Composting.
The very word is kind of stinky, isn’t it? But the actual process doesn’t have to be! In fact, it shouldn’t be. If done correctly, you can keep a compost bin in your kitchen and no one will be the wiser! Think it can’t be done? Think again.
First, let us examine the benefits of compost. After all, if there wasn’t something in it for us crazy composters, we wouldn’t be doing it! The reason to compost is simple: it’s good for the planet, and it’s great for our gardens. How is composting good for the planet? Well, when you scrape your plate and toss that leftover salad in a plastic trash bag, it goes right to the landfill, and does not break down properly. Landfill space is at an all-time premium, and even as the food breaks down, the plastic bags you used to get them to the dump will not.
However, when you send your kitchen scraps to the compost bin, natural break down can occur, the mass will be reduced, and the result is completely reusable as nutritious plant food. Triple benefit! Less space consumed at our already-bursting landfills, less plastic trash bags used (which saves the planet, and your wallet), and bigger, healthier plants! I can personally attest to the wonderful results I got from using simple worm poop from my kitchen composting bin!
If you are composting indoors, vermicomposting may be the way to go. Vermicomposting is simply the process of using worms to facilitate rapid processing of your kitchen scraps into rich, earthy-smelling, nutrient-rich plant food. The worms themselves help maintain the healthy balance of wet/dry or green/brown you need for an effective compost bin, however be sure you also check out the cautions at the end of this article for what NOT to compost. When thinking in terms of the green/brown balance, think of it like this: green=leaves and lettuce, brown=twigs and paper towels. You can’t overload on one “type” of waste, or the fermentation will not be quite putrid enough to actually break down effectively, and you may just end up with stinky, moldy goo or a dried out wad of yuck.
You can purchase expensive indoor tumblers such as this one that claim to emit no odor and do not require worms, but where’s the fun in that? I stand by vermicompsting with Red Wriggler earthworms as my preferred method of indoor composting. You can get Wrigglers at your local bait shop or pet supply store (in the live bait/live feed sections), or online. Expect to drop about $25 on your first pound of worms (roughly 1,000 worms), but you don’t have to start with a full pound. The key to success is paying attention to your box, and checking daily for moisture and activity. In a few weeks time, you will have plenty of plant-boosting food for your veggies and flowers, even if you start with only a few hundred worms.
Building your own vermi-bin out of an ordinary, plastic tote container is not difficult, and can be done for less than $10. There are step-by-step instructions, and more detailed information on why you should explore vermicomposting, at this site. As you can see from the photographs of my tomato plants, the results are real. I experienced major growth immediately following the addition of the worms’ castings (poop), and the results have continued since then.
There are some things better left out of the worm bin. If you prefer a compost bin sans worms, you will have a bit more leeway. Worms cannot tolerate pineapple, for example, as an enzyme in the fruit will literally dissolve them. Some vermicomposting-enthusiasts frown on banana peels, whereas I found my worms loved them! Too much citrus is a no-no, due to the acid content. In both vermicomposting and regular indoor or outdoor composting, never introduce meats, dairy, pet waste, or oil-based products. There is a more detailed list of what not to compost, and what you should always try to compost, at this site.
Overall, composting indoors can be a great way to try out the activity, as you can control the weather conditions, temperature, and many other factors that can effect the cycle of waste break down. You may be more limited in terms of bin size, however, you are actually more versatile than many backyard compost-enthusiasts, as you have the option of vermicomposting, which cannot be done outdoors in hot or very cold climates, and is, by necessity, an indoor activity for at least part of the year.
