Composting: You can do it without a garden
Small, closed containers are ideal for kitchen waste
Reduce waste while reclaiming valuable soil: That's the trick to composting. It works everywhere, also on the balcony or terrace.
About a third of household waste consists of organic waste from the kitchen and garden. A significant amount, the loss of which is enormously noticeable – the garbage can no longer fills up as quickly and therefore does not have to be emptied as often. That saves money, as well as that, what you get from composting the kitchen waste. Because instead of potting soil and fertilizer for rooms- and to buy balcony flowers, you can now supply them with your own compost.
Since it small, closed composters exist, you don't even need a garden anymore, to tap into this source of money. A corner on the balcony or terrace, maybe next to the garbage cans in front of the front door is enough for the containers.
At first, the organic waste bin in the kitchen may seem unfamiliar and unhygienic. However, it does not spread any unpleasant odors, if it is emptied often. And if it does, you can protect yourself with biological odor control preparations, that are recently offered.
Composter for balcony and terrace
The conversion of organic waste into fertile soil is the work of countless microorganisms, bacteria, Mushrooms and of course compost worms. In nature, this process is continuous. marriage leaves, Plant remains and many other things are decomposed, many years pass.
Compost bins do the job, to offer the plant and animal organisms such good living conditions, that the rotting takes place much faster. This is particularly important, if there is not enough space, to leave larger quantities for a longer period of time.
They also make it very easy, especially for beginners, to get good compost, because they are simply filled with everything, what is incurred, while a proper compost heap requires careful set up and maintenance.
Composting is fastest in closed containers, that retain heat and moisture and are designed to do so, that sufficient oxygen is supplied. In contrast to the composters, which are set up in the garden and have either a perforated base or no base at all, through which the ground contact is established, should composters for the balcony really be closed or. be equipped with a drain pan.
Ideal are thermal composters like the one shown above made of recycled plastic, which is equipped with a sophisticated ventilation system and, thanks to the good insulation, also works in winter. The vermicompost bins made of wood or recycled plastic are much simpler to construct and therefore easy to replicate, which you can build yourself or buy ready-made. These are simply boxes with lids, which should have a dividing wall that is permeable to worms. The two halves are filled one after the other. This way, a part is always free for fresh composting. the worms, that “process” all organic waste, migrate through the partition to the fresh food, once they have digested part.
By the way, these are not normal earthworms, but about the compost worms "Eisenia foetida".
Starting aids for good compost
Soil bacteria don't stand a chance when composting on the balcony, find their own way to the organic waste. That's why you add a compost starter at least when you fill it for the first time, containing bacteria. Later there is always a bit of finished compost with microorganisms in the container.
To speed up the rotting process or to improve the quality of the compost, many preparations are offered. In addition to bacteria and fermentation ferments, they also contain trace elements, minerals and nitrogen. Herb mixtures made from dried and ground yarrow are also very effective, Stinging nettle, horsetail and dandelion, that you mix with rainwater.