Today I'm talking to Rachel Meeks of Small Notebook about setting up a worm compost bin in small quarters.
Composting is something I've wanted to do in our home for awhile, but I need another regular mom to show me the way. Rachel's writing on simple living inspires me a lot, and so have her simplified tips on how to compost.
1.
You, your husband, and young daughter live in a small apartment in the
city. What do you need to get started with composting in small living
quarters?
The kind of composting that we
do is called worm composting, and we keep a small compost bin in our
apartment. We compost our food scraps, and compost worms help to
break down the food and turn it into a rich soil for our plants.
You
can make your own compost bin with two matching Rubbermaid storage
containers. I've seen expensive bins to buy online, but it's so easy
and cheap to make your own.
You also need
compost worms. You can't go out and dig up earthworms. They need to be
a specific kind. I bought red compost worms online and had them
shipped since I couldn't find anyone in the city who had them.
Rachel's DIY compost bin
2. How long have you been composting? What made you start?
I've
composted for almost a year. I find inspiration reading about families
who become self-sufficient, including one family who support themselves
on a
1/5
acre lot in the city. I dream about having a big garden and a
few chickens, but those things will wait until I have a house.
Composting was something I could learn about and do right away.
My
main concern before I started was that the compost would have a bad
smell. I shouldn't have worried--the compost bin has absolutely no
smell at all. Ours is hidden inside a cabinet, and no one ever knows
it's there.
Rachel prepares her compost bin
3. What do you compost? What can't you compost?
I
compost our fruit and vegetable scraps and some paper and cardboard.
The compost bin isn't large enough for a lot of paper, so it's best to
reduce the amount of paper that enters your home in the first place. I
don't compost meat or dairy because that would attract unwanted pests.
Apple peels, paper, and other scraps break down in the compost bin
4. Take us through the steps of composting on a daily basis.
It's
not a daily commitment; it doesn't require that much effort. At first I
was overly attentive and checked the bin frequently, wondering if I was
adding enough or too much food for the worms. Now I know I can leave it
alone, and it will be fine. The only thing I do is collect food scraps
in a Tupperware container in the fridge.
Plants thrive in the rich soil
5. Is there weekly maintenance required with your compost?
Once
every week or two I add the food scraps to the compost bin, and then I
cover the food with pieces of wet cardboard or paper egg cartons. I
check to make sure the soil is damp. Sometimes I water my plants with
any liquid that has drained to the bottom. It all takes about ten
minutes total.
About every three months, it's
time to collect the finished compost. I push the compost over to one
side of the bin, and add fresh paper and food scraps to the other side. When the worms migrate to the fresh side, you can collect the compost
for your plants. I spread the compost on top of the soil in the flower
pots of my container garden. My plants love it and grow well.
There is a
step-by-step tutorial on
Small Notebook with more information and photos
about how I assembled and take care of the compost bin.
It's
so easy, I'll definitely keep doing it. It changes something wasteful
into something valuable, so there's really no reason not to.
About Rachel Meeks:
Rachel writes about creating a simple and peaceful home at Small
Notebook. She's working her way through a year's supply of
chocolate from Christmas, so please, somebody come help her.
Well, I know I'm really inspired to start composting now. It looks so easy, and my boys are going to be so thrilled when I finally allow worms in the house.
+++ How about you? Are you considering starting a compost bin?
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Comments 3
Hi,
That was very interesting. We finally have our first new home after decades of renting and I am doing raised garden bed gardening. I thought composting in the backyard would cause problems for neighbors, i.e., smell, so I was fascinated with your account and limiting food to just vegetable and fruit types.
QUESTION: why do you add the cardboard and paper, though? How does that add nutrients to the soil and aren't you concerned about the chemicals in the ink affecting vegetables later? I realize you are using your compose just for flowering plants now but I was surprised at the addition of paper. I am trying to recall what I have heard older people using from years ago...in garden compost piles...there was something like sawdust or grass clippings that they put in there. It must break it down but can you explain how it works to do so?
Thanks for taking the time to post this. I always feel like I am "wasting" those vegetable scraps. For me, it would mostly be carrots, onions, potatoes and tomatoes.
Mom401
I do use the worm compost on my herbs. I feel much more comfortable with that, rather than using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. I tend to use more unprinted paper, such as cardboard boxes and paper grocery bags.
If you'd prefer, straw is a good substitute for paper.
I have been inspired and I am going to try this out! Thanks