When it comes to making compost for your garden and flowerbeds, it’s hard to beat the ease, affordability, speed and effectiveness of a two bin compost system.
In fact, for us, it has been a huge key in helping us create mountain of incredible compost. All in a continuous, ongoing cycle.
We have tried a lot of composting methods over the years. When we first started our little 3 acre farm, we built a large single bin to compost.
It worked well enough, but it did pose a few pesky issues. The biggest being what to do with new compost materials when trying to allow existing materials in the bin to completely decompose.
It is a problem facing anyone composting in a single bin system. Whether it be a bin, barrel, or even a drum. And more often than not, it leads to a delay in starting a new pile, or finishing the old one.
But that is where a two bin composting system comes to the rescue. Not only does it allow continual composting, it solves a few other common compost piles as well.
Composting With A 2 Bin Composting System
After encountering the above-mentioned issues with our single bin the first year, we built our first double compost bin in year two. And we have never looked back since.
The advantages of a two bin system are hard to beat. First and foremost, it completely solves the problem of starting a new pile while an old one finishes.
But it also helps with a few other key issues as well.
Every compost pile has materials that lag behind others when decomposing. Whether it be waxy leaves or fibrous stalks, these materials hold up the progress of finishing a single pile, barrel or bin.
But with a two bin system, these “tough” materials can be removed when you are ready to finish the current pile, and placed in the adjacent bin with the new batch.
It is an easy way to allow fibrous materials extra time to decompose without holding up the main pile.
But having two bins also gives you a place to store finished compost to use as needed. With single bins or barrels, that simply can’t be done. We keep finished compost in one bin, and the new pile in the other.
It always insures we have a working pile for new materials, and ready to finished compost when needed. It truly is the win-win of composting methods.
Building An Attractive Two Bin System On The Cheap!
Our latest two bin compost system is by far our favorite. Made from simple 2X lumber, it was easy to build, inexpensive, and even has removable front slats for easy use. ( See : How We Built Our DIY Compost Bins)
And perhaps best of all, with the thicker 2X construction, these bins keep on looking good and lasting for years.
Here’s to making your own compost with ease using the two bin composting method! Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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