7. The Balcony Bucket Tumbler for Small Spaces
Apartment dwellers and balcony gardeners do not need to be left out. A pair of five-gallon buckets can produce a steady trickle of compost for herbs, patio tomatoes, and potted flowers without taking up more than a couple of square feet.
What you need:
- Two 5-gallon food-grade buckets with lids
- A drill and a 1/4-inch bit
- A length of rope or a sturdy handle
- A drip tray or saucer
Time: 20 minutes. Difficulty: absolute beginner.
Drill aeration holes around the upper third of both buckets and a few in the lids. Use one bucket as your active compost and the other for collecting material until the first is full. To aerate, put the lid on tight, tip the bucket on its side, and roll it gently with your foot — you can do this while drinking coffee. Alternatively, set the bucket on its base and give it a few vigorous shakes with the lid held down.
Keep the bucket on a drip tray so any liquid does not stain your balcony floor, and chop your scraps small since the volume is limited. A five-gallon bucket will not compost a whole garden’s worth of material, but it will turn coffee grounds, eggshells, and vegetable trimmings into something useful within six to ten weeks.
💡 Pro Tip: Freeze your kitchen scraps in a container before adding them. Freezing bursts the cell walls, so the material breaks down noticeably faster — especially handy when you are working with small volumes.