Composting and Life

Composting is done by 'recycling' and returning biodegradable materials back to the soil.

Basically, the following kitchen waste can be placed in a pot to ferment:
1- fruit & onion peels
2- vegetable stems & roots
3- food waste incl. uneaten/ unfinished food (as long as they're not too oily)
4- egg shells, prawn shells
5- over ripe/rotten fruits or vegetables

The list is not exhaustive. However the general rule of thumb is, the compostable materials are natural elements from the kitchen (especially the ones resulting from cooking preparation) & not synthetic (such as biodegradable plastic).

Next, the layering of kitchen waste with soil and leaves (or newspaper strips) will cause the fermentation to speed up a little & absorb the smell of rotting food. The next batch of kitchen waste can be placed on top of the older one, and the layering is repeated with soil and leaves/newspaper strips.

In a couple of months (2-3 months minimum) everything will turn black (with a soil-like consistency) and can be returned to the garden as topsoil.

What I have found was this: if older compost is mixed with newly combined pre-compost waste, it speeds up the whole composting process. In a small pot (approx. 10 x 10 inches width & depth), the process could take around 1 month. In certain cases, enzymes can be sprayed on the soil to speed up the composting process.

So- coming to my point, life is kinda like that too. Some experiences that you carry will enable you to solve some problems faster, because you have the 'enzyme' or 'older compost' to help you move along. That's all the point I wanted to make really :)