The answer to that question is “no”; it is not absolutely necessary to use containers. Out in the back yard, nature certainly doesn’t care whether the compost is heaped out in the open or enclosed in a bin. However, here are six very good reasons why it’s better to do your composting in a container.

1. If you live in an area where houses are fairly close to each other, a container of some sort does help  keep the yard neat.

2. By keeping the unsightly pile neatly contained in a container, you will have no lash  back from close neighbors.  It’s a good way to keep the neighbors happy.

3. A covered container means the pile can retain both heat and nutrients.

4. A covered container will keep out rodents, raccoons, and pets.

5. If your pile is in a container, you will create your compost in weeks rather than months.

6. But most importantly for you,  because hot compost piles need regular turning, and you’ll want to harvest finished compost from time to time, having the composting pile in a container can make it easier to do this work.

Keeping that last consideration in mind, you’re safe in choosing a container for its appearance, convenience, cost, size, or other qualities.

Indeed there are so many commercial bins you can choose from.  On the other hand you can make your own.  In the end your choice of compost bin depends on how much you want to spend, how fast you want the compost, and space available.

We will begin looking at the various types of compost bins on the next post.

See you there!

Marcie

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make your own compost bin.

If so,  here are five low-cost styles you may wish to consider:

Style 1:  Extremely Simple And Easy

Your own system may be as simple as a circle of chicken wire, or a bottomless barrel with air holes in its sides. Just lift it away from the pile, set it up again nearby, and put the newer layers back in, leaving behind the finished compost.

When I first settled in Oshawa, I marvelled at the way my neighbor, an older Ukrainian lady, would create her compost.  In the fall when she was cleaning up her garden for the winter,  she would simply pile up all garden debris up against a wire fence that had been set up between her land and the public park on the west side of her property.  Since we were on a short dead-end street and she had the last house next to the park at the end of the street, she of course had no problems with neighbors.  Besides, during the winter there would never be any odor from such a small pile of decomposting material.

In the early spring she would spread this half decomposed material all over her garden and plow it in.  Then she would add mushroom compost bought from a  mushroom grower.  When it was time for seeding, everything had pretty well thoroughly decomposed.  This lady had the nicest vegetables in the neighborhood.

(Please Note:   If you decide to buy mushroom compost from a grower, first find  out what the farmer uses to make his mushrooms grow.  Things have changed a lot since the 1980′s.  Today’s compost may be full of chemicals.  So beware!)

Style 2: Pens

One of the simplest structures for a compost bin is a circle of snow fencing or wire mesh supported by posts or stakes. At turning time you unwrap and remove the fencing, set it up in a new location nearby, and fork the compost back into the pen.

It’s true that this requires a little more space and some lifting effort, and it leaves the compost in full view. However, it is inexpensive, strong enough, and very easy to construct.

Style 3:  Homemade Bin

Now let’s take a look at the third type of compost container for hot composting– the home-made bin. Bins are sturdier and more discreet than pens. They may require a little more skill to build but are still inexpensive.

The four sides can be made of almost anything: wire screen stretched on wooden frames or old pallets standing on end. Three walls are normally fixed permanently together but may be hinged, hooked or tied.

One design has three walls of concrete blocks, stacked without mortar, and a fourth wall of removable boards.

I’ve seen where the composter had stacked up square bales of straw to create the walls of his bin.

To turn the pile, the front of the bin is removed and the compost forked out onto the ground. Then the pile is rebuilt in the bin.

The disadvantage to this type of bin is that you do need the extra ground space in front of the bin for turning; however, the advantage is that  you don’t have to lift the compost over a wall to get it back in.

One variation calls for the bin to be set over a pit, to provide extra insulation. Although this encourages the presence of helpful earthworms, it does mean reaching down below ground level to turn the compost.

Style 4: Composting drum

A rotating barrel composter can be made from a large drum with aeration holes punched in it. You can also have fins inside the drum to lift and mix the compost materials. A hinged loading door in the side allows wastes to be added gradually.

Some you must roll on the ground to mix the contents. Others are mounted horizontally on stands with crank attachments. All you need do is turn that crank every day or second day. Various commercial models are available.

If bacteria is introduced with a good amount of garden soil and the barrel is turned every few days, compost can be made in a few weeks this way with little physical effort.

Style 5:    A New Zealand Box

A New Zealand box is a bottomless wooden box with ventilation spaces between the wall boards, and its face is easily removable to facilitate turning. Since the compost rests directly on the ground, a lid is normally added to prevent nutrients leaking from the pile during heavy rains.

This one is not very big as you can see. There are still some people who prefer this wooden type to the plastic ones you can buy at a store or sometimes from the municipality. The lady who owned this one had three of them in all around her yard.  They are light, make nice compost, are easy to make and easy to move.  In this picture you see an aerator leaning up against it.

A New Zealand box, or something similar, can be made at home with a minimum of skill. It can be moved to a new location fairly easily if required, and it keeps the compost neatly out of sight.

A popular variation has two or three compartments in a row. The compost is turned from one box into another, and the empty box is then used to accumulate the material for a new batch of compost.

It is ideal for people who use kitchen and yard wastes as they accumulate and can’t save up enough materials to make a really big pile.

As you can see, the possibilities are limitless.

Although I have focused on homemade compost containers for hot composting, there are commercially sold containers which can work even faster at making the compost.  We’ll focus on those in another post.

For now,  rest well, eat well, stay healthy!

Take care

Marcie