skip to main content

Soil, Compost & Mulch

Wooden wine boxes - stacked - as a composter?

15 years ago

I have a few wooden wine boxes and wonder whether if I remove the tops and bottoms and stack them this would be a workable composter. The size wouldnt be ideal is my guess as they are maybe 2 ft x 1 ft. If I stacked them I could stabilize them with stakes at the corners.

Anyone tried this or have observations?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

val_s
15 years ago
To me, it does sound a little small but....I say go for it. I see it as a small wooden pallet bin. Everyone has to start somewhere. Might be kind of hard to get it to heat up but it will all turn to compost in the end. Sounds like it might be a fun experiment. I have a feeling the wood in these boxes wouldn't last very long though. Just my 2Â¢

Val
marshallz10
15 years ago
I agree the boxes are small for typical composting. How are the sides attached? Brads, staples, straps? Two cubic feet of wet stuff weighs alot.
Related Discussions
Compostable materials
Q
Comments (7)
I've composted small amounts of dairy with no problems, but I do question how long some of those things would take to completely break down. Wood chips, tree bark, and cattail reeds, depending on the size could take awhile, as could leather items. Since I only occasionally hot compost I'd not use many of those things. I question whether Ivory soap is a completely natural product so I know I wouldn't compost it. I wouldn't bother composting peat moss either but would mix it with the finished compost if I needed to use it up. I'd also be careful to not add too much wood ash or minerals as they don't decompose and could alter the pH and cause an imbalance that's difficult to restore. In a good hot compost everything else on that list would decompose fairly quickly tho - except maybe those little olive pits. Warning - wedding bouquets are composed of more than organic materials, they have wires and plastic stuff also so one should gleefully rip it apart to remove those things OR ceremonially burn/trash it if it no longer has sentimental value! ;-D
...See More
Composting in a cardboard box
Q
Comments (10)
Thanks for the quick responses! I considered getting something to wrap around the boxes because, well, that makes sense that as the insides decompose it is likely that the outside will, as well. I will look into the chicken wire-- it seems that people on craigslist are always trying to liberate themselves of old stuff like that. As stupid as this sounds, the limiting factor for getting a normal large garbage bin is that everyone here has some sort of small, 2-door vehicle with limited and oddly-shaped cargo space. We're so not equipped for serious gardening. The reason I don't want just a free pile is that our fence is right next to a sidewalk and the community mailboxes (I have only seen this in Texas-- everywhere else I have ever been has had roadside mailboxes or door slots), so if for some reason something goes awry in the pile, I'd rather it be somewhat contained and able to be capped off to prevent aerating to mix onto the hapless old dogwalker who is checking her mail. Obviously the box alone would disintegrate with the elements so, again, I'll find something to give it some sort of structure on the outside. Oh, and unrelated to the topic at hand but certainly related to composting-- I believe there are fire ants in my leaf pile. I am not sure if they are indeed fire ants, nor do I want to find out phenomenologically, but there is a colony of something in there. Have any of you run into this, and would this pose any sort of problem to the pile? Sure, biting and stinging me sucks, but if they're doing something good to the composting process I'm sort of okay with it; if they're eating what should be breaking down my pile, I might have issues. And again, thank you all!
...See More
Compost tumbler vs Compost Box
Q
Comments (5)
To do this right, imo anyway, you really need a three-step system. One is for the current stuff being added daily. One is for the stuff still cooking beyond the day-to-day additions. One for finished compost waiting for the next 'gardening moment'. Here's what I have settled into after about 3 years of composting. I found a barrel composter at a yard sale for $75, this is my day-to-day barrel. When it gets full and difficult to 'flip', I empty it out onto the ground and turn it into a couple of plastic garbage cans that we cut the bottom out of and drilled LOTS of holes in. Periodically, (once a month would be good but I don't get to it that often and frankly weekly would be better), I dump out the contents of the garbage can and reposition the now empty can as close to where it was before but all the debris is now piled up there. Now start shoveling it all back in, watering as you go. In a perfect world I would have first stopped at one or more Starbucks and picked up a bunch of coffee grounds so I could add a layer of grounds and some dry leaves that I always have around as I go. When you can no longer identify anything in the pile, and it's nice and black and smells earthy, it's ready for the garden. Otherwise, it's still cooking. Some of the cities around the Valley sell, for $5, recycle bins that they have cut the wheels and bottom section from and drilled a few holes in. I have one of these but never use it. I'm in NW Phx at 43rd Ave and Peoria and you can have this one if interested. HTH. I think the stacking ones work great but are too pricey for my meager budget.
...See More
Transporting Jars - Bins, boxes, what?
Q
Comments (14)
I use milk crates, too because they're light, stack easily, have handles and you can see through them somewhat. Quarts are only single layer, but pints and half pints can be layered with a folded newspaper section between. I used to use those cardboard flats - the ones with 2-inch sides - and they're okay for storage. Easy to find because pop comes in them, too. Also good are the plastic trays that cola distributors use. They have handles too, wash easily and are relatively strong. They're prolific after a county fair, just tossed aside. Have you checked Aldi groceries? I can think of lots of products that would be shipped in boxes with dividers -- spaghetti sauce, olive oil, etc. Aldi is happy for you to take out the "trash" for them.
...See More
Kimmsr
15 years ago
Too small, too little volume of material to compost. Most every site about composting will tell you the pile needs to be at a minimum of 3 feet square to work, and I find that a 4 x 4 pile works better.
Lloyd
15 years ago
OTOH, assuming these boxes are 2 feet wide and 1 foot tall, a two by two foot unit comes out to 4 cubic feet, stack four of them up like a Bio-stack unit (which holds 13 cubic feet) and you get 16 cubic feet of material. An EarthMachine composter is 10.5 cubic feet.

