Composting in five gallon buckets

[VALENT]

I wonder if anyone has any ideas/considerations about simply using five gallon plastic buckets with lids for composting. They would be easy to move and could be flipped over and rotated pretty easily. I know their small size would be a disadvantage but what else?

[Ken Scharabok]

You would have to drill air and drainage holes, but I don't see why it couldn't work on a small scale. Remember it needs a bit of moisture to rot. Roll to a new side every couple of days, then on top, then on bottom.

[Charleen]

Have you considered using worms? This might be a good process for buckets. Isn't there a worm expert on here? I don't remember whom.

[mtman]

i think you would need some sort of baffle in it or the pile would just roll and not break up
when it starts getting damp it will just roll down the side

On a larger scale I use a 30 gallon plastic trash can. I have holes in the very bottom and around the top of the can itself. We keep adding kithchen waste every few days to it, so about once a week I completely turn it over. It seems to be working real good so far. I can hardly wait to use it in my damater patch next summer.

[VALENT]

Some holes for vent and drain. As far as a baffle, what about drilling holes in the side of the bucket and pushing dowels all the way through to the other side or slightly askew.

[amelia]

I've found that you need a pretty good sized pile in order to get any heat build-up. If you've ever compared the temperature of the center of a good pile to the temperature around the edges, you'll know what I mean.

My rig is a 4-foot-wide piece of hardware cloth (1/2" squares) formed into a four-foot-diameter, four-foot high, circular cage. I staple 1x2s to each end of the hardware cloth and about every foot or so along its length, then attach eyelets on the two adjoining ends through which a slender rod can be slipped. When it's time to turn the compost, I simply pull the rod out and the cage comes apart. I can set it up again in less than a minute. Works for me.

[dlangland]

Originally Posted by Charleen

Have you considered using worms? This might be a good process for buckets. Isn't there a worm expert on here? I don't remember whom.

Shrek is the main worm man. I am sure he would love to tell you, and I read he has a special, separate worm forum elsewhere. He mentioned it somewhere and I peeked at it once, but I wouldn't remember where to find it anymore. Deb

[mtman]

Originally Posted by VALENT

Some holes for vent and drain. As far as a baffle, what about drilling holes in the side of the bucket and pushing dowels all the way through to the other side or slightly askew.

i think that would work

[Mid Tn Mama]

You need the vent and drainage holes, but then, you should place these in your garden or else you will lose all that good nutrient rich drainage.

At gardenweb there is a vermicomposting group.

This year I'm just sheet composting on my garden rows. Since we must haul garbage it is a great solution to paper products and compostables. This has created great soil without dragging stuff around or carrying buckets, etc.. When I decide to plant, there are no weeds to clear, there are lots of worms who tilled it up and left castings. I clear away where I want to plant (well, what's left in the spring) and it works very well.

Good luck.

[Cyngbaeld]

You have to be sure you get air into the compost or you will get anaerobic bacteria working and that stinks.

[Shrek]

I routinely design homemade "can of worms " units using 5 gallon buckets. A 5 gallon bucket properly aerated and ventilated can support a population of 300 to 500 breeders with proper maintenance.

Feel free to visit our forum The Worms Turn at

http://wormsturn.proboards54.com/

or contact me via private message here on HT. I am happy to share the raising techniques I have progressed through over the years.

Also here is a very simple home bin system that can support up to 5 pounds of worm mass.

http://www.whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm