Composting Tips from our Garden & Grub Event

Our Garden & Grub event at Two Coves Community Garden was fantastic. Not only did we get to meet many of the community gardeners who also have plots (most of which are in much better shape than mine), three new plots were purchased, and several people volunteered in the community areas of the garden. In addition, we held a short workshop on indoor and outdoor composting. Here's some information for those who couldn't attend:

There are essentially three different ways to compost in New York City

• Outdoor Composting: The Queens Botanical Garden has provided a how-to guide on outdoor composting. Please refer to it.

• Vermicomposting: This essentially is keeping a bin of worms in your apartment that eat your garbage. It is akin to having an ant farm. It’s best suited for people who enjoy projects, aren’t grossed out by touching worms and have a lot of indoor plants that would benefit from the compost. There is a magnificent online site that walks one through every step from setting up the bin to harvesting the compost at http://www.nyccompost.org/how/vermicompost.html

• Compost Drop-Off: One may save organic waste and drop it off at a Green Market, or participating community garden and let others do the composting for you. Drop off sites (sorry, none in Queens)

o Union Square Green Market Composting Stand 17th Street and Park Avenue South; Year-round: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8am to 5pm
o Lower East Side Ecology Center Garden; North side of East 7th Street between Avenues B and C ;Open year-round: Sundays 8am to 5pm; Other times drop off through the opening at the gate


Links & Supplies:

• The New York City Compost Project is a wonderful resource. They offer outdoor composting bins that sell for $70 for the reduced price of $20. They also offer worm bins for $10 if you take one of their free composting classes. http://www.nyccompost.org

• The Worm Woman (aka Mary Appelhof). Her website is http://wormwoman.com Her site offers composting tips. One can also purchase books for adults, for the classroom and composting supplies – such as worms!

• The Lower East Side Ecology Center http://www.lesecologycenter.org/ This is the fabulous organization which composts for you.

Information compiled by Rebecca White, Green Party member.

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Saturday, May 24th, 12 – 2 pm
Two Coves Garden/Green Thumb Triangle at 30th Ave., 8th St., & Astoria Blvd. Bring your favorite vegetarian dish and help beautify the largest community gardens in Astoria. Learn about indoor and outdoor composting. Plots still available. Co Sponsors: Two Coves Gardening Association and Astoria CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).