Trying Composting Again: Will It Work This Time?

 Quite a while ago, I wrote an article about trying a cardboard box composting method.

To be honest, after that, I didn’t take care of it as much as I probably should have. So I can’t exactly say it was a success.

There were some failures. There were also lots of tiny fruit flies. At one point, I thought, “Okay, this looks simple, but I guess composting does require some attention after all.”

Still, I couldn’t quite give up on the idea.

Then I started seeing Instagram posts about bucket composting and other easy home composting methods. I thought, “Maybe this version might be a little easier,” and since then, I have been trying composting again here and there in a very casual way.

This Time, I’m Using a Plastic Container

This time, I bought a plastic container from Home Depot.

When I previously tried bucket composting, I used a large laundry mesh bag that fit nicely inside the container. It happened to fit this new container too, so I placed the mesh bag around the whole inside of it and put the lid on top.

The mesh bag is mainly to help keep bugs out.

I don’t want the container to be completely sealed because compost needs some air. So by using the mesh bag under the lid, I’m hoping it will still have some airflow while also keeping insects away.

For now, I’m mostly adding vegetable scraps.

I’m trying to be careful with fruit scraps because, from my past experience, they seem to attract fruit flies more easily. I also add coffee grounds and eggshells little by little.

Each time I add kitchen scraps, I cover them with soil.

For the soil, I used some leftover potting soil and old soil from plants that had died.

I’m sure this is a very casual and self-taught method compared to people who really know what they are doing.

But my goal is simple: if I can return even a small amount of kitchen waste back to the soil, that would be nice.

I’d Also Like to Improve the Apartment Garden

Our apartment has a small shared garden space.

The soil there seems pretty tired and poor, and the area doesn’t get the best sunlight.

A little while ago, I planted cherry tomatoes there.

Since the sunlight wasn’t great, I didn’t expect too much. But surprisingly, I was able to harvest a few tomatoes here and there.

Even if they were just small tomatoes, it still felt nice to pick something I had grown myself.

Eventually, though, the plant died.

Maybe tomatoes really do need more sun than that spot can offer.

So this time, I decided to give up on tomatoes in that garden area for now and planted sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano instead.

To be honest, I don’t use these herbs in large amounts.

When I do use them, it is usually just a little bit.

But when I buy fresh herbs at the grocery store, they are surprisingly expensive. And many times, I end up not using all of them before they go bad.

So if I can grow a little bit in the garden and pick just what I need, that would be very convenient.

Also, having herbs in the garden just feels a little stylish.

I don’t know yet whether they will grow well, but I hope they will settle in and survive.

But My Real Dream Is Still Cherry Tomatoes

That said, my real dream is still cherry tomatoes.

I’ve heard that tomatoes have been getting more expensive lately, so if I could grow even a few at home, I would be pretty happy.

The patio gets more sunlight than the shared garden area, so I have tried growing tomatoes there several times before.

But for some reason, they always ended up getting mysterious little white bugs.

Once those white bugs showed up, the leaves became weaker, and the whole plant started looking like it might not make it.

Because of that, I had temporarily given up on growing cherry tomatoes.

But if this compost starts turning into decent soil, I may try again.

Maybe if I mix in some of my own compost instead of relying only on store-bought soil, the tomatoes might grow a little stronger this time.

Of course, the bugs might come back again.

But even if that happens, I guess I can keep learning little by little.

I Also Tried an Indoor Hydroponic Kit

Speaking of growing things, a friend once sold me an indoor hydroponic growing kit at a very affordable price.

It was the kind with an automatic light, and it looked pretty high-tech.

At first, I thought, “Maybe I can grow herbs indoors with this.”

But in our small home, it was hard to find a good place for it.

The light was also quite bright. It felt too bright early in the morning, and it stayed on until pretty late at night. It had a much stronger presence in the room than I expected.

Also, the things I actually wanted to grow didn’t grow that well.

Instead, Thai basil, which I didn’t really know how to use, grew the most energetically.

If I had been the kind of person who could easily make good use of Thai basil in cooking, that would have been great. But for me, it was a little too much of a challenge.

So that hydroponic kit is now sleeping in the closet.

Even If It Doesn’t Go Perfectly, I’ll Try Again

Composting, gardening, growing herbs, and trying to grow vegetables at home all sound simple, but in reality, they don’t always go the way I imagine.

Bugs show up.

Plants die.

The things I want to grow don’t always grow.

But there is still something enjoyable about touching soil, watching plants, and seeing kitchen scraps slowly turn back into something earthy.

Even if I fail, I can adjust the method a little and try again.

So I’m continuing this composting attempt in a very relaxed way.

Will I finally be able to make good soil this time?

And will that soil help my cherry tomatoes grow someday?

I’m trying not to expect too much, but I am quietly looking forward to seeing what happens.