garden-flowers.net

Homemade compost bins allow one to fit the bin into the general aspect of the property & to tailor the bin or bins to the needs of the gardener & property. They are neither tedious nor hard to build & may be made from a variety of materials.

The simplest bin is of course none at all. Compost will work quite well in a pile alongside the garden. However - some areas do not allow what they consider unsightly piles of garbage in the yard while a bin is more than acceptable. Besides this, many gardeners prefer the look, convenience & ritual of a series of compost bins.

A quick bin may be made from a 10 length of welded steel wire fencing, 3 feet high. 14 gauge is about right for strength & sturdiness combined with reasonable weight. Clip off the fencing at one end to leave the ends protruding & bend them over to form hooks. Roll the wire into a circle about 3 feet round & hook the end of the cage. You now have a compost cage about 3 feet round & 3 feet high. This is an ideal size for a compost bin. Add the compost to it & when it is time to turn of use the compost, unhook the end & peal the cage from the pile.

Next up in simplicity is the pallet bin. Nail three pallets together to form a U. Take a fourth & wire it to the other three so as to form a door. Alternatively it may be hinged. Some composters prefer to leave off this fourth side or door & simply fill the U, taking compost & adding material through the open side.

A wood frame bin can easily be made by using 2×4 lumber to make four wooden frames each 3 feet by 3 feet or 4 feet by 4 feet. Butt joints & nails are sturdy enough for a compost bin. Each frame can be covered with fencing, chicken wire, snow fence, lattice work or anything else with about a 2″ opening to let air into the pile. Nail three of the frames into a U shape to form a back & two sides. There is more. There is more. The other frame can be hinged to make a door along with hook & eye arrangements to open & close the bin.

Cinder blocks can be often used to make the three sides of a compost bin. Remember to make the bin about three feet high, wide & deep. Leave an inch or so between blocks for air to reach the pile. Bricks could also be used but require a lot more work & stacking. One variation on this stacking theme is to use hay bails. Not only do they provide insulation for retaining the composting heat, but they also gradually break down, adding themselves to the compost pile.

While there’re certainly endless variations on these themes a few things should be kept in mind. The pile should be at least 3 x 3 x 3 feet for good composting heat. Aeration is important to keeping the compost working & the easiest way to do so is to turn the pile. Make the bin so as to facilitate the turning. With this in mind, consider making three bins: one to gather material, & two to turn the material from one bin to the next.

Whichever bin you make, compost will happen along with the satisfaction of making your own compost in your own bin.

Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting & gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre & compost piles for each. His composting site may be easily found at Compost Central. You can become a master composter in no time at all. Compost is a great addition to any garden & is not very hard to make. For lots more information & instruction refer to Compost Central.