Building a compost bin

Building a Compost Bin

There are so many designs of Compost Bins that you can find on the internet and it may be difficult for you to choose what will serve your purpose best.

Building a compost bin is a fantastic way to make use of recyclable materials from your kitchen and garden.

This money-saving idea will give your garden tremendous health benefits. Here are a few tips on how to build your compost bin:

Here is an outstanding resource on the entire composting process. Check it out Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting

Location

The area in which you place the compost bin is vital to successful Composting . The area should be flat and the soil should have good to excellent drainage properties as if the compost pile is left to soak the process will slow down.

The compost bin should not be subjected to full sunlight as half a day is the ideal sunlight requirement.

When Building a compost bin try not to place it underneath trees as the roots might grow into the pile as the plant seeks water.

Keep the compost bin away from wooden structures as they might start to decay because of their proximity to the compost bin.

Make sure that the area is easily accessible but hidden away as it can be an eyesore. One good way to hide a compost bin is to place tall container plants in front of it.

Size

The average size of a home compost pile is from 3 ft x 3ft x 3ft up to 5 ft x 5 ft x ft. If you pile is too small, it will not generate enough heat. If it is too large, then it might not be aerated properly or will hold too much moisture.

Take not that air will penetrate an area of nearly 2 feet in all directions. One more disadvantage of having a pile that is too large is that it will be difficult to turn and would entail more care and maintenance.

Tools

Whatever type of bin that you would use would need maintenance and this task will be made a lot easier by having the right kind of tools.

A Pitch Fork with a long handle and 4 to 5 tines is needed for the occasional pile turning. A garden hose will be quite helpful in bring the much needed water to moisten the pile.

You may also want to have some Pruning equipment or a similar kind of tool to be able to make the materials that you add to the pile become smaller.

There is a specific tool that you may want to have which is a Compost Thermometer so you can be able to monitor the heat level of your compost bin.

Always keep in mind that for you to be able to maintain the process at its maximum performance level that there are 3 essential elements that your pile should have. This is good drainage, proper aeration and the correct amount of moisture.

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