There are many types of composting and various ways to make compost. These range from super easy (a tumbler) to super efficient (forced-air). All types have the same end result – valuable garden soil to help us grow our gardens and help combat soil erosion.
Compost Tumblers
The most efficient in a small space is a dual chamber compost tumbler. Add kitchen and garden waste to one side for one month, then let it mature for another month while adding to the other side. Spin it twice a week or so, and in two months only mango seeds, avocado pits, and eggshells are recognizable. This will heat up, but not as well as a traditional pile. There are a variety of sizes available to suit most households with small gardens.
Tumblers are very forgiving, but they can get smelly if you put in the wrong materials, don’t turn often enough, or let the drains clog so the bin becomes too wet. They also leak ‘compost tea’ so should not be placed on a finished surface. This tea can be good for some plants (diluted) but it is easiest to let in drain into the soil to feed the soil microbes. (Don’t let it run into the sea!)
The YIMBY/FCMP composter, made of recycled plastic, arrives flat-packed and requires assembly.
Garbage Bin DIY Tumblers
An old garbage bin – especially that one you want to discard because it leaks – will also do. Make enough holes to provide oxygen and drainage and mix occasionally. The more frequently you mix, the faster it will make compost. You can mix it with a spade, or simply lock the lid with a bungee cord and roll it around in your garden.
It can get heavy, so this method will build your arms! To be efficient, you will need multiple garbage bins, but it is perfectly acceptable to just make one batch at a time.
Dig A Hole – Anaerobic Composting
An even easier method is simply digging a hole (or making a pile), filling it with your ‘greens’, and covering with enough ‘browns’ to keep pests from digging in the pile.
If you leave it alone it becomes anaerobic, which is a slower (and possibly stinky if it isn’t well buried) process, but nonetheless, a year later the worms will have worked their magic and you are ready to plant. Again, you can speed up the process by mixing it up occasionally to introduce air into the pile and get those arms working again.
Bokashi Bin – Anaerobic Indoor Composting
Bokashi uses an inoculated bran to ferment kitchen waste. It is a viable option for apartments without outdoor space, or for those who only want to visit the composter occasionally. You add your kitchen waste (Anything organic, including meat and dairy, although I would use caution until you have mastered the right mix.) and a handful of the special bokashi bran. The liquid ‘compost tea’ must be drained off regularly. When the bin is full, you let it sit for up to two weeks. The Bokishi compost can’t be applied directly to plants until it has had a further two weeks to mature in a natural environment.
Bokashi is similar to fermenting vegetables or making yogurt. You introduce ‘good’ bacteria and yeasts in quantities sufficient to crowd out all other types. The result is not odor-free, but the air tight bin contains the slightly yeasty / vinegary smell well. You should only smell it when it is open!
Vermiculture – Worm Farm Compost
Worm farms can fit in small spaces like patios and balconies. Some people even keep their worms inside! Worms eat half their weight in food waste a day, quickly producing rich worm castings. We have written a full worm bin post here.
Traditional Compost Pile
A traditional compost pile is at least 3′ x 3′ x 3′. It requires most of the materials to be gathered beforehand and mixed as the pile is made. This size allows the temperature to reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit for long enough to inoculate the pile, killing off pathogens and weed seeds. To maintain this temperature it is important to turn the pile as the temperature starts dropping. The correct mixture of ‘greens’ and ‘browns’ must be adhered to.
Forced Air Composting
Forced-air composting is like a traditional pile, but pipes throughout the pile force oxygen into the middle of it, helping to maintain the ideal temperature and humidity levels.
It is less time-intensive than traditional composting, but requires a bigger initial investment and more thorough planning. We have build a 3-chamber forced air composter (AKA aerated static pile). Click here for more information!
Community Composting
Community composting is becoming increasingly popular as people begin to recognize the impacts composting can make on the environment. These are most often located near schools, community gardens, or farms. They give people who don’t have time (or knowledge) to manage a compost pile an opportunity to recycle their organic waste.
Please contact us if you would like to discuss composting within your community!
We are already serving businesses and individuals in St Maarten, helping to reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfill!
Other Types of Composting
Large commercial composting companies can use windrows – long piles of compost that is turned by heavy machinery. This can be done simply with diggers, or efficiently with machinery purpose built to turn, monitor and aerate/hydrate the windrows.
Forced air composting is also becoming increasingly common. For commercial operations, this can be done indoors so odors, leachate (runoff), and unsightly piles are not an issue. The initial investment is large, but the returns are greater.
A third option for larger operations is in-vessel composting. Many facilities can handle PLA plant based plastics, and compost an impressive volume in a very small footprint. These are generally the pricier option, but far simpler to operate and manage.
Anaerobic composting for biogas is done in a sealed vessel and the greenhouse gasses collected to be used as biogas. Pre-made systems are available, or can be custom built to suit unique requirements. This process is scalable and is used everywhere from private homes to large cities.
Commercial composting can break down animal products, food waste, and PLA ‘biodegradable’ bio-plastics, further reducing the country’s ecological impact.
Click here for the full series on composting
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However, for our St Maarten / St Martin visitors we encourage you to shop local, and every effort has been made to provide a local source. Please let us know if you want to be included!
So far, Grand Maison in Hope Estate, Saint Martin is the only local source for dedicated home composters. But don’t forget you can upcycle an old garbage can instead!
