Compost bin

Instead of a large compost bin taking up valuable space in your garden, you can install a few small compost bins that will cater to all your food waste needs. Nourish your whole garden with little to no effort except to top up your pots, and occasionally collect soil.   The bugs do everything for you. Just sit back and watch your plants thrive.

But don’t get rid of your big compost system until you know you don’t need it anymore.  It still has a place in many gardens for composting large quantities of green garden waste.   Keep it for your green waste and use the Compots for ALL your kitchen waste.  Using both systems together will work for large gardens and free up some space in your council bins.

Invisible in your garden

Invisible in your garden, mow over it with the Lid in the reverse position, fill and forget it. The eco-eze Compot composter produces no Methane gases and  works faster than larger size composter.   It is also super fast and efficient while nourishing your garden without any hard work from you.  So versatile you can use it almost anywhere, and turn your trash into triumph in your garden. Or simply use it to compliment the current composting system you are using.

What can I compost?

You can compost all the usual worm friendly waste.  PLUS meat, citrus, onions, oil, dairy, eggs, coffee, tea bags, prawns, fish, crab and animal waste.  Not to mention, oysters, bones, paper towel you might wipe a frying pan out with, and anything  that you produce in the kitchen.  Except of course for plastic, glass, aluminium, or metal containers of any kind.

Literally anything biodegradable. Though bones, crab shells, and oyster shells won’t actually decompose. But any remaining food remnants left on shells or bones, will be eaten leaving behind a clean item.

If you are really keen you can remove these items when ready, dry them, crush them and put them back on your garden as a calcium source of food for your plants.  Or simply toss them in your bin.  They will smell like beautiful composted soil and not smelly fish or meat waste.  So they don’t stink out your council bin.

Can I compost paper?

There is nothing stopping you from putting paper or cardboard in your pot.   But I think this is a waste of good food composting space, and it takes a long time to decompose.   Worms are better at disposing of paper and cardboard.

I prefer to use the “Above Ground Method” for composting my paper and cardboard waste.  Paper, carboard and green garden waste are better composted in bay or tumbler systems if you have very large quantities of these materials.   However you can compost green garden waste inside the Compot as long as it is not too fibrous.  Fibrous waste is better disposed of using the above ground method.  But different types of green waste will decompose differently.

I have tried exterminating some Wandering Dew and it works a treat because this plant is not very fibrous and turns to water and waste very quickly.  So you would need to try different things in your garden to see what works best.   I personally think it is a waste of good food composting space.  Of course it all depends how many you have scattered around your garden.

In the end it is your choice what you prefer to do.   You can send your paper and cardboard off to council tips for large compost companies to utilise if that is easier for you. And green waste if you have a council green waste bin.  At least the cardboard and paper or green waste won’t stink out your council bin.

What makes it work?

The Compot works with roughly 6 different elements – the main one and most important are the Soldier Flies. These amazing little bugs will devour anything and everything you throw at them. Composting with Black Soldier Flies

If you live in a climate that it either too hot or too cold for the Soldier Fly to survive you can still compost with the eco-eze compot composter because there are ground critters, worms, bacteria and all kinds of invisible things that make your Compots work.  So it will still work but it will be much slower. In some instances you would get better results using the Above Ground Method.   It all depends on your climate, your environment and your particular circumstances.

So where do the worms live?

The worms with this system live outside the pot in the surrounding soil.   Here they get all the left over morsels leached off the food as the Soldier Fly Larvae devour your waste.   The worms will come into the pot if the Soldier Flies have vacated by pupating to become more Soldier Flies.

Sometimes you will find the worms and Soldier Flies in there together but only if the Soldier Fly Larvae are in small numbers. The rest of the elements all do their bit as they all work separately or in unison to compost your waste.   If one element is not available (eg Soldier Fly Larvae) then the other elements will still do the work.   It is just a matter of working out how best to use the eco-eze composter in your garden and whether you put it in the ground or above ground.

This can create varying degrees of decomposition depending on…

1. The weather.
2. Your soil type.
3. The time of year.
4. Bugs & Bacteria in your soil.
5. How moist the contents are.
6. The microclimate in your garden.
7. Do you water your plants regularly.
8. Are you soaking your scraps and for how long.
9. What are you using as a cover on your Compot Lid.
10. Is the inside environment keeping your bugs happy.

It’s super easy to keep your bugs happy, and I never worry about any of the above things.  I just fill, forget, refill and cover with my grass clippings and leaves.  Don’t make it a chore.  It is meant to be easy – eco-eze.

How do I keep them happy?

Ideally, when you lock on the reversible lid it is preferable to cover the lid with whatever you use in your garden bed to keep the moisture in your soil. This might be…

1. Grass clippings and leaves (my favourite)
2. Hay/Straw
3. Lucerne
4. Pea Straw
5. Just leaves
6. Coconut fiber (not coir)
7. Small fibrous green waste
8. Mulch if it is not full of too much soil
9. Weeds if you are not worried about how it looks.
10. And my all time favourite….Shredded Bamboo – but this costs money.

