Composting at the Greenhouse
The Inuvik Community Greenhouse compost bin would greatly appreciate:
- Coffee grounds
- Vegetable scraps
- Tea bags
- Fruit cores and peels
- Egg shells
- Dryer lint
- Leaves
Please place these items in the first bin marked “add material here” in the big composting bay at the back.
Grass clippings are also welcomed; please leave them outside behind the north end of the building.
Please don't bring in:
- Plastic
- Weeds
- Meat
- Dairy
- Dog or cat poo
Thank you for your help!
For more information contact us at inuvikgreenhouse@yahoo.ca.
Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting, or composting with worms, is a great way to transform your kitchen scraps and other organic waste into rich fertilizer, recycle, save energy, reduce waste going to the landfill.
The Inuvik Community Greenhouse now has worm composters located at the north end of the building. Please bring in your kitchen scraps to help feed the worms!
A few things you should know:
1. The Container
- Keeps light out and moisture in
- Must have good drainage and proper aeration
- Worm homes must be located where the temperature is consistently between 13C and 25C
2. The Worms
- Redworms (Lumbicus rubellus) are best for composting because they thrive on organic materials, such as food scraps
- One kilogram of worms will eat half a kilogram of food waste per day
3. The Bedding
- Worms love to live in shredded newspaper and cardboard, shredded fall leaves, chopped up straw, sawdust, dried grass clippings, peat moss, compost and aged manure
- The bedding must be moist but not too moist! (think wrung-out sponge)
- Worms need a little grit to help them digest; a tiny bit of sand or potting soil will do the trick
4. Worm Food
- Worms like to eat fruit peels and cores, vegetable trimmings, tea bags and coffee grounds
- Cut everything up small and the worms will break it down faster
- Do not feed the worms meats, dairy products or leftovers (this will produce odors)
- Food scraps must be buried in the bedding in different areas each time