The following is a guest post from Angie at Many Little Blessings.
For a few years, I had been eyeing composting bins for the backyard. I was excited at the thought of turning things that we might normally put into the trash or the garbage disposal into beautiful, rich soil for our garden. I was, however, not excited about the price tags that I was seeing for even the most simple of composting bins.
Since none of our local stores carried composting bins, this also meant that we would be looking at some expensive shipping charges as well. I decided to skip out on a composting bin for a while, even though the reasons for having one sounded so inviting.
Reasons to Compost
· Food and yard waste can be put into the composter, rather than going to the landfill in a plastic bag.
· Soil that is produced is rich in nutrients for your yard (it can be put right onto your grass), garden, or flower beds. It is also much cheaper to make your own compost than to go to the garden store and buy it.
· The soil is a natural fertilizer, and can remove the need to use chemical fertilizers. This is safer for the environment, and can save you money.
· If you have children, it is an excellent educational opportunity for them!
What Can Be Composted?
Not all food and yard wastes can be put into a composting bin. For best results, some of the organic materials to put into your composting bin include:
· Coffee ground and filters
· Fruits and vegetables
· Egg shells
· Grass clipping
· Leaves
· Nut shells
· Shredded newspapers
· Fireplace ashes
Some items not to put into your composting bin include:
· Meat or fish bones
· Yard trimmings that have been treated with chemicals
· Pet waste
· Plants that are diseased (For example, if your garden zucchini plant has had wilt set in, you won’t want to add the plant to your composting bin.)
Be sure to check out the U.S. EPA’s website to read a more extensive listing (including what not to add to your compost bin).
Making Your Own Composting Bin
Frustrated that I couldn’t find a less expensive composting bin, I set out to make my own. This project ran me around $15, and it was completed in less than five minutes.
Materials Needed:
· Large trash can with lid that locks on
· Platform of some sort (I used a wooden plant stand on wheels)
· Screws (to attach platform to trash can)
· Drill with large drill bit
Directions:
1. Using your drill, make holes along the sides of your trash can, as well as on the lid and on the bottom of the trash can. Our trash can turned composting bin has approximately 20 – 25 holes total.
2. Again using your drill, attach the platform to the bottom of your bin. Make sure that you do not cover up the holes that you have made on the bottom of the bin. (Or, if you need to, just drill a few more holes in the bottom.) This platform will help to allow drainage from the composting bin, as well as to save the grass underneath your bin.
3. Collect some of the items on the approved list, and start composting!
4. Every couple of days, go out to the yard and put your trash can on its side. Roll it around the yard for a couple of minutes.
5. Add more items from the approved list, as you produce them.
6. When desired, use the rich, dark soil that has been produced!
By the end of summer, we were able to supplement a new portion of our garden with the summer’s worth of “trash” that would have found itself in the landfill, if it hadn’t been for our $15 investment.
Do you compost? Have any composting tips you’d like to share?
{ 89 comments… read them below or add one }
I haven’t had much luck with composting – mine is always too wet or too dry. But I LOVE my worm farm. A little black cylindrical thing hidden behind the hibiscus has thousands of worms that eat the scraps, create worm “castings” and make worm tea to fertilise the vegies with. It’s unreal.
Seconded! Plus, having a worm farm in our garage gets us sooo many Cool Points with the preschool crowd.
Thanks. This has solved my problem for me!!
Mistress B´s last blog post…Menu Plan Monday
+1, same here. My attempts at gardening were a success and I am no longer a “plant killer”. Composting was the next thing on my list and thanks to Angie it’s no longer a mystery!
Emma´s last blog post…Hey there, little baby, swimming in the deep blue sea (part 2)
This is brilliant! I have been looking for something like this for years! I was just asking somebody at Christmas time for a solution. Thanks for sharing this. It’s great!
krissy knox
my main blog: Sometimes I Think
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/iamkrissy
I have been thinking about composting for a while now, but wasn’t sure where to begin. I think this might be what I needed. We have about 2 feet of snow here right now, but I’m thinking I will get this going for Spring. (Does it even work to compost in the winter … because it freezes instead of decomposing?)
Nicki at Domestic Cents´s last blog post…Anatomy Of A Thoughtful Person
You can still add to it in the winter, you just might not get any compost out since the items will freeze, but when they thaw you’ll have that much more stuff to start out going strong!
