Tag Archives: compost bin

Use Pallets To Build Your Own Double Compost Bin for under $15!

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Our 2 compartment compost bin made from pallets for under $15

Our 2 compartment compost bin made from pallets for under $15

Compost Bin before staining to match the barn. We only stained the exterior - leaving the interior free of all paints and stain

Compost Bin before staining to match the barn. We only stained the exterior – leaving the interior free of all paints and stain

There are few things that can make your garden more successful than compost. Compost, or “Black Gold” as it is so often called, improves soil vitality and structure – and significantly bolsters your plants health and yields. The best part of all – you can use your own coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and leaves to make great compost right in your own backyard.

The market place is flooded with all kinds and type of compost making systems – from wood and plastic bins, to compost tumblers, barrels and buckets. Although they all work – they also can be expensive to buy.  So here’s a way to use a few a pallets and 2 x 4′s to make a great looking double bin system for under $15.

The double-bin pallet composter is a simple structure that looks and works great! We built our 2 bin system from 3 free pallets and (5) 2 x 4 x 10’ boards in just a couple of hours.

Here’s how we did it:

Materials Needed:
3 or 4 pallets
5 ea. 2 x 4 x 10’ lumber – cut into the following lengths : 2 ea. @ 72″ long, 9 ea. @ 27″ long, 6  ea. @ 30″
2 ½” screws or nails – approx. 40
1.5″ screws or nails – approx. 50
Tools Needed : Reciprocating saw, screw gun, tape measure and hand saw or circular saw.

Building The Frame:

If you can, find 3 similar pallets to help make the project go smooth

If you can, find 3 or 4  similar pallets to help make the finished project look great!

Once you have disassembled the pallet - you will end up with nice slats to cover your compost bin with

Once you have disassembled the pallet – you will end up with nice slats to cover your compost bin

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The front frame of the compost bin

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One of the (3) three square frames

You can attach the 3 squares to the back with screws to the front panel - then cover with the pallet boards to finish

You can attach the 3 squares to the back with screws to the front panel – then cover with the pallet boards to finish

You will want to try to find 3 pallets that are in decent shape and similar length and size. First – disassemble the pallets to end up with about 30 or so slat boards. It’s an easy process and can be accomplished in minutes with a reciprocating saw.

(Click Here to view our post : How to Easily Disassemble A Pallet In Minutes)

The frame is a simple assembly of 2 x 4 rectangles and squares. A 6′ front rectangular frame, and 3 smaller square frames attached to it to make up the 2 bins. You will want to use regular framing 2 x 4’s and not treated lumber. We get a lot of questions about using treated lumber – but we use standard everyday framing lumber. I don’t like to use treated because we are making compost to put on our garden plants –  and I don’t like the thought of any chemical byproducts leaching into the soil and compost.

The front frame is made from 2 pieces of 2 x 4 that are each 72″ long. They will lay flat and make up the top and bottom of the frame. In between we add three sandwich boards that are each 28” long. Simply screw the top board into the three sandwich boards on the top and bottom. When all assembled – your front frame will be 6’ wide x 30” high.

Next – we need to make the three square frames for the two ends and the middle section. Once again – it is simple assembly. Using two (2) 30″ boards for the top and bottom and two more 27” boards on each end. Assemble all 3 squares,  and your ready to put your quick 2 bin compost bin together.

Simply assemble each of the 3 squares to the front frame with a few screws.  One on the end of each side, and one directly in the middle attached to the middle support of the front frame.   The flat 2 x 4′s should be centered right on the middle of the vertical front board.

Now you have your compost bin carcass. The rest is easy. Starting on the front side – lay out your pallet boards all along the front – leaving about ¼” to a ½” space between boards. I lay all of mine out first so that I can get it to work out perfectly even on the ends.  You want the spacing so that your compost can get air flow.
Once that is done – I lay out the boards for each side using the same method – and finish by putting up a double set of board in the middle section to separate the two bins.  With a two bin system – you can make twice as much compost.  Or, even better, you can have one side to store finished compost – and the other to keep “cooking” the next batch!

When finished – you can leave the compost bin completely natural and unstained and it will weather to an “old barn wood” grey.

Finished compost ready to use!

Finished compost ready to use!

To make it even more pleasing to the eye – you can paint or stain the outside of your pallet boards. We never stain anything inside – once again to not allow any paint or chemicals near the pile.
There you have it – an inexpensive yet beautiful 2 bin compost system that you can use for years and years – all for under $15!

If you would like to follow along through the coming year and receive our weekly DIY and Gardening Posts – be sure to sign up to follow our blog via email, Twitter or Facebook in the right column.  -  Jim and Mary

Shared On Gnowfglins, Shabby Creek Cottage

How To Make Super Soil From Summer’s Hanging Baskets and Planters

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If you want to keep your hanging and potted plants looking great year after year – you need to recharge that soil!

We are all guilty of it as some point. You walk out to your garage, back patio or porch in the middle of winter, and there they sit or hang. The brown, curled up remains of last year’s potted plants. The frost and freeze season is now upon us – and that means the end of the line for the hanging baskets and planters filled with Summer’s bounty of flowering annuals and vegetable plants. So instead of letting those sit around until next spring, or even worse, throwing them away – now is the time to recharge that dirt into super soil to reuse next year!

