Types of Composters

• It's simple;
• Compost indoors without the need for a backyard;
• Compost all year round without wading through snow to get to an outdoor compost bin;
• Turn food waste into valuable soil for gardens or houseplants;
• Compost from worms, called vermicompost or worm castings, produces increased yields of vegetables and flowers;
• Gets rid of food waste odours from kitchen garbage cans;
• Worm bins can fit anywhere, in apartments, offices;
• Worms make great fish bait;
• Kids love to learn about nature and a worm bin makes learning fun!

1. Container

   A shallow box about a foot deep, with a lid is all you need.  It can be made from wood, a plastic storage tote, or an old foam cooler box.  Worms need air to breath, so they live near the surface.  A worm bin should have ventilation holes in the sides and bottom, and have one square foot of surface area for each pound of kitchen scraps (450 g/m²) a week.  This ratio ensures the worms have enough room and access to air in order to feed.  Thus, a 2' x 4' box (60 x l20 cm) is large enough for 8 lbs. (3.6 kg) of kitchen scraps per week – the average amount produced by a family of four people.

2. Controlled environment

   Worms like dark, warm, moist, loose bedding in which to live.  Common bedding materials include shredded paper/newspaper, potting soil, peat moss, coarse sawdust, or fall leaves.  Moisten bedding materials by soaking them in water until thoroughly wet.  Squeeze out excess water, then fill bin to the top with loose bedding.  Make sure there is adequate drainage or add just enough food scraps to avoid a build up of water at bottom.  Keep the temperature between 13-25°C (55-77°F).  Cover box to keep area dark.

3. Where to get worms

   Red worms, commonly known as 'red wigglers', are the most satisfactory kind to use for composting because they eat large amounts of food scraps (half their body weight per day), reproduce quickly, and thrive in confinement.  You can buy them in Edmonton from:  Ecocity Society - Greenways 423-4003; Earth's General Store 439-8725; Dirt Willy Farm 922-6080; and they'll be shipped to you in a few days.  To get a bin started you'll need 1 lb. (450 g) of worms for 1/2 lb. (230 g) of food scraps per day.

   Example: 2 lbs. (910 g) of redworms in a 2’ x 4’ box (8 ft.2 or 0.7 m2  surface area) will process 7 lbs. (3.2 kg) of food scraps per week.
   
   DO Feed Your Worms

   Grains Vegetable Scraps Bread Fruit Rinds and Peels Tea Bags Coffee Grounds, Filters

   
   
   DON'T Feed Your Worms

   Meat Fish Cheese Oily Foods Butter Animal Products

   
   
   
4. Maintenance

   Collect food scraps and coarsely chop them up to speed up decaying process. Dig a hole in the bedding, bury scraps and cover with a few inches of bedding to discourage flies and odours. Feed worms in a different spot each time to distribute food equally throughout the bin.  Feed worms every other day, once a week or even up to every second week. Worms can eat their bedding too, but don't leave them alone without scraps for more than a month.

5. Harvesting

   After two to three months, when the bedding is completely composted, you can harvest the worm castings.  To do so, push vermicompost and worms to one side of the bin, add fresh bedding to the empty side and start burying scraps in the new bedding only, for the next three to six weeks.  Once worms migrate over to the food side, you can take out the vermicompost.  Don't leave the bin without fresh bedding for more than six months because the concentration of worm castings becomes so high that it is toxic to the worms (but not to humans!)

   To harvest worms for fishing, simply pick out what you need from the bedding.  To get enough worms out to start a new bin, take out a few handfuls of compost and place in small piles on a piece of plastic under a bright light or in sunshine.  After letting the pile sit for about 10 minutes, lift off the top layer until you see worms.  Repeat until the worms are concentrated at the bottom of the pile.

This method of composting is done in an enclosed system where bacteria work without oxygen to break down plant matter into humus.  In comparison, aerobic composting uses the turning method to incorporate air in the process.

