make a compost bin

You will need:

Tools and equipment: Compound mitre drop saw; cordless drill and bits; hammer and paint brush.

Materials: Timber (all H3.5 treated): ten lengths of 70mm x 45mm – four at 750mm long for corner posts and six at 650mm long for top and base frames; eleven 140mm x 18mm at 700mm long – five for the lid and six for the door (these will need to be trimmed to fit); four battens 40mm x 18mm at 1800mm for the bracing strips, door and lid frames, and guide rails. Plastic mesh, three squares cut to fit; sandpaper; galvanised and stainless steel screws and staple nails; Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain tinted to Resene Heartwood; one exterior-use handle for the lid.

Step 5a:  Cut the mesh to fit the sides and staple nail to the frame, keeping the mesh as taut as possible.

Step 6:  Apply a second coat of Resene Waterborne Woodsman stain to the entire structure. Collect your kitchen scraps and start composting.

Composting tips

• Composting is the ultimate in recycling, turning rubbish into plant food.
• Start with a layer of coarsely chopped twiggy material on bare soil or grass. Add alternate layers of wet material (veggie scraps, manure, fresh lawn clippings, seaweed, coffee grounds) and dry material (dry grass and leaves, shredded paper or egg cartons, sawdust, twigs) preferably in layers no more than 5-10cm deep.
• Don't use invasive weeds with seeds, pet manure, meat scraps or plants you've treated with herbicides. Compost needs to be the right moisture level and temperature, and needs air. Wet the compost occasionally so that it stays moist, without becoming sloppy. Turn the compost every week or so to aerate it.
• Occasionally sprinkle the compost with some soil, ready-made compost, Blood & Bone or commercial compost maker.
• Compost is ready when it becomes a sweet, dark, crumbly material and you cannot distinguish the original materials in it. If compost is well maintained and turned often, it can be ready in as little as 6-8 weeks. Dig the compost into your garden or use it as a potting mix.

All equipment and expertise from Hirepool. Visit www.hirepool.co.nz or call 0800 15 15 15.

builder: Andy Fraser
pictures: Mark Heaslip

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