9. Lock tightly the contents of the kitchen bin … I have a long compost pile and I start at one end with fresh stuff and I slowly move it up as I turn it….but separate bins would be so much easier! Then, nail your pallets together where the top and bottoms meet the slats. Now, you can easily run to the store and buy a 3-bin compost. The only really vulnerable part of this 3-bin compost pile system is that the 2″ x 6″s and 2″ x 2″s will eventually rot, though they are easy enough to replace. Let me describe the whole process in details and show you how fun, useful, and easy making compost with 3 bin compost systems can be. The choice is yours! In fact, most compost bins today are manufactured from high quality recycled plastic resin. In the same time, you will aerate the content appropriately and allow a more proper and faster composting system in the future. To make the front of your triple compost system, fasten a 36" 2x6 piece to the baseboard and front of outer dividers. But a lot of your daily trash could actually be very useful in the garden, as composting. Perhaps you have already known that there are two different kinds of stuff you can add to your compost pile – green and brown. Repeat the layering process and turn. While a compost pile needs to be somewhat wet in order to get the microbial action really going, too much moisture can spell disaster for a compost pile. Please seek professional help when needed. Great post! (Fig. Otherwise, if you notice more than a drop or two of water while squeezing composting material, you can be sure that it is too wet. Some compost bins are mounted tumblers or free-rolling tumblers. Learn more as we talk about how to get started with this system. After the contents are moved, we are left with an empty bin number one. It lets you walk in the rows after a rain but is not good for mulch really. Thanks for linking up with Green Thumb Thursday. Made from simple 2X lumber, it was easy to build, inexpensive, and even has removable front slats for easy use. If you still see a chicken bone or a banana peel hanging out in there, it’s not ready to be used. It is proved to be very useful when you need to get finished compost in ten to fifteen days. Heather’s homesteading journey started in 2006, with baby steps: first, she got a few raised beds, some chickens, and rabbits. Next to it is a bin filled with sawdust, ideally hardwood, this is your ‘soak’. A recent catastrophic flood here kind of sent this project way back but we did make some how to videos and I wrote these easy step by step instructions to help the program along the way. To erect your own bin, hammer into the ground four 10cm x 10cm (4in x 4in) posts to enclose an area about 1sq m (40sq in.) While the pile is warm to the touch, the process of composting is going on. Well, while relocating the content from the first section to the second bin, you will entirely mix all the material in a way you can’t tumble a bunch within the first one. Next, lay … That will be enough for building a decent system. After you finish transferring the first compost pile to section number two, your first compost bin will be empty and prepared for new ingredients. Also, to keep animals out – including mice/rats – but other wild animals, what materials do you suggest work the best? Compost vs Topsoil: What’s the Difference? You shouldn’t disturb them too much except if noticing a foul odor or signs of rotting of the material. Do you need to stop putting in food scraps for a while to let it do it’s magic? Always put a thin layer of soil above the new material. How-To Compost in a three-Bin Compost System. All you need is a rake, a shovel, and a hammer, along with seven untreated pallets and some nails. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The compost should be ready for use after roughly three months. You can’t really move your system once you’ve gotten started, and the compost sits directly on the ground. This will let some moisture infiltrate but will still give you a spot where you can get your pitchfork into the bin to shovel out the compost and to turn it on a regular basis. The only thing you should do is to turn over the material regularly and monitor the level of moisture and the level of heating the material. The temperature will increase naturally, and all you’ll need to do is turn the material regularly, and keep an eye on the moisture and heat of the bin. The instructions given here will make a square compost box 75x75x75cm. If you fill bins too fast and ingredients have no time to decompose appropriately, you should consider the bigger system. Since you aren’t constantly adding new materials to every pile, you aren’t unnecessarily prolonging the decomposition process. You’ll add your compost materials, layering green and brown ingredients whenever possible. At the end of this step, you'll have two vertical 4 x 4s cross-beamed with three or four perpendicular 2 x 6s. Assemble panels. Everyone loves to say they compost but do they really know what they are doing? During this period, bacteria and fungi work continually. Fill your backyard compost bin with a 6-inch layer of “brown” matter and a 2- to 3-inch layer of “green” matter. Thanks! reduce the weight of the material you have put in your compost pile Moisture. To make the best use of a Compost Bin, they need to be located in the right place and filled with the right combination of material. Do your normal thing, no urine separation, add the sawdust and that’s it. My advice is to be modest. Our latest two bin compost system is by far our favorite. It is always nice to use the smaller bits of the scarps to help the nutrients break down faster and easier. The only advantage of a container is they look tidier and can be easier to manage. Does it look like compost and is it cool to the touch? Green material is high in nitrogen and includes: Brown material is high in carbon and includes: Always take care to keep the 30:1 ratio of carbon and nitrogen. If you are one of those people who appreciate the advantages of composting, you should try my favorite way of it. It should be like a sponge when you squeeze it. For one, you need to be especially carefully about weed seed getting into your bin. Try to pick a shady spot to keep things moist, and water any dry ingredients you may be adding. Having chosen your spacing, nail another 2 x 6 onto the 4 x 4 above the previous one. If you are going to make your own backyard compost, let’s go over some crucial key points and the best design to make your own awesome compost right at home: The 3 Pile Backyard Compost System. It can take a few weeks for the pile to really get going, but usually, it won’t take more than a month. All you need for a successful compost heap is waste, air and water! Hi, We have to keep all of our fresh stuff in a steel garbage can with holes cut into it, because we have a lot of issues with rats here in the city. The secret is in three separate sections. What do you do with your clippings and scraps while you wait to have enough to start a new pile? Some people will find that they need much larger bins or need to simply resort to large piles that are turned and shifted. Your email address will not be published. If you notice that the bin is getting dry, you might want to water it. 2. If you have done everything ‘by the book,’ you won’t be able to determine different parts of the pile. Don’t forget to purchase a compost thermometer and check the temperature in the center of the pile from time to time. That might not be a huge problem if you’re adding mostly yard waste and kitchen scraps to the compost pile. In this episode of Growing Wisdom, Dave Epstein shows you how to use a three-bin composting system. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some examples of ingredients you might add to your first bin include: We are sure to turn the waste inside the bin frequently and keep it moist, but it is by far the yuckiest bin – filled with rotting food and all manner of bugs, who just love the stuff. Alternatively, add fresh manure at one bucket for every 15cm (6in) layer of compost, fish, blood and bone fertiliser at 270g (9oz) per 15cm (6in) layer of compost, or sulphate of ammonia fertiliser … But we are getting to much lately. The 3 bin compost system involves either buying or building three bins or boxes. 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