7 Places to Put Your Compost Bin (And 7 to Avoid)

If you are a gardener, compost will quickly become your best friend. It can help fertilize your plants, dramatically improve soil structure, and generally just make your garden thrive.

It’s also one of the most economical ways to get your plants the nutrients they need if you stay on top of adding to it on a weekly basis.

With just a little diligence and elbow grease, you can turn scraps of food and yard waste into rich, moist compost that you can use for all sorts of projects.

But compost piles take time to break down, and they take up an increasing amount of space as you build them. Accordingly, it’s important to put them in the right spot from the get-go.

In this article, I’ll be telling you about where to best place your compost bin and seven places to avoid. Let’s get right into it!

✓ Next to Your Garden

If you can, and as long as you can meet the other requirements for drainage, protection, and temperature, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t locate your compost pile right next to your garden.

Yes, if your garden is a little farther from your house, you’ll
have to walk a little longer to add stuff to it, but chances are you’ll be puttering around in the yard or garden taking care of other chores anyway. Using a compost caddy in the kitchen will help keep odor down between trips and facilitate collection of useful scraps.

The big advantage of having the compost pile right next to the garden is that it makes accessing and spreading the compost a cinch.

The only thing you need to consider is making sure that your pile, wherever you put it, won’t get in the way of future plantings and won’t get in your way as you move around the garden.

The only other minor drawback to be aware of is that, sometimes, your pile might attract pests and other critters you’d rather not have prowling around in the garden. But generally, it’s easy enough to keep them at bay with other measures…

✓ Near Your Raised Beds

Whether you have raised beds as a supplement to your in-ground garden or as a replacement for one, you can make a great case for putting the compost bin next to them.

Raised beds often benefit from regular additions of compost to help keep their soil composition loose and nutrient-rich, and placing the pile next to the beds will save you time and effort; instead of hauling the whole bucket or a wheelbarrow over to the beds, you can just scoop and go.

As with locating it next to your garden proper, make sure that your bin won’t get in your way as you move around and work in your raised beds, and think ahead so that the pile doesn’t block future expansion – if that’s something that might be on the horizon.

✓ On Any Well-Draining Patch of Ground

It’s not ideal for most folks, not aesthetically, but you can plop your compost bin or pile down anywhere on a level and well-draining patch of ground. There’s nothing else to it!

Drainage is critical for compost piles because they release a nasty liquid called leachate. You want this liquid to drain away into the ground and subsequently be washed away by rain. Problems arise when that can’t happen.

If the compost pile itself is forced to sit in that puddle of leachate, it will result in rot and blooms of other nasty microorganisms that you definitely don’t want. Aside from spoiling the compost, it will greatly increase the stench.

✓ In a Spot with Partial Shade

One of the very best places to put your compost is in a partially shaded spot. Ideally, letting your pile get plenty of morning and late afternoon sun will greatly increase performance.

That’s because warm temperatures promote decomposition and the proliferation of microorganisms responsible for it. Cooler temperatures slow it down, and if it gets cold enough, it can even stop.

On the other hand, too much sun is bad. If you haven’t picked it up by now, you should know that producing rich compost and doing it in a timely fashion is all about balance!

If the pile gets too much sunshine, it will have the opposite effect, overheating it and drying it out, two things which can be disastrous.

Picking a “Goldilocks” spot that gets enough sun throughout the day while shielding your pile from the most intense afternoon sun is perfect.

And don’t worry about the compost cooling down too much during that time: the accumulated heat from sunlight and from the decomposition process will keep the whole pile warm for a time!

✓ Behind a Shed, Coop, Stall, or Garage

Like I mentioned above, a compost pile isn’t the most attractive feature around your home, especially if it’s actually an open pile and not in an enclosed bin. If you want to keep your property looking good and maximize curb appeal, you’d be smart to hide it where it won’t be seen.

My favorite locations are behind a shed, stall, chicken coop, or some other building – even an outhouse if you have one. Out of sight and out of mind!

Most of these places are also low-traffic, meaning that your compost bin won’t get in the way as you take care of other chores around the property.

The trade-off, of course, is that it’s slightly less convenient to manage, turn, and draw from when needed. But there are two things you must take care of if you want to go with this approach:

• One, make sure that you place the compost pile so that it won’t be getting hit with water cascading off the roof of the structure. Gutters can take care of this, but make sure they stay clear.
• Second, keep in mind that ants and potentially termites and other critters will be attracted to your compost pile, and sometimes mice or rats. Keep your buildings pest-proof!

✓ Along a Fence or Hedge

A surprisingly good place for your compost is along fences. Hedges and fences can both fulfill the need for shade as detailed above because you don’t want your compost to get overheated or dried out.

Additionally, picking the right spot along a fence or hedge will allow it to serve as a windbreak for the compost.

Wind can be problematic because it is very drying, and also because it will carry away heat and potentially blow the compost away if it’s not covered.

