Composting for slackers

I like the idea of composting. It alleviates the guilt of having rotting vegetables and fruits in my fridge. With a composter, you can throw in your rotting veggies and after a few months it will magically turn into nutrient rich soil.

But, the idea turning over a compost heap every week, makes my lazy bones quiver in my rubber garden clogs. Fortunately, there is a method known as cold composting that does not require weekly turnovers. It takes longer than hot composting (where you have to regularly turn the heap over), but the passage of time is not a problem for the neglectful gardener.

Here is a picture of a cold composter. All you do is dump leaves, fruits and vegetables at the top of the bin. Then, poke holes in the heap every so often to let air get through, make sure there is enough moisture in the bin and after about 4-6 months, voila you have dark, thick and rich compost. There is a special tool known as an aerator that helps poke holes in the bottom layers of the heap to allow oxygen to penetrate. The compost bin below is my favorite. This baby is known as the Earth Machine .





After a few months of minimal effort, I got rich compost, complete with earthworm:



For those of you living in Los Angeles, the City holds free composting workshops the last Saturday of every month at Griffith Park. Compost bins are sold at a deep discount as well. Check out this this link for the schedule and driving directions.