>[snip] >I want to start composting potato peels, banana peels, eggshells, etc. I live >in a suburban area in the northeastern united states and the neighbors kind of >frown on that sort of thing. Is it possible to do this using dirt, large >buckets etc in my garage so the nosy neighbors won't see the compost. (I don't >have a fenced yard and can't afford one right now.)
The stuff will decompose just fine in buckets -- perhaps even better
than in open air compost piles (less carbon lost to the atmosphere).
The major problem with this approach is the smell. If stuff starts
decomposing anaerobically, it will stink like a swamp or a sewer.
You already know one way to help prevent this:
>Would also like to intro earthworms to the mix.
The technical term is vermicomposting. The classic reference for this
is _Worms Eat My Garbage_. You can buy the worms at a bait shop: red
wrigglers are the best for this purpose. Nightcrawlers generally
don't do well in containers.
>My yard soil is so compact there are no earthworms.
One suggestion I'm trying is using gypsum (calcium sulfate) to loosen
the soil. I only started using it last fall, but the rye seems to be
doing better where I used it.
>I grew last years garden in containers on my patio. >(Easier and less back-breaking than tilling.) [snip]
Another option is to use "Lasagna Gardening". (There is a book by
that title; I've only read an excerpt in Mother Earth News.) The
basic idea is to lay down newspaper to smother the grass, then build
your soil on top of it. (I don't have any experience with it, as it
seems fairly expensive, unless you are fortunate enough to be able to
get the materials for free, and I actually like the hard work of
digging.)
A final option is to use deep rooted cover crops. Sweet clover,
tyfon, sugar beets, and rutabagas come to mind immediately; if you
would really like to pursue this, I can dig up more suggestions.
Hope these ideas help.
John Wheeler
Zone 6 (Eastern USA deciduous forest/suburb)
80 W longitude 42 N latitude
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ROT-13'd to prevent spam: wqj27_42@vanzr.pbz