Composting in the Winter
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40192)
Canada
January 30, 2013 8:58am CST
Here in the winter, snow is everywhere and it is often deep. Then we put all the kitchen produce n the trash. So what happens is that the city turns it into compost p and then we go to Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, or a local farmer and buy the compost to put on our gardens. So I was wondering how to avoid the purchase. I have a space at the back for my compost, but do not have a box. The fence is right on the edge of the lane and if I were to get a compost box built I would still have to walk through the snow that is often up to my knees with the bags or the pail.
So what I want to know is there a way to store compost in the house without creating a smell so that I can carry out the compost material when the snow melts enough.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
31 Jan 13
Some sort of container with a lid would seem to be the obvious solution. When it is full you could either leave it outside the door or take it straight down to the compost heap, but it would save you having to go down there daily. Providing your compost materials stay fairly dry they should not smell terrible and you should be able to keep them in the house for at least a short while.
For the heap itself, an old bin or even a pile of old tyres would serve if you wish to save money by not buying a container. There are many designs on the net. A container is not actually necessary at all to make decent compost, but you may wish to use one to make it look tidier.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
3 Feb 13
The only empty containers I have is those ice cream containers. I have a garbage can outside near the fence but it is broken by the garbage collectors throwing it against the truck. The other containers downstairs in the basement still have paint in them. I think there is a place that sells honey in bulk in our neighborhood but it is not that close. So I will have to wait. I doubt the ice cream containers will be that strong.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
3 Feb 13
That sounds like a good idea. I do put compost in the ice cream cans in the spring, but then I take it out to the back the same day, but it has to hold it for more then a month or when I can walk out through the snow and not climb over the snow banks I have at the side of my walkway.
@1corner (744)
• Canada
30 Jan 13
Would it be possible to cover it, eg. a tarp, or plastic, or canvas material? Our compost is in a small trash bin inside the house, and it's usually open. Rarely has it been smelly, though, in which case, it's placed temporarily in the cabinet under the sink.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
2 Feb 13
The plastic would probably have to be the kind that one places on the floor to protect it from paint when painting the house. The thing is that I do not have that much room under the sink. I do have room in the basement, but even with the plastic or tarp over it, would there not also be an odor?
@1corner (744)
• Canada
15 Feb 13
Sorry for the delay. Rotting/rotten food/refuse will always have some odor, though like I said, it's rarely the case in ours, despite it being out in the open usually. Sometimes, I find placing it in an enclosed area makes the odor even worse. So, it's probably best to keep it outside, covered with a canvas material, or frequently tossed. I'm not sure how to keep it odorless, but you could try throwing in a lemon, or maybe spilling some baking soda on it.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
15 Feb 13
I am wary about keeping it inside. And I cannot keep it near the back door because most of it is cement. So I would have to walk all the way through the back yard that has snow about a foot deep, although now it is starting to melt. I keep it on the part near the walkway where I have my pots, but will have to find a covering for it. Yes got plenty of baking soda.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
18 Feb 13
Well, you can't really compost in the house. What we do right now is keep a bucket in our refrigerator and empty it into the compost bin once it is full. It keeps the smell down, even though it seems odd.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
19 Feb 13
WE used to have an extra refrigerator down stairs, but we got rid of it and the refrigerator we have is fill of food that there is not much room for a bucket.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
30 Jan 13
I truly do not know if this will be of any help to you! On the small Island that I live on, we do have a seasonal (summer) Ice Cream Shop..they get their ice cream in 20 litre pails! The lids fit tightly, very tight! I keep a pail in the kitchen, until full! I find there is no smell because of the tight lids! I pile them on the deck until I can get to the compost! The pails are free and so is the compost, this way! This may not help but might give you some ideas!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
30 Jan 13
I have some large paint pails downstairs, but they all have paint in them. That would work, but cannot keep it in the house, I would have to put it outside. i do not live close to anyplace where I could get them that is the problem. I could use my old garbage cans, but the lids are not that tight.
1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
30 Jan 13
I think you are better off just buying it... Its a mess to save it yourself. The smell gets real bad..Have a great wed. there.....
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
30 Jan 13
I do buy mostly potting soil, but even then it is just for plants and do not need much. For compost and outside, it would have to be a large enough bag.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
31 Jan 13
I never had problem with smells. I do know that at Home Outfitters, you can get small containers with tight lids where one can put their kitchen waste, but as is emphasized, they are small containers and you are assumed that you will take it out the next day. What I want is a larger sized as being a widow and living alone, I buy salads and sometimes the salad goes bad before I finish it.
