Saturday, February 18, 2012

"Dirt Cheap Compost Bin's"

Junk taking up space!
   Well last season was the end of my two compost bins that I had had for 4 years. They had rotted beyond repair. So we had to have a wienie roast with them! lol! After a while the yellow pine that I had made them out of started to rot away. So because I am trying to re-purpose and do things as cost effective as I can.  I took this pile of scraps and a pallet and made a compost bin. It's amazing what you can find just laying around from older projects to do the job that you need.
  What is a compost bin, you might ask? A compost bin is usually a bin or barrel that holds plant matter (grass, leaves,etc.) or very specific type of animal product like egg shells,manure or kitchen scraps. You put green plant matter, brown plant matter, and an activator in this container, mix it well and let the microorganisms do the rest. I love collecting the little worms as I garden and toss them in the bin or in my raised beds. Microorganisms begin to feed off this matter and produce more of themselves. This heats up the pile, sometimes up to 140 degrees, and disinfects the pile through that prolonged heat. After the process is over (2 weeks to 2 years, depending on how active you are with it) you are left with a dark soil that can be used for various things like a soil amendment, ground cover, etc. But I will do another post and give more information. Just build on it's free, rich soil for your gardens! How did it turn out? Read on:



                                                       As you can tell my bin is roughly 4'x4'x42". That's a lot of compost for anybody to use, but since these pictures were taken, I have added one more right beside this one. All the wood was scrap pieces I had from old projects, the pallet I got from the nursery down the street. I did dig down and place the bottom 1x6 in the ground to help, ward off weeds and grass. Then just assembled everything with galvanized screws. Compost Bins can be made out of anything though, as long as it can hold the organic matter. You can't really tell from the pictures but everything but the pallet is treated lumber. Treated will withstand the heat when composting and is rot and insect resistant. Now I have killed 2 birds with 1 stone. I have cleaned up some junk from in my building and assembled 2 useful compost bins!

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50 comments:

  1. Great way to utilize some of the wood scraps around the farm. Thank you Clint! :)

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    1. Hello Nancy, thanks for the comment! I have been trying to use what I have. It seems to became a fun challenge!

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  2. I think I have a new project for my husband. :) Thanks, Clint!

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    1. They are easy to build, I did it one armed, because of having shoulder surgery!

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  3. My husband likes to say he can accomplish more than most men, even with one arm tied behind his back. Since he hasn't managed to make my requested compost bin, I'll have to show him what a one-armed man accomplished. lol (At least he buries all the kitchen compost in the soon-to-be garden.

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    1. Thats to funny! I am trying to keep a little busy and clean you a bunch of half done projects. lol!

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  4. We have an abundance of pallets and I use them for my compost bin too. Just put a few together to make two compartments and have one side able to swing open. Works great. I'm going to use a few to make a shelter for the two pigs my daughter is getting this spring. They come in hand for so many things.

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    1. Yes they do come in handy! I have even seen people build garages out of them!

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  5. Thanks for finding my blog and following. I am a small type of gardener, just don't have the energy I had when I was young. My brother is still a big gardener and I am passing your blog address along to him. I will be checking back, for some reason I love composting posts. I compost poorly but with good will and occasionally I reap the new soil when it is most needed.

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    1. Thank you so much Joy! We will have lots of fun here learning together and sharing! Composting can be really easy IF you aren't in a hurry! Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Great minds think alike Clive. I think it's fabulous when these things can be made using whatever scrap wood you can lay your hands on.
    I'm going to have a go at a wormery next!
    Thanks for the comments on my blog, I am now your newest follower.
    Look forward to reading more on your blog. I really like this kind of gardening.

    Linda
    http://coachhousecraftingonabudget.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thanks Linda for you kind words! Hopefully we can all learn together!

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  7. That's great, Clint. Thanks for sharing this with us.
    And great use of the old bin, too! :-)

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  8. Hi, nice to meet a fellow gardener, just found your blog through my sister's blog avintagegreen. Following you and added a link back from my blog.
    Rob

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    1. Thanks Rod for posting and following! It is very nice to have more testosterone on here with me! Just kiddin ladies, I really enjoy all of our conversions. ROFLOL!

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  9. I never seem to have any luck making compost.......

    Gill in Canada

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    1. Come on Gill, I know you can do it. Try one more time!

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  10. I am determined make compost this year. I like this idea a lot better than the barrels I used to use.

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    1. And you will do it this year! Just take your time and and keep it hot and the right moister. Must people don't cover it and it gets to wet and the water cools it. It needs to be wet but not to wet!

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  11. I think there's a couple of pallets in the back corner of my garage... and some other scrap lumber and stuff as well. I think you've just solved my compost bin problem. :)

    Thanks for the comment and follow on my blog. It will be fun keeping up with each other's gardening adventures.

    http://kathyburton.blogspot.com/

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    1. Get to work on it Kathy! Let us know how they turn out! Thank you for stopping by and share anytime!

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  12. Excellent! I love they way they look. We've been trying to save and reuse all the wood that's coming down because of our kitchen remodel. One thing we notice, is even over 90 years old, the wood in much better quality than what we can buy today.

