From the Comox Valley Echo, Tuesday 2 July 2013, Ask a Pro Question: Does my composter need to sit on earth or can I put it on the patio? Answer: Good composters sit on earth or lawn to take advantage of the diverse microbes in the soil underneath. Worms and macro-organisms will be attracted to the feast. Water can transfer and keep the moisture content more stable. In a warm moist environment, bacteria can double about every 20 minutes. So one cell could multiply to over a billion in 10 hours. Talk about compound interest! They will make fast work of your organic scraps and leave a smorgasbo ..read more

From the Comox Valley Echo, Tuesday 4 June 2013, Ask a Pro Question: My composter is filling up and now we have tons more yard waste. Do I have to get another composter? Answer: With some easy management, most households can get by with one composter. When your bin is full, let it sit for at least a week. In the meantime, you could freeze your kitchen scraps if they get out of hand. Then shovel out all that rich living earth. Scoop back the pieces that are not composted into the now empty composter for reprocessing. Prepare your empty bin by starting with some fluffy carbon-rich material like ..read more

From the Comox Valley Echo, Tuesday 7 May 2013, Ask a Pro Question: Do I need to add an activator to get my compost started? Answer: No. If you have a reasonable balance of carbon and nitrogen materials in your compost, you do not need an activator to start the decomposition. The needed micro-organisms are plentiful from the ground under your composter and on the leaves and scraps that you add. Just keep it damp and airy. Inoculants are different in that they supply the bacteria and fungus needed, not nutrients. Tumbler composters usually come with inoculant as they are not connected to Earth ..read more

In celebration of International Compost Awareness Week, we had a contest for your best garden tips. The prize is our favourite composting book, The Complete Compost Gardening Guide by Barbara Pleasant and Deborah Martin. By random draw, the winner is ....ta da ... Leslie H. Fabulous tips all! Thanks for sharing. I'm off to sprinkle coffee grounds on the carrots, crush egg shells on the tomatoes and build a yeast/water trap for the voracious slugs. Happy gardening everyone ..read more

From the Comox Valley Echo, Tuesday 5 March 2013, Ask a Pro Question: Why is backyard composting better than municipal composting? Answer: You don’t have large diesel trucks rumbling through neighbourhoods. It doesn’t require large tracks of land for processing. It costs less. My Mum pays $275.52 a year for her privately-owned curbside pickup in Victoria. But a good composter (ok, like our Speedibin!) costs $199 and lasts about 30 years, under $7 per year. The town of Fredericton calculated that 3,000 backyard composters saved over $100,000 a year in waste disposal. Best of all, you get rich ..read more

Admiring some compost From the Comox Valley Echo, Tuesday 8 January 2013, Ask a Pro   Question: I resolve to start composting in 2013. What do I need? Answer: Excellent resolution! Backyard composting is one of the most effective things an individual can do to improve the environment. There are many ways to compost – a system to fit every situation. Consider: Backyard bins (our favourite of course!) Indoor vermicomposting with red wiggler worms Open three-compartment pens for yard waste Trenches or pits buried in your garden Communal compost systems for condos, schools and commercial ki ..read more

We are excited to showcase our new Speedibin promotional video, produced by Dan Peruzzo of D See Video Productions. Working with D See Video Productions was a true joy and we love the playful, educational tone of this addition to our Speedibin media. Thanks also to Continual Palingenesis - Social Media Solutions for facilitating the process and helping us share this video ..read more

Editorial for Live Green section inside the CV Echo, 2012 09 30 - Joyce  What is one of the simplest and most effective ways that individuals can help the environment? Composting. Awareness of the tremendous diversity of lifeforms in our soils and subsequent protection and enhancement of them is virtually a revolution. Did you know that there is more life below ground than above? There are about 50 billion micro-organisms in a tablespoon of soil. Staggering! And that is what feeds the plants that feed us. Consider this: about a third of the waste from the Comox Valley going to the landfil ..read more

From Comox Valley Echo, 2 October 2012 - Ask a Pro Question: Where should I set up my new composter? I just bought a Speedibin at South Country Feed. Answer: Good bin choice, Deb! Make the location convenient. You are most likely going to have a few trips a week from your kitchen, even in the winter. Make it easy on yourself, set it up with easy access from the kitchen but not right beside your house. Leave some walking around space on all four sides so you can access it and pests can’t hide behind. It needs to be on earth so that worms, microbes and water can transfer. Worms can’t get th ..read more

Joyce McMenamon of the Speedibin Composter points out that the packaging used to ship your new Speedibin Composter in is fully compostable itself; making it the perfect way to start off your new compost ..read more