Trash Can Composting is EASY!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2024
- Live in an urban environment? Can't have a compost pile? Let the power of the sun, and the efficiency of a trash can help you make great organic compost for your garden without the fuss!
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We’ve been using two cans for years. But my husband drilled drainage/air holes along the sides and bottom, and then uses a drill with a large auger bit to stir it up. Easy peasy!
Thank you for helping people live within their environment.
Drill holes in bottom, put pieces of screen on bottom so nothing comes out (especially if using composting worms), put compost can up on blocks with space below for a bin or basin underneath to catch composting liquid "tea" to water plants with.
One of our compost bins is a re-purposed city trash can with holes drilled in it for aeration. It works very well. We're growing sunchokes and blueberries right now in the compost we made in it last year. Brock Rocks!
I have 3 of these. Also mine have lids that lock so my workout is rolling them around the yard lol. Also the bears don't get into them like them do my friends open bin. Thanks for the great tip!!
Great explanation on the composting process, one thing i would add in an urban environment is an indoor red wiggler bin which is odor free if maintained and produces amazing worm poo they are voracious eaters and great for recycling compostable leftovers from the kitchen.
I use this method and found that, when the compost is finished, there's no more smell. I also make The BOSS soil innoculant starting with rice water. It really boosts the bioavailability of nutrients for the plants.
Great video Luke. I already have a huge compost bin made from used pallets, but I also LOVE this method for the exact reasons you mentioned. Using 30 or 50 gallon trash bins is faster to heat up. It's a great way to organize the different types of compost (I also make leaf mold, bokashi compost, and just ordinary compost). It's easier to cover because you dont have to use a tarp or build a makeshift roof top. And,,,,,It's easier to turn because you only have a trash bin full of material to work. Now I need to go get some more bins too.. LOL. Thanks for sharing this one
Thank you for this idea! I’ve always wanted to compost but never had the space especially where I just moved too! I’m definitely going to give this a tree. I’ve turned one of my balcony’s in a garden as well! Thanks for all the information you put out! I’ve been binge watching all of your videos!
We drilled holes into the sides & base of ours when we used this method Luke.. Helps to let air in & excess moisture out..
Cheers :)
That is a good idea! how did your compost turn out?
***** Really good but not a fine grade like the last lot we made ;-)
We were turning over barrels of horse manure & mushroom compost in 2 weeks.. After it cooled down we found that if you leave the barrel/bin in place for another 2 weeks worms would find their way into the manure as well making it even better ;)
Rob Bob wow! I like horse manure, but I can't stand the weeds... SO many weeds.
***** Thats where the "cooking"comes in ;)
Do i still Need to flip the compost or does the holes in bottom and sides make that unnessesary?
Thanks for the information of composting in a trash can and explaining all the components of the amendments and their purpose.
thank you!! learning so much from you and others who post here. love the gardening movement. lol thanks so much!
got a new subscriber because this video, my husband and me just started our new garden/mini farm. thanks for your tips :)
Living in a city with a very small property I spent 12 years composting in two containers. The containers were very big unglazed clay pots. I can tell you that I never flipped my pile. I let the two pots sit in a sunny place by a green hedge. They looked very natural, part of the garden "decor". I put my kitchen scraps of raw food peelings/waste, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc. Since I eat all organic the compost is organic (in my mind). I add the yard clippings as I generate them (green and dried). I let the pots sit and add to them all year. I sprinkle them with water whenever I water the garden. Thats it. By winters end I have a lovely wheelbarrow full of compost, complete with worms and a variety of nematodes and pill bugs, etc. Sometimes I sprinkle organic steer manure on top in the spring (in fact most years I did this). Its my thought that the airiness of the clay pot allows enough air to constantly access your pile so you never need to turn it. Of course I don't generate massive amounts of compost this way but enough for a part of my need. Probably should mention I live in So Cal so the weather here may support this type of composting.
Mary Ethridge lol not one person will read all that.. I didn’t
Thanks for sharing. I read it all!