Courtney´s last blog post…Reflections and Accountability
I do add to it during the winter as well, but I would suspect that any other time of the year is probably a better time to start it.
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Do they speak English there?
We have been composting for a little over a year. The county where I live gives us a discount on compost bins and this summer the garbage company allows us to put food waste into our yard waste bin. This means that meat, bones, dairy products and food soiled paper (pizza and ice cream boxes) can go into the yard waste bins. I keep two compost containers on my counter (one is a plastic coffee can) and use one for my composter and one for the yard waste. This has allowed us to use about one bag of garbage a month. We pay more for the service, but less goes to the landfill. We have great compost for our garden too.
Just found your blog- Super! I announced it on Twitter. I would love to have you guest blog o at HeartatHome Blog. Let me know.
I just Tweeted your blog on Twitter.
Robin Sampson´s last blog post…Creative Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
We started composting around 6 years ago and LOVE it. Our veggies are grown with no chemicals and no fertilizers, just rich fantastic composted soil. We have a stainless steel bin that we bought from Plow and Hearth that sits on our kitchen counter to collect scraps. It has a special filter that keeps the smells from permeating our kitchen. It’s a great way to recycle too!
Tracie´s last blog post…Fun new toy
Thanks for posting this very informative article!! My husband and I have decided to make our first garden this year and want to make a compost bin as well. Of course, I’m just about to begin researching how to do it, so this post is very timely for me:)
Can we start now, in the wintertime?
Lora´s last blog post…Menu Plan Monday: January 12th-18th
What perfect timing! I was just looking online at composting bins and shuddering at the price of them. I’d really like to do a square foot garden this spring (I’ve never gardened before) and I’d love to be able to add my own compost. Thank you for showing me how to make my own bin!
Robin´s last blog post…Breakfast for Cheaters- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal
I have been composting for 9 years. This little bin shown here may work well for a small family. Our family of 9 would have it filled in a week.
I blogged about composting last March showing how I made a free, large composting bin for a large family. I actually blogged again today with an update. 
Amy Jones´s last blog post…Compost Redux: The Wormery
@ Nicki — I would probably wait until Spring to start a bin because you’ll need for it to be able to generate some heat.
@ Amy — Our family is five people, and this does work for us, generally. (It’s not really all that little — it is about as large an outdoor trashcan as Walmart sells.) We did have about two weeks where we had to vow to not put anything in it though during the peak of the summer, because it was too full. But, otherwise, we tend to do okay.
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Do they speak English there?
Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this guest post!
It was really a pleasure to guest post here at Simple Mom!
For those wanting to compost, I hope that this inexpensive version of a composting bin will encourage you to give it a try this year!
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Do they speak English there?
Angie,
I love your garbage can idea. My son and I are going to make one this weekend. This is our first try at composting. thanks
We’ve been composting during this past season with our duplex neighbors, and we have a lot of product (waste!) but its been difficult to turn. I love your idea! Also, I’ve been told that putting in a lot of citrus peels isn’t so great, and that avocado skins also take waaaay too long to decompose since they are so tough and fibrous, so you might want to leave them out of the bin. Thanks for the ideas! We’ll see how our fertilizer does when spring arrives and its planting time!
Briana´s last blog post…Monday: Blue
We compost too, but currently just have a large ‘compost pile’ in the woods. It’s been 2 years in the making, so we hope that we can get some soil out of it for this summer’s garden. In the future my husband would like to build a better composting system (an actual enclosure of sorts) to speed up the process. We live in the woods, so sunlight is a little lacking on our pile!
Sarah H.´s last blog post…Meal Plan Mondays: 1-12-09 (Debut!)
Thanks for this post. I have been interested in getting started in composting but wasn’t sure how. I’m going to give it a try. My five year old will love helping me with it.
Rebecca´s last blog post…Jan 11, Curious George Crib Bedding for a Curious George Nursery
As a child I lived on a farm and we composted, but I have never been able to find a way to make it work for my current apartment lifestyle. This looks like it could really work for us – I love the idea, and it’s so low cost!
Great post!
Lucie @ Unconventional Origins´s last blog post…Amos and Andy Come to Dinner
What a great post! I’ll admit I’ve been looking at the expensive composters that have a removable tray for the finished compost and a crank to turn it as it “cooks”, but I can never justify the cost, so I still don’t compost. This makes it look so easy even without a fancy composter, though, and I’m excited to give it a try!
