If you want to go the cheap or quick route, I recommend, using something like palettes or wire mesh. Wire mesh can be formed into a roll and the edges zip tied together. I especially like this method as it is easy to move the compost bin or disassemble it to remove the compost. Pictured below are a couple of examples. The palette version sits behind my fence and holds mostly leaves and grass clippings once the leaves start to fall.

If you would like to make something more involved then you can make something similar to the following. Essentially I made three squares from 2x4s. I then covered the sides of the frames with hardware cloth. I bridged the frames together across the back of the bin to hold them at the desired dimension. I also add a couple of 1x4s across the bottom to keep the front from bowing outwards too much. The front edge of the bins have strips of wood that were screwed into the front to make a channel. The channel on mine accepts fence picket material. This is simply what I had laying around. I like using the strips of wood because you can make the front of the bin higher or shorter depending on how full your bin is. Here are some pictures to try to illustrate.

A couple of final tips.

• Having more than one bin makes turning the material much easier
• The true composting zealots suggest that you always keep your compost covered to prevent the nutrients from leaching into the ground below your bin
• Don’t put any meat or dairy products in your compost
• Don’t put any cat or dog feces in your compost
• A mix of roughly 50/50 “brown” to “green” material is best if you can
• Don’t build your bin against your house, the heat of the composting process has in some cases caused fires
]]> http://wlkr.org/2008/08/07/composting-what-could-be-easier/feed/ 0 http://wlkr.org/2008/01/27/backyard-conservation-free-book/ http://wlkr.org/2008/01/27/backyard-conservation-free-book/#comments Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:05:24 +0000 Glenn Welker http://wlkr.org/2008/01/27/backyard-conservation-free-book/ The United States Department of Agriculture, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have produced a conservation book available for free. You can request a single printed copy or download the book in pdf form. The book is split into two files to minimize the downloaded file size.

The book covers conservation practices that can be applied to nonagricultural land such as your very own backyard. Some of the tips covered are:

• Backyard Pond
• Backyard Wetland
• Composting
• Mulching
• Nutrient Management
• Pest Management
• Terracing
• Tree Planting
• Water Conservation
• Wildlife Habitat

Get started now. Find out how you too can protect the environment and make your yard more interesting.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/index.html

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