Plans to Build a Compost Bin
Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden, and it is a great way to reduce waste in landfills. While acquiring the food scraps for compost should be no problem at all, the right bin requires a little more work. A wire bin is more attractive than a plastic tub and is also easy and inexpensive to make. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Work gloves
- 37-inch-by-1-inch galvanized chicken wire, 10 feet
- Heavy wire
- Heavy-duty wire snips
- Pliers
- 3 or 4 wooden posts, 4 feet long
- Hammer
Instructions
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Put on work gloves. Reinforce the cut ends of the chicken wire by folding them over a few inches.
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2
Make a circle with the chicken wire in the desired location of your compost bin. It's best to put the compost bin somewhere close to your garden and out of the way.
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3
Cut the heavy wire into short lengths, about a few inches long, with the heavy-duty wire snips. Tie the wire pieces around the chicken wire where the ends meet to keep the circle closed. Use pliers to twist the wire.
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4
Place one of the wood posts on the inside of the circle, pressing it against the wire. Hammer the top of it, driving the post into the ground. Repeat with the other posts. Space them evenly against the inner edge of the circle.
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Tips & Warnings
Fill your bin with food scraps, scraps of paper, eggshells, etc., and wait four to five months for your compost to complete. Lift the bin and remove the bottom layer of finished, rich compost.
The compost should not be too dry or wet, so if it is dry, add more fruits and vegetables, and if it is wet, add leaves or paper.
If you live somewhere where wild animals such as coyotes or raccoons are aggressive, revise the plans to include a cover for your compost, or put your compost bin in an enclosed garden area.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Erdbeerpflanze image by lamaka from Fotolia.com
