Cold Weather Composting Simplified

Composting is an amazing way to cut down on curbside waste, keep your yard looking trim, and ensure your gardens and flowerbeds remain nutrient-rich and healthy. Many homeowners think that you need to give up composting in the winter, but that is fortunately not the case. With a couple of tricks and tips, you can keep the compost turning even when it’s cold outside so you’ll be rewarded with those amazing composting benefits year-round.

Here are four tips for composting during the winter months that are useful if you already have a general idea of how to compost. 

Cover your Compost Pile 

Use a tarp, burlap, or canvas cover to lock in essential heat and moisture. The fabric is breathable even when it is wet or dewy. Use rocks or bricks to hold your cover in place. You can also use straw bales as a wind block. 

Image by Grahamphoto23

Create an Opening for Convenient Access 

You’ll want to fluff your heaps up during the fall with lots of leaves, allowing as much room inside for air as possible. Leaves help insulate your pile and the “fluffing”  facilitates oxidation which breaks down kitchen clippings. Leave a hole in the leaf cover on top of your pile so you can easily add your green scraps. Then, add more leaves for brown material layering. 

Tip: Straw is a great substitute if you have used up all of the leaves in your yard. 

Stash Leaves and Clippings in a Black Trash Bag

Collect all of the leaves that you can. You’ll need lots of this type of brown material in the winter, but this matter is typically harder to find once Fall is over. If you have extra leaves, you can stash them in a black trash bag in the sunlight (and even add green clippings) and they’ll be good to go at any time.

Add a Layer of Mulch 

A layer of mulch can be added on top of compost to keep weeds at bay. Mulch will also keep moisture locked in. Keeping a bag of fine mulch handy is a great choice when you are running out of organic materials to cover your kitchen clippings and other compostables. 

Tip:  Another great use for mulch is as the base layer of your pile. We recommend a finer mulch for your top layer which breaks down easier whereas a coarser mulch will work perfectly for the base layer. 

We hope that with these tips you can continue to reap the benefits of composting all year long. Let us know how our professionals can help you with all of your landscaping, DIY, gardening, and composting needs by contacting us today. 

Happy Composting from Metro Materials!