A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 How to make a compost bin II

I've been really busy this week! I finally rebuilt my new compost pile, I am real pleased with it, And I added some sod (which came from the result of a new addition to my tulip bed) with some dirt attached today. The bottomless barrel I had used most of the summer was very surprising for me when I finally managed to turn it over....There was 3 foot of this wonder compost in it, but it was way to wet, so I used it between some of the layers in the new pile, with the thought that it might help the new pile, was I right in thinking this? I did save some to the side of the pile, at least a 5 gallon bucket full That I can get to later when I want to use it.

Oh yes, absolutely...
That stuff, is one of the best "starters" for
your new compost pile.
(*I sift mine, and leave out bigger chuncks of stuff that hasn't finished decomposing, some rocks, bigger pinecones that also haven't finished their process yet..and take those siftings, and layer in between the layers of my
new pile that I am starting..WASTE NOT, WANT NOT*)

Question for you after this quote....
Were there weeds in it, full grown, complete with
roots, and maybe seed pods?????????

I've always thrown mine in my big compost pile in the back, top of leaves and big brances, etc...
but I always turn mine upside down, and keep the green leaves tucked under... because when you put the root side up/green leaves down, you do two things....... one, expose the roots to the drying air *and sun if it's in the sun* to dry them out and have essentially no wher'es to go and by doing the green down, you do two things...by killing the green caused it's buried, and it's alike a tilled in Green manure crop and you deny it sunlight so again, they can't grow or produce.

But I keep checking it, cause weeds are very tenacious... and sometimes, the one's on the side
of the sod stripe get to growing again...
I can't say I've ever put strips of sod in my regular compost piles, cause I HATE weeds, and I really like to watch them to make sure I"m not helping them life longer and at the price of my
rich compost that they grow and feed off of...


Anddddddddd doesn't that feel good, when you start a new one....I love doing them...
*Did you do your's out of wood frame like and
the wire meshing???

What I am calling sod is my wild yard, when hubby cut out with the shovel all of the green stuff so I could enlarge my tulip bed, Right now they are ontop of the pile, so I will keep on eye out to see what happens and maybe remove them before adding anything else major. As far as the enclosure for the pile: It is 4 wooden fence post (they are old and weathered, so not treated)it is about 6'x6' Then we took chicken wire and ran it around three sides. I cut a fourth piece of wire to fit the open side, but just kinda lay it on top of the pile so no critters can get into it and the wind can't blow anything loose around. It is really large and my idea was to make two "bins". Since I have to depend on hubby to help me, so right now I will be content with what I have and work with it. It will be easy to turn since there is so much room. Here's a picture...Keep in mind I am just starting and much more work needs to be done and more "stuff" added to my pile.

Wonderful picture..
That is a great lookin' bin!!!

Boy, I know how that goes... :rolleyes:
but once you show him your finished compost..
maybe you can sweet

Yes hubby's have to be handled differently in order to get what you want This weekend a neighbor is cleaning out a barn/horse shed they ask if I wanted the old bedding straw from it...I said well yes, I'll bring the trailer down and you can just put it in it. The guy said well he was going to just load it in his big pickup and have his daughter bring it down to me this weekend. I can't wait, some will go into the compost pile and some will be spread around the garden.

WTG Comfrey,

You are really going to get a great pile going with that. I just came in from turning mine and am at that almost but not quite stage lol. It's the hardest stage to deal with I think. It is so close but just not there yet. Well maybe next week. I can always hope lol.

You are doubly lucky~LUCKY!!
Not only to get the stuff,
but then to have some one DELIVER IT FOR YOU!!!

Remember to keep your Brown's to 75%
and your Greens to 25%....
So, keep a pile of that off to the side
and add as you need between layers....

and keep us posted!!!!!

Gosh, I am alllll excited for you!!!!

Hello,
I really need your help!
I just start my first compost bin 3 days ago. It has a good size (4x4 feet), the high is getting about 2.5" and more. It has mostly chopped leaves, cut grass and chopped pumpkins. This morning I took some of the cut grass and leaves from my neighbor and mixed them at one of the corners of the pin...; then I notice some grey traces on the wet leaves. Should I try to through away that portion of the corner? If I do I would not be sure that I could take everything out?

From what I know of my own composting..
That maybe caused from alot of moisture/heat
and a wee~bit of lack of air..

