How to Start a Compost Bin 🥗🌿 Simple Composting for Beginners
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- Composting is one of the most rewarding things you can do in the garden. I absolutely love turning waste into gold for the garden and in today's video, show you some simple steps for how you can start a compost bin. Composting should be super simple and 'no fuss' in the garden. There are so many methods to make compost but my favourite is composting in place in the garden (or in-situ).
Other compost videos on the channel
🌿 How to compost in-situ at a small scale - • DIY Compost Bin Using ...
🌿How to compost in the garden - • How to Compost in the ...
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Hey there!
Welcome to my channel, The Nature Patch where I like to share all things gardening, cooking, environmental science and flower farming in my Australian bushland backyard in south coast NSW.
My name is Robyn, an environmental scientist working towards completing a PhD in understanding how people's wellbeing and their connection to nature is impacted by land use change. I've always loved gardening and nature and lately have been interested in growing my own organic food!
On this channel you'll find videos relating to garden tours, 'how to' videos, composting, soil health, ecosystem services, and seed saving.
I try to upload twice a week and I hope you enjoy!!
🤎 Filmed and edited on Yuin country. I acknowledge and pay respects to Traditional Owners of the land past, present and emerging. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
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If you liked this video, make sure you check out what this compost bin looks like when it's finished! In this video I show you the final product, how to harvest the compost and how to use it in the garden - ua-cam.com/video/CqCE6Rfbw9o/v-deo.html
I usually take all tape of my boxes and labels just incase there is any plastic in it. I love the simplicity of this composting ❤
I do too, so that I dont introduce plastic into my garden. I also dont ever put in meat or dairy
Thank you for the tip on criss crossing the twigs and the camping pegs! Will be doing this!
My compost system is pretty much the same. I find it simple and easy to use. I love getting to use the cured compost around the garden, pot plants especially love the added microbes!
This is exactly the video I need!!!
Hi everyone! Sorry about the birds in the video... it was pretty loud when filming and we tried to fix the audio as much as possible. Maybe one to watch without headphones if you can :) Hope you enjoy!
Don’t worry! My birds are just as disrespectful hahah. Thanks for the video
I liked the birds in the background, I figured you made a happy home for them as well. Thanks for the video, I hope to start a compost this week!
I didn't even notice the birds!
sounds like my house
I loved the birds
Hi dear 😊
I'm new to your channel & to gardening. I've been looking for someone who could breakdown the steps for me with no success. That is until I came across your channel. Thank you so much for being thorough with your instructions. Be blessed, Dear.....🥰
Robyn, this was so good and exactly what I needed! I realised that my compost is too nitrogen rich and I need to add more carbon as well as water! 👌👌👌
Loved your video. Good demonstration, simple yet full of Information.
Great idea with the pegs
Thank you so much I appreciate this teaching so much watch from Freeport Grand Bahama Island God bless.
I love this. Looks super easy
During the time I don't have much green (the lawn mower has no catch bag) I go to the side yard where wild grapes, weeds as tall as me, and other bushes that can be trimmed, pull the leaves off and use them. Works great. I just dig them into the ground where I put my kitchen waste and garden waste. It rains so much, I just dig a hole, stuff it full, cover and move to new spot. This little corner of dirt is loaded with worms, doesn't smell, and provides gift squashes very often. It's about 8' x 5' and takes all my kitchen waste all year. Within three weeks, there is no more waste and I can use that dirt to dig in more green. I have a shortage of brown but use all my bills, newspaper, shipping boxes, and waste from my little quail cage. It is a cold method so I never put weeds with seeds and it takes awhile to work the whole thing. I planted sunflowers around it and it is very pretty and useful even before I use the dirt for my garden rows. I LOVE to compost. Your container is very neat, also.
Hi Mary! Ahh that's amazing! I love in ground composting, it's so great for the worms!
What a great video. So well explained.
Really helpful, thanks a lot. I started mine yesterday looking for ideas too ❤
nice vlog sister..Great way to Start a Simple Composting Place for Beginners, thanks for sharing your experience
Quick to the point but very informative video! I took some notes and I can't wait to get started. My friend tried to start composting before and there were maggots everywhere... kind of made me nervous to do it myself. I believe she did not use the 2:1 ratio. Thank you:)
honestly I don't even think it was covered :$
What is a 2 in 1 ratio?
