Compost is a popular way to dispose of household organic waste, at least during the summer. Composting your household waste helps to speed up the natural process of its decay through the growth of aerobic bacteria. These aerobic bacteria eat away within your compost, and while doing so the bacteria become a type of natural heating force within the pile. Brown materials (carbon-rich) and green materials (nitrogen-rich) are favorite food sources for the bacteria and help to keep the inner temperature of a compost pile at a higher level. However, during the frigid winter months, this process of decay slows down. As tenders of compost, we must do our part to help the process continue instead of waiting until spring when the weather again grows warm.
For those of us who are not exactly “scientifically inclined,” winter is imagined to be a natural pause button within the local environment. The ground grows hard, and vegetation submits to the cold. But compost piles don’t actually stop working during the winter, they just slow down quite a bit. Within the center of a compost pile, where they are insulated from the cold, the aerobic bacteria are most active, keeping the center of the pile warm. The outer layers that are exposed to the cold work less efficiently. This proves that composting during the winter months can be done.
The tender balance between the correct amount of water and air within the center of the pile is often threatened by winter precipitation. A drenched compost pile is of no use to anyone, because too much water and too little air can wipe out the population of necessary aerobic bacteria.
composting piles
In order to protect and cultivate your compost pile through the winter, follow these key pieces of advice: