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Making Your Own Compost Screen As a Weekend Project
Mon 13 Jul 2009 - 15:54
Making Your Own Compost Screen As a Weekend Project
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andy_West]Andy West
A shovel, a compost screen and the will to work on your garden and keep your environment clean are about the only tools you need to make your contribution to the greener planet.
By making your own compost with a little help from your shovel and compost screen, you're not only doing good to yourself but to Mother Nature and the planet as well. You can buy the shovel from your neighborhood hardware store and possess the internal will to make the contribution to the greener planet, but buying a compost screen from the hardware store might cost hundreds of dollars. Why not make your own compost screen and make it a weekend project involving your family member to make it a fun day?
A compost screen reduces the amount of excess debris in compost piles so that the benefits of composting can be maximized. People who are considering doing composting on their own would want to consider making a compost screen. Building your own screen helps reduce cost and increase efficiency, versatility, portability and allows you to do your bit in making the planet green.
To build a compost screen you will need a wire mesh, a supporting structure, nails and outside skirting to avoid touching protruding wire mesh that could hurt your hands. You might be able to use discarded wooden pallets, old fencing or even get the wood cut from a lumberyard to make the frame. Try to get the wood that is about six inches high to make the frame so that it can serve as a tray to hold the compost. Cut the wood down so you can make a manageable square tray.
Once you have the frame made, you need to find a wire mesh that you will use to sift the compost to separate it from rocks, wooden chaffs and any compost that has yet to decompose. Most people use a half inch to a quarter inch wire mesh depending upon the size of debris they anticipate. Compost that can pass through a quarter inch mesh can be used to surface dress the lawn, while a half inch mesh lets out the compost that is ideal for a nursery. You'll need to cut a piece of mesh that fits over the frame. Make sure you pull the mesh tightly before stapling it to the frame so that it does not sag when the compost is poured on to it.
To finish off the frame on the side of wire mesh, use thin skirting to make sure that your hands are well protected from the parts of mesh that are sticking out. The whole process of making the screen should take you about half an hour once you have all the materials and tools at hand. Not only is it a quick and fun project, it gets you up and working in no time to make your garden look more beautiful.
You can either use the wheelbarrow if you have one or a large plastic container like a barrel to collect the compost that has sifted through the compost screen. You should have in mind what you would be using as a collector before you start making the compost screen. This would give you a fair idea of what size of wood you should get to make a frame that would sit on top of the collector and not let any of the compost go to waste should it fall from the sides.
If you are making a larger [http://www.ez-screen.com/interior.cfm?pid=ez%201200xl]compost screen that can hold more compost, then you should consider making a frame as a rail so that the compost screen sits on top of it and you can move it side to side on the rail without breaking your back. If it's too big and heavy, then you should consider putting small wheels underneath the compost screen for easy movement.
Andy West is a writer on a number of topics, including industrial machinery. Maximize composting in your garden by building your own compost screen even if you don't own fancy [http://www.ez-screen.com/interior.cfm?pid=ez%20500xl]topsoil screening machines.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_West http://EzineArticles.com/?Making-Your-Own-Compost-Screen-As-a-Weekend-Project&id=2592960
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