Comments on: Apartment Composting – How to Compost when you live in an apartment http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/ Idealist Cafe -- A Lifestyle Project ... Writing and sharing thoughts about adventure, health, sustainability, travel, technology, personal development, and inspired living Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:10:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Russ http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-12405 Russ Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:47:31 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-12405 Hi Nate, I don't think have big paper scraps will affect the health of your compost, though the larger they are the longer they will take to break down. The only other potential problem I can see with large pieces of paper is if they get wet they may hold moisture and increase the chances of the pile rotting and getting messy and stinky. Now that I have my compost in my yard, I don't worry as much about these small details, and have the luxury of I using more leaves and grass clippings rather than newspaper, but when I have paper that is printed with soy inks, I do shred those and add to the compost. But I tear them into small pieces before doing so. You will learn what works best over time. Good luck and thanks for reading! Hi Nate, I don’t think have big paper scraps will affect the health of your compost, though the larger they are the longer they will take to break down. The only other potential problem I can see with large pieces of paper is if they get wet they may hold moisture and increase the chances of the pile rotting and getting messy and stinky.

Now that I have my compost in my yard, I don’t worry as much about these small details, and have the luxury of I using more leaves and grass clippings rather than newspaper, but when I have paper that is printed with soy inks, I do shred those and add to the compost. But I tear them into small pieces before doing so. You will learn what works best over time. Good luck and thanks for reading!

]]> By: Nate http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-12348 Nate Sun, 23 Jan 2011 03:47:03 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-12348 Hey thanks for this post! I started my bin, but i think my newspaper scraps are too big. Is that going to affect the health of my compost? Hey thanks for this post! I started my bin, but i think my newspaper scraps are too big. Is that going to affect the health of my compost?

]]> By: Russ http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-1448 Russ Sat, 05 Jun 2010 22:27:57 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-1448 Glad to help! Now I am lucky in that I do have a yard, but at the time I wrote this I was in a rental and did successfully compost in a bin for several years. Good luck, and let me know how things work out for you! Glad to help! Now I am lucky in that I do have a yard, but at the time I wrote this I was in a rental and did successfully compost in a bin for several years. Good luck, and let me know how things work out for you!

]]> By: Ayako http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-1447 Ayako Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:57:01 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-1447 Hi Russ, thank you for your response! Ok, I should not worry too much about odor and flies but will focus on adding enough dry things to wet food scrapes. I use a lot of vegetables in my diet and fill a trash can with unwanted parts (e.g., skins) fairly quickly. Until I reached your blog, I believed that composting is privilege only for people who have their own yards! Now I have a better idea and I will start composting as soon as I accumulate enough food scrapes! Thank you again for sharing your experience and advice. Hi Russ, thank you for your response! Ok, I should not worry too much about odor and flies but will focus on adding enough dry things to wet food scrapes. I use a lot of vegetables in my diet and fill a trash can with unwanted parts (e.g., skins) fairly quickly. Until I reached your blog, I believed that composting is privilege only for people who have their own yards! Now I have a better idea and I will start composting as soon as I accumulate enough food scrapes! Thank you again for sharing your experience and advice.

]]> By: Russ http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-1443 Russ Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:06:38 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-1443 Ayako, I believe that the higher temperatures would make the process go faster. I am not sure about if it gets below freezing. That may pose a problem... To keep the odor down during the summer, you just have to be sure to keep any food scraps covered. As long as they are fully covered they will not stink and will only attract a minimal amount of flies. You can use grass clippings, leaves, regular soil or shredded newspaper to cover the scraps. Also, be sure that you keep enough dry matter in there to offset the wet stuff that you are adding. The only times I had problems with odor or flies was when the compost got too wet and started to rot, in which case I just added more dry matter and it balanced it back out. You will just have to experiment and see what works best. And remember, I'm not a professional at this, everything I've written about here is just from my own research and experience. :) Thanks for reading! Ayako, I believe that the higher temperatures would make the process go faster. I am not sure about if it gets below freezing. That may pose a problem… To keep the odor down during the summer, you just have to be sure to keep any food scraps covered. As long as they are fully covered they will not stink and will only attract a minimal amount of flies. You can use grass clippings, leaves, regular soil or shredded newspaper to cover the scraps. Also, be sure that you keep enough dry matter in there to offset the wet stuff that you are adding. The only times I had problems with odor or flies was when the compost got too wet and started to rot, in which case I just added more dry matter and it balanced it back out. You will just have to experiment and see what works best. And remember, I’m not a professional at this, everything I’ve written about here is just from my own research and experience. :) Thanks for reading!

