Just be sure to be extra vigilant when it comes to the moisture levels in your bin. The highest temperatures will only last a few days at most. Most composters try to get multiple temperature spikes over a period of months. Turning the pile with a pitch fork or compost aerator will mix everything together and give a boost to poorer performing parts of the pile, lifting the overall temperature. Here are some tips for keeping compost piles warm in winter.
Insulating your compost pile with extra brown materials such as straw, sawdust, and dry leaves will help it stay warm. Covering the pile with tarp or strategically positioning it to shelter it from any wind and rain will also help. For more information check out our guide to insulated compost bins.
Having a bigger pile will be especially helpful in the winter because it helps with heat retention. Winter can bring damp weather which can leave compost piles soggy as they absorb moisture from the ground. To stop this happening you could invest in a compost tumbler that allows your pile to sit off the ground.
I recommend the FCMP tumbler. Ideal temperatures for fast decomposition are between 90 and degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the pile is hot enough to kill off most weeds, bugs, seeds, and harmful pathogens. Higher temperatures also allow for more activity from the micro-organisms in the compost, helping to speed up the overall process and create high quality compost.
A high concentration of microbes is especially useful if you plan on making compost tea. Environmental factors around the bin or heap will also influence the temperature and speed of the compositing process.
Hotter temperatures in the summer and spring will increase the rate of decomposition while during the cold winter season the process may come to a virtual halt unless the bin is well insulated. It is hoped that more people and schools will be encouraged to monitor the temperature, pH and if possible the moisture content of their bins during composting and then send in details of their results for inclusion on these pages with details of the type of bin and material being composted.
As an additional exercise schools could monitor the temperatures and pH of their Rotbots to see if they can record temperature rises during decomposition of waste in a litre container. Most of the temperature rise within the composting material is a result of the activity of the microbes in the bin. As the microorganisms work to decompose the compost, their metabolic activity generates heat, which raises the temperature of the composting material.
Lower temperatures signal a slowing in the composting process. The microbes involved in the aerobic composting process Compost Microbes fall into two groups:.
During the hot thermophlic stage efforts should be made to ensure that the composting material is kept aerated and moist, additional moisture should be added in the form of water or compost comfrey tea. If checked regularly the temperature of the decomposing material provides an indication as to when the pile should be turned to aerate to restore the microbial activity necessary to maintain the required temperature of for as long a period as possible.
However, there are a wide range of thermophilic bacteria and fungi that have been isolated from compost during the thermophilic stage. If using a windrow system these temperatures must be held for 15 days, during which time, the materials must be turned a minimum of five times. When hot composting at home the keen composter should maintain the temperature for 10 to 15 days.
Larger and deeper heaps result in higher temperatures and better temperature distribution throughout the pile and therefore expose more material to the higher temperature required for speedy composting. As recommended elsewhere on this site three wooden compost bins of 1m x1m x 1m approx 3ft x 3ft x 3ft provide an adequate size to retain the heat produced by the microbial activity and make turning to aerate relatively easy as the material can be moved from bin to bin.
While some people argue that if handled correctly the composting process can be achieved by turning the heap once, two or three times should be regarded as a minimum with the target being least five times during the initial two week period.
An alternative method of maintaining higher temperatures is to base the frequency of turning the heap on the heap temperature. During this stage of active decomposition by the thermophiles the temperature will fall a few degrees immediately after turning but will rise again reaching its original temperature within two or three hours. This means that if you are monitoring the temperature of the composting process it is useful to take additional readings during the three-hour period after turning.
The recording and turning being continued until there is no marked change in temperature following the aeration. If temperature monitoring has been undertaken irregularly and the heap has been allowed to overheat to such an extent as to inhibit bacterial activity i.
Watering the heap is sometimes suggested as a means of reducing the temperature but this should be attempted with care, as there is a danger of the heap becoming waterlogged. If a fall in temperature, during what should be the thermophilic stage, occur if parts of the material are becoming anaerobic. This is usually accompanied by a fall in pH. This temperature drop can occur in quite localised areas, which have become anaerobic, with the temperature falling to below that of the surrounding aerobic compost.
I suspect that this might be the case with material being composted in sealed compostable cornstarch bags and would recommend opening and emptying these bags, if they are used. The thermophilic stage is followed by a second mesophilic stage as the heap cools; during this, stage different microbes come to dominate the compost population. Some workers record a relatively quick fall in temperature to ambient temperature of stable and mature compost while others record a more gradual fall in temperature.
The temperature will vary within different parts of the compost heap, which is why a number of temperature samples should be taken from different locations when recoding temperatures.
This heat gets trapped in your compost pile and gradually warms up. If you are making a hot compost this will take a few days to get up to heat and level out. If the compost gets too hot, eg. The simple solution is to add some more brown materials and mix them in. It is really unlikely that your compost will reach this temperature but spreading it out over a larger area to allow it to cool, then piling it back up again may be necessary in the short term to release some heat.
The best thing about hot compost is that it breaks down quicker than a traditional cold compost. A well made hot compost will break down in just 4 weeks. A cold compost will take at least weeks but often much longer. Hot compost will also kill most weed seeds or pathogens that may be nasty for your garden. Technically you can put weeds that have gone to seed in the mix and as long as it heats up they should be no longer grow. There are some exceptions however and many weed seeds can survive.
I generally avoid putting weeds that have gone to seed into my compost just to be safe. The best way is pulling and adding weeds before they have gone to seed.
Just as a side note, the best way to deal with weeds that have gone to seed is to make a weed tea. I will write an article on how to make this soon. A compost heap will gradually heat up over days and then start to cool down. It really depends on your climate but once it gets below degree Fahrenheit then turn it over and make sure it is moist enough. This will introduce more oxygen and then it will start to heat up again. After 4 weeks it should drop to a lower temperature where you can leave it for 2 more weeks then use in your garden.
If you have the space and can access enough green and brown material than this is a great method for you. If you only have a small backyard with a small amount of fall leaves and kitchen waste you can still compost. Just read my other article on composting and start there. If you have the space then go for it. Hot composting is a great way to make compost fast, you trap carbon and will return valuable nutrients and structure back to your soils. Compost piles can get too hot if there is enough organic matter in the pile and the heat cannot escape.
Test your compost pile with a compost thermometer and to release extra heat turn the compost and remove some of the material. A compost pile that is above degrees Fahrenheit is too hot and should have material removed. This temperature will kill microorganisms and stop the breakdown process. Too much moisture, not enough nitrogen, not enough volume and if the compost pile gets too dry it can prevent it from getting hot. Water the pile regularly to keep it moist but not wet and turn the pile every weeks to get it heating up.
This will allow more air flow and allow the heat to escape. Removing the excess materials will cool down the compost pile down to a temperature of around degrees Fahrenheit. This is the perfect temperature for microorganisms to break down the organic matter without being too cool and killing them off.
A hot composting heap can get up to degrees Fahrenheit but a good range is anywhere from degrees Fahrenheit.
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