Old pallets are sized just right for a compost bin.
A compost bin helps contain your pile, making it easier to turn the compost and keep the pile thick enough to heat up and break down the organic matter quickly. A variety of construction materials and methods are available for making your own bin. The type you choose depends on your preferred aesthetics and the materials you have access to. Does this Spark an idea?
Wire Bins
Wire bins require minimal materials and time to construct. Concrete reinforcing mesh or poultry wire provides the walls of the bin. For a square bin, stakes driven into each corner of the compost area provide the anchors for the wire, which you then wrap around the stakes the bin. Round bins require no stakes. Instead, form the wire into a cylinder with the ends tied together with twine or wire. These lightweight bins move easily if you need to relocate the bin after composting inside completes. Wire works best for single bins and temporary composting locations.
Wood Bins
Both new and scrap lumber provides material for a more permanent bin. Wooden pallets, which are readily available in most areas, come prefabricated to the right size for a compost bin wall. Standing four pallets on end and wiring them together to form a box creates a quick bin. Making a door for accessing the compost requires leaving one side of a pallet unattached to the rest of the box. Wood construction lends itself well to both single and multiple bin units. Making two or three boxes side by side allows you to store finished compost in one bin while creating a new pile in the other.
Brick Bins
Bricks, stones and landscape pavers create an attractive permanent bin. Cinder blocks have holes through them that provide a spot to drive a stake and further anchor the walls of the composting unit. Mortaring isn't always necessary, but mortaring the bricks together does help prevent the bin from falling over and makes it more permanent. Bricks and stones work well for both single and multiple units. Using bricks that match surrounding architecture helps camouflage the composting area by integrating it into the landscape.
Compost Barrels
Composting in barrels or large trash cans provide an instant bin. The ability to move the bin to a sheltered spot in winter allows you to continue your compost operation even when it's frozen over outside. The small space inside a barrel does prevent the formation of a large pile. Drums and barrels attached to a frame that allows you turn them require more labor and supplies to make, but these turning units produce compost more quickly than other methods since they are easy to rotate. Turning compost often helps speed up the decomposition process.
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