So it might work well for you depending on how much material you intend to compost. I suspect the wood might rot quickly but it would depend on what type of wood it was I suppose. The stacking procedure you are thinking about sounds like it would be very similar to the Biostack so I would consider making each box removable for re-piling.

Good luck

Lloyd
11otis
15 years ago
Picked up a wooden wine box from the local wine store a few months ago. I was hoping they would give me a nice looking wooden box so I can put it in the den or living room (besides using it to store something). I guess only expensive wine will come in those nice boxes and whoever buy wine that expensive will keep the box too. The ones given away are the cheap ones and they don't look like they will last long as a compost bin. Maybe that is a good thing too. It will make it easier to get to the bottom of the pile when it is ready.

Related Stories

WOODWORKING Build Your Own Wooden Deck Chair From a Pallet — for $10!

Take the ecofriendly high road with a low-cost outdoor chair you make yourself

DIY PROJECTS Weekend Project: Reinvent a Wine Crate

By Susan Stieglitz

Discover 8 DIY possibilities for these inexpensive but beautiful boxes, then see one handywoman's reinvention

ORGANIZING Outside the Box: 18 Unconventional Storage Solutions

By Dressed Nest Interiors

You might never think to use household standards in creative ways like these, but you’ll be glad we did

VACATION HOMES Houzz Tour: Reviving a Farmhouse in California’s Wine Country

A rickety 1800s home gets a more contemporary look and layout, becoming an ideal weekend retreat

TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE Houzz Tour: Southern Charm in the California Wine Country

By Mary Jo Bowling

An old farm cottage gets some Big Easy style with an expansion that preserves memories and adds whimsy

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Fall Entertaining Favorites

By Laura Gaskill

Make autumn feasts a piece of cake with chic compostable plates, pretty glasses, pie accessories and more

KITCHEN DESIGN Guest Picks: Organizing Your Kitchen for the New Year

By Clara Artschwager

Resolve to find a place for plastic bags, compost and piles of dishes to declutter your kitchen

STORAGE Hidden in Plain Sight: 10 Cleverly Closeted Home Spaces

By Lisa Higgins

Tuck your home office, wine collection or even your entire kitchen behind closed doors for all of the function and none of the clutter

DREAM SPACES Just a Few Things for the Dream-Home Wish List

A sunken hot tub, dedicated game room, tree house, hidden wine cellar and more. Which of these home luxuries would you like best?

FARM YOUR YARD How to Build a Raised Bed for Your Veggies and Plants

By Annie Thornton

Whether you’re farming your parking strip or beautifying your backyard, a planting box you make yourself can come in mighty handy

Sponsored

More Discussions

Using Pebbles as a Mulch in Succulent Garden

1

Question About Wood Chip Mulch

7

How to water trees on land without access to tap water?

28

Grass Lawn Care

2

Least bad weeds for compost

19