One thing you will likely find is that as soon as you have one compost bin/pile you need a second one. That's the fastest way to get finished compost. A dual pallet bin is good, or even a triple. When the first bin gets full, turn it into the second and start a new batch. Turning speeds up the process, and stopping the addition of new ingredients to the batch allows it to 'finish'.
Keep some fall leaves, sawdust, paper/cardboard or straw at hand to layer with your additions of high nitrogen stuff to the piles.
-
toxcrusadr
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 970
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:50 pm
- Location: MO
-
toxcrusadr
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 970
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:50 pm
- Location: MO
Some people don't like the doors, they are more trouble than they're worth. What I do is, when the bin gets full and I need space for more stuff, start a pile next to the bin. Fork some of the stuff out of the bin and pile that there too. Then lift/remove the bin from the old pile, and set it over the new one. Continue removing off the top till you get to usable compost. Voila. This also lets you improve the soil in different spots since the compost pile improves what's underneath too. Also reduces reaching down to the bottom all the way from the top, which is hard on your back. If I don't use the finished stuff immediately, sometimes I put a garbage can lid over it to keep the rain from leaching it out.
-
toxcrusadr
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 970
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:50 pm
- Location: MO
One thing about those plastic bins with the doors at the bottom, the doors are kinda useless. Don't count on using them to get compost out. Even if you can, it's hard to reach all the corners from the door.
A better strategy is, when the bin gets full or whenever you want to harvest compost, move the bin off the pile. First fork the upper un-finished part into a pile next to the bin. When it gets hard to reach in, lift the bin off the pile and place it over your new pile. If the bin is the kind that comes apart in two halves, so much the better. Then fork any remaining unfinished stuff back into the bin until you get to the usable compost. This strategy also allows you to move the bin around which will help enrich every spot that it sits on.
A better strategy is, when the bin gets full or whenever you want to harvest compost, move the bin off the pile. First fork the upper un-finished part into a pile next to the bin. When it gets hard to reach in, lift the bin off the pile and place it over your new pile. If the bin is the kind that comes apart in two halves, so much the better. Then fork any remaining unfinished stuff back into the bin until you get to the usable compost. This strategy also allows you to move the bin around which will help enrich every spot that it sits on.
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Hi HomeGarden,
Welcome to the forum.
I have been away for awhile and did not have the opportunity to chime in earlier.
My opinion - any and all commercial compost bins, tumblers, towers - whatever - are a big waste of your hard earned $.
Please reference the links sent by RBG. Very important stuff if you want to have a successful compost bin.
I keep all raw vegetable kitchen scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds and filters and tea bags for my compost bins. My husband has a bagger on his mower so grass is a given. We had an enormous oak tree that provided all of the browns needed. Unfortunately it had to be removed. Now I troll the neighborhood for bags of leaves. My sister and BIL raise horses - lots of cured manure.
Rule of thumb for bin size is 4' x 4' x 4'. My bin is made from scrap lumber and chicken wire. The back and sides are 4' x 4'. The front is 2' tall with a removable board for access. I am lazy and do not turn as often as I should. Having 2 bins adjacent to each other facilitates turning. My neighbor built her bins using pallets. Works great. Whatever contains your compost and allows lots of air flow will work.
The crazy thing is that composting becomes addictive. Because of physical limitations it has been over a year since I have had a garden. I still compost.
Good luck and happy gardening.
Welcome to the forum.
I have been away for awhile and did not have the opportunity to chime in earlier.
My opinion - any and all commercial compost bins, tumblers, towers - whatever - are a big waste of your hard earned $.
Please reference the links sent by RBG. Very important stuff if you want to have a successful compost bin.
I keep all raw vegetable kitchen scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds and filters and tea bags for my compost bins. My husband has a bagger on his mower so grass is a given. We had an enormous oak tree that provided all of the browns needed. Unfortunately it had to be removed. Now I troll the neighborhood for bags of leaves. My sister and BIL raise horses - lots of cured manure.
Rule of thumb for bin size is 4' x 4' x 4'. My bin is made from scrap lumber and chicken wire. The back and sides are 4' x 4'. The front is 2' tall with a removable board for access. I am lazy and do not turn as often as I should. Having 2 bins adjacent to each other facilitates turning. My neighbor built her bins using pallets. Works great. Whatever contains your compost and allows lots of air flow will work.
The crazy thing is that composting becomes addictive. Because of physical limitations it has been over a year since I have had a garden. I still compost.
Good luck and happy gardening.
-
toxcrusadr
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 970
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:50 pm
- Location: MO