How to Build Your Own Compost Bin

Having your own compost bin is a great addition to any green friendly home. Compost can be used for a number of things, including fertilizing soil! While compost bins are great additions, they aren’t exactly a luxe look for your yard. Luckily for you, making your own DIY compost bin is a piece of cake! Making a compost bin is an easy DIY project that nearly anyone can accomplish in just a couple hours.

Below we’ll discuss how to make two different styles of bins, it’s up to you to choose which you like! Follow the steps below to make your own DIY compost bin.

Making a Wire Compost Bin

To build this bin, you’ll need:

• 10 feet of chicken wire. (Opt for galvanized chicken wire if possible — it’ll last longer).
• Heavy-duty wire to use as ties.
• 4 wood posts.
• Wire snips.
• Hammer.
• Pliers.

Steps to Building a Wire Compost Bin

1. Choose a spot for your bin and stand the chicken wire in a circle.
2. Using wire snips, cut your heavy-duty wire into ties.
3. Use pliers to bend about 3 inches of the chicken wire back on each end of the circle, clamping them into a cleaner, sturdier edge for easy tying.
4. Use the ties to attach the ends of the chicken wire circle together. Then use pliers to get a tight clamp.
5. Place the posts inside the circle, spaced as evenly as possible.
6. Have a helper hold each post tightly against the chicken wire while you drive the post into the ground with a hammer.

Making a Wood Slat Compost Bin

To build this easy DIY bin, you’ll need:

•  7 pieces of 2×6 lumber, each 3 feet long. Make sure to choose untreated lumber.
• 4 sturdy wooden stakes, each 3 feet long.
• Galvanized nails, at least 2 ¾ inches long.
• Hammer.

Steps to Build Your Wood Slat Compost Bin

1. Construct the sides of your bin by nailing 2x6s to the stakes, using at least two nails on each end of the 2x6s.
2. Use two 2x6s for each side of the bin and one 2X6 for the front. This will leave an opening to make turning your compost easier.
3. Leave a gap of about 3 inches between the slats and leave several inches of stake free at the bottom to be driven into the ground.
4. Once everything is nailed together, set your bin in place and use your hammer to drive the stakes firmly into the ground.

If you’re unsure which bin you want in your yard, you can also build two of these bins and set them up beside each other. This allows you to turn your compost by simply shoveling the pile into the neighboring bi, which is much easier than trying to turn a pile within a single bin.

We hope you found this post helpful when creating your own DIY compost bins! Remember, once your compost is ready, a rule of thumb I use is one shovel-full of organic matter (compost) for every square foot, mixed in with the native soil. This will build life in the soil, attract beneficial microbes for healthy plant life that will help resist pests and disease, and also help retain about 30% more moisture to reduce frequent watering.

If you have any landscaping debris you need to dispose of, call us at Waste Solutions 123!