Anyone who manages a garden should not forego the advantages of their own composting. Various containers are available in specialist shops for storing the compost heap, but you can also build such a compost yourself without much effort.

A double composter is particularly practical

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. make your own compost
  3. Why compost bin?
  4. frequently asked Questions

    5. the essentials in brief

    • A wooden composter is the easiest to build yourself
    • Compost bins can also be built from straw bales, wire or stones
    • The composter should definitely stand on a living surface, i.e. have no foundation

    make your own compost

    Traditionally, a self-made compost bin consists of wooden slats. However, there are many other ways to easily “hide” your compost in a container. But no matter what you use: leave enough gaps in your building material for air to circulate. The composting process needs a lot of fresh air, which is why this does not happen under a closure.

    Wooden composter

    If you want to build a compost bin out of wood, use untreated wood if possible. Although treated wood is protected against rotting for longer, many wood preservatives used for it contain toxic chemicals or heavy metals. However, you can also treat the sawn timber yourself, for example with natural linseed oil. The bottom area of the wooden compost bin is also often viewed critically, as it quickly rots through constant contact with the moist soil. Build a protective base here from flat rocks, bricks or (broken) paving slabs, and previously encase the wooden posts driven into the ground with a metal sheath.

    And this is how you build a wooden compost bin yourself:

    materials Required quantity Dimensions
    wooden poles or squared timber 4 about 150 centimeters long
    wooden slats 4 about 100 centimeters long
    boards 28 about 100 centimeters long
    nails - at least 3 inches long
    wood screws - at least 6 centimeters long

    Wooden composters are practical, cheap and easy to build yourself

    Step-by-step instructions:

    1. First measure the desired floor area.
    2. Raise any sod so that the compost stands on bare soil.
    3. Remove stones and weeds.
    4. Now drive the four wooden posts into the corners.
    5. They should form a square and be about 90 centimeters apart.
    6. The stakes should be about 50 centimeters deep in the ground.
    7. Now attach the boards to the side walls and the back wall.
    8. Leave a gap of about three centimeters between the boards, this is necessary for ventilation.
    9. Now build the front. Fasten the four wooden slats so that they form a square.
    10. Now screw the remaining boards across this square. Don't forget the gaps for ventilation!
    11. Fasten the front door with the help of hinges in such a way that it can be conveniently opened for removing compost.

    Once that is done, you can now fill the finished compost bin.

    Composter from pallets

    Buying wooden boards and posts from a hardware store can be quite expensive. Therefore, if you can get them organized somewhere cheap or even have some lying around, you can also use wooden pallets to build a composter. These do not necessarily have to be standardized Euro pallets, as you can cut them to the required dimensions yourself as required.

    This video shows you how to build your own composter from simple wooden pallets in clear step-by-step instructions:

    Video:youtube

    Stone composter

    Compost containers made of stone are much more durable than wood, for which you can use perforated bricks (good for ventilation!) or stone slabs (such as discarded pavement slabs). Both can be walled up to form a low wall - which should not be higher than about one meter - or anchored with metal struts. Leave the front open or cover it with a suitable, air-permeable material. An old carpet is suitable for this.

    Wire composter

    You can use chicken wire (€14.99) to make a compost bin that is both inexpensive and quick to set up. That's how it works:

    1. Drive four wooden posts, about 150 centimeters long, about 50 centimeters deep into the ground.
    2. They should be about 75 to 90 centimeters apart.
    3. Surround the posts with close-meshed chicken wire, which you attach to the posts with staples.
    4. Leave the front open.
    5. Cut off excess chicken wire.
    6. Now slide the cardboard between the post and the wire so that they are stable and do not fall out.
    7. Build the compost heap.
    8. Cover the container (e.g. with a discarded carpet) to protect it from the elements.

    Although the cardboard rots quite quickly, it can always be easily replaced.

    Composter from car tires

    You don't have to let old car tires rot in a landfill, they can be stacked on top of each other and used as durable compost containers.

