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Choosing a Compost Bin

compost

We’ve been through the mill, my composter and I. I’ve gone through so many different sorts of composting devices in my garden that it makes my head spin and my nose wrinkle. Soon we’ll be back to the beginning, with a new full-size composter in our yard.

If you’re starting the composting journey or looking to switch, what sorts of bins are available?

The large outdoor bin is the easiest way to compost. If you have a small space it is not the most convenient, though. These bins require green and brown ingredients and some aeration so that they don’t smell. Keep a stash of shredded paper or leaves next to the bin and pop some in when you place your kitchen waste onto the pile, or simply wrap your kitchen waste in a single sheet of black and white newsprint when you bring it to the compost. Adequate amounts of brown material will keep smells down and speed up the composting process.

A tumbling compost bin is pricey but will keep the rodents out. Add compost to a hole in the bin, close the hole, and move the bin around. This aerates the bin and makes the composting process much faster. Choose more than one bin if you have extra material, since large bins can be hard to move.

A worm bin is a composting solution for indoors or for small apartment decks. It works well for those who have small amounts of food waste. We need a few such bins in our home if we are to compost solely using worms. Each small plastic box has drainage holes and air holes and at least one to two pounds of red wriggler worms inside. Place food waste on top of the peat or soil that contains the worms, then cover it with shredded paper. The worms munch your waste quite quickly. Keep a close eye on your bin to ensure it does not get overloaded.

Do you compost? What method do you use?