September's Traditional Gardening Chores
Building a Homemade Compost Bin: A Budget-Friendly Guide
Are you looking to reduce waste and enrich your garden at the same time? Building a homemade compost bin is an excellent solution! Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a compost bin using readily available materials.
1. Select a Container or Build a Structure
You can use a large plastic storage bin, an old trash can with holes drilled for aeration, or create a simple wooden bin using slatted wooden planks screwed or nailed into a rectangular frame. Ensure the container or structure allows for air circulation and drainage.
2. Place Your Bin Appropriately
Position the compost bin in a sheltered, sunny spot close enough to your kitchen for easy disposal of scraps but away from areas where gatherings might be disturbed by odors or insects.
3. Prepare the Base Layer
Start the bin with a layer of dry, carbon-rich materials (called "browns") such as twigs, dry leaves, shredded cardboard, or sawdust. This helps aeration and drainage at the bottom.
4. Add Compostable Material in Layers
Alternate between green (nitrogen-rich) materials like vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, and brown materials such as dried leaves, paper, or cardboard. Avoid meat, dairy, oily foods, and pet waste which can attract pests.
5. Maintain Moisture and Aeration
Keep the compost moist like a wrung-out sponge. Turn or stir the pile once a week with a fork or shovel to introduce oxygen and speed up decomposition.
6. Optional Additions
You may add thin layers of animal manure, blood and bone meal, or even leftover products like expired milk or yoghurt as compost activators.
7. Wait and Use
Over a few months, the waste will break down into rich, dark, crumbly compost. Use it in your garden beds to enrich soil.
Simple Homemade Bin Ideas Using Common Materials:
| Bin Type | Materials Needed | Key Points | |-----------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Plastic Storage Bin| Large plastic bin, drill for holes | Drill holes for air/drainage, keep lid loose or off to allow airflow[2][3] | | Wooden Slat Bin | Wood planks/slats, screws/nails | Build a rectangular frame with slats spaced for airflow[3] | | Trash Can Bin | Old plastic/metal trash can, drill | Drill holes all around and at the bottom; lock lid to keep rodents out[3] | | Compost Bag | Heavy plastic bag or garbage bags | Place scraps, wet slightly, tie closed in a double bag, shake every few weeks[3] |
These methods offer flexibility depending on what materials you have available.
By following these steps and ideas, you can build an effective homemade compost bin using everyday materials and produce nutrient-rich compost for your garden[1][2][3].
Moreover, autumn is an ideal time to take cuttings from choice container annuals before winter to keep them indoors. Happy composting!
References:
[1] Gardening Know How. (2021). How to Build a Compost Bin. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/compost/containers/how-to-build-a-compost-bin.htm
[2] The Spruce. (2021). How to Make a Compost Bin. https://www.thespruce.com/make-a-compost-bin-3226168
[3] BBC Gardeners' World. (2021). Build a compost bin. https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/howto/build_a_compost_bin
- To contribute to sustainable living and improve your home-and-garden, you can create a compost bin using readily available materials such as plastic storage bins, old trash cans, or wooden slat structures.
- By adopting gardening practices like building a homemade compost bin, not only are you reducing waste but also enriching your garden soil with nutrient-rich compost.
