Compost, Compost Everywhere

Ever since Monie approached me about writing a green blog, and of course I was all gung-ho for the idea, I have been thinking about my efforts to cut my carbon footprints and driving my friends and family (especially my family) crazy about recycling.

Well I’ve decided to dig in deeper and start a compost pile in order to fertilize my plants and soon to be growing garden. I know what you’re thinking – compost piles STINK and attract bugs. Or, “how in the world can I compost when I live in an apartment?” Or “I live in an apartment, what would I need compost for?”

Ok – so I haven’t figured out composting in an apartment thing yet, but I have figured out how to cut the smell and, because this is a learning process for me, get rid of the fruit flies. And the benefits of compost are the same wherever you live (house, farm or apartment) – it’s an eco-friendly way to discard of food waste and it’s beneficial to houseplant, herb gardens, potted tomatoes, larger gardens, larger flower beds, etc.

So follow me as I journey into the pile of compost.

The Smell Thing

I started my pile in a regular yard-size (10gal or larger) trash can (with a lid) with holes drilled all around including the bottom for aeration. If you have a larger drill bit, you can drill larger holes in the can and cover with mesh so you can roll it around to mix the fixins. I don’t roll my can, I just use a handy shovel to stir.

I first added 2 large bags full of oak leaves and twigs and fruit/veggies past their prime.

There 2 key tricks (I think) to keeping the stink out of compost

1. Don’t add any human/animal by-products (including manure) and no dairy.
2. Keep the pile moist (but not overly wet) – this is where I got in trouble – my pile is too wet.

The Flies

To combat the flies, you have to have a good mix of greens (veggies) and browns (leaves, paper, coffee grounds, etc) – or nitrogen and carbon (I’m still working to understand which is what).

So tonight, I am heading home to add newspaper and shredded junk mail to the pile.

I will keep ya’ll abreast of my muck…