Urban Composting is More Practical
Submitted by: Jason Bacot
Maybe you think that composting isn't practical or useful
because you live in an apartment, but think again. There are
plenty of good reasons to try composting, even if you don't have
a yard or garden at all. Here are some considerations for urban
composting.
First, you want to choose from the many small compost bins for
sale. While proper composting defeats odors on its own, you can
be extra safe by investing in one of the many plastic compost
bins with a charcoal filter. It's not a good idea to use old
Tupperware or other similar containers. You'd be amazed how many
fruit flies you can attract in a small apartment with these
impromptu composters.
The food scraps or leftovers that you would throw away or put
through the garbage disposal can almost all be composted. This
includes everything from unpopped popcorn bits to leftover pizza
crusts. You can also compost crushed egg shells, seed hulls, and
nut shells, and even things like peach pits. Some people have
claimed success composting shredded paper, hamster cage bedding,
dryer lint, stale beer, and the stuff in your vacuum cleaner.
There are some things you should not compost, whether you're in
the city or elsewhere. These include old magazines (because the
clay content keeps the paper from breaking down efficiently),
detergent, meat, bones, and chicken skin.
You'll need nitrogen for the proper breakdown of compost, and
the easiest way to do this is to add about a half-inch layer of
dead, crumbled leaves (it shouldn't take much for a small
composter) for every two or three inches of food waste. The
overall composition should be moist, but not wet or slimy.
Coffee grounds are great in compost because they keep the
environment acidic, and if you add worms to your compost (not as
icky as you may think!), you'll find they love used coffee
grounds. But don't use ashes, because they are too alkaline and
will slow the process down.
Whether you use one of the nifty rotating compost bins, or one
of the simple plastic compost bins that doesn't have a crank,
keep it in a reasonably ventilated area, out of sunlight. The
composting process generates heat, and setting the composter in
the sun could actually make it overheat, killing beneficial
micro-organisms. With a compost tumbler, crank it every few days
to turn the contents. With non-rotating composters, dig in with
a gardening fork or something similar and stir up the contents
every few days to keep the process moving along efficiently.
Check your compost after about six weeks as long as you've kept
it reasonably moist and turned it regularly. If you have a
crumbly, nearly black substance that resembles dark dirt and
smells slightly sweet, then you have compost! If you don't have
a balcony herb garden or house plants that could use a nice,
loose half-inch layer of compost, you should have no trouble
giving it away or even selling it to home gardeners. Compost is
awesome organic fertilizer, and is highly coveted by urban
gardeners who have to do a lot with a small space.
About the Author: Jason Bacot - Are you looking to save some
money when it comes to your home gardening? Then I suggest you
check out our Compost Bins and Compost Tumblers for a natural
fertilizer at http://compostbins.nixtie.com.
Source: http://www.isnare.com
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