Gardening Tips: Easy Indoor Compost

Reader Contribution by Lauren Holt
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In my yearning for spring I’ve started researching gardening methods, especially container-planting and indoor herb gardening tips since I live in a small second-story apartment. Ideally my indoor garden will be as organic and homemade as possible, and in pursuit of that goal I found this video about easy indoor composting.

Here’s a summary of the information:

Try this easy bucket method for indoor compost without overpowering fragrance.
Photo by Gabriella Opaz/ Courtesy
Flickr

Materials Needed

• Dead leaves (dried)
• 1 plastic bucket (clean)
• 2 cups garden soil (contains necessary bacteria)
• Coffee grounds or tea grounds (used and dried–the fresh grounds are too acidic)

One of the nice things about this method is that the measurement of components doesn’t seem to matter much for the overall composting effect.

Directions

1. Grind up the dead leaves and put on the bottom of the bucket.

2. Add the used coffee grounds and sprinkle in the soil. Mix everything thoroughly.

3. Make sure your compost mixture stays damp but not soaking wet.

4. Set the lid on top of the bucket–don’t snap it on or the compost won’t get enough airflow–or wrap the top with an old cloth or T-shirt.

You can add plant materials and coffee grounds to the bucket over time, but be aware of what you’re adding: Fresh vegetable scraps retain more water, so use less liquid to keep the compost damp. This indoor method takes longer than large outside pile, and you do still have to turn it occasionally. The process is supposedly smell-free, or at least less fragrant, but it that may depend on the kind of materials you add to the pile. 

The author of the video has many more informative clips for growing different types of vegetables, starting seeds and quick recipes, and also hosts free seed giveaways. His profile is here.

What do you do to prepare for spring gardening? Leave a comment to share your tips with beginning gardeners like me!  

  • Published on Feb 24, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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