Seasonal Considerations For Composting

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.