If you've been thinking about taking up composting, one of the things you'll need is a container to keep your pile in. There are almost as many ways to create one as there are people with compost piles, including wooden compost bins, store purchased ones, and repurposed commercial materials like barrels and other items. Here are a few of your options when it comes to learning how to build a compost bin. Each method has its own advocates, as well as benefits and downsides. Feel free to modify designs or experiment.
Wire Mesh Compost Bins
One of the simpler and cheaper available designs, a wire mesh compost bin that's circular can be made of hardwire cloth, chicken wire, or similar materials. Depending on the wire mesh you use, you'll either need to support the bin with posts or just form it into a circle and secure it. If you want to avoid post use, consider choosing a wire fencing that's at least sixteen gauge. To decide how much you need, just multiply the diameter (width) of your intended compost heap by Pi (3.14). Buy that length of wire by the height desired (three, four, and five foot widths are common in fencing. To support your compost, be sure to drive a wooden stake into the ground in the middle. The mesh can easily be held together using chain snaps or other connectors at the ends. When you want to turn or access the pile, just remove the mesh circle.
Snow Fencing Compost Bins
Prefabricated snow fencing can be used to make a compost bin, too. Just support the right length of snow fence using 2x4s on the corners, or make a circular design like the above wire mesh type. Snow fencing is easy to buy, use, and store.
Wooden Pallet Compost Bins
Wooden pallets are often easy to come by when they're not needed anymore. They can be connected together in a square using wire or hinges, making a quick and simple compost bin. Just be sure that one side is removable so you can easily turn or remove the materials inside.
Lehigh-Keston Compost Bin
An effective and simple design, this adjustable, portable bin allows protection while providing good ventilation. Alternate pieces of 2x2 lumber with holes drilled in the corners, creating a square in which every other space is open. Fasten the corners by inserting a long metal rod. Plans for and instructions on how to build this type of compost bin are readily available.
Wooden Compost Bins
Constructions of wood nailed together come in many different varieties, from the very simple to the complex. However, you'll want to make sure that at least one side of the bin is hinged or removable to allow access. Also, avoid putting a bottom on these compost bins, and never use treated wood, as the arsenic in it could leach into your compost. Some people use wooden frames with wire stretched across them, formed into a square. this is an easy type of bin when latched or hinged together, and has the advantage of being portable. Turning bins are a variation where several bins are placed near one another, allowing regularly scheduled rotation of the compost for quick production. Look online or in your library for lots more wooden compost bin plans.
Composting Related Article
Using Homemade Compost Bins
While there are plenty of commercial compost bins on the market, it's entirely possible to build one of your own. Compost bins can be as simple or complicated as you like, and if you're doing the work yourself, you're not...
