Maintenance

• Turning - If waste is chopped finely, turning is not needed. If material is coarser and not decomposing properly, turn the heap once a month (or shorter intervals if required).

• Aeration and watering - Place a crowbar in the center of the pile for 3 days - remove and check. If it is hot, water the heap a little (enough to make it damp/a bit moist).

• Monitoring - list of indicators for color, smell, moisture – checklist for trainer to use in the flipbook

Source - Rebuilding Soil’s Health with COMPOST by Soil Vasu

Source - The Science and Art of making Compost by Soil Vasu

• In winter, the composting process is slower.

• In places where soil is hard and difficult to dig, existing trenches can be used to make compost.

Farmers can also use a large bamboo with some holes to keep the compost aerated by stirring it or in a layered pit, by keeping it lodged in the centre of the compost pit. It can also be taken out to check for the temperature at the centre of the pit (you can tell by touching the lower half of the bamboo) - if the compost is no longer hot, it is ready to harvest.

From WHH's integrated farming program's flip chart for farmer field school.