Best outdoor composting & yard bins according to redditors

We found 50 Reddit comments discussing the best outdoor composting & yard bins. We ranked the 32 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Subcategories:

Yard waste bags
Outdoor composting tumblers

Top Reddit comments about Outdoor Composting & Yard Waste Bins:

u/bigjerm · 17 pointsr/whatisthisthing

it's a worm farm for composting.
here's something similar

u/aseriesoftubes · 10 pointsr/gardening

Did you put any dead leaves or other brown materials in your compost bin? If you only use green (wet, high-nitrogen) materials in your compost bin, and no browns (dry, high-carbon), you'll get a slimy, stinky mess. The suggested ratio is about 20-30:1 brown to green. although I've seen people using ratios as low as 4:1 on the interwebs.

I think the general consensus is that worm bins are the better choice for kitchen scraps.

u/zorkmids · 7 pointsr/gardening

Cool. You should start a worm compost bin. You can use the worm castings in your other plantings, and your fish will love an occasional treat of worms. I use a 3-tray system like this, but you can get started by drilling some holes in the bottom of a plastic storage bin. Use red wiggler worms (tiger worms), not earthworms.

u/dqwest · 5 pointsr/lawncare

Get one of these and thank me later.
terraking

This thing works the tits

u/macmini · 4 pointsr/composting

We have been using this, we buy new carbon filters every few months, works great and no smells
Exaco Trading Co. ECO-2000 Plus Kitchen Compost Waste Collector, 2.4 Gallon, Deluxe Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CV952QG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PcNHDbHZ8BAHS

u/Pink1253 · 4 pointsr/hoarding

I am not sure how cost effective this would be, compared to your per bag option. I have considered using these before.

Bagster 3CUYD Dumpster in a Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002U0KC2E/

u/KuchDaddy · 3 pointsr/composting

I have one very similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Gardeners-Supply-Company-Recycled-Plastic/dp/B00J33B15I

and when I first got it, I found that it stayed too wet because there were no drain holes. The water just stayed there and it got soupy. I drilled a bunch of holes to provide drainage and it works a lot better.

u/road_to_nowhere · 3 pointsr/composting

I think this depends on how committed you are and by that I mean how much you're willing to invest. I'm a big fan of John at Growing Your Greens. I am new to composting and did quite a bit of research before discovering that my HOA forbids the use of composters. I'm on the fence about whether I'll get one anyway or not but based on John's reviews of the various types I would have or will purchase a Joraform. It's pricey to start (Note: I've seen it at $299 on Amazon, it seems to be higher right now so you can keep an eye on it if you're interested) but he does a follow up review here and has actually purchased a second, larger one because it works so well and so quickly. He says it turns out high grade usable compost in about 4-6 weeks. That seems much faster than any of the other ones I've read about. I've also read that the insulation keeps the pile hot enough that it works during snowy winters as well if your area experiences that type of climate. John puts the Lifetime tumbler in second place and I've seen the dual 50 gallon model at Costco for $150 which is pretty good as well.

The bonus of the tumblers, as he mentions, is that they're raised and sealed so rodents can't get to your pile. With the Joraform the holes are relatively small, I believe, so it keeps the insects you get to a minimum as well. Being able to tumble your compost has the advantage of making it easier to turn so you can keep the pile processing more easily and preventing it from creating odors. They're long but I highly suggest watching John's videos as they give a pretty good run down of the various types and the pros and cons of each.

u/lllilllillil · 3 pointsr/gardening

I bought the Yimby compost bin two years ago and a Jora Compost bin last year. IMHO the Yimby is junk - it is too small to heat up and compost. The Jora, being insulated does very well and can create compost in a month if I add lots of greens. That being said, if I bought another it would be a Geobin.

u/ManInTheIronPailMask · 3 pointsr/Vermiculture

Good on you for wanting to vermicompost as soon as possible!

My sis used a DIY Rubbermaid bin for several years. She generally treated it in two zones, left and right. She'd put down kitchen waste in the left side, and the worms would sort of migrate there. For the next trip, she'd put it down on the right side.