@@SamanthaSweetAnne (2) double the carbon so the brown matierials ! and (1) part oxygen, so the green materials she mentioned :) using more brown than green
Thank you.
Thank You!😊
What a great video! Thank you.
Very impressive composting.
Thanks for the video…this is fantastic information…stay safe and take care !!
This was a very helpful vid. Thank you!
Thank you i didnt have a clue how to start.
Thankx so much am here in uganda I want to learn . Is you bucket open at the bottom or not
I love you girl, this was amazing. exactly what I was looking for!!! Thank you!!
Super helpful thank you! :)
I'm about to start with a bokashi bucket, then move up to a compost bin. What I like about bokashi is you can put meat, fish, dairy in it, even some small bones.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Thank lots of great tips!👍🏼👍🏼
This is very helpful. Thank you! Do you need to drill holes in the bottom or sides of the bin?
Thank you for your video! I’m About to start my compost. Such fantastic info with such genuine energy, really appreciate it 🙏🏻
Really helpful. Thanks.
I loved your video and will be giving composting a try for the first time. So, after you added the final sugar cane mulch to the top of the compost, do you stir it to aearate or let it breakdown and decompose on its own?
Hello,
My name is Yvonne and I started a compost bag and I did not do it correctly according to your video. I’m about to order a spinner so I’m wondering if I were 13:16 to follow your instructions with what I already have? I started it with leaf’s and then that’s it besides food scraps.
Please educate me on where to go from here.
I’m very grateful for you and your video’s! It’s a pleasure learning from you and Thank You so very much!!!
❤ Very. Educative
Great video.. Very simple and helpful. Much appreciated. May I ask you do we need to keep the lid on or off??
Lids always on, to help raise the temperature & keep rodents out.
Great video, thanks
excellent video, thanks very much for taking the time to upload this . As a first timer here , im about to start my first compost in , i heard you mention worms , yet i watched and then watched again , but i didnt see you add any , is this some thing that is added once the mixture is more compacteded and the natural degeneration process has taken place ? further more how long roughly would you say before you can use the contents ? is there any particular process that needs to be followed to be able to do so ? thank you kindly
Hi Robin, cheers on the video!
There were two other bins in the background to ones you were using. Do you have any ideas or tips on how I'd start using one of those? They were left behind by the previous owner, and I'd like to start composting by spring. Not sure I can use those or best to start fresh. Cheers
Very helpful thanks
We have just bought our first compost bin and are excited to get started! I've seen you can buy bags of stuff to speed up the process - would you recommend doing that? I also read you can buy worms to add - is that worth doing? Our bin is on gravel so I don't think worms will be able to get in without us adding them.
so do you collect food scrapes for. a while after you have enough to make a compost pile? do you keep food scrapes on fridge or out? tks
Hi, what type of container is it?
Hello. I've just brought a compost bin. I have a small back yard with paving slabs. What advice can you give me around creating a suitable base for the bin and can I use hay instead of sugar cane mulch? I found your video very helpful.
Do you turn your compost? If so, what is your process?
I don't think it is stirred, instead this video demonstrates the layering method which creates a good balanced compost without the need for stirring.
Hi Robyn, thanks for the informative video. I might have missed it in the video, but please let me know how much water you usually add into your compost bin? Many thanks J
A light sprinkle is best, you don't want to completely soak your pile/bin as that can lead to rot/mold, just a gentle sprinkle every couple of days is fine.
Where did you get your compost bin?
Does the bucket have holes at the bottom?
My query is to know how to extract all the mature compost. From near the door is easy but what about the rest, before the weight of the newer waste deposits fall to the bottom?
Have you found the answer? I have same query
@@hanimmadewnus9260 No I haven't but it appears have settled down after several months.
Ideally you need 2 bins.
One is for adding to, while the other is left to compost.
To remove the compost-The bins are really light, you just lift them up & off the compost.
If you have put a wire grid on the bottom to protect from rodents, then you need to shovel/scoop the compost out from the top.
Ideally you have 2 bins, but if not, you can turn the compost & use the completed compost from the bottom when it’s ready.
