You know the routine! Well most seasonal gardeners tend to stop all gardening activities during the winter months. I have built a few greenhouses, so I can continue gardening all year round. In winter we concentrate on growing these vegetables that do well in winter. Nowadays, I even have my compost going all year round since I discovered how to compost in winter.

Before you can extend your composting to all seasons, you must first understand the composting ‘rules’. Every compost needs four things in order to maintain ideal conditions. These are carbon, water, nitrogen and water. Decomposition is as a result of bacteria working within your compost. These bad boys need nitrogen for protein, carbon for energy and water as well as air in order to survive. Since composts generate heat as a by product, we tend to assume that it is essential.

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Tip #1: Nitrogen Rich Compost Items

We are talking about things such as blood meal or fresh manure. Adding these to your compost will naturally speed up the decomposition process. You can go a step further by chopping up leaves and adding them to top, and they will provide much needed insulation.

Tip#2: Increase Your Compost Volume

It is generally recommended that you maintain a compost pile of not less than a cubic yard in volume in winter. A larger volume pile, will generate more heat and this will speed up decomposition too.

Tip #3: Shred Your Compost Material

Although it requires a little extra work, shredding your compost material before adding it to the pile will speed up the decomposition. The bacteria that work in your compost will have more surface area to work with when you take the time to shred your material before adding to the pile.

Although it is not absolutely necessary, investing in a thermometer for your compost is a great idea. It will help you keep an eye on the amount of heat being generated by your pile. Ideally, you want to locate your pile in an area that receives a lot of sunshine. Instead of composting in the ground, opt for a container and make sure that it is well insulated. Also avoid turning the pile to minimize heat loss, until spring rolls into town. Trust me, that is usually hard to do especially if you have been turning it all summer long.

You can get more information on the Learning And Yearning blog here…