Got talked into trying a compost bin at a county fair booth last summer

I was walking through the Marion County fair last July and this older lady from the extension office flagged me down. She had a little demo setup with a worm bin and everything. I told her I didn't have room for a big compost pile in my backyard and she laughed and handed me this small 5-gallon bucket with holes drilled in it. She said stick it under the sink and just toss in veggie scraps and shredded paper. I figured why not try it for $15. Well three months later I had this rich dark dirt I used on my tomato plants and they went crazy. Now I keep two buckets going all the time and it barely smells if you add dry leaves. Has anyone else had luck with a super small indoor setup like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.blake1mo ago

Did you have to add any special worms or just let it break down on its own? My buddy tried a similar bucket setup but he got all scientific with the layers and it just turned into a stinky mess. Worth a shot for fifteen bucks either way.

calebc401mo ago

That "stinky mess" part made me laugh because my first bucket got funky too. I had the bright idea to toss in some coffee grounds and eggshells without letting them dry out first. Turned into a sludgy science experiment that smelled like a wet dog that rolled in old coffee. But I learned you gotta let things like that air dry a bit or mix in way more shredded paper than you think you need. Now I keep a little bag of torn up newspaper next to the bucket and just sprinkle a handful on top every time I add scraps. Keeps the smell down and the wife doesn't threaten to throw the whole bucket in the trash.

evahenderson1mo ago

Wait, @nguyen.blake's friend went full scientist on a bucket and still messed it up? That's kind of hilarious. I just toss stuff in and shake it around every few days and it works fine, no worms needed.