Her most frequent complaint is that the worms wouldn't leave the old zone for the new zone. (I find this true with our vertical bin also, to a certain degree: worms will migrate up to the fresh food, but many will remain on the lower levels until the food is completely consumed.)

We live in an apartment, and use this worm bin in our utility room.

Rats are a whole different issue. They're devious, capable, and smart, though I'm not sure that shredded compost would be their first pick for food. You could make vertical "stilts" to hold your bin, or you could suspend it from the ceiling. Rats are smart as hell though, and will likely figure out how to bypass any protective measures you put into place. Deal with them, and vermicomposting will be easy. If you're in an apartment, the landlord should provide pest control services.

Also, if you have a blender, consider getting one or two big, regular (not wide-mouth) mason jars. We generally have 2 on the countertop. Edible/tasty kitchen trimmings (ends of onions, celery greens, ugly but non-rotten bits of carrots, bell pepper piths, meat trimmings) go into a freezer bag for making broth later. Inedible stuff (used coffee filters, tough asparagus bits, wilted flowers, pinched-off ends from growing plants, that bit of the carrot that includes the remains of the green part) goes into a Mason jar as future worm food.

The recommended ratio of brown matter to green matter is 60% (brown) to 40% (green.) It's often a challenge getting more brown matter than green, since most kitchen waste is green. We have a paper shredder (crosscut shredder, $7 from Goodwill thrift store) and I bought a big brick of coconut coir from Amazon. Peat pots whose seeds don't germinate also go to the worms.

Good luck!

u/Arkhantak · 3 pointsr/Vermiculture

WF360 = Worm Factory 360?

It is supossed to be 17.9 x 17.9 x 14.9 inches, right?

this is around 0.2 m^2 = 1 kg worms (5 kg/m^2)

Just get a regular bin 28.75 x 16 x 18.25 inches = 0.292 m^2

1.5 kg of worms

you can have a worm density anywhere from 2.5 to 10 kg/m^2, 5 is a good number.

If you are worried about winter, check this out.

Manual of On-Farm Vermicomposting and
Vermiculture

By Glenn Munroe
Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

They talk a lot about harsh winters.

TLDR: worms will survive below zero temperatures, they will eat less, they wont reproduce as often.

Worms can be productive if you load them with food and plenty of space to move around and avoid dangerous areas.

Even if the walls froze they will be alright.

You can always insulate the bin with styrofoam on the outside.

>• Low temperatures. Eisenia can survive in temperatures as low as 0 o C, but
they don’t reproduce at single-digit temperatures and they don’t consume as
much food. It is generally considered necessary to keep the temperatures above
10 o C (minimum) and preferably 15 o C for vermicomposting efficiency and above
15 o C (minimum) and preferably 20 o C for productive vermiculture operations.

>• Effects of freezing. Eisenia can survive having their bodies partially encased in
frozen bedding and will only die when they are no longer able to consume
food 8 . Moreover, tests at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) have
confirmed that their cocoons survive extended periods of deep freezing and
remain viable (GEORG, 2004).

>• High temperatures. Compost worms can survive temperatures in the mid-30s
but prefer a range in the 20s ( o C). Above 35 o C will cause the worms to leave the
area. If they cannot leave, they will quickly die. In general, warmer
temperatures (above 20 o C) stimulate reproduction.

>• Worms’s response to temperature differentials. Compost worms will
redistribute themselves within piles, beds or windrows according to temperature
gradients. In outdoor composting windrows in wintertime, where internal heat
from decomposition is in contrast to frigid external temperatures, the worms will
be found in a relatively narrow band at a depth where the temperature is close
to optimum. They will also be found in much greater numbers on the south-
facing side of windrows in the winter and on the opposite side in the summer.

>Although composting worms O 2 requirements are essential, however, they are also
relatively modest. Worms survive harsh winters inside windrows where all surfaces are
frozen: they live on the oxygen available in the water trapped inside the windrow.

u/arlarc2000 · 3 pointsr/ZeroWaste
u/a_c_munson · 3 pointsr/gardening

I am not a definitive expert but, Black plastic should help. A shovel full of dirt/finished compost can replace the accelerator... get a worm farm and all your issues will be solved.
http://amzn.com/B000S6LZBO
this is a 3 level one for a reasonable price. If you have to shell out anyway this is a better choice for you.you can add to the upper layers as the worms do their magic and free worm castings year round. even with the worms it won't cost more than a enclosed com-poster and will do a much better job. If you find it isn't big enough you can just add levels.
You may need to keep the com-poster in a garage if it gets too cold in the winter but otherwise verma-composting is the way to go for you .

u/Eight43 · 3 pointsr/composting

I think you're set on supplies. I never used the coir. I just added shredded newspaper and the stuff the worms were shipped in.

