Not everyone is privileged of having his or her own compost pile in their backyard, so I’m going to discuss some info on how homemade compost bins are done and how to compost in a garbage container.
Composting is not as hard and as expensive as it looks – not like what we see on TV and those catalogue for organic gardening tools.
Oftentimes, people believe that they should have the proper organic gardening supplies in order to do composting perfectly. Some examples of these are those fancy compost bins like rotating barrel composter, compost tumbler and aerator tools that are currently introduced to us by different manufacturers.
However, the truth is, with just a little dose of creativity and resourcefulness, we would be able find these tools and materials right at our very home.
If you don’t have the money and the resources for organic gardening materials, then, hanging on to the “recycling” idea is a perfect start. Keep in mind that the best compost bins are homemade.
Let’s look at the steps on how to make a composter out of a garbage can.
A recycled garbage container, for example, makes a wonderful composter for home use. You can use any simple or old garbage can that you are no longer using inside your home.
Puncture enough holes so that air gets into the compost materials. Oxygen is essential in the composting process so you need to put enough holes in order to give way for air circulation inside your bin. You can simply do this by using a nail and a hammer to create the holes. Giving way to oxygen is also the same reason for using a compost aerator. In this case, organic gardeners use compost or lawn aerators like the Winged Compost Aerator which mixes and turns compost materials.
Now, you’ll need to use two types of materials to mix inside your compost bin. 50% of your compost should consist of dry materials (aka brown materials) which can be newspapers, cardboards and wood shavings. These materials are rich in carbon which is good in composting when combined with nitrogen rich materials. Nitrogen rich materials that are used in compost bins are also called “green materials”. 50% of your compost should be green materials – fruit peels, coffee grinds, tea bags, grass and weeds are good examples of nitrogen rich matter.
Fill in your compost bin with alternating layers of brown and green materials in equal proportions. You can add more materials throughout the composting process.
It’s also important to keep your materials moist so that if it dries, you can just take your watering can and water it to add some moisture.
Seal it properly using the garbage container’s lid and turn or roll it on the ground to make sure that the materials are properly mixed. Roll your bin at least once a week and maintain its moisture for a continuous composting process.
Provided you followed these steps and maintained the moist and turning of your compost bin, your compost will be ready for harvesting in a month or two.
This is not only fun and interesting, but being able to save money and the environment all at the same time are only some of the advantages and heroic deeds that you will be accomplishing once you’re compost bin is “up and running”. I trust that these useful tips on how to build a compost tumbler will help you start your own homemade compost bins in no time!