Compost

While at Home depot in the garden department I noticed several large 3 sided crates similar to pallets but with braces for weight and with lids that were being used to hold stone pavers. One was almost empty and I asked an employee if I could purchase it. After puzzling over my request for a few minutes with another employee they decided they could not sell it to me, since they throw them in recycling, but could empty it and give it to me. well whatever…

In any event I brought it home and used a staple gun to tack weed cloth on the inside as a liner to prevent compost from seeping out. I now have a functioning compost bin. It is perfect because it holds a relatively large volume in the 3×3 x 2.5 dimensions, is raised off of the ground (to keep pests out) and is permeable. I suspect the only challenge will be retaining moisture, so I lined the bottom with heavy plastic from something that was going in the recycle bin anyway. I also reinforced the sides in a couple spots with extra nails and plan to add hinges to the top. Since the bin sits the crook where two concrete retaining walls come together the ‘missing side’ is not a problem as it is against a wall. If you needed a true box you could simply tack scrap wood on the missing side.

And there you have it a ‘free’ large recycle bin. Total cost is probably $5 for nails to reinforce, weed mesh and two hinges and it took about an hour. To build this from scratch would have cost $35-40 plus time and effort.

Hope this helps someone out in accomplishing their composting goal.

I’m doing this, yes, but I am having trouble. Everywhere I use my compost, a tomato plant grows. Frustrating! Apparently my pile isn’t heating up enough to kill the seeds from the green materials I add to the pile. Must research and resolve this before I can consider this thing ‘done.’

This will be done when I get some actual workable compost from it. I’m so impatient, and check the bin every day!

I am done contributing to the pile. After 6 weeks, I see no change. I will see what happens in the spring.

I keep adding a mix of “browns and greens” but I see no change. What am I doing wrong? It’s been 4 weeks.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to compost in my apartment. I think this means a worm bin is the most practical option. Just signed up for a workshop at the Solana Center to get started!

Every day I add food scraps and shredded paper to my pile. It’s growing every day. I still really have no idea what I am doing. But the good news is there is no smell or slime. My 2 year old helps me by throwing food scraps in. I want to teach him everything!

It’s raining hard pretty much every day. I wonder if this will ruin all my efforts? I haven’t figured out a way to cover the pile. Maybe some tarp or something?

I ahev to break up my compost kingdom, because Mum wants to change the lay out of her garden and my compost was behind a hedge on her block. So I opened the bins and put the contents on two of the four vegie patch; the other two has vegies in them. Then I covered the compost with pea straw and now, i leave it.

I had to change after that because I got goop in my pockets, and along one leg – yuk.

Now I just need to buy the worms! I want to wait until I’m sure they won’t freeze to death and since it snowed this weekend, I’m a little afraid to get them yet….