How can I make a Home Composter Unit?

High Group,
I have decided to Grow & Go Organic.
I have know about Organics for years, as my late Dad was a gardener, and used to get 'Organic Gardening' Magazine. Where I grew up, we used to have a 'compost pile'.
I've seen all those cool Composter Bins, and especially like the round one which you can fill & spin weekly, but can't afford $150+ for that now.

Can't I make one out of skids/pallets?
I thought about making one out of a square of pallets on four sides, with a door on the front, to gather the composted materials.
Should I line the inside walls with screening, to hold all the material in?
What do I do on the bottom? Leave it open to the ground or put screening there???

This should work, wouldn't it?

What else do I need to know?

Also, I'll be making my own potting soils, and read many posts about doing this.

I just spent $100- on the following: large bag of Milorganite, bat guano, worm castings, dried, compost & hummus mix, kelp meal, blood meal, bone meal, fish emulsion and have a worm box & always add worms to my houseplants, tomato's, Weed etc

I have an over abundance of Peat Moss, which I would like to use (up) in mixing my potting soil.
Now I've read that Peat Moss is acidic, and will change the PH of the soil.
Couldn't I "sweeten" this up, and bring the PH back, by using a little powered lime?
If so - How much lime do I add, to how much peat moss, to make this work?

Any ideas would be most helpful!

This damn site! I've been gardening for 30+ years, and seemingly know nothing!

. . . . . But at least I KNOW that I don't know anything! (There's a difference here, you know)! :hubba:

...Kinda like the difference between thinking you're insane and actually Being insane!

- But I'm learning new tricks everyday, and keeping an open mind!

Thanks in Advance, this is a Great Forum!

StonedWoodsman :icon_smile: . . . . 'just an old dog learning new tricks!

pallets are the quikest if ya have some...But if ya wanna start with a turn barrel...Lowes sells one for 80 Dollars..and Ive seen the double barrel at cosco around 150..Happy growing

I have a mother in law so dont need composter

BWD

There are tons and tons of ideas on making compost barrels that turn and also making stationary ones from pallets. I made several barrels last year. Even though I beefed them up with materials heavier duty than most of the videos showed, I still had trouble turning the barrel even part way filled. If I make another, I will make it with some kind of tines inside the barrel that turn rather than turning the entire barrel. If you make a stationary one compost pile you are going to have to turn it regularly. Even with a barrel, it is going to probably take months and months to see compost. You are not going to have finished compost in several weeks like some advertise. This is the link to the ones I made: http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60028

I don't know where you live, but around here you can buy screened compost for about $20 a yard if you or someone you know has a pickup or trailer you can haul compost in.

There are some great super soil recipes flying around on the internet, too. You might want use a tried and true recipe rather than having to learn all the quantities, different minerals, and the breakdown speeds, etc, etc of all the amendments to make a good soil that is going to give your plants what they need and not overdose on some and starve for others.

I grow all my vegetables organic, but find that dirt is too hard to deal with where I live in the winters to use it for inside growing year round. Good luck!