9.18.2008

2 Backyard Composting Tips


I haven't had a composter since I was in University. I have lived in condos or apartments since then and have never had the opportunity to have one. Our region gives 1 free per household so we picked ours up a few weeks ago. We just had to find the right spot for it. We now have it all set up and have started to throw our compostable waste in it. We are really noticing a difference in the amount of waste that is going out each week too.



Having lived with it for a week or so now here are some tips and tricks to happy composting.

  • Pick somewhere close enough to the house that you will still want to compost in the winter.
  • Secure the composter to the ground. If you find animals getting into it put bricks around the bottom.
  • To speed up the composting process remove the grass under where the composter will go.
  • Do not try to add any meat products to the composter
  • Keep a small bucket with a lid under your sink. Make sure it is small so you will go out to the composter often. This will reduce any risk of fruit flies.
  • Keep a bag of shredded paper handy to cover new food as you add them in
  • It is best to start composting in the spring but it is okay to start at any other time. You will just have to wait longer to get some finished product as the process takes longer when it is colder.
  • Churn churn churn that composter. The decomposition process needs oxygen so mix up your compost materials to help this process along.

I am looking forward to getting some nice nutrient rich compost out of this thing in the spring but I am not looking forward to the long cold walk to the composter in the wintertime. 

2 comments:

  1. I've been composting at my house the last two years an the "regulars" in my compost are coffee grounds/filters and banana peels. I love being able to throw all my veggie/fruit/coffee scraps into there, and when I move into an apartment next month, I'm sad that I won't know what to do with all that good stuff!

    Maybe give it to the farm market that I plan to co-op with! :)

    Great tips here and you're lucky to have gotten a composter. My compost bin is chicken wire and bamboo stalks, LOL. (Bamboo is in my backyard.)

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  2. You could make a vermicomposter. I piloted a project for this at my university and it worked really well. If you want some set up tips just let me know (it is not as gross as it sounds).

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