I’ve resisted composting for a long time, mainly because I live in a small, city apartment with no yard, which makes the relatively simple task of composting quite a bit trickier and more difficult. But now that I’m getting serious about starting my balcony garden, I feel I should really start composting too — mainly so I can get free, rich, organic fertilizer for said garden.

So you don’t think I’m just a procrastinator, I’ll point out I’ve already done the research.** That led to my ruling out most of the few options I found:

1. I’ve ruled out the Naturemill because composting’s supposed to save money, not take $400 from my bank account.

2. I’ve also ruled out the Bokashi because it doesn’t fully compost, thereby requiring a second composter to finish the job, which makes me think I should just get whatever this second composter would be and skip the intermediate Bokashi step.

3. I’ve ruled out the Urban Compost Tumbler because Beth at Fake Plastic Fish said she’s had a lot of problems** with it.

That basically leaves the vermicomposting. But this too seems to have its downsides. For one,
Can-O-Worms — the vermicomposters recommended by Brian Rosa, composting expert,** costs $130 — a little more than I was planning to spend, though I might be able to get over that.

For another, worms apparently don’t like citrus peels — and I hear they don’t like banana peels either. Those fruit peels, however, seriously make up like half the organic waste I produce. I was also hoping to compost the shower of leaves that fall onto my balcony every day from the neighbor’s tree — but I don’t think worms will find those yummy either….

The glass half full side of me thinks that at least I’ll be composting about a quarter of the organic waste that comes my way — but the glass half empty side thinks $130’s a lot of money and keeping worms alive a lot of effort when 3/4 of the organic waste’ll still be going into the black bin.

Still, I’ve been in this “should I or shouldn’t I” deliberative state about composting for way too long. So — My next step in my pre-composting adventures is to share my composting quandary with all my friends I know who compost — and to ask them what they’d do in my situation.

Lest you think that composting so far just sounds like a lot of trouble and headache, composters really do seem to have a lot of fun — with worm composting potlucks** and composting fundraising events** even!

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