Tips for Winter Composting

There’s no reason to put composting to the sidelines over the winter. We may begin to think that our compost pile is frozen or stopped working in the winter months. It typically slows down considerably, but the organisms are just waiting to warm up a bit. Compost piles that are activity-managed in the winter will continue to decompose but at a slower pace. Keeping your compost active year-round offers many benefits, including great fuel for your garden in the spring. Here are some tips for winter composting:

Choose The Right Location
You will want to choose a spot easily accessible in the winter and away from direct sunlight or extreme weather. Do not compost near a body of water or the shore of a lake or stream. Compost can contribute unwanted nutrients to the water.

Select Your Composting Container
To help you decide on what size of a container you will need, think about how much organic waste you expect to have. You can create your own by drilling holes in the top of a large plastic storage bin or opt for a store-bought container to hold compost. Rotating bins make turning your mixture easy and help keep pests out.

Know What You Can Compost
The contents of your winter composting collection can be the same throughout the year. This includes kitchen scraps such as fruit peels, rinds or cores. Along with vegetables, including pumpkin shells and onion skins. Coffee grounds and paper filters can also go in the compost. Along with tea leaves and tea bags without any staples or stickers. Eggshells are also a great addition to compost. Composting is the best alternative to managing backyard waste and kitchen food scraps. It reduces the amount of waste you produce and supplies a beneficial soil amendment product.

Materials to Avoid
There are some materials you should avoid adding to your composting. Avoid adding meat, dairy, or oil foods to your compost, as they can attract pests and create unpleasant odors. Woody twigs and branches larger than 1/4 -inch in diameter should be put through a wood chipper before being added to your compost. Avoid wood and leaves from plants such as pine, spruce, juniper and arborvitae. Also, avoid adding plants that have been treated with weed killers.

Add Yard Clippings
Compost should have the right balance of green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon) ingredients. Since most of the scraps from your kitchen will be nitrogen-rich, be sure to add yard waste such as straw, dried leaves and plant debris.

Layering
Start by adding a layer of browns, such as dried leaves or shredded newspaper, to the bottom of your composting container. Next, add a layer of greens, like kitchen scraps and grass clippings. Continue alternating layers of browns and greens; lightly water each layer as you go to keep the compost moist.

Turn and Mix
Turning and mixing your compost helps aerate it, which speeds up the decomposition process. Use a pitchfork or shovel to turn the pile regularly, combining the outer layers into the center. You can also rotate your compost bins to make turning your mixture easy.

Monitor and Adjust
Monitoring moisture is essential when receiving a lot of rain and snow. This can be difficult with traditional compost piles, as the moisture soaks into the ground and is taken on by the compost. That is why it is a good idea to use a sealed compost container so the rain and snow melt is not a problem. Containers can still take on some water, so don’t skimp on adding dry leaves to adsorb any excess moisture. Your compost should feel moist but not wet. If it is too wet, add more dried leaves or cardboard. If it’s too dry, sprinkle it lightly with water. Your compost should be dark, crumbly and earthy-smelling. Stick your hand into the pile to test the temperature; if it’s warm, the composting process is on track.

Your compost will transform into nutrient-rich soil that will help when it’s time to start your garden in the spring. Just scoop out the finished compost and mix it into garden soil or pile it on top as mulch. Leave some compost in your container to help start the next batch!

Sources:
10 Tips for Winter Composting — The Family Handyman
Ten things to remember about composting during the winter – Natural Resources
A quick and dirty intro to DIY composting – Evergreen