I have a ton of dirt left over from all of my indoor tomato and pepper plants from last year. The dirt is sitting in all of the planter boxes in my shed. Could I use that dirt to start a compost bin?? I really would like to have a large amount of compost for this upcoming spring. I’m going to be planting a lot of tomatoes, peppers, corn and other things.
I should have listened to your video before I started mine yesterday. I had some old soil in some outside pots and put it in my bin before I put in my compostable food then added more soil. I see now I've done it all wrong. Do I need to empty this and start over?
You didnt mention paper towels, napkins, tissue, etc??? Can i use them as carbon?
Thanks! Nice video. The only question I have is, do you not need to mix it occasionally because of the way you’ve layered the materials?
I think the layering method avoids the need for stirring.
Hi there, thanks very much for the video. I’m going to give it a try for the first time, but I only have grass chips and very few browns. Can I still do it? What would be the result?
Hi, do you have to turn or mix the compost over time? How long does it take and how do you know when it's ready?.
Many thanks
Do u keep a top closed on it at all times ? When do u introduce worms ?
Yes, keep the lid on.
If the bottom is open, the worms will come. But you can introduce them as soon as there’s green matter for them.
Thanks for the video!
Question, if you put cardboard on the bottom - how do worms get in the container? 🧐
My question too
do you need to stir anytime through process.
How long would this take to be ready when its full?
What’s the straw looking material you added? You said it’s one of your favorite things
Thank you for making this video.
Sugar cane mulch or pea straw mulch.
What about egg shells? Would that follow under “meat” or veggies in terms of breaking down and bacteria in your opinion
Thanks Robyn. Just wondering if you stir the compost every now and then?
I do! I use a compost turner and give it a turn every few times I add materials. I don't worry too much about it when starting out though as there isn't much in there.
What is it that you sprinkle on the top? Sorry couldn’t catch you
I have a groundhog that moved in my garden I'm going to try containers
Thanks for the timely video! I have just got one of those myself and ready to go.
With winter here in Aus, what layer would you consider wet leaves that are collected? Should i factor that moisture in and not worry about watering as much?
Thanks so much for watching! I'd still class those as brown if they're dead/from deciduous trees. If layers have high levels of moisture then you won't need to add water. It's best to not to have compost that is too soggy/water logged.
Woulda been great if u linked to the bin u use
Do you have a link to the bins?
Can you add Rhubarb leaves to compost?
So loved this video - told me all the things I've done wrong! however my environment is very dry so will I find that I will need to add water to the compost? I have not added any of the brown stuff so should I toss out what I have and start fresh?
I personally would not throw what you have already, just add the brown now and make sure its moist too. Good luck
Where did you this composter. I am looking for this type of composter. Thanks.
do you do thermal compost?
Hello! I sorted my compost in a similar bin last fall but it does not seem to compost very well, the food scraps are still visible as if not decomposed… I tried to add mon carbon and stir to aerate but it does not seem to have helped much. Is it because I didn’t add enough carbon? Or didn’t water it enough? Thanks in advance!
Try adding a handful of moist garden soil as a microbe booster. Keep moist and turn more often
Did you poke holes on the bottom of your compost bin?
The bottom of the compost bin is completely open to the ground, worms/other bugs can get in this way and break down the materials even more 😊
Why does everybody tell you to layer materials and yet they then aerate the bin by sticking a twisty stick thing in and mixing it all up?
Lol everybody just copied everyone.
Layering produces a balanced compost. Kitchen scraps on their own break down in a slimy, smelly way.
Putting a stick in one place & rotating the top, hand held end of the stick (not stirring up the whole thing) aerates, which helps to keep the compost from smelling bad.
Are there holes in the bin to allow air to go in? How do you keep flies, ants and snails out? Or do these creatures help the compost process?
The base is completely open to the ground but for air I usually turn it once the pile gets a little more full. I don't seem to have a problem with flies/ants if the compost is balanced (with carbon/nitrogen) but if there are ants I usually flush them out with water as they don't like that :)
Could I use wheat straw litter that I use for my rabbit? In the compost instead of sugar straw
Yes, it would be good bc of the rabbit poo, but you might want to check if it has seeds in it.
Can the compost bin added everyday with new materials or we have to put them in other bin?
