Composting in An Apartment Balcony

Composting in an apartment balcony for beginners without any worms. Can you compost in a balcony? Know how to make compost in an apartment balcony and what kitchen wastes can be composted. Many people are living in an apartment and have a limited garden in their balcony. Although they are aware of the importance of adding compost, they are hesitant to start their own composting. Each of us generate a lot of kitchen waste every day that can be converted into compost free of cost to feed our plants.

Kitchen waste for composting in an balcony

By composting your kitchen waste, you get organic fertilizer free of cost, so why not start making your own compost in your apartment balcony or terrace. Composting your kitchen waste is very easy and it does not produce any foul smell or insects in your balcony.

The Composting Process

Composting in an apartment balcony or terrace involves the following process. The worm free composting process needs wet and dry ingredients, water, air and heat (composting for beginners at home). The worms are not necessary.

Composting components: Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, Water and Heat. The nitrogen component is the wet or green component, while the carbon component is dry one. The oxygen comes from air.

Composting for Beginners

Things You Need For Composting in Apartment Balcony

Compost bin: A large bin or garden pot or bucket for making the compost. It should have a number of holes at its bottom and sides for air circulation. You can also use a fruit wooden crate. Manage a lid for your compost bin. You can buy a small compost bin from market.

Saucer: Keep this under the bin to collect drained water from the compost bin to keep your balcony clean.

Kitchen food waste collection: Keep a small polythene bag or container near the sink to throw your kitchen scraps.

Wet Ingredients For Composting

Nitrogen is available from your kitchen waste. What food can go into a compost bin? What kitchen wastes can be used for balcony composting. All the kitchen wastes can be composted. The following items from the kitchen can be composted.

1. Vegetables and fruits peels
2. Rotten vegetables and fruits
3. Waste from juice, seeds
4. Used tea bags and tea leaves, coffee grinds
5. Eggshells, dead flowers, flower garlands
6. Weeds your plants, etc.

Dry Ingredients For Composting

1. Carbon comes from
2. Newspaper, cardboard
3. Straw, paper straw,
4. Dried leaves, dried dead plants, woody twigs,
5. Hair, dryer lint, vacuum cleaner dust

You Should Not Compost

1. Cooked food and leftover cooked food
2. Animal products like meat, bones or sea food,
3. Bakery items like bread, cake, etc.
4. Dairy items
5. Glass and plastic pieces, etc.

Some of the ingredients which are hard to decompose in balcony composting can be used in Bokashi compost bin.

Steps For Composting in an Apartment Balcony

1. Step 1. Place the compost bin in the balcony or terrace, preferably at a place which receives some direct sun light. keep the bin closed.
2. Step 2. Start collecting kitchen waste in a bag. items which are listed above in this bag. Step 3. When the container gets full in a few days or weeks, bring the bag to the balcony and empty it into the compost bin. Spread to make a layer, about 2 inch high. In hot weather, it is a good idea to empty the bag every day into the compost bin as the scraps will start rotting in your kitchen,
3. Step 3. Cover this layer layer with a layer of carbon material as listed above, about the same height. Sprinkle water as too dry, it ingredients will not decompose. Add a thin layer of sand or newspaper clippings to keep the insects and flies away. Also keep the bin closed.
4. Step 4. Repeat the steps 3 and 4 until the bin is full. Before you repeat the step 4, turn the contents in the compost bin to add air.
5. Step 5. When the bin is full, keep it moist, turn the contents in about 10 days. The compost will be ready in 3-4 months.

How to know when the compost is ready? The compost is ready when it is black with the texture of a rough soil. You may notice a few things that have not been decomposed. Note that even partially decomposed ingredients are good for your plants.

If your compost stinks, then it shows lack of oxygen the ingredients with a fork for aeration.

Use the homemade organic compost for all of your plants or you can make compost tea that is good for growing all the plants including vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits.

Videos on How To Make Compost in Balcony and Terrace

video on composting in apartment balcony
Composting in a pot, bucket video
video on composting for beginners at home