what type of compost bin to get?

I'm new to DG and to composting. I really want to compost but have some limitations...I'm hoping y'all can provide some direction.

I live on a very small--I'm talking postage stamp here--urban lot with rigid association rules. (We bought this home BEFORE my addiction to dirt and plants.) I have a little spot, about 4' x 3', where I could have a compost pile/bin, so long as it was unobtrusive. That spot receives the tiniest sliver of early morning sunlight.

My other limitation would be my DH's unhappiness with throwing food scraps outdoors that would invite critters. So something very contained would be better than an open pile.

I've researched bins, and the stacking type looked like a possibility. But overall, most of the bins seemed to be lacking in one way or another. Suggestions?

Also wondering if anyone has modified their own?

We use pallets for our bins, but this is not as my DH calls them " a communist community". Check thru the composting threads there's a lot of information on which commercial composters work best. Food scraps only include things like, egg shells, veggie peelings, coffee grounds etc. NO MEAT, NO DAIRY. A working compost bin has no odor other than an earthy type smell. Just like turning fresh dirt.

You're so lucky to plant and dig in freedom! We purchased home with intent to resale in 5 or so years--only one more year to go! :)

I have been extra diligent about not putting anything except those food items you mentioned, doccat. And I try to bury it well. I personally have not come across any 'critters' but DH is convinced it's a bad thing, hence something covered to keep both of us happy. ;)

Thanks for the feedback...gonna continue searching.

He will be an amazed and much happier camper when he finds out that stuff will same you money in fertilizer and is just better for your soil. Bless him, he must be a "city boy".........grin...tis ok, he'll learn!

lol!

Goodluck, plantmover!

Thanks Dean! :)

My sympathies to wanting compost and having so little space to work on it. I assume you've read the threads discussing different types of bins. About the only way I get finished compost out of an Earth Machine bin is to periodically pick up the whole bin and put it down in another spot and sift the first pile and put unfinished stuff in the new spot. well, you could pick it up, sift and put back in the same place.

Plantmover,
As long as you always cover the food scraps with a layer of grass clippings, leaves, straw, older compost, or potting soil, etc. each time you add it to your bin of choice there should be no problem with "critters". Any potential smell is covered. I use the Earth Machine because it was free after I took a compost workshop the County Extension offered. It has a lot of capacity so may take a while to break down but it does and after my first year filling it in stages it produced nice compost. It never seems to get very hot but breaks down nevertheless. I turn it with one of those compost aerators with wings on the bottom. While the wings sometimes stick if the compost is too wet they at least keep the pile aerated.
An acquaintance uses sallyg's method to get the compost to heat up but I don't have the time to move the whole bin. Whatever you decide to get will probably work fine and you will be thrilled with your new "black gold". Good luck!

you may have better luck than me by using the wing aerator in the earth machine or other stack bin. I don't aerate it. Maybe you could build up a deep layer of finsihed compost in the bottom oft the bin that you could shovel out from, and keep adding and stirring to the top.

Thank you, sallyg and gardadore, for the great advice and encouragement! I'm gonna check into the Earth Machine--it's a good size for the space. One way or another, I'm gonna have 'black gold'! :)

Plantmover:
Here's a site with info on the Earth Machine:
http://www.compost-bin.org/earth-machine/

and this one will give you info on just about any compost bin available!
http://www.composters.com/

Check to see if your local municipality or County Extension offers composters for a reduced price or free with a workshop. The Earth Machine seems to be the composter of choice in this area of PA. I got two for $10 each a few years ago from a neighboring municipality who didn't care who bought them (they were pushing composting!) and the third one free from my County Extension.

wow--you got great deals, gardadore--nice! I'll see what I can find out--thanks for the links!

I have a Biostack, actually 2 of them, and I recommend them highly.

http://www.smithandhawken.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=prod21199&categoryId=cat240046p&sku=21199

Karen

Thanks Karen! I've considered getting two for a rotation of sorts, so that while one is 'cooking' I can be filling up the other. Is that how you use yours?

