How to Build Residential Compost Bins
Making a compost bin for your home is a great way to reduce household waste and promote a healthy garden. By composting at home, you'll save money by creating your own fertilizer and reusing kitchen and garden waste. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Drill 4 to 5 holes on each side of the container. Make sure that the holes are spaced out so air can flow and water can leak out.
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Fill the bin a quarter to a third of the way full with soil.
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Top the soil with an assortment of yard waste. Appropriate materials include grass clippings, leaves, moss and wood chips.
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Add food scraps and general kitchen waste to the container, such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and eggshells. You can also add shredded pieces of newspaper and used napkins to the container.
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Top the yard and kitchen scraps with enough soil to cover the materials.
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Pour enough water over the materials in your bin so it gets moist but not wet. If you add too much water, add more materials to dry it out.
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Place the lid on the container and put it in an area away from direct sunlight. If your container gets too much sunlight, it will dry out. This will hinder the composting process.
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Stir the contents of your compost with a pitchfork every few days to aerate the pile. If you used a round container, such as a garbage bin, you can roll it around on its side instead of stirring the contents.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not be alarmed when you see small insects in your compost bin. Their presence is essential to the composting process.
Avoid adding animal products or fats to your compost. These materials will cause your compost to smell bad and will attract unwanted pests and small animals.
Do not add any toxic materials to your compost. You'll be using the compost to fertilize, and you do not want anything harmful being transferred to your plants.