• It requires little maintenance, minimal attention and no turning,
• It is great for small spaces and backyards,
• Compost-making is out of sight and fits easily into any landscape,
• Great for those constant small amounts of food/yard scraps that don't add up to a big enough heap for turning, and
• Keeps odours contained in a sealed unit.

1. Pit Method

   You dig a pit down 12" to 24" (30 to 60 cm) deep and place an anaerobic digester type compost bin over top of the pit.  Once the unit is in place, you simply put kitchen and yard scraps into the hole and close the lid.

   The 'digester' increases the heat for decomposition and keeps odours and scraps out of sight. You can use the composter for about two to three years depending on rate of volume that is put in.  Once the pit is filled with compost, simply dig another hole and start in another location or use the compost on garden beds.

   The 'digester' composter will take the same types of organic material that aerobic composting (turning method) uses.  It works best when there is a mixture of wet (kitchen scraps/grass clippings) and dry (leaves) scraps.  If it is too dry, the composting action slows, so simply add water.  Meat or other protein matter is not usually recommended, since meat attracts pests and is very smelly when decomposing.

   You can buy a 'digester' composter made from used tires from Centra Cam Vocational Training Association.  Phone 672-9995.

   Easy to Install

   1. Find the sunniest location possible in your yard.  Mark a circumference just larger than the base of your tire composter.  Dig out this circumference to a depth of three inches.
   2. Inside this circle dig a hole 12" to 24" deep leaving a lip for the tire composter to sit on.
   3. Place the tire composter on the lip and pack dirt tightly around the edge.
      
      
2. Garbage Bag Method

   The most basic way of anaerobic composting is to use a garbage bag.  Fill a garbage bag with one-third kitchen scraps, one-third soil, and one-third dead leaves or garden scraps.  Add enough water to make mixture damp, but not soggy.  Tie the bag securely, so no air gets in and roll it around to mix the contents.  Place in a sunny, warm location, since anaerobic composting slows down drastically or stops in freezing temperatures.  Leave for about six weeks.

   When you open the bag, be prepared for a foul odour, since anaerobic composting is a smelly process.  However, once the compost is spread and gets exposed to oxygen, the odour soon disappears.

1. Collect plant matter, such as grass clippings, leaves, garden debris and kitchen waste.  Avoid animal meat or fat as it may attract scavenging animals.  Include coarse and dry material (leaves, straw) and green and wet matter (green grass, kitchen waste).  DO NOT use cat or dog manure.
2. Shred Material.  Cutting kitchen scraps or running a lawn mower over garden debris will help it decompose faster.
3. Pile it in a heap about l metre by l metre.  You may use a bin, a ventilated barrel or simply a pile.  Very small piles may not heat adequately.
4. Add water (enough to dampen, not soak) and cover with soil or tarp to reduce odors and to keep animals out.
5. Wait 4 days, then turn.  It should heat up to 55° Celsius or even 67° Celsius.  This will kill insects, weed seeds and plant diseases.
6. Turn every 4 to 7 days.  It will decompose very slowly if it isn't turned, but turning speeds it up considerably.  Turning supplies oxygen to all parts of the pile, and turns the un-decomposed bits into the centre.  Material will even decompose slowly over winter.
7. It is done when it is dark, uniform and has a clean earthy odour.  Even if turned, it will no longer heat up.

• Ideal size is about 1 meter by 1 meter.
• Air circulation is important, so build bin with mesh, open brickwork, or slatted boards.
• Place bin on well drained ground.
• Have one removable side so you can easily turn your compost.
• Two bins side by side makes turning your compost easy.  Three bins is luxurious if you can fill them.
• A bottomless box which can be moved when full is convenient.
• Commercial rotating bins and square plastic bins are suitable for a small garden or balcony.
• The aerobic composter is available from Centra Cam Vocational Training Association.  Phone 672-9995.

1. It stinks and looks slimy:  It is too wet.  Turn it several times to dry out.
2. It doesn't heat up:  You have too much coarse and dry material.  Add green and wet material such as grass clippings.
3. It smells like ammonia:  Too much nitrogen material (grass clippings).  Add dry material like straw, leaves, dry stalks.

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