Plantmover, haven't seen to much positive feedback on the tumbler composters. The biostack keeps coming up as the best one of the bunch.

First, I only actively work at the compost from late spring thru fall. I now have a bin which was full a couple of weeks ago. That's sitting in the one bin, passively composting for winter. I'll flip it when the weather starts to warm, probably in late Feb or early Mar, then spread on my beds when it seems finished. The 2nd bin is now stuffed with shredded leaves for next year.

After I spread that batch in spring I'll start up again. I'll compost in one bin, easily flipping back and forth in 2 spots and use up the leaves in the other bin. This is easy to do with the tiered bin, and I can "borrow" a tier to move from one to another as necessary. As I use the leaves, that one will be only 2 tiers and the active one will grow to 4. After all the leaves in bin #2 are used up, I'll start moving almost done stuff to that one to let it mature a little more for a couple of months. In essence, the # of tiers varies according to my wants and needs. Sometimes the curing one starts and only one tier (maybe 10" tall?), while I have one 3 level one hot composting and one 2 level one maturing. As I said, it varies a lot and the stacking tiers allows it to be used that way- 2 bigger bins or 1 big one small, or even 3 small.

The Biostack works great for me and can be very versatile. They're a big investment so I hope they last a long time. But I wouldn't want any other kind of bin since using these.

Karen

Hi doccat5- I hear ya on the tumblers. I'm kinda torn between the biostack and the earth machine, especially since earth machine is so much cheaper. Perhaps I should get one of each...OH, SANTA!

Do you have a compost thermometer? Santa brought me one last year and it's fun. Not necessary, but just fun to monitor your progress. Maybe you should put that on your list for Santa, too.

I've started giving lists to my Santas in the last couple of years. I am married to a nice generous Santa who has always bought me stuff like expensive clothes (which I never wear) and jewelry. Now I ask him for things like books (he brought me 3 compost related books last year), a compost thermometer, seedling tools, etc. The year before that a bale of Pro-Mix..... This year the list includes things like a circle hoe, a timer for the hose faucet, stuff like that.

These are gifts I prefer. Diamonds aren't every girl's best friend.

Karen

Having earth machine, I would vote for Biostack. I can see where the changing depth would be great versatility. How big across is Biostack? I thought it was too big for you to work with two in your space, plantmover.

Wow Karen, you've got it down to a science-NICE! I like your method of interchanging them to work according to your needs and wants. You may've just convinced me--thanks for your help!

For whatever reason, I thought using a bin made for a shorter decomposing cycle. But perhaps it's still a seasonal thing, just like in nature.

You make an excellent point, sallyg! The biostack is actually a little smaller, 28" instead of 33-34." But I'll have to take exact measurements, and consider airflow, before doing any purchasing. Not to mention, one is probably plenty for this newb.

Love your wish list ideas, kqcrna--spoken like a true gardener! :) I'll have to add a thermometer to mine.

Thanks ladies!

Many people in cold winter climates do get very hot compost in winter, I just don't want to be out there in freezing weather. I hate to be cold. I get cold in Nov and don't thaw until about March. I freeze in the OR all day then come home to a cold house. We have electric heat with a heat pump and it never feels warm. I hate it but gas heat is not an option for us. So I just don't want to go out in winter if I don't have to.

You'll read that you can't get hot compost in less than a cubic foot. Don't believe it. Mine generally gets to 130 to 150 degrees within a day of adding to it. Sometimes I get that when it's only about half full. I monitor the temp all summer.

Karen

Do the biostack or earth machine require lifting? That is my stumbling block. I'm using a tumbler because I can turn it easily.

Agree with that one kqcrna. You can get compost hot in any size bin if you use the right ingredients, even trash bags.

would leaves and bunny poop be good enough in black trash bags? maybe a little coffee grounds?

