Making Compost

Making compost using the hot method (see here for the cold method) means creating a large enough mass of organic matter at one time to get the material to decompose with heat. If you are a homeowner with a small plot of land and only have kitchen scraps, you’re likely not going to be able to make compost this way. See the cold method instead.

What Can You Use to Compost

The hot method means you need to get enough compost to fill a bin approximately 4-feet by 4-feet by 4-feet high. It doesn’t matter whether these are leaves, grass clippings, straw, manure – whatever. It does have to be organic material. The rule of thumb is that plant derived material is acceptable – not animal derived. Note that manure is plant-derived that goes through an animal. Fat from an animal is not used. There are some exceptions (citrus doesn’t degrade well) and some gray areas – eggshells are good but are they animal or vegetable? Avoid fats and citrus. End of story. Simple.

Get the bulk of material.

Shred It

Shred it. You need small bits for hot compost if you want it to really “cook” or work. Making compost means you have to have the bacteria able to work on small bits and pieces rather than larger chunks.

Mix It

Hopefully mix it all together as you’re making the pile or filling the large container. Try not to create layers of impenetrable material such as grass clippings that will block both oxygen and water from getting to lower levels. Some folks drive metal stakes down into the pile (and remove them when the pile starts to heat up) to give oxygen a route to the bottom of the pile.

Check Temperature

Check the temperature of the pile about 8 inches into the pile. It will heat up nicely. When it starts to cool – turn the pile over and remix.

Turn Pile

If you turn the pile every ten-days to two-weeks, you can make compost in 6-8 weeks. If you don’t turn it – you can make compost in a year but it likely won’t be as good

Turn it as often as you have the energy to do – every two weeks as long as it continues to heat up and then start to cool down. When it no longer heats up – it is done.

Harvesting the Compost

Making compost on the home scale means that at the end of the process, you really won’t be fussy about what comes out. As long as it is brown and crumbly and the bits aren’t too recognizable (eggshells typically are one of the last to go) then you have useable compost.

Bigger bits that you can recognize should be the base for the new compost pile that you’re about to start again.

Spread the good stuff and watch your garden thrive.