Compost bins are free fertilizer factories you can put together in no time, and have anywhere in your yard. the best thing is they can be made out of nearly any type of material.
Anything that is not chemically treated will work. I prefer used pallets, since all you have to do is secure them together on their sides to create a box with no bottom or top, and use a screen top, like one from an old sliding patio door, or a tarp to cover it and tent stakes to secure it. Tree branches can be used to stake out an area, and secure screening or fencing to. If you plan the bin to be permanent, use thick, sturdy branches, set into the ground deeply, you can even use a bit of ready mix concrete to set the posts. Using natural materials has double benefits: Chemicals won't leach into your compost, and they break down naturally, to add to your compost. Layer the ingredients, such as leaves and newspapers with kitchen scraps, and green material like lawn clippings. Think of it as a lasagna, and your compost bins as the oven, with dead plants and "brown" materials like leaves in the fall, then greens, then scraps, then start over. Shredded or torn newspapaer, just the black and white parts, can help retain moisture levels and degrade along with the scraps to become fertilizer. Wet the pile down well, and cover it to let it "cook" Turn the pile on a regular basis to get the air in, and allow it to blend properly. You can set up one of your compost bins as your starter, and a second one to keep adding to over the season, rotating them every year, or adding the nearly finished to the "cooked" bin to speed up the process. Old PVC pipe can help you speed up the process. you drill holes in the pipe, the entire length of it, well spaced, and drive the pipes into the pile like a fence post. Use several if needed for larger piles, and it allows the air to circulate inside. Use pipe that is at least an inch in diameter, wider is better when you can find it. You can also use these to add water to the pile every now and then, too wet and it won't "cook" properly, too dry and it won't either.. Keep feeding your compost bins all year, keeping them covered to keep the heat in and animals out. When using recycled materials, you get the added benefit of not having your compost bin cost you anything but time, and providing you with free, nutrient rich soil for your plants. Raised bed gardens can use up to fifty percent compost when starting out, and it can be added when building, or increasing the size of the beds. |
Once you have your bin set up, the ingredients are added:
DO NOT ADD:
Add well "cooked" compost from your compost bins to the soil of the garden as you turn it, and let it rest a day or two, then till it up again before planting. In the fall, your compost can be spread over the entire garden, and tilled into the soil in the spring, or right then, to decompose all winter. |