How to Build a Compost Corral

It's hard to believe that the average American family produces over 1200 pounds of organic waste in a single year, most of it ends up in the landfills. That's a real shame when you consider it could be going to work in your garden. That doesn't it make more sense to reuse this valuable material, rather then going to the garden centers and nursery every Spring and buying it in bags. Composting is simple but you need a place for it to happen, I design this Compost Corral which would take care of most of my garden waste. All it took were four concrete blocks, 16 landscape timbers and four metal rods, let me show you how it put together.

All you do is take four concrete blocks and set them about eight feet apart, that's the same length as these timbers. The blocks elevate the corral so you can shovel the compose loose from the bottom. Now, on the first two timbers drill a hole just half way through so it will support the rod. For the rest of the timbers drill the hole all the way through and make sure the whole is slightly larger then the diameter of the rod. Now, the easy part just stack one timber on the top of another over each rod. Stacking the timbers like this will create air spaces and that's important for decomposition.

Now, these corner pins are just ordinary concrete reinforcing rods, that you can get it any building supply. I learned this concept when I played with Lincoln logs and it's very effective. Now, it's hard to find anything this good in a bag. From the garden I am Allen Smith.


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