How to Build a Cinder Block Compost Pile
According to the magazine Garden Simply, organic gardening creates healthier plants that are more disease-proof and pest-resistant than plants that have been grown on organic fertilizer and treated with pesticides. Additionally, organic gardening practices are less harmful to the environment and produce a higher yield of crops. The first step in an organic gardening program is to construct a compost bin. You can build a compost bin quickly by dry-stacking cinder blocks. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Stakes
- String
- Rubber mallet
- Tape measure
- Builder's level
- 30 cement blocks
- 5 cement half blocks
- Shovel
Instructions
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1
Choose a site for your bin. Select ground that is level and open. The bin should not be shaded from the sun and should be located on dirt so that earthworms can reach the compost and the nutrient-rich drainage can seep into the ground and improve the soil.
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2
Lay out a guide for your outer walls of the bin by measuring the walls of the bin and driving stakes into the ground at the corner spots with a rubber mallet. Tie string between the stakes to act as a guide for the wall.
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3
Set the blocks for your first course on the ground against the string. Check that each block is flush with its neighbor and that the corners are square. Make sure that the course is level by measuring it with a carpenter's level. If a block is not level, dig out the ground beneath it with a shovel until it sits level with its neighbor. Your blocks will make a horseshoe-shaped bin with three walls and an open front. Each wall is approximately 2 blocks wide.
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4
Place a half block on the top of the first block to begin the second course. Use this block as a guide to lay a staggered line of blocks for the second course. Check that this course is level as well.
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5
Lay in courses until your bin is five courses high. For a larger bin, add more blocks.
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Tips & Warnings
To add a quick and temporary door along your fourth wall, prop a piece of plywood against the open sides of the fourth wall.
Cover your bin with a tarp to speed decomposition.
