Terracotta home composter

Added after the comments:
Thanks to http://www.dailydump.org/ and their presentations

In our society most of the people are unconvinced about composting. Why would anyone want a big pile of rotting food in their yard or home? But composting is good for everybody.

 

Here in this instructable we will see about the myths and pros of composting.

 

What people have to say about composting?

1. They are smelly.

2. They look bad when done at home

3. But I don’t have a garden

4. it’s not my job (I pay taxes)

5. I do not have the time

6. I have tried. It didn’t work

7. I live in an apartment

 

What composters have to say about composting?

1. Waste Reduction

Fewer compostable in the landfills mean less landfill mass. Reducing the amount of stuff in our landfills directly affects all of us. When they try and build new landfills, they may try and build it in your backyard. Which is worse? A bucket of compost or a nearby landfill filled with rats?

 

2. Free Fertilizer
Why buy something you can make for free?

 

3. Better Soil
Are you trying to keep up with your neighbors and their extravagant lawn? How much money do you think your neighbor pay to have such lush grass? You can have superior soil without paying a dime by composting.

 

4. A Superior Garden
Composting creates a healthier garden with better soil, and you'll be using a superior fertilizer. In the end, you'll be able to grow more and better crops for less money. If you're going to garden, why not do it right?

 

Here is the most eco friendly and long term solution to get better compost without the hassles.

Step 1:

Composting with earthen (terracotta) pots

Ingredients required:

1. 3 Terracotta pots at least 1 feet height and size such that they can stand one over the other without getting inside.

2. Terracotta plate (to cover the composter)

Step 2:

Take 3 terracotta pots (Pot A, B and C) and drill holes (1 inch diameter) on the sides. These will be used for air circulation.

 

Also make large holes (3 inch diameter) on the base of 2 of the pots (Pot A and B). These holes will be used to drain leechate. Make sure you leave the third pot without hole in the bottom. This pot will be the bottom most pot.

Step 3:

Stack the pots one over the other. Make sure that the bottom pot (Pot C) being the pot without the hole in the bottom.

 

Put a layer of newspaper in the pot A and Pot B so that the materials other than water do not drop into the layers below.

 

Cover the composter with the terracotta lid to prevent rodents or flies.

 

Your composter is ready to compost. Put the composter in an airy place such as garden or terrace to increase air circulation this increasing composting process.

Step 4:

Separate kitchen wastes into compostable and non compostable items.

 

Save the compostable items for the day. At the end of the day you can add the composts in the composter.

 

Composter Process:

Start adding the kitchen waste to the composter (Pot A)

When the Pot A is 3/4 full, switch the Pots A and B. And start adding the materials in Pot B which is now at the top.

When the Pot B gets filled 3/4 the ingredients in Pot A has shrunken.

You can again switch the Pots A and B

When the middle tear pot gets almost filled 3/4, empty the middle tear Pot to Pot C

 And start the process all over again.

The final contents of Pot C starts shrinking and thus more materials can be added from the middle tear Pot to Pot C.

When Pot C gets filled 3/4 empty the pot before starting to fill the Pot C again.

At this point the contents of Pot C has decomposed completely.

Sieve the contents of Pot C and you get perfectly good non-smelling manure (compost).

The larger pieces that are left after sieving can be added to the Pot at the top for further decomposing.

Keep the compost little damp by sprinkling water in the upper Pot occasionally.

The whole process takes around 90 days.

Step 5:

Why is the terracotta pots used?

We are using the terracotta pots to absorb the excess humidity and fluid which is secreted during the composting process.

 

Why are the Bottom holes?

The bottom holes are used to drip and pass the excess fluid to the collector Pot (Pot C).

 

What about mosquitoes or flies?

No mosquitoes or flies have appeared in any of my composters. The only insects appearing are fruit flies which live happily inside as long as their food is inside. Fruit flies help speed up the composting.

Step 6:

The terracotta pots can be colored to add to the looks of your terrace garden.

Make sure that the pots do not get totally drenched by rain or over watering or else the composter freaks out and composting process gets out of hand.

Answering the points in step 1

1. They are smelly
Not at all. The holes drilled on the sides circulates ample air to keep it fresh and healthy.

2. They look bad when done at home
Terracotta pots can be colored.

3. But I don’t have a garden
Sell the compost! Better! Gift it to a Gardener friend.

4. it’s not my job (I pay taxes)
Ever body can do it! Do it to save the land fills. Less land fills means more trees!

5. I do not have the time
ust takes 1/2 a day to setup and it sustains by itself.

6. I have tried. It didn’t work
Why not try again!

7. I live in an apartment
You can do it on the terrace, or near the window!

Added after the comments:
Thanks to http://www.dailydump.org/ and their presentations

Comments

[drichard58]

From the pictures it looks like you have put some sort of cording or other material in the holes at the bottoms of the pots. Is this to hold the pots together? Did I miss that in the instructable? Great idea! I have tons of terracotta pots and never enough compost.