Covering the lid with whatever you are using in your garden to keep the moisture in your soil will be more than adequate.   This keeps the hot air out in summer and the cold air out in winter so your waste decomposes rather than dehydrates.   Nothing can easily decompose dry waste so keep your lids covered and your contents wet.   It will disappear eventually over time if left uncovered and becomes dry, but it takes a long time depending on what you filled your pot with.

It also keeps the light out as most garden critters who live in your soil prefer the dark.  You don’t have to cover your pots.  But you will find it works more efficiently, breaks down quicker, and the contents stay nice and moist.  In the end it is up to you.  Try both ways and see for yourself which works better in your garden.

What not to cover your pots with?

The general rule is cover your pots with anything but dirt as it needs to breathe, and no sugar cane mulch as this emits a sweet smell of molasses which appears to attract rats. This won’t happen if every garden. But if you already have a rat problem in your neighbourhood, then don’t use sugar cane mulch. I think it is better to mix the sugar cane mulch into your soil as you prepare your garden bed for planting. This way there is not the same strong smell of molasse being emitted into the air.
If you find sugar cane mulch works in your garden without any issues, then feel free to use it.

How fast will waste decompose?

Even though this is a small compost bin it is incredibly efficient and you might be pleasantly surprised when you see how fast your waste disappears. It is super easy to fill with the wide opening so you don’t have to chop anything like you have to do to feed your worms. Naturally, some things you might need to chop up, like a cauliflower base – it all depends on what you eat. Fruit and Veg waste will be gone in one to two weeks max.  In many instances the pot will be completely empty. It all depends on the density of the food waste and how active the bugs are inside your pots.

Everything else takes roughly 4 to 6 weeks and up to 10 weeks in winter.   That is still faster than most other compost systems. Results will vary of course depending on your particular circumstances and what food you eat.

The beauty of this system is you don’t need to wait for everything to decompose before you top it up. Just keep topping it up and it will keep disappearing into the soil and turn your trash into triumph in your garden without any real hard work from you. Another secret to fast waste disposal is soaking your scraps to ferment them. I now recommend you do this with all your waste all year round and not just in winter as shown in a very old video.

How do I ferment my waste?

Choose a container to keep on your kitchen bench or under your sink with a lid that is airtight but easy to remove. You don’t want to make this a chore. If the lid is hard to remove you won’t do it. It needs to seal the container well so no bugs infiltrate your house or your waste collection container. Then simply collect all your kitchen scraps in this container and add “Wastewater”. Allow your scraps to soak in this “Wastewater” for as long as you can tolerate so it gets stinky.

Turn your stinky waste to sensational soil.

As a general rule this waste covered in water will not smell for roughly 3 to 5 days. Though some things go off quicker than others.  Like cat food – stinky stuff. If it gets to three days and you can’t stand the smell, then empty it or add more waste water to dilute the odour. This buys you time till the weekend when you have time to empty it. Or you can add lots of citrus peel.  It will smell beautiful even when you toss it into your Compot.
Work out what works best for you.  But the longer your waste soaks the quicker it will decompose.  Turn your stinky waste into sensational soil which is in fact called “Frass”. Frass is the by-product (like worm castings) created from hundreds of Soldier Fly larvae devouring your waste. It is super rich so spread it around your garden and not just in one spot. Then water it in well like you would any other fertiliser or soil conditioner.

Why do I ferment my waste?

If you are using your Compots for worm friendly waste only you do not need to ferment your waste. Worms don’t like fermented waste.  A couple of days is ok but any more than that will get too much for the worms to tolerate as the waste becomes too acidic for them to manage.

When you collect ALL your waste together, ideally you want to ferment this waste with wastewater so it does several things…..

1. Softens the waste.
2. Starts the decomposition process
3. Makes it easier for bacteria and bugs to dispose of it.
4. Attracts the Soldier Flies who will devour your waste quicker than worms
5. Allows you to fit 10 litres of waste into just one pot.
6. Helps in winter when the bacteria, bugs and or Soldier Flies might be  hibernating
7. Nourishes your garden when you toss it all in your Compot.
8. Dilutes and mingles all the odours and nutrients
9. Provides instant food for your plants – in solution
10. Last but not least….It keeps vermin away

If for what ever reason you find it does not keep the vermin away it probably means you are not soaking the waste long enough. Or you are using sugar cane mulch where rats are prevalent in that area. Thus, you might need to have a larger container in your laundry or shed where you can accumulate more than one bucket of waste and allow it to ferment for longer than a day. This to me is extra work and takes up extra space, so try soaking it overnight, empty it into your Compot and watch what occurs.

If nothing is trying to dig around your pots or chew threw your pots then you know this will work in your garden. But if you find those pesky rats or something else is trying to get into your pots then you know you need to soak the waste for a longer period of time. Just make sure you don’t use a container that gets too heavy to carry.

