Composting Throughout the Seasons
Algreen 72 Gallon Preformed Pond Kit
$159.99
Depending on what season it is, there are different things you need to do for your composter bin in order to keep it working well. Even in the winter, if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow and don’t want to make the trek out to the composter, you can save your kitchen scraps for those warmer days ahead.
We've put together a season guide for composting year round to help get the full use out of your composter.
Spring
- At this point, when things thaw from the winter months, the materials that were added to your composter in the winter will start to break down. You can speed this up by keeping your compost well aerated – this will warm up the pile and help decomposition along.
- Finished compost at the bottom of the composter can now be used in your garden. Spring is the best time to add compost to your garden! Mix it in directly with the soil you currently have in your garden, or you can pass your compost through a sieve before placing it on top of your soil.
- Prune your plants and remove any dead plants/leaves from the garden that may not have been removed before the winter began. These products can be added to your composter.
Summer
- Summer is the best season for composting. The weather is warm and helps the materials to compost fastest.
- Make sure that you have the right ratio of green to brown material in your composter, and to insure that it decomposes fastest make sure everything is chopped into small pieces.
- In order to keep your composter running smoothly, make sure that there is enough moisture in it.
- Continue using finished compost in your lawn and garden to help your plants gain the nutrients they need to grow healthy.
Fall
Green Tip:
Prevent Erosion by using plants that cover the entire ground surface. Erosion removes the top soil and can clog waterways with it.
- Keep up with the composting throughout the fall to guarantee that you’ll have fresh compost in the spring when you need it. Keep in mind that you don’t want to overwhelm your composter with only one type of material (leaves, for example) – you may want to save some of this to layer with the kitchen scraps you add to your composter throughout the winter.
- In order to help keep your composter warm, you can use a cover over it.
- Mix your compost every couple of weeks in order to keep it aerated.
- Finished compost should be spread out over your garden to put the nutrients back into the soil to get ready for next spring.
Winter
- Keep up with your composter, even if it only includes making a trek out to it once a week or so with a bucket of kitchen scraps. Everything you add to your composter during the winter will actually break down quicker than you would have expected, due to the way the weather freezes and then thaws your materials.
- Do not mix or aerate your composter at this time of year, as this will cause heat to escape from your composter. If you are worried about heat retention, you can always insulate your composter with straw, hay or leaves around the sides and top of the composter.
