A Compost Container Made From a 5-Gallon Bucket

Used and cleaned 5-gallon buckets allow for composting on a budget.

Many people assume that composting requires too much monetary investment and use of crucial space in or around the home. Fortunately, composting in 5-gallon buckets turns this practice into an affordable and compact Earth-friendly activity that apartment-dwellers can perform on small balconies or within the home.

Benefits

Purchasing compost bins from retailers costs as much as several hundred dollars, while building bins is often impractical. Fortunately, turning a 5-gallon bucket into a compost bin is as simple as poking a few aeration holes into the lid or laying the lid loosely on top of the bucket.

Disadvantages

One drawback to using a 5-gallon bucket as a composting bin occurs because the materials are harder to turn, making decomposition occur slowly. To remedy this unfortunate circumstance, composters may use garden tools such as hand-held hatchets to turn the materials inside the bucket.

Considerations

Finished compost develops at the bottom of bins long before the materials at the top of the container. Many retail compost bins include drawers or hatches to easily access and remove finished material at the bottom of the bin. When composting in 5-gallon buckets, it may be necessary to transfer the materials to a second bucket to expose the finished compost at the bottom of the first bucket.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Composting for the Homeowner--Composting Methods
• Fine Gardening: Composting in Cold Weather

Resources

• Ohio State University Extension: Composting at Home