How to Build a Compost Box Out of Wood
Composting has become popular with homeowners as an ecologically sound way to use yard waste and improve poor soil. Properly called a bin, a compost box is less unsightly than old-fashioned methods like mounding. Using a wooden bin allows the compost to be produced easily in a contained area. Boxes corral compost for easy turning, and a series of boxes lets the homeowner produce compost while having finished compost for use. With common lumber and simple tools, a useful, easily managed compost bin can be built in a short time. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 8 1-by-12-by-8 pieces of lumber
- Nontoxic wood preservative
- Paintbrush or roller
- Sawhorses (optional)
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Pencil
- Saw
- 4 pieces of 56-inch rebar
- Mallet
Instructions
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Choose Box Lumber and Site
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Choose common-grade lumber for this outdoor utility project where beauty does not matter.
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Make sure your boards are straight, not bowed, since bowed lumber will prevent your box from going together easily. Put one end of each piece on the ground, hold it up and sight along its length. If there's a bend, discard it.
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Ignore small defects like knotholes, but do not use cracked lumber. Weathering may split it and ruin your box.
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Site the compost box in a spot where you can get to it easily and work around it. A sunny spot is not necessary, but your site needs to have good drainage. Level the site where you will put the compost box and build the bin directly on the ground.
Prepare and Cut Box Lumber
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Paint all 1-by-12-by-8 pieces of wood with nontoxic wood preservative and let them dry for the manufacturer's recommended time. Painting is easier and lumber dries faster if it is laid on sawhorses.
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Cut each of your 1-by-12-by-8 boards in half so that you have 2 pieces that are 4 feet long. You will end up with 16 pieces, each 4 feet long.
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Make both sets of measurements along the same edge of your board. First, measure down from one end of your 4-foot board to 4 inches and mark that spot. Next, measure from your edge mark in toward the middle of the board 5-1/2 inches and make another mark. Draw a line between these two marks. Repeat measuring and marking at the other end of the board.
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Continue measuring and marking all of your 4-foot boards.
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Slot each of the 4-foot boards by making a cut from the edge in toward the center at each of your marked lines. Slots should be 5 1/2 inches deep by 1 inch wide.
Assemble Your Box
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Assemble your bin at your chosen compost box site. Hold two of your 4-foot boards at right angles to each other, with slots facing each other, and slide them together. Repeat until you have a square on the ground with V-shaped outer corners.
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Make another square on top of the first, aligning them carefully. Drive the rebar 8 inches into the ground in the "V" of each outer corner to stabilize the squares.
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Continue alternately layering on 1-by-12 boards, making squares, until you form the final square.
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Tips & Warnings
For a more portable bin, use no rebar and only two squares of lumber.
When your compost box finally rots out, chip it up and add it to your compost.
Using a permanent composting spot enables you to plant columnar plants like Thuja pyramidalis to screen it.
Do not compost human waste, pet wastes, bones, meat, dairy waste or eggs, diseased plants, weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by runners, grease or chemical waste or chemically treated wood that may contain arsenic.
Michigan State University Extension warns that "'bio-aerosols' in compost can affect the health of some people." See the article "A Necessary Warning" at web1.msue.msu.edu/misanet/Composting/warning.htm for details.
Bad odors or pests indicate problems in your compost pile. Refer to a good compost troubleshooting guide.
