DIY In-Ground Compost Bin

We are huge fans of composting! We have large bins in the back of our yard for leaves and yard waste—I shared those in my post about How to Make Leaf Compost. We also have a compost tumbler and an electric countertop kitchen composter we use in the winter when it’s freezing out.

Today we’re making a worm bin to go in one of our garden beds! The idea of an in-ground compost bin is that you are essentially composting in place. You put a bin or bucket with a bunch of holes in it in soil, add kitchen scraps and worms, and let them eat the waste and poop out worm castings, which are excellent for your garden!

I made this DIY in-ground compost bin using a bucket we got from a local restaurant. It was used to ship pickles, so it also smells like pickles. Hope the worms don’t mind 🙂 So let’s talk through it!

Supplies used…

• 5-gallon bucket with lid
• Drill and various drill bits
• Pliers with snips
• Measuring tape
• Shovel & area to bury

Step 1: Measure garden bed & bucket

First I decided where to put my in-ground bucket. Our soil is super dense and rocky, so I didn’t want to actually put this one in the ground. Instead, I decided to put it inside of one of my raised garden beds. Much easier to bury, and it will feed my plants directly!

The garden bed is 11 inches deep, and the bucket is 15 inches tall. So it’s the perfect size! You want the top of the bucket to stay above the soil line—not be completely buried.

Step 2: Drill air circulation holes

Once I determined the area that would be above the soil line (where my finger is pointing to in the second photo below), I drilled air circulation holes. I used a 1/2″ drill bit to do bigger holes all around the perimeter. And then I did a bunch of smaller holes as well.

These holes will let air in and out, which is a critical part of the decomposition process. With no holes, the bin can also get very, very hot in the summer. That’s why you can’t add worms to a compost tumbler—it gets super hot.

Step 3: Drill holes for worms

Next I drilled holes for the forms. I made all of these holes bigger, too. The worms need to be able to get in and out…don’t overthink this. They will find a way if there is food in there! 🙂

I drilled these holes all around the body of the bucket. And then I drilled them in the bottom. Don’t forget the bottom! This is the part of the bucket that will sit on the ground in my bed. And it will help with drain away any excess water that gets into the bucket.

Step 4: Snip plastic spirals

Drilling through plastic can make a bunch of little plastic spirals. I used a pair of pliers with snippers on the end to cut off all of these and sweep them up. I didn’t want those coming off in my soil and getting mixed in!

Step 5: Bury the bucket

Once I’d cleaned up the bucket, I moved outside to the yard. I’m putting the bin in the middle of our largest bed. It was pretty easy to get this in place since I just had to dig out enough to fit it down in there and then pack in the soil around it so it’s secure.

Remember to keep the air circulation holes above the soil line. Only the top of the bucket should be up out of the soil.

Step 6: Add green & brown materials

To get my in-ground compost bucket started, I added several layers of organic materials:

• Compost and leaves that I dug out of the bed
• Shredded black and white newspaper
• Bowl of chopped up fruit and veg kitchen scraps
• The half-composted meal from my electric countertop composter
• More shredded black and white newspaper

I’m trying SO hard not to spend money this month, so I’m avoiding ordering worms. Though you can certainly order red wrigglers online to add directly to your compost bed! I am planning to add them to the bin as I find them around the garden and also hope that they find the new buffet on their own.

Remember to keep the lid on and a layer of shredded newspaper or thin kraft paper on top to help block light and keep it less appealing for things like fruit flies. Lift up the bucket and dump out your finished compost after the worms are done and repeat for endless worm poop!

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