This sounds like a terrible idea to me!
Google or get a good book about composting. Compost is made with a combination of "greens and browns"... the process is set in motion with the addition of air and water. Kitchen scraps contain little or no "browns" and the process you describe will only provide a "stinky rotting mess". Practically, two stacked five gallon buckets plus the addition of moisture will create a "weld-like" bond between the buckets and make the them nearly impossible to separate.
The system you describe would work with the addition of worms. This is called vermiculture and much has been written on the web and in books. The product that would be produced is worm casting tea and is very beneficial. (Some provision must be made so that you two buckets don't stick together..or there will be Hell to pay)
GL

What the first answer said! In my dead-dry climate a compost pile works but works poorly, so I dig mostly everything in to holes and it's all hunky dory.

As for WHAT to compost (keeping in mind that the bucket method isn't included here), the rule of thumb is "anything that has ever grown". No matter how fussy people can get, it really is that simple.

Digging the veggie scraps into the garden is also a form of trench composting. You can read on that to see if you like it.

As for the 2 buckets idea, it's not bad, but since the same size buckets will sit in on each other pretty well already, without much air space, maybe you can try 2 differently sized buckets.

Another idea is a 13 or 21-gallon trash can that you drill holes into (for air and drainage). Then you grow your stuff into there. It only takes as much space as the footprint of the trash can. It will get harder to mix the ingredients once you fill up more, and it doesn't generate as much compost as one would think, but it's possible to have 2 or 3 or 4 of them.

Also, worm composting (or vermicomposting) is also possible with many of the same veggie scraps that you generate on a regular basis. It is usually done indoors and so it won't take a lot of space, either.

While the water from those buckets may contain some of the nutrients from that vegetative waste it does not contain any of the organic material that your soil needs to help hold both moisture and nutrients so the plants you grow can find and use them.

If one were to use a trash can for composting then they may as well build a proper compost pile since the footprint will be close to the same and the volume of a proper compost pile will make the process better and easier to maintain.

Florida soils need organic material added, and the people at the University of Florida will tell you that

kimmq is kimmsr

When I first started composting I used an old plastic garbage can with 2" holes drilled all around it and the bottom cut off. Place straw in bottom, add kitchen scraps, Starbucks coffee grounds, leaves [if I can find them] cover with more straw [this to control odor and flys], water a bit. Wait. Add more layers. From time to time pick up the can, re-position in new spot, pitch fork the stuff back in....this is for air movement. It works! I now have two barrel composters 'cause I'm old and lazy. :-|

I like the bucket idea but also think it would be less work to worm compost. FWIW - you can't use garden worms or night crawlers, so keep that in mind.

To the green/browns ratio - that really is for people who want to speed compost. A pile of leaves (or branches) will break down - it is NOT fast but does so in nature everyday without a 'proper recipe' - keep that in mind, this does not have to be complicated.

It should be pointed out that if you have a garden and can fit a wire fence or hardware cloth in a 3x3ft area you can compost right there. Using a 9.5ft piece of wire fence, you can attach one end to the other (using the fence to latch onto itself or tywraps) making a circle.

I made several from wire fence the neighbor was tossing. You can make a larger diameter but I wouldn't make it higher than 3ft as it makes it harder to get in the pile. To find out how much fence you need just multiply 3.14 time the desired diameter.

IF I was going to buy fence I would buy half-inch hardware cloth instead - it allows for plenty of air flow.

The important things are to have water (moisture), air flow, mixed with organic materials.

IMO the buckets are not likely to be welded together IF there are holes drilled in the bottom. Of course, if they do get difficult you can simply use something (anything) in the bottom to keep the top bucket from going all the way in. I have used things like empty glass jar or solo cups. Just look in your recycle bin to find something that will fit.

HTH

'I'd love to but I simply don't have the space.'

How much space do you enivisage you will need? I'm wondering if you may have enough but don't realise it. You say you have veggies so I assume you have a garden of sorts. You could make compost in a 3 x 3 foot footprint area - about the same as a tomato plant.

Could you cut the bottom off the five gallon bucket, drill holes into the sides, and bury it halfway into your garden. Then buy one of those screw top lids for it, and just dump scraps into it. Like a big worm tower, maybe?

Laurie, this is close to what I have been doing with my old compost bin. We used to bury all of our kitchen scraps in the soil but last year I set up a bunch of buckets with 3/4" holes drilled into the bottom of them and a few 1/4" holes drilled around the top for ventilation.

These now sit in the old compost bed and are piled in with straw from cleaning out the chicken coop. Scraps are simply dumped into the buckets with a handful of wood chips, shredded paper or crumpled cardboard (the wood chips are the easiest and we have quite a pile from brooding chicks this year).

The worms (we put Eisenia Hortensis or European Nightcrawlers) come and go at the own choice and are quite active in the soil under the buckets and the straw when it is moist. I have 10 buckets in there now and that will take a few months of our scraps to fill. A month or so ago I raked back the straw after moving the buckets, 6 of the older buckets were dumped on the bed and a few inches of horse manure were added then the buckets and straw were put back into place.

Everything seems to be decomposing nicely and there are no issues with bugs or smells so it appears to working fine.