We all want to have all the compost we can get for our gardens. Compost is a great addition to the soil for a variety of reasons. It improves the tilth of the soil, which improves drainage while allowing the soil to retain water better in hot weather. It buffers the pH of the soil, reducing that acidity of soils that are too acid, and reducing the alkalinity of alkaline soil. Sifted compost is a good seed starting medium, great for those small seeds like carrots.
Composting materials - While the exact ratio of high carbon to high nitrogen materials doesn't have to be exact, it does help to make sure that we don't have too much of one or the other. Using just lawn clippings alone or just fall leaves is too much of one thing. Get about an even mixture of green materials to get the nitrogen boost, but enough brown materials to buffer the heat of the pile.
Break the material down - The more you can break down the material going into the pile, the better it will work. That cuts down on the work the compost pile hast to do, and it exposes more of the internal cell structure of the plant material to the activity of the pile. Cut up large pieces with a pruner if necessary, use a lawn mower to break down large piles, or invest in a small chipper shredder or leave shredder to really break down large amounts of garden and yard waste.
Work the compost in batches - A batch approach works best for fast compost. Once you have a pile working, start another pile or keep your kitchen waste in a compost crock or pail. You may want to have a smaller bin on the patio, and transfer the contents to a larger working bin in the yard for the fast composting.
Turn the pile often - Really fast composting works better if you turn the pile every few days or so. This has the dual advantage of bringing fresh composted material into the hotter center of the pile, while improving the air flow throughout the pile as well, refreshing the oxygen supply to the microbial activity in the hot middle of the pile.
Water the pile - The ideal moisture level is a pile that is like a damp cloth. It should not be soaked, as that can cause a slimy, smelly pile, and too little moisture will just bring the activity of the pile to a stop. This can mean that sometimes you won't be adding water, but shielding the pile from drenching rains.
Give these steps a try and see if you don't start getting compost much more quickly in your compost pile.
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