If your fence or hedge is solid enough, this can also be a courteous choice since it can help hide the pile from sight, either from your family or your
neighbors. On the other hand, your neighbor might object to a compost pile being right against a shared fence, and you should take care to prevent your pile from getting stinky if it is close to your neighbor’s property.

In any case, make sure that you leave several inches of standoff on the backside of the pile between your fence or hedge, and you’ll be good to go.

✓ Against a Sunny Wall of Your
Home (?)

A controversial choice, but in my experience, a good one as long as you know how to manage compost. Placing your compost bin on a carefully chosen outer wall of your home can confer many advantages and increase convenience when it comes to adding items to the pile.

For starters, you won’t have to walk very far to check on it, toss in your items, turn it, and then leave.

Second, radiated heat from the wall helps to evenly, but gently, warm the pile. Depending on the shape of your house and the facing of the wall, it can also confer some shade, at least during part of the hottest hours of the day. All great advantages!

The major disadvantage, of course, is that if the odor coming off of the pile gets stinky, it will be much closer to your living space. If the pile goes rancid, this might force you to relocate it.

Depending on what you are adding to your pile, attracting pests like flies might be another issue to contend with, and can be a deal-breaker for some. Make sure your window and door screens are in good shape if flies are an issue!

Assuming you know what you’re doing, this is pretty easy to prevent, though. As with placing the pile near other buildings, make sure it isn’t at risk of getting flooded by water coming off of your roof.

Avoid Placing Your Compost Bin in These Spots…

There are lots of great places to stick a compost bin or pile, but just as many bad spots. Always avoid the following:

✘ On Pavement or Asphalt

Never, ever place your bin on any kind of pavement because it won’t allow the leachate to drain away as discussed previously. Worse, the pressure of the pile itself will promote trapping of water at the lowest layers, right against the pavement.

Once again, we see that this will promote slime, rot, and other unhealthy processes which can ruin your pile and turn it into a stinking mess. I know this one can be tempting for convenience alone, if nothing else, but it’s a bad idea.

✘ On Poorly Drained Soil

Once again, drainage is critical, and you might think you’ve got a picture-perfect spot somewhere on your property, but if you find out too late, or don’t care enough to check in the first place, that that spot holds water, your compost is never going to work.

That leachate must be able to drain away, and we never want stagnant water in contact with the pile itself.

If you really do have a specific spot in mind but it retains water, you can go with it as long as you take the time to improve the drainage significantly before starting your pile or placing your bin.

✘ In a Depression

If you have a low spot anywhere on your property, it might seem like a natural location for a compost pile since it gives you a natural container, of sorts. You’re right about that, but you still shouldn’t put your compost there…

These locations are simply too prone to flooding, and that saturation will interfere with maintaining the correct moisture level; not too wet, not too dry. Worse yet, and potentially disastrous, is the fact that rushing water could carry away the compost, scattering it!

This, obviously, is a terrible outcome and, in the case of a real downpour, might mean you need to start all over again.

✘ Under a Tree

This is a tricky one. Upon first appraisal, you might think sticking your bin under a tree is truly the perfect solution. It provides shade and a windbreak, and the canopy of the tree will help protect the pile. Once again, good observations, but you forgot about potential threats coming from below.

Specifically, placing your compost bin under a tree and near the root zone will prompt the roots of the tree to start growing into the pile itself. That’s because the roots naturally seek out sources of concentrated nutrition, and that’s all your compost bin will be.

This is disruptive to the pile, which will have its nutrients rapidly leached away by large tree roots, and also disruptive for the tree since those roots need to be under the ground where they belong.

✘ In an Exposed Spot with No Windbreaks

Wherever you decide to place your bin, pay attention to windbreaks. Plopping it in an exposed spot with nothing to stop the wind, even partially, will lead to troubles with the pile drying out. I can promise you that.

You can erect fencing or other structures around your pile to serve as a windbreak, but you can save yourself a lot of trouble by picking a barrier that’s already on your property. This is especially important if you live in any place with gusty or constant prevailing winds.

✘ In a Crowded, Cramped Place

Managing a compost bin takes a little more work than the uninitiated think. You’ve got to add items, turn it, moisten it, and turn it some more.

Spreading it out and mounding it up, not to mention getting in there to shovel it into a wheelbarrow or bucket, all require a little bit of room to work.

Because of this, you shouldn’t try to cram your bin into a tiny nook, niche, or alley that will make it hard to work. Make sure you’ve got enough room to maneuver, and leave plenty of space for the pile to grow—it will!

✘ On High-Traffic Paths

This one should be obvious, but I think it’s worth mentioning because what’s obvious to some is anything but to others. Don’t place the compost bin or pile itself on along gardening paths.

Having to walk around the bin for any purpose other than managing it is just going to cost you time, effort, and annoyance.