Mandi´s last blog post…Getting the Most Out of Your Pantry: How an Organized Pantry Saves You Money
I might sound completely dumb by asking this, but doesn’t it stink?? In MN, it’s too cold to leave anything outside at the moment … could we do something indoors? And there again — will it stink???
THANKS!!
I like this composting bin much better than others. I’ve wanted to compost for a while but, haven’t been able to find a bin I was happy with, even the diy versions wouldn’t fit my needs unless lots of money was spent (which then makes me wonder why do it in the first place if it won’t save me any $$$) This one will keep the dogs and kids out of it and allow for me to turn it without a messy shovel! Thanks for the great idea-I’ll have to try it as soon as the snow starts melting!
Jennifer Clark´s last blog post…Convenience Foods Hacked
Katie — I don’t know that I would try to compost inside. Sunlight helps it generate extra heat, and rain the falls in is also needed.
I know that some people use worm composting in their garage, so you could try to look into that.
As for the stink — yes, it can be a slightly unpleasant odor, but I wouldn’t even go so far as to say it “stinks.” Some of the things that are on the “no” list help save it from stinking. (If you were throwing in dairy and meat, then it probably would stink.)
Now, as far as the unpleasant odor though, we only smell it when we actually take off the lid to add in things. I have never noticed it, even when I get close to the can, if the lid is on. As a matter of fact, it is only about five-ish feet from our screened in backporch, and even in the heat of the summer, I haven’t noticed the smell while sitting out there. (Although, I will admit that it was a bit stinky for a little while when we put the composted dirt onto a new garden plot this summer. But, not too bad.
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Do they speak English there?
We bought a really great one at Costco last summer for around $30. I can’t wait until the spring to use it in our garden!
what do you do about composting with a bin like that in the winter?
We just leave it outside. It won’t really do much during the winter, but it’s fine to just be out there.
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Confessions from the Middle of Our First Year of Homeschooling
What a great idea!
We have been composting for years piling our leaves and vegetable parings at the back of our property which borders woods. I like your idea very much though – it would be great for intermediate use meaning I don’t have to hike as far!
The resulting compost has been wonderful in our garden – our tomatoes last year were incredible and our garden beds keep getting better and better as we add compost to them each season.
Mary´s last blog post…Paying down the mortgage — good idea?
Awesome idea!!! I, too have been looking for a simple composting bin that I don’t have to spend a ton of $$ on or spend a weekend building, or both. Hmm…wonder if I can find a trash can to recycle…
I have been composting for a few years. With a family of three it takes me about a year to build up a good compost for spring fertilizing. Of course we don’t put our grass clipping or leaves in it because we mulch them and leave them on the yard. But the compost is free and a great way to fertilize my flowers.
Sara´s last blog post…Last Year’s Surprises
I love this idea. Since I have a few worm bins I don’t have a lot of food waste left to compost but I may give it a try anyway. Maybe I can help free some of my friends from their terrible guilt over throwing their waste away!
SimplyForties´s last blog post…Baked Adzuki Beans with Eggplant and Tomatoes
I started composting about 18 months ago and love it. I bought a bin. I wish I knew about your simple and awesome way of doing it. I would have saved a lot of money!
CC´s last blog post…Marvelous Children’s Book Monday: Polar Bear Night
We have been composting for years and it has become most important where we live now. The soil isn’t very rich and the compost makes all the difference in the world.
I love the trash can idea!! Will probably use that for us soon!!
Thanks!!
Deb´s last blog post…CVS, Part 3 and My Last CVS Trip
What a clever idea! I am off to rig something similar, though I may try to turn it horizontal and manufacture my own “crank” mechanism. I’ll follow up if I get it to work. Thanks for inspiring us to get going with composting!
I’ll be interested to see what you come up with! We have sometimes thought about putting together a second one, so I may have to wait to see what you come up with first!
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Confessions from the Middle of Our First Year of Homeschooling
Thank You, Thank You! I have been wanting to do this for so long and have not found an economical way! I can’t wait!