Mary Ethridge. Thanks Mary, i read it too. Going to try it. 🌱🌻🌱🌻
It took you an entire summer for 1 wheelbarrow. lol Wow not turning is really working out for you.
Yes I did read it too
Make in a garden pot if you love in an Apt. Those fabric pots work well . Same method layer brown(paper/leaves) with green (food scraps; blend up makes it go faster) plus water, not too soggy. Cover with plastic & use some type of clips.
Thank you so much for answering my question!!! It was very helpful! I will definitely be giving this method a try!
MoeMoe C n
Thanks for the tips composting and mulch are so important
Things to watch, they can freeze and break in the winter, and drill a few holes for a better air circulation and drainage. Thanks Luke for your videos
I did that several years ago and flipped it regularly. After over a year it had hardly started breaking down. Since then I started a pile that I layer but don't have confined, and by springtime it's completely finished, especially underneath. Throwing on leaves with each kitchen scrap bucket addition, plus a bit of wood ash keeps it from smelling at all. Huge squash vines (which I never fertilize) grow out of this pile if I don't use it all for my beds.
Thanks for your teaching
Good idea! Way to keep it contained and easy to use.
Thank you for sharing. Great job!
Nice. I’m researching on Compost too also.👍🏼living in a small area. Thanks Love from Austin Tx❤️
Great job..I think I'll try that since I never cooked on a grill before..Thank you
Thankyou for your no nonsense good information. I've learned heaps - (Toowoomba Qld Australia )👍
🌱🌺🐝🦋🧚♀️
My pile wasn't heating up and also had trouble with animals getting the scraps. I just put most of my pile into a 33gal container after watching this video. Thanks for the great info.
@ Jacob Fleener
How do you stir/mix/flip your compost in this size of a trash can? Seems like it would be pretty deep.
Sounds like a great idea, though.
I use my old broken garbage can like this method but mine is a garbage can that has handles on the sides. I drive a metal stake through the handles into the ground so the can doesn't fall over. Then I take Bungie Cords around the handles over the lid. I also pierce holes in the sides for air, the has cracks and a few holes too. I've been doing this for a few years and have not had any rodents. My can is filled with table scraps, coffee grounds & filters, shredded paper, and leaves. I keep a bag of topsoil to top off the green scraps especially during the winter.
Awesome update I am using a big wheelie bin as well as my normal compost bins
Thanks for this video. I constructed a little compost bin out of pallets out the back of my house, I was so proud of it, but my neighbours have just deconstructed it and left me with a little pile of lumber :( I will try this method instead and hopefully everyone will be happy with this compromise. Maybe I'll use the lumber to make raised beds :) But thanks for addressing the urban gardening etiquette issue. The challenge is very real!
That is trespassing and vandalism. Why I sacrificed and put up a fence.
A great Video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Good compost is very important for the gardener.
Yes old man
Brock Hughes' channel is so much fun because he's usually drinking a beer (at least one!) in each episode. As for composting, I've chosen not to have a pile but instead have been doing it in those rectangular RubberMaid bins. To help speed up the composting process, when the bin is full I spray the contents with a mix of beer, soda, and ammonia. It accelerates the decomposition so that after turning it every couple of days I can usually have usable compost within 2 weeks time. What I actually do is store it in 5 gal. buckets and then use the oldest stuff when preparing a space for planting. But I never thought about having a dark bin (mine's gray). I'm running out to the store tomorrow and getting a black bin to use!
Gotta stay hydrated! ;)
Any particular beer or soda?
@@theknockoutladysaint23 Cheapest cola and suds you can find.
thanks for the tips brotha, liked and subscribed
This is soooooo awesome
Thank you so much! I have some wire chicken wire in a ring that I'm throwing mine in but I don't think it's going to keep Critters out I think I will go and find me a can and try your method thanks for sharing
definitely need to turn that pile! we are turning ours every day now. The stench of Ammonia is incredible if we don't. We have a suburban garden and were trying to compost enough material for spring planting but we aren't remotely close to that yet. We are using grass clippings, branches and leaves- we should have enough for next year's raised beds- this year it was soil by the bag and it was EXPENSIVE.
