Does anyone have/use a NatureMill Composter? Thoughts? Opinions?

I am thinking about starting to compost our food scraps. Honestly, I'm not so sure about a compost pile in the backyard - I don't think the BF will like that *at all*. So I was looking at this, but reviews I've seen elsewhere are mixed. So I thought I'd ask you guys!!

=)

Comments

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    I have a friend in a small apartment in Greece who uses one and loves it - but they are SOOOO expensive.

    I have done the pile, the round plastic twirly bin, the square plastic bin - and I prefer them in that order, but anything is better than nothing. Why won't the BF go for it? A properly maintained compost pile doesn't smell and doesn't have to be messy. There are also mesh circles that keep things tidier.

    You can check with your city trash division and ask if they sell composters - much cheaper than getting something online.

    Do you have leaves, grass clippings, other yard waste too? You need more than just food scraps for a compost system. Or if it's only food scraps that worry you, what about worms? You can set up a couple of worm bins really cheaply. Worm poop is the greatest fertilizer there is. Keep in mind that they are pets, and as such aren't something you want to take on as a lark.

    Even easier - you can grind your food scraps small and dig them into the garden here and there - I do this with pulp from the juicer. Dig a hole, dump, refill with soil - and in two or three months you can plant something there and the soil will be nicely nourished.

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    I've lived in a small apartment where composting did not seem possible. In fact, if I had mentioned the word composting or wormbin, my manager would probably have gone a bit ballistic. I kept a 5 gallon flowerpot outside and "buried" my compost in it. I just layered veggie scraps and potting soil, keeping it turned. When it was full and the scraps had "cooked" I used the soil/compost to start my next planting of edibles. I kept compost and edible plantings going this way for several years. I usually diced or blended the scraps so they were in smaller bits. I think this helped them compost more quickly.

    I've also composted in a black 32 gallon plastic garbage can from WalMart. (Black absorbs heat, so the contents "cook" faster.) I paid about $10 for the can, then drilled some air holes in it. I layered scraps and yard waste. Luckily I had plenty of oak leaves for the yard waste, but grass clippings or anything green would work. I filled a can about two-thirds of the way up in a couple of weeks. Six weeks later I had the most beautiful compost. My garden absolutely loved it. I had a friend who did something like this with no yard waste. She was able to get green waste from the produce manager at her local grocery . . . the stuff they peel off and throw away.

  • Dont waste your money on a compost bin. Go out, get a rubbermaid container (recycle one don't buy one). Then find a friend with compost worms (red wigglers are great). If you can't find a friend, purchase some. They are worth it. Create a worm compost bin right on your deck, inside your kitchen, in your bedroom, on our lawn, anywhere. If you set them up properly then they WILL NOT SMELL OR PRODUCE FLIES, unless you want it to! :)

    Compost worms are the way to go. They will eat half of their body weight each day (1lb of worms means 1/2lb of food scraps PER day)

  • i agree with TreeofLife, you don't need to buy a compost bin.

     

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