Ideally you have 2 bins, but if not, you can turn the compost & use the completed compost from the bottom when it’s ready.
Can I use dried out hay instead of the sugar cane husk?
A lot of people i know use hay and/or grass clippings
Is the Amazon tape the type that decomposes? Great video😊
I personally remove that amazon tape from my boxes and any labels too
Nice video but I wouldn't put cardboard on the ground worms need access through the soil into the bin.
01:48 Why is there a plastic cream tube,black color in your full compost bin?
So 1 part green to 2 part brown, when layering?
Yes.
hi are you not using your worm farms anymore ???
can you show how to start a worm farm please... buying the can of worms / cafe one today from bunnings...the same as you have behind you... do you have problems with ants getting into them???
Hi Christina! I'll definitely have to plan a video around this. I absolutely love mine and we do still use them every week :) I have had problems with ants before but an easy solution is just place containers of water under the base of each leg and the ants won't climb up
Can I compost in the winter?
You can compost anytime
Good information but I never add meat or dairy products. In the summer I leave my grass cutting on the lawn for 2-3 days to dry out in the sun so they almost become a brown material, thanks for this video 😎😎
How to harvest the composed? The bin has no opening at the bottom side
The bins are really light, you just lift them up & off the compost.
If you have put a wire grid on the bottom to protect from rodents, then you need to shovel/scoop the compost out from the top.
Ideally you have 2 bins, but if not, you can turn the compost & use the completed compost from the bottom when it’s ready.
Just starting? How do worms get in?
They come themselves if the bottom is open to the soil. Or you can introduce them.
how do you get compost ive got the compost bins with no opening at bottom its not been touched for at least a year maybe even 2 years but it hardly has broken down looking from the top of bin ive only just started doing the garden (my Dad used to do but he passed away in Sep 2022)
The top probably won't look broken down but if it's one of these round bins just lift it off and the bottom should be more broken down, you can get the top off with a fork and then just use the compost at the bottom of the pile then start again
Also if there's no opening at the bottom see if you can find some worms and add them in yourself, they'll help break it down faster
@@deanbean8994 thats something that seems to be in decline do not see many worms
How does it actually take for your to use the compost for your garden?
I usually put it straight on the garden :) I’m always waiting for the next load of ready compost and always have a spot ready for more nutrients :)
It mostly depends if you do hot or cold composting. Hot compost can be ready in 8 weeks while cold compost can take 10-18 months.
When you finally have your compost to use for your garden do you clean inside the the container before starting over ?
I usually don’t worry about cleaning it all out as there is usually a few worms/bugs still crawling inside so they just help populate soil biodiversity for the next round ☺️
If you successfully stopped the decomposition process in your compost bin, go and take your Nobel Prize. The only thing - it's sad if you decomposed sooner than your compost bin. Buy don't worry - life will not be stopped.
Good video but I try to avoid all plastic use in the garden. 4 pallets nailed together make an excellent compost container
When can you introduce worms?
As soon as there’s green matter for them to eat.
I've always read that meat and cheese isn't safe to compost because of the bad bacteria and rotting... and I also thought you aren't supposed to compost adhesives like tape from boxes and stickers on egg crates? Am I overthinking it?
How do u make it rodent safe
You can secure some wire mesh to the base of the compost bin if you have rodent issues :)
I just throw my scraps off the back pourch flip the pile once a year
Is it normal for worms, insects and ants to grow in a bin?
No!
You realize corrugated cardboard (most boxes) is glued. Not something I'd recommend using.
Exactly the comment I was looking for . Such an odd strange material to put in to the composting bin. Ink , glue , and all. In my compost bin, I’ll add more natural occurring materials. Not yesterday’s pizza boxes and toilet paper roll.
Anyway, there’s definitely better composting videos out there than this one. Good luck
You can just leech it
What are the better videos?
Don't put food in these large bins, they attract rodents. With these large bins just throw grass clippings brown and fresh, weed and brown leaves, coffee grounds if you want, pour swamp fertilizer tea into it every now and then to speed up the decomposition process, in the end you'll have fertile soil to use in your garden. If you want to compost fresh food have that in a separate bin that's secure from rodents or create a garden bed worm feeder.