]]> By: Ayako http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-1431 Ayako Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:54:25 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-1431 Hello, I live in a small apartment and I grow some vegetables on my veranda. I use organic soil and aware that my soil needs more nutrients. I want try your composting method but I am wondering how temperatures affect the composting process. In my region, it gets really hot and the temperature rises around 85-95F or higher during summer and it drops to bellow 30F and lower during winter. I am particularly concerned about odor during summer since I share the veranda with my neighbor. Thanks! Hello, I live in a small apartment and I grow some vegetables on my veranda. I use organic soil and aware that my soil needs more nutrients. I want try your composting method but I am wondering how temperatures affect the composting process. In my region, it gets really hot and the temperature rises around 85-95F or higher during summer and it drops to bellow 30F and lower during winter. I am particularly concerned about odor during summer since I share the veranda with my neighbor. Thanks!

]]> By: Russ http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Russ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:41:15 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-8 No problem Brandi, hope it works out for you. Feel free to come back here and let me know how it goes. Happy composting! No problem Brandi, hope it works out for you. Feel free to come back here and let me know how it goes. Happy composting!

]]> By: Brandi http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Brandi Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:17:27 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-9 Ummmm, you just rocked my world with this post! I found the link to this post at http://bohemianrevolution.com/composting-in-an-apartment/ and I have been trying to figure out how to compost in my apartment in a way that does not use worms and does not indicate that, well, food is rotting in the corner of the balcony. I am going to Target right now! Thank you Thank you Thank you! Ummmm, you just rocked my world with this post! I found the link to this post at http://bohemianrevolution.com/composting-in-an-apartment/ and I have been trying to figure out how to compost in my apartment in a way that does not use worms and does not indicate that, well, food is rotting in the corner of the balcony. I am going to Target right now! Thank you Thank you Thank you!

]]> By: Russ http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Russ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:24:22 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-10 The fancy equipment will help for sure but is not necessary. But to compost indoors you need to be diligent in turning it regularly and also keep any scraps covered and not exposed to the air otherwise the flies will come. It will probably go quicker with the fancy equipment, but I can personally attest to the fact that I had nothing but a bin and successfully composted indoors. The fancy equipment will help for sure but is not necessary. But to compost indoors you need to be diligent in turning it regularly and also keep any scraps covered and not exposed to the air otherwise the flies will come. It will probably go quicker with the fancy equipment, but I can personally attest to the fact that I had nothing but a bin and successfully composted indoors.

]]> By: Abigail SouillĂ©-Rigaut http://idealistcafe.com/blog/sustainability/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Abigail SouillĂ©-Rigaut Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:30:33 +0000 http://idealistcafe.com/wordpress/uncategorized/apartment-composting-how-to-compost-when-you-live-in-an-apartment/#comment-11 So let me get this straight-- you don't use a composter? You didn't spend $489.99 on a composter, and it still works? I've never composted before, and I'm interested in starting, but everything I've read so far says you have to have a special container. Hmmm So let me get this straight– you don't use a composter? You didn't spend $489.99 on a composter, and it still works? I've never composted before, and I'm interested in starting, but everything I've read so far says you have to have a special container. Hmmm

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