How to Build a Compost Bin Steps Method 1 of 3: Building a General-Purpose Compost Bin a Compost Bin Step 1.360p.mp4 00:00 00:06 00:06 spaceplay / pauseescstopffullscreenshift + ←→slower / faster (latest Chrome and Safari)←→seek . seek to previous 12…6 seek to 10%, 20%, …60% 1Gather your materials. For this basic compost bin, you'll want untreated wood. Untreated wood will last for a plenty long time, and the treatment won't interfere with the composting process or overwhelm helpful fauna. Cedar is a great option. Method 2 of 3: Building a Yard-Waste-Only Compost Bin 9Staple the remaining stakes to the chicken wire. Method 3 of 3: Using Your Compost Bin 1Put anything into your compost bin except the following materials. Ad
How to Build a Rotating Compost Bin in 4 Easy Steps November 30, 2007 12:00 AM Composting can be incredibly simple: Just pile up some food and yard scraps, and turn it with a pitchfork now and then. But if you want to speed up the process and keep it rodent-free, a rotating bin is worth a weekend of labor. Once assembled, fill it two-thirds full with scraps, moisten with water and rotate every few days. Step 1 Mark an opening on the side of a food-grade barrel using masking tape. Step 2 Attach the door to the barrel: Use screws or bolts to fasten metal hinges or make a flap hinge from scraps of bicycle inner tube. Step 3 Make two X-shaped stands using pressure-treated 2 x 4s or scrap lumber. Step 4 Attach a wooden turning lever to the end of the barrel using large sheetmetal screws or a couple of bolts.
30 Unexpected and Unusual Things You Can Compost | Green Composting isn't just for food, silly! You'll be surprised at all the strange, random junk you can toss in the compost bucket. Don't draw the line at peach pits and coffee grounds - start chucking the following items into that bucket and watch your garbage bill go down while you create top-drawer dirt (and help the planet, of course). 1. Bills - because somehow it's a lot more satisfying shoving bills in with melon rinds and egg shells than the recycle bin. Trust me. 2. 3. magazines 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. cereal boxes 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. matches 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. It may seem like weird science, but all of the above objects are fully compostable. Sources: Cheap Like Me, Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano ALSO CHECK OUT: 5 Steps for Better Recycling10 Bearable Alternatives to Indoor Composting12 Clever Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds10 Things You Can't Recycle Images: johndan, theseanster93, pawpaw67, laszlo-photo
How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System Steps Part 1 of 3: Making a Home for Your Worms 1Obtain a worm bin. The worm bin is basically the home for the worms, and the place where they digest the organic material you will give them. 3Use four old car tires for a makeshift home. Part 2 of 3: Building Your Ecosystem 1Prepare the bedding for your worms. 2Choose which worms you want. Part 3 of 3: Maintaining and Harvesting Your Compost 1Feed your worms digestible amounts regularly. 4Harvest the compost once it's ready. Tips Green food increases nitrogen in your finished compost. Ad Warnings Powdered limestone will create carbon dioxide in your bins and suffocate your worms if the bins are not well ventilated.
Utah Preppers » Discussion Board Archive » An attempt to build a rotating compost bin » Utah Preppers An attempt to build a rotating compost bin I’m fascinated by compost. Watching kitchen scraps turn into dirt in just a few weeks time is exciting and anything I can do to improve my soil is worth the effort. The project was not a success in my mind but I thought I would post this how-to article anyway describing what I tried and the lessons learned in the hope that it will save others of you time and money should you embark on such a project yourself. Parts list 55 gallon water drum3 treated 2x4sCorner bracesCaster wheelsDraw catchesSuper glueHingesScrews and boltsTextured exterior spray paint Construction First, I cut a door in the side of the barrel with my Dremel tool. I then attached the door with small hinges and draw catches. Paint is obviously optional, but I thought that it would look a lot nicer in the garden if it were a natural shade instead of bright blue. I built the base out of treated lumber so that it would not have to be painted. Here is the finished product in the garden.
Butler SWCD: Pond advice What information is available regarding pond construction and maintenance? The Butler SWCD has a wide variety of fact sheets and other publications which focus on different aspects of pond construction, wildlife, fish, and plant life. Stop in and ask to see the "Pond Reference Guide". Ponds: For Work or Play- includes pond types, spillway requirements, design suggestions, construction hints, site selection tips, sealing and safety. Pond Clinics Two programs are held each spring to provide information about a variety of pond issues; management, stocking, weeds, wildlife, etc. Before the program starts, someone is available for plant identification, so bring in a wet sample of your pesky plant. Is someone able to come out to my property and provide some advice? Yes, but scheduling is tight. Also, please keep in mind the advice that is given, may not necessarily be what you want to hear. Is there someone you would recommend to build my new pond?