[artworker]

The images are taken from http://www.dailydump.org/ The pots that the Dailydump guys have are totally open from the bottom. They use nylon chord mesh (like in a tennis racquet) to hold on to the raw materials. I thought why not drill holes instead into fresh pots. This way we can save on the nylon chords (non biodegradable). I will show my own images once my composter is stebilized. My composter is presently in the first cycle only.

[Myrloc]

How has the composter worked out for you...?

[1Maribelle]

Many thanks. Am now living in an 2nd story apartment so no garden this time and no balcony. Also my city does not offer green bin pick Up at my address - this is Toronto's free food waste pick Up - and after years of being able to give the city y food waste or composting in the garden I do not feel good throwing my food waste in the garbage.

Thanks again for providing such an elegant solution.

[artworker]

You are welcome!

[Ranie-K]

Are these your pictures? Is this your text?

[artworker]

no! and no! I made something very much similar. The credits to the idea goes to http://www.dailydump.org/.

[badart]

What a beautiful and practical idea.
badartworld.com

[joen]

If you can't find terracotta pots you can do the same thing with 5 gallon plastic buckets with lids from the home center. The lids are easy to cut a large hole in and you can cut all the holes you want in the bottoms and sides. And they stack perfectly.

Mine has been doing very well for over a year and the compost worked well in my sister's garden.
Thanks for the idea.

[blastedcelt]

This is a fabulous idea! Beautiful and practical at the same time. Too bad the Daily Dump doesn't sell their products here in North America. I guess it's up to us to make them on our own. I love their website...great sense of humor!

[a_abbond]

brilliant idea! I have been thinking that this type of composter could be done using milkcrates. They stack one on top of each other, have plenty of air holes. Handles to carry them easily. All you need is the paper journal, a lid, and a base plate if it's not directly on the ground! Now the trick would be to make them look nice :) (although black milkcrates would keep the heat which is good for composting) I will make one and post the instructable when I'm done!

[a_abbond]

Here's my milkcrate version of this composter. It works great so far! http://www.instructables.com/id/Milkcrate-Composter-vertically-stacked/

[ubermama]

What a beautiful system! The management would never know what we were doing. I'm actually not sure if we are allowed to compost but who could complain about a system this lovely looking, especially if there are no smells? Thanks for posting and I do hope to try this. I think I may have to also have another composting system since my family is large and we produce a lot of fruit/veggie waste. I have noticed that most of the other systems take about 2 weeks and this one takes 90 days to get compost, which I wouldn't really mind either.

[misspinetrees]

 pretty! cant wait to try it.

[kuchinskas]

What do you use to drill the holes? I've used 3" wood bits -- and it's not all that easy to drill a clean hole in wood with them. Is there a 3" masonry bit? Do you have to go to a special store to find one?

Do you drill a pilot hole first? How do you keep the bit from skittering around when you're starting the hole?

thanks!

[artworker]

I did the holes with a screwdriver and mallet, chipping of small parts. The hole should not be regular. Just big enough to drain the leechate (fluid). Wetting the pot and making few guide holes before punching makes it easier. Use a file to finish the holes if you require a good finish.

[kuchinskas]

Wow, that sounds kind of labor-intensive and pot-cracking -- but comfortably low-tech. Thanks for the clarification.

[artworker]

I don't have much tools. So I improvise.
The pots won't crack. Just make sure you don't blow hard.

[tshallow74]

 I'm confused. I do not see how you put the pots you show in step 1 together without falling into each other.  Also where do you get covers for the pots?

[Pwag]

 I don't want to come off as a jerk, but the reason you are confused is because this is only an idea-giver. Not really an instructable (much better than the NONE I've written mind you) but certianly puts an idea in the head to make one.

Too bad there's no pics of the one artworker made.

[artworker]

There are lots of terracotta pots available. Just got to do some R&D with the pots how they balance. The V shaped pots will require additional cover plates for each to hold them in place. Just make sure to drill the plates too. I got the pots and covers from my local gardener.

[kaykatz]

My worms would like to live in a nice high rise like that. 

[lemonie]

This is your store?
daaram.blogspot.com/2009/07/composting-kitchen-waste.html

L

[Tool Using Animal]

Probably not, Hyderabad is almost 350 miles from Pune. 

BTW the dailydump.org site linked from your site, is a pretty neat site.

[lemonie]

Don't worry/confuse me like that... You mean dailydump.org linked the daaram site (I hope)

L

[Tool Using Animal]

Now I'm confused...? Dailydump is the parent site, the daaram site is a "clone" (reseller, spinoff, whatever)

[Tool Using Animal]

List of "clones"

[lemonie]

It's me reading your comment (to me) and "your site", that's all.

L

[Tool Using Animal]

ohh, okey dokey then  ;-)

[lemonie]

*_)

L

[WickedSpindle]

 What an easy and beautiful compost system. I love the terra-cotta pot construction. Plus it is so easy to construct. I can't wait to make my own and one for my father who pants a huge garden every spring! He's going to Love it.