
Ever given any thought to starting your own indoor compost at home?
Maybe you’re interested in stepping up your gardening game a bit or tired of relying on chemical fertilizers?
Or perhaps you just want to do your part to help lower your carbon footprint and reduce harmful methane emissions from landfills?
Whatever your reasoning, if you haven’t already, it won’t be long before you realize just how COOL composting really is.
We’re diving deep into:
Feel free to consider yourself compost royalty after this read.
Compost is essentially organic materials that can be added to soil to help with plant growth. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up over 28 percent of what we throw away and should actually be composed instead of tossed.
Making composts will keep these organic materials out of landfills where they release methane (greenhouse gas), and let’s be honest, really just take up space.
Harmful chemical fertilizers? Hmm, nope, won’t be needing those!
So, this may not be what you want to hear….but we’re going to tell you anyway because you have the right to know…
The easiest way to compost indoors is a worm bin…BUT it’s not the only way.
First things first, you’ll need some prime real estate for your composting station. One example might be underneath your kitchen sink for easy access.
Next, we’re looking at containers.
Indoor composting containers can range from simple but sturdy plastic containers to swanky electric food recyclers.
Click here for a detailed list of the best indoor compost units on the market!
While buying a container specifically made for composting may be a bit easier, you can just as easily make your own using plastic storage bins, large buckets, wooden crates, metal bins, or garbage bins. Take your pick! Just remember whenever container you choose needs to be covered!
Once you’ve chosen your container, you’ll need to poke some holes in it.
The type of container you’re using will ultimately determine how to get your holes. If you’re using a metal container, for example, you’re more than likely going to need to drill those bad boys in.
The holes need to be both on the bottom of the container as well as a few around the rim.
Next, all that’s left is to add a layer of dirt (amount based on how much use it will be getting and the size of your bin) and some dry items ( like newspapers) on top!
Let the composting begin!
Your compost bin should contain these 3 basic ingredients:
Your compost should be equal part browns and equal part greens.
It’s always a good idea to layer your organic materials of different-sized particles as well.
Your brown materials will provide carbon for your compost, green materials: nitrogen, and the water will provide moisture to aid in the break down of organic matter.
Most food scraps such as fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, and houseplant trimmings are all great materials to put into your indoor compost bin.
You’re going to want to avoid putting any kind of meat, dairy, or fat products into your indoor compost.
The reason being, especially in terms of indoor composting, your compost pile is most likely not going to reach a high enough temperature to kill off the pathogens. E coli bacteria, for example, can live for up to two years. That’s definitely not something you want hanging around inside your house or infecting any sort of produce you are using your compost mix to grow!
Particularly smelly materials such as onions and watery foods like melons and squash are also better left out of your bin as well.
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