Sure, and also add some shredder newspaper. You need to poke a few holes in the bag for drainage though. It's not as fast, but you'll get good stuff and it's easier to turn, which is becomes a major issue with me. I've asked Santa to make some modifications to the next set of bins to make it a little easier for me. Here a pic of my Santa hauling some leaves to the back of the property, with proper supervision, of course. LOL

I can't decide who's cuter, santa or the supervisors. Thanks for the info.

Cathy4: I'm not sure what you mean by "require lifting". The Biostack is comprised of 3 bottomless tiers. (Lightweight plastic). I flip the compost by moving the top tier from point A to point B, then forking over contents to the new spot with a 10 tine fork. Then move tier 2, fork contents to fill it, etc. How heavy it is depends on how much material you pick up with each fork full. I move a fairly small amount each time, so it takes me longer. My husband moves a huge fork full at once so it only takes him a few minutes. This is the best way to aerate the compost and encourage faster composting. But you can just throw stuff in there and let it slowly rot, which it will eventually do. That way just takes longer.

It's hard work but good exercise. I'm a small 55 year old woman and I do it, though. I wouldn't say I'm a really strong person. But I do like to play in the compost, and it makes me feel good.

Karen

theoretically you can dig finished compost from the hatch at the bottom of the earthmachine, but I usually can't, its too fibrous(unfinished) or packed down. Flipping, like Karen does, gives you access to the good stuff in the bottom center.

I had a square, solid black compost bin with doors at the bottom. I probably had that thing for 15 years. Once the door was open, stuff fell out, the door wouldn't close again. I could in no way lift it to place in another spot to flip it, so it never got flipped and aerated. It took almost a year to get finished compost.

With flipping the Biostack once every week or two, I get compost in a few months, and far more of it.

Karen

Gosh, all y'alls experiences are a lifesaver! (poor grammar, I know, but when in Rome...)

I really like the versatility of the biostack, and I think my back will appreciate it too. It's the one I initially liked the most; and now that I've heard y'alls pros/cons, I feel good about spending the money. That was the biggest drawback...spending so much without really knowing if it'd work. Many thanks! ~plantmover

Honey chil' just figure the amount you'd spend on fertilzer etc. That bin will pay for itself in no time. Plus, you will know exactly what you're putting on your soil........grin

Also counts as dues for an exercise club. It's getting cheaper by the minute.

ahhh, I love the way you think, doccat5! :)

btw, I keep checking my little compost pile for heat. (shhhh, it's a secret; don't tell my DH or the association; but I just couldn't stand letting even one leaf go to curbside pickup!) You'd have yourself a hayday with all the leaves that get bagged up in this community.

lol...love it, cathy4!

Now divide by the 10 years you will have it (could be more, 10 is easy to divide) I do this to my husband, drives him nuts.

Besides all those lovely plants, the HOA will be thinking your feeding em drugs or something...........grin. Plp that don't garden get a little strange that way, I've noticed. LOL

Who knew a person could learn so much from the soil & compost forum?! Too fun. :)

Wow, after all this sharing you have convinced me to add a Biostack to my Earth Machines next spring! I don't know how long the Biostacks have been around but at the time I couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and the Earth Machines were the offerings! I never lift them, move them and add the unfinished compost, but that is the only way friends of mine can get the compost to heat up. I do practically wind up crawling into them to keep the compost loose and broken up. They do compact if you don't keep after them but I have always been able to get the bottom doors back on.
However, can one ever have too many compost bins??? The more compost the merrier! LOL
Karen's antics with the Biostack sound like a wonderful choreographed dance. I'll have to read the thread a couple of times to get the routine down but it sounds promising and actually better than trying to flip the compost inside the Earth Machine! I enjoy playing in the compost too!
So, Plantfinder, I add my vote to Karen's and Sallg's for the Biostack as your first bin. I wouldn't purchase the Earth Machine, get it only if it's a great offer locally. Have you been good this year?!! If so Santa should find a way! Then enjoy and let us know how you fare!! Jessica