Small chunks are fine. I'll give them larger chunks and they handle them. They really don't eat much. Consult on-line, but I think you feed a lb of worms only a half a lb of food a day. I NEVER have them eat that much. I usually have far more scraps than the worms can eat. You can freeze the scraps and when thawed, they're soft and easier for them to consume. Blending is fine, but not necessary. Really, just putting the entire peel and cores is fine.

I feed the worms on one side of the bin for a few days so I can harvest the opposite side. Not all of them will move, so I pick out the worms and put them back into the bin. They aren't all that bothered.

I think those worm contraptions are more efficient at separating worms, but I've never owned one. I have a small rubbermaid tote with holes.

Starting the bin is kind of tricky because it needs to have the right moisture level. I wouldn't buy a meter. Instead, I'd save it and spend money on a worm house later. Visually inspecting the bin is really all you need to monitor moisture. Also note that some veggie/fruit scraps can quickly add moisture to the bin. They love watermelon rind, but it will add a lot of moisture so use sparingly unless the bin is too dry.

They may try to climb out when the bin isn't the right moisture level, temperature or when the bin is new. Don't fret.

u/reticulatedspline · 2 pointsr/Cooking

Not a cooking tip, but I recently got a worm composter which can be used indoors (no smell as long as you don't put dairy or meat in it) and makes short work of peels and other kitchen scraps. Decently stylish for a composter, too. Looks sorta like an Ikea stool.

u/Ender06 · 2 pointsr/lincoln

Get the standup funnel things, holds the bags open and acts as a funnel. You can pick them up at most hardware stores.

A bit expensive for what it is, but it's worth it imo.

https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-A650-Lawn-Chute/dp/B01B7OUN9A/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=lawn+chute&qid=1568172618&s=gateway&sprefix=lawn+chut&sr=8-3

u/molligum · 2 pointsr/aquaponics

I got some red wigglers a couple months after starting my system. Was going to order some from Uncle Jim on Amazon but decided first to email the local USDA Ag Agent, asking him for advice on a local source. He provided an online introduction to a local gardener with a "worm lady" reputation. She gave me a shoebox full of "soil" with worms of every size and lots of cocoons or eggs. Decided to establish a colony in a separate worm bin. That was last spring. Reckon there are several thousand of them now. Once a week or so, when I take the lid off to feed them, I give a few to the fish and drop some into the growbed, a constant flood with Hydroton setup. Haven't seen evidence of an established colony in the growbed yet. As far as not drowning in highly oxygenated water, I don't measure oxygen levels but I know its higher in the fish tank than the growbed and they drown in the fish tank. Still, they might be able to establish themselves in that narrow band of pebbles near the water line. If your bed is "flood and drain" it will be easier for them.

That "worm lady" recommended a little book called Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhaf and Joanne Olszewski. I found it very helpful.

Nightcrawlers need to maintain deep vertical tunnels to the surface; a tall order in an aquaponic growbed.

u/Alex3M3TI8 · 2 pointsr/washingtondc

Mostly vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells. I also will throw in lawn scraps on occasion. I have a small 1 gallon container (available at any kitchen store) by my recycle bin outside my back door where compost goes from the kitchen. Once a week or so, I will run that compost bin to my back yard where I have this compost bin.

https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Composter-Assembly-Envirocycle-Composting/dp/B0121G9ZJW/ref=sr_1_12?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1502212822&sr=1-12&keywords=compost+bin

I give that two full turns each week. I am starting to get a good deal of compost which I'm starting to work into my garden.



u/sharksandwich81 · 2 pointsr/composting

Compost Bin by GEOBIN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010V673AC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_c6YSDb03DWX0M

This is a very easy and inexpensive solution. I have this one, it took me 5 minutes to set up.

