composting in the big city

[lcmayer.livejournal.com]

I am interested in composting, but the thought of a big smelly bin in my postage stamp of a back yard is unappealing to me (any undoubtly to my neighbors too).I also don't want to attrack unwanted guests (skunks, rats and the like). Has anyone found a solution that is both environmentally and community friendly? Do you store it outside? Do you use worms, and if so what happens in the winter months - do you have to bring it inside? Many thanks!

Comments

[kjc.livejournal.com]

You could get a barrel composter - it's on legs. You put stuff in, give it a turn or two, and leave it. Latches too, thus keeping critters out.

Also, I haven't really found my composter (a cheap one from the city) to be smelly. But that might be because we put most of the kitchen scraps (except corn husks, which take 6 months for the worms to break down, and potato skins, which they won't eat) in the worm bin.

Yep, I have a worm bin in the basement. It stays in the basement year round. Sometime in January and up through March, I put a seedling mat warmer underneath it since the worms get slow as the temp approaches 50'F and die if it goes below that. (My basement has gotten to 48'F in deep, dark February.)

I keep a plastic scraps bin with a charcoal filter next to the sink and empty it into the bin every other week. If I was better about it and did it every week, I'd probably have fewer fruit flies.

If you're curious about worms, the absolute best book to start of with is Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof. Quick and easy read, it gives you all the basics and only has one glaring error - in her chart for size of bins, lbs. of bedding, and gallons of water, it should be lbs. of water, not gallons.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Worms

[derekp.livejournal.com]

"Worm composting could be doing more harm than good to the environment, a leading researcher claimed today.

Jim Frederickson, senior research fellow at the Open Universities faculty of technology, said: “Worms produce a significant amount of greenhouse gases. Recent research done by German scientists has found that worms produced a third of nitrous oxide gases when used for composting.”"

Details Here:
http://www.mrw.co.uk/homepagePBP_NADetail_UP.aspx?ID_Site=534&ID_Article=17165&mode=1&curpage=0

Re: Worms

[in-parentheses.livejournal.com]

Er...that article is full of red flags. "Recent research done by German scientists," with no information to enable you to find the original article yourself? And how about that awesomely panicked headline: "Worms are killing the planet, says top researcher" -- according to the article, he said no such thing.

Worms "compost" the soil all the time, naturally. All kinds of life going about its business (like breathing, for example) releases greenhouse gases. I hardly think it's time to panic about worm compost. This sounds to me like another example of the media fear-mongering we should be so used to by now.

If anyone can find me an actual scientific article about this, I'd love to read it!

Re: Worms

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

My question is: a third of what of nitrous oxide gases?

Re: Worms

[derekp.livejournal.com]

I had the same question. My intent wasn't to vouch for the accuracy of the article. I actually just stumbled across it the night before this post when I was looking for links tagged with "compost" on del.icio.us

[themotionsick.livejournal.com]

I have a city composter and I don't think it really smells too much. As long as you turn it over every time you put stuff into it, it shouldn't be too bad. I started it with a pile of leaves to keep the food buried.

http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/Section.cfm?org=Environ&page=542

[in-parentheses.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! I had no idea our fair city provided compost bins.

[jadelennox]

I've had a composting bin in the city for years (currently in a postage stamp yard in Arlington but for six years I had one in a postage stamp yard in Somerville), and it works out just fine. A compost bin that's made properly doesn't have any odor, and as long as you don't put in any animal products (except for eggshells; they work fine) you won't attract pests. Just for static purposes I usually cover up any kitchen waste with a pile of leaves, weeds, or soil.

Turn it occasionally -- anaerobic decomposition is the kind of smells, and aerobic decomposition is the kind that is good for your garden. I put words in my but that's just to speeded up. I've used fancy barrel composters but I've never been happier than when I just have two side-by-side bins built out of chicken wire and dowels.

[in-parentheses.livejournal.com]

I put words in my but

That? Is the best typo I've seen in awhile. :)

Sometime this weekend we should talk composting, Jade; I want to start this summer, too. Thanks for the useful information, everyone!

[bpn75.livejournal.com]

We got ours this spring from the city of somerville - 25$ at the DPW. So far no problems with smell. We have trouble finding enough leaves/yard waste to add to it, and instead use composted manure (available at Pemberton's) to cover the food scraps. This was recommended by a gardening friend, and so far it has worked well. We've had no issues with critters. If you have a dog or cat, you can brush it and scatter the fur around the compost bin; this is supposed to scare away pests.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if you don't want to share your leftovers with your furry and feathered neighbors, you can keep the bin closed (there is usually a small door on the bottom, and a lid on the top) and cover particularly wet leftovers with some dry leaves or newspaper. We put our compost in a paper grocery bag inside the house, so that we can just drop the whole thing in the compost bin.

But, really, squirrels and birds and racoons and such are nice to have in your yard :-) They bring a bit of life to the city that I, at least, really enjoy.

[julishka.livejournal.com]

racoons and skunks make up the majority of rabies cases in the state. while they are cute - and it's especially cute to watch the fat racoon families roam through a yard in the night - they also pose a risk. racoons also are notorious for getting in to the trash and making a mess, which then leads to more rats. hence why the city has implemented the covered trash barrel ordinances.

http://www.mass.gov/dph/cdc/epii/rabies/rabies.htm

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_rabies.htm

[turil.livejournal.com]

Sure, any living thing can be dangerous, including humans (#1 cause of death for humans under 35 is other humans). I could be afraid of other living things, or I could learn to live with them, and be careful to stay away from the more dangerous types...

Covered Trash Barrel Ordinance

[derekp.livejournal.com]

Really? We put our barrels out uncovered because if we don't, I'm sure the lid will end up somewhere down the street...

Re: Covered Trash Barrel Ordinance

[turil.livejournal.com]

It's ok to take the covers off when you put the barrels out for collection. You only need to keep the lids on if you leave compostable stuff in your trash barrels on non-trash-pick-up days. In other words store the trash barrels with their lids on normally, and take them off once you've put the barrels out on the curb for pick up.