That is awesome! I’ve been wanting to compost, too, but found it a bit too expensive. Will definitely save these instructions and try it myself…once the Wisconsin landscape thaws out a bit, that is! (Though I guess I could start this in my basement, right?)
what a great post – we’ve been thinking about purchasing an electric composter that would be inside the house or in the garage. we are a family of 3, so our trash output is minimal… but we’d like to compost and with the length of the cold season here, trekking outside to a compost bin in 3 feet of snow is not a thought we enjoy! however, this is definitely a lower cost option… who knows, maybe in the spring we’ll give it a shot!
Krista´s last blog post…Book Review: The Moon Shines Down
THANK YOU!!!!
I have been looking at compost bins too–and the price has been a lot more than I was comfortable with, but building a wire compost setup like my extension center suggested seemed like too big of an undertaking. This is a great solution–I might attach wheels of some sort to the bottom of the platform so I can haul it around the yard as needed.
Again, thanks-I’m running to the store for a trash can this week to assemble mine!
Rhonda´s last blog post…Additional Goal for 2009
Rhonda — I don’t know if you noticed in my description, but the platform that I put on ours is actually a plant stand with wheels. I picked it up at Walmart for around $5, and that has been helpful for that exact reason — wheeling it to somewhere else (such as when we were cleaning out our garden for the season).
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Confessions from the Middle of Our First Year of Homeschooling
I know it’s winter for many of you, so I’ll republish this in a few months, to get your geared up for spring!
For an indoor version, I wrote a series: http://www.simplemakes.com/2008/09/apartment-composting-how-to-start-now.html. Helpful for those of us in apartments without balconies, yard, or or roof access
I love the pictures in this one!
Lori Ann´s last blog post…the Knitty Gritty
I was just asking my mom about composting (my parents tried it for a long time when we were little) and she was discouraging me from even trying it, saying it stank, had all kinds of bugs and was generally disgusting, no matter what bin they tried. This sounds like it might work, though. I saw that you said it doesn’t stink…what about bugs? Ours would have to be in a side yard that is just feet from our neighbors’ side yard (where they keep their trash, they don’t play right there) so I want to make sure I’m being neighborly! Also, I see that diseased leaves are a no, but what about weeds?
Linn´s last blog post…Finding Jesus in the Kidney Stones
Yeah, there are lots of flies, etc. that are inside the bin, especially during the extreme heat of the summer. But, I just toss stuff in, shut the lid, and then it’s all good. They want to stay inside with all the food, etc.
For what it’s worth — my Mom also said, “Why would you do that?” when I said we wanted to start composting. But, then again, she hadn’t tried it before, like your parents had.
Seriously — I haven’t noticed the smell. Only when I am right there with the lid off putting in things. Even in the summer heat, I didn’t notice smells right next to it. Ours is (you can probably tell) right next to our fence and our neighbor’s fence. They have never said anything about it. (But, they compost as well.)
If you have $15 to spend, you could always try it and if it just doesn’t work for you at all, you’ll only be out a bit of money.
Angie @ Many Little Blessings´s last blog post…Keeping Track of Stats for Your Etsy Shop (WFMW #63)
Don’t put weeds in!!! I’ve been composting for almost a year. Mostly I’m scared to look in my bin
but every time I do, I am pleasantly surprised. I collect kitchen scraps in a bucket on my counter; it does get slightly smelly if I don’t take it out often enough. I made a similar compost bin, mine has the bottom cut out completely. To “turn” it, I lift the can up, everything falls out the bottom and then I shovel it back in. Messier than your version but it costs about the same and it works. I have two in rotation. My bins don’t smell but there are lots of great bugs and worms doing their business. Folks who don’t want to get into composting should look into lasagna gardening. I find it to be too wet for me in the Pacific Northwest, but I know people who do it and love it. It’s ideal for warmer climates.
CarrieK´s last blog post…Demarle
I love my compost. It’s the best thing for my garden. We also shred our leaves and use them for mulch throughout the year. I cringe when I see people throw away leaves.
Thank you!!! I’d just decided on this sort of composting and am tickled to understand it better thru your post. We’re gathering materials for Square Foot Gardening, can’t wait! And since we’re in central California, we can go ahead and start composting now
Curious – what size is your garbage bin?
Blessings!
Ann
I was so excited to read about this. This was so easy, I put it together this afternoon. I’ll probably start putting stuff in it now, but I’m sure it won’t do much until March, when it starts consistently warming up here. I’m so excited that I will have free compost to use next year!
How amazing! I made one just like this for my son about two years ago. He says it works fine.
