A while ago, we featured a rather mammoth composting drum for the exceptionally enthusiastic gardener. But what if you don’t have the room for such a beast? What if you don’t even have a backyard? Perhaps an indoor composter is in order?
As someone who lives in a condo, I more than understand. Disturbed by the amount of green, organic waste I was throwing in the trash and saddened by the fact that my apartment building wasn’t participating in a green bin program, I decided to start looking for options I could take on personally.
While having a yen for composting could label me a hippie, the options I found for indoor compost bins did not sit well with my uppity yuppie heart. Indoor composters with “drip trays” and multiple holes to let the gasses out did not sound very appealing to keep in a small indoor space – and don’t get me started on the composting kits that use worms.
My research led me to the best of both green and clean living: NatureMill Home Composters. While I haven’t had a chance to demo this personally (and if the good people of NatureMill feel like giving a certain writer one for a follow-up article, she sure would be grateful …) the reviews and what I’ve learned about this composter give me a pretty great feeling about this product.
The NatureMill Home Composter looks like a bit like a PC tower (Mac fans, bite your tongues), except it’s programmed to churn your trash into compost, sans-stench. Just pop your organic waste in (like food scraps, veggie and fruit peels, coffee grinds, eggshells and wet paper products), a bit of soil (just to get it started), some dry shredded paper, a bit of baking soda and it’s ready to go. This indoor composter is programmed to churn, turn and mulch the material on a regular schedule while regulating the air flow and moisture levels as needed. You can then just add your organic waste to it. It even has a special filter system that keeps bad odors from becoming an issue in your home (we’ve heard that the only smell people sometimes catch a whiff of is similar to sourdough bread. That’s fine by us!).
Take a look at it in action:
After about two weeks, you should have a tray of mineral-rich compost and a container of “compost tea” fertilizer. Use it in your garden, potted houseplants or even spread it around guerrilla-style to nearby parks and community gardens (complete with a note saying it’s from “Your Friendly Neighborhood Compostman”).
NatureMill Home Composter Plus XE
This is a great idea for apartment dwellers with balcony plants but as a less expensive alternative, you may wish to reconsider a worm bin. Mine is the stacking type so I have levels in each stage of composting, with a spigot at the bottom for collecting the worm compost tea. Purchasing worm castings is very expensive but this way you get tea, castings, and the best compost from your kitchen scraps. When the lowest level is ready, you just restack with it on top exposing it to light. The worms don’t like light so they go lower and they won’t want to leave. You might not even see them. Use the compost and you have a new top level to start adding to. There is a lid for the top.You don’t have to touch the worms, just occasionally stir with a hand shovel or spoon for aeration. No bad odor is created unless it is too wet and needs more paper or coir (50/50 green to brown). Fits on a balcony or kitchen alcove. No electricity needed.
Thanks for your detailed comment Janet! Apparently great minds think alike. We have an article posting on worm composting in less than a week. Check back on our home page around the 19th (of July) and you’ll see we’re on the same page! Thanks again for all your great info and the suggestion.