No I don't think it's too big. In fact it may be the perfect size. As for lining, I would try a batch without lining first to see how it goes. Plastic may be too impermeable even with some holes. The screen will allows the pile to dry out more than a wodden bin but re-wetting it during each turn might be all it needs. Is your climate humid?

Hi RTG

I put lining (traps) on the outside now so that I can take it off and put it back on as weather conditions (precipitation or drying winds) dictate. More flexible for me.

I did use cardboard on the inside for moisture retention once and it is easy enough to punch holes in it for aeration if necessary so that is an option as well. Plastic bags will deteriorate in the sun, at least it does up here, so it can be a mess.

I've used larger diameter bins, should be no big deal with the size you have.

Good luck

Lloyd

Tarps not traps...although a trap would be funnier!

Sumtymes yu can't count on spel chek.

Loid

Ragtime, You have to go see Lloyd's pictures of his composting operation. He's got lots of hands-on experience with the subject of composting.

I live in a dry area and if I don't make attempts to reduce moisture loss, my compost won't. Compost. My compost won't decompose. Anyway, I have used old leaf bags in the past, but I think I'll try using cardboard next time. My bins are made from pallets and flat cardboard would lay up against the insides pretty well, but I think it might work in your situation, too. Eventually, the cardboard will decompose along with the rest of the compost.

I also have to cover my bins to help the process complete. I've made about 15 cubic yards this way and have learned by trial and error.

Good luck.

We've just put cardboard from boxes to line the inside of our pallet compost bin, nothing to do with heat, but to keep the bits from escaping. It's probably the birds and squirrels that spread things but we're hoping the cardboard helps. It will break down eventually so is sort of an addition.

With a wire mesh compost bin you could have stuff blowing around so the cardboard may keep things neater.

cowgirl2- No, we're not humid at all! We are in the middle of our 'rainy' season, so it's a bit more humid out than normal, but we often go 5-6 months from April to Sept with only a sprinkle here and there and very low humidity...hence all the recent wildfires in Southern California. I suppose the lining would be retaining heat right now, but in the summer it would be more about retaining moisture.

Lloyd, I checked out your page, and your pictures are amazing...you do have quite the set up!!

The cardboard may be a good idea for both heat/moisture retention, depending on climate, as well as retaining my compost. I was a bit worried about that as well, luckygal, though I hadn't thought too much about critters carting off with things.

I don't have a lid on it, so the contents are pretty wet at the moment, though I turned it yesterday, and it does appear to be decomposing in there. It's not hot inside, but it's a new bin and I'm still working on the balance of its contents and optimizing the bin.

Idaho, is your lid clear/opaque?

On regular poster here has friends who live in arid areas and have persistent problems with too much moisture in their compost, but my experiences have been more like idaho_gardener's. In the 13 years I've lived in my house in Utah, I've had exactly one batch of compost that got too wet (that's what happens when you get a new toy).

I use a commercial plastic bin with air holes around it. If I had a mesh bin like yours, I think I'd be inclined to try Lloyd's idea with the tarps on the outside. That way if you get too much moisture or not enough air, you can remove the tarps for a while. I would think cardboard would deteriorate pretty fast if you kept things moist enough for composting.

I usually water my compost when I turn it, unless it is already wet.

Idaho, is your lid clear/opaque?

No, more black plastic leaf bags held in place with bits of wood.

Lining that bin with anything could restrict the air flow the bacteria need to function. I've not seen any advantage to doing that. A cover, draped over the fence can aid in control of moisture, but that would be all I would consider.

RTG..if you do go with the cardboard inside the wire, hold the bottom of the cardboard 2-4 inches up off the ground, this will allow cool airflow in through the bottom as the warm air inside the pile rises convectively. Sorta like a chimney.

As far as "leakage", yes I had that problem as well. Once the feedstock begins to break down into smaller bits, some of the material does fall through the wire openings. I had considered adding a 1/4 inch mesh to the inside of the wire bins but never got around to it. Maybe I'll try that this summer.

Always something different to try.

Lloyd

All my composting is done on open ground with different enclosures at the edge of and inside a wooded area. My problem is with all the feeder roots growing into the compost from the bottom. They sometimes get so thick the bottom foot or two is almost impossible to dig out. I'm sure this is robbing some of the nutrients from the compost also.
Two years ago I tried lining the bottom and lower sides with thick layers of cardboard. I'll see this spring what good it did. I should add that most of my piles are cold composted, taking from two to three years to finish.
Any thoughts on the roots growing in the pile?

Raise the beds up onto something. The cardboard will have helped but as it decomposes it will provide food for the roots. Think of it as reversed air pruning. The layer of air will stop the roots from intruding on your compost.

Many of my seven mesh bins are four feet in diameter and 24" high. I have found this a optimal size. Core temps can reach 165F, and these piles are still easy to turn. Fifty one inches is not too big, with the possible exception of a pile that has mostly fine sawdust as the main 'brown'. If I expected to have a pile with a considerable amount of fine sawdust, I probably would make it three feet in diameter.

My compost piles sit on the ground, so a 3'x3'x3' min size is not necessary. The soil acts as heat storage area, along with the compost pile itself.

If I just had enough wire to make a three foot diameter bin, I might line the outside with either one layer of black landscape fabric or three layers burlap. Folks in very dry and or windy climates might also consider a lining.

IMHO there is no such thing as too big a compost bin, as long as it is less than twenty feet tall it'll be fine.
when I was at the school my compost piles were twenty feet tall or less (and 300 feet long and 50 feet wide)
ialbtc

Thank you to everyone. It sounds as if it definitely varies, depending on your region. I'll have to do a little trial and error. The rain stopped a few days ago, and the pile is already drying out. I've got a few big loads to add to it today (score on neighborhood yard waste!), so as soon as I get a decent amount in the pile, hopefully I'll be able to start getting an idea as to how much moisture control I'll need.