What does your compost bin/pile look like?

[schmije]

We've been composting on a small scale for several years. We've tried a bin made of old pallets, a tumbler made out of a 55 gallon barrel, and a simple pile on the ground. The problem for us is that we have dogs and chickens running around, so open food in the yard causes lots of digging and scratching. We need it contained.

We haven't officially set up a compost bin since we moved to this property last year, and now that the garden is coming in, I have lots of kitchen waste and no good place to put it. DH can build practically anything, so I told him I want a compost bin that will make it easy for me to dump large quantities of food and yard waste, while keeping the animals out.

I searched this site for composting information and found the blog by Veggie Pak. This is very informative, but I doubt we will be quite so attentive about turning the pile. This method could still potentially work for us though.

What method have you found to be the most useful? I'd like to see pictures and hear about what worked and didn't work for you.

 

[so lucky]

I just have a small-mesh (1/2 inch) wire frame, about 12 inches tall, open top. I throw stuff in and use the pitch fork to turn it all over once in a blue moon. The chickens hop in and pick around, but they don't sling it out. If you don't put any meat or dairy in, maybe the dogs wouldn't bother it. Or make the wire fence taller?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had a lot of extra brick when I moved here, so I built a two-binner out of bricks. I mistakenly left the front open and the chickens were scattering it everywhere so I drove in some iron bars and closed that with metal roofing I had laying around. I can take that metal out when I want to work it. One bin is working compost and the other is the collection area.

The chickens still were scratching it out so I built a frame with 1/2" hardware cloth to lay over the top. You can see that in the far one. I use that frame and hardware cloth to strain the compost through when I think its ready. Anything that does not go through the screen goes in with the next batch.

My dogs don't have access to this area so they're not a problem.

If I did it over I'd built a third bin. That's on my longterm to-do list. I collect stuff faster than I can compost it. I'd like to have two working bins and one storage area.

 

[vfem]

Right now I just have a pile... when the chickens and ducks get to it and its all over the place I just shovel it back up. Its the only time I remember to turn it, so it helps me to just pile it up. I am a LAZY composter! hahaha

 

[hoodat]

I frame mine with loose concrete blocks. They are heavy enough not to get pushed over by the compost and the best thing is you can change the size and conformation of your pile just by moving the blocks around. They aren't subject to decay or rust so you never have to buy new ones once you have the first ones set up.

 

[digitS']

Schmije, I am probably not going to be of much help to you. This is an area where less than 20" of precipitation falls each year and much of that is snow during the winter. We have some years when the 3 summer months have only 1" of rain in total. . . . Okay, maybe this year it would have helped you there in Illinois.

My most important technique is to get as much soil involved in the process as possible. That means digging into the ground about 8" so that the pile begins, below grade. Then, that soil can go over the top. I used this approach when I had above ground compost piles. When I had concrete blocks surrounding one of those bins.

These days, I've got a bin (if I can call it that), mostly below ground. It is all but the same as a garden bed. The beds are also places I bury compostables. The only difference is that - I don't grow anything in this bed. Right now, it has been gone thru twice. Major amendment to the beds was last fall and whatever was in this bin after that has stayed there for nearly 12 months. It has stayed there but has been moved around twice. I don't think I can get thru it a 3rd time but I shouldn't have to. The potatoes are coming out and I will just use that bed for compostables as they are slowly dug over the next few weeks. What was in the compost bin overwinter, is now on top of the compostables that I have been putting in over the last few months. That material is covered with all that composted "stuff" and all that dirt that I put in last year.

The compostables are most everything EXCEPT cooked food & meat. This pile of compostables never seems to attract dogs but the chicken do not have access to it or anywhere else I am making compost.

One place I'm making compost is right outside the chicken coop . . . right under the little deck there. Same technique - lot's of soil is involved. I was just looking around for another place after I'd filled up the Sub-rosa compost bin under the greenhouse step .

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33781

There's a photo on that thread but it doesn't show much composting activity. Of course, that's part of the idea , along with all that soil contact and soil incorporation, and getting the thing away from chicken activity

.

Steve

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

We have 3 different "compost" piles.

1. A wooden one that we (he) built. It stays in our chicken run and the only things that go in there are chicken poop from the poop boards or with shavings, and plant life - grass clippings or weeds. The chickens dig through it. We had to add some wire around the bottom 2/3 of it because they kept kicking all the stuff out. It's pretty much a failure, nothing composts well in it for a variety of reasons - not turning it, chickens in it, wrong ratio of C:N...

2. A large (maybe 3.5 feet tall) plastic cylinder with lid that used to hold olives. This one's new to us, but it's getting pretty hot internally when it's in the sun, so I'm hoping to quickly make some compost with it. Throw it on its side and roll it a few feet daily. It was filled full of weeds and chicken poop (yum) about 3 weeks ago, it's about half the size internally now, and breaking down.

3. A very large, stagnant pile of chicken, duck poop, shavings and hay with some cow poop mixed in. It's mostly in the shade. I don't turn it (see a theme here? I'm a lazy composter). The pile side that started about 2 years ago is starting to turn to compost. It's far enough away that the chickens don't go over there to dig.

 

[Collector]

Like Vfem ,we just have a pile that gets left alone way to much. I do need to start a real compost operation, just not right now LOL.

 

[Southern Gardener]

Here is mine. Both are so full right now and I haven't turned either of them in a while.

 

[lesa]

I have a two compartment area, as well. One is the active pile, I am throwing things in daily. The other is last years which I cover with some dirt- and magically it turns to compost-before the other side is full. This year my very scientific method may not work as well- since we have had virtually no rain. I have never turned a compost pile- nor do I ever intend to!! I do not add chickens shavings or poop. In the winter the poop goes right on the garden- and the chips and summer poop are in a pile far, far away....I imagine someday it will be compost- but not anytime soon!