Best Compost Bins

So you want to get started composting, but you know you don’t want to build your own bin? Fortunately, there are a wide variety of composters available for purchase for backyard use. Whilst there is a variety in prices, style and function, all are designed for the same purpose, to help you to compost more efficiently. They are aesthetically pleasing and provide some insulation against heat and moisture loss, also! Listed below are a few of the different types of bins that are available on the market:

Enclosed Bins

Compost Bins

Composting at its most basic.

Best For: Growers with limited space. Neat appearance and low cost make this the most popular bin available.

Advantages: Low maintenance. Lid keeps rain off the compost and also helps to deter animals.

Disadvantages: Low maintenance means slower composting. The composting process can take from six months to two years using  this kind of container. Decomposition can occur quickly if aerated.

Rolling Bins

Rolling Bin

As the name implies, a rolling composter can be rolled to your yard waste, loaded up and then rolled away. A quick tumble every day or two mixes and aerates the pile, eliminating the need to aerate with a pitchfork or compost aerator.

Best For: Homeowners and others with sufficient space.

Advantages: Low maintenance, plus they make aerating the pile easy. Lid keeps rain off compost and helps deter animals.

Disadvantages: Fully loaded bins can become heavy and difficult to roll.

Compost Tumblers

Compost Tumbler

One notch up on the compost bin evolutionary scale from the spherical and enclosed bins, compost tumblers are designed so that they turn their contents easily.

Best For: Homeowners with limited space that are willing to invest in a compost bin. Neat appearance and quick composting  times make these units a popular choice.

Advantages: Energy-efficient design is relatively easy to aerate. Supplies bacteria with the oxygen it needs and  consequently speeds up decomposition. Available in various sizes. Lid keeps rain off compost and helps deter animals.

Disadvantages: Once these units are full and the composting process begins, you have to wait before adding additional  materials.

Top Tip: Store kitchen wastes in plastic buckets with tight fitting lids during this time, using sawdust or similarly absorbent materials to minimize odors.

Worm Bins

Worm Bin

Using redworms to compost (vermicomposting) is a convenient way to dispose of kitchen scraps and turns them into a rich, organic soil conditioner known as worm castings. If you supply the right ingredients and care, your worms will thrive!

Best For: Homeowners and apartment dwellers with limited space.

Advantages: Worm bins can be located anywhere from under the kitchen sink to outdoors or in your garage. Once up and  running they require very little maintenance. A worm bin can be used year-round.

Disadvantages: Temperatures need to be considered. Ideally a worm bin should be located in an area where the temperatures are vantages between 40-80 degrees F. In cold climates, bring your bin inside during the winter to avoid freezing. In hot climates,  keep it wet and cool. On occasion, unpleasant odors may waft from the container when it’s overloaded with table scraps. If  this occurs, stop adding food until the redworms have had a chance to break down what is left in the bin.