I've never it had do any harm to my bins..
But what I would do is...
Throw some dirt/soil on it..
My favorite is to take the spent 6 packs from the summer with just dirt, or a pot/container of annuals that are now dying from the cold weather/fallTurn it, and dump that on top, then turn the pile, dig a hole in one side, put that all on top of the 3 sections, and move it in rotation in sections at a time..
Does that make sense, ***Oh, what I'd give for a pencil and a piece of paper right now***

But layer the dirt, in between your other layers, as you're turning it..dirt/soil is a great activator..
Also, when done I will throw on some coke/pepsi or beer or a wine cooler and that will really get it rolling...*smokin'/steamin'*

ALSO, don't compact down the items (ie; leaves, grass or pumpkin's )in your bins..
try to keep it airy and light if you can....
And turn semi~often...

And keep on composting ..
don't stop and always keep on askin' questions,
I AM ALWAYS GLAD TO HELP...

If you have any more questions,
don't hesitate to re~ask here!!!

It's so nice to have such a rapid answer from you, Weezie. Thank you very much. I feel so much better now.
I went out and tried to do what you've said. While I tried to turn everything, so much fume and a sweet smell were coming out. I also added 1 really full bag of coffee ground and tea leaves provided from a waiter of a restaurant.
It's quite amazing!
Now if I understand well what you wrote before (bcs I am not sure of my English) it would be easier for me to turn everything if I make 2 ( or 3?)bins, one beside the other?

Nope..
*that's why I wish I had a pencil and paper..
I'd draw what I am talking about.*
I am so bad at discribing things sometime..

Do you have an open area for your's like Comfrey's above picture???
Or a bin *and enclosed 3'x3' plastic type unit*?

That will help alot in telling you what to do..