    Straw bale composter

    Straw bales are suitable as composters and can also be planted

    Stacked straw bales are also suitable as compost bins. Straw is a very good insulator, which is why even small amounts of compost heat up more with this method than with conventional containers. The straw rots over time and also becomes part of the compost, and the top bales can be planted with all kinds of flowers and vegetables. (Bush) tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, nasturtiums or even petunias are suitable for this. For planting, dig holes in the straw, fill them with soil and ensure that the plants are fertilized and watered regularly - straw itself is quite poor in nutrients. Also, do not forget to secure the stacked straw bales with stakes driven into the ground from the outside, otherwise they may tip over.

    digression

    Does a mobile composter make sense?

    Basically, a composting system should always remain in a fixed place and not "wander". Wherever a compost heap has “getting started”, there is a rich soil life of useful bacteria, fungi and worms, which “infect” the next heap again and thus ensure good rotting. However, you can collect kitchen and other composting waste in smaller bins first, then move them to the correct compost at a later date.

    Good reasons for a compost bin

    “Composting is not much different than baking a cake. First you have to have the right ingredients in the right amounts…” (Wolfgang Storl, author of numerous gardening books)

    Strictly speaking, no container is necessary for the compost preparation, after all, the garden waste also rots wonderfully outdoors. Nevertheless, there are a few points that speak in favor of using a composter:

    • weed seeds: Weeds tend to take root quickly on open compost heaps. In containers - especially if they have a lid - they are not so easy to find.
    • rain: A covered container prevents valuable nutrients from being washed out of the compost, which inevitably happens when it rains. An old carpet or plastic tarpaulin can also be used as a lid.
    • heat development: For a fast decomposition process (bacteria love heat!) you need a good heat development, with compost warming up better in a container.
    • space requirement: An open compost heap takes up more space than a compost bin, and the top layer dries out easily.
    • order: A compost heap just looks tidier in a compost bin than one lying around in the open.

    Composting without a container

    Instead of building a bin or just throwing all the compostable materials in one heap, you can create what is called a compost heap. The ingredients are stacked according to a certain principle - see picture - and finally covered. A base width of up to two meters and a maximum height of around one and a half meters is recommended for a classic compost heap. Larger dimensions are not recommended, otherwise the rent will not be stable. Traditionally, such a windrow is laid out in a trapezoidal shape, and you should always pile up fresh waste from the back and remove the finished compost from the front end.

    So that the compost heap fits harmoniously into the overall picture and is not visually disturbing, you can plant pumpkins in it in the spring. The vigorous pumpkin plants quickly overgrow the pile and also ensure a better indoor climate.

    digression

    Of the importance of a living underground

    Some building instructions for composters recommend placing them on a foundation. You should definitely refrain from such recommendations, because a living substrate is necessary for a healthy rotting process. This is the only way for the soil organisms to migrate from the subsoil into the compost heap and do their work there. In addition, a compost heap that is closed at the bottom runs the risk of getting far too wet. For this reason, you should always plan for a drainage layer of sand for compost heaps standing on loamy soil.

    frequently asked Questions

    Can my neighbor forbid me to compost?

    In principle, your neighbor may not forbid you to use the compost heap, even if he himself considers it "messy". However, you are obliged to professional care, so that your neighbor is not bothered by vermin or stench. By the way, some municipalities subsidize composting by financing the compost bin for you. Just ask your local administration!

    Can you actually compost on the balcony?

    You can actually compost on the balcony, for which you can get small plastic bins (very important: with a lid!) in specialist shops. Please note, however, that these compost heaps are not large enough for the necessary generation of heat and you should therefore "vaccinate" them with worms or special bacterial mixtures.

    What should absolutely not go in the compost?

    In any case, cat litter, dog excrement, coke and coal ash, dairy products, fish and meat waste, oils and fats, newspaper and magazines, packaging (e.g. tetra packs), seed weeds and those infested with diseases or pests are unsuitable for the compost plant parts.

    Are there home remedies that can be used as a compost accelerator?

    You can buy compost accelerators in specialist shops, but you can also easily make them yourself. For this purpose, for example, comfrey or nettle leaves or manure made from them, garden lime (9.70€) (without any additives!), poultry manure (fresh or dried) and ammonium sulphate are suitable.

    tips

    You can also braid an attractive compost bin as flexible hazelnut or willow branches.

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