DigitalVinyl wrote:

I've been reading up and reviewing the different methods (i'm not
crazy about vermiculture--just not THAT much of a gardener yet)

Is there some reason why composting can't be done on smaller scales?
Most of the solutions are in large barrels or fenced in squares. I
can't do piles...no lawn and the small area I have is surrounded by
neighbor's with kids playing in yard. I wouldn't want a rotting pile
there. And I really can't use that much. With about 24 sq ft of garden
space...using 2 inches I would need 4 cu ft per year at most! At Home
Depot that would cost me about $14-$15. SOme compact solutions cost
$100-150. It would take me 6-8 years just to break even. But even the
smallest is big for me. I also live alone and I'm not sure how much
variety I can introduce into the pile without begging friends to save
stinky bags of rotting things I don't eat (like bananas).

Is home-made compost going to be significantly better than composted
manure and humus I purchase at Home Depot. I know organic shops sell
more expensive nutrient rich mixes. However if I've got to buy blood
meal and other stuff to add to compost then the expense grows and the
value becomes questionable for all but larger applications.

Assuming it is still worthwhile...

I was thinking using a 15-20 gallon container with a tray below for
catching compost tea. I'm thinking something tupperware-ish with a
nice tight seal and locks on top. I wanted to improve aeration since
my reading says that lack of oxygen is what causes odors and slows
composting. Turning/mixing only replenishes the oxygen for less than a
half hour in an active compost. I was thinking of perforating the
lowest portion or bottom of the container and fixing a fan (small PC
cooling fan) to the top to draw air out. Theoretically, it would suck
air in through the bottom holes creating air flow up through the
compost. If the aeration works the offensive odors should be
reduced/eliminated and it should be no problem keeping it on the
landing near the back door.

I figure if the pile halves in volume during compost the 16 gallon
container will produce a cubic foot. Using compost accelerators it
should produce in 3-8 weeks, depending.

Or I should just go to home depot...
Any suggestions?
DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

If you only have 24 sq ft of garden I think the best idea
would be to, during the non-growing season, just dig a hole
and bury your kitchen wastes in that garden area. Dig a
hole, put in your scraps, dig another hole along side of
that and use the dirt to cover the previous hole. During
the growing season just lay the scraps on top of the ground
in the garden and cover with some grass clippings, this is
known as "sheet" composting.
Bill