Composting is a simple way to recycle your food waste and make your own all-natural fertilizer that your plants will just love. It’s also easy to do—all you really need is a good container to hold the material while it breaks down. Whether you’re looking to build a container in your yard or collect and compost your food scraps indoors, we’ve got some great options for you to choose from so you can get to it!
[Edit]Steps
[Edit]Making a Simple Pallet Container
- Choose a level area of your yard and clear out any grass. Look for a nice, flat spot in your yard that gets some sunlight that can warm your compost and help it break down. Use a shovel to clear away any grass in the area and use a tamper if you need to level out the ground.[1]
- If you can build your compost container near a water source, like a hose, even better. Compost needs to be slightly damp, so having water nearby will make things easier later on.
- Select 4 pallets and clean them with soap and water. Pick up some standard shipping pallets that don’t have any cracks or damaged boards. Scrub them down with some mild soap and water and rinse away the soap with clean water.[2]
- Look for pallets at your local hardware store or shipping supply store. You may also be able to find some free ones at local grocery stores.
- Stand 1 pallet upright on one of its long edges. This will be the back of your container.[3]
- Drive a wooden stake into the ground at each end of the pallet. Use long wooden stakes for this (they'll need to be taller than the pallet when it's standing upright). Slide one of the stakes through the slats at one end of the pallet until it makes contact with the ground. Use a sledgehammer to drive the stake about 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) deep into the soil. Then, drive another stake into the ground at the other end of the pallet so it’s nice and stable.[4]
- If you want the stakes to be flush with the top of the pallet after you drive them into the ground, you can trim them down with a bone saw.
- Look for stakes at your local hardware or home improvement store.
- Connect 2 pallets at right angles to the first to make the sides. Take another one of your pallets and stand it up on its long edge so it’s flush against the back pallet and forms a right angle with the rear side. Drive stakes about 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) deep into the ground between the slats at each end of the pallet so it’s firmly held upright. Then, stand up another pallet on its long edge so it’s flush against the backside to form another right angle. Drive stakes between the slats at each end of the pallet so you have a 3-sided structure.[5]
- Attach the 4th pallet to the front with 2-3 metal hinges to make a door. Screw metal hinges onto one of the long edges of the last pallet. Then, connect the hinges to the long edge of one of the sides of the pallets secured to the ground so you have a door that swings open and shut.[6]
- Having a door makes it easier for you to add material and remove compost whenever you need it.
- Staple chicken wire or wire netting to the inside of the container. Wrap the wire or netting along all of the sides except the front door of the container. Use U-shaped nails or a staple gun to fasten the wire or netting to the pallets on the inside of the container.[7]
- The wire or mesh will help keep the compost from spilling out of the container.
- Look for chicken wire or netting at your local hardware or home improvement store.
- Stain the exterior of the container if you want to spruce it up. Choose a stain color that you like and use a paintbrush to apply an even layer to the outside of your pallets. Allow the stain to dry and add additional layers if you want it to be darker.[8]
- Make sure you only apply stain to the exterior of your container so the chemicals don’t leach into your compost.
- Fill your container with browns, greens, and kitchen scraps. Start with browns such as dried leaves and torn pieces of cardboard. Add fresh green material like grass and vegetables.[9] Then, start adding any kitchen scraps to the pile.[10]
- Try to keep a good balance of browns and greens so air can penetrate the compost and help speed up the decomposition process.
[Edit]Creating an Indoor Container
- Choose a plastic storage container with a lid. Pick up a clean plastic container from your local home improvement or hardware store. Choose one that has a lid and is large enough to hold your food scraps but is small enough to fit wherever you plan to keep it.[11]
- Good places to keep an indoor compost container include beneath your sink, on a shelf in your pantry, or simply on your counter.[12]
- A lid will help keep out flies and other insects, so make sure you’ve got a container with a lid that fits well!
- Drill 5 holes in the lid of the container. Take a power drill and allow the bit to get up to speed. Press the end of the bit against the surface of the lid and gently push it through to create a clean hole with smooth sides. Drill 4 more holes into the lid to allow for plenty of ventilation.[13]
- The size of the drill bit doesn't really matter here—you just need holes so air can flow in and out of the container.
- Having good airflow in your container will help the materials break down and turn into compost.
- Cut a piece of nylon screen large enough to cover the air holes. Take a sheet of nylon screen and lay it over the lid of your container. Mark the areas you need to trim with a marker. Take a pair of scissors and cut the screen to size.[14]
- Try to trim the screen as neatly as you can so it doesn’t hang over the edge of the lid.
- Cover the air holes with the nylon screen. Place the screen against the underside of the lid so it covers the air holes. Apply hot glue to the screen to firmly attach it to the lid so fruit flies and other insects can’t get inside.[15]
- Line the bottom of the container with newspaper and garden soil. Take sheets of newspaper and tear them up into shreds. Add the shredded newspaper to the bottom of the container to help soak up any extra moisture. Then, add a layer of garden soil and your container is ready to go![16]
- The garden soil introduces the microbes that will help break down your food scraps into compost.[17]
- Add of red worms for every of waste. If you want to help your food scraps break down more quickly, red worms (Eisenia Foetida or Lumbricus rubellus) will do the trick.[18] Add them into your container and they’ll start eating the scraps and turning them into black gold, a.k.a. high-quality compost.[19]
- Look for red worms at your local gardening supply store or nursery. You can also order them online and you may even be able to find them at a local fishing supply store in the bait section.
- Fill your container with kitchen scraps every day. Add banana peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and veggies as you cook or clean out your fridge. Break them up into smaller pieces so they’ll decompose more quickly in the compost.[20][21]
- Try not to add fat, meat, or dairy to your compost container or it could start to smell and potentially attract pests or rodents.
- Once your container gets full of compost, you can add it to an outdoor compost pile, use it in your garden, or donate it to a collection site!
[Edit]Tips
- When you add food scraps, bury them into the layer of compost to help them start to break down.
- Your compost bin should be slightly damp at all times. If it looks dried out, add some water with a watering can.[22]
[Edit]Warnings
- Avoid adding meats, dairy, or fats to your compost bin so you don’t attract rodents and pests.[23]
[Edit]Things You’ll Need
[Edit]Making a Simple Pallet Container
- Shovel
- 4 standard shipping pallets
- 6 wooden stakes
- Sledgehammer
- 2-3 metal hinges with screws
- Power drill
- Chicken wire or wire netting
- Staple gun or U-shaped nails
- Wood stain (optional)
[Edit]Creating an Indoor Container
- Plastic storage container with a lid
- Power drill
- Nylon screen
- Marker
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Newspaper
- Garden soil
- Red worms (optional)
[Edit]Video
[Edit]Related wikiHows
[Edit]References
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/diy/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/diy/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/diy/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/diy/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-make-a-compost-bins-from-pallets/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ [v161513_b01]. 7 August 2020.
- ↑ https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-make-a-compost-bins-from-pallets/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/indoor-composting/
- ↑ [v161513_b01]. 7 August 2020.
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/diy-indoor-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/diy-indoor-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/diy-indoor-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/how-to-make-compost-bin
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-build-a-compost-bin/
- ↑ [v161513_b01]. 7 August 2020.
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/indoor-composting/
- ↑ [v161513_b01]. 7 August 2020.
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/diy-indoor-compost-bin/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/indoor-composting/
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/compost/diy-indoor-compost-bin/
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