Composting, Quick and Dirty

Don't have the time, space, or inclination to compost? Do what I do when I'm in the park or staying with relatives who don't compost; try to eat mostly fruits and vegetables, then bury the scraps about four inches down in soil around trees or bushes.

Only burying plant matter mostly ensures that animals won't dig it up, four inches deep allows the worms and bacteria to get to work quickly, and doing this around trees or bushes helps to keep humans from noticing what you are doing and thinking you're the crazy compost lady--even though you are. Plus, you'll increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, which is generally considered a good thing.

Just because they're vegetables doesn't mean they're not delicious.

I Never Thought of That

Today I had an experience that reaffirms my belief that no matter how long you've been learning about (or teaching) something, there's always something new for you to learn. I was browsing through articles on Crunchy Betty when I came across this one about using butter wrappers as an alternative to Pam or other cooking sprays. While this is a great idea for a basic kitchen trick, there were even more in the comments, primarily one relating to composting.

If you have problems with fruit flies or similar pests in your house, but don't want to make a trip out to the compost bin every time you have something to put in there, just keep a container in your freezer exclusively dedicated to compost material. Whenever you cook, keep it on the counter to toss things into, then pop it back into the freezer till you have time to make a trip out to your garden. By keeping the collection container in the freezer, you won't deal with any annoying insects or smells, but you can still benefit from all the joys of composting.

I love learning new things. Happy composting!