Compost is natural, organic fertilizer made from household wastes like food scraps, plant materials, untreated wood and even animal manure. As such, it accomplishes the dual purpose of saving the environment from more garbage and saving your money from purchasing fertilizers. You can avail of these benefits by building compost bins. Well, of course, you can always buy compost bins in the gardening supplies stores but building them is often more cost-effective and more environment-friendly.

Types of Composters

You can make bins from many types of materials. The important thing is that the compost bin can satisfy the basic requirements of composting such as allowing for regular turning and keeping out unwanted animals.

1. The first thing you have the choice of wooden bins that can be designed according to your desired size and appearance. You must consider other important factors like access to the contents, ability to retain heat and scavenger resistance. Usually, cedar wood is recommended since it can withstand moisture and, hence, last for many years to come. However, you can always use spare lumber of any kind in building compost bins and then use them as compost material later on.

2. The next thing to is to use shipping pallets that can be evenly spaced to prevent scavengers from feasting on your compost. Just make sure that you have nailed the pallets to form a strong square enclosure with access for aerating. Or you can make a multi-bin compost system.

3. Be creative! Look around the house and use that unused plastic barrel or dilapidated metal trash can. Just make sure that it has a top cover for scavenger resistance and holes not than ¼-inch wide for moisture and air control purposes.

Building a composting bin is as easy as pie. The trick is in knowing how to go about it so that optimal benefits can be enjoyed.

Tips on Making Compost Bins

As previously implied, the main considerations in making your own compost bin are right ingredients, air circulation, consistent moisture and adequate volume. Of course, the right ingredients are a given in composting as aforementioned. Just remember not to place meat, bones, dairy products and dog and car manure in your compost bin.

Air circulation can be achieved with proper aeration and turning of the compost pile. Thus, it is important to ensure that you can actually turn the pile using shovel or fork or an aerator tool, said access usually from the top of the pile.

Consistent moisture is possible with the properly-drilled holes on the barrel or evenly-spaced wooden boards. It must be emphasized, however, that good moisture is more dependent on the right mix of green and brown materials. Make sure that when building equipment, the holes or spaces do not allow access to the compost heap. Add in a removable cover, too.

You have to ensure that the volume capacity of your composter is in accordance with your gardening needs, space in the yard, and the amount of trash you put in it. Keep in mind that you may want to increase the size of your compost system as you acquire more composting knowledge.

Building compost bins is a necessary activity if and when you want to save on costs and save the environment while reaping the benefits of organic fertilizer. In these times, your resourcefulness is sorely needed.