Since we are finally out of the cold weather, hopefully, many people are now taking the time to go and begin working in their gardens. With frost possibly gone until the fall, the time is right to begin working with compost for your garden. Thankfully, compost is not only easy to make, it is really easy to maintain.
To make a compost bin, all you need are:
1. A large plastic storage bin
2. A drill
3. Kitchen scraps, shredded newspaper, yard waste
4. Wire mesh if you are drilling large holes in the bins
The plastic bin can be bought from anywhere and the bigger the storage bin, the better your compost bin will be. Make sure it is quite large and the bin also needs to have a lid. If you can, get another lid for it that you can put under the bin to catch liquid.
The bin needs to have air circulation to help the decomposition go faster. You will need to drill holes in the bin and there is no rule on how large the holes are or how many holes you want to drill. Just drill the holes about five centimeters apart. If the holes are quite large, then use a wire mesh to keep mice out of the bin. Put the mesh within the bin to protect it.
You should put the bin anywhere that is convenient for you. Outside the kitchen door is great so that you can easily compost kitchen scraps. When you do work in the garden, take the bin with you so that you can toss yard waste and weeds into the bin to be composted. You can put plenty of things into the bin beyond just dirt and weeds. You can put in leaves, fruit and vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags and grass clippings.
Each day, help aerate the bin by shaking the bin to move everything around. You can also move the dirt around with a pitchfork if you can so that you can aerate the dirt more. If you find the compost bin is smelling, then put in some shredded leaves, newspaper and sawdust. If the compost is too dry, then put in some fruits and vegetables that are rotten, or moisten the contents of the bin with a spray bottle.
That is all there is to having a great compost bin and some great compost for your garden.
