Compost bin

[jenjen]

I don't know where to post this but does anyone have pictures of their compost bins?? PLEASE!! I"m getting ready to make one but need to kind of know what works and what doesn't. I just can't really visualize what I want and was really hoiping to see pictures. More on the simple side. I know what to put in it,,,,, I'm just not sure how I'm gonna make it. Thanks so much

 

[chicken stalker]

I just have a cinder block square about 4ft x 4ft. Nothing fancy...it works great. The chickens are in it in the spring and summer. The fall and winter I put a black cloth over it to "bake". Takes no time at all to get nice black soil!! Plus when the chickens jump up into it (that's thier favorite place) it gently files thier toe nails

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PS: you can kinda see it in the picture of my hen named sasquatch.

 

[jenjen]

Good idea. My friend has one made from 8 palletts tied together. I was thinking of using this plastic truck bed liner that flew out of someones truck in my road. I was thinking drilling lotsa holes in it. My friend also told me to cover whatever I make with black plastic. Do you leave the black plastic on all the time?? It's mostly gonna be used for my shaving and chicken poop and then I'll add greens ect to it. Will it be ok three sided?

 

[chicken stalker]

I use landscape fabric over it, just in late fall and winter. It lets the rain through. Your will want good drainage so it doesn't become a swamp. As for 3 sided....if you plan on letting your chickens in to turn it for you, then you might want it to be 4 sided or they will have compost everywhere.

 

[Renee]

My old ones were three sided. They worked great.

My new one is just 2x6 lumber in a square: three levels high.

 

[EllyMae]

I bought mine and it's HUGE. I absolutely love it and highly recommend it. Here's the link to the one I have

www.composters.com/compost-bins/easy-max-compost-bin_248_1.php

 

[nightshade]

I had a 10x10 3ft high one at my parents out of concrete block loved it and miss it. Here I have 3 out of 4x4 pallets all are three sided bins. Love them too but liked the concrete ones better but the pallets were free though so can't beat that.

Figure when we move I am most likely going to build pallet ones again because there will be too many other things to use the block for. But If I could spare the block I would use block because it lasts forever and you don't have a lot of maintenance with it.

 

[#1California Chick]

I have 5 of these: http://www.smithandhawken.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=prod21199&categoryId=cat240046p&sku=21199

They are great and it is easy to turn the compost. In the summer, I turn from one to the next every week. In five weeks, I have GREAT compost to put on my garden,

I got my first one FREE from our county. They are trying to encourage composting. You might want to check to see if your city or county or waste management company have any offers!!

Good Luck!

 

[kycklingar!]

I'm really cheap, so I have never bought one... these 2 websites have great plans to build one with the optimum surface area/volume ratio so your compost comes out perfect!
single: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub213.pdf
triple: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub214.pdf

 

[bills]

The simplest, and most inexpensive compost bins I have ever had, turned out to be the best.

I simply took 7 wood pallets, (try to get the same size, if possible), and I placed two at the back, another in the centre of these two, to make two seperate bins. I used some treated posts to hold them in place in four corners, and nailed a few wood strips to bind them all togeather. I then placed two more at the front, and hinged them, so I could open the bins up when I wanted to remove the compost. I used wire to hold them closed.

Pallets offer air circulation, because of thier construction, are reasonably strong, and usually you can get them free.

If they rot in a few years, I'll simply pick up some more, and burn the old ones.

I turn the hose on them from time to time in the summer to keep the piles moist. One bin is for the current addings, leaves, lawn clippings, veggie trimmings that the hens don't like, etc.. The other bin when full is left to work, and dug out once a year. When empty that bid then becomes the "new' bin, and the other is left to compost.

Sorry I don't have any pictures, but I hope you can glimpse the construction method, I described. If you need further help, just PM me.

One of the best sites ever, for gardening in general, also offers this topic section on composting. Check it out.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=36