Composter’s Log: Letting Sleeping Mice Lie
After giving it some more thought, I have decided to end my ‘Winter Composting Extravaganza’. As I mentioned last time, I’ve had no luck maintaining any real warmth in the bin thanks to our brutal cold snap. It’s getting a little silly at this point. I have 3 small indoor worm bins so I should have no worries handling my food scraps until we see some warmer weather.
All in all, I am quite happy with the way things turned out - especially considering the fact that this was my first real attempt at winter composting. With a few modifications in my methodology I know it could be possible to keep some form of active bin throughout the winter.
So what would I do differently next time?
I think it’s safe to say that I got a little over-confident as a result of the long-delayed winter. I used up my entire supply of leaves a LONG time ago, and they definitely would have come in handy once the cold weather really hit. Next year I will definitely aim to gather a lot more.
I think I did a pretty good job with insulating the bin this year, although I may try to come up with something a little different - perhaps a thick thermal blanket of some sort (obviously something that can survive being outdoors).
Another option would be to go with an entirely different system - some sort of in-ground pit with a lift up lid would likely be easier to keep active since the surrounding soil would act as insulation. It would probably be easier to access as well (simply lift the lid vs having to pull back the tarp or blanket). On possibility to think about anyway.
Actually…something else just came to mind as a good way to insulate the existing bin - straw bales. If I stacked a single layer of them all the way around I think that could be an excellent additional source of insulation. I’ve heard of people making winter bins entirely out of bales (another possibility - I definitely don’t have to use my wooden bin).
It became pretty clear this year that an additional source of rich waste material would have been very helpful. As mentioned, I did get some horse manure towards the end, but I think next time I will aim to secure a more steady supply from the start.
Anyway, it’s definitely been fun and I’m really looking forward to spring so I can get back to it. Even if the cold did manage to kill off a bunch of worms, I know there are thousands of worm eggs in there that will easily survive the harsh condition and hatch once things warm up again.
I may write some posts about my indoor vermicomposting efforts over the next few weeks, but we shall see!
Previous posts in this series:
Composter’s Log - Dontchu Know I’m Loco?!
Composter’s Log - The Iceman Cameth
Composter’s Log: Stardate 60492.2 - ‘Oh Winter, Where Art Thou?’
Composter’s Log: Stardate 60429.3 - Unusual Life Forms
Composter’s Log: Stardate 60393.6 - Winter Has Arrived
Composter’s Log: Stardate 60376.9 - RED ALERT!!
Composter’s Log - Stardate 60352.8
Winter Composting Extravaganza
Technorati Tags: compost, composting, winter composting, compost bin, worm composting, vermicomposting, worm bin, composter, kitchen scraps
Note: The Winter Composting Extravaganza has moved to a new home. To catch all the latest winter composting action be sure to check out the Compost Guy Winter Composting Page.
Written by Bentley on February 9th, 2007 with
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