Wire Compost Bin

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure and privacy policy here.

Making Dirt From Scratch

I decided to start with compost once we decided that our version of clean eating was going to include growing or raising as much of our food as we could. From there we started looking at the financial aspects of making these changes. It can be very expensive to set up gardening beds, green houses, chicken coops, and livestock pens all at once. When my husband started talking about turning our dry lot pasture to an irrigated field I knew we would need A LOT of organic matter; manure, mulch, and compost. We can have the bulk of our needs trucked in, but at a price. We have quite a few animals to start spreading their manure. However, I didn’t want to use manure in my vegetable garden when we are planting fresh this year. The manure can be very “hot” from decomposing and burn our plants. Plants that grow on the ground have a higher chance of microbial contamination on our veggies.

Solutions

I would need to compost. From there I started saving items to compost. We are a family of seven, so we create tons of compostable scraps. Plus, our chickens give us tons of farm fresh egg shells and my husband is more than likely addicted to coffee so we have gobs of coffee grounds. Bonus, the coffee liners are great for compost, as is shredded newspaper.

I was very proud of my commitment to this project once I set up a designated trash can in the kitchen and a bucket on the porch to dump into to keep smells out of the kitchen. The only problem was that we didn’t have a designated compost bin or turner. So ever time the bucket got full it ended up being fed to the pigs or dumped randomly in the pasture. This made me feel like my efforts were being wasted and nothing annoys me more than waste.

I had to research everything about compost. My most favorite thing in the world according to my husband! There are lots of options that I think are great. We have a beautiful yard, so a tumbler was my first thought and I had my eye on this beauty.

The more I thought about it though, the more I knew what kind of compost bin I needed.

Memories of Compost

I had many wonderful times helping my grandpa in the garden by putting rotten peaches from his tree in his composter. My grandpa’s composter was made from fencing wire with narrow spacing. He had it formed like a barrel which made it perfect for air flow. He could put a lid on it and roll the barrel to “turn” the compost. This was an easy, simple design that I could easily replicate for multiple bins at different levels of decomposition. Plus, it also evoked a wonderful memory for me.  My grandpa’s simple yet efficient way of doing things (probably a carry over from living through the depression) is a value I would love to instill in my children. Wire composter it was!

Taking Action

My husband and the boys were making a raised garden bed a few days ago. They used chicken wire to line the bottom of the bed for protection against gofers. Read my post on getting started gardening in the high desert for more information on setting up a garden bed.  I was kind of stuck hanging in the back yard with the baby playing in the grass. There was some extra chicken wire left over. So I grabbed the wire and wire cutters and got to work.

How I Made The Compost Bin

Approximately 10 feet of 3 foot high wire (any wire that has a tight mesh should work)

Wire cutters

Needle nose pliers

Bailing wire (optional, but makes the base stronger)

Work gloves (optional)

 

• First thing I did was roll the wire to form a barrel size, approximately 2 feet across. I made sure there was about a 6-inch overlap and then snipped the wire all the way down.
• Then making sure the wire overlapping I started bending the little pieces of wire into itself on both cut ends.

• Next, I laid the extra 4-foot piece over the top of the wire barrel. Now at this point depending on what type of wire you are using, you can cut around the circle and fold the cut ends in to hold the bottom on. Personally, this is where I used 2-inch lengths of bailing wire every 1-2 inches to attach the bottom all the way around. I cut around the circle a little way out and folded the cut end in.
• Then I just flipped the whole thing over and I had an open-air wire composter.
• If you live in an area where it’s a concern of animals or birds getting into the composter you may want to consider making a lid as well.

 

Now For The Compost

Now to get my compost started, I put some straw or lawn clipping in the bottom to make a good base. From here I keep putting kitchen scraps, shredded newspaper, egg shells, coffee grounds and filters, non-wood yard clippings, hay, straw, mulch, and even some soil layered in occasionally. The things that shouldn’t be composted are proteins (meat, yogurt, eggs), manure, or poisonous plants.

To maintain the compost, I’ll make sure it’s getting turned regularly either with a pitchfork, a shovel, gloved hands (or no gloves if I’m brave), This is where a compost turner really comes in handy. Once everything has broken down or decomposed all the way it can be used in the garden either strait or as a mix with soil. The break down time will vary be climate. In warmer areas compost may decompose fairly fast such as just a few months. In a higher elevation like myself, it could take a whole year due to freezing. I’m going to try putting mine in the greenhouse or barn, but this is my first year composting in the high desert, so now it’s just a waiting game.

 

To Find Out How The Compost Is Doing From Time To Time, Subscribe To My Blog For Regular Newsletters!