Have one of these laying around? Well, I have about 10 sitting in the garage, so I thought I’d put them to good use and make a few compost bins! Why do I want to collect food scraps, yard waste, cardboard, and other compostable items in a pile in my backyard? I’m glad you asked! Instead of laying it all out myself, I’ll let this lovely infographic from WellHome.com do the work!
So, now you have a few good reasons to start a compost pile and are familiar with some different methods. The next step is to find a spot! You can really start a pile anywhere, you don’t actually need a bin. I live in a subdivision, have a fairly small backyard, and have a toddler and a dog, so I thought a bin would be my best bet. I also suspect a neighborhood cat of eating some of my front yard flowers, so I opted for a bin with a lid. It’s really so super easy to make your own compost bin. Just find a container with a lid, something big enough {this bin is 30 gallons} so you can easily turn the pile when needed.
After working my husband to death this weekend {he installed 2 ceiling fans and painted the rails to the futon}, I batted my eyes and asked, in the sweetest voice possible, if he would drill some holes in this plastic bin for me. Basically, you want any excess liquid to be able to drain out, so drill some holes in the bottom of your container. He also drilled holes all around the container so more air could move through.
When you’re finished with that, add your compostable items! I’ve read that you should cover the bottom with “brown” items then add “green” items and try to keep the ratio at 3 parts brown to 1 part green, and to turn the pile once a week or so. I’m new to all of this, so we will see if this advice is correct. The stuff is going to break down regardless, and I think it’s pretty easy to correct any problems along the way.
I do want to add one more photo. While I was trying to take photos, my son insisted on getting inside the box, so I snapped some photos of him in there, but he didn’t realize how flimsy the bin was and immediately fell face-first into the dirt. This is the photo of the moment he realized it was over:
Yep, I’m about to eat dirt.
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Have a happy Thursday!
Me + Three {and counting} 