If you have been living under a bridge for the past 50 or so years, then you might be the only one in your part of the world who does not know what composting is. Compost may be the difference between your garden looking like a fairy tale, and looking like a trampled rugby pitch. Wherever you are planting, whether in the ground or on raised garden beds, compost is going to be your ace in the sleeve for better production.
How does a compost bin work?
A compost bin is basically a place where organic matter will sit, mix together, and get broken down through natural processes to form compost. This organic matter could be made up of the most mundane kitchen waste, such as coffee grounds, kitchen leftovers, leaves, grass or even eggshells. Building a compost pile actually speeds up the process.
How this works is that you add water to the pile and keep turning it, the natural decomposition process is then sped up. The compost does not lose any of its nutrients, which are then added to the soil when compost is applied to the garden.
How does the water tank help?
There are a lot of ways you can make a compost bin at home, but by far the easiest is to convert a water tank into one. To start with, find an old water tank. You could use a new one, but the costs then increase. Still, buying a new water tank is cheaper than buying a premade compost bin online. Once you have found a tank, follow these easy steps to make an awesome compost bin.
- A compost bin should allow water to seep through gradually, in order to make sure that the compost does not rot. The first step is cut slits all around the tank at regular intervals to enable rain and irrigation flood water to naturally seep through.
- After making the incisions, the next step is to cut a hole in the side to enable animals to get in and populate the compost. Free range chicken, birds and small rodents are excellent at adding value to your compost by pecking and scratching. This naturally tills the compost. It is even better when they defecate in it as it adds matter.
- Choose where to place the tank, in order to begin the composting process. This has to be in an easily accessible part of your compound. The further you are from it, the less motivated other people will feel to throw natural waste in it. No one wants to feel like they are walking to the ends of the earth to do it. It should – however – be far enough to avoid stinking up the house.
- Add some support for the tank. As you keep piling on waste in the compost pile, pressure and weight will be applied to the tanks, which if not reinforced, could lead to tears along the slits made to the sides of the tank.
- Start throwing all your organic waste, such as eggshells, wood chips, wood ash from your fireplace, kitchen scraps, banana peels, grass, goat manure, chicken poop and even leaves from the garden.
- Leave the tank to the elements. All you have to do is add things to the compost daily and turn it about. If it needs water, make sure you add water to it. However, for the most part, rainwater and irrigation will feed the pile. The hot sun and the plastic material that the rain water tanks is made of provide excellent environment for the speeding up the composting process even further.
There are videos online that will help you convert an old water tank into a compost bin. There are also other items around your house that you can turn into a compost bin, but a tank is by far the best. All the effort you expend making one will be rewarded with a thriving garden every season.