Hot Home Composting

Learn from a Master Gardener with 12 years of composting experience!
Container tips for hot home composting:

• Containers should be nothing less than one cubic yard in size
• Commercial containers are often too small and don’t allow for easy pile turning.
• A segmented container is very useful when it comes to turning the pile; build one yourself out of wood.

(Note:  If you need them, plans to build a container are available from a variety of resources.  Check the Internet, or with local recycling centers or other businesses to see if they have plans available.)

Hot composting begins with making the pile:

• You need two ingredients — greens (nitrogen) and browns (carbon); nothing larger than a thumb.
• Have a cubic yard ready beforehand; you can store in bins while gathering.
• Start with a 2” layer of greens, then a 2” layer of browns.
• Water well, fork, and water remaining dry spots.
• Repeat until pile is full and soaked.

   

Cooking the pile:

• Have a compost thermometer available (check the web if you can’t find it locally).
• Temperature should reach at least 140º; lower layers of the pile will be the hottest.
• Cooking continues as long as the pile stays soggy.
• Hot weather is not necessary for cooking; proximity to a water source is more important when choosing a site.
• Cooking correctly will eliminate any weed seeds.

Turning the pile:

• Frequency of turning is a personal choice.
• Effort or faster compost production — the more you turn, the faster it cooks.
• Turn the pile on it’s head; you do not want to mix the pile.
• When turning, you may notice large white grubs.  Don’t worry.  These are just the harmless larvae of green beetles.  They won’t damage your plants.
• Compost will be ready in about 3 months with one or two turns.