One of the questions we're often asked is whether composting is possible in a small urban garden.
Recently, a customer asked:
"I live in London in a small house with a small courtyard garden and a cat. There is absolutely no room for a compost heap. What form of composting do you recommend?"
The good news is that you don't need a large garden or a traditional compost heap to recycle your kitchen waste and create something useful for your plants. Two excellent options for small spaces are a wormery and a bokashi bin.
Option 1: A Wormery
A wormery is often the best choice for gardeners who want to turn their kitchen scraps directly into rich compost.
Composting worms happily eat most fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, cardboard and other suitable kitchen waste. In return, they produce nutrient-rich vermicompost and a liquid feed that can be diluted and used around the garden.
One of the biggest advantages of a wormery is that it creates a finished compost that is perfect for pots, containers, raised beds and houseplants. Even if your outdoor space is limited to a courtyard, you'll still have plenty of opportunities to use the compost you produce.
Our wormeries are compact, tidy and designed for small gardens, making them ideal for urban homes.
https://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/collections/worm-composting
Option 2: A Bokashi Bin
If space is extremely limited, a bokashi bin can be a great alternative.
Unlike a wormery, bokashi uses a fermentation process rather than worms. Food waste is placed into a sealed container and sprinkled with bokashi bran, allowing beneficial microbes to break it down.
One advantage of bokashi is that it can accept many foods that aren't suitable for a wormery, including cooked leftovers. Because the system is sealed, it can be kept indoors and takes up very little room.
Once the fermentation process is complete, the material can be buried in pots, planters or garden beds where it continues to break down and enrich the soil.
Which Is Best?
Both systems work well in small gardens and help reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfill.
If you enjoy gardening and would like to create your own compost and liquid plant feed, a wormery is usually the most rewarding option.
If convenience and minimal space requirements are your priorities, a bokashi bin is an excellent choice.
Whichever route you choose, you'll be turning kitchen waste into a valuable resource for your plants without needing room for a traditional compost heap.
Small garden, big impact.
