Wire Mesh Compost Bin

The simplest compost bin is the wire bin, which can be made of chicken wire or heavier galvanised wire. The biggest problem with this design is excessive wetting and drying. This means the bin provides ideal conditions only a small fraction of the time. The wastes are held up for the sun and wind to do the maximum drying. Dry wastes do not compost. Then, when it finally does rain the pile either gets too wet or the excessively dry material sheds the rain and stays dry. If it should get too wet, anaerobic digestion takes place, which causes foul odours.

To make a simple wire bin, measure a section of wire to meet the size of container you want. Wrap the wire around to make a cylinder and fasten with twist ties or cut the wire so that the ends can be attached. This method is ideal for putting leaves in to make leafmould. You can turn your compost by either lifting up the entire bin or unhooking the ends to open up one end of the bin.

If you want to anchor the bin and make it more permanent, staple the wire to 4 wooden poles hammered into the ground 3 feet apart in a square. If you wish, you can place cardboard inside the mesh to provide more insulation. Leave one edge of one of the side free so that you can have access to the compost.