Hotel Aaculaax
Ecological Construction - Compost
One day, we spied our neighbor disposing of plastic waste under his coffee plants. We were shocked! Apparently, he thought he was fertilizing his plants. It became clear to us that one of our roles was to explain to the locals, and even to some of the foreigners, the difference between organic and inorganic matter.
Because of the extreme climate changes between the dry and rainy seasons, it is not easy to maintain an odorless and efficient compost pile. Our best solution is a device of 3 attached wooden boxes, each one capable of composting 3 cubic feet (1m³). Into the first box, we put the fresh garden and kitchen waste. After 3 to 4 weeks, we move it into the second box, where it continues to decompose for another 3 to 4 weeks. This is then sieved. The half-decomposed matter gets placed back into the first box and the rest we keep in the third box, until the time when we need it.
It is important to ventilate the boxes by making air holes on all sides. Moving the compost from one box to another helps to aerate it and promotes faster decomposition. Occasionally, it is necessary to check the PH acidity level and when it is too acidic, lime should be added. An overly dry or wet pile slows down or stops the decomposing, so we water it in the dry season and cover it in the rainy season. It is very helpful to mix in garden and kitchen waste, as well as branches cut into small pieces. The rich soil we produce for our gardens is definitely worth all the effort.