Compost is known as ‘black gold’ because it can be a lucrative fertilizer for your garden. If you want to take better care of your outdoor plants and flowers while also tackling food waste from within the home, then a compost bin is something you need.
However, a compost heap is not exactly an attractive thing to have in the yard, and even if you opt for a store-bought container, you may still have to compromise on style.
You can get the waste management services you need at a rate customized for your project’s unique needs.
Luckily, it is incredibly easy to make your own compost bin at home, and you can make it fit into your environment in only a couple of hours.
In this guide, we are going to share two kinds of compost bins that you can make in a few hours giving you options based on the style you want and the available space you have.
How To Make A Wire Compost Bin
To make this bin, you will need:
- 10 feet of chicken wire
- Heavy-duty wire to use as ties
- 4 wooden posts
- Wire snips
- Hammer
- Pliers
You should consider using galvanized chicken wire for this project, as this will last longer.
Once you have gathered the materials, it is time to start building:
- Find an appropriate spot in your garden for the bin and place the chicken wire in a circle to see if it will fit here
- Use your wire snips to cut the heavy-duty wire into ties. It is a good idea to make more than you think you will need for additional security
- Go back to your chicken wire and use the pliers to bend around 3 inches of it back on either end of the circle. After you have bent the ends, clamp them into a sturdier and cleaner edge so they will be easier to tie
- Use the ties you have made to attach the two ends of the chicken wire circle, and use the pliers for a tighter fit
- Take your four wooden posts and place them inside the circle, spacing them as evenly as possible so you can maintain the structure as well as a good circumference
- This step will require an additional person to help you, as you will need someone to hold each post tightly against the chicken wire while you drive the post into the ground with a hammer
This is a fast and easy DIY for a compost bin at home, and it can be done in all kinds of gardens. It is a great place to store food and plant waste, although you may find it difficult to turn the waste due to the shape of this bin.
However, as long as you keep a good mixture of green and brown waste in the pile, as well as work to prevent it from becoming too dry, then you should still have rich compost in this bin.
How To Build a Wooden Slat Compost Bin
To make this bin, you will need:
- 7 pieces of 3-foot 2×6 lumber
- 4 sturdy wooden stakes that are 3 feet long
- Galvanized nails that are at least 2 ¾ inches long
- Hammer
When making a wooden compost bin, you need to use untreated lumber so it will be free from chemicals.
With these simple materials, it is time to start making your wooden slat compost bin:
- Begin to construct the side of the compost bin by nailing the 2×6 lumber to the stakes. You should use at least two nails on either end of the lumber
- Two of the 2×6 lumber will be used for each side of the bin, with one being used for the front to leave an opening. This will make it easy for you to turn your compost
- When securing the wooden slats, make sure to leave around 3 inches between them and leave several inches of stake free at the bottom of the bin so it can be driven into the ground
- Once you have nailed everything together for a solid structure, set your bin into place within your garden and use the hammer to drive the stakes firmly into the ground.
As this is such an easy DIY, you can repeat it to make two compost bins that can be installed next to each other in your garden. This will make turning your compost incredibly easy, as all you will have to do is shovel the compost into the other bin and repeat this every time.
How To Test If Your Compost Is Ready
Before you can make use of your compost, you have to make sure it is ready and will offer your garden the nutrients it needs. Without this, you will simply be adding garbage to your garden with no benefit.
It is easy to check whether your compost is ready to use, as you simply have to gather a handful and plant several bean seeds in it. If the bean sprouts fail to come up or do not last long, then you will need to leave your compost in the bin for a bit longer.
Compost is known as ‘black gold’ because it is rich in nutrients and microbes that can help plants flourish. This is a great and cheap way to keep your garden healthy and thriving.
Having a DIY compost bin in the garden will make this even easier to do.
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