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Have you ever wondered if there was an easy, all-natural way to feed and fertilize your garden? Or do you worry that, despite reducing, reusing and recycling, you're still throwing away too much garbage? Do you really, really like annelids? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you might be in the market for a composter.
There are composters for every household, whether you live on several wide-open acres or call a tenth floor apartment your home. At their most basic, composters turn food residue formerly bound for the garbage into nutrient-rich compost. Compost is simply the best thing you can add to your garden, whether you have a window box with flowers or a fully functioning vegetable garden. It adds organic matter to provide a substrate and retain water and nutrients that can be absorbed by your plants. Not sure what kind of composter is best for you? Read on!
One of the first things to consider is whether you want to make your compost in batches or have a continuous supply. Batch composting needs a lot more attention; it has to be turned every day, and you need to make sure it is moist. You also need to keep your ratio of "brown" to "green" materials consistent.
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What it is: a drum or bin that can rotate. You put in your compost, turn it daily, and in 4-8 weeks you'll have fresh compost! Pros: Get a lot of compost all at once. Cons: You have to stockpile your compostables in the meantime; needs daily maintenance. |
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What it is: A big bin, essentially. You add compostable materials from the top, and eventually compost is ready at the bottom. Pros: You can continuously add kitchen and garden scraps; only needs occasional mixing. Cons: Not particularly fast. You may have to wait a while before you get any usable compost. You need to buy your own worms |
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What it is: a big bin composed of several stacking trays, filled with worms. Also known as a vermicomposter Pros: Worms are faster at breaking down food scraps than microbes; can be used indoors, in a garage or closet; provides continuous output. Cons: Need to occasionally replenish worms |
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What it is: A new type of device on the market for composting kitchen scraps indoors, without odors. Pros: Compact, fits in a cabinet; allows for easy composting of kitchen scraps on a daily basis. Cons: Requires a small amount of electricity and therefore an outlet; need to change carbon filter every year or so; not built to handle large volumes, such as gardening waste; not too many models on the market -- look for the NatureMill |
There are a few things you might need in addition to your composter. Beyond all the tools, you may also want to read a book about composting
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A compost pail |
If you use a worm composter |
Compost starter |
A perforated leaf bin |
Composting tools |
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