Built a compost bin this weekend!

LilyMonster2010

I wish I could pip, but I'm always on my phone!

Super excited to compost! We had lawn bags full of leaves and lawn clippings so our 4'x8' bin is already half full!

My question is do I need one of those "special" compost pails that say they reduce / eliminate odor? Or is there something else you use just as well? Or do you just daily take compostable stuff out?

Thanks!

fluffyflea

I have been composting for years and you definitely don't need a special pail. I used to just keep a bowl on my counter and I would try to take out daily, but it didn't always happen. Now I just keep the same ceramic bowl in my freezer or fridge. It is no problem for compostable scraps to be frozen in the freezer and then tossed in the pile, and you won't have any odors etc...

hesakeeper

fluffyflea:

I have been composting for years and you definitely don't need a special pail. I used to just keep a bowl on my counter and I would try to take out daily, but it didn't always happen. Now I just keep the same ceramic bowl in my freezer or fridge. It is no problem for compostable scraps to be frozen in the freezer and then tossed in the pile, and you won't have any odors etc...

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

And congrats OP on starting to compost!

dosafyre

I just use a stainless steel pot I got at a thrift store...like this.

I keep my food scraps separate from my yard composting (rats, racoons, mice, squirrels, etc...are the motivation there). So I usually empty the kitchen scraps into my worm bin daily. We also have curb-side composting so my harder to compost items (meat, dairy, citrus peels, paper, teabags, etc) go in there.

aetg

Awesome job!  I can't wait to buy a huse so we can compost, too!

buttaflly227

I'm moving into my first house in a few weeks and am planning on building a compost bin outside but I wonder how to keep animals out of it. 

Also, is a worm bin different than a compost bin? How?  

fluffyflea

the best way to keep animals out of it is to not put meats/dairy into the bin.  you might still get a few mice but it depends on where you live. also, keep your amount of "browns" (yard scraps, plants etc...) higher than your amount of "greens" (rotting fruit etc...). A compost pile never needs to smell. If it smells it is probably too wet and you can add shredded up soy-based newspaper or cardboard to it to soak it up or it just needs to be stirred a little bit with a rake so it gets some air.  Another thing you can do is lay chicken wire flat on the ground - the kind where the whole is about the size of a cat's paw - around the bin. Most animals like racoons hate the feeling of walking on the wire and will avoid it.

A worm bin is an enclosed bin that you add worms (usually red wiggler worms) to and the worms actually eat through the scraps and their castings are your compost. I had a worm bin when I lived in NYC and didn't have any outdoor space. I had a standard size under-the-bed plastic storage bin from a hardware store and added scraps to it for almost a year before I emptied it. Those worms do an amazing job. A compost bin is more what you build outside and just add yard and kitchen scraps to and let them decompose.

LilyMonster2010

fluffyflea:

the best way to keep animals out of it is to not put meats/dairy into the bin.nbsp; you might still get a few mice but it depends on where you live. also, keep your amount of "browns" yard scraps, plants etc... higher than your amount of "greens" rotting fruit etc.... A compost pile never needs to smell. If it smells it is probably too wet and you can add shredded up soybased newspaper or cardboard to it to soak it up or it just needs to be stirred a little bit with a rake so it gets some air.nbsp; Another thing you can do is lay chicken wire flat on the ground the kind where the whole is about the size of a cat's paw around the bin. Most animals like racoons hate the feeling of walking on the wire and will avoid it. A worm bin is an enclosed bin that you add worms usually red wiggler worms to and the worms actually eat through the scraps and their castings are your compost. I had a worm bin when I lived in NYC and didn't have any outdoor space. I had a standard size underthebed plastic storage bin from a hardware store and added scraps to it for almost a year before I emptied it. Those worms do an amazing job. A compost bin is more what you build outside and just add yard and kitchen scraps to and let them decompose.

Ahh wish I would've known about putting chicken wire on the bottom before we filled it up! We have tons of brown material so hopefully we dont have any critter problems.

Thanks for all the suggestions! We easily get fruit flies so i think I'll try the freezer idea or get a pail.

PginSA

I second the ratio of brown to green waste. Lawn clippings, newspaper, etc goes a long way to prevent a smelly mess. You can also put lime in to deter flies, etc. 

fluffyflea

you can still put the chicken wire around the outside of the bin. It won't prevent animals that come up from under, but will prevent them from approaching form the sides!