    I've needed to mention, that I've passed the Liebster Blog Award on to you! http://my5acredream.blogspot.com/2012/02/2-unexpected-awards-2-thank-yous.html

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    1. Yes it is Leigh, You will have to share with us some of the things you have done with the old wood! WOW! Another award, this is to much. Thank you Leigh!

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  13. I made a compost bin once but I wasn't as successful:( Maybe I will try it again.

    I have been linky followers blog hopping for two days and I am loving it. I have met so many amazing and talented people like you. I am now following you on linky and would love a follow back.

    My Turn (for us)
    http://myturn-evelyn.blogspot.com

    Thanks, I so enjoyed the visit

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    1. I sure will, thank you so much! And try it one more time, I am sure you will do better this time!

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  14. Justine it is nice to meet you, please feel free to share with us anytime!

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  15. My compost is about all gone so this is a good reminder to build it up again. Mine is large and just enclosed by chicken wire and it seemed to do okay. Thanks for all the information and sharing. A new follower for you. Hope you will come visit me at Timeless Treasures
    http://audreyzumwalt.blogspot.com/
    Blessings.
    Audrey Z.

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    1. Thanks for stopping buy Audry! I actually use wire for my leaf mold bin! Please continue to stop by and share with us!

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  16. I love this idea because more air can get to the compost. I bought one of those black compost boxes and it takes forever to break down. I am picking up some pallets from work and hopefully my husband can make a couple like yours.

    Thanks for linking up today!

    Lisa

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    1. You are quit welcome! Please let us know when you get yours assembled. I would really like to know how they turn out!

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  17. Nice work. I built mine from hardware cloth around metal fence posts. :-) It's probably 5' wide, so I treat it as though it has two halves... I'm rather lazy about working it, but it still works well. My husband made a tumbling compost barrel that also works (faster) well. I can take some of the compost from the barrel to mix with my pile.

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    1. Yeh, I was gonna use the posts and wire first nut I was 1 post short and I didn't want to pay anything! lol

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  18. thank you for this reminder!! our compost is not going to make it through another year!!
    i am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.

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  19. Awesome re-purpose Clint! I will have to show my hubby so he can make me more compost bins... He always has scraps laying around somewhere and homemade sure beats the price of store bought compost, though I am thankful for the store bought stuff too. I'd sure love to have enough of my own compost, just once, to last an entire season. Have a GREAT week ahead.

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    1. Almost free is really better the close to 100.00, you are so right about that! I hope they turn out as well as mine did. You have a great week as well!

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  20. Hello! I hopped on over from the Homestead Barn Hop. I think you're compost bin is about the cutest one I've ever seen. I'm pinning it on Pintrest and showing it to my husband so he can copy your design. Thanks for sharing. Truly adorable.

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  21. Thank you! Hope to see you back here!

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  22. We have one almost identical to yours! Three pallets and a plywood door. It works pretty well, though I never manage to get any kitchen scraps or garden vegetables to it - those go to the hens. But I fill it with the straw/manure from the hen house so it can break down some before it goes to the garden, and sometimes I have vines and such from the garden I put in ours too.

    Happy gardening!
    -Laura at TenThingsFarm

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    1. The chicken manure and straw bring just as much good stuff for the soil as the kitchen scraps. I wish I had more of a supply of it. I do have a great supply of horse manure, just getting it here can be a problem sometimes! LOL

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  23. We also used pallets to build our compost bin. I love being able reuse things like this. We recently got several wooden crates from our local radiator shop - they are big enough for a man to lay down in them. My boys are dismantling them and they will be used to help build our garden shed.

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    1. Thank you for your post! I am collecting scrap lumber right now to build my shed. When you drive past construction sites stop and ask what they are gonna do with their scraps!

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  24. Very nice! Thanks for making us aware of ways to save even more money in our quest for self sufficiency!

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    1. You are so welcome. Thanks for stopping by. Come again!

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  25. great compost bin!! right up our alley (FCG's that is)

    I am actually coming to your site re. the FOLLOWER linky blog hop, and am following you ! :-) Will you follow me back?? Thank you so much when you do.

    PLUS: There is also a party on our blog, where you can feature 'your best creative work'. There are some great projects to see already, but we want to see your work!

    Anyhow, use this link both to FOLLOW and to PARTY:
    http://www.FineCraftGuild.com/party/

    Hope to seeing you around!!
    Have a happy, creative day!

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  26. We had some similar to this before deciding to use chicken wire, but we have those within the fenced-in garden to keep critters out. I love the removable front panel! It's so true that you can make bins out of almost anything you have lying around, and it doesn't have to cost a cent. We also just found out that Lumber Liquidators WANTS people to come take their pallets from them! My husband just got a truckload he plans on using for his stacks of firewood.

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    1. I will have to remember that about Lumber Liquidators. You can build a lot of stuff out of pallets!

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  27. A friend linked me to your website. Thnx for the
    resources.
    Stop by my webpage - Mini Skips Adelaide

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  28. Hi there! I stopped by through the Tutus and Tea parties Pinterest Linky. I pinned your post on my lifestyle board. Here's the link I'd like to be pinned : http://ellecrafts.blogspot.fr/2012/11/ma-belladone-by-deer-and-doe.html
    Thank you from Paris ;)
    Bisous, Sparkle

    http://ellecrafts.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete