Garbage can composting

[IntlMom]

Ok, so I am getting ready to make a garbage can composter. I've read posts here, as well as how to make it online.
I know I need to drill holes in it for air circulation. I am assuming that I drill them around the sides towards the top of the bin. Then somewhere on the bottom, but I'm kinda fuzzy about that.
Any advice and tips? Does it REALLY work? Currently I've been saving my scraps in a covered container under the sink and then blending them up and taking them out and dumping the whole mess on the garden pile, but now that I'm getting ready to plant, I'm ready to get an "official" pile going. I'd love to just be able to have a great big pile, but we live in town with no fences and I can't have an open pile.

Thanks

[SAHM I Am]

I found this:


How to Make a Compost Bin From a Garbage Can
By ehow_home-garden_writer

Rate: (37 Ratings)

Compost is nothing more than decomposed plant material, so you don't need a fancy bin to make your own compost. You can create compost in a heap on the ground, but most gardeners think that containing your compost pile makes it look tidier. Here's how to make compost in a recycled garbage can.

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InstructionsDifficulty: Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Bricks
Garbage Cans
Garden Hoses
Old Newspapers
Step 1:
Punch holes in a garbage can. The microbes that actually do the composting need oxygen to do their work.

Step 2:
Chop plant debris into small pieces and place them inside the garbage can. Ideally, you should use 50 percent green material and 50 percent dry, but you can use shredded newspaper for the dry material if necessary. You don't need to fill the can all at one time - just put in the plant material you have on hand.

Step 3:
Spray water over the chopped plant material inside the can, until the material is damp but not soggy.

Step 4:
Put the lid on the can.

Step 5:
Place the filled garbage can on bricks or several 2-by-4-inch pieces of lumber to keep the can off the ground and prevent it from rusting.

Step 6:
Turn the can as often as daily, or at least once a week. Lay the can on its side and roll it around to mix the plant material inside.

Step 7:
Add more plant material at any time.

Step 8:
Keep the compost about as moist as a wrung-out sponge by spraying it with water when the plant material begins to feel dry.

Step 9:
Harvest your compost after one month. Use a wire screen or piece of chicken wire to strain out the unfinished compost.

beatnik saidFlag This Comment This comment has been flagged.
on 6/9/2007 maybe this will help you out sisgannie this was i believe made to be used with a metal trash can because of this statement "Place the filled garbage can on bricks or several 2-by-4-inch pieces of lumber to keep the can off the ground and prevent it from rusting." as only the can would rust. personally i would use a plastic can as it is easier to maintain. To answer your question of where to place the holes, you should put many small holes all around the sides of the can as air is a required component. I hope this can help i am not the poster but I know how this is done. The other comments are good too adding red wiggler worms to your bin will speed up the process and add castings to your compost and the worms are good for your garden in general. as far as worms go thats all i know i have no idea how a worm casting factory works or how to build one of those.

[Jerseygirl]

I have been using mine for a couple of years with success. I took a cracked plastic garbage bin (about 30 gallon size) I keep it in a sunny place so it keeps warm inside for most of the year. I drilled holes in the bottom and up the sides for air circulation. I keep a top on mine 90% of the time, so it looks neat, then just leave it off a couple of times a month when rain is predicted. I don't put egg shells or anything like that in, just veggie scraps, coffee grinds (and filters) some newspaper shreds, pumpkins after halloween and the soil from my planters after season. Each year it gets filled to the top, and each year I pretty much empty it in the spring, we have terrible clay soil here. I also take a pitch fork and turn it, mess it up about once a month during the warm months. Good luck.