It is entirely possible to compost without using a bin just by creating a large heap of garden waste in a corner and covering it over with a carpet or plastic sheet leaving it to get on with it.
However most of us prefer a tidier approach by using a compost bin.
Buy one
Plastic dalek type bins are generally available quite cheaply from your local council or slightly pricier from your local garden centre. Or if you don’t have a budget you could try freecycle.org or gumtree.com. These are perfect for smaller amounts of garden waste although if you have more you can always increase the amount of bins.
Pro’s: easy to maintain, small enough to fit in most gardens, good for small amounts of compostable waste
Con’s: can dry out quickly, the compost can be difficult to access
Build one
If you have large amounts of garden waste then you will probably need a box style bin. You can buy ready-made wooden compost bins called New Zealand Boxes or you can quite cheaply build one using old pallets and reclaimed wood. The simplest version is created by just using 3 pallets connected together using screws and wire to form a U-shaped bay and pegging it into the ground using stakes at each corner. To keep the compost material from seeping out of the sides and back, line with wire mesh or carpet. More bays can be added as your needs.
For simple instructions on how to create a compost bay, click here
Or construct one from reclaimed or new timber, click here
Pro’s: compost large amounts of waste, wide opening means easy to fill and easy to access your compost
Con’s: need lots of muscle power to turn those bins
Where to site the bin
this all depends on the space you have available but ideally your bin should be placed on bare ground, in a warm spot and be easy to access. However most gardeners want to grow in the warm sunny spots and the bin is relegated to a much cooler shadier position. This is fine as the waste will still decompose albeit a little slower. Dalek/plastic type bins are best placed out of direct sunlight as it tends to dry them out slowing down the process.
Other tools
- Good pair of secateurs – for cutting up thin branches, tough stems and old brassica’s
- Garden fork – helps when mixing to aerate and for turning waste from one bay or bin to another
- Water – add a watering can of water for every two buckets full of waste, the contents of the bin should be damp for a speedier process.
- Shredder – to shred or not to shred, that is a very good question. Garden shredders are great for breaking down the waste and the smaller the piece of waste is the quicker it will compost. However they are noisy, prone to blocking, and are very expensive. To achieve a similar effect you could try mowing the waste with a manual mower or as above use secateurs.