Compost Bins: Compost bin reviews, info on compost bins, tumbler While some people choose to go binless opting for a simple heap on the ground, most of us prefer to use some kind of an enclosure for making our compost. There are a number of types of containers used to make compost but which type is best? Well, the answer depends largely on how much space you have in your yard or garden and how much material you will be composting. In general, the commercially made plastic compost bins are better for beginner composters, while the larger homemade bins are more suited to avid gardeners and those who have a larger volume of materials. But to be honest, that's not really being fair to either the beginner composters or to the seasoned veterans. Let's look more closely at the different types of compost bin as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Plastic Bin: Advantages of Plastic Compost Bins: Locking lid keeps out vermin and local wildlife Inexpensive and readily available Disadvantages of Plastic Compost Bins: Homemade Compost Bins
ing Articles :: Care :: Soil, Water, & Fertilizer One of the best natural fertilizers and soil builders is available free. You make it yourself and solve some environmental problems at the same time. It's compost. Good gardeners have been making their own compost for a long time, but it has recently been "discovered" as one solution to the problem of our shrinking space in landfills. Many communities now forbid yard wastes or charge a premium for taking them. Making compost is simple and inexpensive. For equipment, you can use a homemade container made from welded wire mesh, concrete blocks, or wooden shipping pallets -- anything that will allow you to form a pile three to five feet across and not more than five feet high. The recipe for compost is air plus moisture plus layers of waste materials like leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps (not meat or bones), weeds pulled from the garden, and so on. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will be broken down by the many types of bacteria that will go to work.
Rain barrels: Butler SWCD Rain barrels, considered by many as outdated technology, are on the comeback. Sure, they are old fashioned. In fact, collecting rainwater for use in barrels or other containers is an ancient practice. Historical records show that they have been used in Thailand as far back as 2,000 years ago. Residential water use typically increases 40 to 50 % during summer months due to outdoor water use. To keep your rain barrel safe, make sure it has either a small enough opening that a child cannot fall in, or a safety strip reducing the size of the opening. Where Can I Get A Rain Barrel? Rain barrels are becoming more popular, and so there are many sources: Butler SWCD sells rain barrels through a partnership with the Butler County Storm Water District. Check with your local garden center or stores such as Tractor Supply, Home Depot, and Lowes as they sometimes have rain barrels for sale. Build Your Own Rain Barrel Tools: 7/8" spade drill bit Electric jigsaw Electric drill Utility knife Marker Hack saw
Double-Decker Drum Composter I decided against documenting every step with building the frame, mainly because it's a simple enough design. The frame consists of 3 pressure treated 4x4's and 1 pressure treated 1x4, all eight feet long. One 4x4 was cut exactly in half and the 1x4 was cut into quarters - they were to become the 2 beams and 4 stakes. I drilled pilot holes through the posts and into the beam and held them together with galvanized lag bolts. Each of the corners where the beam meets the post got corner braces and the top got flat braces. The braces are meant for extra support, since the barrels may become heavy. I used a 2 inch hole saw to cut holes into sides of the posts so they can hold the poles later on. Then, I used some exterior screws to fasten the stakes to the bottom of the posts. At the bottom of the posts and stakes, I drilled some screws partially into the wood to hold them into the cement better.
How to Make a Patio out of Concrete Pavers RON HAZELTON: Yes sir, there's not much I enjoy more than cooking outdoors. But you know, what, outdoor grilling really calls for a backyard patio and that's what Tim Terick in Portland, Oregon has asked me to help him build. TIM: Well Ron, I bought this house about a year ago from a little grandma and she didn't do a whole lot of work on the yard. Now this is an electrical line right here. - right here. Tim begins by hammering in the first corner stake. We decide to make the patio six by eight feet. All right, great and then if you go back down to the last stake there - TIM: All right. Once the area is completely marked off, we make sure it's square by measuring the two diagonals. What works really well here, go back and forth like this, forward and back. Once we have our outline, we pull up the string and stakes and begin cutting the sod into a checkerboard pattern. We have to dig the entire area of the patio some seven inches deep. So what have you got, Tim?
Rain Gardens: Butler SWCD A rain garden is a planted depression in your yard that captures rainwater from roofs, driveways and walkways where rain water cannot be absorbed by the ground. The rain garden reduces runoff by allowing rainwater to slowly soak into the ground instead of flowing to storm drains and creeks. This reduces erosion, water pollution and flooding. A rain garden is not a pond, but more of an earthen sponge that soaks up runoff in a matter of hours. The garden is dry most of the time. A simple percolation test shows how fast your soil drains. Rain gardens usually are filled with native plants. Remember before you dig to call the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) at 1-800-362-2764 to find out if there are any buried pipes or lines. "How To" Guide The Mill Creek Watershed Council of Communities, a member of the Greater Cincinnati Rain Garden Alliance, has information on rain gardens, typical plants, and a how to guide on their website. Visit Local Rain Gardens
Raised-bed vegetables You don't need lots of space to grow herbs and vegetables. At Sunset's headquarters, test-garden coordinator Bud Stuckey planted this organic vegetable garden in four raised beds, each 4 feet square and made of 2-by-6 composite lumber called Trex. Before planting, he double-dug all beds, turning the soil to a depth of about 22 inches, then amended it with compost. Here's what we grew and liked. QUADRANT 1: 'Blue Lake' bush beans, lettuce (dark red leaf, 'Red Grand Rapids', and dark 'Lollo Rosso' ― located in the shade of the beans' obelisk to prevent bolting), 'Bolero Nantes' carrots (between the lettuce plants), and peppers ('Golden Summer', 'Ariane', and 'Purple Beauty'). QUADRANT 2: 'Celebrity' and 'Early Girl' tomatoes, 'Dark Opal' basil, 'Long Red Cayenne' peppers, 'Sun Gold' cherry tomato, and sweet basil. QUADRANT 3: 'Ambassador' zucchini, Japanese eggplant, 'Orange Bell' peppers, and sweet basil. QUADRANT 4: Mostly herbs. Seeds and seedlings