How Much Does it Cost to Make a Compost Pile?

Dead autumn leaves are just one free compost ingredient.

One of the beautiful things about compost is that it is a natural process that happens no matter what. The cost of starting a compost pile depends on what you have, what you want and how fast you want it.

Types

Compost units range from an open heap in the corner of the yard--absolutely free to construct--to state-of-the art units that control aeration and make turning easy. Generally, compost units are classified as bins or drums. Bins look just like the name suggests--an enclosure for gathering scraps and yard waste--while drums rotate, allowing you to turn your compost easily.

Considerations

Frequent turning tends to produce compost faster, so drum units are often the choice of gardeners who want compost quickly. In areas where scavenging animals are a problem, a unit that is enclosed and covered may be essential. These needs often drive gardeners from free or inexpensive homemade options to more costly commercial units.

Cost

Local extension offices and garden clubs often provide plans for composting units that can be made from items you have at home or that can be purchased cheaply at a hardware store. Amazon.com lists compost units ranging from $30 or $40 upward to several hundred. According to compost expert Barbara Pleasant, compost works just as well in an uncovered pile, which costs absolutely nothing to build.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Constructing Home Compost Units
• "Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening"; Fern Marshall Bradley, Barbara W. Ellis and Ellen Phillips, editors; 2009
• Amazon.com: Composter
• "Grit"; Compost Made Easy; Barbara Pleasant; May/June 2010