My creative and very handy sister-in-law came up with this unique compost bin. When she adds new kitchen scraps, she rolls it across the lawn to incorporate the new material. (When her timing is good, she gets her twelve year old son to do the rolling) Personally, I am a lazy composter. Everything goes into the pile - sometimes the kitchen waste gets buried but rarely does the pile get turned . . . I think if I make one of these, I can remain a lazy composter but with faster results!
This is a 30 gallon plastic barrel. It was washed out really, really well before beginning. The "door" was cut from a second barrel and attached with hinges and a latch. A twig holds the latch closed. Now it's time to fill and roll! Note the "decorative" black paint marks. I think this compost bin does double-duty when there is a paintball battle going on.
You can see the varying degrees of decomposition in the barrel. I just love getting something for nothing! And what a great trade-off: getting rich compost in exchange for trash!
6 comments:
Great idea, love the home made look of it too. Suits the task it is meant to accomplish.
Frances at Faire Garden
Wow, I would like one of those here too. Your sister is pretty handy, I don't think I could handle the door part on my own.
Free compost - you can't beat the price. That is one of the reasons I compost just about everything. It is amazing how much it improves the soil.
Jan Always Growing
Pretty nifty. What tool did she use to cut that plastic barrel to make the door? And where do you get barrels like that?
Pam, She used a jigsaw to cut the door opening and door out. For the opening, drill a hole at each corner. This gives you a place to put the saw blade in and keep it from slipping off the hard plastic. This barrel actually held glyphosate (generic round-up). I imagine there are lots of other commercial items sold in barrels like this.
Melanie, My sister-in-law IS very handy. I don't think I could make that compost tumbler myself. But I just love the design and wanted to share it!
Frances, The bonus to this composter is that the door isn't sealed, so as you roll it across the lawn, a little bit of the compost spread out in the lawn. Tumbling and fertilizing in one step!
Jan, I do love the cost of compost I've made, too!
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