A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 My new compost bins(pic)

A couple weekends ago I tried to move my bins that I made from pallets a few years ago and I found the bottom boards to be rotted apart. So I decided to build some new ones. This is what I came up with. Had a great place for it behind my new shed out of sight.



Now I just have to move all the compost!

John,
Just whennnnnnnnnnn are you comin' to my house,
that's what I wanna know..
Those are simply gorgeous.....
Just curious??
And wouldn't you loose some of it, back thru the holes on the back side of that beautifulllllll shed too?***

That's all been thought of already Weezie. There's six inches of compacted process under the floor of that shed and the floor itself is six inch thick reinforced 4000 psi concrete. The siding is cememt board. Primed and painted. It will never rot. Does that answer your questions?

You say the word and I'll build you some bins. All it will cost you is a nice home-cooked meal.

Love 'em. That's exactly what I need...

Dianna

Wow! John, those are great! I like that the fronts are open to make it easy to turn the compost. Why three? Do you use different stuff in each one? Or do you just have that much compost?

Thanx guys. Amy, 3 is the best way to make sure you can assure yourself of having completely finished material. One pile is completely done, one is working and the other is the one I add to. Even using two piles I've found that I've had unfinished material mixed in with the finished stuff. You'll see by the old picture below that I started a seperate pile even when I had a two bin system going...

John, my boyfriend is going to be SOOOOOO mad at you!

John, Well, you definately do have it well thought out.. *that shed siding doesn't even look like cement board..* gosh, wish I had that...

In a heart~beat I'd have that home cooked meal ready for you... no doubt in my mind.... a few meals at that...

I'm tryin' for that lottery you know...

I'm hopin' you'll keep some pictures for us..
*(especially ME )*

Looks fantastic John!! Great job on the shed too! You most certainly know what you're doing!!

Thanks! I try.

OOOOOHHHHH...I see. How long does it take for a pile to get "done." I just have one pile beside my porch under an awning. It doesn't look as bad as that sounds. It's on the back side of the house beside the veg. garden and under the awning it doesn't get soaked by rains. I mostly use coffee grounds (from Starbucks, thanks guys!), leaves and grass trimmings and old potting soil from when I repot. But mine never looks as "done" as yours.

I think I need to try your system. I could do the home cooked meal plan, but CT is a long drive for you. Maybe you could help me out long-distance. Are those 2X4's with chicken wire? Screws are probably better than nails? Or did you use some kind of brackets for corners? Sorry for the dumb questions, maybe we need a carpentry category? Thanks for any help or suggestions!

Amy

Amy,
There's never any dumb questions here..
Just about everyone that answers a question here has a real passion for gardening, composting, etc.. and we remember what it's like to just be starting out in the gardening experience and we're thrilled to be able to help a new gardener thru any questions they have..

And don't be afraid to keep askin' or clarifing something you don't understand..
That's how we all learn....
( AND COMPOST!!!! )

Amy, I don't mind the questions. Yes, pressure treated 2x4's(Nine 10' pieces) and chicken wire. You need to use either stainless steel or galvanized nails with pressure treated wood. I used galvanized nails as they are cheaper than screws and chicken wire cuz its cheaper than hardware cloth. I also used construction adhesive along with the nails for added strength. If you look closely, the two middle frames are attached with galvanized brackets to simplify the system.

John,
I love your new bins.
I just started composting 2 weeks ago.
The bin that is here is old and the boards are rotting, but it will do till spring and then I'm gonna talk my boyfriend into making me something like yours.(hopefully)
I showed him the picture and he's wondering if your gonna lose soil through the holes?
I did get him to make me a sifter so know I need a new bin to go with it.
I'm also wondering if you cover your bins at all??
Just beginning, so I have lots of ???
Tammy

John, I think mine will be a spring project too. It's possible that mine wasn't getting wet enough. When I saw how dark and pretty yours was, I started sprinkling it every time I turned it and it's already looking better. So for others who are just beginning a compost pile, that is something that definitely needs to be done.

Hi Tammy. Well, first of all it's not soil...it's compost and some of the material will undoubtedly get through the holes, but there's a reason for using the chicken wire. Airflow. The composting process needs nitrogen, oxygen, etc in the air. That's one of the reasons turning the pile often helps it break down faster. Also, no I don't cover my bins. The process also needs moisture so I like to let the piles get soaked by the rains.

Here's a pic after moving all my material and making some new stuff today...


And here's some of my finished product....black gold.

Hey John,
Looks good.
Now I see I really do need more than one bin.
Today as I added more to my bin, I wished I had another to use.
Who knows maybe I can start the sweet talking now.
If I threaten to build it on my own I know he'll take over.
Tammy

That is EXACTLY what I've been bugging my DH to build me for the past 2 years!! He's gonna see that photo tonight when he gets home...Thanks John!!

I'll bug him for you toooo Netty if you want me too...

Get on it Netty's DH!!!!!

John, I just want to dive right into that
wheelbarrow...

Great job . Keep up the good work .