Was it heat or a smell of like ammonia?
Or sweet like the grass you've put in?

~~~~~~~>Also remember you want a ratio of
75% Browns' and 25% Greens...for your compost..
Layer in some more chopped leaves if it gets
to smelly along with the dirt/soil..

Hi Weezie,
I have an open area like Comfrey's. The touch was warm while the air was freezing cold and the smell was the ones of grass, then coffee and tea when I added them.

Okay, that's good..
The ammonia smell would be too much green
and not enough air..

From the smell you discribed..
Everything sounds good!!!

I have to bag mine up yet..
*too slow and many other projects ahead of it,
but in the next couple of days, that's what I will be doing..
I have bins that are done.. and need to empty,
but no where's to use them now, so I bag them up
and put them in the basement *to keep from freezing solid* and then being able to sift them
much earlier in the spring, than having to wait until the piles thaw to start sifting...
Makes use of good time, that I wouldn't be doing anything for the garden and I like to sift when it's cold as I work up alot of heat and really isn't fun to do when it's so blasted hot outside.*

The weather predicts rain and snow. Should I bag and store most of the full dry leaves or should I chop and add some more leaves for the compost (of course I will add 25% pumpkins)? How much do they usually shrink? When will some of it will be ready?
Thank you Weezie.

I only bag and store my "Finished Compost"
or almost 90%... I need my bins now to re~start
with all the leaves and grass clippings..
and normally would have to wait until spring to empty them if I hadn't used them up..
***I am on a 7 bin system and a large one in the back... so I am ahead of myself in compost..
so, I do it this way..
To be able not to have to wait for the bins to thaw in spring..***

I tell people to use that method, *by bagging it
if they are in need to use their bins and have access to much of the supplies to put in the compost..

Compost does take a while to "compost"
for me, I am never in a big hurry, one because I have so much.. and so many bins..
but again, those that have one working bin..
you need to take that stuff out of the bin when it's almost finished, to finish in the bags..
and to make room for the new compost..
but it has to be thru most of it's process...

in a composting system, it's really good to have 3 bins..***although, one bin is better than no bin*** but you need one bin to work off of..
*(the one you are throwing your stuff into..
another one, in the middle that' is done working and you're letting it sit/or rest to turn into compost.. and the third one to be working off of as far as harvesting the compost from.....

but when you work off of one compost bin..
You may have harvestable compost from the bottom
and still workin it on the top...

As far as your extra leaves...
I'd chop and put them in...
You may not have time to get it really working hot and all by the time it rains and snows.....
but it will at least be chopped and in there,
mixing and mingling and starting the process, even over winter... then on any given day when it starts to thaw or warm up, it'll start working on
it's own and you can have that part all done..

I do usually try to keep some pile of dry brown's by the side of my bins, as come the middle of summer sometimes it's very hard to find browns to put into your working compost..
So, if you would like, leave some for the side to
add when necessary..

oh yes, they shrink.. could be up to at least half..especially if you got it to really cook early..

How do you sift your finished compost, Or rather what can I make or devise to sift compost???

Compost sifting

another sifting topic

more? sifting

Thank You Bill I feel a little the older I get sometimes my brain is just not working properly. I once used an old wooden window screen with real metal mesh to sift some potting soil, So I understand the process now...going out to the sheds and junk pile to look for possibilities to make something or drag stuff to the work area for DH and try to talk him into making something for me.

If you can find a book called
"THE BACKYARD BUILDER"

It's got over 150 build~it~yourself projects for you garden, home, and yard..

It's copyright is from 1985 by Rodale Press, Inc.

****I absolutely love this book****

Great little book, especially if you're handy
*or your hubby is* with a hammer and nail....

On page 117, there's a nifty EASY DUMPING SOIL SIFTER...and the sifting part calls for.......
1 pc. 1/2" mesh hardware cloth 33'x 3....

So, that's some of the stuff you're looking for
if you go to make your own..

There's also a "HANGING SOIL SIFTER" too...
it's hung by all 4 corners from the ceiling, and
the frame is then able to shake back and forth..

I have a little framed in one, that goes
on top of my wheelbarrow and I sift on top of that.. also pot up my plants from there too..
Less work and no spilling, anything left over
goes right back into the wheelbarrow...

I've got to get someone to turn my compost pile. I've never sifted mine. When I turn it, the bottom is almost like dirt, moist, dark dirt. What should I sift out?

I basically sift out the larger chunks of
whatever..
pinecones, clumps of grass, or larger leaves
that didn't complete it's composting process....


And all that stuff that's not completely done,
is goooooooood starter for a new compost, as it
has all the stuff on it and around it to get a good jumpstart on the new pile.....

Oop! One more mistake! I have cardboard under my compost pile. Should I take it out now?
Weezie, I also put a piece of plastic on top of my pile. Is it OK?
Why when doing composting in garbage container or bag we need to close the lid and it's best to have dark container (bag)?

Keeps the heat in.

Your worms will love it..

When I got to make a pile, especially in the taller bins.... I put some sticks/branches type things to keep some aeration at the bottom,
cause sometimes you just can't get or dig that far down.. plus in time they'll break down and
be ready for the composting in a few season's any ways, and I repeat as necessary.....

But you said you have an open bin, *like Comfrey's was posted* so you should be able to get in and do a good turning, so there may not be
a need for sticks/branches at the bottom of the pile..*they can be a small bit of pain in the duppa when empting your bin at the end cause you have to dig out the compost in between them, instead of just taking a shovel and scooping it out.

A plastic cover...

Hmmmmmmmmm....Yes, Tammy's right, it does keep the heat in..
But it depends on the size of your pile...

Usually when the plastic bins are bought, they are a smaller size and compact for home gardeners.. thus needing the top because the bins are so small and only a certain amount of compostable items can be put in to compost and thus only a certain amount of heat will build up.

Now, when you have a bigger pile..you will have (if properly layered) a larger heat...

Thus not needing a tarp to cover...

Also, with out adding more confusion, if you have a pile in your back yard, (like I do) where I just throw alot of branches, extra leaves, and larger garden compostables... I never throw a tarp over it, cause I want the elements to get to it, which also helps to break it up and compost over time,.. ***it's not a pile I "WORK" I leave it, and let mother nature do her thing to it, just
keep adding to the top of it.. or move to another place and let this one sit...

Yes, Tammy hit the nail right on the head...
It generates and keeps the heat in...especially if it's sitting in the sun or a sunny area...

I placed cardboard on the ground before I started my new pile...My reasoning behind this is, that of course the cardboard will break down, But since I use whole sheets (opened, flattened boxes) They will be there probable longer then anything else, there fore keeping some of the rocks etc out of my compost pile, also providing a home for all the critters that will help my pile. But my reasoning could be wrong?????