As for browns, easiest thing would be to shred up some newspaper and mix it in with the grass clippings. That combo will break down very quickly.

u/ahalenia · 2 pointsr/LifeProTips

Trying out worm composting.

u/Station51 · 2 pointsr/composting

Absolutely worth it. But you want to get the 2-handed version instead, with which it will be easier to turn over instead. https://www.amazon.com/LoTech-Compost-Crank-Aerator/dp/B00JHRH7EE/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Lotech+Products+LLC&qid=1569382741&s=gateway&sr=8-6

u/cakeeater808 · 2 pointsr/HawaiiGardening

I've never done a traditional hot compost pile or ever used a tumbler, so take this with a grain of salt. I've read a lot of tumbler reviews and watched a bunch of videos and you really need to manage the ratio of browns and greens with the moisture very carefully to make compost that quickly. If you decide to get a tumbler, this is supposedly the Cadillac of tumblers:


https://www.joracomposters.com/


If you want to go with a pile, this is supposed to be useful:


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085O6NXQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9478BbSCN49S7


John Kohler has a lot to say about this topic, so if you've never seen his review on tumblers, it's worth a watch, albeit long:


https://youtu.be/PWrxXkE_s3M



This is a video on the geobin:


https://youtu.be/LQKHJaiLsvg


If you're planning on composting every single thing, this won't work, but I have a worm factory and it's been great for the time I've had it (like 6ish years). It's small and if you shred paper or single ply cardboard, it works well for bedding, which is more stuff not being thrown away. You can also add additional trays so you have more capacity. After the initial setup and wait for the first 6 months, if you regularly add food into it, you can harvest the compost every month (quicker if you're good about managing ratios and have a good worm population).


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UO6LXE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Qa88BbNMCSA0M


Unfortunately all my worms died recently due to my neglect, so I have to get more 😕

u/lexdexhe · 2 pointsr/TwinCities

I've had my eye on one of these for a while. Haven't used it yet but looks pretty slick.

u/slowdowbonnie · 1 pointr/gardening

Depends on how much you put in there. I stopped composting for a couple months because I'm adding so much food scrap from juicing, it's not breaking down as fast and covered in small flies/gnats. I think a good option for you as you live in an apartment is to invest in a Bokashi Compost starter kit. If anything, just get the bokashi bran (it breaks down food faster since you don't have worms. That should prevent flies and gnats from laying eggs).

Bokashi Composting Starter Kit (Includes 2 Bokashi Bins, 3.5lbs of Bokashi Bran and Full Instructions) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C7UN0KM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vPvCDbE5T4TVV

u/kilamumster · 1 pointr/OrganicGardening

Mother's Day is coming up, so this is timely too!

My top wish list item: Fiskars stand-up weeder.

My favorite buy so far: Worm bins, for worm poo, aka gardener's black gold.


u/peony_chalk · 1 pointr/personalfinance

You might have already seen it, but this seemed like a good write-up with advice too.

Good luck!

Also, PS, I saw someone say something about everyone and their brother needing dumpsters and there not being enough of them. Perhaps a bagster would be a good temporary measure? Even if your local waste management company wouldn't normally take them, I'd think they would make exceptions given the situation.

u/EquinsuOcha · 1 pointr/lawncare

You can do either - or none. Easiest to maintain is to find an empty corner of your yard and just pile it up, or you can bag it like I mentioned, or even easier, get a bin on Amazon or make one. Here’s an example.

MTB Garden Wire Compost Bin 30x30x24 inches, Black, Garden Bed Fencing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071P2G57M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EGTSDbDZR73KP

By the time spring comes along, you’ll have some of the most amazing soil / fertilizer that you could imagine.

u/RabbitAssHaderach · 1 pointr/Vermiculture

I’ve just received my order of the DE. Was curious if you could recommend how to use it? Where to apply and what amount. We have a 360 worm factory: https://www.amazon.com/Worm-Factory-WF360B-Composter-Black/dp/B002LH47PY

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/gardening

Then try getting one of these! They're great and you can set it up somewhere closed off in your kitchen & add scraps whenever.