Do you want better yields from your garden? Building a 3 bin compost system in your backyard is an excellent solution.
The compost system will not only help you improve your soil’s fertility but also utilize your outdoor space.
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With this creative compost system, you have an opportunity to have three compost piles simultaneously.
Turn all your food waste into manure. Instead of disposing of kitchen waste, pile it up and use the wood pallets bins to decompose the waste for garden soil improvement.
This article will help you learn how to build a 3 bin compost system conveniently in your backyard.
3 Bin Compost System Building Tools
The process of building compost bins is not complicated. The only thing you need to do is follow a few building rules. Within a few hours, your compost bins will be done and ready for use. So, what material do you need for this easy task?
Wood is the backbone of this whole project. Since you will be working with pallets, you require a saw to cut the wood pieces to appropriate sizes.
Additionally, you will need a drill for the rapid drilling in the wood pieces. If you don’t want irregular wood pieces, you must have a measuring tape to get precise measurements.
A hammer is vital in hammering the screws and nails into the wood. If you don’t have a hammer, you can use a mallet.
Those who don’t trust their hammering skills can use staple guns and staples to join wood together. Another essential building material is metallic fence posts for reinforcement.
The top part of the bins requires to be covered using wire netting. The net will prevent birds from disturbing the content of your compost piles.
How to Build a Three-bin Composter
If you want to build this computer but don’t know how to go about it, you need not look further.
Here is a detailed guide on utilizing the space in your backyard by building a three-bin compost system. The rule here is to follow these simple instructions.
1. Building End Panels of the Compost Bin
Once you have identified a flat surface in your backyard, place all the material you need in that space. From the wood allocated to serve as side slats, select two and place them on the surface such that the upright wood is under the side slats.
You don’t want to waste your wood, do you? Therefore, drill holes on the wood to help you in attaching the pieces instead of slitting them. Place another side slat under the upright wood with equal spacing between each wood. The three side slats joined together to form a stable side panel.
At this point, position your assembly on a solid surface that is not easily broken. The front and back support posts should be added at this stage by screwing them into the already fitted pieces of wood. This will ensure that the structure does not get destroyed by wind or other natural forces like rain.
The next step of your construction is attaching the bottom wood pieces. Here, it would help if you first flipped the panel to have the upper part facing the ground. This will give you easy access to the spots that need screws for joining.
To form a complete pallet, you will need to repeat the process until the second panel is built. Compost bins need to have removable planks in case you want to make certain adjustments. For this reason, the panels you have built will be laid on a flat surface.
Use the thickness of one plank to attach the supports to the side slots. Also, remember to leave one plank as the guide in this construction.
2. How to Build Middle Panels for Your Bin
After you have finished building the end panels, you now need to build middle panels to complete your bin. Here is how you do it:
Once you have joined the side and upright slats to form a complete panel like the one for end panels, flip the structure. Firmly fix three additional side slats. These slats are attached to each side of the two middle panels.
For stability, add two supports to the compost bin structure – one support on the front and the back. The positioning of these two should be perpendicularly centered with the upright pieces of wood.
Using a screw, attach the bottom pieces. Most gardeners work on the whole bin but forget to screw in the side slats for the 3 bin compost system. Avoid making this mistake if you want a durable manure composter.
The next step is catering grooves. You want to add effective grooves that will not fail you. Therefore, on the uprights, attach the plank supports. This process should be done on both sides of the middle panel. You are now another step closer to finishing your compost bin constructions.
3. How to Put the Composter Together
Once you have finished building both the end and middle panels, it’s time to complete your structure by joining all the parts.
The first thing you do is balance the already built panels on the front support posts. Second, on end back support posts, your twelve-foot-long back slats.
Using your measuring tape, add an X mark on the forty-nine inches spot. Attach your middle panels on the X mark using screws. After this, place the bottom side of one of the three bins on the soil. At this point, you will require removable planks to space the front support posts.
The metal posts you had gathered come in handy in this next stage. Replace the planks with metal posts for enhanced structural support. Once the posts are firmly installed, use the staple gun to staple your wire netting on every side of your compost system bin.
The final step is replacing the planks, and just like that, you have a fully functional composter in your backyard space.
VIDEO: Build a 3 Way Compost Bin (Step by Step)
Composting in a 3 Bin Compost System
There are a few things you must understand about creating compost manure using this method. First, in your newly built bin, add a thick layer of material that is carbonaceous.
These materials can be gotten from a wide range of waste types. You may be wondering what kind of waste can be used to create this thick layer.
Carbonaceous Material Sources
Well, feel free to use dried leaves from your garden. Similarly, the leaves you sweep from your yard can be added to the first composting bin.
Straw, hay, corn stalks, and wood chips from constructions can also be good sources of compost bin content for manure production.
Nitrogen Rich Material for 3 Bin Compost System
Material rich in nitrogen should be added to the first bin. These materials include grass clippings, the tea bags from your kitchen waste, and weed that you uproot from your garden.
Similarly, seaweed, a wide range of kitchen waste, including eggshells, performs well in adding fertility to your soil after decomposing. If you have farm animals, it would be best to add their manure to the three-bin compost system’s content.
You also never add meat or bones to the pile. Bones in a pile can injure the gardener as he removes the compost manure.
Once the decomposing process has begun, it’s time to move the first bin’s content to the second bin. This moving process consequently turns the pile content to make sure it is evenly decomposed.
Once you have removed the pile in the first bin, you can add fresh content for decomposition. The second bin’s content can be transferred to the third bin after creating space in the second bin. Run the cycle as many times as you please since you already have your 3 bin system.
Benefits of Using a Three-bin Composting System
When you use a triple compost bin, it reduces the weight in your compost pile. This is important because you need to turn the materials over. Wet materials always add up whether you use a standing compost bin rotated using a pitchfork or rotating drum. The three-bin post allows you to continue to compost all through the year while having ready compost that you can use in the garden whenever you like.
The first section in the three-bin contains the fresh scraps. At this point is when the composting begins. When the food and the waste begin to break down, the compost, on the other hand, is formed.
But adding new waste to the compost is not a good idea as it will affect the quality of the compost, and to get good quality, you will have to wait for a longer time.
When you use the triple bin, the new waste is located in one section. When the composting process begins, you can move the waste to the next section, where the composition continues with getting added to the new waste.
After it decomposes, you can move it to the third bin and let it stay there until you use it.
Three-bin Usage Tips
You need to be keen with it and check the weed seeds from getting in the system and around the system as once they get in, there is no way to move them, and the compost is on the ground.
Also, putting pallets over every bin is a good idea as you will help keep the moisture out if in case the area you live in has a wet climate.
When you do so, ensure you leave the bin opened on the side so, with time, you can turn the compost using a shovel so the decomposing process can happen evenly.
Conclusion
A 3 bin compost system is one of the most effective methods of creating compost manure. If you want to capitalize on the waste products in your home, first, build a composting system.
Second, look at the size of your backyard or garden. Finally, utilize that space by using wood to come up with bins that will serve you well.
Follow the instructions from this article and realize more profits from fertile soils. Additionally, you can sell the compost manure to other gardeners at a pocket-friendly price.
