Learn more about vermicomposting

If you are interested in vermicomposting, here are some websites that describe how to make or buy these bins:

·         How to Make your own worm compost system: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Worm-Compost-System

·         Cheap and Easy Worm Bin: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/easywormbin.htm

·         How To Make Your Own Vermicompost Bin & Worm Farm: http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/07/how-to-make-your-own-vermicompost-bin/

·         All About Worm Composting: http://www.worm-compost-bins.com/?tag=worm-bin

The worms are moving in?

You can make your own worm bin out of plastic containers or wood. Of course, you can also buy one. Don’t forget, because of our New England winters, you have to consider where your worm farm is going to be set up. Worms need a well-ventilated area such as a laundry room, garage, balcony, or under the kitchen sink. The bin should be placed on top of blocks or bricks or upside down plastic containers to allow for drainage. You can use the lid of the second bin as a tray to catch any moisture that may drain from the bin.

Have you ever used worms to help with composting?

There is another form of composting that I should mention. For those of you who may be interested, there is also vermicomposting. What is that? In one word: worms! Ick.  It seems that worms aid in the breakdown of organic material. Who knew that worms had a use beyond baiting Jack’s fish hooks?

There are special bins for vermicomposting and waste is typically broken down quickly with these bins. They are also great for producing compost tea – a liquid substance that occurs naturally when producing compost that is high in nutrients and really good for your garden.

Some towns offer discount on compost bins

I remembered seeing something on the Chelmsford’s town website about compost bins. They have both bins that I was looking at, AND FOR A DISCOUNT for town residents! The Earth Machine is $35 and the New Age Composter is $40 or $45 (two sizes are available). I also found these bins at various retailers for as much as $99!  No, thank you. High-ho, high-ho, it’s off to the town hall I go. One Earth Machine please.

When I talked to the Recycling Coordinator, she told me that towns, such as Chelmsford, offer these bins at an affordable price because towns benefit from the state negotiated pricing AND the town subsidizes the sale to local residents by selling the bins at below cost. Check with your town hall before buying one at full cost.

Connie's Bin

Based on my yard and the critters that visit, I narrowed down my selection to the Earth Machine. I talked to some folks in town and decided on the Earth Machine, because I don’t think we will fill it in one season. The lid comes off the top so I can dump the goods into it and there is a door on the front if I need to get into the gold at the bottom.  I can also push the bin over to separate the bottom of the bin from the top so I can get at the compost much easier. I could be wrong about how long it will take to fill it, but if I fill it faster than I predict, I can always get another one.

Earth Machine vs. New Age Composter

The Earth Machine holds 10.5 cubic feet, is round, 33” deep and 34” wide. It has a locking cover that can also be adjusted to let more air into the bin. There is a sliding door for removal of compost AND it is made from recycled plastic!! The New Age Composter holds about 30 cubic feet, is round and adjustable, comes in a 42” long cylindrical roll, and is between 30-34” high. This one is self-aerating and has a cone shaped base and cover. It is also made from recycled plastic!!!

I spoke to a couple of families about these bins. One family has both bins and alternates using the compost from one bin or the other each year. Another resident uses the New Age Composter and said she used zip ties to assemble it, because the ties that came with the composter kept breaking. A zip tie is a type of fastener that is typically made of plastic. Good to know!

Now it’s time to make my own decision.  Which type of bin would work for me?

Standing or Stationary Bin?

There are also standing or stationary bins that just sit in one spot. I’ve heard these are really good to use if you plan on making a lot of compost, because they are generally well-aerated. However, I also read that it might take a little longer for the compost to break down. There are lots of different types of standing bins, but I narrowed it down to the Earth Machine or the New Age Composter. They both have lids and can be tipped over to reveal the black gold in the Spring.

Tumbling Bins?

I've looked at several different styles of composting bins. Did you know that there are also tumbling styles? These are typically on some sort of stand that you turn. Some have handles that I suppose you use to turn them, while others look like they roll within their own bases. However, wear your raincoat.  Liquid tends to seep out of the bin when you spin it.  I can’t see how animals could get into this type of bin, but some of those critters can be very determined.  I hope none are the types who get queasy on carnival rides.

