Composting Without a Yard (or Angry Neighbors)
This fall I finally faced the question every apartment or condominium gardener asks at least once: How do I make compost without a yard, without spending a fortune, and without making the neighbors hate me?
I used The Modern Everyday Homestead Companion to walk me through the options, and honestly—it’s the first time composting felt doable instead of gross. If you’re in a condo, small patio, or even a ground-floor unit like me, here’s the system that actually works.
Why I Ditched the Pile Dream
I don’t have space for a big compost heap, and a spinning tumbler would stick out like a sore thumb. What I needed was cheap, quiet, and invisible.
The answer turned out to be a Bokashi bucket—basically composting by fermentation instead of decay. It doesn’t stink, doesn’t attract pests, and you can keep it under your sink or in a closet.
My Setup (Total Cost: under $25)
Two 5-gallon buckets with lids
A few small holes drilled in the bottom of one
A spigot for draining liquid (optional)
Bokashi bran (the magic ingredient—$10 bag lasts months)
You just add food scraps, sprinkle a handful of bran, and press it down to push out air. Seal it tight. Every few days, drain the little bit of liquid (called leachate) and dilute it for plant feed. When the bucket’s full, it ferments for two weeks. It smells faintly like pickles, not garbage.
What Happens Next
After fermenting, I bury the bucket contents in a finishing tote—a lidded container half-filled with soil and dried leaves. That goes out on the patio. Over 4–6 weeks the microbes finish breaking it down into rich, dark compost.
Even through winter (I’m in Zone 6B), it just goes dormant and wakes back up in spring. No odor. No flies. No complaints.
The Secret Weapon: Tracking
I started using a printable Bokashi Compost Log (you can download it free) to keep it all straight—what went in, how much bran I added, and when I drained liquid. It’s simple but surprisingly satisfying, and it helps fine-tune the balance for next season.
You can grab the same homestead tools I use through The Modern Everyday Homestead Companion if you’re trying to run a small-space setup with real structure. It will zoom in on your zone!
Quiet Wins
The neighbors have no clue I’m composting.
My houseplants are thriving on homemade fertilizer.
And next spring, that tote of dark compost is going straight into the raised beds.
If you’ve been putting off composting because you rent or live in tight quarters, this is your sign. You don’t need a yard—just a couple of buckets, some bran, and a little patience.
Want a step-by-step for making your own Bokashi Bucket? Right here!
This post was shared on the Homestead Blog Hop 572!