Every critter in the garden is looking for food to eat and your waste can be an easy food source for these animals if you don’t soak your waste. Fresh waste is easily smelt by animals in your garden.  That is not to say this won’t work.  It all depends on your circumstances.  For instance – some people have great success in raised garden beds when using the eco-eze composter for just worms. You need to work out what you prefer to do and what works in your garden.

Other options (coming soon)

What is “wastewater”?

Wastewater is any water you are tossing down your kitchen drain that is going to waste.   It could be…

1. Cooking water – eg. pea, pasta, rice, veggie water etc
2. Water from a container you rinsed out that is destined for your recycle bin.
3. Washing up water – if you wash up by hand.  A little detergent is a good thing (video to come)
4. Grey water if you have a way to collect this easily
5. Any water you can save from being wasted down the drain

The bad thing is – you will realise just how much water you waste when you start collecting it.   But don’t stress.   No one is perfect.  If you fill your pot up with more water than waste this can only be a good thing as you are putting water back into your garden.  Work out what works for you.   If you still waste some down the drain that is ok too.   You can only save so much unless you have a grey water system.  Just do the best you can.

What happens if I get Soldier Flies in my worm farm?

Usually, the Soldier Fly Larvae crowd out the worms in a worm farm if they are in large numbers.  The worms don’t like the leachate produced by the Soldier Fly Larvae.   As worms are self regulating they will eat each other if there is no food for them to eat.  Some people manage to get the two working together in their worm farms.   But it does require management.

With the Compot system, the worms have somewhere to escape – the soil.  You never have to worry about your worms dying with this eco-eze compost solution if it gets too hot, or too cold, or you go away on holidays. The Soldier Flies is exactly what you want inside your Compot because they eat everything, and are super fast and efficient.  But in a worm farm they crowd out the worms.  You might find they fly out at you when you remove the lid as they can’t get out otherwise.

Soldier Fly Larvae are pretty stinky above ground as the leachate smells just like ammonia created in anaerobic conditions. There is no smell when in the ground and the Ammonia is instant food for you plants. If you live in the bush you could use a worm farm for Soldier Flies because no one will care about the odour. But in urban environments you have to consider your neighbours as they most likely won’t approve of your composting methods.

With a Compot in the ground there is no smell.  If there is a small you need to call me so I can work out what you are doing and how to tweak your process.

How many pots do I need?

If you are a household of more than one person you will need more than one Compot.  A general rule of thumb is one per person and one for the garden.  That is a good starting point.   However, I find vegetarians often need two per person and two for the garden.  I think this is because they eat lots more fresh food and less processed food.

The eco-eze Compot composter actually works faster than larger compost bins which is why you don’t always need a lot of them.   Depending on the amount of waste you produce you may never need anymore than one per person and one for the garden.  If you do need more you can always buy more.

Ideally, you need to plant a few around your garden and rotate filling them.  By the time you get back to the first one, it will be well and truly ready to take more of your waste. The waste disappears into the surrounding soil so you don’t need to collect and spread soil as you do with traditional Compost Bins.  The worms will move around the garden from pot to pot and spread their castings as they go. So much less work for you.

Some people choose to have lots of pots so they can nourish all their garden easily.  Other people get a few and move then around the garden every 6 moths or so. In the end it is up to you what will work best for you and your circumstances.  I only move mine if I am re-designing the garden.  Otherwise they stay in the same place forever.

Your awful waste will become awesome soil in less time than other compost systems.   If you waste does not turn to soil I give you your money back.  But you can’t fail with this system. It is all just a matter of time and your waste will transform into beautiful soil, and transform your garden.

Can I harvest soil?

If you want to collect and harvest soil you can. Just let one pot rest for 4 to 6 weeks without topping it up and it will turn into beautiful rich composted “Frass” that is easy to scoop out with your hand or a trowel. This occurs quicker than a traditional compost bin and is easy to collect.

If you don’t like filling the pots with everything from your kitchen you can choose to fill them with just worm friendly food only, as you would in a worm farm. The worms will try to fill the pot up with soil back up to ground level.  You will get more soil this way but you will have to empty it more often as well.   Thus a little more work involved.

Worms are great in raised garden beds if you really want to breed up worms and see them in action inside your pots.  The choice is yours and you will soon work out what’s best for your situation.  But remember that fresh waste can attract the wrong kind of garden critter.  If this happens then you need to follow my instructions and soak your waste in wastewater as seen in this video about composting in Winter.  Compots in winter I find that soaking your scraps in wastewater works well all year round and not just winter.

Remember. ..Just… Fill…Forget…Refill…when ready and watch your garden grow.

Articles coming soon

What can I put in my Compots with my dog waste (coming soon)
What if my dogs want to dig it up (coming soon)
Black Soldier Flies and Animal Waste (coming soon)
Composting in winter
Propagating wheatgrass
propagating seeds

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