DIY: Worth its weight in gold

Define it, fill it with kitchen scraps and your garden will pay for itself in tasty edibles. Photo / David Rowland

Greig Morgan takes the 'heap' out of backyard compost.

I don't have to tell you the value of good compost. It's good for the environment and is the most important supplement you can give your garden.

With this easy-to-build compost bin, not only will your garden be kept nice and tidy, your plants will love you for it.

Step 1
Choose a nice, sheltered, out-of-the-way area. Remove any turf. This creates a level area for the bin to sit on and also allows worms to work their way into the compost.

Step 2
With the ground nice and level, measure and mark for your posts with the aid of a square. Make them about 1m long and remember to cut on the waste side of the pencil line. You will need six posts: four for the corners and two for the middle supports on both of the long sides. Now measure and cut five palings in half for the shorter end pieces.

Step 3
Starting at the bottom and working your way up with evenly spaced gaps for ventilation, fix the shorter end pieces flush with the outer edges of the corner posts. With the two end pieces now assembled, fix the longer-side pieces to fit flush with the outer-end pieces.

Step 4
With the bin now assembled, measure and mark for the centre position on the long sides before fixing the posts as before.

And there you have it, one compost bin all good and ready to go.

Materials

75mmx50mm fence rail (posts)
150mm x 25mm x 1500mm long fence palings (sides)
50mm galvanised screws

Tools

Sharp handsaw
Screw gun
Level
Square
Tape and pencil
Spade