How do you turn, like with a pitchfork or shovel?
Shirley Granander we have both. Pitchfork works better, it gets stuck in the pile much less.
Hi Luke,
I love that you chose to feature Brock! He's such a great guy. I love how much he laughs during his videos. He makes me smile. As for this episode - Really good in compost info Luke! I plan to do an episode on my compost pile soon (just a little look see)
Thanks for sharing all your knowledge!
Scarlett
Ps. I am very impressed, you have 400+ videos! I am trying to work my way through them all.
Very nice body of work Luke!
Thanks. I'm going to try this.
Great episode Luke. I use 2 bins atm and a compost pile I have a couple holes in bottom because it was very smelly with excess moisture, as it turned a bit boggy. When I started it, it was a lot of greens (food scraps, grass cuttings etc) as I wasn't aware about using browns. But since I added some browns it has stopped smelling and turned into beautiful compost. One brilliant perk with holes in the bottom is that the worms can get into it which is great I have loads in there. I was just curious as to why you just wanted the leaf mould? Are you just using it as regular compost? I am a new gardener and trying to learn. Love the channel by the way very informative and honest and I think it's awesome that your all about the craft and not for profit (you sell seeds yet very cheap and still encourage people to save their own and do giveaways etc) I thank you for all the information that has been helping me to grow as a gardener. Looking forward to more episodes
I just pile mine up high, even if it is a small pile I have gotten mine to heat up in the middle by piling it and mixing it up from time to time. I have even gotten just leaves to heat up! I don't mind the creepy crawlies, they are there to help break things down.
Great video, keep up the great work and videos!
thanks for enjoying!
check out your local coffee shop, most of the time they will give u their leftover grounds. I know starbucks does
Thanks, interesting and helpful..
Thank you for the information!
My compost of mostly grass is indistinguishable from dirt after 3 weeks. I gather the leaves with a mower in the the fall and then add them to the grass to slow the process down. After 2 weeks its through the hot phase and gets thrown into a pile for the worms to work through it or until I'm ready to use it.
Also have one of those and it´s doing fine...even so I had some issues with it in the beginning. Some water got trapped in the bottom and anerobic bacteria started to cause an ugly smell. This usually can¨t happen in a pile. So the holes in the bottom are a must. Lot´s of holes not only helps higher oxygens needs caused by heating. It also helps the microbes that come with the airflow to colonize. Needless to say...that includes also some gritters that are visible. That´s how nature works, Unfortunatly some neighbours don,t know enough about nature. So here the answer is COSMETICS and trash cans pass inspections.
The effect of solar heat helps me a lot with the cooking, the mixture of different materials is not all the times optimum and that has a great influence in the time the stuff takes to brake down.
In industrial waiste plants lots of fossil fuel based energy is used to create heat to control an exact temperature for optimizing that process with objective to iliminate patogenes.
Another solution is the Biogas Digester.....the principals of how it works are very simple and worth knowing...... lot´s of vids on Ytube about small sistems
do you have holes on the bottom for air and or dripping? thank you for all your advice, I learned alot.
your so brilliant!
Great compost method. Very effective yet inexpensive. What could go wrong? thanks Luke.
Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for watching!
If composting in bins during the summer heat, do not use bloodmeal and add raw squash/gourds/pumpkin sparingly. If leaves are scarce, use twigs/branches, wood chips, pine needles, broken up pine cones, dead grass, soaked strips of newspaper, etc. Using a white to light brown bin is better. A five gallon bucket will also work if you don't have much to compost and don't mind cutting up food into fairly small pieces. Have another bucket of the same size and turn the compost by alternating buckets everyday or every other day and stirring every few days, and obviously don't overfill the bucket.
Iv done this can get stinky requires more work you must roll around can I like on ground better just flip with shove easier new brown works very good toilet paper rolls ripped up and dryer lint I have tons of this and it's helped a lot
Think I will try it.
Great video.
Thanks, here is a bit of a different twist
I have had great results with the following:
1 large bin with holes in sides and large (10 -12 inches, more later) opening in top
2 With top OFF turn bin UPSIDE-DOWN and place on soil (why? more later)
3 begin filling with scraps, yard waste & coffee grounds and torn cardboard &, &, &.
4 When pile is compacted and needs turning, tilt trash can and lift- compost flows down easily and bottom material is moved to top with garden fork.
5 When you need compost, tilt/lift and contents spill out of bottom
6 The top of the can can be used upside down as a birdbath (tether to prevent flying in wind)
This method runs cool and aerobic and is an excellent worm habitat/incubator. Worms survived the winter but I covered it with garbage bags in the coldest part of the winter.
I have never had problems with moisture or smell and have harvested about 300 Lbs of compost in 6 months with a 40 gallon can.
Do you have this on a different page somewhere?
I need a video of this!
Couldn't make sense of what you are explaining. I must be a visual learner. Is there a blog post or video on your method? Thanks.
This is great. Many store-bought compost systems are also open in the bottom. A fine metal mesh will keep moles, rats and mice out (a must if you compost kitchen waste). The worms can go down through the bottom and into the ground if the compost starts to freeze in winter, then they'll come back up in spring.
I like the intro music & multiple picture intro you used 8 years ago. Please bring it back in your new videos.
I bought the cheapest large trash can that Walmart sells, drilled holes in the bottom, sides, and top, and use that as my compost bin. I turn it on it’s sides and roll it around a bit weekly to help oxygenate the pile.
How do you flip it ? Do you have drain holes in the bottom ? Can I put kitchen scraps in there ?
Bags not good because birds, animals get into bags tearing & scattering contents.
The whole process of composting generates heat. My SE Michigan semi urban lot ended up with an unexpected compost pile that included fallen tree limbs. It generated enough heat for neighborhood cats to winter over. I was always strict about a no chemicals rule. After a snow, it was always clear that the wild animals knew that it was safe to dig through the snow on my lawn for nuts and weeds. Everyone else would have an unbroken expanse of snow. My snow was broken by hundreds of small holes where wild creatures were finding safe food. I used companion planting to keep them out of my vegetable garden, but I was pleased that I was not spoiling the habitat for the wild animals that coexist with us.
super!! more of us need to keep an eye out for our little friends (owner of three pet Dutch bunnies)
That's very cool! My yard seems to be wild america as well. We even had a bear visit recently. It made the national news and he hung out in our backyard for awhile ... we weren't even home to experience but I'm sure it's because my yard has lots of water & food sources.
Hello, I'd like to know what you mean by "companion planting", please.
Kathryn Shaw n
I like that full circle aspect as well.
Do u have any experience with free flow worm bins? Its something I'm trying to do but can't good vids on it
I have been using a metal burn barrel (came with lid) as a composter but it's very heavy so I can't flip it. Should I switch to a trash can?
Yes! when you said about keeping some of the old compost it's the only way for me! I'm in a cool temperate area and use a bin method like this in summer. Rest of the time I use a small tumbler and 2 cold compost bins as I can't get the heat/volume needed. Even so always keep some of the old to kickstart the new
Hi Luke, can i keep the can compost going through winter in NY? My friend said its too cold. Any thoughts for new gardener. Thanks for great videos!
Hey Luke - I was wondering if the heat generated by compost could be used to keep a greenhouse warm. I would think that a series of trash can compost bins in a greenhouse would keep the greenhouse warmer and in turn the warmer greenhouse would keep the compost breaking down.
Luke, if u add bokashi innoculant or a few cups of finished bokashi compost then it will not stink. Bokashi is designed to be anaerobic and uses certain microbes, it will smell like pickle juice instead of death.
I've used a wheelie bin to compost kitchen scraps and weeds for several years. It works but the result is not crumbly black compost such as you get from an open pile. Since you can't easily turn the contents there is very little exposure to oxygen and this leads to a strong 'farmyard' aroma. I don't mind this but I'm conscious that neighbours might. So what I do when I judge that decomposition has gone far enough is to dig a hole in one of my raised beds and tip in the bin's contents. Then I rake back soil to cover to a depth of 6 inches or so. The odour is gone in hours. There are theoretical ideas suggesting that this is not a sound idea, but my crops are abundant and next time I dig the raised bed there's nothing much to see of my input material.
