How to Build a Simple Compost Bin

Composting your yard waste is simple if you have an enclosure of some sort to hold the trimmings. You can purchase ready made bins from hardware stores and home centers. You can also build a bin from stiff fence wire.
A simple wire bin can be made using 36″ or 48″ wide fence wire. You’ll only need a piece ten feet long to make a bin. Simply join the ends of the fencing together to form a circle. The best place to put the bin is in the sunshine. But even in the shade, things will rot very well and you’ll have good compost in a few months. You can pile leaves, grass clippings, weeds and small branches into your bin. If you are just composting fall leaves, a handful of any garden fertilizer added to the pile is a good idea. If you spray water on the pile of clippings and leaves, it will help them decompose faster. There is no need to add special compost products to your bin – Mother Nature has been making compost just fine for thousands of years.

Sometimes, it is nice to have two bins – one to put fresh yard waste into and one to hold materials that haven’t quite finished making compost.

Besides using wire fence, you can also use wooden boards or even discarded wood pallets to make a simple compost bin.

Remember, composting is simple. If you pile things up, they will make compost just fine. We want to feed the landscape not the landfill.

compost bin