I have recently upgraded my composting and wormery systems.
The Old Systems
Previously I used Bokashi composting. Although a great system, when using on a balcony, it did need quite a few stages. I had been using for over 12 years and the buckets were no longer air tight. It was also not super simple for house sitters! These two blog posts show how it used to be;
The old wormery was accidentally acquired when a local project I was involved in shut down. I was convinced that worms wouldn’t survive the heat on my balcony and I should give them away. But, with a bit of shade management they survived pretty well. Considering they were just in a plastic storage box ,with holes in the bottom for drainage, they were more resilient than I expected. After a number of years they deserved a home that was easier for me to manage, and they had less risk of having a swimming pool in their bedroom!
The New Composter
As I have a balcony with wooden slats, and flats below, a big concern was ensuring that liquid does not end up escaping. After a lot of research I chose the “Hozelock easy mix composter“.
As well as being relatively small (60 x 50 x 65cm), it also collects any liquid underneath in a bottle. This slides out, and you can use the collected liquid to feed plants (when diluted). The drum is easy to turn, and needs turning twice a week. I found a company that was as independent as possible to order from. The box was going to be too big to collect on my bikes. Putting it together was simple, even for us!
How I use it
The instructions say that in six weeks (after the last of the food / garden waste is put in) you will have compost ready. You need to turn twice a week, spinning it three times. I expected it to take a few cycles to get the consistency right but impressed with how easy it was. I keep adding ripped up cardboard / paper for the first three weeks of the six week process. This balances the garden and food waste.
To empty, I place a plastic sheet on the balcony, remove the barrel from its base and roll it to the spot I need. Open the lid and tip out the waste. You do need to pull some out by hand if you are doing it on your own. If you have help the second person can hold the barrel above the sheet and shake.
I sort thought the compost, removing anything that hasn’t composted yet. Eg sticks, home compostable packaging, stones, avocado skin etc. This goes in a separate bucket. Once sorting is complete I cut up anything in the bucket that could be a bit smaller, pop it back in the barrel, and we are ready to go again.
What about the other 6 weeks?
While the barrel is full, and the composting process is in full swing, I use my allotment Bokashi composter for food waste. I just stockpile the garden waste until the barrel is in use again.
If you don’t have another space for your waste then you will need a second barrel.
Maximising efficiency
I want to be changing from the barrel (balcony) to the bokashi (allotment) every 6 weeks, to maximise the amount of compost I can make. However we don’t quite produce enough food waste. I used Share Waste to find someone local who was willing to share her food waste. She brings me her waste in tupperware, mostly frozen, every 2 weeks. I defrost it and add to which ever space is being used at the time. I then wash, and return the Tupperware, the next time she drops off. Circular system! We don’t use compostable bags as they don’t always compost brilliantly, and it is another item to purchase.
You can also ask your neighbours!
The New Wormery
After a lot of research I chose a Worm Box. This is a massive upgrade for the worms! It is on wheels so can easily be moved around the balcony, if I need to put it in a sunnier, or shadier, spot. Plus this makes changing the tray, and cleaning it, easier. There are four trays so lots of capacity. A tap for drainage. As this needs to be kept open I keep a receptacle underneath to catch the liquid. Finally I love that I can use the top as extra growing space. The system came with great instructions for using it.
It took me around 6 months to fill it up, and need to change the tray. This was a very easy process as the layers are easy to lift off. I was careful to remember which order they were in! The bottom layer got emptied into the container I use for spare compost. I don’t worry about pulling out all the worms as some people suggest. There seemed to be lots of worms in the other layers.
As getting this wormery increased my composting capacity, I went back to Share Waste and found someone willing to separate their food waste into “worm friendly” and “not worm friendly”. She drops this off to me once a week.
What composting and wormery systems do you use?
Would love to hear what you use and the kind of space you have?
0 Comments