Are you lacking construction skills but want a large contained compost bin so you can build your own super-nutritious soil rather than buying it?
Me too.
One answer is to have someone build a bin or bins for you, or you could spend upwards of $400 or more to buy a pre-built system. I decided to take the easy way out (I’m all about making these sorts of tasks less time consuming) and purchase a set of steel brackets from Lee Valley to give this sort of unit a whirl.
As someone who used to teach composting to city-dwellers as part of my job, we always used ‘rodent resistant’ bins and discouraged the use of open units (think rats, squirrels, raccoons scrapping in your backyard over the scraps – not so great for neighbour relations). But out in the country, we don’t have quite the same restrictions, and small, sealed bins just aren’t practical for the volume of material we’ve got to process. Enter the mid-scale composting system.
There are a number of ways you can do mid-scale composting (you can see examples on my Pinterest page):
- 2 or 3-bin systems lined with hardware cloth to keep pests out;
- bunkers like those used in industrial composting systems that are enclosed on 3 sides but open on the top and front for easy access by loaders or small excavators (best for large volumes of material);
- open piles covered by tarps (the old school way);
- hugelkultur, where you pile up woody waste into and cover it with soil (it’s a little more complex than that, but you get the picture) then plant into it;
- colloidal composting, which has a LOT of steps but apparently creates some incredibly vital compost;
- simple wire surrounds (best for creating leaf mulch);
- hybrid systems, like the one we’re experimenting with.
For me, composting has to be easy. If I’ve got to think about it or worry about layering or saving up material to do one big pile, I’m probably not going to do it. No, let me rephrase that – I won’t do it. Here’s what else I’m looking for in a composting unit:
- doesn’t require construction skills or power tools to build;
- easy to take apart when the compost is ready to remove and use in the garden;
- reuseable parts;
- not going to fall apart before I take it apart;
- affordable;
- portable;
- doesn’t involve me driving all over looking for pallets or scrap wood;
- big and open so I can aerate it easily.
So, with all those criteria in mind, I decided we’d try out the Composter Bracket Set from Lee Valley. We’ve been using it since we moved in 2009, and it holds a LOT of material. Ultimately, I need to get another set to have a multi-bin system (so I can let one sit and compost when it’s filled while we fill a second bin), but I haven’t quite got around to that yet.
When we started our recent construction project, we had to disassemble the bin to make way for machinery (it needed it anyway, after having been hit by a falling tree), so when we put it back together, I thought it was a good time to do a mini-review:
Lee Valley Bracket Composter Review from Victoria Gazeley on Vimeo.
Benefits of the Lee Valley Bracket Composter:
- Relatively inexpensive – small plastic compost bins cost about the same as this, without anywhere near the flexibility or quality of construction.
- Large size allows for a generous amount of material, and room to aerate the bin (important if you want faster, not-too-stinky compost).
- Portable – if you want to move your bin, you just take it apart and re-assemble it – and you don’t need a crew of help to do it.
- Allows you to use local wood products if you’ve got them available at your local building supply or sawmill, rather than imported wood.
- Good air flow for optimum decomposition.
- Quality steel construction – the brackets didn’t bend even when the bin was hit by a falling tree (it just knocked the boards out of whack).
Drawbacks:
- Needs two people to put it together (if you don’t want to end up getting frustrated and throwing something across your yard).
- Open top means ‘nutrients’ are leached out of the mix if you live in an area with high precipitation like we do – I suggest adding some burlap sacks to the top of the pile that will allow a bit of moisture through without drowning the pile. A tarp would also work, but if you’re not adding a lot of food scraps, you may need to add water to the pile if you live in a dry area. Not necessary, but it will help create more nutrient-dense soil amendment.
- The open top also means it’s easy pickins for bears. That said, I’ve been a somewhat lazy composter the last while (i.e., not covering smelly kitchen waste with non-smelly leaves and other ‘browns’) and the only time we had a bear in the bin was the first few weeks after we set it up originally. I’ve never seen signs of one in there since, though I know there are bears around. All that said, I won’t be pushing my luck any longer.
- While the brackets are high quality, the screws are a bit measly for the job – they seem very soft and strip relatively easily. Next time I’d purchase a set of higher quality screws for building a new unit.
