Compost happens. Do what you feel is best.

Personally, I feel that maintaining moisture levels conducive to compost is easier with the pile on the ground. It also makes turning the pile easier.

If you have some invasive plants growing nearby you want to keep out of the pile you could line the location with newspapers or cardboard before building the pile. It would break down eventually, but it will keep the weeds from below out of the pile until then.

Cheers,
Kyle

Having a floor should make the bin a stand alone structure. This allows for additional bins to added as needed or removed for a rebuild. As you pointed out, it does allow for additional air flow from the bottom to the top. An finally, a raised floor keeps out rats. Mice still make a home in the bin but rats make a home in a compost bin very easily when it`s sited on the ground.

There is no good reason to raise your compost pile to get more air circulation since a properly built compost pile that is exposed to the air will have plenty of air circulation. Those that find raising or placing chimneys in compost piles less that 6 feet by 6 feet is necessary for air circulation have a too wet pile of material so it will not compost properly.
There is a small school of thought that compost needs to be in contact with the soil so that the bacteria that wil ldigest the material can get in there, but on the material you put into your compost pile are the bacteria that will digest that material, they do not come from the soil, which is why compost tumblers, sometimes, work.

"There is a small school of thought that compost needs to be in contact with the soil so that the bacteria that wil ldigest the material can get in there, but on the material you put into your compost pile are the bacteria that will digest that material, they do not come from the soil, which is why compost tumblers, sometimes, work."

Compost tumblers sometimes work? Small school of thought? If there are bugs in your compost throw it away and make a pile right the next time? Get a good reliable soil test for your lasagna bed before planting in it? Once compost is finished it is finished, there is no such thing as compost turning to humus? Some of your recent comments are beginning to cause concern among your fellow members, and sending a mixed message to newer members causing untold confusion. Is everything all right over there? Do you need someone to come see about you? Some of us are starting to become worriedÂ

Mayaosu said:

"I've also read that the compost being in contact with the ground is best for allowing worms and other critters to do their work."

That is one of the best ways that I know of to allow worms to get from the soil into a compost pile; and too, worms may be found within manure added to the compost pile, thus there is more than one way to skin a cat. All of my bins are in contact with the ground, but that is not to say building one on concrete, as my friend Bill Hill (among others) does with very good success should not be done. Both ways will give good results; it boils down to a matter of choice.

As it relates to making air passages in the compost pile, this too is a matter of personal preference. While it is true a well-constructed compost pile will allow good air circulation, it too is possible to make air circulate better with the addition of air channels of some kind within the pile. In my experience, these air channels allow the compost pile to decompose further away from the center of the pile towards the corners, thus allowing less turning. Again, it is not necessary, but a lot of things are not necessary; however I like the results I get with the air passages in all my piles. The best I can do with Bermuda grass is pull it up when it invades the pile, staying on top of it is the best defense IMO.

Building a compost pile is something like cutting grass. There are many ways to get the job done, it is the state of mind and results after the job is complete that are importantÂ

Blutranes

Thank you all for your opinions. I guess I'll just leave it on the ground for now and see how that works.

There is more than one way to do it. When deciding between two options, both with advantages and disadvantages, I usually select the option that is simplest ,easiest and cheapest...