I would love to compost, but I am not sure how to manage it in an apartment. What are the options? It seems the city of Montreal is not really as compost-friendly as other Canadian cities.
Erika, Montreal
I have one word for you: worms. Just because you don’t have yard space doesn’t mean you can’t join the growing number of Canadians who are composting. Statistics Canada’s research from 2006, albeit dated, showed 27 per cent of households nationwide composted. And, Quebec households have steadily been increasing their rates of composting, too.
You need to try vermicomposting. It’s ideal for small spaces and can be done indoors, which makes it perfect for apartment dwellers. It means you discard organic matter generated in your kitchen – like banana peels — by feeding it to worms. But not just any worms; you’re going to need some red wrigglers. The result is a very fertile mixture of decomposed food scraps and worm poop.
Vermiculture is a great way to reduce the organic matter otherwise destined for the landfill. The process takes three to six months and depending on how much you feed your worms, you’ll need to harvest the vermicompost two to four times a year. It’s excellent fertilizer for gardens, laws, or potted plants on balconies and even indoor plants. Fans of worm farms claim they’re much easier to care for than a dog or a cat and they don’t smell. There are many great on-line resources to help you source and set up your very own worm bin. Check out City Farmer’s resources listed by province, or 
Lindsay Coulter gives you the straight goods on living green. Send your questions to queenofgreen@metronews.ca. For more great tips, visit The David Suzuki Foundation at davidsuzuki.org.
