Winter Composting

Give your compost pile a little insulation this winter and watch it crank up the heat.

An insulated compost can is made with a 32-gallon plastic garden can with a lid, four bales of straw or hay, a shovel, a drill with a one-inch drill bit, and a utility knife.

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Heat, more than any other single factor, is what drives a compost pile and enables it to turn raw materials like leaves and grass clippings into compost. Most of the heat is actually generated within the compost pile by the microorganisms that decompose the material, but the process speeds up during the heat of summer and slows during the winter.

Holes around the top of the can provide ventilation. Without oxygen the materials would develop anaerobic conditions and eventually anaerobic bacteria, which causes compost to smell.

To compost in the winter, you can build a special insulated compost can. The can should be located in the same general area as a typical compost pile--in full sun, away from trees whose roots can find their way into the nutrient-rich mix, near a source of water and convenient to the kitchen.

Dig a hole as wide as the bottom of the can and at least six inches deep. Using a utility knife, cut out the bottom of the can one inch from the edge so that the can will maintain its shape. Drill several one-inch holes evenly spaced around the top of the can to provide ventilation.

Paul James turns the compost pile. Mixing the compost blends the materials and incorporates oxygen into the pile. The more often you turn the compost, the quicker the decomposition.

Place the can in the hole and pack some dirt around it. Place four bales of hay or straw around the can and stuff leaves into the gaps. Be sure not to block the ventilation holes.

Add the same mix of green and brown materials that you would add to a traditional compost pile:

Green – kitchen scraps, garden refuse, grass clippings
Brown – hay, straw, shredded newspaper, leaves

Start with a six-inch layer of green materials and alternate with a 6-inch layer of brown materials until the can is full. Sprinkle each layer with water and a handful of blood meal as you proceed to stimulate decomposition. Also add a little finished compost as a starter material. Shake the can gently to incorporate the starter. Keep the lid on the can to keep heat in and rain out and secure it with a strap to keep out critters such as raccoons and possums.

As the materials break down, you can add more, maintaining the 50/50 mix of green and brown. Check the moisture level and add water or brown material as needed.

While even an insulated can can't compost as quickly in winter as in summer, the temperature in the can should stay above freezing and gradually "cook" the material.