Your very good!
Ahhh! Luke is so young in this one!
That is such a great method....easy, fast and convenient :-)
it is really fast, especially if you put in a nitrogen source, it really speeds things along quickly.
How do you turn it? I tried this last year but am rather small. I had a hard time turning. I was also told to put holes in the can for air.
This is a great solution if neighbors object to a standard three bin composting system. I’ve used mine for composting things that compost slowly like twigs, burlap bags and magnolia leaves.
I have seen people use trenches for composting. They dug a trench, filled it with weeds, leaves, etc, backfill 4 to 5 inches of soil on top and then plant French marigolds over the trench. Since this is a pile that can’t be turned easily, it doesn’t heat up and can take two to three years to decompose. In the end you are left with a layer of humus-rich soil to plant on top of. If your soil is poor to begin with, this is worth the labor of digging trenches.
What you are describing sounds a little like hugelculture. You can put large branches and even tree stems in the bottom of such a pile and they will help retain moisture and break down over many years to add nutrients to the plants on top.
the easiest way I've seen is getting a plastic barrel and cutting a 1-2 foot sqare out the side of it and lay it on the ground, reattach the piece of barrel in the hole with some cheap hinges and fill it with the composting material, then close the new door and drill a few holes in the barrel for drainage and aeration.
I am going do this tomorrow
I had a really nice compost going then winter arrived. My compost is frozen, what do I do about that? This is my first year with composting. I really wanted to use it this Spring...
Handsome farmer.
The other day I swept up my leaves from my back yard. I was thinking to use some of it for my start at composting. The thing is I found some pine needles, small bits of plastic, and a few ciggeret butts mixed in with them. I wanna start off organic, do you think I'd be fine pulling out the plastic and butts and using my leaves as a base. Should I clean them off or use something else. Also I wanted to add some of the leaves that have been there have been breaking down over the season. Help!! Lol
Thank you for this video and my lovely seeds that arrived the other day, but I have a question. Do you dump out the contents of the compost onto the ground and then put it back in or do you just roll the trash can on the ground in order to aerate it.
I love your Video's! I also live in Mi and find your tips and information so helpful being we are in the same state. :) My question about composting involves using leaves, I heard that only certain leaves should be used, is this true? We have a variety of trees in my yard and would hate to "separate" them in the fall. Thank you in advance and keep the video's coming! :)
So could I use a liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion to introduce nitrogen when no green is around? Thanks your videos help alot!
If you throw kitchen vegetable scraps, will you have critters wandering in and around your backyard/house? If you use open pile, I assume yes; If you use, closed bin (even with holes), there shouldn't be a problem, correct?
I am doing a trash can Compost.And my compost is leaves and grass clipping and kitchen scraps.And i turns it. But it not getting hot but its breaking down. smells like earth.So do it supposed to be getting hot
Great information, thank you! I'm doing this! So, do we drill holes for drainage, or no? Should the contents be moist at all times? I think that is where I'm failing at composting....we live in SoCal and right now its over 100degrees everyday. My compost bin is neglected, and I haven't added water often, hense a dry heap of garden waste.....no compost. Thanks in advance! Just discovered your channel and love it!
gourmetgirl69 yes, drilling holes would be nice in the bottom. The stuff will compost a bit better. Also, yes, the contents should be moist at all times. not wet, not dripping, but damp. almost humid to the touch.
I live on 2 ac but don't collect grass clippings and mostly have fir trees(hard to colect those in my area). I have chickens and want to use the manure in the compost.
Have you ever tried because BOKASHI composting what are your thoughts on that? I know the liquid is supposed to make a great fertilizer as well however I don’t know how the nitrogen and phosphorus and other levels measure out with that.
