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Re: Compost bins

> Cheapest thing we could find was some shipping pallets a trucking company
> was giving away. We tacked 5 together to make 2 open bins -- good air flow
> because wood is staggered and they're still holding up after 3 years of wet
> weather and full compost.

Ditto on the pallets. If you have any kind of a vehicle capable of carrying
pallets, they should be very easy to find (assuming you are within driving
distance of any sort of industry). I happen to drive a pickup to work, and
I could easily come home with a load a week if I wanted them. Drive around
behind the businesses and check out their dumpsters and loading docks. When
you find some, be sure to ask, you probably don't want to get arrested for
stealing.

Pallets make a very flexible compost bin. You can easily change location,
size, and shape. This year I have a 4-pallet temporary bin and also
extended my large, permanent bin with 4 pallets attached to one side.

A previous SQFT'er placed one pallet on the ground for a floor - I prefer
to use the ground. I don't bother to do quick, short-term composting, and
at least partially rely on worms to assist in the process. If I isolated
my pile from the ground, I wouldn't be able to rely on a natural, ready
supply of the wrigglers. I simply tie an appropriate number of pallets
(three to six, depending upon the desired size of the bin) together with
twine, and start filling it. For mixing, you can break the bin open and
reposition the pallets, build a secondary bin with additional pallets,
or simply break the bin open, mix, and re-assemble. (This can be made
more manageable if you use a couple of steel fence posts to secure the
pallets on either side of the one you remove.)

In summary: free, flexible, moveable, renewable, recycleable, and provides
ventilation slots. Excellent for us tightwad gardeners. And when you no
longer desire a compost bin (heaven forbid), you can dismantle them and
use them to build raised beds, cold frames, etc., or simply use them for
firewood. [Speaking of firewood, they're also great for stacking your
cordwood on to keep it off the ground and provide ventilation.]

Don Gross
Gardening economically in Portland, Oregon
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