[delsol1]

Anyone who composts, where do you keep the compostables until you take them out to compost? I was thinking in a container in the fridge? Is this too weird, is there a better option. Hoping to get the compost going this week and was going to start saving stuff. Thanks.

[littleprincess]

I keep mine in an ice cream bucket in the fridge until I'm ready to send it to the compost. We have issues sometimes with ants getting into the house so I don't like to keep anything out that might draw them in.

[TinkleTushies]

Just a big bowl with lid for smell control. Then dump it in a big bucket on porch and cover with dirt. I need to get some worms to help it move faster.

[Lovage2]

My DH bought me a countertop composter to dump stuff in until you're ready to take it out to the big compost bin.
It was a nice gesture but personally I was just as happy with my original container.
I took a large plastic jar (the kind you can buy filled with pretzels at BJ's or Sam's Club) with a screw on lid. It kept out bugs and kept in smells. It held a lot and if I added a cup of water and let it sit for a time I got ready to use "compost tea" which I could pour directly onto the garden when I dumped the not so well rotted stuff into the composter.

A word of warning for the composter too.
We bought one of the raised ones that you can turn because there are poisonous snakes in the area and I didn't want to risk them deciding the heat of a traditional compost pile on the ground was a good place to stay warm. In my opinion it doesn't do the job anywhere near as well as a regular bin or pile turned by hand. If I ever again live somewhere that snakes are not an issue I am so going back to a standard compost heap on the ground with a little fence around it to keep out the animals.

[polydoly13]

It depends on how often you are going to dump it, if you dump once a day I'm guessing a container next to the sink or under the sink would be fine. You also want it to be warm so cooling the stuff down will just delay the decay process, but if you live in a very warm area it'll warm back up fast. I live in such a cool area that we can't even compost properly so cooling it in the fridge would be a no no. Plus we just don't have the room in our fridge.

[smartshopper08]

I keep a bowl near (or in) my sink, but it also gets daily coffee grounds so there's never been a smell. It's dumped out in the bins usually every other day or so.

[siriradha]

We put our compostables in a big, plastic, Folger's coffee container. We've been doing this for years, and they only time you'd know it's rotting vegetation is when it's almost full and you take the lid off.

And hey, I'm with the lady who likes compost piles right on top of the dirt. It's just so much easier to turn and deal with. The worms, roly poly bugs, millipedes, and so on just walk right in and get down to business as the stuff rots in the weather.

[rodneywt1180b]

We just use an old quart sized sour cream container and empty it in the compost pile every day. We used to use a larger container under the kitchen sink but it was too easy to let it stay too long and start smelling.
Rodney

[kittycatinkc]

Folders coffee can (plastic ) for us. Holds everything, grounds, shells, napkins, peels.etc. dump it every few days. Our compost pile is our garden, I just dig a hole and dump the can and then cover it back up with dirt. I use the same general area in the garden each time I dump. It's easier for us than a compost bin. It works just fine for us.

[polydoly13]

Originally Posted by kittycatinkc

Folders coffee can (plastic ) for us. Holds everything, grounds, shells, napkins, peels.etc. dump it every few days. Our compost pile is our garden, I just dig a hole and dump the can and then cover it back up with dirt. I use the same general area in the garden each time I dump. It's easier for us than a compost bin. It works just fine for us.

That is an AWESOME idea - I'm gonna start doing that.

[delsol1]

Worms question? Going to buy worms for the compost. Saw them at Ace Hardware. I think they were $9 for 200 worms. Is this the going rate or is it a lot....I have no idea. The canister seemed pretty small for 200. Or should I just try getting a few at a bait shop. My earth is horrible and I really want to give the compost a boost. Appreciate your input.

[kj_quilts]

I use a container from an old canister set. It is enamel coated metal, the lid has a plastic seal around it. It does not stink. It can hold 2 days compost sitting next to the sink. I don't put in banana peels or egg shells. I do put in coffee grounds.

About every other day, someone dumps it into the pile outside.

[rachellynn]

Red Wigglers are the best kinds of worms for composting. Were they red wigglers you saw at the store?

I also have a compost bucket I got for Christmas one year ( I got it with my amazon money I got from superpoints)
It's nice. It's ceramic and I keep it on my kitchen counter. You wouldn't even know it was a composter looking at it.

[YellowWoman]

I've never added worms to my outdoor compost and don't think it's necessary. Outside, bugs and worms will come on their own. I have a worm composter also, but that is inside and a completely separate deal. So IMO, save your money.

[delsol1]

[quote=rachellynn;4788597]Red Wigglers are the best kinds of worms for composting. Were they red wigglers you saw at the store?

I also have a compost bucket I got for Christmas one year ( I got it with my amazon money I got from superpoints)
It's nice. It's ceramic and I keep it on my kitchen counter. You wouldn't even know it was a composter looking at it.[/QUOTE
I'm not sure if they were red wigglers or not, I think I'll call and ask, Thanks.

[DarrellsGirl]

I put my scraps in plastic containers I would normally throw away anyhow - and put them in the freezer - breaks down the veggies - then put it in my compost bin - which is above ground and has a crank to turn ... this is my first year doing this so I'll let ya know

[mforward]

I just keep a bowl next to the sink and empty when it gets full. We have a lot of ants all over our bin outside. I say this is normal but my husband thinks it's bad. Anyone have lots of ants?

[YellowWoman]

Originally Posted by mforward

I just keep a bowl next to the sink and empty when it gets full. We have a lot of ants all over our bin outside. I say this is normal but my husband thinks it's bad. Anyone have lots of ants?

LOL, I think our house was built on a massive ant mine (as do all the neighbors)! We have ants everywhere outside--in my veggies, on the fruit trees, in the compost, anywhere and everywhere. So to me, that's normal. As long as they stay outside, we don't worry about them, but when they try to come inside, we take action. Ours are little black ants though, so as long as it's just little black ants, I wouldn't worry. If they are carpenter or fire ants, then you should kill them.

[eduardomachadostudio]

Originally Posted by delsol1

Worms question? Going to buy worms for the compost. Saw them at Ace Hardware. I think they were $9 for 200 worms. Is this the going rate or is it a lot....I have no idea. The canister seemed pretty small for 200. Or should I just try getting a few at a bait shop. My earth is horrible and I really want to give the compost a boost. Appreciate your input.

As someone said Red wigglers are the best... I got a pound(around 1000 worms) of them for $27 shipped to Puerto Rico, they are by far the best for compost, the Humus is by far the best fertilizer, they are not to hard to work once you has them stablished... go with it