psa: apartment composter

my girlfriend and I have a small yard where we have taken a cue from both the guerrilla gardeners and the path to freedom and have tried to do as much urban agriculture as possible. we grow habanero peppers, chili peppers, avocados, mint, rosemary, basil, sage, and two kinds of tomatoes. it’s been incredible so far- we’re not exactly growing every ingredient for every meal, but the home grown herbs and garnishes are really incredible for enhancing what we do eat.

but with the growing (and a diet heavy in veggies) comes a lot of organic waste. to deal with this, and to provide nutrient-rich soil in a few months, I invested in a garden gourmet compost bin.

when it arrived, my initial response was that I had been completely ripped off. the differences between “apartment composter” and “plastic trash can” were not entirely obvious at first. six months later, the differences are pretty clear and I would recommend a garden gourmet to anyone.

the bin is well aerated which increases the rate of decomposition. the door on the bottom of the bin allows for access of the compost once it is ready, with minimal fishing around or rotating. but the most amazing thing is that there is absolutely no odor. the garden gourmet comes with a detailed guide that explains what can be composted, what cannot be composted, and what cannot be composted with out your neighbors noticing. we followed the guidelines, and there is no odor and no animal inquiries.

so I would completely recommend one to anyone who wants to try to recycle not only fruit and vegetable waste but also biodegradable products. the next item I’m looking into is a pet waste composter…

Technorati Tags: composter, puppy, urban agriculture