How to Build a Compost Bin

Overview

A compost bin affords you a way to recycle your kitchen and yard waste in your own backyard, plus it will give your plants a boost of natural fertilizer---for free. You can build a compost bin in several different ways: spend some money for a black plastic cube designed to make compost, or simply create a pile of organic materials on the ground. Whichever method you choose, be sure to develop alternating layers of fresh, green plant materials with dried, brown plant parts, such as the leaves that fall from your trees in fall.

Building a Compost Pile

Step 1

Decide which method you prefer to use for composting. If you want to have a tidy, attractive compost pile, consider purchasing a ready-made compost container. If you are on a budget, you needn't spend any more than the cost of a sheet of black plastic. One easy way to make a container is to prop up four wooden pallets into a square, then lash them together.

Step 2

Build your compost pile on the ground. Start by laying down a layer of twigs, branches and other larger plant materials such as last summer's corn stalks, into an area about four feet by four feet around. You can build it on a weedy area without having to clear out the weeds first, because the materials you will be adding will smother any plant life underneath.

Step 3

Add a layer of chopped up, fresh green plant materials, such as the leaves of a branch you have pruned. Grass clippings are a good addition to the "green" layer because they are high in nitrogen.

Step 4

Pile a layer of dry, brown plant materials, such as fallen leaves or dead zucchini vines, on top of your first layer of green materials.

Step 5

Add another layer of green materials, then another layer of brown. Continue building up your pile until it is three or four feet tall. You can add table scraps (not meat, however) in between layers, but be sure to cover them with another layer each time you add them to deter animals and insects.

Step 6

Water your compost pile and then cover it with a large sheet of black plastic, large enough to cover the pile.

Step 7

Stop adding materials when your pile is three or four feet tall. It will take two or three months for your pile to "cook." If you want, you can turn your pile weekly, which will cause it to break down faster than if you choose the "passive" method and just let it sit.

Step 8

When your compost looks like brown, crumbly soil, it is ready to use. You can dig it into planting holes, spread it around the base of plants you want to nourish, or make "compost tea"---add one gallon of finished compost to a five-gallon bucket, then fill with water, stir, allow it to "steep" for 24 hours and then water your plants with it.