A composter offers many advantages and should therefore not be missing in any garden. We'll show you how easy it is to build a compost bin yourself.
Waste disposal is expensive and everyone is required to separate their waste. But what to do with the old apples, potato peelings and coffee grounds? There is a solution for all biodegradable waste that accumulates in the kitchen and in the garden. Because these can go on the compost. Do you have your own garden, but no compost bin yet? Then you will be interested in the following instructions. We will tell you why a compost bin is worthwhile, what goes on the compost and how even inexperienced do-it-yourselfers can easily build their own compost bin.
Compost bins are worth it!
A compost bin is convenient and will help you save money. In the future, various kitchen and garden waste can end up in the compost instead of in the organic waste bin, which is subject to a fee. It doesn't cost you a penny, and it even gives you something else: nutrient-rich garden soil and a powerful natural fertilizer that helps your plants grow and thrive.
Warning: The compost bin in the garden does not replace the bio bin!
You can't automatically compost all the waste that accumulates in the kitchen and in the garden. There are a few things to keep in mind when composting. In order for the composting process to really get going, a balance between carbon and nitrogen is necessary. So carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials should be roughly balanced on the compost.
High Carbon Waste
- Tree pruning
- Shrub Pruning
- Leaves
nitrogen rich waste
- Grass clippings
- Organic Waste
- Coffee grounds
| What can be composted? | NoGos for the compost |
|---|---|
| • Lawn clippings • Leaves • Cut flowers • Indoor plants • Balcony plants • Raw leftover fruit and vegetables• rotten fruit • shredded tree or hedge clippings • egg shells • tea bags • coffee grounds •Sawdust • Paper Cardboard without print | • Banana peel • Citrus fruits • Meat • Fish • Bones • Medicines • Batteries • Cooked pasta • Chemicals • Packaging • Leaves of cherry laurel, beech, chestnut or poplar because they rot very slowly due to their strong structure |
Building a compost bin - step-by-step instructions
- Set Location
- Determine the size of the composter
- Get building materials and tools ready
- Prepare Base
- Insert corner posts
- Tighten the chicken wire
- Attach boards to the three sides
- Attach Boards to Front
Set Location
The choice of the right location is not insignificant for later composting. The location should be as shady as possible.
Tip: If the location is too sunny, the compost will dry out. Also remember that the compost heap should be within easy reach of the house.
Determine size
When choosing the right size, consider the size of your garden and the need for compost. As a rule, compost containers should not be too small. The minimum dimensions are about one meter. Larger compost bins can also measure 1.5 meters. Of course, you can also build several smaller compost bins and place them in different locations in the garden.
Tip: The compost bin should not be too low. A height of about one meter is the guideline here.
Get building materials and tools ready
Here it is important to clearly favor wood. Wood is the easiest to work with, inexpensive and quite durable. Make sure that the wood is sturdy and doesn't rot too quickly. Here, compost containers made of larch wood have proven themselves. Larch wood does not have to be specially impregnated, but has a natural protective function.
Tip: Use spruce or pine wood, impregnate the strips before processing so that the compost bin does not start to rot prematurely.
Building Materials:
- four corner posts
- four wooden slats
- chick wire
- Wooden boards
- Nails
Tool:
- Level
- Hammer
- Measure Tape
Prepare Base
Once you have found a suitable location, devote yourself to preparing the soil.To make it easier for the microorganisms and insects to find their way into the compost later, loosen the soil surface accordingly.
Insert corner posts
Now place the four corner pillars in the ground according to the dimensions. These should be buried at least 15 cm deep so that the compost container later has the necessary stability.
Tighten the chicken wire
To prevent small animals from settling in the compost, the bottom surface is now lined with chick wire.
Attach boards to the three sides
Now attach the boards to the back and the two long sides. The boards are fastened with nails. Be sure to keep an even spacing between each board. This distance should not be less than five centimetres.
Tip: Adequate ventilation is particularly important for the compost bin. This is achieved by the distances between the individual wooden strips.
Attach Boards to Front
Once you have boarded all three sides, now turn your attention to the front. Attach two wooden strips to each of the two corner posts in such a way that a groove is created. You can now easily slide the remaining wooden slats into this groove. So you can easily remove finished compost and adjust the height of the compost bin individually.
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What goes in the compost?
Now the compost bin is ready and you can start filling it. Fall or spring are ideal times to set up a compost bin. If there is any pruning work, you can use the chopped branches and twigs to create the first layer in the compost heap. The coarse garden waste is mixed with lawn clippings and straw. Now put on a layer of manure. You can now gradually add kitchen and garden waste to it.
Tip: In summer, the compost heap can dry out quickly. Therefore, water it occasionally so that the microorganisms and earthworms can continue to do their work there.
Alternative: compost bins made from Euro pallets
If you own Euro pallets or have the opportunity to purchase them at a reasonable price, a practical and inexpensive alternative has been found. In addition, Euro pallets already have the right onesDimensions and the necessary ventilation slots are also available. You only need four Euro pallets, which you now connect or nail together with brackets. You can then fill in the compost as already described.
Compost bin without nails
Would you like to do without nails or screws when assembling? Then you decide on a compost container, which you provide with a plug-in system. For this you have to provide the boards with small recesses. These must correspond to the dimensions of the wooden slats. Measure the distances precisely and then saw out the recesses.
Then you plug the individual boards into each other alternately and thus create a flexible plug-in system that offers a secure hold and can also be easily removed again if you want to remove compost. In this case, you can save cornerstones. With this you can build your own compost container with little manual skill and thus enrich your garden and save money at the same time. Since the container simply snaps together, you can resize it at any time and move it to another location with ease.