We purchased a composter from our local landfill. It has a lid that you open to add vegetable peels and the like and then at the bottom there is a sliding door to scoop out the compost. Very easy.
Does anyone have any experience with composting indoors? We have a very small front yard and no back yard but we'd like to start composting as well. I also heard there are outdoor insulated bins for worm composting which might work in our harsh canadian weather but haven't seen any around.
for vermicomposting, the best for urban settings and great all year, you dont need to buy anything special. you can use a plastic bucket or storage container- the size would just depend on the size of the household- you'd also need a little soil and some red wigglers. many times you can get them free if you know of any organizations (your local environmental nonprofit may know of some places or people you can get worms from) or people that vermicompost. you only need a handful, they will reproduce like crazy. you still want to alternate with green and brown matter, the smaller the size the faster they will eat it and the sooner it will be amazing fertilizer. in a different composting discussion on thekindlife, i posted some ideas about getting rid of fruit flies, so check that out as well.
I'm wanting to get into composting. But the more I read, the more I feel overwhelmed by all the choices and how seemingly complicated it can be. (I know everyone says it's really "easy" once you get used to it, but it's a lot for a newbie.) Are worm compost bins better/easier than ones with just stuff like food and yard waste? The tumble ones seem easier, as opposed to having to aerate it myself if it's in a big bin. But I think they're also more expensive. I like the idea of using worms, but how involved is it really? Will I have to do a lot of work with it? I'd really like to find a solution where I can just throw in all my yard waste (grass, leaves, plants) and my food waste... let it sit.... and then use the mulch later for my flower beds. Is that even realistic or am I totally clueless? Also, what about pet wastes? I'd LOVE to use my dog and cat poop, but I've heard that it's not good to put in anything that has meat or dairy in it, and so far my pets are eating petfood that has some meat (I'm very possibly going to be making them vegan too, just haven't gone to the pet store to see what other foods are available just yet... plan to this weekend.)
So, I'd LOVE to hear of anyone's experiences. What's the easiest compost solution? Anyone use pet waste? Just overall comments/suggestions?? Thanks! Sarah
Jessy, Thanks! That's some very helpful info.! Obviously digging my own hole would be cheaper than buying a compost bin at the store. So I might just do that. My only concern is animals. Don't animals (cats, oppossoms, raccoons, etc.) get into it? I have 2 cats who are indoor/outdoor (they LOVE to explore outside and I literally can't keep them in sometimes), and I can totally see them digging around in there and bringing stuff into the house. You said it doesn't smell, so perhaps that's why animals don't get into it (if they don't). I love the idea of it being natural (in the ground), so worms can work their way into it. A nice little "worm home!" :-) Sarah
I learned recently that you don't want to put any cooked food into your compost bin because that is what attracts the animals and rodents. Just raw scraps and egg shells, coffee grounds (and filters) etc.
Maryann - Only raw food.... good tip. Jessy - Thanks again for the info and tips. About my cats, I totally agree with you! I completely intended them to be indoor cats only, when I brought them home. The problem is, I have a dog door out my back door, for my dogs to come and go so I don't have to worry about rushing home after work to let them out. It's been AMAZING with my dogs, I no longer had to get up to let them out, then get up again to let them back in 5 minutes later! I had my dogs for about 4-5 years before it occurred to me to install a dog door. But anyway, the little cats (smart as they are) saw my dog using the door, so they caught on pretty quickly. It does bother me that they're out and about and anything can happen. My family had outdoor cats when I was growing up that were victims of a variety of things (other animals and kids namely). So I do worry about them! I always try to get them in at night, so I can close up while I'm sleeping. But come morning, the cats are literally standing at the back door ready to go out. They've also started using the bathroom out in the yard like my dog (a nice perk, I must admit). In a perfect world I'd have the dog door for the dogs, but the cats would stay inside. I just haven't figured out how to make that happen yet.
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