Composting has been a quiet yet deeply rewarding practice in my life. It’s grounding to watch waste transform into something rich, dark, and earthy – a full-circle moment from kitchen to soil. I’ve composted in three very different environments over the past many years: on a balcony in Dubai, in a backyard in a small town in Southern India, and now in a yard in Dubai.
Each space has taught me something new. It all started on my apartment balcony, where space was tight, but the motivation was high. I used kitchen greens and shredded paper – yes, paper as my carbon source, as I did not have access to leaves – and to my surprise, I had earthy, finished compost in just two months. The smell was amazing – like healthy soil after rain. No yard, a few containers for a garden, and two buckets and the right mix of waste.
In a vibrant town in southern India, the weather is perfect for composting. I moved to composting in a backyard container. I began combining leaves and saw dust and paper with my kitchen waste. The composting process was slower, taking around four months to reach about 80% decomposition. But the result was still rewarding – rich, crumbly compost that my garden loved.
Back in Dubai again, I am composting again in a container in the yard. I follow the same process—adding greens, leaves, and paper(when I have it)—but here, the results are slower and less satisfying. After three months, the compost is only about 30% done. Despite using three buckets and even a bag with holes poked in it for curing, the pace feels glacial.
Not sure what is causing this, and it’s been disappointing. So, I’ve decided to experiment. This month, I’ll be starting a fresh batch, but with a tweak. I plan to skip the leaves after the initial layering stage and focus only on greens and paper. I suspect that leaves may be slowing the process down in this climate. Or maybe there is something else going on.
Every place brings its own composting rhythm. What worked in India or a shady balcony might not translate to a yard in the this summer. But that’s part of the journey. I’m learning, adjusting, and hoping this new batch brings me closer to that familiar, rich, earthy smell again. Composting is still worth it. Even slow compost is better than waste in a landfill. Here's to a new start – one bucket, one layer at a time.
Thanks for reading.
Image from pexels.
Photo by Mathias Reding: https://www.pexels.com/photo/decaying-leaves-in-close-up-photography-9741478/