composting?

[shonkahouse]

Does anyone here do composting? I have a vermicomposter (worm composter) in my house and I was curious to see if anyone else did the same. If so, how do you like it?

[JamieWard]

I was gonna start next spring, but OUTSIDE. I never new you could do that inside!?

[shonkahouse]

Yes, you can compost inside if you have the right tools to do so. It's not like just throwing a bunch of stuff in a pile somewhere in your house and letting it rot, though. Personally, I invested in a vermicomposter (worm composter). I got mine from Hayneedle.com, cause I couldn't find any place local that sold them.

My composter, or worm condo as I like to call it, does all the work for me. I don't have to mix or turn anything...I just let the worms do their job. It is a pricey investment, although less than I had expected, to purchase the system that I have, but I love it! I am very much into things that are low maintenance, and the system I have is just that.

Let me know if you have any questions about it, I LOVE to talk about this stuff....can you tell? I'm kind of a hippie

[BJNeb]

We compost also, but using an outdoor tumbler (home-made!). I have looked at the vermicomposting and would love to start, but it might take a bit to get the wife on board...

[shonkahouse]

BJNeb - I hear you. My husband was a bit hesitant for me to get the worm condo. I had to do a lot of coaxing before he was really cool with it. Now he's fine with it, cause he's seen it in action, and he knows it doesn't smell. That was his biggest fear. He makes fun of me and tells everyone I have pet worms.

If you are interested, let me know, I'll get you the contact info for the worm farm that I got mine from...you have to get special worms bred for this type of composting. Good luck persuading the wife!

[BJNeb]

Did you get your worms locally? I have seen several places on line from which you may order them, but didn't know if there was someplace around here where you can buy them? Also, what do you do with the castings, do you garden?

[shonkahouse]

Actually, in the kit that I got it said to go to findworms.com. I did that, and it wasn't very helpful. The closest place (farm) that I was able to find was in Lincoln. But, when I attempted to contact them, they didn't exist anymore. I did the same thing for several others in the surrounding area. The place I found was in NW Missouri. They were awesome, and professional. They did say that they don't ship in really cold weather, because they want the worms to survive the transport. I got mine just in time.

I JUST started doing this in late october, so once my castings have built up I'll be putting them in the garden that I'm planning on starting in the spring. My system allows for the castings to be built up on different levels for a while. So, I've got a while before I have to find another place to store them.

[ksjoseph]

How neat! I've thought about composting outside, but I didn't want to offend the neighbors with the smell (I always heard that it smelled). I would love to start! Does it cost much? Can people send me some information? Is it difficult to do outdoors in the winter?

[shonkahouse]

The composter I have is a worm composter, and I keep in indoors, because outside right now they would freeze. I have it in my main floor bathroom, and I honestly don't notice a smell. At first there was a sense of "dampness" or I guess it kind of smelled humid. Just like I walked in and could smell wet dirt...but not a foul odor by any means. They only smell bad if you add the wrong things to them, such as meat or dairy products (which are not meant to be composted). If I'm worried about offending any guests that come to my house, I just light a nice fragrant candle in the bathroom, and no one even notices that the worm bin is in there.

How much does it cost?
I got my worm composting system from hayneedle.com
here's the link: http://www.compostbins.com/compost-b...mcomposter.cfm

There are other composting systems available, tons to choose from depending on how you want to manage your compost. There's outdoor bins and tumblers as well as indoor solutions. Below is a link to where I found a good selection on Hayneedle.com
http://www.compostbins.com/compost-b...compost%20bins

Can people send me information?
If you click on the link just above and look on the left side of the page, there's a box (labeled HELPFUL INFORMATION) with TONS of links to information about composting. Otherwise, I'm sure there's someplace out there that's willing to send information to you. If nothing else, I am more than happy to help answer questions...I'm kind of obsessed with this stuff

Is is difficult to do outdoors in the winter?
I don't do my compost outdoors, but in my old house, my neighbors did. They didn't do it in the winter, because they said whatever was in their bins froze. compost material has a LOT of moisture in it, so it will freeze when it's this cold. Unless you have a way to keep the bin warm, outdoor composting during the winter is kind of a hassle (at least that was my perception of it).
Personally, I prefer the bin I have because I don't have to go outside to manage it, I don't have to turn or mix the contents (the worms do all the work for me), and it costs a lot less than the stand up bins, or tumblers, that you would keep outside.

I am really into doing the eco-friendly thing, but I also want it to be convenient for me and my family...so that's why I chose the stacking worm bin.

[ksjoseph]

Thanks much! I'm looking forward to learning more... I'm going to look at the website now!