Mail from our customer Veena Prasad

Dear Poonam and folks,

First of all, thanks for being green entrepreneurs - you are our future!

I started composting with Daily Dump's khamba on Aug 18, 2013. I made a couple of mistakes, but you were a great help in terms of support and advice. I think De'Grade is a great product and if sold together with a khamba, initial hiccups are easily overcome.

My first mistake was using shredded newspaper to absorb moisture. I found out that paper takes a long time to compost. Also, I believe the chemicals used in processing paper are questionable, as also the ink, so it's best not used. But still, my composting was coming along well - the middle pot had acquired the beautiful earthy smell and I was happy.

Then came the maggots! I wondered if De'Grade would help. Reap Benefit promptly supplied it to Shop for a Cause and I picked up a couple of kilos. It did bring down the maggot population, but I have also grown to love the maggots, thanks to my son. They crawl all over the balcony, and I just sweep them up (my son uses his hands) to put them in a pot.

I also don't bother covering the compost with a sheet of newspaper. In addition to the concerns mentioned above, the flies get under anyway! An even layer of De'Grade works really well.

Right now, my lowest pot with the 30 day old compost looks nice - maybe a bit dry, and still with maggots. I added mango leaves from Ganesh Chaturthi, and they take forever to break down, so I'm being patient. My other mistake was to add lots of shredded newspaper at the bottom before transferring contents of middle pot. I wish I had used De'Grade instead as the newspaper is not blending in. I've been sprinkling water. Maybe I'll get a leave it pot. I am hoping to use the lowest pot contents as compost accelerator this week.

The middle pot is lovely. Just moist, beautiful earthy smell, and because of no newspaper I guess it took faster to turn this way.

But finally, I have such a great sense of achievement - I never believed it would be possible to do this in a small balcony! I have grown ambitious now - I'm planning to have a little herb garden.

Warm regards, and may your tribe increase!

Veena Prasad

23 Sep 2013