Bottom for compost pile

AZDYJ2K 5/31/2011, 4:16 pm

What is the bottom of your compost bin/pile? Is it just bare ground?

I'm curious because I am using the top half of a municipal garbage can. These are available for free in our city. There's no bottom to this so the compost is on top of bare ground. Will I lose nutrients when I water down the compost and the excess leeches into the ground? Or is that too minimal to care about?

nancy 5/31/2011, 4:20 pm

My earth machine sits right on the ground. There are some compost bins that catch the "tea" that leaks out, but I don't worry about it. If I ever move the bin, that spot should be great in which to grow something.

**Furbalsmom** 5/31/2011, 4:40 pm

The Master Gardeners in our area recommend making your compost pile directly on the ground so the compost will pick up beneficial "stuff" that helps the compost work and build up nutrients.

TN_GARDENER 7/11/2011, 8:07 pm

It's probably bare ground now, but when I started it was grassy.

My main issue with any sort of bottom would have more to be with drainage. I prefer to just let the excess water wash away than to risk having a soupy mess down there (I know that soupy mess could be considered compost tea, but I don't think it's too feasible to try to elevate my pile just to catch the runoff).

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