Another fact about tumbling bins is that they tend to be much more expensive than the standing or stationary bins. I found several different styles on the web that ranged from $160 to $324. If you add up how much we pay for commercial fertilizers, this cost really isn’t that much.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

I was still thinking about rolling compost and found one that you can make yourself. It looks like a trash barrel with some holes drilled in the sides. My guess is that you also need some type of a screen to cover the holes so all that black gold won’t fall out when you roll it. Now how does one go about rolling a trash barrel with handles? I picture myself driving down a ramp laden with speed bumps.  My compost would have a very bumpy ride, as would any critters that find their way into the bin, if they can get into it.

Rolling Compost?

One of my neighbors uses a rolling compost bin.  I’ll call her Millie.  Millie says rolling compost bins are great. You roll the bin to mix up the compost, and then roll the bin to where you want to use the compost. One thing to consider though, Millie said, is that the bin can be quite heavy and if you have a hilly yard, it can be a workout rolling it around. That’s ok. I work out. I am woman. Watch me roll! 

But then, just when I thought I had found my compost calling, Millie told me that because compost can be moist, it tends to seep out of the bin as you roll. That might be a deal breaker, depending on the amount and disgust factor of the seepage. Maybe I’ll offer to help Millie when it’s time to harvest her gold and see where this experience falls on my yucky meter.

Compost-oid: Kitchen Scraps in Landfills?

This is a compost-oid - trivia about composting.

I've heard people say that they don't mind putting kitchen scraps in their trash because, after all, they decompose in the landfill, right? Wrong!

Kitchen scraps that end up in landfills don't decompose, they kind of fossilize!  Did you know that modern landfills are designed to seal and trap waste, not to let it decompose? Some towns send their trash to an incinerator and wet food waste makes lousy fuel!

Another good reason to start composting!

Rolling Compost?

Rolling compost looked like fun, kind of like playing bingo, but without seeing what is rolling around inside, which with compost is preferable. Rolling the bin is even something kids might like to do, at least until the novelty wears off.  We don’t have any kids in our house, but I bet I could get some of the neighbor kids interested in this new game, for a little while anyway.

So many options and styles of composting bins....

I considered using the trash barrel technique, one of the homemade versions I spoke about earlier, but after thinking about it some more I realized I wanted a bin with a removable bottom. That way when the time comes, I can tip the bin over to shovel out the “gold” that is resting at the bottom, rather than having to try to coax it out of a barrel.

Once again, I turned to Google, and once again, she came through. Google showed me page after page of different options and styles of compost bins. They roll. They tumble. They just sit there.

A LIttle More Research

I’ve spent the past few weeks looking at a number of different compost piles.  In addition to the creative homemade versions I posted in my last blog, I found “casual” and “corral” compost piles. The casual composting piles are the ones where people pile up yard and food waste in an open area, water the heap once in a while, and wait. I learned that casual composting doesn’t get as hot as other types, and can take several months to turn into compost. Corral composts look like mini versions of horse corrals, except the goal of these corrals is to keep living creatures out, not in. 

Everything I’ve seen so far seemed doable, although I don’t think I’d like to look at an open pile of compost every day. Plus, I decided that I needed to seriously consider the wildlife around our home. Not only do we have coyotes, but I saw two lumbering raccoons visiting the stream by our driveway. They were very cute, from a distance, but I’m sure they would be tempted with an open compost pile. I need something less tempting, something with a lid that isn’t easily opened by prying paws.

Do you want to have healthier plants?

I found another interesting tidbit from my web surfing. Did you know that soil treated with compost tends to produce plants with fewer pest problems. Compost helps to control diseases and insects that might otherwise overrun a more sterile soil lacking natural checks against their spread.

Homemade Leaf Corrals for Composting

Compost is Free, Plants Love It, and It's Natural!

I also found out that compost improves the quality of almost any soil, and for this reason, is considered a "soil conditioner." I'm not a science geek, but I certainly know how to Google. I read this on a website about composting, "Compost adds nutrients to the soil and contains a variety of basic nutrients that plants require for healthy growth. In addition to the main three: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, of special importance are the micronutrients found in compost such as manganese, copper, iron, and zinc. Micronutrients are only needed in small doses, like vitamins in our diet, but they play an important role in the plant's ability to extract nutrients from other foods. In a commercial fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, micronutrients are often missing. Compost is basically a FREE nutrient boost for your plants." I could hardly control my enthusiasm.  It's free, plants love it, and it's natural!!

