My recommendation is to get a 55 gallon drum and cut out both ends. Then
get 8 cinder blocks that measure 8high x 8wide x 16long. Place these two
high a bit further apart than the diameter of the drum in two walls such
that each wall is 16high x 8wide x 32long. Next get some metal bars long
enough to span the gap between the walls. Galvanized pipes will do, as will
rebar. I found the round metal stakes with nail holes at one end and a
point at the other used in concrete work to work well. Place these bars
about an inch or so apart across those walls. Place the drum on top of the
stakes and fill it with your leaves, grass clippings, etc. If any falls out
onto the ground, simply scoop it up and dump it again into the drum on top
of what is there. Then thoroughly water the contents of the drum until
water falls out the bottom. Water thoroughly once a week or more often as
needed. While you can turn the contents (I use one of those stakes), you
can also just leave the contents alone. Over time as the compost forms, it
will drop down onto the ground below the drum. The nice feature of this low
labor approach is that a whole lot of air is available for decomposition as
the bottom of the container is open. The one caveat is to move the fallen
compost away quickly - particularly if you have a tree anywhere close by.
The nearby plants just love the stuff and if you dally you'll find a whole
lot of roots amongst that compost.


"Paul E. Lehmann" wrote in message
...
I am interested in starting composting.
I would appreciate some advice on what type of bin to purchase and where
to
get them.
There are only two of us in the house so we do not have a lot of kitchen
scraps but do have a LOT of oak leaves in the fall and grass cuttings in
the
warmer months. I have a backyard vineyard which covers about 0.1 acre for
which I need to build up the organics and nutrients in the soil.