{"id":6460,"date":"2018-07-25T20:59:50","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T09:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/blog\/?p=6460"},"modified":"2024-01-08T13:39:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T02:39:17","slug":"how-to-make-your-own-compost-bin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/blog\/uk\/how-to-make-your-own-compost-bin\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make your own compost bin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Creating and maintaining a successful compost heap is peak adult. Level 45 adult, to be precise. It&#8217;s amazing for your garden&#8217;s health, stops useful things from ending up in landfill, and shows you&#8217;ve really got your life together.<\/p>\n<p>This is how to create a DIY compost bin, or an indoor compost bin, and start filling your garden full of nutrients.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">Psst; need to find a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/uk\/services\/gardening\/london\/\">gardener in London<\/a>? Find rated and trusted local gardening services with Airtasker.<\/div>\n<h2>Choose your container<\/h2>\n<h2>Plastic<\/h2>\n<p>Ready-made plastic compost bins come in all kinds of different sizes &#8211; some are very compact, others can hold 500 litres.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Good points<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If it comes with a lid, it&#8217;ll keep vermin and animals out.<\/li>\n<li>Usually super cheap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Downsides<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Less air circulation.<\/li>\n<li>Depending on the structure, it&#8217;s harder to turn the compost over.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Wood<\/h2>\n<p>For some, wood is a better compost bin material because it&#8217;s more natural. If you&#8217;re crafty enough, you can\u00a0build your own.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Good points<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Better air circulation.<\/li>\n<li>Easy to access and turn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Bad points<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Making one yourself is time-consuming (you&#8217;ll need to be a keen bean to take the project on).<\/li>\n<li>Vermin is more likely to cause damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6461\" src=\"https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064639\/how-to-make-compost-heap.jpg\" alt=\"find a gardener\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064639\/how-to-make-compost-heap.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064639\/how-to-make-compost-heap-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064639\/how-to-make-compost-heap-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saga.co.uk\/magazine\/home-garden\/gardening\/advice-tips\/soil-improvement\/how-to-make-a-compost-heap\">Saga<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Choose a spot<\/h2>\n<p>Your compost bin needs to be put on a level surface, ideally on higher ground in case of flooding.<\/p>\n<p>Extreme temperature changes and strong sunlight are a no-no &#8211; its temperature should ideally stay the same. Choose a shady area of the garden that won&#8217;t be waterlogged after heavy rain.<\/p>\n<h2>What to put in it<\/h2>\n<p>There are two types of compost bin waste &#8211; green and brown. When you&#8217;re adding material to your bin, alternate between green and brown to vary the contents as much as possible.<\/p>\n<h3>Green<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Fresh garden waste (plant and grass cuttings)<\/li>\n<li>Vegetable peelings<\/li>\n<li>Fruit and vegetable offcuts<\/li>\n<li>Crushed gg shells<\/li>\n<li>Tea bags and coffee grounds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Brown<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Rough garden waste (branches, twigs, fallen leaves)<\/li>\n<li>Cardboard and newspaper cuttings<\/li>\n<li>Woodchips.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6463\" src=\"https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064638\/compost-heap.jpg\" alt=\"find a gardener\" width=\"1400\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064638\/compost-heap.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064638\/compost-heap-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/airtasker-seo-wordpress-blog-assets-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/24064638\/compost-heap-1200x600.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edenproject.com\/learn\/for-everyone\/how-to-make-a-compost-heap-10-top-tips\">Eden Project<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>How to look after it<\/h2>\n<h3>Turn it regularly<\/h3>\n<p>Air is essential for a compost heap to develop and become fertiliser. To stop the heap from becoming too wet, turn it with a gardening fork and mix the contents together regularly. At least once a month should be fine, but as the weather changes you&#8217;ll need to keep an eye on it.<\/p>\n<p>Another (more satisfying) way to aerate is to stab holes into the heap with your gardening fork.<\/p>\n<h3>Add an accelerator<\/h3>\n<p>You can buy compost accelerators at a garden centre or DIY shop.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re lacking in green waste, some products can replace the nitrogen they add to the heap. If you&#8217;re lacking in brown waste, you need something to add more carbon.<\/p>\n<h2>Indoor composting<\/h2>\n<p>If your outdoor space is quite small, keeping a pile of decaying waste in it probably isn&#8217;t a huge priority. Instead, buy a small bin with a lid, throw your compost material in, and add some fresh soil every week or so. Store it in a cupboard so pets and kids will keep their hands off it.<\/p>\n<p>Treat your indoor compost bin like an outdoor one &#8211; keep turning the contents, aerate it, and check how the colour changes and develops.<\/p>\n<h2>When it&#8217;s ready<\/h2>\n<p>Your compost won&#8217;t be ready for at least 6 months.\u00a0When it&#8217;s ready, it&#8217;ll closely resemble soil. Check that it&#8217;s brown\/black in colour and has a spongy texture. The original ingredients should be entirely gone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If the compost is too wet <\/strong>add more brown waste and turn more often.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If the compost is too dry\u00a0<\/strong>add more green waste.<\/p>\n<p>Spread it on top of your normal soil in a thick, consistent layer. If you&#8217;re potting plants, mix your own compost with ready-made compost. Spreading compost on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/uk\/gardening-tips-every-beginner-needs-to-know\/\">flower beds<\/a> improves the quality of the natural soil, prevents disease and parasites, and feeds the worms.<\/p>\n<h2>Want to put your compost to good use? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airtasker.com\/uk\/services\/gardening\/\">Find local gardeners<\/a> with Airtasker.<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Show your garden how much you love it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2153,1506],"tags":[950,952],"language":["en-GB"],"class_list":["post-6460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardening","category-tips-gb","tag-garden-ideas-gb","tag-gardening-gb"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to make your own compost bin | Airtasker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Create a DIY compost bin, or an indoor compost bin, and start filling your garden full of nutrients. 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