As urban terraces & balcony gardens are growing, composting is turning out to be an increasingly popular solution to manage biodegradable waste.

Manjushree Ladiya, a terrace gardener from Ghaziabad, has been making different types of compost in separate containers using different ingredients.

She suggests an easy method of compost preparation that involves adding layers of leaves, cocopeat, and kitchen waste like vegetable and fruit peels into a container.

To enhance the quality of the compost produced, she suggests adding a bit of cocopeat and jaggery water.

Stir the pile from time to time and keep adding the waste. After three months, your nutrient-rich compost will be ready to use.

She shares tips on how to make different types of compost from everyday kitchen waste, where each serves specific purposes.

Compost from garlic and onion peels: Rich in potassium, this makes for an excellent compost and is very effective for the growth of chillies.

Banana peel compost: It is rich in potash and hence makes a great fertiliser for vegetable plants and fruit trees.

Compost made from tea leaves: It works best for flowering plants, especially roses. Adding the compost would accelerate its growth and flowering.

Mosambi and orange peel compost: It is an excellent source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It can also be used to make liquid fertilisers and bio enzymes.

Mix Compost: It is made using all the other kitchen waste like vegetable peels and greens. It is suitable for all types of plants.

Manjushree suggests not including cooked stuff or ingredients such as ghee, oil, or salt to prepare compost.