The soil in potted plants will lose most of its structure and nutrients throughout a growing season.

As plants start to fade – it’s time to think about making a potting soil compost pile!

Unlike garden soil, which can be recharged through cover crops and natural decaying plant matter – the soil in pots and hanging baskets have no chance at all to rebuild structure and vitality. So if you plan on reusing that soil in the same pot next year – plan on disappointing results.

So how do you recharge it? Make a potting soil compost pile!

Potting soil can be a big expense each spring – and by composting your old and tired dirt to re-energize it – you can reap huge savings next year. Each Spring, we make our own super soil potting mix using 4 parts of potted soil compost to 1 part new potting soil. Not only do we reduce our new potting soil purchases by 80% – the plants are healthier than ever!

Depending on your available space – you have several options to get a small compost pile built.

We also use our composted potting soil for starting our seedlings indoors in the early Spring – it gives plants a great start.

Good Potting Soil = Great Blooms!

You can add a lot of color to your landscape with potted plants – but make sure to re-energize that soil to get great results each year.

Create A Space In Your Garden:

If you have a little garden or flower bed area that becomes barren in the winter – start it right in the available space and make an over-winter pile.

The Garbage Can Method:

If space is limited – get yourself a big garbage can or two (depending on how many plants you have) – and make it right on your patio, garage or porch.
Start by gathering all of your pots and baskets – take a shovel or sharp tool to break and chop up the matted soil and spent plant material before adding to the pile or can.

Next – add what fall give us for free! Chopped leaves and fall grass clippings are a great addition – as are coffee grounds, apple peels, pumpkin rines and potato peels. Mix it all together and if your pile is dry – add a little water to make it moist.   You want to make sure to add those grass clipping or scraps along with the leaves – because they give back valuable nitrogen to the spent soil as they decay.

For the next month or so – keep adding those kitchen and garden scraps, making sure to mix it in as you go. The mixing process adds oxygen to the pile which helps to speed up the composting process. We usually stop adding to our “planter” compost pile near the end of November.  However, as weather permits – we will still turn the pile every few weeks or so to keep the compost process going. By late Spring – when we are ready to start potting up all of those planters and hanging baskets – we have a ready-made supply of super rich, super composted potting soil to use.

-Jim and Mary

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4 Quick Tips for Summertime Composting!

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Summertime is a great time to compost. It’s nice outside – there are lots of available kitchen and garden scraps to add to the pile – and you can make batches so much quicker with the hotter temperatures.  Here are four quick tips to help keep your compost bin successfully cooking through the heat so you can add “black gold” to your garden!

Turn that pile!

1. TURN BABY TURN!

Keep the air moving in the pile – A pile needs oxygen to really start cooking. By turning the pile more frequently (with a spade or pitchfork every few days), you keep it alive and hot – and you are making sure to incorporate all of the materials more thoroughly. In the summer – the more you turn – the more the pile can heat up and burn. Once a day is optimum – but at least every few days to keep it hot and going. If you add scraps each day – just use that time to turn – it just takes a few seconds, and the reward is finished compost in a third of the time!

Keep it moist!

2. A LITTLE H2O PLEASE!

Water- that’s right – keep that pile moist. In the summer heat – especially here in Ohio where we are experiencing no rain and a lot of heat – you need to add some water to the pile to keep it moist. Don’t drench it and don’t let it dry out – just add some water every few days to keep some moisture content in the pile and keep it cooking.

shred it!

3. CHOP AND BURY THE GOODS

Summertime also means active animal time – so if you have an open style compost bin – or if animals can get to it – make sure to bury the additions to the pile to minimize the attraction to vermin. Whether you have a shredder, an old lawn mower to run over the scraps with, or a big knife or spade to chop it all up with – keep what you are adding to the pile in smaller sizes and it will decompose that much quicker. It will also be easier to bury in the pile and be less attractive to skunks, raccoons and scavengers. Remember to never add meats or oils – they are harder to compost and really attract the pests.

Burlap makes a great compost cover

4. MADE IN THE SHADE

Our compost bin is out in the open in the middle of the garden – when it start to get really hot – we will put a few boards or a piece of roofing over the top to help keep the moisture in and the sun from drying it completely out. So give your bin some shade – and if you keep an open pile – cover it with a burlap sack or some straw to keep in the moisture.

SO GET THAT COMPOST GOING!

Good Compost + Healthy Plants!


Get that compost cooking. Add all of those summer salad remnants, coffee grounds, melon rhines, corn husks and all the other good “extras” that come out of the summer kitchen. Remember that finished compost should be fine and sweet smelling and cool to the touch. If you are turning the pile and still feeling heat – it’s still cooking and is not ready. If its broken down, sweet-smelling and cool to the touch – it’s ready to use! When you get a batch that is looking close to being good – start a new one for new materials – and turn the old one for a few more weeks to finish it off.

It’s an incredible side dressing and mulch to your summer garden plants.
Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary

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