Compost Bins - Upgrading Side Panels and Turning - Part 2 - September 2026

Yesterday, I posted what I labeled as "Part 1" of my compost turning process that I recently started in the far backyard of the garden.  I previously emptied the compost tumbler of finished compost (Black Gold) and then turned my attention to the three bins.  I emptied the 'finishing bin' and filled the tumbler.  

Part two covers the next step: Upgrading the cedar panels in the third (finishing) bin to help retain the decomposing material inside the actual bin.

I started upgrading the bins a few seasons ago.  In Fall 2024, I turned the bins and then installed some cedar fence boards to the interior of the third bin.  That was designed to try to retain more of the finished compost inside the fence panels.  Here's the post that shows those initial boards installed in the front face of the bin.  

The boards worked, but I could use a few more to continue to hold back the organic material from pilling out the bin.

I have some cedar boards laying around that I cut up and used in few spots.  I first applied a small segment of cedar plank to the INSIDE - side corner.  Where the bin meets the middle (mixing) bin.  This was a pre-cut piece of cedar, so I didn't determine the size. 

I also put a length of cedar fence board on the outside-side fence panel.  Raising the cedar boards up one level from where they were last year.  Photo of the new cedar side board below:

And, across the front, I applied a bunch of little, random pieces.  Part of the challenge on the front is that I have openings for six passive aeration pvc pipes that stick out of the front of the panel.  So, I can't run straight cedar planks across the front.  With the various little pieces of cedar (already on hand and cut to these sizes), I applied a few of them in the spots where the pipe openings aren't located.  I also put a board across the top.   Below is a look at the (seemingly haphazard) boards attached to the inside of the compost bin frame:

Adding Cedar Planks to Compost Bin to Hold in Decomposing Material

Here, below, is an annotated version of the photo from yesterday showing the location(s) of the new small board segments.  The orange rectangles are the locations of the new cedar boards.  The green circles are the location of the openings for passive aeration pvc pipes that pass through the front of the panel.

And, here, below, is what the third (finishing) bin looks like with the front panel closed up and the cedar retaining planks in place.  Before I fill this up, I'm going to scrounge around to see if I can find any other pieces of cedar that I can add to increase the height of the retaining boards on both the front and the side.  

The next step (which I'll cover in Part 3) is to open up the middle (mixing) bin and the left (holding bin) and pull everything out and build a mixed pile that I can load up into the finishing bin.  I'll add a couple of layers of mixed material, slide in the first level of the aeration pipes.  Add more material, then add the second level of pipes.  Then, pile in the rest of the material to fill the finishing bin.  I typically OVERFILL the the finishing bin.  Mound up the material HIGHER than the rails of the bin.  When the pile decomposes, it will usually fall well below the rails.  

The goal is to end up with a completely empty third (holding) bin on the left that I can fill with Fall leaves and other garden cleanup material.