Casual Compost or Contained Compost Bin?

I also read that having a casual compost pile is somewhat easier, because compost will "happen" even if you just pile on yard and food waste, water it every now and then, and wait, kind of like growing the compost. On the other hand, because it takes longer to heat, it may not kill the seeds from weeds that may have made their way into the pile.

I haven’t done too much reading up on the enclosed bins, but my guess is that they hold in the heat, and dark ones I saw during my Googling probably absorb the sun’s warmth – even on those cold winter days. The warmer the compost, the faster it decomposes.

Okay, so I've narrowed it down. I want to shut down the buffet line for the wildlife, lighten my trash load by moving kitchen waste (especially those coffee grinds) to the compost, and have compost ready for spring when Jack starts getting his garden ready. Jack can spend the money he saves on expensive fertilizers on me instead. J

Creative Homemade Compost Bins

There were quite a few varieties of the homemade type that worked well for those families based on their yard and where they lived. I also saw a cylinder of wire mesh attached to four long stakes driven into the ground, an old trash can with holes punched in the sides, and shipping pallets set vertically and wired together to make a three sided compost bin. I thought the pallet compost bin was very clever. What a great way to reuse pallets.

I seriously considered the pallet-style bin, but then I thought about the pros and cons of these types of casual composting piles for my yard area. After Googling "composting homemade bins," I found some information about the good and bad of casual, or open-style composting. Open-style bins have better air circulation and generally hold a large amount of yard and kitchen waste. It is easy to turn the materials (something I found needs to be done to compost), add new material, and remove the finished compost when it is ready. The downside is rodents or other unwanted creatures using the pile as a buffet. I also discovered that casual composting can take a little longer to break down, because it needs heat to break it down, kind of like baking the compost.

Where to Begin?

Now the question is, “Where do I begin?” I had heard about the chelmsfordrecycles.org website a while back, so I thought that would be a good place to start.  I found a great article on the website called, "Let it Rot?"  I chuckled to myself thinking that if I do nothing, my garbage will take its natural course anyway – the garbage the coyotes don’t eat, that is.

It seems composting can be as easy as I want it to be. I can be kind of lazy about it and still get compost, or I can really dive in and become a compost queen. Somewhere in the middle might work best for me.

I decided to drive around town looking for how other families were composting. I found one house with a backyard structure of cinderblocks and chicken wire. I didn’t think it added much to the curb appeal. I also think that the Wild-E coyote would find a way to crack that code pretty quickly. But, at least they were composting, and that in itself should be congratulated. Another composting area that I saw had three box-style bins made of slats and looked similar to stalls for miniature horses.

Cinder blocks and chicken wire

Box-style bins using wood slats

The Culprit!

Every morning I got up earlier and earlier until I saw the culprit.  It was a coyote!  And it looked like he was enjoying this buffet every day. Maybe this composting idea isn’t all that great.  Or, could it be that I wasn’t doing it right?  I decided that for the time being I’d just compost coffee grinds. Those didn’t seem to appeal to Mr.Coyote.

It was too bad, too. I was starting to see the benefits of my efforts inside the house. When I used to put our garbage in with the rest of the trash, it began to stink after a couple of days. And when it was time to empty the trash, it weighed a ton. I remembered reading that Chelmsford pays for every ton of trash that gets picked up. I felt a little guilty abandoning my compost project, but I didn’t know what to do. And I certainly wasn’t going to as Loretta. Time to look into how to compost for where I live and shut down the buffet for those coyote.

Compost Pile or Buffet Line?

Then something odd happened. After a few days, I noticed that some of my kitchen scraps were missing. Could it be a rabbit, or a raccoon? Maybe I wasn’t the only one smiling smugly at the compost pile. I rationalized that at least my garbage wasn’t adding to the landfills. So, I kept up my vigilance, adding to the pile every time we filled up the tub.

Then the snow came. It was time to dump the next heap, so I bundled up and put on my boots. As I trudged through the 6-inch deep snow, I saw tracks, well-work tracks leading to the compost pile. I wondered if some critter really was visiting my pile on a regular basis.  I hoped it wasn’t a coyote.  All I could think of was my Golden Retriever. If he saw a coyote, he’d chase it. And if coyotes saw my other dog, my 15-pound little guy, they might think it’s Thanksgiving.