How to Build a Wood Compost Bin

A well-maintained compost pile can create compost in a few months.

Composting the kitchen scraps and yard debris from around your home is a cheap and straightforward way to create nutrient-rich compost at home. If you don't want to start a compost pile out in the open, then you'll need to buy a manufactured compost bin or build your own compost bin. The biggest requirements of making a compost bin are providing adequate aeration and keeping the size to about 3 feet square.

Things You'll Need

• 4 posts, 4-by-4-inch, 3-foot long
• 20 boards, 1-by-6-inch, 3-foot long
• Galvanized screws
• Drill

Instructions

1. Lay two of your posts on the ground, parallel to one another and spaced about 28 inches apart. Place a 1-by-6 across the posts, running perpendicular to them. Adjust the board to rest over one end of the posts. Set a second board over the posts, and adjust it to rest over the top end of the posts to form a square.

2. Screw two screws through the boards and into the posts at the end of each board. Lay three boards over the posts between the end boards. Adjust the boards so there is about an inch of space between each board for aeration. Screw through the boards and into the posts to complete the first wall of the bin.

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to build a second wall for the bin. Stand the two walls facing one another with the posts running along the inside. Hold the walls about 28 inches apart.

4. Hold a board across one of the open sides of the bin and align it at the top of the posts. Screw through the board and into the posts to hold the walls in place. Set another board along the bottom edge of the same open side. Use screws to attach.

5. Place three other boards between the top and bottom boards, and space evenly about an inch apart. Screw through the boards and into the posts to secure. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to complete the other side of the bin.

6. Place your bin in a convenient location around your home or near your garden. The bin should rest directly on the ground so any drainage goes into the soil rather than on a patio or concrete slab.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a lid, gather together seven more 1-by-6-inch boards. Use two boards as you did the posts, and line the other five boards over them perpendicularly. Screw the unit together, and set directly over the bin.

References

• "Vegetable Gardening: Your Ultimate Guide"; Robert J. Dolezal; 2000
• "Growing Fruit and Vegetables"; Richard Bird; 2003

Resources

• HowToCompost.org