After a bug man destroyed my wonderful rolling compost bin by spraying what turned out NOT to be an infestation of “killer bees” (gimme a break), I need to start over. Right now I have a small amount of compost in a big plastic plant pot, with a big plastic pot saucer laid over the top as a lid. To turn it, I just flip the whole arrangement over. Not big enough though….
Funny about Money´s last blog post…The perqs of pinching pennies
So, when you want to use your compost, do you need to stop adding new stuff for a while? Wouldn’t you need two compost bins?
Yes, it’s good to have two bins. If you have a small family, two smaller bins are better than one large. Some people just throw their compostables in the trash for a while until the bin has “cooked” and is ready to use (this kind of defeats the purpose!) while others will simply use the compost with food scraps still mixed in (this is not a problem as it will decompose in the garden too). I prefer to switch off between two bins (I also LOVE vermicomposting–I even had a bin under my bed in college. . . seriously. And it did NOT stink since I was careful about the contents and balance of scraps I put in). As for composting in the winter in Northern states–I grew up in MN and we would continue to add scraps to one bin throughout the winter and then switch to the other when spring arrived and let the winter bin thaw and cook. Do make sure you have good drainage in the winter bin as there will be a lot of excess moisture! It’s nice to see so many people into composting!
This is great for people like me who want to learn more about composting but don’t know enough to start. I’ll share this with my network. Thank you!
Ife Oshun (ThriftyWAHM.com)´s last blog post…Thrifty Tip Of The Day – Psst, Your Local Public Library Is *Free*
Count another vote for the worm farm! We’ve done it for years. If anybody has any questions about them I am glad to help answer them. (Because I think every household should have a worm bin. They’re easy, kids love it and if you do it right, it doesn’t smell! Oh yah, and the compost it produces is insanely expensive if you were to buy it at the home and garden store.)
Wendy´s last blog post…The Night Sky
I also made a compost bin out of an old plastic garbage can. This was one we had that we were not currently using. We had bought it before the city passed out official ones.
I’m always a little concerned about using grass clippings in compost, though my dear hubby did put some in at one time. We use a pre-emergent weed killer on our lawn, and I’m not sure if the chemicals break down sufficiently to be used in compost for our veggie garden.
From what info I’ve gathered so far, you definitely would NOT want to use grass clippings after using weed killer on the grass.
Blessings!
We\’ve been gardening for 10 years, without composting. Hopefully this will be the year we begin. I love your simple idea but here\’s my question: how do you get the good stuff out? How long does it take to turn your waste into rich compost? And how do you get it out when you are adding new stuff to the top all the time…you know, that isn\’t decomposed yet? I\’m trying to figure it out before I begin.
Deirdre´s last blog post…Karen, Shriners, and a request
What some people do is keep 2 garbage bins going, one to fill and turn daily until fully composted, the other to keep adding scraps, etc, (and to turn daily) until the first bin is ready for another ‘filling up’.
I’m in the process, so I can’t say how long it takes yet. But my ingredients ARE turning into compost! And since there is sufficient air (lots of holes plus daily turning) there is no odor, only a pleasant outdoorsy smell, like freshly turned dirt
We got great tips on composting from Mel Bartholmew’s The All New Square Foot Gardening book and website http://www.SquareFootGardening.com He keeps it simple and easy. You can have compost within the month if you combine the proper ingredients and turn daily.
I invite you to the Gardening Moms group at http://www.Twittermoms.com where we swap info and ask each other questions about all this cool stuff.
Blessings!
We have composted for years tossing our veggie scraps in a 3 sided bin my husband constructed out of chicken wire.
At first glance, I loved your idea. It is so clever and way less expensive as you pointed out. I almost went out to buy the plastic trash can. But I’m wondering if there should be concerns about the plastic chemicals leaching out into the compost (and then being used in our vegetable gardens?) I just canceled our bottled water delivery due to the same concerns so I guess I have that on the brain.
Hey I linked to you on my website/blog
http://earthfriendlymaidservice.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/wednesday-april-22-is-earth-day/
The garden guy at Home Depot gave me some advice on starting my compost pile when I was looking for a $75 compost bin. He discouraged me from buying anything and told me how to make it in the ground itselft. I have a 3ftx3ft area at the edge of the garden that I shoveled out a foot or so. Add a small amt of the following: grass clippings, brown leaves, kitchen leftovers (no meat, protien, dairy or oil), 1 cup Miracle Grow powder, 1 can soda with sugar, 1 cup Dawn soap, 2 gallons of water and mix with a pitch fork every few days. Add water and more kitchen waste and watch it heat up. Keep it away from anything that can catch fire. It can get so hot that a fire starts. The soil is rich and I no longer waste money on soil products in the spring.
