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drmatt drmatt
 
M$2 January 27, 2009 12:51 AM

Any good options for composting in a small backyard?

I'd love to compost and use the compost for the rest of our yard.  Living in California, we have a small backyard and neighbors who are pretty close.

Does anyone have good suggestions for a composting system that we could use for our backyard?

If you have suggestions of a specific system, please include and advantages/disadvantages.
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robbrown robbrown
 
 January 27, 2009 01:00 AM
With a size constraint, you won't be able to compost all of your waste. However, you would be shocked what worms can do.

Give this a try:

http://www.stopwaste.org/images/163249122004plworm1.gif

Plastic Worm Binplastic worm bin

* Composting system: fruit and vegetable trimmings alone
* Very easy to build; tidy for indoor use
* Plastic bins keep compost moist-Will require regular additions of dry bedding
* $6 - $20 for new materials

Materials

* (1) Plastic storage container with a tight fitting lid - 12" to 18" tall, 12"x24" base

Tools

Power drill (1/4" bit) or utility knife

Assembly

* For indoor use, drill several holes for ventilation about halfway up the sides of the bin. For outdoor use, holes can be drilled in the bottom for ventilation and drainage. To reduce fly infestation, keep holes small.

This is also a great school project for the teachers out there. Kids really get involved in the creation and it teaches valuable lessons in ecology, recycling and even life (you don't want to hurt the worms)!

If you have the room inside, these containers (surprisingly) do not smell at all.  Not one bit.  So, if you have the space inside rather than outside (or have a problem with animals outside) this is a really, really great option.
Source(s):
http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=445

Asker's Rating:
• As usual, detailed information and great answer. Wish it had some commercial links as well.


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neetnut neetnut
 
January 27, 2009 02:20 AM
I  live in a small town with close neighbors. We have in the past few years we kept a garden in the backyard. Our compost consisted of newspapers, leafs, dirt and a bag of manure.All constructed in a wooded frame. The newspapers when wet they help to adsorb the order of the manure. It really didn't smell bad at all and our neighbors never complained. Plus they loved the veggies we shared with them.
Source(s):
http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/smallscalecomposting.htm
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG5553.html


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laurelgard... laurelgard...
 
January 27, 2009 05:16 PM
There are a number of contained units that one can purchase which are specifically designed for your situation. A good choice for you would probably be a barrel composter. 

There's info on this site:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG5553.html

If you have a garden, a compost tea system might be good as well.

http://www.vermicrop.com/index.php

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skippy329 skippy329
 
January 27, 2009 05:27 PM
I would recommend a small composting bin. They can be found at many hard wear stores and are about 4 foot tall and 2 feet wide. You will not be able to compost all your trash. Good things to use in your bin would be apple cores orange peels yard waste even old fruits and vegetables. I also enjoy that it really requires not much maintenance. I hope this tip helps.

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als1626 als1626
 
January 28, 2009 04:39 AM
I've been looking into options for urban composting forever - worms are a great idea if you live someplace warm enough to sustain them year round/have a place you can keep them alive in the winter. The enclosed composters are intriguing to me but all seem pretty expensive and my neighbors are right on top of me - my building has an enclosed courtyard and the first floor residents each have a section of that, so it would REALLY have to be odor-free and not attract critters.

An interesting small space composting idea that I've been reading up on is the Japanese method of Bokashi composting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokashi_composting for basic info and links. I'd love to do this but as I only have an enclosed cement patio and large planter boxes, I haven't decided whether to commit to having a big old planter full of nothing but dirt for part 2 of the method! Good luck - I'll be following the answers you get in the hopes that this year I'll get a system in place!
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokashi_composting


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ilikedging... ilikedging...
 
January 28, 2009 10:17 PM
http://www.composters.com/compost-bins/easy-max-compost-bin_248_1.php

http://www.composters.com/compost-bins/plus-automatic-indoor-composter_19_1.php

Those two are my personal favorite compost bins for small places.

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drmatt drmatt
 
January 30, 2009 05:38 PM
I like this answer as well, but it wasn't the best (second best). Nevertheless... tipped for a very good answer and links.

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