Homemade Compost Bins FAST And EASY ... 5 Designs!

You can make garden compost by heaping up layers of organic matter and soil amendments in the corner of your yard or garden. Make a homemade compost bin and you can tidy up your garden and prevent your compost material from being scattered. You can build an elaborate, expensive bin. That's not for me!These directions are for homemade compost bins that work and are CHEAP, FAST and EASY.

The size of your homemade compost bins is important. In order for the compost to ferment properly, the material must stay moist and retain some heat. A compost pile must be at least 3 feet wide to prevent the pile from drying out. Wider is better. It should be at least 3 feet tall too. Up to 5 or 6 feet high is fine. But it can be any length. These dimensions define your bin size.

Following are five suggested types of homemade compost bins.

1. Concrete Blocks.

New concrete blocks aren't cheap, but they will last a lifetime. Sometimes you can find seconds, if you're near a block production plant. Used blocks are perfect! They aren't reused after a building is taken down and can be hauled off for free. Put them to use and keep them out of a landfill.

Make bin walls by stacking your blocks. You could lay them in place with mortar as a wall. Stacking without mortar works just as well, since you're only going to build a stack about four blocks high. Stack them with the holes vertical. You could turn a few with the holes horizontal for ventilation. Build several bins in a row and save materials by having common interior walls.

2. Stacked Lumber.

A stacked lumber bin is easy to erect, disassemble and move. It's flexible in size and provides for proper ventilation.

Construct by stacking 2 x 4's on each of the four sides of the bin. Cut 3 foot lengths of 2 x 4's, five for each of the four sides. Stack the 2 x 4's with the 4 inch dimension vertical. Drill holes in the corner of each piece so a 3/8 inch rod, the height of the bin, can be inserted in each corner to hold it together. Concrete reinforcing rod is good. You can leave the ends of the 2 x 4's as-is. Or notch the end of half the 2 x 4's, so they nest together like a log house.

3. Stacked Poles.

If you have plenty of poles around your place, stack them to make 4 walls. Drill holes in the ends of the poles, like the stacked lumber type, and secure the corners with a 3 foot, or whatever length, section of rod.

4. Wire Bin.

Form a 36 inch wide piece of 2 x 4 inch mesh welded wire into a 36 inch diameter circle and fasten the ends together. You can use wider wire and you can make the diameter larger too. Line the inside with roll roofing if you like, but it isn't necessary. Add organic matter and allow it to settle and continue to add material until settling has slowed. Cover the bin with plastic for protection. Allow plenty of time for composting since you won't be turning the pile.

5. Wire and Post.

Get two steel t-posts , 6 - 7 feet long, plus a length of concrete reinforcing wire. Pound the t-posts in the ground about 4 feet apart. Attach one end of the wire panel to each of the posts and there is your open-sided bin, easy to access and easy to move. A twenty foot length of wire is good. The concrete reinforcing wire is usually five feet wide, making your bin five feet high. A sixteen foot long livestock stockade panel also is ideal for use here. These come in various heights. Secure the wire to the posts with wire or plastic wire ties.

There you have it: homemade compost bins that are fast and easy!

To learn how to build great compost... Click Here!

Al Bullington writes about rural living and home business topics from his homestead in the country. He's an avid compost maker and gardener.