So you'd like to compost year-round, you want things to keep breaking down right through the winter, I can't say I blame you. Year round composting offers numerous benefits, no time lost on decomposition, no food waste because the compost bin was frozen, and come spring you've got beautiful compost for those vegetable gardens that you've missed oh so much over the winter. But what are your options? what can you do to keep going year round? Here's my winter composting round up for you, hopefully one of these ideas will inspire you to keep going after October all the way until May. Insulated bins: How about an insulated compost bin? This is by far my favorite strategy despite my lack personal experience. With a little bit of skill and some readily available materials an insulated box with an insulated lid can keep decomposition going right through much our nasty winter weather. Between the heat of decomposition, the thermal mass of the pile and the R-value of the insulated bin your compost pile will keep on cooking right on through till spring. With some basic building supplies you could have one done in a day. The method is simple enough, once the first bin fills pitch the compost into the second bin and start building up compostables in the first bin again. Not only does this style bin keep going through a lot of the winters lowest temperatures but it cooks up compost faster with its stable environment in warmer months. With turn around time from food waste to garden ready compost in as little as two months. This is the two bin design my friend in Finland, Felix Nyberg, built. These two pictures above were taken ten days apart. Here's a brief description of the composter: The measurements are 3ftX3ft (36"X36"). It's a little over 3.5ft high (40"). The bottom is 1/4" hardware cloth layered with rodent netting, and it's open to the ground. The sides and lid are pine boards (reclaimed pallets could work very well). On the inside, the sides have 2" of polystyrene insulation and the lid has 4" of insulation. There's a plastic tarp on the inside protecting the insulation. At the bottom, there's a 3" drainpipe drilled full of holes to allow extra airflow, the ends of the pipe are covered in rodent netting. The upper half of the front is removable to allow for easy emptying and turning. In the middle there's a separator that divides the box into two equally large areas, one to be used for fresh compost while the other one rests. It should hold about 600 liters of compost, or a bit over 20 cubic feet in total. Temperatures taken from inside the bin on a day with outdoor temps of +8C were, +44C air temp in the bin and a compost core temp of +67C. ...you to could build bigger or smaller depending on what you needs are...Theoretically you to could build bigger or smaller depending on what you needs are. Single, double or triple bin styles could be used. Placed in an area accessed often in the winter they're would be no reason to stop adding scraps year round. For me the best location in winter would be near my wood shed. Some great pictures courtesy of Felix Worms: Of course worm bins, whether you choose to go and purchase something that's ready to fill with bedding, kitchen scraps, and worms or you choose to put something together yourself, when kept warm are going to keep producing beautiful castings and turning your food waste into a garden ready soil amendment all winter long. Your bin options are many. I personally like to keep things simple, depending on the size of your household, one or two Rubbermaid totes converted into worm bins can handle the load. I talk more about this DIY Rubbermaid worm bin here. To keep them going all winter long you're going to have to keep them warm. They're not going to survive the winter outdoors, not here anyway. So you're going to have to choose a space in your home that stays far enough above freezing that those little wiggler's are going to keep eating, breeding and pooping all winter long. Maybe worms in the living-room isn't your thing, so some locations that may work for you are a crawlspace, basement, cold room, heated garage or tucked away under your kitchen sink. And if worms in the living room is your thing I suggest taking a look at the coffee table worm bin design in the handy book "worms eat my garbage" by Mary Applehof.
...You'd be pretty amazed at how fast your food waste can |
The key hole garden at the BLCG. In the center you see a perfect example of a "compost digester" | Here is the compost tumbler from the BLCG. Clean and simple I personally would not object to this being in my garage | The triple bin composter at the BLCG. A large system like this isn't going any where. You'd have to bring your winter solution to it. |
...The elements, the warming and cool cycles, are breaking things down in their own way...
Let it freeze:
There's nothing wrong with your compost freezing. The elements, the warming and cool cycles, are breaking things down in their own way. Even if decomposition has halted the pile is likely still alive with dormant bacteria, fungus, insects and other critters. In the worst case your pile has died, don't worry new bacteria will end up in that pile before long. With a little care in the forms of turning and adding more compost materials it will spring back to life (zombie compost ha ha ha).
If you have a double or triple bin system nothing says you can't continue to add material all year. Just don't leave yourself to much to turn over in the spring. Other systems like compost digesters or simple piles are fine to have freeze too. Come spring the compost will wake back up, as with everything else.
If you have a barrel system I think it would be best to empty and stop using if you can't move it to a warmer location. I can"t see spinning frozen compost being good for the mechanical components.
I hope this gives you some ideas of how to keep composting year round. Did I miss anything? Please share how you compost through winter in the comments.
by Samantha Young-Finch
There's nothing wrong with your compost freezing. The elements, the warming and cool cycles, are breaking things down in their own way. Even if decomposition has halted the pile is likely still alive with dormant bacteria, fungus, insects and other critters. In the worst case your pile has died, don't worry new bacteria will end up in that pile before long. With a little care in the forms of turning and adding more compost materials it will spring back to life (zombie compost ha ha ha).
If you have a double or triple bin system nothing says you can't continue to add material all year. Just don't leave yourself to much to turn over in the spring. Other systems like compost digesters or simple piles are fine to have freeze too. Come spring the compost will wake back up, as with everything else.
If you have a barrel system I think it would be best to empty and stop using if you can't move it to a warmer location. I can"t see spinning frozen compost being good for the mechanical components.
I hope this gives you some ideas of how to keep composting year round. Did I miss anything? Please share how you compost through winter in the comments.
by Samantha Young-Finch
Check out these handy links for more ideas and info
Winter composting tips
http://learn.eartheasy.com/2014/01/tips-for-winter-composting/
http://www.compostguy.com/winter-composting/
Deep liter for chickens
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.ca/p/deep-litter-method.html
Winter composting tips
http://learn.eartheasy.com/2014/01/tips-for-winter-composting/
http://www.compostguy.com/winter-composting/
Deep liter for chickens
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.ca/p/deep-litter-method.html
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