Composting - info and advice needed :-)

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Ladybug1250
Ladybug1250 Posts: 366 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I cook a lot at home and I often think when I'm tossing out coffee grounds, egg shells and veggie scraps that I'd like to get a compost bin for the kitchen. So I looked into it today and now I'm overwhelmed. :frown:

It seems that you can use a smaller composter in the kitchen but they you would need to transport your scraps to a main compost bin out side and It seems that the environment and combination of ingredients needs to be perfect otherwise it can get smelly and slimy and oh my!!

So here's my deal. I'm a fully time working mama of an active three year old. I cook at home most nights and really want to help the environment by lessening the amount of waste going into land fills.

here's what I don't have time for - a big overwhelming pile of stinky garbage that is a huge time suck (of time I don't really have)

So here's my question... Can I just simply use the kitchen composter and make small batches of compost? How long does it take to become compost? What size would you recommend for this?

Any other helpful advice or friendly tips? I want this to be a clean and easy as possible :-)

Thanks! xoxo

Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    How big is your property? I have a compost pile that is far from my house so if it stinks it doesn't matter. I just use a bucket in the house which I dump once or twice a day depending on how much and how hot it is. I have the compose fence under my trees and move it once a year. I just leave the compose to fertilize the trees.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    We have a container (plastic coffee tub) that we keep under the sink for vegetable trimmings, etc. Ever other day I dump the small bucket into our composter in the back yard. It's basically I big tumbler that you spin a few times to mix up the compost. Every eight weeks or so I empty it out and spread it around in the plant beds. The plants love it. With the composting and recycling we have a lot less garbage to take to the curb.
  • Ladybug1250
    Ladybug1250 Posts: 366 Member
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    it sounds pretty simple when you guys put it like that. I guess it's worth a try. We have a pretty big space behind the house that would be good for a composter. And spinning it doesn't sound so bad. Thanks for the info :-)
  • jlahorn
    jlahorn Posts: 377 Member
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    I don't want to discourage anyone from composting - I do it myself - but you should go in prepared. You're supposed to water your compost, and when you use a spinner, that gets pretty gross and messy unless you're careful. You have to get the balance of greens + browns + water right, or it else it either gets smelly, pest-infested, or doesn't break down.

    The ones that stand off the ground get roaches. The ones on the ground attract rats.

    However, compost is amazing for your garden, it's not really that hard to get it right with a little practice, and you're keeping stuff out of the landfills. All worth it.
  • asdelmonte
    asdelmonte Posts: 171 Member
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    Also, some organic farms collect scraps from other people to add to their compost piles. In that case you would just need a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and then drop it off once a week when you are out running errands. Check around.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    Composting can be very simple. We built a basic four sided wooden structure in the backyard with one side that opens, and a grate for the top. You can buy kits or plastic composters as well.

    I have a stainless steel composting bucket in my kitchen. Every few days we add it to the composter pile in the backyard. Every month or so we turn the compost. We don't water it; the sky does. We don't make sure we have a proper mix of green and brown. We just throw in what we have from the kitchen, leaves, and grass clipping, and let nature do the rest.

    Ours does not have a smell, other than earthy. There is no rotting food stink. It's kind of amazing actually. We've been composting for 7 years in the same bin.

    Warning: We do not compost bread or grain products at home. Those draw mice for us. Our compost is just vegetable and fruit scraps, lawn/yard stuff, egg shells, and coffee grounds.

    You won't be able to compost effectively in a small kitchen container because the process does take a very long time.

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