I love the trash can idea! Do you add water to it, or does it collect enough rain water on it’s own? Also, we will be leaving for the summer in about a month. As soon as we get back I hope to put in a fall garden. Is it okay to leave the compost for a few months? Thanks!
Anna´s last blog post…No Procrastination: "Green Edition"
You’d want to keep it just moist, not wet. I am spraying mine with a mister when it gets too dry, if I haven’t added enough moist ingredients to it. The compost should be fine to leave for a few months, just would take longer to compost, without you there to turn it.
Blessings!
I too did not want to spend $100 to recycle garbage. Great idea that I will try this weekend. I have a companion story on my site, starting an edible garden for $10.00 -Burpee seeds has a great package with their most popular items. All my best, Lori at http://www.morewithlesstoday.com
Lori Felix´s last blog post…HULIQ.com -online newspaper
i’d say mine was closer to $40, but still a really good deal!!
Mine was $14.99 plus another $4.99 for the rolling plant stand we bolted it to. It took more than 5 minutes to drill the holes and afix the garbage bin to the wooden plant stand, more like 50 minutes. We’re slow, ha!
Blessings!
Wow! Sorry to hear that it cost you so much more than I was able to put it together for. But, maybe you have a nicer garbage can than I picked up.
I have been trying to make life better by recycling everything I can. I really wanted to start my own compost, but too did not like the price. I am so glad you posted this easy way of making my own compost bin. My husband will like it even better, not just because of the price, but because of the ease of making it. Thanks!
You may want to check your local county’s website and see what they are doing for the green movement. Many state’s are requiring county’s to reduce their trash impact so you can get a discounted rate on compost bins. The most user friendly compost bin is by smith and hawken and San Diego Co offers this to their residents for $20. I live in LA county and they give a perfectly good compost bin for FREE. So it’s worth checking out. If your county doesn’t offer something like this, then it’s time for you to start educating your county on other counties programs. It’s starts with regular people asking for programs like this to get it started.
My family composts and it has been an awesome experience for us and our plants. Compost works wonders!
I totally agee, Stephanie! When I was researching composting bins (before we made the one that is pictured), I found that quite a lot of people got free or very inexpensive (but good quality) composting bins from their city/county. I was bummed that ours didn’t, but I do continue to check from time to time, just in case.
This is great! I, too, was very put off by the idea of spending lots of money on a composter. Last year I just tossed the compost in an open pile because I figured that was better than not composting at all. Of course the matter didn’t break down properly, leaving various seeds still able to germinate in the the compost. When I spread it on the garden this spring, I accidentally planted an extra crop of gourds and tomatos. But I will try this! Thanks!
The Japanese found a way to compost trash at home
http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/japanese-rubbish-to-compost-converter/
This is great! I have a plastic 55-gallon barrel that I plan to put on its side, on a frame big enough to hold a wheelbarrow… But this might get me in business faster. I want to pre-shred my stuff with a lawn-mower (the dry stuff) and a blender (my kitchen scraps) so it will break down faster. Thanks!
.-= Cardamom´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: CowBOY! =-.
Hi-I have just started taking my gardening seriously,bearing in mind the rising cost of food. I am using my multi purpose compost in the greenhouse growing vegs. I want to use the compost two or three more times. I am sterilizing the compost in an oven-(dont tell the wife) at 80 degrees for 30 mins.I have some sun dried seaweed chopped in a liquidiser, some chicken manure pellets and some Vitax Q4 both turned into powder.—Is there some clever person out there who can tell me a mix with this stuff and possibly some other items. The exact amounts would be helpful also. Please help, I will be eternally grateful for any suggestions-Terry
Brilliant! How didn’t I ever think of this? Thank you SO much for sharing- I can’t wait to tell my DH when he comes home that he won’t have to be stacking concrete blocks up!
.-= Shelley´s last blog ..Grilled Vegetable Panzanella (bread salad) recipe =-.