So I've used a square kitchen garbage can. Drilled holes bottom sides. Placed on bricks. Been using grass clipping wood chips from black kow compost and even card board. But my stuff Is like so compacted and still stinks. I shovel it once a day. Could it be its ready or what am I doing wrong? I even have been adding chicken feed and humichar with compost starter bacteria to help..thanks!
where did your brown leaves come from when in june?
Do we have to have a sunny spot for compost bin?
I'm trying to make a compost, its been a week and My compost smells..is this normal? I just a beginner here..thanks for any help
Okay I have a question if you put stuff like scrap tomatoes from the garden that fell off the plant and pepper won’t the seeds from both start growing in there and then we would have tomato and pepper plants growing in the compost bins that’s one of my concerns. Also doesn’t the garbage bin need air holes on the bottom and some near the top for air circulation and also for drainage??
It should have air holes on the bottom and sides so it can "breathe" and drain.
Actually, by turning it once a week, that aerates it and you don't need the holes.
I'm in a similar situation... I and my family lived on family owned land for over 100 years (I only have lived there 35 or 35 years of my life)... We had huge gardens (3, 2 acre fields) every year. I started gardening when i was about 4 years old when papa would till up my own little garden. Through out the years unlike most kids i couldn't wait to get home from school to work in my garden.
The owner of the family property passed away and within two months the daughters had the 20 acres sold to a real estate developer where they are going to plop down 32, $800k+ homes on top of my gardens, and now for the first time in my life i'm living in a rental property on under half an acre in a neighborhood and i'm about to go insane!
I'm researching composting, container gardening and raised beds. I had HUGE piles of compost, but i can no longer do that anymore. I'm bouncing off the walls because by this time of the year my fields would have already been turned and spring crops in the ground.
:(
HALF AN ACRE ???????????/ LOL.LOL.LOL.
in britain that is A FARM !!!
get and look at what we do with half an acre !!
I think family land passed down is sacred. Land is more of a thing to be cared for than a possession, but having family land kept in a family is a sacred thing, in my opinion.
Selfishness and greed always win and then they destroy everything. My 'rural' area has been ruined even the quarry lake has been filled in for more unimaginative concrete shoe boxes.
Chris Jones looks like the moral of the story is never leave anything to girls 🤔
You just seem like a cool dude, I would like to meet you one day
That would be good to keep groundhogs away.
Thanks for your video. I didn't know about leaf mold, so new information for my first year of gardening. I've seen a few trashcan composters, but it appears the trashcan manufacturers have changed their designs and none are locking lids. The ones I've seen on TH-cam turn the trashcan on the side and just roll it around a bit to mix everything up. I notice that yours is not a locking lid either, so how do you "turn" the compost? Thanks for your answer or to anyone else who may have the answer.
I have a Rubbermaid and the lid snaps into place, so I can roll it, but sometimes it snaps out of place and things get ikky. However, I've seen some people attach bungee cords over the top via the handles to secure the lid in place. Rolling works well, but since it can also be messy, I usually mix things up using one of my garden tools. However, I just ordered a Tumbleweed corkscrew-style compost aerator and I think it will work great with this type of bin.
did you drill any holes in the can?
But you never told us how you flip it or how to mix around. Does sound hard. I do not know how much a compost bin would cost
I was wondering the same.
Can wood chips be used as the brown matter? I have no access to dead leaves where I live, but do have wood chips.
I have a question.
I have had a compost bin for about 3-4 years, and in that time I have never turned it. Only because I find it very difficult to turn it since it gets so full. I don't have much use for the compost, and cannot give it to anyone, so the compost in is so full now (with 99% fruit and veg because I eat a lot), so not a lot of brown matter unfortunately and because it has been anaerobic for a few years it really stinks.
My question, what would you suggest I do with it? I really only use it to prevent landfill food waste for the planet. So unfortunately all I can do it keep adding matter and it is anaerobic, slimy and smelly. And so full I can only just put the lid back on, and I add bits and pieces every day...
Thanks.
How do you flip the compost?
Find a homebrewer. Spent beer a grains are a great source of nitrogen.
Better yet, become one. ;)
How do you know when you compost is done and how long does this method take?