Patience is Key: Composting is a natural process and can take a few weeks to get to full efficency. Be patient, and you'll be rewarded with rich, nutrient-dense compost for your garden. People in the UK seem to have been confused by the idea of composting worms being used in a composting system. And whereas the term clearly makes sense in Australia, and perhaps the USA, it would make more sense to explain the concept in language that local people (in the UK) understand. It makes no sense to confuse customers. Compost systems need to be vermin-proof to prevent attracting unwanted wildlife such as rats, possums, or larger animals. But what we consider a “pest” isn’t always what it seems.

It’s great to hear you’re enthusiastic about getting people into gardening and composting, that makes two of us. Then there’s the issue about ensuring that dry carbon is used in the right carbon ratio and how sometimes dry carbon needs to be added if the compost gets too wet. Again, based on the number of questions people ask about this it doesn’t look like they find it easy. NB I’m delighted to have received a comment (below) from Peter at Subpod. We share many common beliefs in gardening, the need to compost and combat food waste. But I’m still to be convinced about expensive systems like this one. Balance Your Inputs: For optimal composting, maintain a balance between 'greens' (fruit and vegetable scraps) and 'browns' (dry leaves, paper). According to the information provided at the time of writing 16,000 Subpods have already sold. And I’ve no doubt many more will sell. It’s the sort of product that appeals to gardeners that think its going to answer all their gardening problems.

The Subpod® not only disposes of your organic waste, but is also the ‘growth hub’ for your garden. The movement of worms and microbes between your Subpod® and garden bed builds soil fertility and plant health, allowing you to grow nutrient-dense food at home with ease. What is a Subpod? Sparing the indigenous ants will help keep the ecosystem balanced. The easiest way to focus your borax baits for just fire ant consumption is to get a container of bait as close to the fire ant mound as safely possible. Then let the worker ants take care of the rest. Welcome to the Subpod family, where we're turning waste into wonder, one Subpod at a time. Happy composting! You can compost a much bigger variety of materials in Subpod than in other worm farm systems! See the full list below:

Essentially, other than the size and price, the SubPod Mini appears to have all the benefits and disbenefits of its larger brother. The price is considerably lower but you’ll still have to buy worms and any other extras and pay for delivery. Chop your food scraps up to smaller pieces during food prep. This will ensure that they break down faster in the Subpod, making it easier to bury as you mix them in, and your worm population will grow faster.Turn Regularly: Regular turning helps speed up the composting process and prevents any unpleasant smells. Promoting Soil Health: Compost enriches the soil, improving its structure, water retention, and nutrient content. Healthy soils can absorb and store carbon, helping to mitigate climate change. There’s a lid that seals the top and the whole thing is buried, or partially buried, in the soil or into a raised bed.

I live in the U.S. (Virginia) and have never met anyone that composts. (In fact, my only exposure to composting was seeing a bin for compostable waste when I was on a business trip to California once several years ago, and having no idea what it was for.) I have never previously had interest in gardening or composting. All I had was a general inkling that throwing away food scraps was wasteful for some reason. The Subpod® in-garden compost system that works with nature, using worms and microbes to compost organic waste without the odours, vermin, mess and hard work of traditional composting.

Understanding Worms and Microbes

Start Small: If you're new to composting, start with small amounts of waste and gradually increase as you become more comfortable with the process. My other hesitation over simplicity is the result of so many people who go online asking for advice when they have problems. They seem to find the Subpod far from easy. They may well be a minority but certainly a goo d number of people find the Subpod far from easy. So the easiest way I can see of describing the Subpod is that it’s a smallish plastic wormery that is part buried when in use. The composting process and compost worms then produce a resulting compost can be used as a mulch, soil additive etc. Have you researched other large compost systems, as most of them are at a similar price if not more?

The speed of decomposition depends on many factors, from moisture content, oxygen levels and temperature. Without oxygen we get anaerobic decomposition and that can smell. The higher the temperature the faster the breakdown and compost formation. By composting with Subpod, you're not just managing your waste; you're actively contributing to a healthier planet. It's a small change in your daily routine that can have a big impact on our world. So, let's turn waste into wonder and make a difference, one Subpod at a time. Subpod Is The Latest “Composting” System To Hit The Media. Here I Examine The Pros & Cons of Subpods Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure the compost produced is incredible. I’m sure it is fabulous nutrient rich compost. I’m not disputing that. I’ve seen the evidence of it. I’m also sure the system copes with food waste, plant scraps, vegetable scraps and more. And it could be the if they are chopped up into small pieces the worms might appreciate it. But it seems a lot of hassle compared to my above ground traditional compost where I rarely cut my waste up, don’t worry too much about carbon to green ratios or get any odour.

Compost Underground

It’s apparently simple, modular and modern and composts my kitchen and green food waste by using composting worms and microbes to do the work. Ohh and it’s largely buried underground .. though I’m not terribly clear why that’s a benefit and not a disadvantage! Conserving Resources: Composting transforms waste into a valuable resource – nutrient-rich compost. This reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, many of which are produced using non-renewable resources and can contribute to water pollution when overused. Keep your waste covered as much as possible while you are collecting it, so the flies can’t lay eggs in it before it gets to your compost system. You can use sealed compost bins/containers in your kitchen to seal your food scraps and keep out any unwanted pests. You comment about the above ground systems being more susceptible to heating. Correct, they are, simply because that’s the natural way in which composting works. Heat is created by the chemical and biological process of decomposition.