How to make a compost bin cheaply and easily

How to make a compost bin - easily and cheaply

Making a compost bin is easy and almost free - learn how to make a compost bin by following the guidance provided below and you too can produce free rich compost to help your vegetable garden grow.

You can 'cheat' and buy an 'instant bin'

There are several commercial designs available; New Zealand Box, wooden 'beehive' box, tumbler and plastic composter.

The plastic design is a commonly available cheap and easy alterative, the others more expensive. You may even be lucky and find your increasingly green local council wants to encourage composting by giving you a plastic compost bin!

Place your bin on bare earth and build up equal amounts of green and brown materials following the guidance provided.

Learn how to make a compost bin in 5 easy steps

For those who are keener, greener and have some DIY skills there is almost no limit on the 'home-made' compost bin designs you can make yourself from recycled/ bought materials;

old pallets
wooden slats
an old trough/ tank with holes in the bottom
tyres piled up
carpet round wire
wire netting around 4 posts
an old dustbin with holes in the bottom
bricks/ blocks
and many more ideas ...

A few examples are illustrated below;

pallet compost bin

Step 1:- Decide on the location and size of your compost bin.

Your compost bin(s) should be;

big enough to be useful, but small enough to work materials as they are added or compost removed: aim for a cubic metre in size
sited in easy reach, ideally centrally in your vegetable garden to save effort
based on the soil to allow access of soil dwelling invertebrates including worms, woodlice and beetles that love to eat what we throw away.

Step 2:- Choose the type of bin and materials based on what is available.

Step 3:- Measure up and prepare the materials according to your design.

Step 4:- Build a compost bin with either;

three fixed sides and an open side (with removable panel) through which you can fill/ mix/ empty or
in layers with slatted sections or tyres as required or
convert an old container (tank, dustbin, trough by drilling holes through to allow air, water and invertebrate movement in and out.

Step 5:- Fill following these guidelines on how to make compost.

Ideally repeat as it is always best to have two bins; one that is composting ready for spreading, the other that is being filled ready for composting moved in rotation.

More composting information

Now - see how to make compost

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