Vermicomposting in the cold-climate apartment.

Introduction

I've composted for many years in different countries. Here in Toronto, Ontario, from scrap palette timbers I built 4-foot wooden composters in my garden, but when I moved to an apartment building, I obtained one of the bright red plastic vermicomposter bins from the local council.

This bin was fine as it went, but I found it awkward to flush out the soil.

We had a very cold winter here a couple of years ago. Hudson's Bay froze over but good, and the air flowing over it lost its heat content and then settled over Toronto. For what seemed like years we were living in a stream of Arctic circle stuff. It gets cold and stays cold for a long time.

... and then I thought - I could keep a couple of small bins going inside during the winter. Feed them paper and non-odorous waste. Bulk up the food waste in pails on the balcony. Possibly a night light bulb would provide enough heat without running the electric bill too much, but I'm pessimistic about the insulation containing enough heat throughout the winter. Any three-week period of sub-freezing temperatures should be enough to drain the heat level way below freezing.

This winter I'm interested in indoor composting of my office paper and small cardboard, such as cooking-chocolate packets.

Composting differs from, and is complementary to Vermicomposting. Vermicomposting uses “red wriggler” worms which, it is said, eat their weight in garbage every two days.

Search