My compost bin set-up.
This week at BlogHers ACT Canada, we’re talking about compost (our focus this month is on greener gardening), and that got me thinking that I’d like to share my own compost set-up with you.
I keep this plastic bowl on my kitchen counter. I bought it at IKEA, and it has a non-slip bottom and a fitted lid. I throw my coffee grinds, egg shells, tomato stems and other bits of food scraps (other than dairy, oils or meat, which are composting no-nos) right in there.
When the countertop bowl is full, I take it out to the compost bin at the side of our house and dump its contents into the bin.
Take a peek inside! It needs some water, and I should rip up that egg carton.
At the back of the yard, we have this larger crate-style compost bin where I throw our yard waste, potting soil, weeds, and grass clippings. There is probably some good stuff in the middle of the pile.
This is pretty similar to my own set up. I’ve got the same black bin but it’s full so I’m letting it sit, and then a three sided wooden one as well that I’m slowly adding things too. I’ve got a mix of kitchen scraps, raked up leaves, grass trimmings and pulled up sod in there. I have to be careful to keep each layer of kitchen scraps well covered so I don’t get a bear visiting
This year I’m trying out the “keep it wet and turn every two weeks” method to see if things break down faster. I can’t wait to actually have compost for my garden.
Sounds familiar, but the food scraps go to the worms around here.
Thanks for sharing your system. Very efficient. Composting is one of the most challenging activities of small balcony gardening.
In the past I did vermicomposting and would like to get back to it. It’s labour-intensive but the results are so worth the effort.
My mom has the same black bin as you do. I save up my plant and veggie trimmings in a kitchen compost pail I keep on my balcony. (This pail is available from Lee Valley Tools http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=10027&cat=2,33140&ap=1) and take it to her place every couple of weeks.
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