Seasonal Schedule for Composting
An effective storage system is the key to successfully using the materials each season provides. In the fall, collect and shred fallen leaves. The best use for them now is as mulch for trees, shrubs, and garden beds. Excess leaves can be stored – leaves from 100 bags can be shredded and put in a 4′x4′x4′ container. Some decomposition will take place over the winter, but not a significant amount. Continue to put kitchen scraps in the pile, but it’s not necessary to turn in cold climes.
If you want your compost pile to stay active during the winter, you’ll want an enclosed bin with insulated sides or a cold weather composter. A black bin situated in a sunny spot can help trap solar radiation during cold spells. Keep the pile as large as possible so that heat generated from decomposition will endure. You can also stack bales of straw along the sides of your bin to help retain the heat.
In areas with a cold winter, spring is the best time to start the compost pile in earnest. There’s an abundance of grass clippings and trimmings. Summer is the time the compost pile is working at its peak range of decomposition, especially if it has been turned once or twice. Cover and store the finished compost, or use it, and start another batch. With enough organic waste, you can produce several batches of highly managed compost during the summer.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
how much green and brown recyclable materials does it take to produce 1lb bag of compost?
@janice, This is a tough question, there are several variables. I can tell you this. When my 50 gallon compost bin is full, it ususally reduces down to less than 1/5 or less than when I started.
CAN YOU USE FLOWERS?
@diANE, Yes, you can compost flowers, and cutting them up with help them break down much quicker.
cani use twigs and branches i have cut up to small sizes in my compost
@gavin, Yes, you can however I recommend not just cutting them up into small pieces but actually shredding them. If just small pieces they will take a while to break down, possible years. Shredded the twigs will take just a few months to fully break down.
I have chickens, can I add their droppings? Should compost with feces in it be used in veggie gardens?
@Megan, Adding chicken droppings to your compost pile is fine. You can also add horse or cow manure; I would just avoid cat and dog dropping in your compost pile as well as other animals that eat meat. Yes, you can add this to your vegetable garden assuming you are letting the compost finish decomposing and it’s getting fairly hot in the process.