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BANG FOR THE BITE
Cheaper and effective, if 10,000 Biters compost ¼ of their yearly kitchen waste, in a year we'll keep the weight of the Statue of Liberty in trash outta landfills.
COCKTAIL FACT
Some government agencies in the UK recommend composting important documents as a surefire way to avoid identity theft.
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home › tip library › Eco Gardens and Homes - Natural Fertilizers
Your turn for bush patrol?
The Bite
Get bangin' bushes when you bring a little something extra into your bed (flower bed, that is) - new organic fertilizers and potting soils are better for the earth as well as your plants.The Benefits
- They just plain work. Organic fertilizers and soils get your plants growing without synthetic chems.
- Planet-friendlier. Chem-based fertilizers can runoff, contaminating groundwater.
- Composting your own fertilizer is easy on the landfill (the average household produces about 200 lbs of kitchen waste per year) and even easier on your wallet (since it's, um, free).
Personally Speaking
Jen's such an animal lover that she's even been known to save earthworms by helping street-bound ones back to soil after rainstorms. Fitting, then, that the earthworm castings from Black Gold kept her indoor herb garden growing all winter.Wanna Try?
Compost- EnviroCycle - aerate your compost and work your biceps at the same time ($158).
- Can-O-Worms - composter/hotel-for-worms, made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic ($100).
- Clean Air Gardening Indoor Kitchen Composter - composts by fermentation for faster fertilizer ($70).
- Foothill Worm Ranch and Happy D Ranch - worms delivered to your door ($25-$30/lb).
- Gardens Alive Garden Plenty - animal byproduct-free fertilizer from a company that knows eco-friendly gardens ($13/5 lbs).
- Black Gold - earthworm casting-enriched, great for all types of planting ($3/4 qts).
- TerraCycle - freakin' amazing plant-specific food made from worm castings, packaged in used plastic soda bottles (prices vary).
- Miracle-Gro - need a version easy to find in your local nursery or hardware store? Even the biggest supplier of inorganic fertilizers offers new organic versions, coming to a nursery near you (prices vary).
- Compost Guide - composting 101.
- DIY Bite: sprinkle used coffee grounds around your plants to give your plants their nitrogen fix. (You can even bring grounds home from the office or ask the manager at your local coffeeshop. You might get weird looks, but hey, it's free and saves landfill space.)
Mar 20,2007
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Composting Just Feels Good
There were many reasons for my move from NYC to San Francisco. My family is in the West. Good friends. A great green scene. An easier outdoor lifestyle.
All in all, it was the perfect move in nearly every way.
But while I came here for the proximity to things I love, I think I am staying for the composting.
See, SF has citywide composting - we all get to save all food scraps and give them over in green recycling bins to be composted and used in city gardens and projects.
For whatever reason, this simple fact makes garbage day so much easier...
-Heather... off to compost some celery tops...
All in all, it was the perfect move in nearly every way.
But while I came here for the proximity to things I love, I think I am staying for the composting.
See, SF has citywide composting - we all get to save all food scraps and give them over in green recycling bins to be composted and used in city gardens and projects.
For whatever reason, this simple fact makes garbage day so much easier...
-Heather... off to compost some celery tops...
Biter Comments...
I keep my compostables in the freezer and thaw them out before I put them in the bin. It keeps them from smelling and kills any fruit fly eggs that might be there.
If you are going to compost you don't need an expensive kit. I have an indoor worm bin that is an old 20-gallon plasic storage container with holes drilled in it for air. In NYC, the Lower East Side Ecology Center has indoor worm bins for sale, plus red wiggler worms if you are going to DIY. http://www.lesecologycenter.org/
I loved the comment in the "Personally Speaking" section of today's tip that Jen actually rescues worms from the street after a rainstorm. I do that, too! One time I couldn't play tennis because the court had caterpillars from a nearby tree. My friend couldn't believe that I wouldn't just step on them while playing.
Back to composting, my family does that, too. We're passive and rarely turn it, but it still turns out great!
Don't knock NYC completely; the Union Square farmers market (M,W,F,Sat) has bins where you can put your compost and the bins are often overflowing! I just leave my compost in my freezer and truck it in on the subway once a week (luckily, nothing, even smelly organics is seen as odd on the NYC subway!).
I have looked into this and it is not cost effective (expensive). For people who are not rich - we cannot afford these things
My local resource council here in PA has composting workshops that cost $25 to register, and you get the composting class plus a compost bin (worth $75). If I wasn't a renter, I'd probably actually USE the bin, but I really just went to learn about it. They also have worm composting and rainbarrel workshops...
"Some government agencies in the UK recommend composting important documents as a surefire way to avoid identity theft."
I don't recommend this for standard paper or newspaper.
Most paper (unless you buy recycled) is made with chlorine and other unhealthy ingredients.
Unless you use a non-toxic or soy-based ink, most ink is acidic and will actually hurt your garden, and wind up in your food.
You're better off shredding then recycling that kind of paper.
In response to the comment about being too expensive - you can make your own worm bin using a rubbermaid bin. Google "make your own worm bin" and check out the abundance of resources. I tried the can-o-worms, and didn't like it much - maybe other people have had better experiences. I also really like the Tumbler (a bit more pricey) and the Sun Frost Scrap Eater (also pricey). If money is a problem and you live in an apartment community or there's an HOA, maybe others would be inetersted in pitching in and sharing a system??
I work for an environmental education organization and we have a program that teaches kids about decomposers. Over the weekend a girl said eew, I don't like worms. But by the end after learning all about worms, she said "I love worms now!" ahhhh : )
I began my compost bin pretty much as soon as I bought my house a few months ago and I can't believe how easy it is to do. With the warmer weather my black gold should be ready in about 2 more months. I'm going to have to wait on the can-o-worms though.
www.americaninventorspot.com/gloriacampos
Equally important to mention in this tip, is the quantity of petroleum products and byproducts that go into producing non-organic fertilizers!
Wow, I thought more biters would have worm bins. I made myself one that I keep right under my sink. I love my worms, and they are loving my vegetable scraps. Yay!!!
Composting is a great way to get rid of your food scraps and other yard waste. A quick comment to go along with a prior one about adding paper to your bin. You should be careful about the paper you put in. Some of the dyes used in printing contain substances that you definitely don't want to be eating! If, however, you don't have a good way to bulk up your bin (and it's all about balance when it comes to composting) check with your local newspaper. Many of the printers have moved to soy based ink on the newsprint, and it makes a great carbon source if you can use it. Again, if you have concerns, the easiest thing to do is not to put your compost in the food garden, but to add it to shrubs and trees around the yard.
Another really easy yard waste management technique is to "cut it and leaf it". Why people spend the time bagging up their lawn scraps and hauling them to the curb for the trucks to pick up is beyond me. A small investment in a mulching mower/blade will eliminate lots of work and make your lawn look a whole lot better without the need for fertilizers. Bagged yard waste is a concern for many solid waste systems. If folks are using plastic bags (usually black) much of that yard waste is being landfilled. The reason is, that the haulers and landfill operators don't know that it's just yard waste, especially when they pick it up with the regular trash. This is becoming and issue for landfill folks because landfills (due to decomposing organics) are producing about 9% of the greenhouse gases worldwide. Many systems are working to address this issus.
I have a question about composting things that are not green, such as meat and fat. I really dont know what to do with this. I hate to throw it away, but I know it's bad for a compost pile. Any affordable suggestions?
www.americaninventorspot.com/gloriacampos
Try veriposting. It's better for the enviroment. :)
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Posted by: the other JB | March 20, 2007 at 08:17 AM