| Project by Harold and Pam | posted 1089 days ago | 1869 views | 1 time favorited | 11 comments |  |
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I got the plans on line after doing a “google” search for compost bins. I made this in 2007 and was my first project – a rather simple one at that. But two years later… it’s still standing!
The idea is that you put fresh items in the first bin and let it sit for 6 weeks or more as you add to it. We use all kitchen scraps except meat products, yard clippings, paper from the shredder, and of course saw dust. After 6 weeks or so (more in the cooler months) you turn the first bin into the second. During the next 6+ weeks you add fresh to bin one and again after 6 + weeks, you turn bin two into bin 3 and the first bin into the second. The third bin is the usable compost.
I’m going by memory, the unit is about 10’ long X 3’ deep so each bins are about 3 X 3.
My wife is very please and so is veggie garden.
You can see this project on our sister site www.lumberjocks.com/hjt by doing so, you can read some of the questions and answers that have been addressed.
August 2012 Update:
We’ve now had this compost bin running for about 5 years. And thought I’d show you folks how well it is working.
Here in Florida, even January is good composting weather. This shows grass clippings. Yes while many of you are shoveling snow, I’m mowing grass. Some one has to doing it… may as well be me!!
This shows the same clippings (with a little kitchen and coffee scrapp) only a week later.
It’s now August and as you can see in this photo, all three bins are almost full. At this point, I remove the compost form the third bin and put that in trash cans for da little women’s needs.
The lab results I have received showed this compost to be very high in nutrients. Gotta love that!
I then turn the 2nd bin into the third.
I line the bottom with saw dust and begin to turn the first bin in to the 2nd. The saw dust is my idea. Something that can decompose and help soak up the damp ground.
Now the first bin is empty and ready for new material. We use mostly grass clippings, shredded papers, and of course kitchen trash. It had been about a year since I turned the bins, but that’s just based on our needs.
-- Pam grows 'em - I cook 'em...... Melbourne, Fl
11 comments so far
MsDebbieP
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13908 posts in 2140 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 1089 days ago
that’s excellent and sounds rather simple to use.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
Radicalfarmergal
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hardiness zone 5b
posted 1089 days ago
What a gorgeous and practical compost bin arrangement you have made. They look great!
-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi
sharad
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1544 posts in 1357 days
hardiness zone 11
posted 1088 days ago
A well built compost bin. Your project on LJ is more informative.
Sharad
-- Bagwan-- “If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they have never tried a new thing in their life”.-Albert Einstein
Harold and Pam
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243 posts in 1214 days
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posted 1088 days ago
Sharad – Yes you are correct and that is why I wrote this as I did. Rather then completely duplicating the project between both sites, I simply gave the link to LumberJocks. I also felt that by doing so it might give readers of this site a reason to check out LJ. Glad you like the bin. Pam and are very please with what we get out of it.
-- Pam grows 'em - I cook 'em...... Melbourne, Fl
jroot
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hardiness zone 5a
posted 1088 days ago
At my last house, I used a three bin process, and it worked VERY well.
Thanks for sharing. It looks great !
-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown
Rambler
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hardiness zone 3
posted 1077 days ago
I absolutely love your compost bins Harold!, years ago I used a three pile process for composting mostly leaves, grass, and garden waste, it worked really well. Unfortunately life for me has changed and presented new challenges, so I am now looking for new ways to compost. I’ve tried the ‘black plastic bins’ the county gives out, but have had no success, they are extremely slow processing in our cool climate. I need something that will process large amounts of green and brown, work fairly quickly, and require minimum effort to turn or move as I am unable now to use long handled shovels or tools. I’m thinking that perhaps your plan design could work well for me if it were built vertical instead of horizontally, and the dividers could be pulled out to allow bin 1 to drop into bin 2 and in turn the same into bin 3. Seeing as to how you are the builder of this unit, I am wondering if you can visualize such a design change as a workable solution?
* granted I would probably need a set of steps just to reach the top bin (another challenge – V:)
-- God's greatest rewards on earth...Grandkids and a Garden for Weedin'
Harold and Pam
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243 posts in 1214 days
hardiness zone 10b
posted 1076 days ago
Rambler – while I did build this, I got the plans off the internet. I think your idea of a vertical unit would work. My first thoughts would be to build the bottom bin like I have, with the removable slats. Then stack two more bins on top with removable bottoms. Fill the top bin. After so long (6 weeks or longer) pull the bottom out, allowing the content to fall into the second (middle) bin. Begin to fill the top bin again and after so long drop it into the second bin too. This second bin will most likely hold two or three drops from the first as it decomposes and compresses. At some time, pull the floor out of the middle bin, dropping it’s content to the bottom bin – this will be the bin you use as your composted soil.
Pass the idea along to some handy guy or gal in Alberta and have them build it for you.
Good luck!
-- Pam grows 'em - I cook 'em...... Melbourne, Fl
Napaman
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posted 945 days ago
love it…now I am headed to ljs…thanks…
-- Matt
tunesandtales
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hardiness zone 5
posted 745 days ago
I love the way you built it. It looks so tidy. I had one at a former home, but not nearly so “pretty” Is it difficult to get the compost out when the hole is at the top?
-- Helen, Stratford, ON
Harold and Pam
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243 posts in 1214 days
hardiness zone 10b
posted 745 days ago
Helen – thanks for viewing and commenting. In answer to your question,; no it is not difficult at all to get and use the compost. I simply shovel from the top and remove the front panels as needed. I also use a pitch fork or my hand held gas powered roto tiller to churn the compost as needed.
-- Pam grows 'em - I cook 'em...... Melbourne, Fl
Iris43
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3685 posts in 1769 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 283 days ago
This is a great and inspiring project, Harold, when one can see the results. Being able to remove the slats, makes moving the compost from bin to bin so much more feasible than some of the other compost plans I’ve seen (and tried to use) which has only the open top and a door at the bottom to get at the finished product.
Thanks for sharing your experience with this style of composter.
-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'