Here’s a tip that I found works really well for collecting kitchen scraps: the prices of some of the “collection containers” from places like Plow and Hearth and the like floored me. So I thought I’d try something else….I was considering using plastic containers (think Tupperware), but the fact that the lids aren’t always reliable made me hesitate. So I bought a plastic container with a lid that locks on all four sides (Lock-n-Locks). It’s clear so I can see how full it is, has a seal in the lid that locks out odors, and the lid locks so I don’t have to worry about one of the kids dumping it by accident. We just keep it under the sink…when it’s full, we trek outside, dump the contents in the composter, throw the plastic container in the dishwasher and voila! No problems with smell in my house! And I only spent about $5.
I am a bit confused about why I need the plant stand underneath. If my garbage can has wheels, is that good enough? I assume I should still drill holes in the bottom?
Stacy, I’m thinking that your garbage can wheels could suffice, if they are providing enough airflow underneath. Mine did not.
Blessings!
Hi, I just found your site while looking for information on composting. I am starting a compost bin, but I started mine in a really small trash can, about 9 gallons and took a screwdriver and punched some holes in it. I’ve put a bunch of food waste (egg shells, coffee grounds, banana peels, etc) and some organic garden soil that I purchased for my garden. After reading some things on composting, it sounds like my little trash can is too small. Will it heat up and compost in a can that small or do I need to get a 30 gallon one?
this is so simple! I’ve been looking for a cheap way to make a tumbler ($100+ just seems ridicules) and I can’t believe I had spent months searching for a plastic barrel when the garbage can was staring me in the face. Thank you.
I’ve been worm composting off and on for about three years now and, although I’ve had some success, I have gotten as much compost as I had hoped. My bin recently had a “melt down” because I had over fed the worms. It’s doing better now. One of the big lessons that it’s better to under feed than to over feed.
Bill Brikiatis´s latest post: Product Review- Online Worm Composting Class
Thanks for the great information and instructions.
I am SO happy that I found this post! I have been searching for a way to start composting, but I am on a limited budget and have limited space! This is perfect for me. Do you ever notice any stink from the bin? That’s the only thing I’m worried about is having it smell. I live in a townhome and our backyards are only 10ft by 15ft, so pretty tiny and I live right next door to the HOA president. I know I have read that if you compost correctly, you shouldn’t have a lot of funky smells. Also, do you use two bins? I’ve been reading that you should have two of whatever you do in order to let one rest. Thanks again!!!
Jessica @ Delicious Obsessions´s latest post: Working in the Garden &8211 Doing A Lot With Limited Space
Bookmarked this AGES ago, but am going to start ours and then subsequently blog about it … will link you up!
(We live in India, so hoping that the tremendous heat won’t be too much of a smell-factor …)
naomi´s latest post: ON PICKING THE KIDS UP FROM SCHOOL
Absolutely Brilliant. Thanks for sharing
Wonderful idea! I’ll try this when we have some extra money to spend on a trash can like that. In the meantime, I have to be content with trench composting–*much* slower, but I used this summer to get a jump on a bigger garden area for next year by digging up what looked like a burial plot (just not as deep!) and I have been gradually filling it in as I have compost material to bury. Next spring, I’ll have loose soil and compost ready to be used in our garden. Hopefully I’ll be inspired enough to get some more digging done before the winter, so I can continue composting in this manner for several more months.
Amy @ Cheeky Cocoa Beans´s latest post: Wordless Wednesday: Praying Mantis
About 35 (or more) years ago, in Southern California, I knew an elderly woman who was wonderful with flowers and vegetable gardens. She used to put her coffee grounds, egg shells, banana peels, grass clippings, etc. into the big black (brown, green?) trash bags and tie it up tight and set it out behind the garage in the hot sun. She left it for “quite some time” and when she opened it up to show me her “new soil”- it was amazing…the most beautiful, clean, fresh smelling, delightful, fluffy dirt I’d ever seen. She did call it her “Black Gold”. All these years I’ve wanted to try it but was afraid I’d put the wrong things in or wouldn’t know how long to leave it…or would not have enough nice hot sun like we did in So Cal. Now, can you please tell me the difference between putting it in a tightly closed heavy plastic bag in the sun, and putting it in a container with holes in it and turning it often??? I’m positive she said she just tied up a bagfull and took it out back and left it. (Not sure how long.) Thank you so much for all your info!