Making Compost Indoors - How To Compost In The Home

Gently hand-toss the damp bedding in the bin, then evenly sprinkle a cup of garden soil over it. If you're aerobic composting, use a trowel to bury the day's compost-safe food scraps and other organic waste in the soil layer, and then replace the bin lid to let composting begin.

Can you compost inside your house?

How to Compost Indoors. No, you don't need a backyard in order to compost. For indoor composting, you've got a few options—you can collect scraps in a special compost bin that will allow waste to be broken down and turned into compost, or you can use a worm composter (AKA vermicomposting.)

What is the best way to make compost at home?

How to Compost

Start your compost pile on bare earth. ...
Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. ...
Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. ...
Add manure, green manure (clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass, grass clippings) or any nitrogen source. ...
Keep compost moist.

How do you start composting indoors?

Here's how in four easy steps:

Buy a Container. Purchase a large plastic or ceramic container. ...
Pile the Components. Before you can toss scrapped food in your compost, you'll need to prep the bin. ...
Toss in Scraps. Now that you have a pile of paper, soil and worms, you can start throwing in your scraps. ...
Repeat.

How can I compost indoors without worms?

Perhaps the easiest way to compost in your apartment without worms is to donate your food waste. ...
To get around this, you can re-create a soil bed in your apartment:
If you have a bit more space, you can buy a two-chamber version. ...
You can simply fill the bucket up and leave it to run.

Are maggots in compost OK?

Answer ONE! Maggots are not going to hurt your compost, but they may be a sign that your balance of green materials/brown materials is off. ... If it is too wet or has too much green material (food waste, grass, fresh leaves) in relation to brown, it can become slimy and rotten smelling and attract lots of maggots.

What is the best composting method?

Vermicompost is an excellent option for the busy, small-space gardener. By getting worms to do most of the work for you, this is one of the most hands-off compost methods around. Red Wiggler worms are the most popular choice for worm composting: they are extremely efficient waste-eaters!

What should you not put in compost?

What NOT to Compost And Why

Meat, fish, egg or poultry scraps (odor problems and pests)
Dairy products (odor problems and pests)
Fats, grease, lard or oils (odor problems and pests)
Coal or charcoal ash (contains substances harmful to plants)
Diseased or insect-ridden plants (diseases or insects might spread)

What do I put at the bottom of my compost bin?

If you have to put your compost bin on concrete, tarmac or patio slabs ensure there s a layer of paper and twigs or existing compost on the bottom so the worms and other creatures can colonise.

How long before compost is ready?

Depending on the factors above your compost could take anywhere from four weeks to 12 months to fully decompose. If you're using a tumbler, you'll have ready-to-use compost in three weeks to three months.

Do indoor compost bins smell?

Done correctly, compost shouldn't stink. You should never, ever have smelly compost. If you do have a smelly compost bin, it means you are doing something wrong. ... Outdoor compost bins should smell earthy while indoor compost bins should be emptied quick enough to avoid a stinky kitchen.

Does compost bin need a lid?

It is not essential for a compost heap to have a lid. However, a lid does help to regulate both the temperature and the moisture levels. You could easily use a piece of old carpet (preferably Hessian backed rather than foam backed) or a thick piece of plastic tarpaulin weighed down with stones.

How do I make my compost not smell?

Compost that has too little aeration will smell putrid or like rotting eggs. Turn the compost pile to help get air into the compost and stop the bad smell. You may also want to add some “fluffy” materials like dry leaves or dry grass to help keep the pile from over-compacting again.

Can I put moldy fruit in my compost?

Is moldy food, which is recognizable, all right to use in the compost bin? Answer: You can add moldy food (vegetables and fruits only) to a backyard composting bin anytime. Mold cells are just one of the many different types of microorganisms that take care of decomposition and are fine in a backyard bin.

Can you compost banana peels?

Composting banana peels is as easy as simply tossing your leftover banana peels into the compost. You can toss them in whole, but be aware that they may take longer to compost this way. ... While, yes, you can use banana peels as fertilizer and it will not harm your plant, it is best to compost them first.

Why are there no worms in my compost?

Could be your compost is too hot at the moment. Moisture Issue Worms will drown if things get too wet. This would be more likely if your bin has a plastic bottom and they could not escape. If things are too wet or too dry they will leave.

Why is my compost full of flies?

Most pests and houseflies appear in compost piles because they are filled with their natural food. Once they eat, they lay eggs in the same area, trying to guarantee a food supply for their young. ... Compost flies will only live when the temperature is right, and if they have a ready supply of food.

Can you have too many worms in your compost?

A compost pile or bin that's primarily run by worms can and does heat up sometimes, but generally vermicomposters are happy that the bins don't heat up too much so that your worms don't get killed off. If you really do have too many worms, you can divide them into two containers or piles and build your throughput.

Is Cardboard safe for compost?

Any type of corrugated cardboard can be used in compost as long as it is broken into small pieces. Flat cardboard – This type of cardboard is most often found as cereal boxes, drink boxes, shoe boxes and other similar flat-surfaced cardboards. ... These types are more difficult to compost.

What are the negatives of composting?

Disadvantages of Composting

Requires initial investment.
Efficiency depends on your amount of organic waste.
Unpleasant smell.
Neighbors may complain.
May attract rats, snakes and bugs.
Rather unpleasant physical appearance.
Involves plenty of work.
Needs some monitoring.

What's better compost or worm farm?

Worm farms use worms instead of microbes to break down organic matter. The worms eat and digest the rotting scraps and poop out 'worm castings' which is a super nutrient rich soil type fertiliser that's perfect for gardens and crops. This process is a lot faster than composting, especially if you have heaps of worms.

How do you make large quantities for compost?

Start the pile using two parts carbon to one part nitrogen and see how it works. From there, you can make changes—either more carbon or more nitrogen. If the pile doesn't heat but smells and draws flies, you have too much nitrogen. Add more carbon.