K-State’s Domenghini says bin helps to keep materials packed together
Beginning composting? Kansas State University horticulture expert Cynthia Domenghini recommends using a bin to ensure a successful compost pile.
“A number of things are needed for building a compost pile, including a bin, a source of water, ‘green’ materials, and ‘brown’ materials,” Domenghini said.
Green materials include wet and fresh materials, such as grass clippings, food scraps, weeds, or manure. Brown materials include dry material, such as fallen leaves, sawdust, newspaper, and wood chips.
A bin will help keep all the compost materials packed together and speed up the process, she said. By ensuring the pile is properly constructed, it will also ensure the compost pile generates enough heat to destroy pests and disease organisms.
Choosing the right compost bin is relatively simple. First, Domenghini says to ensure the size is adequate.
“Our goal is to have a bin that will hold at least a 3 X 3 X 3 foot high mound of material,” she said. “Anything less than this and the process will be slow and will not produce sufficient heat to kill insect and disease pests.”
For home gardeners, Domenghini said a 5 x 5 x 5 bin is the maximum size that could be easily handled.
Although compost bins can be purchased, they can just as easily be made or repurposed from another bin. Domenghini recommends a bin made of discarded pallets or a ring of woven wire.
“If space allows, a three-bin system is ideal,” Domenghini said. “One bin is used for holding materials until enough have been collected to make a complete compost pile; another bin holds the materials that actively decomposing; and the third holds finished compost.”
Domenghini also provided a helpful Youtube video on choosing a compost bin.
Domenghini and her colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.
Interested persons can subscribe to the weekly newsletter, or submit their garden and yard-related questions, by sending email to [email protected]. More information also is available at your local K-State Research and Extension office.
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