Create Your Own Compost Pile | Composting. G6957 How to Build a Compost Bin. Composting is a natural biological process where bacteria, fungi and other organisms decompose organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and food wastes. The end product is called compost. While composting occurs naturally, the process can be accelerated and improved by human intervention. Selecting a compost method Holding unitContainers or bins that hold yard and garden materials until composting is complete. Allow 6 months to 2 years for finished without turning. Wire mesh (Figure 1) Snow fence (Figure 2) Easy to build and least labor intensive. Turning unitA series of bins or a rotating bin that allows organic material to be turned on a regular schedule.Two general forms: either a series of bins, as shown in Figure 3a, or a horizontally mounted rotating barrel, as shown in Figure 4.
With a substantial input of labor, a large volume of yard waste can be composted in a relatively short time (3 weeks to 6 months). Figure 4A rotating barrel composter. Wire-mesh holding unit Tools. How to Make and Use Compost Tea | Step-by-Step | Lawn Care | This Old House - Introduction. Building a Compost Bin. My own homemade compost bin is easy to assemble and disassemble and works with whatever size compost pile I have at a given time. It is made of rough-sawn 1x12 hemlock boards, each 5 feet long. I cut the corners from both ends of the boards to create tabs. To keep the boards in place when they are stacked in a bin, I make the tabs into notches by screwing a foot-long 1-inch by 3-inch piece of wood across the end of each board.
I make the notch slightly wider than the width of the boards to allow for some movement. The finished boards stack tier upon tier, like Lincoln Logs.