Seasonal Considerations for Composting

Most composting is done in the spring and summer months. The reason is that heat is
such an important element to the process. Even though the compost process itself
generates heat, the warmth from the weather certainly helps everything along.

Most composts goes dormant in the winter months and start-up again with the spring
thaw and warmer temperatures. But if you live in a milder climate that does not get harsh winters, there is a way to continue to compost during the winter months.

You can create an insulated compost bin. Using a plastic garbage can dig a hole big and deep enough to put at least six inches of the can underground. Use a natural insulating material such as straw and pack it around the base and up the sides of the can. Continue to compost as you would at any other time of the year.

Even though this method will still work in the winter months, the speed at which the
material will decompose will still be slowed down. Winter composting will allow you to continue recycling your kitchen scraps throughout the colder months and you may even have compost at the beginning of spring to use in your garden.

The spring and fall are the best times to collect leaves to start a new compost bin. In the spring, the leaves you collect have already started to decompose as they stayed wet and insulated throughout the winter. It doesn’t matter though if you collect your leaves in either season – they are the perfect base for a new compost pile. If you are using dry leaves from the fall, consider putting them through a chipper of some kind. If they are smaller and already cut up it will aid in the whole composting system.

Cold or Hot Composting

The heat that is generated from the breaking down of organic matter into compost is
known as hot composting. There is also cold composting, it doesn’t take as much of a
commitment from you to upkeep or manage but it does take quite a bit longer to yield
results.

Hot (or active) composting uses microbes to breakdown the matter. Some experts will
recommend you inoculate the compost with live organisms purchased from a gardening
supply store in order to get the process started. While others will recommend adding in healthy top soil as it also contains live organisms that will convert your organic matter into compost material. Either way, once the process is started your compost pile will generate heat. You should tend or check on your pile every second day to ensure good air circulation is maintained and that the right level of moisture is kept.

If you do not have the desire or time to maintain a regular compost bin, starting a cold compost (or slow compost) may suit you better. In a cold compost, you are only using your yard waste and grass clippings instead of a combination of outdoor material with your kitchen scraps. All that is required of you is to pile your leaves and grass clippings into a pile and wait. The process is slow and long – it will not yield usable compost for up to one year. Be careful not to put in any weeds or other undesirable plants, as there is no heat they will survive the composting process and can grow again when you use the finished material.

If you generate quite a bit of yard waste and it is too much to include in your regular compost bin consider using both methods. You can have the best of both composting methods.

Composting Precautions

There are living creatures that you want in your compost bin such as microbes and red
earthworms and then there are the creatures you wan to stay away like raccoons, rodents, and bears). A compost bin can be very appealing to an animal, easy access to food. As a rule, you should never put animal matter into compost (left over meat and bones) not only do they not make for good composting they will be a magnet to wild animals. Following are some more tips to help keep your compost bin free from pests of all sizes.

An odor-free compost bin is less likely to attract bears or any other animal friends. You can achieve this by rotating or turning the compost pile at least once per week. Another precaution that should be taken is to have a bin with a cover whether it is commercially made or one you make yourself.

Another thing you can do is to put brown food such as lawn clippings on top of the green food (food scraps and other kitchen waste). You can purchase lime at your local nursery or hardware store to sprinkle on the top of your composting materials that will increase the rate at which everything decomposes.

The location of your compost heap should not be near the edge of your property
especially if you live near a forest or park area. This makes it very easy for animals to help themselves without being exposed by walking through your backyard.

If bears or raccoons are a big concern in your community you can look into a
neighborhood compost pile. In addition to making composting more accessible to a
larger group of people, you can look into an electric or barbed wire fence to ensure no unwanted animals come looking for a free lunch.

The Best Place for your Composting Bin

The most common location for a compost pile or bin is in close proximity to your kitchen

or garden. You want it in a convenient location to make it easy and second nature to

bring your food scraps or garden waste to the composter. If you have a large yard, the yard waste can get quite heavy and you don’t want to be transporting the heavy material be a deterrent to composting.

There are other considerations that need to be taken into account when choosing a
composting site. Keeping all the below suggestions in mind, you also want to make sure that it is in an area that children or animals will not disturb or get into the compost bin.

The ground should be level and not prone to collecting excessive water (it needs good
drainage). Your compost pile needs to stay moist but you do not want too much water or it will not work properly. In addition to level ground, make sure you can easily access the area with a wheelbarrow.

A shady location is best, if the compost pile gets too much sunlight it will get hot and dry out. Again, the pile needs to stay moist and overheating it with external sources will not help.

A water source should be close by – you can reach the area with your garden hose or
easily carry enough water to moisten the pile if it becomes too dry. Remember you just want to moisten the pile with a spray of water not drench it.

If you are beginning with a one bin system, you may want to leave enough room for a
second bin down the road. By having two bins side-by-side, you can easily rotate or turn the pile by moving material from one bin to the next.

Materials Needed to Start Composting

Now that you have decided that you want to compost, there is a list of items that you will need to get started. Most of these items are available in your own yard and require a small amount of planning ahead of time.

After you pick a location for your compost bin or pile (ensure it is in an easily accessible location) you are going to need approximately four inches of leaves as a base. If you are able to chip the leaves prior it will make things progress and breakdown faster but it is not a requirement. The quantity of leaves you will need to make a four-inch base will vary depending on the size of the bin you have chosen.

Your next layer should be about one inch of high-quality soil. If you cannot find this in your own garden a small bag purchased from your local nursery will work fine.

Then start layering the food for the microbes to eat. There are two categories of food you are going to need brown (yard waste) and green (food scraps or other organic waste). A common ratio is two parts brown for every part of green.

You are going to need a spade or heavy-duty pitch fork to turn or rotate the compost at least once per week. If there is a dry-spell you will need a means of adding water (a hose) to keep the pile moist.

With such simple materials and start-up instructions, anyone can start their own compost pile in under a day. If you choose to not use a bin, consider buying some wire mesh to contain the pile, it can be wrapped around the base of the pile in a circular shape. The compost can be ready anywhere from two months up to one year.