEEDS FROM VEGETABLE SHOPS

These immature seeds bought from the Vegetable shops will not go through sun drying process..These will be room dried and then quickly soaked in water and will be sown or else they will never germinate.One will have to get the fruits of these seeds and allow it to ripen on the vine itself to get good seeds. Regular mature seeds will be room dried and then will be kept in sun for a few hours just to make sure that they are really dry and Sun also kills any unwanted microbes if any before One can store them in Air tight containers for the next season.


Info courtesy:Anoop Kumar C.P 

KINDS OF SEEDS-WHICH TO CHOOSE FOR AN ORGANIC GARDEN

When one is interested in starting an organic garden,the different questions that arise are

1.What IS an organic garden?

2.How and where does one procure seeds.

3.Where are these seeds available

1.An organic garden is one where the plants are grown with natural manure(cowdung,redsoil,vermicompost,cocopeat) and with no chemical pesticide and no chemical nutrients.Some people do use Sheep manure and goat manure as they are rich in nutrients.Pests are part of plant growth and how one treats the infection organically, is the difference between a regular garden from a an organic garden.

Organic garderner’s use-Garlic and chilli mix spray,Cow urine,Vasambu+neem oil+turmeric combination..I have given details in the individual infections page.

Seeds are also important to us as the source of seeds determines the growth and fruits of  a plant.

The different seeds available in the market are 1.Hybrid seeds

Hybrid seeds are seeds produced by cross-pollinated plants.These seeds do give high yield and have resistance to diseases.They are treated with a coat of chemicals that would help the plant from fungal infections.

2.Open Pollinated seeds

The very name suggests that Open pollinated seeds are left to be pollinated in the open by the birds, human, wind or insects. The flowers are left in the open to pollinate and hence they are genetically diverse. As long as the pollens are shared between same variety of plants ,the purity of the seed is maintained. These plants get slowly accustomed to the conditions of the surroundings and adapt to the local growing conditions.

Heirloom seeds

All heirloom seeds are Open pollinated seeds but all open pollinated seeds need not be heirloom seeds.

These are the best variety of seeds where there is no modification in the variety of seeds and they would retain the same texture, colour and shape in the fruit.

So,organic gardeners look out for Open pollinated or Heirloom seeds only.

3.Genetically modified seeds

These are the worst kind of seeds as they are genetically tampered seeds.So,avoiding these would prevent one from getting into unknown health issues.

2.How and where does one procure seeds.

In India,one can procure them from many sources..

Organic/hairloom stores with online order capability only are considered!

              

        1. Nimai Garden

http://www.nimaigarden.in/

        2. Purna Organics

http://www.purnaorganics.com/

        3. Esellzone

http://esellzone.com/28-organic-vegetable-seeds

        4. Garden Guru (Everything here is not organic)

http://www.gardenguru.in/search.php?tag=organic

        5. Organic Garten

http://www.organicgarten.com/

The following are also good sources for organic seeds but online ordering is not yet possible::

 1. Annadana

http://annadana-india.org/

Annadana Soil and Seed Savers Network, Ishana, Gopathi Farms, Village Singapura Post Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore 560097, Karnataka, India Mail: info@annadana-india.org Tel: +91 80 2325 4400        + 91 8277116606

 Annadana is a registered non-profit organisation working to conserve India’s rich and diverse seed heritage. Their efforts focus on assisting farmers across the country to adopt sustainable, chemical-free agricultural practices.

Was happy to read this article on them.

www.thealternative.in/environment/annadana-organic-farming-saving-good-food/

 2. Sahaja Organics

http://www.sahajaorganics.com/index.html

 3. Navdanya

http://www.navdanya.org/navdnaya-organic-outlets-grains-vegetables-a-cafe

Loved this article about SOAP NUT BERRIES

This is an article from the THE HINDU posted on March 28, 2014

The natural Detergent

Soap nut berries and powder can be used for the washing machine and cut down on pollution. A look by S. Vishwanath

The house-help Mary calls it ‘soapkai’ or soap fruit. Known locally in Kannada as “Antwaalad-kai,” in Hindi the name is “Ritha.” This is the soap nut, a saponin laden miracle of nature. Its Latin name is Sapindus Mukorossi or the Indian Soap Berry. Thanks to the local authority and the Forest Department, many trees of the “Ritha” have been planted in the neighbourhood. Summer is the fruit fall season and below the tree one finds a lot of the fruits lying around.

Chitra, an architect, is a big fan of the Ritha berries. On her daily trip to the office on the cycle she never fails to stop and pick up some of them. They are brought home and then dried in the hot sun. Once dry they are put in water and boiled for some time till all the saponin comes out. After a few hours a nice, thick soap liquid is ready. This liquid soap is now ready to be used for many a purpose.The first is as a clothes washer. A few drops can generate a rich yet gentle lather and clean up the collars of the dirtiest shirts. The liquid can also be tossed with clothes into the washing machine and it does a thorough job of cleaning clothes. The best part is that the wash water is now free of phosphate and other harmful chemicals and can be used for the garden without fear of them harming the plants. The soap nut liquid can be used as a shampoo and is good for the hair, bringing a lustre and a nice smell to it. Dishes can be washed and even glass cleaned. It acts as a shampoo for the pet too. Adding a few drops to the floor swabbing process helps clean up the floor.

Truly the soap nut tree is a gift of nature. The tree itself is a large one with a big canopy that provides a lovely shade. It roots easily and is hardy enough to cope with the hot climate and red soil of India though it does very well if watered enough.

Growing organically, processed, packed and sold by small ecologically minded companies like www.krya.in and www.dailydump.org, the berries and powder are available in many forms for use in the washing machine.

Foam rivers are a gift of an endless detergent consuming society. It is possible to look around, trust nature and find solutions which are small, simple yet eco-friendly which can save our rivers and lakes. Smart cities will include trees like the Pongaemia and the Ritha in their planting schedule and every neighbourhood could have its own soap factory for the residents to take advantage of. That would be water wisdom.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS to follow in an organic Garden

·       Once the garlic solution is made,Spray immediately as garlic will lose potency with time.

·       Dilute all solutions to save your plant from the scorching impact of the ingredients.

·       Spray the organic pest solutions,once a week and only if there is a pest attack.

·      Keep your plants as healthy as possible, and spray dormant oil to control over wintering eggs on fruit trees.

·      Stick short broomsticks in his pots to deter birds from perching and feeding on seed or shoots.

·      Spread plastic sheets around the base of the tapioca tree to scare away bandicoots with its rustling.

·      Spray a buttermilk concoction to drive away spiders.

·      Feed vermi compost every month, diluted panchagavya every 10 days

chuna ( calcium) once in a month, epsom salt once a month , once in a way add wood ash and soak hing overnight in the water drum ...frequency is approx. usually depends on availability of material and time

·      U can try neem spray, garlic+red chilly boiled in water cool down and dilute and spray. If nothing works please make sure to solarise(keeping it under the direct sun) the soil of 2 weeks at least and then only reuse.