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You don't need a big, roomy yard to start churning out your own compost. Here's how even the most space-restricted of urbanites can get in on the action:
1. Vermicomposting: Composting with worms, or vermicomposting, taps into digestive talents of earthworms to break down organic matter into dark, earthy compost that packs a wallop of planet-loving nutrition. An 8-to-10-gallon opaque storage container can be hacked into a working worm bin in less than an hour. Plus, find answers to frequently asked questions by referring to our troubleshooting guide.
2. Mechanized composter: If you're short on square footage, the NatureMill Plus ($299) and the NatureMill Pro ($399) are the size of a regular trashcan and can be stowed away in any standard cabinet. The electric composters mix, heat, and aerate food scraps, before transferring them to a lower chamber, resulting in fresh, garden-ready compost every two weeks. 3. Fermentation: Place food scraps into the Bokashi Composting System, lay down a microbial inoculant, and then let everything ferment for two weeks before feeding the resulting compost to your plants. Popular with apartment dwellers in Japan and Korea, each bucket composter will set you back $59.99.
4. Farmers' market: Farmers' markets in certain cities, including the Union Square Green Market in Manhattan, have drop-off bins for organic scraps (such as fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, tea leaves, and eggshells) that will later be turned into nutritious compost. (Key in your zip code at Local Harvest to locate a farmers' market in your vicinity.) Check with your local botanical garden, as well, because it may have a similar program in place.
5. Community garden: Even dense urban environs have been showing signs of life in the form of community gardens, offering some natural respite from all that concrete and pollution. Whether you end up getting a plot for growing your own greens or not, entrée to a community garden usually means access to the communal compost bin, the results of which are free for the taking by garden members. To find one near you, enter "community garden" and the name of your city or town into any online search engine.
Tip: If the community garden or farmers' market is a schlep, store your food scraps in the freezer in the meantime to keep your home from smelling rank. Freezing also destroys insect eggs and larvae, which is a definite plus.
Difficulty level: Easy
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