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compost bin
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Posted by average 5 (average@sympatico.ca) on Thu, Jun 9, 05 at 18:49
| Hi everyone, I love this forum. I am very new to gardening so I hope my question is not a silly one. I would like to know how I can put a cheap compost bin together and how large it needs to be. Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: compost bin
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| Your question is definitely not silly. The cheapest compost bin is just a pile, turned occasionally with a pitchfork. If you want to construct something and don't get an answer here, ask on the Soil, Compost and Mulch Forum. Have fun gardening. Susan |
RE: compost bin
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| Hi ... I have about 8 compost bins of all sizes and only one was purchased about 15 years ago ... a Biostack - a three tier black square with a cover and slots in the sides for air circulation - does a good job but the cheapest besides just a pile is wire. Mine are hidden behind tall ornamental grasses and bushes. I leave them to over winter and empty them each spring for pots,flower beds,etc. Black Gold ... there is nothing like it ... can actually see the plants perk up a few weeks after it is applied!!! |
RE: compost bin
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| While I currently just do loose uncontained piles, I've also done them using just a circle of 3'-4' high wire mesh formed into a circle. It's really easy to just remove the netting, turn the pile over, & then replace the netting. My father made a lovely 3-compartment compost bin using wooden pallets, which can usually be obtained for free from feed stores, garden centers, some box stores, & newspaper offices (newsprint is delivered on them). Just stand the pallets upright & screw them together leaving one side open. |
RE: compost bin
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- Posted by suzieh 9 Altadena CA (My Page) on
Sun, Jun 12, 05 at 13:19
| Here's how I put together cheap composting "bins" recently to get stuff cooking fast... - I used those the huge tree-size black plastic planting pots (25 gal?) that you can usually get for free from a nursery that has a recycling program (or post wanted on craigslist.com or freecycle.org) - I layered in the usual...grass clippings, brown leaves, veggie scraps and even some bunny poo (got free from craigslist) - Have them in sunny area uncovered behind the garage and keep them moist...turn occasionally. Saw posted elsewhere can cover to get the heat up even more. Cheap and easy if you don't have room for piling. An wise oldtimer gardener I just met yesterday does the same. In Los Angeles County...they sell compost bins for bargain prices at their workshops, etc....so maybe your county extension has similar offer. |
RE: compost bin
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| My husband and I are about to construct a compost bin out of pallets, as breebyb mentioned! They are free for the asking around here. |
RE: compost bin
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- Posted by dian57 M-H Valley NY-5 (My Page) on
Tue, Jun 14, 05 at 4:35
| Years ago, new construction was going on like crazy in my neighborhood. The builder made temporary walkways for the new homes of 2 2X12's nailed together with perpendicular 2x4s. When one of the new neighbors moved in, I asked them if I could have the boards (which were laying on the side of the house, replaced by a real cement walkway). My husband cut and nailed the boards to create a 4 foot square compost box for me. It lasted over 20 years. |
RE: compost bin
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| I use a large wire dog kennel I got off of freecycle. It can open on both ends, so I put one end directly on the ground. Load from the top and when full I can just pick it up and move it over a foot and reload. It really looks fine just sitting behind the raspberry bushes. Easy for the kids to put the kitchen wastes in. Maybe see if anyone is giving one away. Gloria |
RE: compost bin
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| For several years I used 2 large plastic trash cans with wheels for composting. I drilled 1 inches holes on the top, sides and bottom. But they never got "hot" and so my material took a long time to breakdown. And often the cans were too full to add more material. On the soil,compost forum I found a link to Riverside County in CA that had some excellent ideas for compost bins Here's the web address:
http://www.rivcowm.org/compost_bin_building_02.htm For about $25 I built the "common ground bin" It's stacked like a bee hive and was easy to build. I had an old bathroom screen that fit perfectly as a top. It's 3ft by 3ft by 3ft... so it holds a cubic yard. 72 hours after I tranfered the material from my garbage cans and layered in a bag of shredded paper from work...the pile was steaming hot. Pete in Iowa |
RE: compost bin
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| I just put together a pallette bin like breezy and charelene. nailgunned the pallettes together creating 2 "bins" and then placed a loose pallette over the open end. I had to put some wire meshing on one side since critters dragged some stuff out, but all in all, it cost me 5 bucks to put the bins together. Only using one of the bins atm, but hopefully will start on the second soon enough. I just wish other people were as excited to see my bins as I was making them =p. It's amazing what composting can do to you.... |
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