Nice yard. I'd make a two chambered wood slat bin back by that chain link fence somewhere. It will just look like a wooden box. With two bins you can turn from one into the other and start a new batch. Doesn't have to be huge, make it whatever size you want, but the two spots will help speed the process.

I am with tox - back by the fence, wooden slat enclosure, do a double. Another option might be adjacent to the backside of the garden enclosure on top of what is now that turfgrass strip between the garden and the mulched bed.

With wood you can be as decorative as you desire. Just realize that wood in direct contact with compost will decay over time. If you used 4x4 corner posts like your garden enclosure, you may want to consider using 1/2" hardware cloth on the inside of the enclosure to hold the pile in place, and use wood on the outside for appearance. You could even stain the exterior to match your shed, etc. if you desired.

You might also consider vinyl fencing available from the big-box home improvement stores, or a vinyl slatted bin like the commercial ones one shown in the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vinyl Slatted Compost Bins

I dont know anything about composting to tell you what you should do but I wanted to tell you you have a really nice yard!!!

Where to locate your compost piles is always a dilema, but where ever you do it should be in a location that is readily accessible to both add material to the piles and remove material to put on your soil. Do not put your compost somewhere that would make access difficult.

Not everybody has room for a compost pile. It would be a shame to cut down that lovely rhodendron next to the garden shed. Maybe you could have a local lawn & garden service pick up your compostable materials once a month, and also supply you with finished compost as needed.

Can it be tucked on the right-hand side of the shed?

lisanti07028, I was considering that as well, but there's too much shade there. Doesn't a compost pile need direct sunlight?

No, compost doesn't need direct sunlight. Compost works anywhere. Put it where you want. Kept moist & covered it will create it's own heat when your pile is large enough.

When I'm short on space I follow tips learned from the Barbara Pleasant's compost book. Trench & plant vegetables over or around pile. Tuck it under the shrubs. A bonus is that it's ready for you when you need it & you can grab it there. Another garden writer suggested chop & drop where you cut back perennials & annuals then snip up the clippings & drop in place. Cover with uniform mulch if you need it to look pretty right away.

I use thin layers of dried grass clippings in the vegetable garden & once the plants have grown you no longer see it. Plus when it breaks down it feeds the soil, too.

When I read Barbara's book I realized there are more ways to compost than just one active pile. I recommend it.

Hope that helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Compost Gardening

The standard system requires three bins - completed, on-going and empty. The empty bin allows the other two bins to be turned.

Don't put it against the chain link fence. That'll just piss off your neighbor. The heat from the sun helps but also dries it out. I would put it close by the vegetable enclosure.

The bin that I like is stand alone. You can start with one and add the others as needed. The floor is off the ground to keep out rats. A compost pile doesn't need to sit on earth. Just add a layer of soil every now and then to the pile. Place the legs off the soil. A cement brick works well. If you can find un-planed lumber such as is used in pallets for the bottom, it will be stronger and last longer. If you don't make a lid then you will need a board on top at the front to prevent the sides from spreading.

Mulch the area in front of the bins. The grass will take a beating from traffic. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wooden bin

The 3 bin system is the ultimate, of course, but uses a fair amount of room, which is in short supply in many yards. I have two bins, one in the vegetable garden and one under a mulberry in the shade, and they both do fine. I do have to wet down the one under the mulberry sometimes, so if you put your bin on the shady side of the shed, make sure that you can get your hose back there.

Compost bins are only unsightly to Homeowner Associations, so get whatever kind works best for you. I make mine out of pressure-treated 2 x 2s and hardware cloth and they last a long time. And I've never had rats. Snakes, sometimes, but they're good.

I don't have a huge yard, but reallly wanted the 3-bin system so I made it work (this is actually in my front/side yard, but not very visible from the street).

The bin is in the upper left corner of the picture--sorry only 1/2 of it is in the picture, but you get the idea. The front of the 3 bins has removable wood slats so you can remove them to more easily shovel out the compost, and the other sides are metal hardware cloth. I love this system and I can't imagine being without it.

Bluegoat and Shermtheworm...I like the 3-bin idea. Great pics too. Looks pretty simple to make. Shermthewom, is yours sitting on the ground or is it on something?

I was always under the impression that a compost pile should make contact with the ground so that worms could naturally enter the pile and make the composting process faster.

Specifically how do you use a 3-bin system like this?. Suppose you start filling one. When do you stop? When do you move it over to the next bin? Etc, etc.

Where do you suggest finding pallet lumber? Maybe its best I start gathering it now so that I can start this in the Fall?

I think I'm going to scale mine down in size a bit (relative to Bluegoat's pics). I don't want to place it right next to the garden so maybe next to the shed? Then again that may tick off my other neighbor. Maybe I'll place it on eht left side of the shed and take down the shrubs which are too close to the shed anway.

Will a compost bin as such attract animals? I already have a rabbit problem.

Bluegoat, does the screen that you made serve any purpose in the contstruction of the bin or is it only used when you want to screen compost when you need to use it?

This post was edited by njitgrad on Sat, Jun 22, 13 at 11:02

The bin does sit on the ground, on a layer of hardward cloth to keep rats (hopefully) out. This bin was made following the instructions found on the Seattle Tilth website. It's made from cedar so it won't rot as quickly. I like that it has a lid because we tend to get quite a bit of rain in Portland.

I don't use the 3-bin system exactly as you're supposed to, but I like having 3 bins that way I almost always have some finished compost to use in my garden.

I was always under the impression that a compost pile should make contact with the ground so that worms could naturally enter the pile and make the composting process faster.

Worms are not a part of hot composting. I do have a stroage bin that sits on the ground. Worms can come and go as the please.

Specifically how do you use a 3-bin system like this?. Suppose you start filling one. When do you stop? When do you move it over to the next bin? Etc, etc.

Ideally you would want to build a pile in one day and then it's done. One week will also work. But most of us take months to fill a bin. This means the materials are composting to some degree over that time period. Having the empty bin to turn into speeds up the decompostion. After a while you will realize that the pile will not collapse much more with the added material. Then stop. Start a new pile but continue turning the old one as well as the new one.

Where do you suggest finding pallet lumber? Maybe its best I start gathering it now so that I can start this in the Fall?

Lumber yards have lots of pallets that they don't want. Get ones with the heavier 1x4 lumber. You can dis-assemble them with a hammer and cat's paw or a reciprocating saw. To build a bin with new lumber costs about $80 - $90. Much cheaper with used pallets.

The only animals in the bin are mice.

The screen is for screening the compost. It's 1/2" hardware cloth. You can screen lots of other things as well.

I would be reluctant to reduce the bin size. A certain size is needed to provide insulation for the inner material.

You have a really lovely yard!

I made a compost bin using a animal safe trash can. I simply drilled holes in the top, bottom and sides. Took about 30 minutes to make and works perfectly.

If you went with that system, you wouldn't need to remove anything.