Best Compost Bin

Composting is an eco-friendly, uncomplicated, inexpensive way of transforming your garden.

If it’s beautiful blooms you’re after then a compost bin is a ‘must’; it recycles your garden waste of grass cuttings, weeds and clippings into a nourishing soil conditioner, rich in nutrients, which accelerates plant growth whilst saving you time and money on trips to the tip and expensive fertilisers, AND you’re doing your bit for the environment!  Simply fill the bin, pop the lid on, sit back and let nature work its magic. In no time at all you’ll have a condensed mass of organic super-strength compost, which encourages strong roots and healthy growth. Plants, just like humans, need vitamins and nutrients; providing you’re patient, the compost your bin will harvest will be the ultimate super-strength multi-vitamin for all things green!

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Factors to consider when buying a compost bin

Your garden is there to be enjoyed so anything you introduce into it needs to blend into the existing layout, as well as being functional and fit for purpose. Basically, you want a compost bin that works as good as it looks! To achieve this, you’ll need to think about the best bin for you and your garden in terms of capacity, style and functionality.

Types of Compost Bin

Material

Most compost bin are made from heavy-duty, durable plastic however if you’re offended by the thought of having plastic in your garden, you may find yourself tempted for a wooden design; there are some aesthetically pleasing wooden compost bins out there, and wood is a great heat retainer, however bear in mind wooden compost bins require significantly more maintenance than a plastic bin as, unless you have a bin made from a rot-resistant wood such as cedar, without regularly treating the wood, the bin will quickly rot. 

As a result, plastic compost bins, although basic, are the most popular choice, however avoid budget bins made from thin, brittle plastic as these are likely to crack or split easily after a couple of uses.

Plastic compost bins

• Generally made from recycled plastic
• Tend to be black in colour to absorb heat
• Will not rust or rot
• Neat appearance
• Inexpensive
• Low maintenance
• Best at retaining heat

Hot bins

Hot-bins are more expensive than a standard compost bin but they are effective at speeding up the decomposition process using heat generated as a result of the tight-fitting lid. The best hot bins produce compost in as little as 4-5 weeks compared to around six months for a standard compost bin with the result being a finer compost.

Hot bins are roughly the same size as a wheelie bin and can stand on a hard surface meaning they’re a popular option for those of use who aren’t able to facilitate a compost bin that ideally needs an earthy foundation.

Capacity

When choosing the best size of compost bin, you’ll need to think about how much space you have and how much waste you produce.

Smaller compost bins are less effective than larger ones as the bigger the bin, the quicker it’ll heat up, speeding up the decomposition process, so ideally you want the largest compost bin you can afford and accommodate. If you’re concerned about space, a square bin can be positioned in a corner of your garden, taking up no more space than it needs and these look great when placed flush alongside garden fences, however a round container does not have “cold corners” – areas of the bin which can be difficult to access when it comes to turning the compost. When deciding on the shape and size, you’ll need to be clear in your head where you intend on putting your compost bin and choose the style best suited to that location. 

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Why you need a compost bin

Granted, composting can be done without a bin, however it’s a slow process and can look unsightly. Home composting is the most eco-friendly way of recycling garden and selected food waste. It’s cheap, easy to do, and the result is an organic fertilizer that’s bursting with nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Food waste such as eggshells, teabags, fruit and vegetable peelings can all be added to your compost bin, along with garden waste including grass clippings, dead leaves, weeds and cuttings. Even shredded paper and fire ash can be used! A rough guide is to mix three parts brown materials (e.g. dead leaves, shredded paper, sawdust) to one part green materials (food scraps, weeds, grass clippings). By combining both fresh material and dried waste in the correct balance, your compost pile will maintain the ideal composition of microorganisms to accommodate a speedy and efficient decomposition process.

You don’t want to attract flies, generate an unpleasant odour or attract pests so it’s best to avoid adding the following to your compost bin:

• cooked food
• meat
• fish
• coal ash
• cat or dog feces
• meat or bones
• oil or grease
• toxic materials
• dairy products
• tissue paper

With garden waste, it’s best to avoid diseased plants or perennial weeds as, when it comes to fertilizing your garden, the last thing you want is to reintroduce any harbouring diseases back into the very place you removed them from!! Perennial weeds require a high temperature to meet their demise and most compost bins aren’t capable of reaching such levels of warmth.

If you have the space and the budget, it’s also worth considering investing in two compost bins; this way whilst you’re using the fertilizer in one bin, you can start to fill the other – ensuring there’s never a period where you have to stop composting and find an alternative method of disposing of your waste. This will provide you with a continuous supply of compost all year round and save you a fair few trips to the tip and the garden centre.

The end result

Compost is the end product of decomposed organic material. The breakdown of the organic material produces nutrients which is a fantastic fertilizer for plants when absorbed via the roots. Adding this fertilizer to the soil not only improves the quality, but also improves drainage and makes the soil lighter; this stops it becoming hard and compacted.

The best compost bins will produce this gardener’s ‘gold’ as they’ll have been designed and manufactured with the following key features in mind:

• Waterproof and weather-resistant
• Capable of retaining warmth – heat accelerates the composting process
• Equipped to allow for drainage – if water levels are too high in the bin this can limit the amount of air circulating, slowing down or preventing the decomposition process occurring
• Sufficiently ventilated – slits and/or holes will allow oxygen to circulate within the bin which is needed in order for the decomposition process to take place

Where to put your compost bin

It’s important to consider carefully where you’re going to be putting your compost bin both in terms of how much space you have and to ensure the conditions are suitable for the decomposition process. The best location for your bin is in the shade, or at least an area that is partially shaded, as the microorganisms that are the driving force when it comes to converting waste to compost, prefer steady constant conditions rather than extreme moisture or temperature – too hot or too cold and the bacteria and fungi will struggle to work their magic.

Ideally, a compost bin should be positioned on a soil base, allowing worms and other helpful earth-based insects easy access.  he can get in. If you do have to put your bin on a hard surface, layer the base with a couple of inches of earth just to get the composting process started.

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Frequently Asked Questions