- I found some of the screws a bit challenging to get in straight in the ‘left hand’ corners. With an electric screwdriver, I wouldn’t have had that problem.
Things You’ll Need to Build This Bin:
- The Composter Bracket Set from Lee Valley;
- A flat space that’s in an area you frequent (so you don’t forget to aerate or add material) but not too close to your house, preferably a minimum of 36″ x 36″, preferably 48″ x 48″;
- A Phillips screwdriver (the one with the ‘cross’ end);
- 20 boards, 1″ x 6″ x 36″ or 48″, depending on the size bin you’d like (48″ is better than 36″, but your space may dictate a smaller system) – you’ll want a wood that won’t rot quickly, like spruce, cedar or pine, preferably treated with some sort of non-toxic preservative for longevity. You can have these cut at your local building supply store, or cut them yourself if you have access to a small sawmill like we do.
- About 45 minutes to put it all together (less time if you’re using an electric screwdriver).
So I think we’ll be trying out another Composter Bracket Set to create a second bin for our composting system. We don’t have a lot of material, so this system works quite well.
Lee Valley Composter Bracket Set – $89.50 (US/CDN) plus shipping (as of July 2012).
What sort of composting system have you found works best on your rural property? Share it in the comments below – we’d love to hear what everyone is using to help build the structure of their food-growing soils.
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The composting method we used on the farm in New Zealand is to dig out the area of the garden wanting to be used for composting. Part of the dug out area is filled with, brush, hedge clippings and all woody celluloses material. Part of the excavated soil would then be back filled giving a 50mm covering over the wooden material. All the kitchen scrapes, newspaper, would be continuously spread over the area, This section is seeded with worms.With each new waste soil would cover it. The top is always covered with carpet. This protects the worms, and maintains a constant temperature. Every 200mm rise, a lift of sand 20mm high would be spread over the composting area. This is important, as the sand introduces minerals, which enhances the nurtrements. Without a good variety of mineral breaking down in the soil, the plants have no tast, staminer, and have difficulty surviving. All waste such as coffee, tea, milk, all make for a vibrant soil. The wood breakes down in time, but is important adding valabule carbon content. When the composting section reaches the desired height, usually when there is no more cover soil. Then the process just keep moving along aroung the garden. This is just as mother nature does it in the bush. every now and again, she blows a volcano, to sprinakle the nessary minerals. Morden day alarmist cry leachate, think of every forest floor, wetland, the world has suvived with greater amounts a clean organic leacht than any litte farm in soil composting. The produce will be so abundant, never,never need fertlizer. we put annimal manures, a real cocktail of plant food. If you have to much wooden material, we burn the larger bits, the potash is a wonderful additional fertlizer. Two of my childern grew enough produce to fund their college.
Those who now live in the city still compost this way.
Barry the airecut man
Thanks so much for stopping by, Barry. That sounds like ‘hugelkultur’, something I keep saying I’m going to try but haven’t yet. I have seen it in action at some of my permaculture classes, though, and it looks like such a brilliant method of conserving water AND dealing with woody waste without resorting to burning it. Thanks so much for this – you’ve put a fire under me to give this a real try!
Could you describe the method to anchor the metal corners into the ground???
How does that work so they stay upright??
Thanks
They aren’t actually anchored at all – they just sit on top. They stay upright when you get the boards in straight… 😉 Which, I have to say, I didn’t do the first time and had to take it all apart. You have to do it according to the instructions, which I didn’t do (ahem).
I’ve been thinking about getting some of these corners for some time now. My question is can you leave one of the sections off? Say for instance, leave the front off, and add the boards one at at a time as your compost level increases? I would think it would be easier this way to turn the compost as you go. Or maybe this isn’t necessary?
Your son is adorable! What a great helper!
Is Lee Valley the only source for these brackets? I have used them for years in a three bin system with great success. I purchased them from a source in the US but I don’t recall where. I would like to set my daughter up with a set.
They are out of stock at Lee Valley and may or may not be replenished.
I wouldn’t use any other type.
Great question. I have no idea. I actually bought a couple of sets so still have an unused set here. If shipping wasn’t crazy expensive I’d send them to you!