I reviewing my garden journal from last year and saw that we had just finished building the compost bin. http://myfolia.com/journals/107779-new-compost-bin

I was excited and apprehensive about a huge 3-bin system for my little garden. After a year, here’s my review:

Pros:

• I got the most amount of finished compost ever!
• I like having a bin that is ready to grab finished compost from at any time.
• The 3-bin system really helps keep 1) the new stuff separated from 2) the older but still cooking stuff, 3) the really old, pretty much ready. It forces you to allow the compost to mature.
• It is a great workout to transfer from one bin to the next (something that I did 2 times this year).

Cons:

• It is big. It takes up a lot of space and I have trouble filling it to be most effective.
• It takes physical effort and a bit of time to turn the bins.
• There is no way to get around the fact that truly finished compost takes time.

Overall, I am thankful that I had space in my yard for it, because it really is great, but perhaps a bit of overkill for such a small backyard garden.